RoyOdhner
Member
I read the handgun and survivalist rags and forum postings with a certain bit of humor. Some people live and die by what these sources have to say, and respond with vigor to anybody who questions the wisdom of these sources. Others seem hell-bent to do the exact opposite. Some fall somewhere in the middle. I’m kind of a middle of the road type of guy.
I do not believe that there are legions of methed-out, psychotic, steroid pumping, sex offending, biker zombies lurking around every corner. I do not get routinely refitted for the newest tinfoil hat. However, as a former correctional/community supervision officer and current mental health caseworker at a large county jail system I know that there are some really dangerous and unstable characters out there. Should you come across one (or should one come across you), the odds that a LEO is gonna be anywhere in your immediate vicinity is pretty slim. As a freedom loving citizen, I keep an eye on my government but do not think that all misguided legislation (enacted by either Republican or Democrat legislators) is a sign that vacant Kmart stores will soon be used for internment camps. I'm certainly not about to go off an join a militia because as a student of world history, I've yet to find an example where such militias did not ultimately mutate into the very thing they originally claimed to oppose and ultimately imposed their own form of misery upon those they claim to be protecting.
However, the unpleasant truth is that we need to be able to defend ourselves. Since most of us don’t have our own private security detachment, and LEO’s can’t be everywhere at the same time, and because it’s impractical for most us to carry a cop, most of us need some sort of personal protection. Unfortunately, that leaves us with one practical option – carrying a firearm. Since trying to conceal a 12 guage or an AR or AK is not such a realistic option for most of us, that leaves most of us carrying pistols. I know I certainly don’t want to be humping a shotgun or carbine all day, so I pack a pistol.
There are many self-defense philosophies… probably as many as there are individual gun owners. In my case, I think that anything that gives 10” – 14” of penetration w/decent expansion is gonna work for civilian self-defense purposes. Granted, I prefer that the FBI 12” – 18” standard be met, so I prefer to carry a gun chambered for 9x19. However, I’m not gonna feel nekked if I’m only carrying my Polish P94, chambered in 9x18, and scoring 10” – 12” inches of penetration w/expansion if stoked with Hornady Critical Defense or XTP rounds. Ditto on my G42 with 11” – “13 using the same ammo chambered for 9x17.
I don’t think that the only true defensive caliber starts with “.4”, and I don’t think I need all manner of tacticool gizmos (from bayonets to photon torpedo tubes) for effective self-defense. Gimme a good pistol chambered for 9x19, stoke it full of good ammo like Hornady FTX/XTX or Federal HST, and also gimme a good taclight and I’m good to go. I’m also good to go with a Makarov, P64, G42, or a PPK with the right ammo and a decent taclight. In fact, due to my unique situation, I can’t really carry anything much bigger that a SCCY – and I’ve been under this constraint for so long that I really can’t see myself adapting to something bigger, like a G19 or a 1911. Frankly, I don’t see the need even if I did not have my current constraints. Others have differing needs, but my SCCY or Shield meet my needs. However, my need for discreet carry trumps my need for capacity, so my Shield is probably gonna wind-up being my primary EDC.
But my needs are my needs. They are not anybody else’s needs, and I don’t presume to know everybody else’s needs. Unlike the libs or really bellicose gun forum trolls, I’m not about to dictate the self-defense needs of others - or demean their choices in gear. I certainly don’t criticize others for having perceived self-defense needs that are different than mine. I might question the need or feasibility of routinely packing a Desert Eagle, but if you think you need to do it then do it. Concealed carry meets my need for personal protection and desire not to alarm others who feel uncomfortable around guns, but if you believe that you need to open carry then do so when legal. I might not think that the 1911 hung the moon or believe I’m nekked if I don’t carry a weapon chambered for .45ACP, but that’s cool cuz you might not think that 9x19, 9x18, or 9x17 (my preferred rounds) or guns chambered for them are adequate for your needs.
Self-defense needs are personal, but in many cases they’re also timeless. Pocket pistols chambered in .22 (LR or WMR), .25ACP, .32ACP, or .380ACP have been successfully defending people for a century or so. So have Snubbies in .38spcl. They’ve certainly been surpassed by many of the subcompact 9MM pistols out there, but these older guns still work. In fact, there are some situations when a NAA mini revolver, SW 642, Beretta Tom Cat, or Taurus TCP are gonna be the only feasible weapon to have on you – and if such weapons worked 100 years ago they’re gonna work today… probably even better with today’s modern ammo offerings.
So my carry philosophy is this: carry small and light. Subcompacts in 9x19 like my Shield are preferred, but my NAA Pug stoked with .22WMR (Maxi Mag or Critical Defense) is a nasty little beasty and will be effective. (Note, effective is not the same as optimal - it just means it will get the job done in a pinch). My philosophy is that any pistol that delivers enough pain compliance incentive to make an attacker back off is gonna work for me. I don’t need them dead, just out of the fight and no longer posing a threat to me or my family. My deadly force policy is simple: there is no stand my ground. I’m going to advance as rapidly to the rear as I can, and only fire my weapon if there is no other alternative and a thug is posing a direct threat to me or my family.
You can’t just assume that you can blast your way out of trouble – or that it is always legal to do so… or that you will be immune from prosecution or civil liability for doing so. You own every chunk of lead you send down range, and will be accountable for every person you hit other than your attacker – and you might just be held liable for shooting him/her. If you shoot an individual much beyond 10 yards you’re gonna find yourself under scrutiny and you might find yourself in prison or owing tens of thousands of dollars to your “victim” or his/her estate. Killing an individual over a bass boat, car, or any other material item might just result in serious prison time. Stand your ground might not always save your butt as a defense strategy. If you kill an innocent bystander when you went into “spray and pray” mode, you’re gonna be doing prison or probation time – and be paying tens of thousands of dollars to your victim or his/her estate.
Caliber will never trump shot placement or make up for lack of proficiency, vigilance, discretion, and a survivor mindset – but even those won’t necessarily keep you out of trouble. Whatever you carry, shot placement is king and you must realize that a one shot stop is not likely to occur. Situational awareness is probably gonna keep you out of a situation where you need to use your weapon, but not always. Discretion means that you would do everything feasible to avoid placing yourself in a situation where you need to use deadly force, but it doesn’t mean that such a situation won’t arise. Survival mentality means that you’ve conditioned yourself to believe that you’re gonna prevail and survive, regardless of situation or weapon, should you find yourself in a position where all options other than deadly force have failed.
This isn't a game we're playing here. We are not little Captain Americas who will save the local Wally World from ISIS terrorists. We shouldn't be itching to take a life or constantly creating mental scenarios in which we have to. Vigilance is not the same fantasy, and there reaches a point where a concern for safety becomes a paranoid (or grandiose) delusion. Living in fear is a diminished quality of life. We're responsible citizens who have taken legal and reasonable means to defend ourselves and our loved ones. If we're held hostage to fear, then we've lost the quality of life we are trying to preserve.
I do not believe that there are legions of methed-out, psychotic, steroid pumping, sex offending, biker zombies lurking around every corner. I do not get routinely refitted for the newest tinfoil hat. However, as a former correctional/community supervision officer and current mental health caseworker at a large county jail system I know that there are some really dangerous and unstable characters out there. Should you come across one (or should one come across you), the odds that a LEO is gonna be anywhere in your immediate vicinity is pretty slim. As a freedom loving citizen, I keep an eye on my government but do not think that all misguided legislation (enacted by either Republican or Democrat legislators) is a sign that vacant Kmart stores will soon be used for internment camps. I'm certainly not about to go off an join a militia because as a student of world history, I've yet to find an example where such militias did not ultimately mutate into the very thing they originally claimed to oppose and ultimately imposed their own form of misery upon those they claim to be protecting.
However, the unpleasant truth is that we need to be able to defend ourselves. Since most of us don’t have our own private security detachment, and LEO’s can’t be everywhere at the same time, and because it’s impractical for most us to carry a cop, most of us need some sort of personal protection. Unfortunately, that leaves us with one practical option – carrying a firearm. Since trying to conceal a 12 guage or an AR or AK is not such a realistic option for most of us, that leaves most of us carrying pistols. I know I certainly don’t want to be humping a shotgun or carbine all day, so I pack a pistol.
There are many self-defense philosophies… probably as many as there are individual gun owners. In my case, I think that anything that gives 10” – 14” of penetration w/decent expansion is gonna work for civilian self-defense purposes. Granted, I prefer that the FBI 12” – 18” standard be met, so I prefer to carry a gun chambered for 9x19. However, I’m not gonna feel nekked if I’m only carrying my Polish P94, chambered in 9x18, and scoring 10” – 12” inches of penetration w/expansion if stoked with Hornady Critical Defense or XTP rounds. Ditto on my G42 with 11” – “13 using the same ammo chambered for 9x17.
I don’t think that the only true defensive caliber starts with “.4”, and I don’t think I need all manner of tacticool gizmos (from bayonets to photon torpedo tubes) for effective self-defense. Gimme a good pistol chambered for 9x19, stoke it full of good ammo like Hornady FTX/XTX or Federal HST, and also gimme a good taclight and I’m good to go. I’m also good to go with a Makarov, P64, G42, or a PPK with the right ammo and a decent taclight. In fact, due to my unique situation, I can’t really carry anything much bigger that a SCCY – and I’ve been under this constraint for so long that I really can’t see myself adapting to something bigger, like a G19 or a 1911. Frankly, I don’t see the need even if I did not have my current constraints. Others have differing needs, but my SCCY or Shield meet my needs. However, my need for discreet carry trumps my need for capacity, so my Shield is probably gonna wind-up being my primary EDC.
But my needs are my needs. They are not anybody else’s needs, and I don’t presume to know everybody else’s needs. Unlike the libs or really bellicose gun forum trolls, I’m not about to dictate the self-defense needs of others - or demean their choices in gear. I certainly don’t criticize others for having perceived self-defense needs that are different than mine. I might question the need or feasibility of routinely packing a Desert Eagle, but if you think you need to do it then do it. Concealed carry meets my need for personal protection and desire not to alarm others who feel uncomfortable around guns, but if you believe that you need to open carry then do so when legal. I might not think that the 1911 hung the moon or believe I’m nekked if I don’t carry a weapon chambered for .45ACP, but that’s cool cuz you might not think that 9x19, 9x18, or 9x17 (my preferred rounds) or guns chambered for them are adequate for your needs.
Self-defense needs are personal, but in many cases they’re also timeless. Pocket pistols chambered in .22 (LR or WMR), .25ACP, .32ACP, or .380ACP have been successfully defending people for a century or so. So have Snubbies in .38spcl. They’ve certainly been surpassed by many of the subcompact 9MM pistols out there, but these older guns still work. In fact, there are some situations when a NAA mini revolver, SW 642, Beretta Tom Cat, or Taurus TCP are gonna be the only feasible weapon to have on you – and if such weapons worked 100 years ago they’re gonna work today… probably even better with today’s modern ammo offerings.
So my carry philosophy is this: carry small and light. Subcompacts in 9x19 like my Shield are preferred, but my NAA Pug stoked with .22WMR (Maxi Mag or Critical Defense) is a nasty little beasty and will be effective. (Note, effective is not the same as optimal - it just means it will get the job done in a pinch). My philosophy is that any pistol that delivers enough pain compliance incentive to make an attacker back off is gonna work for me. I don’t need them dead, just out of the fight and no longer posing a threat to me or my family. My deadly force policy is simple: there is no stand my ground. I’m going to advance as rapidly to the rear as I can, and only fire my weapon if there is no other alternative and a thug is posing a direct threat to me or my family.
You can’t just assume that you can blast your way out of trouble – or that it is always legal to do so… or that you will be immune from prosecution or civil liability for doing so. You own every chunk of lead you send down range, and will be accountable for every person you hit other than your attacker – and you might just be held liable for shooting him/her. If you shoot an individual much beyond 10 yards you’re gonna find yourself under scrutiny and you might find yourself in prison or owing tens of thousands of dollars to your “victim” or his/her estate. Killing an individual over a bass boat, car, or any other material item might just result in serious prison time. Stand your ground might not always save your butt as a defense strategy. If you kill an innocent bystander when you went into “spray and pray” mode, you’re gonna be doing prison or probation time – and be paying tens of thousands of dollars to your victim or his/her estate.
Caliber will never trump shot placement or make up for lack of proficiency, vigilance, discretion, and a survivor mindset – but even those won’t necessarily keep you out of trouble. Whatever you carry, shot placement is king and you must realize that a one shot stop is not likely to occur. Situational awareness is probably gonna keep you out of a situation where you need to use your weapon, but not always. Discretion means that you would do everything feasible to avoid placing yourself in a situation where you need to use deadly force, but it doesn’t mean that such a situation won’t arise. Survival mentality means that you’ve conditioned yourself to believe that you’re gonna prevail and survive, regardless of situation or weapon, should you find yourself in a position where all options other than deadly force have failed.
This isn't a game we're playing here. We are not little Captain Americas who will save the local Wally World from ISIS terrorists. We shouldn't be itching to take a life or constantly creating mental scenarios in which we have to. Vigilance is not the same fantasy, and there reaches a point where a concern for safety becomes a paranoid (or grandiose) delusion. Living in fear is a diminished quality of life. We're responsible citizens who have taken legal and reasonable means to defend ourselves and our loved ones. If we're held hostage to fear, then we've lost the quality of life we are trying to preserve.
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I can't even imagine receiving a blow like that. It worked to disarm him but it took several more seconds before it actually had any effect on him. It never had the effect you would expect on a sober, sane person. 
