Carry Enough Gun

by
posted on June 16, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
100years.jpg
By now you have likely heard the adage, “The first rule of gunfighting is to have a gun.” While this is true, the person usually spouting this time-worn piece of philosophy is using it to try to explain away the fact that he is carrying some sort of small, light-caliber handgun. The mistake that person is making is assuming that the bad guys will see his gun and just run for their lives. In other words, he is assuming that he knows what form a criminal attack will take. Well, I admire his courage, but I don't think too much of his judgement.

Those of you who have hunted dangerous game will undoubtedly have noticed that your guide or professional hunter usually is carrying some sort of big-bore long gun. The reason is that the professional knows that anything can happen when dealing with dangerous game and he has to be able to stop the attack right now, before someone gets hurt. In short, He doesn't plan for when everything goes well; he plans for when everything goes bad. The defensive shooter is in the same situation. The best defensive rule of thumb is to carry the most powerful handgun that you can shoot quickly and accurately. It should not be so powerful that you can't manage the recoil in order to get off a quick second shot. And you must be able to shoot it accurately enough to reliably hit the vital zone of your attacker with practiced regularity.

Those who are new to defensive shooting may find that this equates to a .32, .380, or even one of the .22 calibers when they are first getting started. However, with practice and professional training, a person will soon find that they can handle a quality pistol in a much larger caliber with ease. That is the time to trade up and to carry the most powerful handgun that will get the job done for you. Another mistake that leads to the packing of small defensive handguns is that the neophyte chooses a gun to match the way that he chooses to dress. The experienced shooter changes the way he dresses in order to accommodate concealing the more substantial and effective defense gun. To those with experience, being alive is better than being in fashion.

To those who insist on the effectiveness of their pop guns, I would ask why the police and military don't use such tiny, small-caliber guns. The rules of engagement are certainly different for police and military but they are still dealing with same kind of human beings that the armed citizen may have to deal with. In truth, we see them often having to make multiple hits in order to stop the threat in spite of the fact that they are using substantial pistol calibers.

The smart attitude for the defensive shooter is to carry the most powerful handgun that he/she can shoot quickly and accurately. Plan and train for the worst-case scenario and hope it never happens.

Latest

Leo Surplus Guns Horman
Leo Surplus Guns Horman

LEO Trade-Ins: The Sleeper Surplus Market

Although much of the budget-priced military surplus market has dried up, there are still affordable options among the long guns and handguns retired from law enforcement service.

Henry Repeating Arms Expands Spirit of the Corps Rifle Series

After much demand, Henry Repeating Arms is back with two attention-getting lever guns in honor of the U.S. Marine Corps and its 250 years safeguarding the globe.

Rifleman Review: Heritage Mfg. Roscoe

In recent years, Heritage Mfg. has expanded its centerfire offerings, and the Roscoe is one of the latest new models, a retro-styled revolver chambered for .38 Special that's capable of dedicated defensive use.

Chiappa Expands Rhino Revolver Lineup

Chiappa Firearms is updating its unique line of Rhino revolvers with several new models, giving consumers an all-new 10 mm Auto chambering, as well as complete stainless-steel construction.

Review: TandemKross Manticore X

In 2024, TandemKross (TK), best known for its high-quality competition upgrades for rimfire platforms, launched the first ever lower-receiver assembly designed for the rimfire Ruger 10/22 platform.

Rifleman Q&A: Surreptitious L.C. Smith

American Rifleman staff recently received the following question about markings on a possible L.C. Smith shotgun. Read what we learned:

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.