Walt Sherrill wrote:
It seems to me that a lot of people think a gunfight will be like high noon in the O.K. corral. "There won't be cover, only big bullets count and any shot pointed in the BGs direction is a kill". It's not...
What will it be like, then?
The most commonly discussed confrontations with a handgun (not happening in a shop or store) seem to have two forms: 1) a home invasion where the homeowner is responding to noises in the house (or an alarm) and is trying to find out what's going on, or 2) the gunowner is confronted or attacked on the street, in a parking lot, near a automated teller machine, or while going to the car.
In any of those cases, multiple magazines are comfort factors, but seldom used. I can't think of any account of a real-life civilian shooting (other than gang drug shootouts between gang members) where more than one magazine was used. In most cases its seldom more than 3-4 rounds used.
In any of the examples cited above, getting the gun ready (in the home or on the street) is going to take more time than you think. (In a home with kids, the guns likely to be secured in some way; on the street, the gun is probably being carried concealed, and you may be with a companion, and going into action may be difficult.)
In either of those cases, you aren't likely to have an opportunity for a well-aimed shot, and you probably aren't going to have much time to think about it... If you're lucky, you're going to point shoot and do it almost instinctively. The noise may be enough to make the perp think twice -- or it will open the floodgates.
In the home, you're going to be far better served with a shotgun (or carbine firing a handgun round -- maybe .40 or .45) -- a lot more firepower, and even then, it not likely to take out the neighborhood.
On the street you're going to be better served with a gun easily brought into play, perhaps while you're trying to elude the attacker.
If you're in any kind of densely populated area, you've got to be concerned about where the shots go after they're fired, and even if you're lucky enough to get one into the perp, you've got to be concerned that it doesn't got through the perp and into an adjoining house or two.
I simply don't see the advantage of a high-powered round with extreme penetration/pass-through capabilities. Or, for that matter, a magazine that is less than 10-16 rounds.
I can actually answer this one. The 'AVERAGE' gunfight in the US occurs at a distance of 7 feet. The AVERAGE number of rounds fired is 3. That info comes from the DOJ, but it IS about four years old.
Having said that, I'll give one example of a gunfight that occured here in Denver less than two years ago. A gent had gone to his local 'bag & gag' store to get something. When he exited the store he was confronted by a black guy that apparently disliked him. The reasons were never clearly stated in the article I read. The white guy was a ccw holder and was carrying his firearm with him. As the black man continued to verbally abuse the white guy, he rumaged around in his car and came up holding a tire iron.
At this point, the white guy gave TWO very clear warnings that he was armed and he would defend himself if necessary. The black gent just kept on coming. At this point, the white gent pulled out his legally carried semi-auto (9mm I believe - but my memory ain't what it used to be) and for a third time gave the black guy another verbal warning. At this point, the black guy basically moved toward the white guy in the fashion to strike him with the tire iron. The white guy pumped two into the black guy, center mass. The black guy died right there.
Now here's the REALLY STUPID PART. The black guys girl friend emerges from the other side of his car, screams all sorts of things at him, PICKS UP THE TIRE IRON AND ATTEMPTS TO ATTACK HIM. At this point, the white guy pumped ONE shot into her. She did survive. But she also was arrested for 'agravated assault' and spent some time in jail, as it WAS an open and shut case.
The guy was given a 'clean shoot' statement from both the cops AND the Grand Jury that was convened to review this shooting. He was also given his pistol back. The whole thing was witnessed by three bystanders AND there was a security camera that recorded the whole thing.
THAT'S how gunfights occur. Stupid people do stupid things. Why is not important. HOW you react IS.
Also, a buddy of mine carried either a CZ52 or a Tok in 'The Sand' as his back up weapon for almost two years. He said that they were great 'car stoppers'. As they would literally pass through ANY vehicle, front to back, side to side and pretty much anything inside was cut to ribbons. His main weapon was an AMD 65, which he swore by. But he did like (and still does like) his CZ 52's and his Tok's. Plus, apparently 'in the sand' they are everywhere because they are so inexpensive.
I have two experiences that I cannot actually call 'gunfights' because no shots were fired and I was the only person who ACTUALLY had a firearm. In both instances I was confronted by hispanic youths who wished to relieve me of my wallet. In BOTH instances, producing a .45 caliber weapon seemed to resolve the issue without further incident.
I have shot many 'scenarios' via FATS (Fire Arms Training Systems - normally used by LEO's), both live rounds and laser pistols. I KNOW what I'm capable of and hope to never have to fire a round in self defense. But if confronted, I WILL DEFEND MYSELF. And I WILL sleep soundly that night, KNOWING that I was within my rights to keep me and mine safe from stupid people attempting to do stupid things.
I'm actually more concerned with the upcoming 'change' in our gun culture as politicians seem hell bent for leather to remove the Second Amendment from the Constitution. That will indeed be a dark day in the USA.
