This will do the job
Posted on 11/27/2001 8:59:52 AM PST by Gritty
The main reason the .38 was used had more to do with tradition than effectiveness, although it is pretty effective.
I suspect the number of agencies which issue the .38 special are very very rare nowadays.
As a matter of fact the .32 has been used by European PD's for nearly a century. It has also been heavily used by the military.
That doesn't mean that I think either the .32 or .38 special are ideal. If I had my choice of pistol, and knew I were going to be in a gunfight then I would probably choose an 8 shot .357. I would be perfectly content to trust my life to a 9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP etc. tho.
If I were facing multiple unarmed people I would even feel reasonably comfortable with a .22.
I grew up with guns and with friends who owned and used them in a rural area. I have also been around trained professionals who were new to guns before being trained. I guess some would disagree with me, but I would personally much rather have my old childhood buddies with me in a life and death situation.
I do agree with you that people who have no training or experience should at least get some minimal schooling when they purchase a gun. At least half of that training should be devoted to firearms safety.
Regarding an "elderly woman" not being able to handle the recoil of a self-defense handgun such as a .38 Special, I have trained elderly women and have not found this to be the case. Certainly, it is less punishing than being bludgeoned and raped! Regarding their marksmanship, such encounters normally happen within 10 feet, so that is not really a problem. If you will look back, all my comments were framed in the context of "sufficient training."
It is critical to understand the issue of "disparity of force" in this context. In a confrontation where both are unarmed and the male has the intent to kill and/or rape, a 110 pound woman has a 90% chance of suffering death or great bodily harm when confronting a 220 pound man. If she has a firearm, that drops to about 5%. Even if they both have a firearm, she at least has a 50/50 chance -- higher if she can position herself and he agresses upon her position. Would you want your mother, sister, or daughter to have the option of using a firearm or not?
Regarding the police, etc., that's interesting. They really are not armed for "self protection," per se. and their rules of engagement are very different from the elderly lady. They may be required to struggle with a perp rather than just drawing down on him, or there might be situations where they are legally and civilly required to shoot, which is never the case with a civilian. Besides, here in the South, the police and security people are usually held to a much lower standard of training than the rest of us hold ourselves to!!!
By the way, I like your name -- "From this day on, I own my father's gun..."
They are a little pricey compared to other brands, but well worth.
This will do the job
The 20% are in it because they love it. They are perfectly willing to die in order to be exactly where they are. The idea of being in a war, bloodied and possible dying is the price they pay for the rush they get. The adrenaline helps their instincts, gets them pumped up and they can stay awake for days, do their jobs and do it well.
I know this effect is real but I also know, as you said, that not all people respond the same way.
If you will forgive a personal account here is another reaction. Once I was confronted with a situation in which there was a very good chance I would not survive. The details are not important except to point out that it did not catch me unexpectly. I had a few hours to think about it. When the event did happen, I was surprised at my physical and mental reactions.
First of all my mind became crystal clear. I had a feeling of invincibility. I am sure the feeling was to an extent false, yet I also think I really would have been able to handle any situation better than at any other time in my life. I cannot stress enough how confident I felt. I absolutely knew I could deal with anything. Fortunately I did not have to test my new found powers.
I have never read anywhere of that effect yet am reasonably certain most others would react the same way in similar circumstances.
I would be interested if any others have experienced the same.
Most self defense shootings take place within a range of 7 to 10 feet!"
And because of that fact I am the reason why hand grenades and scatter guns were invented.
That describes my feelings several times when under fire and returning fire. There is a clarity to combat that can come upon one. I believe it may be due to the adreneline pumping through one's veins combined with a reliance on thought over a merely physical reaction. That said, the actions one takes during a combat encounter are based more upon something other than merely training. The training helps and it really can weed out many who would not be able to handle the situation but training alone is not equivanent to having seen the elephant.
Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown
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