On 28 Apr 2006 16:30:44 -0700, jim rozen
wrote:

In article , Don Foreman says...

It's also not clear that a handgun is the tool of choice to keep
around the house.

Right. Situations differ a lot.

It takes a *lot* of practice to hit anything. To put this in pespective,
at the range where I shoot, the cops have their targets at 25 feet.

The closest targets after that are 25 yards, then 50 yards. The
general public typically shoots at the 50 yard targets. I would
much rather have on of the regulars there on my side, than one of
the local constabulary, seeing how they shoot, and the errors they
make.

The cops just don't shoot enough to be halfway proficient, at best
they can avoid being a danger to themselves IMO.

Oooh. I could tell ya *blood*curdling stories....

Jim

I don't doubt it -- but I'd note that close combat self defense
fire is rather different from target shooting. The choice to be
armed for defense rather than or in addition to sport should be an
informed choice with understanding of what it means to fire in such
a sit.

Light will probably be lousy, you may prefer to fire one-handed
from a low position behind cover rather than presenting a lovely
Weaver stance target of yourself, you may not be able to see the
front sight well if at all, you will probably have tunnel vision
due to adrenaline, it *will* be a considerably more rapid-fire sit
than NRA pistol competition at 25 and 50 yards, and your score
depends only on how quickly and decisively you STOP the assailant
regardless of how nicely you group your five or ten or full load of
rounds. Shooting a drug-high assailant in the leg or the foot
won't stop him, he may not even notice right away.

An assailant with a blade can flick it open in well under a second,
and he can cover 20 feet in 2 seconds or less. Even if shot thru
the heart when you first see the blade, his brain will have about
15 seconds of oxygen remaining. That's more than ample time to
reach you and cut you fatally after you've punched a very
respectable group in him. A counter to that, other than blowing him
off his feet with a 12 gage which is not easy to manage in close
quarters if it is of legal length, is to deliver fire to his pelvic
region after a couple or three center-of-mass rounds to start his
15-second final clock. Head shots stop and drop instantly, OK
for sniper fire when still, but a moving head is a small target
for even close-range seni-auto fire. The pelvic region has lots
of bullet stopping bone so a reasonably energetic JHP round as
..45ACP, .45GAP, .40 S&W or .357 sig can impede his charge and/or
deflect his direction and mobility and can produce pain that can
disable even of one high on drugs -- but you'll have bad dreams for a
while after hearing the screams of a man you gut-shot if you even
resemble a peaceful civil person.

Folks who would choose to be armed for self and home defense should
understand stuff like this to make an informed decision that is right
for them.

I don't advocate a choice or disclose how I choose. Pick yer pony,
take yer ride.