On Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:46:22 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:52:59 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Don
Foreman quickly quoth:

On Sat, 28 Jul 2007 08:52:35 -0400, Wes wrote:

Gunner wrote:

Average shooting is 3.5 rounds and inside 21 feet.

And how long does it take to go 21 feet?

That is how short a time that someone has to determine friend or foe, fight
or flight.

That is also why knives can beat guns.

That might depend on who's wielding the blade. A .45ACP round makes
a 21-foot trip in about 0.025 seconds, .357 mag a bit quicker.

Yabbut ya gotsk ta see/process/react by getting it out first.
"Can" is the operative word.

I think knives are most likely to beat guns when the assailant has the
knife, is already within 21 feet or less, and the defender isn't ready
to shoot. Perhaps that's what Wes meant.

Here's some background on the "21 foot rule" and attacks with edged
weapons:
http://www.policeone.com/news_internal.asp?view=113907