Good read, from SteveReichert

Found this on the Internet

SR’s handgun caliber choice and why-

Over the years, I have been asked a number of times what handgun round I prefer to carry & why. It’s not a simple, nor fast question to answer so I’ll make an attempt to provide a comprehensive answer here.

The rounds you will find by my side most often are some form of expanding 9mm hollow points. They are not +P’s or +P+’s, just your regular octane leaded type. Before I go on let’s get the definitions for mechanics of projectile wounding out there:

1.     Penetration: The tissue through which the projectile passes, and which it disrupts or destroys.

2.     Permanent Cavity: The volume of space once occupied by tissue that has been destroyed by the passage of a projectile. This is a function of penetration and the frontal area of the projectile. Quite simply, it is the hole left by the passage of a bullet.

3.     Temporary Cavity: The expansion of the permanent cavity by stretching due to the transfer of kinetic energy during the projectiles passage.

4.     Fragmentation: Projectile pieces of secondary fragment, typically bone, which is driven outward from the permanent cavity and may sever muscle tissue, blood vessels, etc. from the permanent cavity. ^{1, 2} Fragmentation is not necessarily present in every projectile wound. It may or may not occur and can be considered a secondary effect. ³

Note that pistol bullets only poke holes in targets; they’re not traveling fast enough to produce major temporary cavities that damage tissue as a rifle bullet would. The temporary cavity of a pistol bullet is smaller and also formed at a much slower speed thus causing less damage. One must also consider that human tissue has elastic properties, tissue will stretch a lot, and if impacted slowly it might not tear. Picture this: shoot a mouse with a .22 and see it explode, then shoot a pig with the same round and see nothing. The energy dumped into both targets is the same; it’s just that the temporary cavity of a .22 is larger than a mouse so the mouse explodes. The temporary cavity of a .22 is the same size when shooting a pig but the pig is much larger and thus not effected as much by it.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s discuss how a person or animal is incapacitated by projectile wounding. There are really two ways projectiles incapacitate a target, the first being massive hemorrhaging (blood loss). This could take some time to incapacitate as there are a number of variable factors: At what rate is blood loss occurring, what physical state is the target it, is the target pumped up on drugs, what is the mental state of the target, etc. The second way to incapacitate is to shut down the central nervous system (CNS). Shutting down the CNS is instant lights out!  To summarize, you have two incapacitation options:  you can wait for the target to drain and pass out or flip the CNS switch and be instantly out.

Let’s talk about draining the target….

If you want to drain a bucket full of water the bigger the hole you drill in the bucket the faster the water will flow out the bottom. The same thing for humans and animals, however there is no significant difference in flow rates between hole sizes in .35”, .40”, .45”. Yes I know there IS a difference but do the math. Let’s say the bucket has a bottom that’s 1.8m² (average body surface area of a male human is 1.8m² ), 19.3ft² , or 2970in². If you poke a .45” hole in the bottom then .0054% of the surface area is allowing water to escape. If you poke a .35” hole in the bottom then .0034% is allowing water to escape. Personally I don’t think their is much difference between .0034% and .0054% in relation to the human body.  After all it’s only 0.002%!!!⁸

There are lots of people who carry .45acp’s because of its “knockdown power” (a retarded term that I’ll dispel later), and because it’s “gona punch a big hole in someone”. What they don’t take into effect is how much recoil you now have to deal with and how limited you are on ammunition. There are also people who say they would rather have a bigger round so their chances of hitting a critical CNS spot are higher. Let’s do the math folks, a .45 is only 0.093 bigger than a .357, so you have an extra 0.0465”on either side to hit that critical CNS spot. THAT’S NOT MUCH AT ALL! So in order to get .002% more surface area and an extra 0.093” of diameter you’re adding MUCH HIGHER RECOIL and LIMITING THE NUMBER OF ROUNDS YOU CAN CARRY! Call me nuts but why the hell would you want to do that! Penetration? Yes penetration would be a good reason to consider. The FBI did some extensive tests a number of years ago, the penetration data from 9mm & .45 ACP shot into ballistic gelatin are below.

124gr Speer Gold Dot Penetration: 12.6” FBI Test

230gr Speer Gold Dot Penetration: 16” FBI Test

As the test data shows the extra weight of the .45 ACP round enables the round to push deeper into the gel then the lighter 9mm. This is a good thing seeing that most American’s are fat… oop’s I mean obese. So depending on what angle your target is at when rounds are in the air you might need all the penetration you can get, especially if you’re shooting for center mass and not trying to shut down the CNS. Penetration is also something to consider if you might have to shoot though barriers, windows, drywall, car doors etc. Speed is a good thing, a 9mm 127gr going 1050 is spanked by the .357 Sig (also a 9mm bullet) that’s traveling on average of 200 feet per second faster. Keep in mind that for most folks a good 12” of penetration will get you through the arm and find its way to the heart. Is 16” better? Yes.  Is it necessary?  It depends on the situation.

Now let’s talk about shutting down the CNS. This can be done by putting a round into the brain housing group (head) in the brain stem. This is a rather small target when compared to the upper torso. If you’re taught how to shoot correctly you know to keep shooting until the target drops. If you’re attempting to shut down the CNS with a head shot you might miss….. That said, wouldn’t you want to get back on target faster for a follow up shot? Would you rather deal with the recoil of a .500 S&W or the recoil of a .22LR? If I’m trying to poke holes in a target that’s small and moving I’d much rather deal with as little recoil as possible while sending a round down range that can penetrate the target and get results.

Ok onto “stopping power” now…. a term that each and every time I hear it I know the person who just uttered said words has no clue what they are talking about. I’m going to insert some work done by the FBI here to save time:

“Physiological factors such as energy deposit, momentum transfer, size of temporary cavity or calculations such as the RII are irrelevant or erroneous. The impact of a bullet upon the body is no more than the recoil of the weapon. The ratio of bullet mass to target mass is too extreme.

The often referred to “knock-down power” implies the ability of a bullet to move its target. This is nothing more than momentum of the bullet. It is the transfer of momentum that will cause a target to move in response to the blow received. “Isaac Newton proved this to be the case mathematically in the 17^th Century, and Benjamin Robins verified in experimentally through the invention and use of the ballistic pendulum to determine muzzle velocity by measurement of the pendulum motion.” ⁴

Goddard amply proves the fallacy of “knock-down power” by calculating the heights (and resultant velocities) from which a one pound weight and a ten pound weight must be dropped to equal the momentum of a 9mm and .45 ACP projectiles at its muzzle velocities, respectively. The results are revealing. In order to equal the impact of a 9mm bullet at its muzzle velocity, a one pound weight must be dropped from a height of 5.96 feet, achieving a velocity of 19.6 fps. To equal the impact of a .45 ACP bullet, the one pound weight needs a velocity of 27.1 fps and must be dropped from a height of 11.4 feet. A ten pound weight equals the impact of a 9mm bullet when dropped from a height of 0.72 INCHES (velocity attained is 1.96 fps), and equals the impact of a .45 when dropped from 1.73 INCHES (achieving a velocity of 2.71 fps). ⁵

A bullet simply cannot knock a man down. If it had the energy to do so, then equal energy would be applied against the shooter and he too would be knocked down. This is simple physics, and has been known for hundreds of years. ⁶ The amount of energy deposited in the body by a bullet is approximately equivalent to being hit with a baseball. ⁷ The tissue damage is the only physical link to incapacitation within the desired time frame, i.e., instantaneously.

The human target can be reliably incapacitated only by disrupting or destroying the brain or upper spinal cord. Absent that, incapacitation is subject to a host of variables, the most important of which are beyond the control of the shooter. Incapacitation becomes an eventual event, not necessarily an immediate one. If the physiological factors which can contribute to incapacitation are present, even a minor wound can result in immediately incapacitation. If they are not present, incapacitation can be significantly delayed even with major, survivable wounds. “

Ok so if you’re still with me I hope that you have learned something. That way next time you’re on the range or in a gun shop and you see some guy toting a 1911 and spitting out nonsense like “back in Nam” “the .45 would lift a gook of his feet” or generally discussing “knock-down power” you will instantly identity him as a buffoon.

Long explanation of why I carry a 9mm…. in short, It recoils less, I can poke more holes exactly where I need them- faster and I have more rounds onboard should I need them.

Additional notes 12/30: Hollow-points (HP) are designed to expand at a certain velocity, thus if your hand-cannon launch’s said projectiles at a slower velocity they might not work as designed. Also keep in mind that if you clog a hollow point with clothing, or other materials it might not expand. Hornady recently came up with its Critical Duty^TM line of ammunition that’s pre-clogged! They designed it so that it would perform predictably in most barriers shot during the FBI protocol. DON’T EXPECT a HP round to do magic! You’re only poking a hole in a target…. and IF the HP round does expand to cause a larger permanent cavity you don’t want to be sitting around with your thumb up your ass waiting for a target to bleed out. In closing if you can’t find a 9mm that fits your requirements (due to hand size or concealability) ensure that you carry some form of ballistic protection….. A .22 in the pocket is better then nothing!

Semper Fi
Steve

1.     DiMaio, V.J.M.: Gunshot Wounds, Elsevier Science Publishing Company, New Your, NY Chapter 3, Wound Ballistics: 41-49

2.     Fackler, M.L., Malinowski, J.A.: “The Wound Profile: A Visual Method for Quantifying Gunshot Wound Components”, Journal of Trauma 25, 522-529

3.     Fackler, M.L., MD “Missile Caused Wounds”, Letterman Army Institute of Research, Presidio of San Francisco, CA, Report No. 231

4.     Goddard, Stanley: “Some Issues for Consideration in Choosing Between 9mm and .45 ACP Handguns” Battelle Labs, Ballistic Sciences, Ordnance Systems and Technology Section Columbus, OH pages 3-4

5.     Goddard, Stanley: “Some Issues for Consideration in Choosing Between 9mm and .45 ACP Handguns” Battelle Labs, Ballistic Sciences, Ordnance Systems and Technology Section Columbus, OH pages 3-4

6.     Newton, Sir Isaac, Principia Mathematica, 1687 in which stated Newton’s Laws of Motion. The Second Law of Motion states that a body will accelerate, or change its speed, at a rate that is proportional to the force acting upon it. In simpler terms, forever action their is an equal but opposite reaction. The acceleration will of course be inverse proportion to the mass of the body. For example, the same force acting upon a body of twice the mass will produce exactly half the acceleration.

7.     Lindsay, Douglas, MD, Presentation to the Wound Ballistics Workshop, Quantico VA

8.     Reichert, Charles F, Rikert Engineering, Norwood MA

29
DEC

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Interesting article

 Rich Nable

Not from ABC News. Author conducted his own experiment and details the results here.
Photo: author

I recently came across a video produced by ABC News a couple of years ago. This video documented what they called a “controlled study” and claimed conclusively that “concealed carry permit holders are fooling themselves if they think they will be able to react effectively to armed aggressors. Most CCW holders won’t even be able to un-holster their gun. They will more likely be killed themselves or kill innocent bystanders than stop the aggressor.”

Needless to say, the only thing about the study that was controlled was the outcome. Without going into too much detail, the news crew gave a brief class on handguns to a few students whom they claimed had experience ranging from “never handling a gun” to “hundreds of hours” of weapon handling experience. Then they picked a student with no weapon experience outside of playing Airsoft and set him up to fail in a recreation of a shooting in a lecture hall at a college in Pennsylvania. Aside from the absurdly obvious anti-gun nature of the experiment, it did inspire me to write this article on an armed civilian’s role in dealing with armed aggressors in public.

First of all, it’s important to note that while there are civilians carrying concealed weapons with little or no training or practice in the deployment of said weapons, it is my experience that individuals who regularly arm themselves do train and practice as much, if not more than, the average law enforcement officer. An FBI study conducted in 2007, Violent Encounters: A study of felonious assaults on our nation’s law enforcement officers, noted that of the officers in the study, the average was 14 hours of weapons training per year. I can say with certainty that there are plenty of departments and officers who do far less than that. In contrast, over 80% of the offenders studied had 28 practice sessions per year.

The internal dynamics of deadly force encounters caused by stress, fear, and adrenaline will be similar regardless of venue. However, the external dynamics of deadly force encounters in public areas are starkly different from those that occur in private settings such as one’s home. What I mean more specifically is that in public areas, the chaos resulting from a deadly force situation, whether actual or perceived, can be magnified geometrically by the number of people involved.

Anchor Point

Your home is what we call an anchor point. An anchor point is a place where one must meet some pre-existing requirement to gain access, such as ownership, membership, employment, etc. Anchor points by nature typically are less populated and the environment is familiar to those inside. Because of the restricted access, the individuals in that area are often familiar to one another as well.

Habitual Area

Conversely, a habitual area is one where anyone can come and go without restriction. Because of their nature, habitual areas are subject to attacks by all types of individuals. Whether it is a terrorist seeking mass casualties, a gunman wanting to make a public statement, or even a stalker whose only way of approaching his target is when they are in the open, deadly force encounters in the presence of multiple people present specific and complicated dangers for the armed civilian.

Role of Armed Citizens

To identify the role of the armed civilian in a public deadly force emergency, we have to look at the difference in the societal roles of that civilian versus the role of an identifiable (uniformed) law enforcement official. The latter subscribes to what we call a “priority of life” protocol. The law enforcement priority of life protocol places the highest value on the lives of innocent civilians, victims, and hostages. Next in line comes the life of the officer, and last is the life of the perpetrator. It is the duty of the officer to put his life second to those of the people he serves. The officer’s uniform also clearly identifies him and his role to the public.

The priority of life protocol for the armed civilian is monolithic. The only concern should be self-defense. Included in that is the defense of your significant others in your immediate vicinity. While law enforcement is sometimes tasked with going on the offense – moving toward the threat – the armed civilian should (in most cases) be moving out of harm’s way and using deadly force only when necessary for personal defense. This task may prove difficult in public because panicked crowds tend to exhibit “herd” behavior.

Mirror Neurons

Herd behavior stems in part from things called mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are the part of our brain that makes us smile when people smile at us, or makes us yawn when we see (or even hear) someone yawning. Mirror neurons help us learn by aiding in the replication of actions that we see. On a subconscious level, in addition to the mirroring of actions, the mirroring of emotions, beliefs and intentions associated with those actions can also occur. For example, when a person smiles at us, the mirror neurons cause us to smile back and can in the same manner create an emotional state that would typically accompany a smile. In the same manner, mirror neurons can account for the rapid spread of mental states throughout entire groups of people.

Aside from helping us learn, mirror neurons help us survive. When one bird in a flock flies off in a panic, it is usually only an instant before the rest follow. If one or two sheep, cattle, or horses get spooked, they can create panic in the entire group. Only one or two members of the group may have actually seen or perceived a particular threat, but the others, seeing the fear and its associated actions, mirror that emotion, causing it to spread rapidly through the group. From an evolutionary survival perspective, it is not necessary for every zebra in the herd to see the lion and make a rational, conscious decision to flee. One zebra sees the lion and, within seconds, the entire herd is fleeing based on that one zebra’s decision.

People behave in a starkly similar fashion. A scream, gunshot or other such stimulus can start the panic, and the crowd of people begins to run away. Many in the crowd may not know exactly what they are running from, but they know they are running from something, and that is all that matters.

This causes some very distinct problems for the armed civilian. The first is target identification and recognition. Either caught up in the herd movement or watching it from a close perimeter, identifying the target can be very difficult. Even if you can identify it, being able to engage the target in a rapidly moving, dynamic situation can be nearly impossible.

In any deadly force encounter, we know that we hyper-focus on the threat. This means we focus on the threat to the extent that we block out much of the rest of the environment. Just as it takes a measurable amount of time to pull a trigger, it also takes a measurable amount of time to stop pulling the trigger in the event that something or someone steps into our line of sight. In the chaos of a crowd, you may think you have your sights on the target, but just as you pull the trigger, someone may step in front of you.

The ExperimentNot long ago, I put this theory to the test in a controlled experiment using law enforcement officers whose training and experience ran the gamut from fresh out of the academy to years on a SWAT team.

Using non-lethal ammunition in a force-on-force exercise, we had two students enter a room under the guise of searching for a wanted suspect. (I chose a confined area to maintain control of the experiment.) The first student was an actor in the exercise, while the second was unaware of what was about to happen.

The students would spread out upon entering the room. A role player in an adjacent room would emerge and begin firing at the second student while the first student crossed between the student and the role player. Roughly half the students shot their fellow student in the back. A large number reported they were so focused on the threat that they never saw the other student until after they had pulled the trigger. Several noted that they recognized their fellow student was moving across their line of fire but they could not stop their trigger finger fast enough (or move the muzzle) to avoid shooting the innocent in the back.

The other major problem facing the armed civilian in public is that he or she may be mistaken for the bad guy. An officer responding to a chaotic scene sees you with a gun in your hand. Before you know it, he shoots you, thinking you’re the bad guy. This has happened multiple times in the past. Not only armed civilians, but even off-duty or plainclothes police officers have been mistakenly shot by responding uniformed officers who thought they were perpetrators. Another armed civilian may see you and mistake you for the bad guy as well.

Armed Citizen Responsibilities

Since the principal role of the armed citizen is self-defense, the armed citizen should do their very best to conceal their weapon until the moment they are willing and justified to use it. The armed citizen should also assume the responsibilities of proper and ongoing training and practice to ensure that when it’s time to use that weapon in self-defense, they can quickly and fluidly present it to the threat and accurately engage. As a general rule, the firearm is not a tool for idle threats.

As an armed civilian, I do not want anyone to know I have a weapon until it is time to use it. My intention is that the first notifications a bad guy will have that I am armed are a loud noise and a flash.

In closing, as a citizen exercising your right to carry a weapon for self-defense, you must maintain a constant vigil to keep your skills sharp. Understand your role and make certain that if circumstances require, you are able to assume that role and become a solution rather than a problem.

Good advice from one of the top trainers

Avoiding The Fight

My wife and I call it “Shields Up”, meaning we lock the doors and leave the windows closed when we’re in the car.

It was an early Sunday morning and I was driving home after a midnight shift as a Border Patrol Field Operations Supervisor. It had been a quiet night, we had managed to get off early for once, and I was looking forward to a couple of days off duty. As I drove my truck up the hill through the winding maze of residential streets leading to my home I noticed a small, beat up car following me. Okay, let’s do a series of turns and see if he stays with me. Yep, still there. Well, I don’t want this guy following me home so how can I get rid of him? Pulling into a cul-de-sac, I made a fast U-turn and, before he could react, I had pulled up next to his driver’s door, blocking him from opening it. Looking down into his car I politely inquired if there was something I might do for him? Screaming and brandishing a baseball bat, a man I had never seen before declared he was going to kill me.

The best fight, especially a gunfight, is the one you don’t attend. No matter how it turns out, win or lose, no good comes from a gunfight. And winning the fight doesn’t mean you won’t lose the aftermath – that might involve arrest, trial, lawsuits and huge costs both emotionally and financially to you and your family. If we agree that fights, especially gunfights, are to be avoided, what are some of the tools we can use to keep them from happening?

The first step in avoidance is acknowledging the world can be a dangerous place, that there are bad people who may wish to do you harm and anticipating that you may have to deal with them. No amount of wishing it won’t happen or convincing yourself you’re safe because you’re a nice person or live in a safe neighborhood is going to matter if Evil comes for you. This begs the question of whether you should be armed (and trained) and the answer is, yes, always, if possible. People who say, “I only carry my gun when I think I might need it” are missing the point of personal defensive firearms.

The next step in avoidance is alertness. You can’t defend yourself or get away if you don’t see it coming. There is a huge difference between looking around with your head up and stumbling along looking at your feet or your cell phone. This difference in posture marks the distinction between a predator and prey, and you better believe the bad guys see it and pick their victims accordingly. Anticipation and alertness go hand in hand. For example, you might anticipate that stopping at a convenience store at 3 in the morning could present some danger to you and either avoid it altogether or take the time to “scope it out” for potential danger before getting out of your car and going in.

Once we’re aware and alert we need to apply security strategies to help us stay safe. I wrote about securing the home in an earlier article for Downrange.TV . Simple things like closing and locking doors make sense and we should apply these same measures when we’re out and about. My wife and I call it “Shields Up”, meaning we lock the doors and leave the windows closed when we’re in the car. Preventing someone from reaching into the car or jerking the door open can stop an attack cold. Most modern cars have self-locking doors; some lock when you put the car in gear, others when a certain speed is reached, but I’m going to suggest you hit the button and lock the doors as soon as you get in the car and don’t unlock them until you have looked around and deemed it safe to get out. If in doubt, drive away. One form of home invasion robbery and rape involves bad guys identifying single women driving nice cars then following them home and gaining entry to the house through the open door when they pull into the garage. Clearly, this sort of thing could be avoided by anyone who is alert. Remember, too, that vehicles can be used as weapons and although modern, lightweight vehicles are not particularly bullet resistant you may be safer staying in the car and driving through, into or over whatever is necessary to get away from an assault.

What about public places? Again, it’s all about awareness that these places can be dangerous and staying alert to avoid potential problems. While you don’t need to tactically clear every place you enter you can pause, look around and make sure you’re comfortable. I know several people who have been attacked in public restrooms so I’m particularly wary of them. Parking lots and parking garages have a well-deserved reputation as locales for muggers and carjackers. Does that mean you shouldn’t park at the mall? Of course not, but you can look around, make sure you’re not followed to your car and be on the alert for suspicious people.

Anticipation, awareness and alertness are the keys to avoidance. In the words of the famous hand gunner and author, Elmer Keith, “The best way to avoid getting hurt in a gunfight is to avoid getting into a gunfight. If you are in a position where you must risk gun battles, the surest way to keep them from starting is to take all reasonable precautions, and to be fast enough and accurate enough so you can dominate the situation with self-confidence.”

How did I solve my problem with the guy who followed me? I gave him three choices; I can call the police (showing him my cell phone), I can blow your head off (showing him my badge and my Glock) or you can drive out of here, disappear and make sure I never see you again. He chose wisely and I went home to my family. Yes, I could have called the police but I was tired and wanted to go to bed. As for the other option, I really didn’t feel like shooting a crazed druggie before breakfast.

About the Author:

Ed Head is a regular on Shooting Gallery, Gun Stories and Down Range TV. He has worked for almost 30 years in law enforcement, first in the United States Air Force and then with the United States Border Patrol, retiring as a Field Operations Supervisor. During his Border Patrol career, 

GREAT INFORMATION

Mike Pannone - Soldier Systems Gunfighter Moment

The educated shooter is invariably the best shooter he or she can be, or at a minimum is on the right track for success. I often hear people in classes or read on the internet comments about how this drill or that one is “not realistic” or “would be meaningless in a real threat situation”. The problem is they don’t understand the difference between a drill and a scenario.

The definition of a drill as per Merriam-Webster is “a physical or mental exercise aimed at perfecting facility and skill especially by regular practice”. I articulate it in my classes as “the exercise of a component skill or technique for refinement and evaluation.” A scenario as per Merriam-Webster is “a sequence of events especially when imagined”. In classes, I define it as “a situation created to evaluate judgment and the selection and application of component skills or techniques.” A drill tests a technique and a scenario evaluates both judgment and the application of techniques. How you assemble a certain sequence of techniques is called tactics. Don’t confuse drills with tactics.

In summary, selected techniques are used to create and employ tactics within the guidelines of established principles of a given system or doctrine.

Training is science and without a logical approach it is sabotaged from the start. Be smart and train smart. That’s how the best at any skill have gotten there!

- Mike Pannone

WORDS OF WISDOM, FROM ONE OF THE BEST!

(DEFINITION, VCA....VIOLENT CRIMINAL ACTOR)

From John Farnum...once again, right on the money!

CCW Naivety:

The vast majority of state CCW licensees are genuinely "good" people, but
many have had precious little relevant training, and much of it fraught
with errors and unrealistic expectations.

For example, many naively believe:

1) When they see "bad things" happening in public places (which don't
involve them directly) that they should step forward and "get involved" and "
do some good."

2) VCAs will do what they are told to do, because they're intimidated by
the gun in the hands of the righteous CCW holder.

3) The CCW holder will be thanked and congratulated for his courageous
intervention and good intentions

4) VCAs will be so impressed with the CCW-holder's gunfire, that they will
fall down immediately upon the first impact, just like on TV!

5) That "going armed" means having "a little something" (like a .380
pocket pistol), and that such "mouse-guns" that will be sufficient for most
lethal threat(s).

6) Holding and maintaining suspects at gunpoint until police arrive is
easily done and mostly risk-free.

The unhappy reality is this:

1) Any time you voluntarily inject yourself into a dangerous circumstance
in which you were otherwise not involved, you are required, by law, to act
in a "non-negligent" manner.

What, under Heaven, does that mean?

It means that, when anyone can point-out where you could have done it
better, you will inherit some personal liability for all the "bad things" that
are invariably going to happen, bad things like death, personal injury,
property damage, etc.

In most cases, when you see "bad things happen," you don't have enough
solid information to take any kind of unilateral action, particularly action
that may be the direct cause of personal injury or death. Gunfire is
irreversible! You may not be seeing what you think you're seeing.

Best option is almost always to quickly withdraw, get to a relatively safe
location, and then call the police. This is the kind of situation you pay
a police department to confront and handle!

2) VCAs at whom you point your gun will likely not be impressed in the
least, because they probably won't even see it! Expecting voluntarily
compliance under such circumstances is mostly wishful thinking. When you do get
his attention, the best thing for you to do is encourage him to turn and run
away!

3) Don't expect to be thanked! Don't expect anyone to be "understanding."
Do expect to be arrested at the scene, maybe charged. Do expect to be
endlessly criticized and second-guessed by the media, investigators, your
friends, et al. Do expect to be sued. Don't imagine this incident will have
any kind of "happy ending!"

4) When you are compelled to employ gunfire to protect yourself, lower your
expectations of your pistol and your ammunition. Upon being struck by
your bullet(s), the most likely reaction of the VCA(s) will be to run away,
showing scant indication of reduced mobility! When he/they continue to
present a lethal threat, be prepared to hit him/them multiple times. Even then,
any kind of instant de-animation is extremely unlikely.

5) Small 380Auto pistols, and snubby revolvers are arguable as
second/back-up weapons, but they represent a desperate lower-limit when that is all
you have with you. When "going armed," you should be carrying the most
formidable pistol you can comfortably fit into your life.

6) Holding suspects a gunpoint and waiting for police to arrive is an
activity that is so dangerous, I recommend you not do it al all!

Suspects may attack you, despite the fact you're holding a pistol on them.
Arriving police may mistake you for the suspect, and, since you're
holding a gun, engage you immediately and without warning.

As mentioned above, when you have a dangerous suspect at gunpoint, the best
thing to do, from the standpoint of your continued good health, is to
persuade him to voluntarily disengage and run away. Police will probably pick
him up a short time later anyway, and you'll end your high risk-exposure as
quickly as possible.

As I tell my students,

"I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to tell you what's going
to happen when you do. Then, you make your own, informed decisions. I'm
not here to suggest you do the 'right thing,' nor the 'moral thing,' even
the 'legal thing.' I'm suggesting you do the smart thing, from the
standpoint of your continued good physical health, financial health, mental
health, and general well-being. "

As more good citizens make the decision to "go armed," the foregoing is
going to become more and more critical.

"Here lies the body of Mike O'Day,
Who died maintaining his right-of-way
His right was clear
His way was strong
But, he's just as dead,
As if he'd been wrong!"

From an epitaph on a mock head-stone, erected, among others, as a warning
to young recruits during military training in the early 1940s.

/John

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HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

WAKE UP AMERICA!  NEVER FORGET THE PRINCIPLES THAT THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON.  

Happy Memorial Day

Please say a prayer and remember all that are serving and have served.  It is because of their willingness to PROTECT and SERVE that we are able to enjoy the privilege of FREEDOM!

PEOPLE SLEEP PEACEFULLY IN THEIR BEDS AT NIGHT, BECAUSE TOUGH MEN ARE WILLING TO DO VIOLENCE ON THEIR BEHALF!