As strange as the world is getting... I may need more gun???

I'm 100% carry, and do so on a regular basis. I choose a high capacity handgun most of the time (subscribing to the theory that more well placed shots is better, especially against numbers).

Like any other emergency, the risks are extremely low but one must know how to respond. Plane crashes, building fires/explosions, car accidents, muggings, car jackings, etc. Armed robbery, home invasion, mass shootings and terrorist attacks are in that category of rare, but possible.

Thinking back to any of the mass civilian shootings in the news (the actors are irrelevant), my thought always returns to if I was there and armed, could I have saved lives and ended the threat or if not at least survived/evaded/escaped. Generally, I feel the answer is yes.

If an competent and armed civilian were at the Aurora theater, or Columbine, or Sandy Hook, Paris, etc. or the others that litter the news reels and the shooters opened fire, perhaps he could have saved lives. Even putting supressive fire - likely unexpected by the shooters - might distract them from their plan.

Deaf. Not trying to start an argument but you cant use police, and one was in brazil, and some of the ones you listed were not attacked per se but they put themselves in that position.
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Well it's hardly a fair argument if every post provided the response is some exclusion. Off duty cop, civilian, another country, whatever it doesn't matter.
The point is that these tactics are the same. One or more armed bad guys versus one armed individual. In Garland TX two terrorists apparently armed with longguns and body armor were killed by a lone officer.

I posted a video on another link and will repost it here. It doesn't require a terrorist attack or mass shooting to easily need 7+ immediate rounds of firepower. This happened in Brazil, but could have just as easily happened in anytown USA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S7SPrb6oj4
A couple pulls their car into the garage and 3 thugs follow; at least one has a gun. The man saves his life and the life of his passenger by immediately opening fire. I counted 10 rounds shot by the man. If he had gone "click" at shot number 5 or 6, it could have ended differently.

The odds of my ever needing my gun (or the emergency exit on a plane, or fleeing a bombed building, etc.) are slim-to-none. But I'm still ready with a plan in my head and hopefully the tools I need.

For ME, a semi-auto is much faster with much more ammunition and faster reloads.

For ME, for daily carry, a revolver isn't my top choice. But if it were, I'd practice my reloads to become more proficient.
 
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You don't need more fire power unless you see a real threat and I think you are just fine at self defense distances.

44 spl.... why not? If you like the caliber, willing to carry the gun, and shoot it okay, go for it. Personally, I am not willing to carry the gun on a regular basis unless it is "around the farm" and quite frankly, I am more likely to have a 22 on me than a larger caliber like the 44. I do tote my 41 mag in the woods from time to time just because I like it.

I see few real threats in my area and I know where not to go. I don't even drive through some areas (short cut ya know) unless I have a firearm with me.

The things that are happening in Baltimore and possibly in the near future, Cleveland are "big city" minority areas where I would never go in the first place. ISIS or similar.... I'll worry about them in the continental US when it happens. Then I will deal with it.
 
if you already carry the TCP and like it, you can't go wrong dropping 200$ on the PT111. I know you have probably heard me preach it already, but I really think this is the perfect size gun and gives you 12+1. I carried a 5 round 357 and really felt that if in a situation with multiple attackers, I may be wanting something more. I think 13 is a good number and not much less than a full-size. this gun is very "shoot-able" too.
 
I think it also depends where you are living. I live in a place where over 50% of the locals are packing heat. Large percentage of "preppies" and "gun nuts". So any attacker would be met with multiple good citizens with the means to resolve the situation before the cops show, so one doesn't need a glock with the 100 round drum magazine. But if your some place that guns are illegal then no one needs a gun cuz they are already illegal and the bad guys always follow the law (yea right) And the chance of a good guy with a gun are zero, so if you can carry then I would recommend having more ammo to use if the need arises
 
"ISIS", "Lone Wolfers", "Motor Scooter Dudes"... I don't get folks trying to put a face or a name on their boogey men scenarios, and relying on their "I don't go to bad places" reasonings. Nor do I get comfortable with the "If danger shows up (say in a food court) I'll just leave." The Luby's incident in Kileen, TX, some of the restaurant shootings in California, probably most of the workplace shootings- sometimes the booger has no face, name, title. Sometimes trouble just shows up and leaves victims with nowhere to run. I think those who carry often do so foremost for their families and selves- but don't we also do it for everyone? I hate 'What If's' that get drawn out, disected, fault found, and beaten to death. Truth is- none of us know what evil lurks in the hearts of men (The Shaddow knows! jk) but if we carry, we're the minority who says "We do this because, if needed, hopefully we'll do the right thing for our family, friends, community, and country." There's no hard set script of how any incident could play out. For myself, I don't put as much stock in my 5 shot snub nose revolvers as I used to. I train with my duty weapon at close ranges (3-10yds) because I have to. But on my time and my dime, I mostly concentrate on finding a comfort zone at 25yds. But how can I tell someone else to do what I do and carry what I carry? I'm just happy others are carrying.
 
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Violent crime has been going down consistently for several years now. Being a victim in a terrorist plot has a lot more odds than winning the lottery which is statistically insignificant. That doesn't mean it can't happen as people win lotteries all the time. However, I am not going to change my life for something that is very, very, very unlikely to happen.

Biker gangs? They've always been around. As others have said, avoid where they frequent. If your back is against the wall for some reason, just the fact you can produce a gun is 90% of the battle. The perps often run. That being said, there is nothing wrong with carrying a semi compact hi cap 9MM like a Glock 19, CZ PCR, M&Pc, or a plethora of other choices. These are easily carried, and concealed and offer a decent amount of firepower for most situations.
 
I live in a place where over 50% of the locals are packing heat. Large percentage of "preppies" and "gun nuts".
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I must be showing my age but "preppie" has a totally, like, different meaning (see what I did there? - if so you must be, like, totally old too ;) ). "Ooh, Buffy, you have to, like, carry the pink and green Pavona. It totally goes with that skirt." :D
 
Terrorist or not, just regular concealed carry:

I've got pistols in 9mm (Glock 19), 357 Sig (Glock 32), 40 (Glock 23), 10mm (Glock 29 SF) and 45 acp (Glock 30 SF).

IMO all of those are great carry choices: have night sights, reasonable capacity, concealable.

The 19 has been getting carried more lately, it offers the absolute quickest follow up shots (which I've confirmed with a shot timer on multiple occasions) and maximum capacity. I've also got XS Big Dots on the 19 which seem quicker for my aging eyes to acquire; yes, I could install them on the other pistols, but the Meprolight green front / yellow rear they have are sufficient.

All of my carry options I listed have a minimum capacity of 10 + 1.
No way to guarantee that initial shots will be well placed.
No way to guarantee that even well placed shots will be quickly incapacitating; even with well placed shots follow up shots may be required to stop an attacker (attackers). For example, up to 10 seconds of voluntary hostile action is possible even if shot through the lungs.

Better to have bullets and not need them, than need them and not have them.
 
The world is in fact getting strange.
Certainly nothing wrong with having a variety of carry options. ( provided you train with them)

Depending on my risk assessment I may carry a full sized 45acp.
Down to a LCP .380
I carry a 327 magnum IWB when I am going to be sitting a while. Cant even tell its there.

Around the home stead I open carry a Taurus PT111 9mm.
Cheap gun that I dont care if it gets scratched. ( I have had weird O's surprise me in my shop)

Of course the #1 goal is to have and never have to use it. So keep risk adverse.

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You don't need more fire power unless you see a real threat and I think you are just fine at self defense distances.
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Kind of late to up gun if I have to wait till I see a real threat, isn't it?

There are plenty of examples where one person had to defend themselves from multiple attackers.

Deaf
 
It has not made me want more gun but it has caused me to practice more. I feel strongly that more practice is far more important than more gun.
 
A 5-shot revolver is excellent for a certain set of problems. However, as we all know, life often offers up different sets of problems.

Higher capacity = greater problem solving abilities.

5 rounds can go by very quickly especially if the antagonist(s) aren't cooperating.

Perhaps you find yourself in "that place": the movie theatre, the restaurant, the mall, the bank, up against a bad person or persons with high-capacity capability. Maybe there's nowhere to run. Maybe fighting back is the only choice you have.

Will 17+1 make a difference vs 5 at that point? Maybe, maybe not. I opt for the greater problem solving ability.
 
Stop watching so much TV and you'll be less fearful.

And if you want a bigger gun with more capacity you don't need to justify it - just do it.
 
Here's how I see it.

Revolver gives you 5-6 immediate shots and slower reloads for about 2-3 pounds.

For the equivalent size and weight (perhaps even less weight and slimmer profile) you can carry a weapon that offers 2-4 times (10-15 or even 20 rounds) as much immediate firepower of roughly equivalent performance (e.g. it's lethal). Faster reloads for most people too (magazine versus speed loader). Just as reliable with modern designs.

Why would you purposefully not do so and handicap yourself with less immediate shots?

Edited to add: I love revolvers for their simplicity. I have carried one from time to time, especially fast cross draw for driving long road trips. But if I sit and thing critically about the situation, the semi-auto with more ammo always wins.
 
Lots of assumptions here & lots of good advice ( BTW... I don't watch much TV :) )

I've also been wrestling a bit with the modern double action revolver as the goal of lighter trigger pulls marches on... a found ( dropped from it's owner ) double action revolver could easily be fired by a small child with just the pull of a trigger... I tend to carry my TCP with an empty chamber ( which not only limits my speed of engagement, but also my capacity on a compact auto )

please don't lecture on the empty chamber, I already heard it all...

but a higher capacity, duty sized weapon that still racks easily enough to not be much hinderance ( like my TCP ) would offer a more controllable package, a longer sight radius, & higher capacity, as well as ultimate safety from AD or lost weapon AD, if the chamber were empty...

also part of that wrestling, is I like the adsvantage of not leaving any brass on the sight of a shooting... even a "good" shoot could be called into question by brass placement ( if brass placement doesn't match your verbal story )... all it would take would be brass landing in a crease of your clothing & dropping off a couple yards away, to question the credibilty of your story... always thought the revolver won out in backing up your story :)

thinking I should go back to carrying my Witness 10mm or bite the bullet, so to speak & start carrying my Air Lite 396 again... I did carry both for a while, before I bought a good gun belt... may have to try them again, with some better leather
 
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looked at them on GB. just now... looks pretty spendy :o

actually, possibly one of the best I have is pretty ugly, an old Star single stack 9mm that my buddy reworked & sold me... needs cosmetic finishing, but is big enough to shoot well, & thin, & light for a steel gun being single stack...

heck... maybe I should wring out my PMR-30 & start carrying that ???
 
A reasonable discussion here, for the most part.

Another thing to keep in mind...

The type of person most likely to shoot you or pull a gun on you or place you in a situation where you need to use deadly force, or the threat of it to defend your life is not a terrorist or a random criminal or a biker gang. It's gonna be someone you know.

Most folks who are shot are shot by friends, relatives, spouses, ex-spouses, business partners, neighbors, a daughters ex-boyfriend, etc. In other words you are more likely to be shot by someone who is a regular part of your life than by a complete stranger. Because it's there that deep hatred, resentment, jealously, love, betrayal, etc. lay and fester over the years. There that all the strength of love and family can go wrong sometimes and lead to violence.

So when ya think of what to carry and how or what to use for self defense think on that.

It's a lot easier and fun to come up with a scenario where your being jumped by thugs in a parking lot, a situation that can most often be avoided, and think on how to handle that. But more likely a family argument will lead to a fight or you'll get home early and find your niece and her low life friends breaking into your garage cuz they know what's there and they want it.

tipoc
 
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