Bad guys in my area are starting to wear vests

I keep reading 2 to the chest 1 to the head. What if your head shot misses? Under stress, it likely will. Then what? You have a hotter than usuall .40 caliber slug flying god knows where. If you are worried about a vest shoot for the crotch. Further more, what do you think the chances are that someone wearing a vest is going to try to take your life? I know stranger things have happened, but come on. Be prepared, but also be realistic. My 2 cents...
 
Forget the headshot! Remember the N. Hollywood bank heist of a few years ago.A dozen or more trained police officers were unable to stop the two bad guys who had body armor and automatic weapons.
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At North Hollywood, IIRC the problem was that the shooters pinned down the officers fairly far away, and the officers were armed only with pistols and shotguns that were ill-suited to deliver an accurate long-range headshot.

IMHO this situation really isn't applicable to realistic civilian SD scenarios. If there's a couple of guys shooting up the neighborhood with high-powered select-fire assault rifles, a civilian's strategy should be to Get The Hell Out Of There, or take cover behind something bulletproof until the shooting stops, roughly in that order. :)
Were there any more details as to the nature of the weapons and body armor? They may have been no more than a pellet gun and a surplus flac vest. Police reports, in my area at least, are exercises in creative writing when it involves this type of issue. Newspaper accounts tend to be flights of fancy.
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+1. My hunch is that the main purpose of this vest was to show off the owner's toughness and/or intimidate members of rival gangs. I don't mean to downplay the dangers of gang crime, but most gang members are in it to feel tough, get laid, and make a few easy bucks, roughly in that order. Planning to shoot it out with well-armed police is usually not in the cards.

Oh yeah, IBTL. ;)
 
Just kind of thinking out loud here, but what would three or four shots to the face from one of those new .410 shot shell revolvers do? It would sure be harder to miss with a pattern of #4 or #6 bird shot, and you wouldn’t have to be overly concerned about a miss over penetrating. Then when he's down and crying like a baby, a .45 Long Colt would get him to stop crying. Just a thought.

For inside my home, if I lived in an area filled with gang bangers, my semi auto .223 would be loaded and close by.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, I'm currently shopping for a CZ-52, just wish they made one that is easier to conceal.

As to the nature of the threat, let me put it this way, the school where I work is in a town of 1500 people. 8 miles away is town of 12,000 people, in 2010 there were 21 gang related homicides in that town. As I said, the local gangs are in a turf war and it has led to an arms race.

So far the gangs have left my school alone so I'm not worried about Columbine 2.0, the gangs are more concerned with killing each other at this point and I think I"m smart enough to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, but as an Eagle Scout I just want to be prepared.

Moving is our plan of action, problem is as a teacher I can't move before mid June at the earliest, and that's if I can find another job with States cutting education budgets. Hope I can find a job back in my native Idaho, Idahoans don't put up with this gangbanger bull$#*%.

Thanks again guys, the advice has been helpful.
 
I think you're on the right track with a .40.

Hicap would give you some shooting options that otherwise you wouldn't have.

Another idea sometimes offered is stagger-stacking HP's and hardball.

It's really a crapshoot, but Eagle Scouts need to just be as prepared as they reasonably can and put the rest in the hands of the Almighty.
 
In the home I would probably go with a shotgun. It wouldn't do any good on the body armor but your odds of a head shot or any other exposed area will be increased a little. Only one pellet of buchshot hitting the face would ruin someone's day.

To me, gang members are all cowards who feed off of each others........ignorance (i can come up with better words but they may not be appropiate here).

Good Luck.
 
2 to the nuts and 1 to the head.
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There's some folks on this thread who are way better shots that I am. I doubt I'd be be able to manage that kind of pinpoint accuracy under stress, against a moving target that's shooting back at me.

With a pistol, nonetheless. Wow!
 
I think the idea of starting out COM to slow him down, and then applying the failure drill, might work....

Head and groin are hard targets, but not sure what better options exist against a vest.
 
Head shots are tough.
Here is something to think about. In the bank robbery/shoot out in California, It took 200? LAPD officers to stop two men wearing body armor. One of the badguys died of a gun shot to the head. It was self inflicted.
That said, most people on this forum can probably out shoot LAPD's street cops. Not knocking LAPD, but most of us have grown up shooting.
 
From what I saw on the TV coverage...

... both died of shots to the head.

One was self-inflicted.

The other was from a cop, who let the guy pass, then approached from behind.

The reenactment may not have been accurate, but that's how it was portrayed.
 
Funny you should say that EP. I was at the range this summer when a Sherriff pulls in. Pulls out his pistol and i was amazed at how bad of a shot he was. Do they not have to qualify ever year?. I would hate to be in the situation of no gun and him protecting me. I joked with him and when we were at ease with each other i asked him (Don't you have to qualify each year). He laughed and said yes,but it's pretty easy to do that. I don't want to knock the police or any other agency,but i was very supprised at his shooting skills. Or should i say lack of shooting skills. He was a very nice officer,but nice don't save your life when needed. I do not have my CCW yet ,but my class starts 1st of Feb.
 
MLeake

You are probably right. I was just trying to demonstrate how hard making a head shot is. Of course the the two crooks had fully automatic weapons. I do know that a whole lot of rounds were exchanged during the shoot out.
 
Falcon642--Thanks for the advice guys, I'm currently shopping for a CZ-52, just wish they made one that is easier to conceal.
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Falcon--get a Tokarev, they are super thin and surprisingly ergonomic. Based on the 1911. Not sure I'd trust the safety or half-cock, but you can train to rack as you draw.
 
4runnerman

I've heard a lot of people tell stories just like yours.
I guess some LEOs just ain't "gun people".
 
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Criminals, gangbangers, ect. are wearing BP vests. Iv'e seen this myself. Couple this with the fact that there are generaly 4 in a group. Now the problem is worse, especially if you are carrying a 5 shot revolver.

All you can do is your best. Plan on carrying a gun with enough ammo, and a back-up. Tactics such as cover, or positioning yourself in a position of advantage. Moving to another community, unless you live in the projects is temporary, it will eventually catch up to you.

Trainning, planning, and forthought will help you come out on top. Things such as shooting the leader will cause fear in the remainder. What I'm trainning myself to do is control my fear with deep slow breathing, and taking the necessary time to put the sights between the eyes, and press the trigger smoothly to the rear. That is why I want the gun and ammo to shoot to POA.

Other ideas would be welcome, besides staying out of strip clubs and that sort of thing. The fact that you have guns have made you a target. Stay Safe
 
There are several good arguments for pelvis shots. If you are worried about someone wearing a vest the pelvis shot may be a good call. Larger target and will put someone down fast.
 
(You were there before he got there and still there when he left)

ya i hit the range every Sat and sometimes Sun too. Im there for 4 to 6 hrs ata time. 200 to 250 rounds a day. 223,45ACP. PS-I think the wife likes me out of the house and her way.Cleaning day on weekends for her,and i usually just get in her way.;)
 
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