Do we worry too much about guns & rounds

A

aspen1964

New member
..and too little on marksmanship, ability to handle one's self in a dangerous situation, and the stomach to shoot someone if necessary...talking gun models and different loadings of various cartridges makes intersting talk and debate..but I think it is all frosting..the cake itself is whether we have the will, judgment, and skill to handle a precarious, sudden situation if confronted by a criminal intent against us....at the range..I see lots of people who I think might fall apart if a threat does show itself to them...others who probably would handle a threat well....I think there is far too much worrying about bullet weights, types, calibers, and gun models....chose your weapon well and become a good shot...if another who questions your choice but shows himself signifcantly inferior in his shooting ability is making a weak argument...
 
That's very true aspen. BUT, it's kind of hard to discuss the mental willingness to kill a bad guy on TFL.com. Much easier to discuss tactics, training, guns and ammo. Most people in here have never had to make that decision. Right now, I would say, yes I would blow somebody's head off if they were attacking or robbing me or my family. But nobody really knows what they will do in such a situation until they are faced with it. There is not really much to discuss as I see it. Either you will or you won't. Set boundaries as to when you will or won't shoot. (A mistake that cop made in that video that showed him gunned down by the nut with the M-1 carbine) If the bad guy crosses it, kill him, or he will kill you. Trust that God will guide you in your actions. Leave the results to Him as R.E. Lee would rightly put it. Maybe a clergyman or psychologist can offer something more than that.

I will say that I practice probably about 4 times a week putting 50-150 rounds of ammo through my .38 Specials and about 50 rounds through my .45 auto. I practice all forms of stances and quickdrawing from an average of 7 to 15 yards at the indoor range I usually go to.

I will also say that I practice being aware of what is going on around me, constantly looking between and at cars when walking through a parking lot to my own vehicle.
 
Man, I had a long, nice reply for you, and my computer had a brain-freeze of something and deleted it. Now, I see Doug has beaten me to the draw. In a nutshell, I agree with Doug. I don't really think you can impart such things over the internet to someone. But, I do see your points and am glad you made them as I think it is important to someone new to the forum and handguns, especially handguns to understand that. I also feel, like Doug, that I personally have a checkmark by each of those things. I don't even come here so much to look for ammo advice, although I do find it interesting to see what others think/carry.
The other thing I was wondering though, is do they discuss things of that nature in the tactics forum? I have never been in there. I have never left this section of the forum to be honest. My internet here is just too slow and time is too precious...I get down to what I am after. But, at any rate, it seems that that would be place where those things might get discussed more.
 
I've had two close calls on being robbed. Both times I would not have had time to pull a weapon. My size and aggressivness got me out of the situations. I've always been one to be aware of my surroundings but both times they came out of nowhere.
I do carry now. You never quite get over it when that happens. I'd tote a howitzer if I could holster it.
 
Focus of discussions

A lot of truth to that Aspen. some of it is market driven to push new product. Some is driven by the newest military philosophies.
Guestimates were that in the WWII, Korean era only 1 in 1000 rounds was actually fired AT something. That deteriorated to 1 in 25,000 in Vietnam and in watching "Mail Call" on service rifles a couple of weeks ago they said 1 in over 100,000 in the Gulf.
That's nearly impossible for me to imagine but, when I see movies extolling the virtues of the 200 round magazine and cover fire, speed shooting techniques as in Lethal Weapon and the Keanu Reeves movies etc. it's easy to see why discussions run this way.
 
It's all one big pie. One piece is just as important as another in make the whole... Can't help it if some folks like the peice they're currently ingesting more. Eventually they'll move on to another.
 
This idea pops up from time to time, but it's important enough that it bears repeating. I've heard the quote, "Beware the man with one gun". That guy may well know everything that gun will- and will not- do. Probably is quite skilled with it, thus the quote. Guns, ammo, and accessories are lots of fun to talk and think about, aren't they? But, when push comes to shove (when the SHTF?), the other points you make are crucial to owning any firearm that could be used in a defensive situation. Hopefully, your post will lead to some interesting discussion.

Chuck
 
A few years ago when I took my CCW class I was amazed how totally incompetent some of those people were with a gun.The instructor had to show a few how to even load there gun. It scares me to think that some of those people even own a gun let alone out there carrying one??? I think most shooters today just use the spray and pray method.:eek:
 
I think people obsess over it a bit too much. Like debating whether the 9MM or 45ACP or 38SPEC or the 40S&W or the 357MAG is best. Find the one you like, in a launching platform you like, get some decent ammo and practice, practice, practice.

IMHO with modern hollowpoint ammo, the differences between them are too small to worry about. Yes a 45 is probably a better stopper than a 38 but it's also a bit harder to control for most people. Hit someone center mass, several times with a decent caliber and a good hollowpoint bullet and you should be fine.
 
and too little on marksmanship, ability to handle one's self in a dangerous situation, and the stomach to shoot someone if necessary...talking gun models and different loadings of various cartridges makes intersting talk and debate
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I think to many people spend to much time worrying about shooting someone. Gun models, cartridges, shooting styles makes good debates because the gun has more uses than shooting a human being. I think to many handgun owners today now have one track minds and don't realize they should be having fun at the range and in the fields with their handguns. If you pick up a handgun and only think of shooting another person then you have sold the handgun short of the many other recreational uses it can provide.
Everyone at the range does not have the thought of shooting another human being as their reason for shooting their handgun.
 
I agree with all above posts. As someone new to handguns, any and all info is important. Seeing the different viewpoints, learning about tactics, getting ammo advice...its been great just looking through it all. I'm in the retail spirits business, and recently I've had an incident where I had to restrain a drunken would-be customer. I did not draw my pistol, but used physical skills to resolve the situation without causing hurt to either my staff, the drunken individual, or myself. I was glad I did not draw, because in retrospect, that would have accelerated the situation, and not for the better. I was glad I had the cool head to make the right decision for that particular situation. The death of the officer at the hands of a crazed Vietnam Veteran, the footage of which horrified me, was a clear reminder of how our decisions and our drive and clarity of purpose can have serious consequences. I am taking lessons in defensive shooting, but I am also having a personal protection expert coe to my store to go over tactics in the store. You can't have enough training or info in my opinion, and I value all discussions on these boards. Thanks to all who post!
 
But a lot of that can't be taught.
It has to be learned.
Whatever you carry, it's prolly better than they carried for defense 50 years ago....
 
Do we worry too much about guns & rounds, and too little on marksmanship, ability to handle one's self in a dangerous situation, and the stomach to shoot someone if necessary?
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Yes.

Yes. But you see this in almost any activity with objects of desire though. I'm not surprised that the gun world is any different. Training and tactics with an adequate weapon will whip a novice with the latest tactical uber ninja eqipment available every time. Tactics, willingness to kill, the will to survive....... all these play a much much larger part than Glock or 1911.
 
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