Firepower???

D

drail

Moderator
So many people I have met that have decided to CCW seem absolutely convinced that they need at least a 15 round magazine capacity and that revolvers are entirely too limited in capacity. How many rounds do you think a person needs in a defensive pistol? More than six? More than 10?
 
I carry a glock 17 with 16 in it and a spare mag with 15. Bottom line is you don't know if you will need it at all, and if you need it who knows how many you will need. Look at some of the situations with mall shooters or other public shootings where the shooter had a AK 47. I would want my AR with two mags. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. Or as Truman said about nukes, better to have and not need, than to need, and not have.
 
"How many rounds do you think a person needs in a defensive pistol?"

As in the Matrix ... The Right One ... First.
 
Statistically speaking...anywhere in the rage of two or three will be all you ever need. Therefore I am quite happy with my five shot .357mag and an extra reload on a speed strip. I am not going to get into a shootout with anyone. If I am in a position where I have enough cover to be shooting it out long term with someone I will most likely be able to hold my ground while holding my fire or flee.
 
Statistically speaking...anywhere in the rage of two or three will be all you ever need.
Click to expand...

Statistically speaking, a man with one foot in a fire and the other frozen in a block of ice averages out as comfortable. Until you ask him. :D

Not picking on you, PBP, as statistically speaking, you're correct. When carrying I almost always carry at least one reload of some kind. With a wheelgun it may be two reloads. But if 15-18 rounds doesn't help you, it's unlikely that carrying 30-40 will either.

What's the true definition of firepower?

US-Navy-Battleship-2.jpg

U.S.S. Wisconsin BB64
 
If six shots from my Ruger GP100 357 mag. doesn't do the trick, then I'll fall back to plan B. Drop to the fetal position, pee my pants, and beg for mercy.
 
If I am in a position where I have enough cover to be shooting it out long term with someone I will most likely be able to hold my ground while holding my fire or flee.
Click to expand...

Or dial 911 and wait for the calvary.

I carry whatever is in the gun. very rarely carry an extra mag. but always have my cell phone.
7+1 rounds In the PM9.
as long as theres not more than 8 BG's, ill be ok. ;)
 
Only one mag

Another poster pointed this out once before, but some malfunctions may require you to drop the mag (this includes malfunctions of the mag itself). So, with a semi-auto, it's a good idea to have a spare mag, regardless of round count.
 
Hmmm....

I'd say it all depends on where you live/where you are going. If you must travel through a rough area and have no choice, I'd say bring a lot of ammo just to be safe. If you're going hunting in the woods with some buddies, probably not as much. We all know that two legged animals can be far far worse than the four legged kind.


Epyon
 
Gun Full, One Reload.

I think it very unlikely to be confronted with a reinforced battalion of Red Chinese regulars in the daily course of commerce. The least amount I carry is for a S&W M36 - with one reload. If I haven't solved my problem in ten rounds, I'm in way over my head.

My typical load out is a K frame revolver with a reload. Sometimes a Government Model or Commander, again with one full reload.

I cannot foresee a situation calling for suppressive fire. Then again, I consider 'suppressive fire' a well aimed and delivered shot to suppress the problem.

Perhaps I'm over optimistic. Yes, I have the cell phone for back up.
 
It depends on what I'm wearing, clothes that allow for more I will carry my 4" XD or my 5" 1911, if I'm wearing say just like dress pants and a light shirt I carry my subcompact XD or my snub .38 in an ankle holster. I know ankle holsters are kind of akward, but something is better than nothing, I would rather have a .22 derringer than nothing at all. So like B. Lahey said, somewhere between 1 and 1000 should be good, as long as you're not sitting on that big ole goose egg. (Zero for those that aren't familiar with goose eggs:D)
 
Personally I do prefer a semi-auto because revolvers are too wide for my taste for a CCW...I dont see a need for a 17rd magazine, but I would prefer to have a large enough magazine that I could take several shots at multiple attackers if necessary...
 
Well, personally, I'd rather have too many than not enough. You never know what situation you might get in. Practically, I feel well armed with my 5 shot revolver, but I do carry two speed loaders just in case.
 
I swing both ways when it comes to CCW.

If I carry my revolver I am limited to the five shots in the cylinder. I have considered carrying a speed strip, but I find the idea to be kinda dumb. I can create distance between me and my attacker instead of fooling with a one at a time reload. A reload isn't a bad idea if being attacked, but when it comes to being shot at I find that cover, distance and shot placement make far more sense than a complicated reload.

And yes, I am aware that round (one twist) reloaders are available, but they are too bulky for me me in daily life when I consider carrying them.

Now, if I carry one of my autos, at least one reload goes with me. Magazines are easy to conceal (think cell phone holder). I do not carry a cell phone. The gunshot will have police at the scene shortly.

You may not understand my logic and I certainly won't explain it beyond this. In reality, no one understands my train of thought, so, ......
 
Personally I do prefer a semi-auto because revolvers are too wide for my taste for a CCW
Click to expand...
I can honestly say that I have never had an issue with concealing the cyliner of a five shot snubbie. The issue with me is always the grip of any guns...not matter how thick or thin. :)
 
Statistically speaking...anywhere in the rage of two or three will be all you ever need.
Click to expand...

Statistically speaking, using simple percentage ratios of historical events to predict mutually exclusive future events is invalid.

In other words, two or three will be all you ever need, unless it isn't.

Of course, statistically speaking and using the invalid application of historical data to predict mutually exclusive future events, you don't need a gun at all. If you have a gun, you won't need to draw it. If you have to draw it, you won't need to fire it and so you don't even need to have ammo. If you do need to fire it, hitting your target isn't even absolutely critica.

...but that is if you want to trust your life to historical data that have nothing to do with you, be it for carrying a gun or how much ammo you carry.

I think it very unlikely to be confronted with a reinforced battalion of Red Chinese regulars in the daily course of commerce. The least amount I carry is for a S&W M36 - with one reload. If I haven't solved my problem in ten rounds, I'm in way over my head.
Click to expand...

So because you are in way over your head, you give up or quit?

I cannot foresee a situation calling for suppressive fire. Then again, I consider 'suppressive fire' a well aimed and delivered shot to suppress the problem.
Click to expand...

You may get in over your head more easily than you my realize. Waters' "The Best Defense" has a great story on how suppressive fire was used by a guy on his first trip back to a gun range after open heart surgery. It was a gun battle that took place in traffic outside of Houston where he used suppressive fire to keep bad guys from doing further harm to a trooper they had already downed.

You may find you need your suppressive fire to egress from a situation where you are in over your head.

Perhaps I'm over optimistic. Yes, I have the cell phone for back up.
Click to expand...

If you think a cell phone is back up, you are overly optimistic. I can hear it now....
Don't come another step closer or I will call someone!
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top