One shot to live ... Auto ... or ... Revolver

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If you find yourself in the situation as it was laid out, then you had better hit the brain or spinal cord or hope the shot that does hit gives the attacker enough pause to followup with more shots. Otherwise, be ready to grapple with a knife wielding criminal. How long depends on where you hit the assailant. From everything I have read, one stop shots are fairly rare and the distance between a doorway and a bed is usually a few steps.

I guess my answer would be I would rather have my 12 gauge with 00 buck for one shot. That said, I only have one handgun and it is a .357 revolver, So by default that would have to be my answer.
 
One of these: G20/29 or G21/30

They all run 100% and I am very proficient with them. :D

Hopefully, this would never happen but we have the right not to be a victim.

(and protect to our family)
 
One shot stops rare? Maybe. But I'll take my chances in the ensuing knife fight over the old boy in the doorway who just took my 45 Colt slug. Anything might happen, but I'm betting that from the time he takes my slug that I'll be facing an individual with markedly dampened enthusiasm for whatever designs he may have had in mind when he first stepped into that doorway.
 
Looking back at the first post, I'd have some argument against this idea, "...you only have time for one shot to save everybody." I would change it to something like "...almost no time at all to get the first shot fired."

If I can get that first shot off, Mr. Bad Dude can have a free name-change: Mr. Colander.

A one-shot kill is for Bambi.
 
1 shot only, then a SHOTGUN with short barrel.
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More realistically in my case, it would most likely be the pistol I CC the most, a Kahr K9 or one one of the bigger guns that would have been in the glove box when traveling (Sig P6, Walther P99, Xdm or Glock -- all 9mm)
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Keep in mind that the gun I chose to carry or is by my hotel/motel bedside is expected to work when needed. It is maintained well, etc, etc.
 
A one-shot kill is for Bambi.
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Agreed. I'll take aim and fire a triple tap string of bullets his way.

I have a TLR-1s attached to my handgun. However, in the scenario we already saw him and saw he had a knife so I don't think I'd need to check. Highly doubt housekeeping would pull a stunt like that anyways.

Not to mention, I have a Glock 19. Those don't jam. Don't be silly! :p

^^^^^^^^JOKE^^^^^^^^^
 
WHICH ONE AND WHY?
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I obviously have the upmost confidence in any gun I put on the nightstand and have both autos and revolvers that see nightstand duty so it's not a matter of trust that they'll work. For your fantasy scenario I'm gonna say revolver simply because I don't have a auto capable of launching a 275 gr Barnes DPX Solid copper HP at 1500 fps.

Now I got a question for you.
Since you have this crystal ball that tells you exactly how your gunfight is going down, why not just ask for the room at the other end of the hall or maybe drive another hour to a hotel that isn't getting robbed tonight?
 
Since we are in a handgun forum, I'll stick to handguns.
One shot: 1911 45acp
One chance w/multiple shots: 1911 45acp.
Of what I currently have it is what I shoot best and I have no function issues with it whatsoever. My Hi Power is equally accurate and reliable, but a smaller bullet. In this case, I feel bigger is better. I would be okay with my model 65 357mag, but my daughter took it.
 
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I have had to draw, and I didn't 't have any thoughts about firearm choice until after the event. Honestly, that mess isn't at the forefront of your thoughts when you're looking at a man with a gun.

After the fact, I felt very happy to have committed to service weapon carry before I had to draw. I had a Glock 19 on me, and a spare mag. No shots fired, but I had a very capable weapon to work with, if it went that way.

I get that some guys want to believe in revolvers being "more reliable", but my semis have been perfect. You can't get "more reliable" than zero fails.
 
The revolver for more than one reason.

No slide lock back on empty. I'd be the only one who knows I'm "out" if I missed or, the last bullet didn't 'stop' the threat. I still have a gun that they think is loaded. Once a semi runs out, it becomes very obvious.

Revolvers tend to be more reliable too and more intimidating.
 
In this scenario, I'll take my Glock 19, with the Glock 17 mag and the +2 adapter, so 20 rounds in the gun total. Why? Because I can shoot that gun darned fast with 9mm ammo, it's never jammed on me, and I don't need precision accuracy in the situation described. I can empty the entire magazine into the chest of a B-27 target at 50 feet in around 10 seconds. That should do fine.

Now, to be true to the thread, I've made a revolver my travel gun, so that no matter where we go, I won't have issues with magazine capacity. And, I can always find ammunition to work in a revolver. My travel guns right now are a Smith 596 and a Smith 649. The 586 would be in the position you describe, and I'd be okay with that choice.
 
Glock 22! I can get the first round on target really quickly! Just because I practice the most with it and am most familiar with it out off my handguns.
 
Which would you choose with one shot and your family’s life was on the line
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If I've only got one shot, what difference does it make? I'd expect anything to get off one shot.

Actually I wouldn't worry about either of them getting off more than one shot either, but your question was "one shot."
 
Stupid scenario, but here I am answering so I guess it worked.

If the object is to steer anyone towards revolver, this scenario is flawed. The typical semi auto malfunction won't occur until after the first round is fired.

Personally I would choose my 9mm. I am most proficient with it and can probably get two shots off in the time it would take me to get one shot with any of my revolvers. The question then is: two shots or one? I choose two.
 
Wildbill, no police officer or combat vet is going to follow your line of thinking. They will not say revolver, or auto because of a lack of malfunctions, they will say the gun that is in their hand, regardless of action type. And they certainly wouldn't prescribe to the 1 shot only deal....

If you are in that situation then you make the shot with what you have. If you knew in advance that you would be put in that position...then you wouldn't be there.
 
Think double tap, at minimum. It is much easier for me to accurately double tap a semi than a revolver. But either gun should work fine. I agree that this scenario should be avoided, but it was the scenario given.
 
If it is Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers - you are just out of luck.

Look, if you are toting around an unreliable gun - just rethink it.

The one shot scenario is silly for a serious post. You shoot until the threat ceases.

Art is correct - if we were forced to have one shot - then some long arm - shotgun or rifle.
 
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