The shorter the gun the more easy it is to accidentally shoot yourself.
Does that seem true to you?f
It's true. and its not just shoot yourself, its you and EVERYONE ELSE.
Its because the smaller the the gun is (shorter primarily) the easier it is to move around. This is a particularly high risk with beginning shooters who have not yet learned muzzle control (and keeping fingers OFF triggers) down to the level below active thought.
The rifle and shotgun are long, they require both hands, you put them to your shoulder...and when not shouldered, you're still holding a fairly long, heavy object that generally speaking, you are fairly aware of.
The smaller the gun, the less aware you get. A handgun is in your hand. Its a one hand thing, just holding it, and its really easy to put fingers on triggers, even total non shooters have had literally thousands of hours of "video instruction" in their lives, watching ACTORS put their fingers on triggers while holding guns onscreen.
Off of the firing line people move their hands, a LOT. Some people can't seem to talk without moving their hands
.
Pistol in hand; hand moves; muzzle sweeps EVERYTHING without the beginner even realizing it. And high probability of beginner having finger ON trigger or in trigger guard. High risk situation. (and, if its a GLock like "safety" system, I'm outta here!!
)
I've actually, personally seen a man shot (luckily for him, in the leg) because an under trained shooter was shooting, and turned from the line to speak to someone behind them, still holding the pistol. They did lower it, but it was still pointed at a person and it "went off".
The other side of the coin is the experienced shooter, who becomes complacent. "Familiarity breeds contempt" applies to a lot of things, and absolutely to safety rules. Brush up against, bend, or even break a safety rule and get away with doing it with no one hurt, do it over and over without accident, and one gets complacent. The rule doesn't matter, "I do it all the time and no one ever got hurt" UNTIL THEY DO...
"I don't worry about accidently pointing a gun at you because I KNOW its not loaded, or I KNOW its on SAFE...." that attitude works, until it doesn't and someone DOES get shot because what the user "knew" was wrong.
So, yes because it is soo much easier for a small gun to be pointed in the wrong direction they are more likely to accidently shoot someone, including the user.
I don't know if its still on the web but there used to be a video of an undercover cop at an elementary school class (might have been a kindergarten I don't recall) holding up his duty pistol showing the kids, and telling them "I am the only one in this room qualified to handle a Glock Fou-tay (that's the way he said it)
He then holsters the pistol.
BANG!!!!!
Cop shot himself in the leg...
I thought that was an excellent "teachable moment".