Thomas Sowell against handguns?!?

M

mk86fcc

New member
In one of his recent "ramblings" columns, Dr. Sowell, an extremely consrevative columnist weighed in against handguns. The following quote applies:

"As a former pistol marksmanship instructor, I believe a handgun should not be kept in the home for defense. Most people do not possess the requisite marksmanship to use one in a crisis situation. A sawed off shotgun is much more effective and much less likely to draw return fire."

Gotcha! (Got me, too - I was truly disheartened when I read the first sentence...)

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"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
 
Thus, in one snippet, Sowell reveals that he doesn't know much about pistols, shotguns, the NFA, or the English language ("sawn-off" shotgun is a more elegant term).

Rosco
 
Got mixed feelings about this.I've seen plenty of folks that were dangerous to the wrong people with shotguns. Any firearms instructor has some war stories, like how the 12ga sized hole appeared directly above the "head" in the ceiling of the Southwest Tower at the Md House of Correction,or how "Buckshot" Hall got his monicker.

As for Sowell's claim, few folks that do not shoot a shotgun recreationally,IME, ever move past being able to load, fire and make safe a shotgun.And, practicing with a HD shotgun is not allowed at many ranges.So, while an 870 is part on my homeowner's insurance, it's not a Magic Charm to shield one from harm,nor the best tool for everyone.
 
While "sawn" is certainly more elegant than "sawed", most folk would assume the speaker was "puttin' on airs." (For example, Wm Buckley would certainly use "sawn", but we expect that from him...) Further, I think the good Dr. was attemting to convey an attitude rather than make a literal point. (At least that's what the voices told me.) :D

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"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
 
If Sowell was trying to convey that half-hearted measures are unlikely to win a defensive encounter, then I agree with him. However, the passage quoted holds forth two shopworn and incorrect points of view; that practical handgun markmanship is an arcane and extremely difficult skill to acquire and that the shotgun is conspicuously easier to use in defensive combat than is the pistol. Both are oft repeated, widely believed, and untrue.

I'll grant him some license in making his point, but this was not one of his better efforts.

Rosco
 
Having read his several of his of books, his columns for years, and heard him speak, I think it's safe to say all he really meant was that overwhelming firepower is a good thing. (I base this supposition on his position as a strict constitutionalist, a firm believer in the right of self-defense, and a free market economist.) But hey, I've been wrong before. And anyway, I just posted it 'cause I thought it was kinda cute...

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"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
 
Rosco...I disagree...

Proficiency with a handgun is not that hard, but will take some work. Several sessions is probably a minimum to get someone to where they can reliably hit a target at 15 meters.

A shotgun, fired from the shoulder, can be learned in a single session. It's also a bit more forgiving and much more destructive.
 
Corporate Barbarian (may I call you Barb?), I would take slight issue with your contentions. For last-ditch home defense, it is unimportant if the homeowner can hit anything with a pistol at 15 yards. Forty-five feet is a LONG way indoors. Look at the size of the typical room in a dwelling. If they can hit at 10 feet, that ought to be sufficient.

At these short distances, the pattern of a shotgun will not have spread and the shotgun will need to be aimed with as much precision as a rifle. Besides the shotgun's supposed advantage being thus negated, there are the issues of the longarm being harder to retain, the substantial recoil of the piece, more difficulty in using it with a flashlight, and a more difficult and less intuitive manner of operation. Secure, yet ready, storage is a problem too.

For the expert, I say use what you're good with. For the novice or the person who wants a home defense tool, but who doesn't want to take up shooting as a hobby, I contend that a full size double-action revolver in .38 special (ideally converted to DA only)is a better tool.

I have no argument with your contention that the shotgun is much more destructive, however only hits count and I've found that its easier to get a novice hitting well, at conversational distances, with a revolver than with a shotgun.

Rosco
 
Being something of a virgin to this board, I'm glad I found it; otherwise, I might never have experienced your postings, Roscoe. I've enjoyed your comments. What a character!

Also, I tend to agree with you concerning the best handgun for the novice and the challenges the shotgun poses. That being said, however, I suppose if a person were experienced with shotguns, a legally obtained and registered double with about 10" barrels might make an interesting bedroom piece.

Even a 10" gun, though, isn't going to open up and spray the world. One of the most widely held myths is that you just can't miss with a shotgun, whereas anybody who experiments with these things knows that a shotgun is basically a large caliber rifle until the range reaches beyond across-the-room distances.

Glad to find you guys! My range is about twenty yards from my front door and gun safes, so I do more shooting with a variety of firearms than I should own up to. Perhaps you'll allow me to contribute my own brainless brand of comments when the mood strikes and my ego won't allow my fingers to stay still!

Greg

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"Happiness is a warm gun" John Lennon 1966
 
Greg,
No less authority than Jeff Cooper thinks highly of the "Lupara"(an exposed-hammer, short, double-barreled shotgun)as a home defense tool. This is one area where I don't quite agree with Cooper. An expert can make do with most any weapon. The lupara obliges the user to cock the hammers so as to be ready to use the piece. If the situation de-escalates or turns out to be a false alarm, the user is now obliged to lower the hammers over loaded chambers (or get into a complicated manual of arms to avoid so doing). This isn't something that is wise for a novice user to be attempting...especially at 3:00AM and immediately after something scared them sufficiently for them to get the shotgun in the first place.

Rosco
 
To introduce a cat amoungst the birds,

I tend to believe that neither a pistol or shotgun is ideal, nor is a rifle. It very much depends on where you live. Match your firearm to your living situation.

If you are in an apartment then a for it's limitations a pistol may be ideal.

A pistol is difficult to hit things with, a shotgun has recoil recovery issues. A compromise (that I like) is a pistol caliber trapper leveraction. (pref. 357 Magnum)

[Sorry to introduce a rifle to the shotgun forum]

Have fun,
 
Amen,Kiwi. There's more than one way to get there.

If there's more than one responsible adult in the house,willing to use Deadly Force for HD, there's has to be at least one weapon that person is qualified with. Wife and Daughter here have no problems shooting mid caliber revolvers,neither cares for shotguns. So, while the 870s is mine, they have alternatives.

I've taught some elderly relatives to shoot, or shoot better,with small caliber revolvers because that's all they can handle. Little arm strength, bad vision, but more in need of a defense tool than big ol' me.
 
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