Wrong gun to use in defense?

H

Hiker 1

New member
I was at my LGS this weekend and one of the employees was carrying this SIG 1911 Spartan: https://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/1911-spartan.aspx

I'm a big fan of SIG 1911's and I think the Spartan looks very cool but I wondering if it is the wrong gun to carry for self-defense outside the home.

It seems that the DA/plaintiff's attorney would love to wave it in front of a jury and show what a gun-nut you were if you were involved in a defensive shooting.

Thoughts?
 
A 1911 is not a Sten gun or flamethrower. An attorney is not going to make much headway talking about Tritium sights and polished feed ramps as denoting some kind of murderous intent.

Having said that, don't expect to get your Spartan back from the cops in less than a year, if you end up in court.
 
Inexpensive, reliable firearm.

Remember, the police will seize it and hold it as evidence until the shooter is acquitted of (or no charges filed for) wrongdoing.
 
Looks like a good choice, to me. My local FFL guy totes a double-stack .45ACP.

If it's a good shoot, a storekeeper is very unlikely to get hassled over what was used--and that's not just for gunshop folks.
 
I sort of understand your concern I believe the Spartan has extra graphics including the phrase Molon Labe and the image of a Spartan battle helmet. So, I suppose some overzealous prosecutor could try to make an issue out of it. However, at the end of the day if I liked the gun I wouldn’t really worry about it.
 
There is always a risk. The gun will be shown to the jury. The DA doesn't have to make a fuss about it. It might offend someone.

It's been demonstrated in simulations. Is this particular gun wildly nutso looking so that you seen like a killer - who knows?

Antigun folks won't like it. Pro folks might. A good attorney might try to get the views of the potential jurors on the way in.

I would like to repeat this as folks DON'T get it. The DA might make a fuss but they don't have to. In the Detroit case, the jury asked to examine the pistol grip shotgun used to shoot the teenager pounding on the door.

When I saw that reported, I was pretty sure the defendant was to be convicted. Handling guns is a big negative as far as attitudes in most studies. Esp. for antigun folks. So if the gun went to the jury room and someone took it on themselves to expound against it in an ambiguous case, you might have troubles. It's clear that a few strong personalities can drive a jury at times.

So take this for what it is worth. You should worry about training and knowing when to use the gun. That would avoid most of the ambiguous shoots where gun appearance might be operative.
 
Glenn E. Meyer said:
... The gun will be shown to the jury. The DA doesn't have to make a fuss about it....
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And I also want to emphasize this. The jury is going to see the gun. The jury is going to see the gun multiple times. The jury might well see the gun close up more than once, and they can ask to see it close up.

So if the gun has "Molon Labe" or "Born to Kill" or Punisher graphics or Skull graphics or any other decoration, the prosecutor doesn't have to say one word about it. The jury will see it and decide for themselves if they can infer anything about your values or character from that decoration. And the defense then really can't say anything because that will just call the jury's attention to the issue.
 
IIRC, there was a study done a number of years ago that showed a more negative impression of an "evil" black AR-15 vs. a wood-stocked Ruger Mini-14. Anything other than, basically, a stock weapon may be viewed negatively by the jury. :eek:
 
And the study was done by our own Dr. Glenn E. Meyer. No doubt someone will post a link to it. If not, I will when I get home late this afternoon.
 
So if the gun has "Molon Labe" or "Born to Kill" or Punisher graphics or Skull graphics or any other decoration, the prosecutor doesn't have to say one word about it. The jury will see it and decide for themselves if they can infer anything about your values or character from that decoration

Nailed it. If I were to get that pistol just to have, it would be a range gun and not one I would carry.

I also have a Waffenamt-stamped excellent condition P-38. Value aside, I would never carry it as a defensive gun for obvious reasons.
 
Just found it in my research material. Don't have a link, but the study is:

Meyer, G. E., Banos, A. S. Gerondale, T., Kiriazes, K.. Lakin, C. M. & Rinker, A.C. (2009). Juries, Gender, and Assault Weapons. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39, 945 – 972.
Click to expand...

:cool:
 
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