bdickens wrote:I wouldn't want to count on that with gangbangers -- real gangbangers, not wannabees. They live in a culture of violence, are not afraid of violence, are not afraid of the police, are not afraid of guns and are not afraid of death. Yours or theirs.
Not to mention that it's entirely possible they've been shot with a handgun before. Heck, it's a badge of honor. And they probably know a number of other people who have been shot with a handgun and survived.
Bottom line is that a handgun suitable for daily carry is a defensive instrument. If you carry an eight-inch-barrel .500 S&W Magnum or a .454 Casull, you might be exempt from that statement. Hm; guess what? The biggest, honkin', huntin' calibers are available only in revolvers. The .50 AE pales compared to the Casull or the S&W .460 or .500 Mag.
For Bubba Stickyfingers in KB's story, my Seecamp BUG would probably have been plenty of dissuasive firepower. And while I don't intend to run afoul of any hardened MS13 gangbangers in the course of my daily life, I have no delusions that they would be unduly intimidated by my .45 ACP carry pistol and the extra 16 rounds on my belt.
The reality is that we carry handguns because we don't have Star Trek phasers that can zap anything, are laser-accurate, and are as small as your BlackBerry. Handguns are the most effective defensive tools that we can conceal and carry easily. But they ain't magic.
I think sometimes we can lose focus that the Operator himself or herself is the most important line of defense. Training, intelligence, experience, and more training. If stuff starts to look really really shady, there are certain people on this Forum I'd want by my side...whether they were packin' a revolver or an autoloader wouldn't matter.
