At 02:00 PM 2/6/2008, EV wrote:
Can anyone please point me to a good discussion of the advantages
and disadvantages of shotguns vs. handguns for self-defense? The
more specific the cite, the better. Many thanks,
JW wrote:
I still haven't unpacked book boxes here in sunny Florida, but look
up Fackler -- he showed a similar spread, but with a mortality rate
about 15% lower than the above figures:
shotgun 75%
rifle (centerfire) 60%
handgun 35 or 37%
Martin Fackler, LTC, MC, USA(ret)
Intl Wound Ballistics Assn
Either way, with the heavier projectile load and limited spread at
in-house ranges (figure about 1" spread per yard of shot travel),
damage from a shotgun is obviously more massive.
Charles's other observations are spot-on.
And there were other replies as well. There are also about 80
million opinions out there but citing Fackler's mortality rates
leaves out an interesting factor with respect to the precise question
asked, to wit, is there a good discussion of the comparison between
shotguns and handguns in self defense situations. So, not having a
cite, let me create my own personal cite:
On any given day, I have at least one handgun with me, sometimes two,
occasionally three, especially if you include the truck gun. Four,
if I carry three and include the truck gun. Never mind why I would
carry three. Offhand, I know I did it once when I was going to a
concealed handgun class to renew my CHL and I knew I could present a
good example of how to get the job done and still be totally
concealed. Other times? Don't ask. Point being? Except when I am
in my bedroom I NEVER have a shotgun with me and, even then, it is
cased but easily available in a closet. Summary? The advantage of a
handgun over a shotgun is that the handgun is always there when you
need it and the shotgun ain't! Gunwriter Clint Smith says he figures
he can use his handgun to fight his way to his long gun. And since
Massad Ayoob was referenced I'd recommend finding some articles by
Clint Smith in a similar vein. However, I'd argue that by the time
he got to his long gun he would probably have already won the fight
with his handgun. Lethality is not the decisive point - availability is.
There is no comparison between the two with respect to a gunfight
where a shotgun can be deployed. The advantage of shotgun rounds are
that they are considerably more effective at typical gun fight
distances and continue to be effective at greater distances when the
handgun's inherent inability to be accurate begins to cause its
rounds to lose all effectiveness for non-warriors/non-trained
personnel/etc. Not everyone can kill an enemy at 100 yards with a
handgun as described by the late, lamented Col. Jeff Cooper. But, as
a rule, you won't need a handgun at even 25 yards; running away will
probably work. Having a shotgun at 25 yards, however, makes you
exceedingly deadly - the second advantage of the shotgun.
But who carries a shotgun except police and soldiers? "Carrying" is
the handgun's advantage, pure and simple.
Professor, feel free to quote me. :-D
***GRJ***
_______________________________________________
To post, send message to [email protected]
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see
http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/firearmsregprof
Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private.
Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people can
read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the
messages to others.
