Just a few posts ago we published this, in this space.
There was mention of the cop from NYPD who had used his then-standard .38 Special to win a gunfight initiated by a thug with a .45 auto, in the reader comments. That reminded me of something I’d written not too long ago.
Both items of content come from the same source: Publishers Development Corporation, which produces GUNS, American Handgunner, and Shooting Industry along with some special one-off titles. I’ve been writing for them for a few decades, and enjoying and learning from them for longer than that. All strongly recommended.
“We need trigger time for any kind of shooting skill, and a gun that’s harder to shoot demands more trigger time”
I tell this to every new gun owner who comes to the range to learn how to defend themselves. Know the manual of arms and the law so intimately that you can use both instinctively. Know your system as well as you know how to drive or your day job. Competence breeds confidence, and a defender will need both in large measure if attacked.
Alas, most just come to the range once, fire a few scattered rounds on a 12” target 7 yards in front of them and call it good. I encourage them to seek professional training and practice regularly anyway.
Oh yeah! I will NEVER carry or shoot a .40, because of the recoil! I actually retired because they wanted to FORCE us to go to .40, which they hace since reveresed due to lack of accuracy from the officers! I LOVE my 9MM Beretta APX A1 Carry and will carry it until I die! It has the big, wide, blocky grooves for easy malfunction drills.
I am reminded of what Pat Rogers once said when asked about the ‘anemic’ .38 special 158 gr round nose lead round that NYPD used to carry in their revolvers – to paraphrase, they seemed to work pretty well if you put them where they needed to be put.
I’m 72 and have been shooting and carrying concealed since I was 26. Most of that time I had a small pocket pistol or revolver. How many times did I need to pull it? Never on a human but a lesson to be learned is how much of a victim to you look like. Quick story, one day I was walking my dog and I came up on a couple of feral dogs. They immediately zoomed in on my small dog. I had about 5 seconds to respond and immediately reached in my pocket to pull my little NAA 22 mag. These dogs instinctively halted when they say I was not planning to be a victim and turned and ran the other direction. Body language means a lot in a defensive situation and confidence in your ability to defend yourself shows deep beneath what you carry. As far as what you should carry, practice with what you have. There is no noticeable difference in a 25 to a 45 when under duress. You need to put yourself under stress to be prepared when the time comes. The saying that a 22 in your pocket is better than a 45 in the safe is true. That also goes for a hit with a 22 is better than a miss with a 45. I personally carry as much gun as I can get away with. Typically that ranges from the NAA 22 mag to a LCP Max to a Sig 365.
I carry a snubby .357 mag revolver with .38+P hollow points. Easy to carry and, with sufficient practice, easy to shoot. My ‘get out of trouble’ tool. I shoot informal matches with jt often and am better under stress that I was on a flat range.
Know your system. Wear with confidence.