Is It Really That Big of a Deal?

In our CWP classes we get a lot of questions concerning the best gun to use as a concealed carry firearm. Make, model, and caliber of pistol are the usual topics that arise. In a day when the .22, .32, and .380 caliber pocket pistols are very popular we spend most of our time trying to convince people that these are inferior calibers for first gun carry choices, and it is a big deal when it comes to a self defense handguns. It is important to realize the purpose of carrying concealed in the first place. It is to neutralize a lethal threat with extreme prejudice (take the life of another individual if necessary). To do that it is going to require speed. Not just the speed in which you respond, but the speed in which that response takes place, i.e. the time it takes for the shot to take effect upon the assailant or intended target (human, mad dog, mountain lion, or a bear…..you get the point).

There are two ways to completely neutralize a threat with a handgun. The first is exsanguination: that is by bleeding out. Now, I know that is graphic, but so is shooting someone in self defense. We know that blood equals energy, and as one bleeds from wound channels and cavities created by projectiles (bullets) one loses the ability to present themselves a lethal threat. Effectiveness of wound channels and cavities is determined by several factors. Speed, size, and design of projectiles are some of the factors to take into consideration as well as the area in which the target is hit. In this post I am only taking a brief look at the size of the projectile. Logic will tell us that at least the bigger the wound, the more opportunity there is to bleed. That’s why experts’ state that minimum handgun calibers for self defense are .38’s for revolvers, and 9mm’s for semi-autos. Any caliber smaller than that in some cases, depending on your clothing, make a descent back up gun but an inadequate first gun. Remember the statistics state that most violent encounters take place in a relatively close range (within 3yrds) and at a fast pace. It makes sense to carry the largest caliber that you can comfortable carry and operate. It’s not that a target can’t be neutralized by small calibers, but it will take either a well placed shot or a lot of time and multiple hits to accomplish that goal.

The second way of completely neutralizing a threat with a handgun is to shut down the central nervous system, mainly placing a shot in the cranial vault (head). This is a relatively small target area considering that you will be aiming at the soft tissue of the eyes and nose. Now remember your assailant or attacker is not going to be standing still for you to make that shot. Even if you had ample time to aim at an attacker 25yrds away, the attackers face will sway from left to right and, and up and down as they move toward you. To hit this small area of the face will take a great deal of control, precision, and skill. It is the high center chest area that will present itself as the most viable first option. And since we are looking to that being the first and primary area we discuss the larger caliber handguns. Carrying a .22 or .32 pocket pistol just does not make much sense when we talk about self defense.

Now when we look at what we have discussed it doesn’t take long to figure out that you need a caliber that is going to transfer a large amount of energy and act quickly on the target to get the job done as quickly as possible. We recommend that folks carry a .45 caliber in whatever configuration that is proven over time to be manufactured with quality and proven reliability.

To keep this as brief as possible we recommend that you take some time to research the issue. There are some really good articles out there on this subject. One place that has a collection of articles of this nature is Backwoods Home Magazines website. Massad Ayoob, one of the most knowledgeable authors in this area of self defense has several good articles at the following link. Take a moment and check it out. http://www.backwoodshome.com/ayoob_index.html