An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power 3:00pm Friday, July 08, 2011 by Greg Ellifritz

Just remember that about half of all of the undercover shootings I have read include at least one bad guy that was shot in the head multiple times, becuase the bullets deflected off the skull. Even .357 mags.

An unarmed/blade response is more or less what I am talking about. I know how good blades can be up front, and I know what I can do with them. There is an old thing in European martial arts that your arm is worth less than your life in a clench.

 

I've taken some licks before. I'm not stupid, but a 14" piece of steel in your fist can be a "more effective" response to a threat than fumbling for a pistol. I've had some training, and been through a few things, and there are times when hand to hand is the right option. Not recommending it for "normal" people, or telling you to carry a pocket knife instead of a gun (carry all of the things!!!).

There are all kinds of nuances to these things. I, personally, like to carry a longer barreled wheelgun (vs snubbie) instead of an auto, just because I can get it out and on target faster (years of packing iron in the backwoods). I get almighty irritated that I don't have "all the bullets" and all that, and my head says "thing other factors matter", but at the end of the day, you got to be able to get it out and on target for it to matter, and you have to default on the "normal" spectrum of encounters vs the "I have to fight martial chinese wave attacks" mentality. You carry a rifle for that. Haha.

Hope that explains the comment a little better. And yes, I am aware of how bad knife fights suck. The only good knife fight is when then have a pocket knife to make them look scary, and you have a saber that you know how to use.

 

These "discussions" are silly. Use what works best for you and let others use what works best for them. If you don't know what works best for you...keep using as much stuff as you can till you figure out what works best for you...and even then keep on truckin, cuz you never know what might work even better .

He/she who survives with the most toys, wins!