In a message dated 2/7/2009 1:27:08 P.M. Central Standard Time, pf...@wdn.com writes:
None of the responders mentioned the risk of liability on injury to innocents from handgun rounds penetration and range compared to shotguns. Shotguns can over penetrate compared to shotguns and vice versa. A load of 00 buckshot or a slug can go through several layers of drywall and plywood side paneling, hitting those same innocents. Hollow points, polymer nose, and self defense frangible handgun rounds can stop in a single layer of drywall. Nothing guaranteed however. The only thing consistent about small arms ammunition is its inconsistency. For home defense, ammunition selection is the most important criterion after 100% firearm reliability and usability by the defender. All ammunition must be balanced for its intended use regardless of launching platform. Also, the shotgun should have a superior hit probability to the handgun for those with limited experience. In fact on this list has been a report about the shotgun's superior hit ability in combat to a limit range (60 yards?) relative to modern assault rifles. I don't have a reference currently. Phil In the hands of an experienced shooter, with appropriate ammunition selection, yes, a shotgun has longer range potential. Show me a home with a 60 yard shot indoors, and I'll show you someone who has enough money for armed bodyguards. That aside, inexperienced shooters often find shotguns intimidating because of huge perceived recoil. That causes strange things like hip shooting at odd angles, holding the gun away from one's shoulder or face, and misses at really close range. The shotgun does have a larger pattern at typical home defense distances, but Joe Olson and others have correctly pointed out that at those distances, the shot spread is no more than 3-5" at best, less than an inch with a slug. They are terribly cumbersome to use indoors around corners and hallways without much practice. If a home defender is just going to sit in place, and is an experienced shooter, the shotgun with appropriate ammunition may be an excellent choice. Most home defense uses are by inexperienced shooters who have a minimum knowledge of how one particular gun works, and who are surprised by the home invasion, often some distance from the one gun in the home. For these folks, a handgun that they can point shoot works out a lot better, and is easier to get into action quickly. Massad Ayoob has commented several times that shotguns are the artillery of self defense firearms. You don't always need the artillery. I am aware of few instructors who recommend that the first firearm someone learn to use for self defense is anything other than a handgun. Much of the answer to the initial question is a subject for debate. Some of the answers are situation specific. Fact is, you won't know what the correct firearm platform is for any given situation until you live through it, largely because you won't know what the situation is. Even then, people will still pick apart the choices you made. Scott Hattrup **************Great Deals on Dell Laptops. Starting at $499. (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1217883258x12 01191827/aol?redir=http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;211531132;33070124;e)
_______________________________________________ To post, send message to Firearmsregprof@lists.ucla.edu 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.
