But I digress. Do something, anything, for a few decades and you begin to learn a little bit about it. My preference for personal protection is the handgun, mostly because the law doesn't see fit to permit my carrying an M-14 to chase away the boogeymen, and when stuck with second-best one does what one can to get the most from a less than desirable situation.
Modern ammunitions have made handguns far more potent than ever before, but since there are far more impotent shooters...and they who would scam them of big bucks in "teaching" self-defense classes...it is imperative to understand the mechanics behind real world gun fighting.
By impotent shooters I mean men and women who hop aboard the gunwagon to be cool or macho, and spend little or no time learning the tricks of the trade. Broken down into it's most basic of components, a gunfight with a pistol or revolver means shooting as fast as you can as accurately as you can, and moving to seek cover or concealment or both. Most of the time it's a slug it out, fistfight at a distance, and far, far from the maddening scenarios one witnesses during theatrical presentations.
A real gunfight is a noisy, loud-noisy, shouting, screaming, cursing, smokey, uneven footing, sweating profusely and hands a-shaking cacophony of disconcerting input assailing the senses. And through this we must, as the wise ones decree, be sure to follow the axiom that shot placement is paramount.
But in the real world it ain't gonna happen. Perhaps, just perhaps, after ones 4th or 5th gunfight it all sinks in, but to the average joe it's only going to happen once, if ever, and that once is going to be one helluva chinese firedrill. Can't really practice for it because no one knows how the central and sympathetic nervous systems are going to behave when so assailed, so we do the next best thing of assuring familiarity with our weapon systems and hope for the best should the worst come a 'knocking.
They tell us that practice makes perfect, and include the irrefutable fact that our opponent will most likely be incompetent with his weapon so we'll have a leg-up from the get-go. This wisdom does nothing to provide an understanding of why highly trained policemen, one on one, win only 52% of their gunfights, so we look deeper into the real world for assistance. A younger, more athletic, and faster fighter can and will get lucky more times than not, and I won't get into how many rounds it takes to disable someone high on illegal drugs. An aggressor ALWAYS stands the better chance of scoring due to the simple fact that action supercedes reaction, but the law in a lot of states forbids action unless first acted upon, so many people are left to train as if they've already been shot, and let's never forget that even though you've just been hit, shot placement is yadda yadda.
It can boil down to the old saw. It is preferable to be judged by 12 rather than carried by 6. Situational awareness is one of the newer buzz-phrases that has come along to remind us not to be a total idiot and walk into a darkened alley in a bad neighborhood. No one can be dead-red around the clock, but all of us can and should be aware of our surroundings. We must know our state and local laws regarding the use of deadly force, and within the framework of those laws, be ready to draw and fire when called upon.
Then the real world once again intrudes and we're left more confused than ever. "Is THIS a good shoot"...is the 64 thousand dollar question that leaves all but Philadelphia lawyers perplexed, and perplexed is one small step away from freezing on the spot. FBI statistics indicate that the mere sight of a weapon discourages goblin activity to the tune of 2 million times a year. Even though it does sound a bit too much, I won't argue the premise because I've seen Paree, and have also come to the understanding that a great many would-be muggers and rapists and home intruders would likely flee rather than exchange gunfire. Predators will always look for the easier kill, but the bane of us all are those who have reached the point where nothing will stand in their way, and it is to them we address our attention and concern.
You WON'T know how you'll react, but react you should so keep it simple. Simple beats un-simple every time. If carrying concealed, try to have as little garment encumbrance as possible. Carry a round in the chamber of your semi-automatic and if that bothers you then switch to a revolver. Most folks shoot low when surprised or frightened or simply unready, so aim for the chin and you'll most likely hit high center of mass. Fire until the threat is over, and this doesn't mean to empty a high capacity magazine into someone who has fallen, but if that someone is still aiming at you, then by all means keep shooting. Even the most conservative of judges and juries will frown upon dropping the paperboy because his super-soaker looked like the real thing, so be sure that there was an immediate threat to the health and well being of yourself or yours. Some states even allow for the use of deadly force to prevent a felony upon someone unknown to you, but don't go there unless you know what the statutes say on the matter.
If all else fails, move to Florida. or some other pleasant clime that permits self defense, or become involved in local politics to change the odious laws many liberal states enact so as to keep the minority population in easily available funds.
There are far fewer superb combat marksmen than .300 hitters, but even the worst shot can get better with practice. And the single most important thing you can do for the real world, is to get and remain in as good a physical condition as is possible. Then again, if looking at pictures in gun magazines featuring 300 pounders with bowling ball belly's "run" a $4,000 weekend drill at the world's premier, know-all-tell-all course, conducted by the latest and greatest guru of gunnery floats your boat, then by all means go float yourself.
As always, should you or any of your Messenger Impossible members be killed or captured, FEMA will disavow any knowledge of your activities, and blame it on a local Mayor.
Good luck, Slim!
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