From: reid@metis.tti.com (Reid Kneeland)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Self Protect Handgun vs. Shotgun.
Date: 5 Jan 93 23:15:52 GMT
Organization: Transaction Technology Inc.

In article <01GT2YKJLIR691WNJK@vega.selu.edu> pusv1305@altair.selu.edu writes:
#I am trying to decide on an appropreate personal protection pistol and or
#shotgun?  I have looked at ballistics and energy on impack for different
#ranges.

For deciding pistol vs. shotgun:

You also have to consider that fact that a shotgun requires two hands
to operate (no freee hand for flashlight, phone, doorknobs, restraining
a child, etc.); the long barrel is easier to grab and twist away from
you; the size of the gun makes it harder to maneuver through doorways
and halls.  There's more to defense than firepower.  Most experts
recommend a handgun.

I assume you're not talking about carrying, or you wouldn't have
mentioned shotguns.

#I figure a maximum range of 30 yards, for this porpose.

You're gonna waste Flipper?  Anyway, most self-defense shootings take
place at less than 30 FEET.

#I also live
#in a neighborhood where homes are close together, and thin walled.  For this
#reason I dont want something that will go through my house and the neighbors,
#ect.  I do however want one shot stopping!

These requirements are likely to conflict.  You can buy frangible loads
(little wads of shredded metal rather than a solid bullet) in handgun
calibers, which reduce wall penetration at some cost in stopping power.
Glaser and Mag-Safe are two popular brands.  Have some real bullets 
farther along in your magazine in case those don't do the job.

The whole issue of stopping power vs. penetration is a thread in itself,
and there are no absolute answers.  No shortage of opinions, though.

#A possible might be the .22 Magnum,

That ain't no one-shot-stopper.  A .22 just isn't a great defense gun,
even a magnum.

#the ballistics i've seen rate it up there with a .38

.38s are not all that great for one-shot-stops either.

And there's more to stopping power than ballistics (bullet expansion,
for one thing).  Simple momentum and kinetic energy calculations don't
tell the whole story.

Face it, there are no guaranteed one-shot-stops (ok, maybe a bazooka).
The usual self-defense procedure is to shoot until the attacker falls
down.  That will tend to take fewer shots with a .357 than a .38, but
there are no guarantees.  And the nastiest gun in the world is only
as good as your ability to shoot it.

#I am not in a situation to get up if the first shot misses and
#beat the perp. over the head.  I'm open to suggestions.  

Get up?  From where?  I don't get it.  If the first shot misses, you 
keep shooting.  If you run out of bullets and still haven't hit
the perp, well, you should have trained better.  You'll need to
reload in a hurry (but you probably didn't train in that either)!

In a nutshell: the usual advice for a home defense gun is: get a
handgun in the most effective caliber you can shoot accurately.  If
you're not willing to train regularly, and not likely to clean the gun
after each use, get a revolver.  If you're willing to put in a bit more
effort, get a pistol.  Get training, and stay in practice.

=====================================================================
Reid Kneeland
reid@tti.com  (that's MISTER reid@tti.com to you!)
Transaction Technology Inc., Santa Monica, CA, USA (310) 450-9111 x2499
The opinions expressed above do not necessarily etc etc...

Never trust a man who can count to 1,023 on his fingers.