From: DENNIS_@ncsu.edu (DGA)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Psychology in Defense
Date: 19 Nov 92 15:10:41 GMT
Organization: North Carolina State University

In article <1992Nov12.201437.11050@phx.mcd.mot.com> mcdphx!systemname!gcall@enuucp.eas.asu.edu (Glen Call) writes:
#From: mcdphx!systemname!gcall@enuucp.eas.asu.edu (Glen Call)
#Subject: Re: Psychology in Defense
#Date: 14 Nov 92 00:55:07 GMT
#
#In article <BxH1LF.IAw@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu>, callison@essex.ecn.uoknor.edu (James P. Callison) writes:
#|> ##slkdh@cc.usu.edu writes:
#|> ##
#|> ###	I have a friend who wants a Desert Eagle Action Express (.50 cal) for
#|> ###the same reason.  He figures that if he shoots it once the size of the gun and
#|> ###the sound of it fireing will scare any assailant into humble, penitent
#|> ###submission.
#|> 
#|> Out of curiousity, just how many of you have actually set off a
#|> round in your domicile? I have, and it is a _VERY_ disorienting
#|> experience. 
#
#I had an AD with a .45ACP in my car, with the muzzle pointed out through an open
#door.  "Very disorienting" just barely begins to describe the feeling.  "Scared
#sh**less" is more accurate.
#
#|>             I made a slight mistake (which, thanks to the drilling
#|> of gun safety by my dad, required only tar to fix), and set a
#|> round off in my SIG P226 a few months back.
#
#You owe your dad a beer (or something similar).  I don't remember who taught my
#hunter safety class, but I owe him several.  The shock of having my weapon
#discharge was then reinforced by seeing a little girl on a bicycle ride across
#the path taken by the slug SECONDS after the AD.  I will NEVER forget the
#feeling.
#
#|>                                             After a few seconds of
#|> trying to figure out what the hell happened, where the hell I was,
#|> and what the hell that ringing in my ears was, I noticed, to my great
#|> shock, a cocked and loaded weapon in my right hand. (OK, well, it was
#|> really only a few moments, but in a state of mind suddenly thrown from 
#|> complacency into panic, it seemed a lot longer.)
#|> This was, of course, and unexpected event (I'm not about to try it
#|> on purpose, unless someone wants to break into my home and give me
#|> a really good excuse), so the effects may be somewhat biased, but
#|> I don't think your average burglar expects you to fire either.
#|> (From accounts of friends who have shot intruders, there is also 
#|> a momentary psychological shock, even from experienced shooters.)
#|> 
#|> Maybe you can write this off as "anecdotal experience," but, IMHO,
#|> "Yes, Virginia, there really is a psychological impact of firing
#|> a weapon indoors."
#|> ;-)
#
#Definitely.  I shudder to think of the impact of firing a .357 or .44 magnum inside the close confines of a hallway.  To think some people keep deer rifles around for self-defense!
#
#My $0.02 worth.
#Glen
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#Glen Call                          Technical Marketing Systems Engineer
#Motorola Computer Systems, Inc.    gcall@phx.mcd.mot.com or mcdapps!gcall
#DISCLAIMER: The above is strictly my opinion.  I DO NOT SPEAK FOR MOTOROLA!
#


Perhaps we can get some first hand information on the subject, from both 
ends of the weapon, but until then......

I have noticed that when shooting victims describe the experience most 
comment that they saw a flash, but didn't hear the weapon discharge or felt 
the pain but didn't realize they had been shot, or felt the wetness of their 
bleeding but didn't know that they were wounded, and etc.  

My point is that given the amount of juice (natural or artifical) in their 
system, along with other factors, shooting victims react in wildly different 
ways.  

Also, consider that often the intruder into your home will not know that you 
have emptied a clip of 9mm slugs into him until he runs out of blood.  I 
don't think someone this high will be impressed by a fireworks show.

Keep in mind also that the shooter must suffer the flash and bang along with 
the intruder.  A good experiment is to take your weapon out on a dark night 
and carefully aim down the barrel and fire.  Then try to find your car.

The saving grace for the shooter is that in most cases his natural stimulant 
level is so high that he doesn't hear the discharge of the weapon, but 
dealing with muzzle flash is a bit more of a problem.  In my humble life as 
a hunter I have many experiences where I killed the prey, but really didn't 
feel the recoil or hear the discharge.  No ringing in the ears although I 
didn't use plugs.

The point to this rather disorganized discourse is this:  Shooting an 
intruder is complicated beyond belief.  Physics, psychology, sociology, and 
liberal legal system have conspired to make defending one's self a marginal 
proposition for police and civilian alike.  

Based on my observations if you can chase a criminal away from you, it is 
not your responsibilty that he attacks your neighbor.  If a criminal just 
wants to rob you, or hurt you some, or just rape your wife, well... it's 
probably better if you don't resist.  After all, you're not trained for it 
and the criminal can't really help that he is forced by society to become a 
criminal.  After all, don't forget, you do own a gun and therefore, 
are inherently evil and probably deserve whatever happens to you.

Geeze... I hate reality!

DGA