Thursday, October 30, 2008

How Close is Too Close?

So you just picked up your first ever brand new pistol with your concealed carry permit in hand, and you are feeling rather confident that you can now protect you and your family against an assailant if lethal force is called for in a life threatening situation.

Before you get reeling with that new found feeling of self defense empowerment, let me enlighten you a bit, which trust me, is in your own best interest. First of all, watch this:

Dennis Tueller: 21 Foot Rule

As a person who is trained in proper utilization of a knife in combat, let me assure you that if an attacking opponent has a holstered sidearm at a distance of five feet away from me, and all I have available is a knife, I am quite certain that I can own them, no questions asked. Double the distance and the same will still hold true. Now, if you have a situation where a crazed man amped up on stimulants is charging you in a rage with a knife from 20 feet away, there is a chance that you may get your weapon unholstered and get a few rounds off, but his momentum can carry through and you may end up being one of the two deceased on the scene when law enforcement arrives. At 20 feet if your weapon is drawn and ready to fire you may have a decent chance, depending on
your reaction time and how well you function under pressure, the stopping power of the rounds you have chosen for your weapon, and your shooting accuracy. I am sorry if this ruined the joy of owning your first firearm, but it is my desire that we all live to fight another day, and that is my reason for writing this entry.

I will be doing a follow up entry addressing pistol accuracy in a combat environment in the near future.


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