HANDGUN SELECTION

Priorities in the Selection of the Defensive Handgun

1. Reliability

• We tend to take this one for granted, but if the gun does not consistently launch its projectile when you are threatened with serious injury you may be worse off than if you hadn't been armed. After all, if you hadn't counted on the gun, maybe you could already have run one or two dozen yards.
• Don't forget that one component of reliability is ammunition. In this regard, autoloaders tend to be more sensitive to choice of ammunition than revolvers. More on this later ...

• There is an old saying that a hit with a .22 beats a miss with a .44. The fit of the gun in your hand is a critical component of your ability to hit reliably under stress. This fit includes where the gun points when you grasp it.
• The operation of the controls likewise affects your ability to hit reliably under stress. If that first, double-action stroke on your autoloader is just way too long for you, where is that first shot going to go? If you can't pop off the safety in a reasonable time frame, maybe you'd do better with a different operating system.

3. Other Size Factors

• Is this a carry gun? Concealed carry or open carry? Is its size and shape amenable to concealment in the type of carry you plan to use?
• Is this a house gun? Does it need to fit the hands of other household members, as well as yours?

4. Revolver vs. Semi-auto (Autoloader)

• Double-action revolvers - those that offer a longer, heavier stroke of the trigger, first to cock the hammer, then to release it - are simpler to operate, particularly to load and unload, generally making them safer and easier for users with limited training. Much of this perception is due to the greater visual and tactile access to the firing chambers afforded by a swing-out cylinder.
• A double-action trigger, in non-emergency handling, is often thought to reduce the risk of an unintentional discharge. One instructor who prefers revolvers goes as far as to argue that one advantage of a double-action revolver is the reduced likelihood of a negligent discharge by a peace officer who may take possession of it. Most officers are not familiar with the trigger and safety systems of different autoloaders from what they carry.
• Revolvers should be fired double-action for defense, regardless if the hammer can be thumb-cocked for a shorter, lighter trigger stroke. A double-action trigger stroke may be more of a challenge to master for some shooters. On the other hand, some users are challenged by the need to rack the slide of an autoloader.
• Revolvers generally don't require releasing a safety to fire them. This may be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on your point of view. More on this later ...
• The fit of a revolver in your hand can be adjusted, within limits, by changing the grip stocks. Historically, autoloaders generally have offered a smaller range of this adjustment. Revolvers frequently need this personalization; autoloaders frequently don't, as long as the reach to the trigger or the overall girth of the grip area is not too great. Some the newer polymer-frame autoloaders are offered with interchangeable back straps or "palm swells." Changes of back strap generally accomplish both adjustments while changes in palm swells mostly adjust only girth.
• Revolvers do not depend on ammunition to generate the minimum recoil energy to cycle the next round into position to fire; autoloaders do. A .357 Magnum revolver, for example, can fire anything from the lightest .38 Special target load to virtually any .357 Magnum loading.
• The revolver's ability to keep firing is independent of bullet shape. If a bullet won't cycle up the feed ramp of an autoloader, the gun will not continue to function.
• Revolvers will not fail to cycle the next round if you're forced to fire them with a loose grasp or a bent wrist; autoloaders may.
• The slide of an autoloader must go through a complete cycle in order to fire the next shot. If its travel to the rear is blocked, say by contact with the shooter's body, it may not complete the cycle of ejecting the empty case so that it can chamber a new round.
• Similarly, if the slide of an autoloader is pushed to the rear before the shot is fired, say if the muzzle is pressed into an assailant, the pistol will not fire. Thus, if one has contacted the assailant with the muzzle, the autoloader must be pulled back to fire while the revolver can be fired as it is being pressed into him.
• Autoloaders are available in practical single-action mode, if that is better suited to you. They are also available with double-action for the first shot and with double-action for every shot.
• Many models of autoloaders have safety levers which can delay someone who gets hold of your gun from using it against you. If you don't train diligently, the safety can also delay you.
• Autoloaders frequently hold more rounds than revolvers. This would seem to be a big advantage except that experience suggests that having a lot of rounds in the gun seems to discourage good marksmanship. Further:
  • Many users have difficulty loading the so-called high-capacity (staggered-column) magazines.
  • Many users don't bother to carry spare magazines with the "high-capacity" pistols. This is a serious error because a reload will cure almost any malfunction of an autoloader, without taking the time to have to diagnose the problem.
• Autoloaders are faster to reload and easier to reload under adverse conditions. Clearly, the fastest reload with a revolver is a second gun. This actually may also be true for an autoloader if you're not just on a range and aware that you will be needing to reload.
• Autoloaders may be easier for some people to conceal due to their flatter shapes. (The flatter shape of an autoloader may give more discreet carry in a pants pocket but care must be taken that the magazine-release button - which is more common these days than a catch on the heel of the butt - has not been depressed while the gun was carried in the pocket.)
• Revolvers may be easier for some people to conceal on the belt because of their rounder contours, especially in the round-butt versions. While some people may regard the protruding cylinder of a revolver as a concealment challenge, others view it as a factor that may speed acquisition of the firing grip, particularly if it is lying on a flat surface, as it may overnight.
• Spare ammunition in magazines, particularly single-column magazines, usually conceals more easily than spare ammunition in revolver speedloaders. On the other hand, the staggered-column magazines used by "high-capacity" pistols may be uncomfortable for discreet carry.
• Tactical reloads (prior to emptying the entire cylinder or magazine) are probably more important with a revolver than with an autoloader. Thus, it is wise to carry spare revolver ammunition in some manner in which one or two rounds can be loaded at a time, even if one is carrying speedloaders. Such options include belt loops, pouches, so-called speed strips and, arguably, even loose rounds in a pocket.
• If your lifestyle requires you to unload and reload your handgun on a regular basis, the reliability of autoloader ammunition can be adversely affected by repeated cycling into the firing chamber. Loading and unloading a revolver does not tend to drive the bullets in and out of the cartridge cases nor to damage the case rims.
• While there are devices, such as speedloaders and speed strips, to expedite reloading revolvers, a revolver can still be reloaded fully, one or two rounds at a time, from a pouch or pocket holding loose rounds. If you lose your last magazine for an autoloader, you are left with a single-shot pistol - and that's only if it is not equipped with a magazine-disconnect safety.

5. Hammer-Fired vs. Striker-Fired Pistols

• Unlike the British, Americans tend to reserve the term "striker" for a firing pin that is driven solely by the force of a compressed spring, as opposed to being driven by the impact of a separate hammer. Thus a hammer-fired pistol (autoloader) typically either has a hammer visible at the rear of the slide or enclosed in a recess at that location.
• A striker-fired pistol, by contrast, is either flush at the rear of the slide or, in some cases, may have a bushing through which the striker projects slightly when the pistol is cocked. Striker-fired pistols have become increasingly popular in the US since the 1980's, largely due to the widespread use of Glock pistols in American law enforcement.
• When the Glock was introduced in American law enforcement, it was typically competing with double-action pistols, rather than than hammer-fired single-action pistols, such as Colt's 1911 or Browning's Hi Power. Initially, the competition was primarily with pistols that only fired the first shot double-action, such as the Beretta 92 or the earlier autolading centerfire S&W pistols. In time, "double-action-only" (DAO) pistols, where each shot requires the same long trigger stroke, entered that market.
• Because a striker-fired pistol requires that the slide travel to the rear in order to cock the striker, those selling double-action hammer-fired pistols, particularly of the DAO variety, made a point that the latter offered "second-strike" capability. If a round failed to fire when the hammer fell, the user could stroke the trigger a second time, to see if the primer would detonate with a second impact of the firing pin.
• In contrast, the user of a striker-fired pistol would have to rack the slide, extracting and ejecting the round in the chamber and replacing it with a new one. Those selling striker-fired pistols argued that while this might take a fraction of a second longer than simply stroking the trigger a second time, it offered a greater likelihood that the gun would go "bang!" on the next trigger stroke. Some men prefer boxer shorts, others prefer briefs.
• I have noticed a separate problem with some of my students using hammer-fired pistols. The protected-gun position that I teach for use at arm's length cants the gun about 30 degrees away from the body, providing ample room for a slide to cycle. However, some students firing from this position with loose-fitting cover garments - typically unbuttoned shirts or jackets - have had a piece of garment snag between the hammer and the slide, trapping a non-functional pistol somewhere between the waist and the armpit.
• On the flip side, most striker-fired pistols require the trigger to be pressed as part of the disassembly process. (This is to disengage the trigger bar or sear from the striker, a function that is performed by a lever on some of the newer designs.) Unfortunately, numerous inattentive users have assumed that they had cleared the chamber simply by removing the magazine and shot themselves or others in the cleaning process; some have done so fatally. Thus, striker-fired pistols are less tolerant of failures to check the condition of the chamber prior to cleaning.

6. Caliber or Power

• According to Evan Marshall, compiler of the world's biggest collection of statistics on handgun ammunition effectiveness, the three most important components of stopping power are bullet placement, bullet placement and bullet placement.
• Another point made by Evan Marshall is that of ammunition availability. If you run out of ammunition while you are traveling, would you be able to run into the local Wal-Mart store and buy some in your chosen caliber?
• Historically, people have generally been advised to use the most powerful caliber with which they can reliably place their shots in a reasonable time frame from the handgun that is ergonomic and of practical size for the user. I would offer two caveats:
  1. Assess your ability to place shots reliably under the worst circumstances, not the best ones. A handgun which may seem practical when fired two-handed in an upright position may not seem as useful when fired one-handed, with less than a perfect grip, shooting from an unconventional position.
  2. With revolvers, you may be comfortable shooting Magnum loads when you are holding the gun with your arms extended. However, if you train firing from compressed positions, which you may need to use at close range, the concussion and flame from the muzzle or the barrel-cylinder gap may prove to be more than you wish to have impact your own body.
• Generally, any reliable handgun is better than a pocketful of rocks, so long as:
  • You don't wait too long to use the gun, once you have the justification to do so;
  • You understand where you need to deliver the bullet it fires in order to have a reasonable expectation that it will produce incapacitation;
  • You are actually able to place the bullet where it needs to go on an animate target.
• Thus, while a .22 bullet to the brainstem will likely shut down further activity, the likelihood of being able to deliver it there, through the nasal cavity, an eye socket, an ear canal or the base of the skull, from behind, is very remote during a fight.
• If other factors permit, I prefer to see the good guys and gals armed with at least a .38 Special (preferably with +P loads) in a revolver or a 9mm Parabellum (a.k.a. 9mm Luger or 9 x 19mm) in an autoloader. These loads should afford the tactical option of shooting to damage the heavy bones of the pelvis, limiting an assailant's mobility.

7. "Ultralights," Muzzle Flip and Recoil Management

• After WWII firearms manufacturers started using aircraft-grade aluminum alloys that allowed revolvers, such as Smith & Wesson's Airweight models and Colt's Cobra and Agent models, to be built with lightweight frames, albeit with steel cylinders, barrels and yokes or cranes. These revolvers were not originally intended for +P .38 Special loads but can usually handle a few rounds a year without damage.
• Colt's introduction of the Commander, now marketed as the Lightweight Commander, opened the door for the use of these alloys in autloaders, which seem to be able to handle all common loadings, probably because the mechanism of an autoloader dissipates some of the recoil energy.
• After the collapse of the Soviet Union the price of titanium dropped low enough that it could be used in the manufacture affordable revolvers. Some manufacturers have used titanium for the frame while others have only used if for the cylinder. These titanium-containing revolvers are lighter than comparable models of the older Airweights and their Colt counterparts. They may also be stronger. However, since the axis of the bore of a handgun rides above the hand that grips the handgun, the muzzle will rise or "flip" under recoil. As the weight of the gun drops below a certain point, the muzzle flip becomes sharp enough that the bullets can actually be pulled free of their crimp in the cartridge case. Aside from causing variations in pressure and velocity, this can actually move the bullet far enough to interfere with the rotation of the cylinder.
• Smith & Wesson initially cautioned against the use of unjacketed +P rounds in their .38-caliber small-frame titanium-containing revolvers, eliminating the choice of the proven 158 gr. +P lead hollowpoint "FBI load." Later manuals cautioned to inspect all +P rounds for evidence of this bullet creep. The current manual includes this caution for all Ti-, Sc- and PD-series revolvers and all ammunition.
• Taurus seemed to have bypassed this issue by porting the barrels on their early models, which reduces muzzle flip. Porting, however, can pose problems of its own if the gun is fired in unconventional positions where the hot gases could be directed against the shooter. (Of note, it is reported that Taurus apparently suspend production of titanium-containing revolvers in 2007, due to the rising prices for that metal.)
• If the weight-reduction trend had not already gone far enough, Smith & Wesson now uses scandium in aluminum alloys that are strong enough for use in .357 Magnum revolvers. While porting can limit muzzle flip, a lighter gun will always recoil more than a similar gun that weighs more.
• The current Smith & Wesson manual cautions against using .357 loads with bullet weights less than 120 gr. in models with titanium cylinders. (A prior manual did not distinguish between .38 and .357 loads.) This is due to concerns about erosion of the titanium from the faster-burning powders used with the lighter bullets. I'd still avoid the 110 gr. .38 +P+ "Treasury load" or its equivalent in these guns.
• Always willing to cater to the marketplace, uneducated as it may be, this lightening trend has been continued with the incorporation of plastic polymers and more aluminum components, as seen in Ruger's LCR and Smith & Wesson's new Bodyguard (as opposed to their older shrouded-hammer models of the same name) revolvers. At this time, it is unclear which metal forms the "hybrid frame" in Taurus's similar Protector Polymer Series revolvers.
• Weight reduction can be useful for a handgun that will be carried in a pocket, a shoulder holster or even an ankle holster. It's tough to fathom why that much weight reduction is necessary for a gun that will be worn on the belt. As my former teaching partner used to observe, it's amazing how some people can make such a big deal about a few ounces less in a belt holster when they're probably carrying at least five or ten extra pounds around the waist in the first place.
• (If you think that I am unique in my skepticism about the practical value of ultralight revolvers, take a look at what the "formerly famous gunwriter" Dean Speir has to say on the subject.)
• It is wise to remember that the heaviest part of any firearm is the responsibility that comes with its ownership and operation.
• For many years I was a poorer shooter than I could have been because I trained in a school that placed a big priority on "recoil control." Guns will recoil when fired - it's part of the laws of physics. Shooters need to concentrate on hits, not how soon they can jerk the next shot. However, particularly with revolvers, a good choice of grip stocks can distribute the recoil forces so that they do not cause appreciable discomfort.

8. Revolvers Make Poor Shotguns

• H.L. Mencken said that no one ever went broke by underestimating the intelligence of the American people and the popularity of revolvers chambered for .410 shotshells, such as the Taurus Judge and the newer S&W Governor, tends to support that observation.
• The .410 is a marginal performer in a real shotgun, with the arguable exception of the slug load. Most shotguns use a choke - a slight constriction at the end of the barrel - to elongate the column of shot, producing a tighter pattern or greater concentration of pellets in the target area. A rifled barrel, such as one finds in a revolver, has the opposite effect, opening the pattern. Further, there is a significant drop in velocity going from a shotgun barrel of at least 18 inches to the very much shorter barrel of a revolver.
• There are those who are attracted by the concept of firing a load of birdshot at a rattlesnake. If you must kill a rattlesnake, there are two effective ways to do it - shoot it in the head or remove the head with an implement such as a hoe. (Be advised that a recently severed head still has the ability to bite.)
• There is a website, The Box O'Truth, that conducts and posts the results of "homebrew" ballistic testing. Take a look at their simulation of shooting a rattlesnake with a load of birdshot from a Judge. The odds that one of those pellets will disable the very primitive nervous system of a rattler is very remote.
• "What," you may ask, "about two-legged predators?" Well, there are some .410 loads available with three, four or five pellets of 000 buckshot (.36-caliber balls). Again, take a look at the informal testing by our friends at The Box O'Truth. Not very convincing performance out of a short, rifled barrel, which will give you a very unpredictable pattern beyond a couple at arm's lengths.
• "Well, if the pattern's only good for a couple of arm's lengths, how about as a car gun?" Setting aside, for the moment, some serious questions about that entire concept, let's look at the context. Do you actually drive around with doors unlocked and windows down? If not, and you are unable to drive out of the attack, you would likely have to fire a subpotent load through a window, at least initially. After that, you may be outside the vehicle you were no longer able to drive and in a setting that is more likely to require medium- to long-range shooting.
• "Aha," you say, "what about a single-projectile slug?" Again, take a look at the results obtained by our friends at The Box O'Truth. Would I want to stand in front to one? No, but I'd be a lot more reluctant to get in front of a revolver firing any sort of bullet from a .45 Colt cartridge. So, if the .45 Colt load is the only reasonable one this gun can fire for self-defense, why not just get a more compact revolver in that chambering?

The Defensive Firearms Tripod

• If you recall my priorities for the defensive use of firearms, the five priorities can be condensed into three categories: mind set, skills and equipment.
• Equipment is the lowest on the list. When you choose it, don't settle for the training that comes in the box!

The Defensive Equipment Tripod

• Don't forget that the defensive handgun is only one leg of a tripod which also includes the ammunition and the holster (with its support).

Questions? Comments? Stephen P. Wenger P.O.Box 4227 Show Low AZ 85902-4227 U.S.A.

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