Skorpy-chan wrote:
1. .45 was good enough for the US army for god knows how long, why not for you?
2. Due to my wikiresearch, I'd suggest going for a 10mm auto. On a low-power load, you can get the .40 equivalency with almost the clip size of a 9mm, and if you go for the really packed loads, you can top .44 magnum rounds.
Only downside is the lack of manufacturer support and the need for handloading the really big rounds.
3. I still don't get why you people feel the need to carry handguns around. I mean, it's an incredibly inneficient way of killing someone in a hurry, very easy to hurt yourself with, expensive, and liable to get you arrested in some states.
A nice 12-gauge is a far better option, with the ability to blow chunks out of people at short range, or out up to SMG ranges with slugs. And with something that size, you're sure to only haul it out when REALLY needed.
1. Cannot disagree, just want to keep considering it for a bit.
2. I remember when the 10mm came out. Was a very hot round, and puts a lot of stress on the frame. Also, the round is longer than a .45, which makes for some akward grips. Also, they found that the full power 10mm had... disapointing terminal effects. They actually got it to perform better at a lower velocity, then cut the casing size and called it the .40 S&W.
3. Your third point. Hmmmm. Well, you are from the UK, and so you are used to your society and its culture and customs. I grew up around guns. I have also seen crime. Crime can happen anywhere, anytime. It is best to be prepared at all times. An inneficient way of killing someone in a hurry? Well, you are not wrong about that. But it does a remarkable job in stopping a threat with a quickness.
Unlike what some overly enthusiatic people would have you believe, the purpose of a self-defense pistol is not to kill your target, but to end that persons ability to be a threat to you or others. In practice, that means put them on the ground an unable to continue the fight. A handgun of sufficient caliber is quite adequit for that task. Since this may very well involve taking a life, the act of carrying a weapon for personal protection is not one to be taken lightly. You have to understand what the concequences of your actions could mean, and you have to be willing to accept the concequences for those actions. But you also have to feel the responsibility to care for your own safety, as well as the safety of your loved ones and even just the people around you.
The police are not always there, nor do we want them to be, Americans being who we are. And criminals, almost by definition, try to conduct their activities when the police are not around to catch them. So it is up to the individual to protect themselves from criminals. The police arrive later. They clean up the mess. They investigate. They hunt and track criminals. They will stop crime when they see it. And they do a great job of it. But until you find me a police force that can have a 2 second response time to any infraction, victims are on their own. I have no intention of being a victim. Ever.
Oh, and there are still areas in the US where dangerous animals roam. Especially when suburbs are pushing into their territory, and long association with humans has erroded their fear of us.
As to the legality, I live in the state of Texas, where concealed carry is legal, provided you have a permit. You have to go to a pretty serious class for training, and your permit is on file with the state police. There are also 2 interesting items to note about Texas. This year, the state legislation has passed numerous laws protecting the lawful gun bearer; this shows where our state govermetn stands, at least. And the second is a piece of information that was passed to me, but which I have not confirmed myself; that since Texas passed the Concealed Carry Law, no CCL permit carrier has been convicted of a single gun crime.
Oh, and here in the US, many of our states have passed a concealed carry law. Every time such a law is passed, EVERY TIME, without exception, violent crime against persons has dropped significantly.
