Gun trumps taser

[gorfle]

Many times I have heard folks proclaim that one should use a taser for self-defense rather than a firearm.

The below article is a great example of why this may not be a wise choice:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/395992_shooting15.html

"Seattle police officers shot and killed a knife-wielding man early Wednesday after twice trying to subdue him with a Taser."

Make no mistake, a taser is a great less-lethal device to try to use, and I think it's great that the police try them first. But given that they don't always work, and that civilian tasers have a range limit that puts your attacker in range of a lethal knife attack before another weapon can be brought to bear, you should consider carefully before considering a taser as your last line of defense.

[hlthe2b]

1. Guns can jam, one's aim can vary... shit happens...

For self-defense the goal is to buy a few seconds to run away, not to subdue.... Thus, this strikes me as an "apples and oranges" comparison.

[slackmaster]

2. That's why nobody should go through live with a cheap, crappy gun or inferior ammunition

I own several firearms that have NEVER failed to function.

[ManiacJoe]

3. I know some folks who would counter that claim

by saying you do not spend enough time at the range! :evilgrin:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

5. How would they counter his claim?

[ManiacJoe]

6. If you spend enough time/ammo at the range

every gun will eventually malfunction, in theory. It's the nature of mass-produced, mechanical devices.

If he has not had that happen yet, then OBVIOUSLY he is not spending enough time at the range! :-)

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

7. His claim was that several of his guns had never failed.

To counter that claim you would have to prove that those guns had failed.

David

[ManiacJoe]

9. I think you missed the good-humored point.

;-)

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

14. Sorry, went right over my head I guess.

[spin]

4. Murphy's law...

"Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way."

If you own a semi-auto firearm, have you practiced what to do if it or the ammo malfunctions?

If you use a semi-auto, you must also know how to clear a jam, but this is nowhere near as complex as some people would have you believe. The standard jam clearing drill, “tap-rack-bang,” is merely the latter half of the motions used to reload. You tap the bottom of the magazine to ensure it's fully seated, rack the slide to eject the dud or jammed round, then attempt to fire again. There are some rare jams (doublefeeds) which would not be cleared by tap-rack-bang, but even for them, a slightly modified reloading procedure, in which the slide is racked several times after the old magazine is removed, will clear them.
http://www.corneredcat.com/FirstGun/anotherview.aspx

[tburnsten]

8. Exactly

What you should do is buy yourself enough time to escae, not fuck around with a toy weapon and getr stabbed to death. Seriously the right thing to do would be to draw on him and let him know he's fucked, and tell him to just give jup before he has to be killed for everyone elses safety!

[Mad_Cow_Disease]

11. "the goal is to buy a few seconds to run away, not to subdue"

While I agree with the spirit of your statement, I think it's technically incorrect.

For self-defense, the goal is to end the threat. Obviously, there are multiple solutions for ending a threat.
Gun, taser, knife, fists, escape (run), hide, call for help... I see a handgun being the best tool in the most situations.
If my life depended on ending a threat, and force was justified, I'd rather hve a gun im my hands than anything else.

[hlthe2b]

13. No, you misunderstood... My comment is on the goal of taser use

in the hands of a lay person, which is only to buy time to flee and NOT (unlike with law enforcement) to subdue. The OP suggests that this episode of law enforcement unable to subdue an individual with a taser equates to its use by civilians. Since the goals are quite different, I'm not sure that this episode makes THAT case.

[jeepnstein]

12. Same goes for a Taser.

It's a single-shot proposition. You only get one chance. When I was trained to used the Taser, we were taught that it was only to be used in the face of a less than lethal threat or with sufficient backup to save your butt if something does go wrong.

I like the Taser a lot. It's a great tool when used according to the strict guidelines my department has imposed on them. The term "riding the lightning" is appropriate when you're talking about getting hit by one.

[benEzra]

16. Good point...

It's a single-shot proposition. You only get one chance.

Good point.

To those talking about how a semiauto can jam, there is a very, very small chance that it may stop functioning after firing the first shot. This chance is around 1/5000 or 1/10,000 for a quality pistol.

There is a 100% chance that the Taser will stop functioning after 1 shot (or 2, depending on the model).

A firearm is also considerably more accurate than a Taser.

[spin]

10. Many shooters, including myself, have a great fear of a knife...

In the hands of a skilled opponent, a knife is a very deadly weapon.

When facing an attacker with a knife, a firearm is a better choice than a civilian Taser.

A smoking gun might be the best choice.

[5shot]

15. A Taser is a one trick pony

A taser fires only one shot which means you had better be accurate. You also should be ready to follow up and subdue your assailant or run run run when he/she gets back up.

Note in the taser video clips (via taser.com), there usually are several cops standing by the cop-shooter, and they run up to restain/arrest the shootee when he/she falls down.

I think that Taser's are good.