Reply #36: I strongly disagree.

[57_TomCat]

Historically only 25% of victims hit by handgun fire do not survive. Handguns in the LE field as well as the citizen self defense field are NOT good stoppers and never were. They simply provide a convenient method by which to carry a weapon that allows you to control your immediate area by deadly force. I have many textbooks on my desk that show the inability of a handgun to "stop" a fight. The handgun is still the best compromise for carry and ease of access in an emergency. If you want to "STOP" someone from doing evil then running over them with a big truck is about the only way to guarantee the immediate cessation of hostilities.

I carry a handgun because it is more convenient than a rifle BUT I have access to a rifle both on and off duty in most circumstances. On the other hand I recently watched a training film where an officer did stop an armed criminal from shooting the officer. He hit the suspect with his car for an immediate stop.

The handgun is a superior "convenient" option to project deadly force but it can not be relied on to stop or kill an assailant. If you do use a handgun for self defense, if you shoot straight and with a powerful cartridge, you still might die of suffer severe injury when the bad guy did not read the script.

I am waiting for a Phaser to be issued but then the potential for misuse of the "stun" feature is another can of worms. :)