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Sorry for the delay in getting back to the handgun discussion!
Penth, a Walther is a great concealed carry weapon, but do remember that it should be for backup, and not as a primary weapon. Walther does not do a .45, and you know how I feel about 9mm. Their .22 is fantastic, but it is not really suited for a primary weapon for close range, because it is unlikely that you will drop your opponent with one round. OK, digression here to explain that. "BR's Rules of Self-Defense and Personal Safety" say that you don't aim the dangerous end of a weapon at anything you don't mean to shoot, and you don't shoot anything you don't mean to kill. If you choose to shoot, you can only count on getting ONE round off, so it better go where you mean it to go. Second, and third, rounds are a bonus, and should be used to make SURE your opponent STAYS down.
For that, a .45 auto is the best short range weapon money can buy for personal defense, IMHO. It was designed way back when .38's were the standard army sidearm. It was found in battle conditions that a person hyped on adrenaline or drugs can take nine or ten .38 rounds and keep on coming, so a better design was needed for troop safety at close range. (BTW, a 9mm is a .38 round with more powder in the shell casing) The .45 was designed PURELY to put an opponent on the ground with one shot. Killing was/is incidental, and not assured. It does EXACTLY what it was designed to do, and a better solution has yet to be found. With that said, *MY* personal defense menu as far as handguns go is a .45 right hand draw for close range, and a .22 either small of back or left hand draw for more distance or backup. In a combat situation, the solution for a jam is to drop the weapon, and draw your backup--it's faster than clearing a jam or hangfire. Ideally, of course, you would be moving while doing this as you don't want the opponent to get a line to you before you can drop them.
Well, in any case, there you have it as far as my comments go on .45 caliber weapons. The debate on revolvers is a slightly different matter, and subject to personal likes/dislikes. I tend to favor autos as I feel that they are more comfortable, and therefore more accurate for me. I find that revolvers tend to have a harder kick to them, because there is no recoil spring to absorb some of the shock. I have also found that the exhaust gas porting tends to be better on most autos than on revolvers, which makes a big difference in the recoil you feel in the hand. While revolvers do not jam, true, they are much more subject to dirt contamination, and they also tend to spray more unburned powder when fired, due to the breech and cylinder spacing. Having seen the difference in a breech explosion with an auto and a revolver, I find the shooter is usually safer in a breech explosion with an auto, as the force tends to go sideways more than backward. Revolver breech explosions tend to spray more fragments too, in my experience, and more of those tend to go toward the shooter with a revolver.
Anyway, keep looking for the right weapon for you. You will find it! Oh, and try calling the business number for the police department to find out if they know where a shooting range is, or if their range is open to the public. You may luck out and get to shoot with the cops, and they may let you try out some of their personal weapons!
Black Rose
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The Firing Range (Read 15028 times)
