How many?

[atctimmy]

A snubby with 4 rounds? COP or downloaded 5 shot?

Down loaded 5 shot. I know I know 20 % less firepower and all that, but i don't like to have my life depend on a mechanical saftey to prevent a ND.

My original question was best answered by Ram Rod, so go re-read his post and ask yourself if you are training properly for a close in surprise kinda gun fight. I train to empty my gun into BG in about 1 to 2 seconds (I've never timed it). Shoot fast for COM, focus on front sight and multiple hits to stop the threat before he can shoot me. The as many as it takes answer is good, but as someone else said shooting a BG 17 times may get you convicted of a crime. I honestly don't know how a BG will react to 4 158 grain hydra shocks in rapid succesion, but I don't think he'll have much fight in him. i think if I carried a higher capacity gun I would train to fire 5 round groups then assess the target. your thoughts are welcome.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[mslaughtertx]

I will neutralize the threat with however many rounds that takes.

[walvord]

I will neutralize the threat with however many rounds that takes.

+1

[KenpoTex]

Down loaded 5 shot. I know I know 20 % less firepower and all that, but i don't like to have my life depend on a mechanical saftey to prevent a ND.

No offense, but you might want to seriously rethink this. You're carrying a weapon that already has a low-capacity and then decreasing that by 20%. I would not want to have a weapon loaded with only four rounds against even one attacker, much less against multiples.

With the transer-bar type safety mechanism, it is impossible for the gun to fire unless the trigger is pulled fully to the rear. With proper trigger-finger discipline you don't have any need to worry. Add to that the long, heavy trigger-pull that DA revolvers have and I don't see what it is that concerns you.

When I carry a snubnose, I carry it with Barami Hip-Grips (no holster) in the apendix postition and I don't have any concerns whatsoever about it going off.

At any rate, the choice is yours...I just hope you never have cause to regret it.

[retsupt99]

2 CM to stop the threat...apply additional applications as necessary...

[Ragin Cajun]

I've learned to shoot twice and reassest. I think each person needs to decide what they think will work for them. The way things go down so quick, I want to netualize the imediate threat and still have ammo ready to go if there is a secondary threat that I haven't seen.

[FLSquirrelHunter]

netualize the imediate threat and still have ammo ready to go if there is a secondary threat

+1

never read a story about anyone who survived a gunfight complaining about having too much ammo

as for those who may have had too little, well, maybe they didn't live to complain about it

still say a well-placed first shot is my best defense

[45MINK]

always figure there might be more than 1 threat or bg

[Shizzlemah]

Down loaded 5 shot. I know I know 20 % less firepower and all that, but i don't like to have my life depend on a mechanical saftey to prevent a ND.

Yeah I think it's time for a new gun.

As to the question though, shots to the body rely on pain and bleeding to get the threat to stop. This bar gets higher for drunk/drugged subjects.
Shot to the head is a different approach, stops the brain's control of anything and is quite effective - but a harder target & no open casket.

[Mongoose]

The failure drill is two shots to center mass and the 3rd to the head. The 3rd shot could also be placed in the hip breaking the pelvis bone. I would use this if facing more than one BG. Three shots in 1st BG (with gun) turn and face next BG.

Remember if there is a gang then you should leave the last guy with no bullets holes, unless he also has a gun. If he doesn’t have a gun then he is no longer part of a gang, because you just killed them! LOL

If I am faced with only one BG, I would make sure that he could not sue me once he recovered! HINT..Wink…Wink… I would not give him the chance to recover.

[ak_balla]

i practice douple tap to COM then one to head. but in real life, i dont think i would be able to put the third shot to the BG's head because of the knockdown power of the .45. i think he would already be on the ground after the first two shots to his chest

[FLSquirrelHunter]

the knockdown power of the .45.

I wonder about that. Is the force of a 45 inside the body somehow greater than the force outside? I would assume that if firing a .45 doesn't knock me down, then getting hit by one wouldn't either. On the other hand, I've seen a 22Mag knock a heavy coon from a horizontal treelimb -- without killing her. maybe that's topic for another thread...

[ak_balla]

I wonder about that. Is the force of a 45 inside the body somehow greater than the force outside? I would assume that if firing a .45 doesn't knock me down, then getting hit by one wouldn't either. On the other hand, I've seen a 22Mag knock a heavy coon from a horizontal treelimb -- without killing her. maybe that's topic for another thread...

i think two, quickly placed shots to the COM would knock the guy to the ground pretty fast. that's just what i think would happen. please correct me if I am wrong...

[chuck brick]

One reason to shoot two with a snubby is that his pal might need a couple as well...

I concur. If two don't do it don't be stingy, but on the other hand you don't want to put all 4 (or 15?) into one (now) pile of meat, to find he has two friends approaching. Also, it could be difficult to explain in court why you shot the POS 15 times if he stopped after 2 or 4 (or 6?). Shoot 'till it's over, but keep your head.
I'd rather explain excessive force to the court than reward my wife with insurance money! Above all:

Stay safe,

Chuck Brick.

[ridurall]

There is an old saying by cops that used to carry wheel guns. "Take 5 and dive". It meant that put 5 rounds in the bad guy dive for cover to reload or just check to make sure the BG is down but saving one just in case. Of course they were talking about revolvers with a 6 shot capacity. With modern revolvers there is no reason to not carry them with a round in every chamber. Sure the old cowboys carried the old Colts on an empty chamber but with the advent of transfer bars that went by the way side. Am I missing something here as far as a good reason to only carry 4 in a 5 shot revolver?