Psychology: From my research, before you carry a firearm at all, you need to have the mind set that you will shoot as soon as you have legal authority to do so, without hesitation, because the bad guys won't hesitate and that is the reason they have survived the streets so far. To follow up on this concept it's also important to know when to stop shooting as soon as the encounter is over.
CHOOSING A HANDGUN:
My Credibility:
I have been an avid shooting enthusiast since 1986. I have been a concealed carry permit holder since 2002 or so, I have taken and completed at least 3 classes on handgun defense and I have also seen a lot of firearm damage. I have been hunting since 1993, and I have seen what different firearms can do to a life form many hundreds of times. I have seen failures to stop, and one shot stops. I have carried firearms professionally for a at least 3 different jobs, and yes, they also had training associated with those roles. I am active in keeping up with new technologies to a degree. The following is how I choose a handgun, you decide if it's adequate or not. I will say, I have not ever had to use one in self defense against a human being and I don't want to, but I do support the right to self defense and the right to keep and bear arms and I understand that firearms are a real need.
I do give credit to personal anecdotal information and lab or research based information; You don't have to shoot a deer with a .270 Winchester with Federal 150 Grain soft point round nose to know that a .270 Winchester will kill a deer (you could probably suggest it from ballistic gel test), but if you have shot a deer with a .270 Winchester with 150 Grain soft point round nose in the shoulder, then you will probably be more likely to trust .270 Winchester will kill that deer in one shot. I am not the guy who when he sees a new study come out, will be to quick to adopt it's ideas, because there are plenty of times in the last 20 years when studies that get published end up obsolete or my experiences frankly do not match to it's conclusions. Don't take that to mean that I don't have an open mind or that I don't find value in reading studies and looking at gel tests, but realize what I mean is, we want to know if a handgun will work for you in your likely situation.
The other main reason is because let's be honest, it's just not legal to test whether or not a particular ammunition is effective at stopping a person. There is no lab test for that, you might find that people try to "simulate it". Newer handgun ammunition loads are manufactured to perform to a very specific ballistic gel depth under a very specific circumstance. So you can get an idea of how a load might perform based on that testing but you can't know for sure it's right for you on the streets. For example, you might find that a 115 grain +p+ 9mm hi shok is one of the best choices for penetration and expansion, but what happens when that +p+ round breaks your gun because of the included pressures? If you ask me thats a real concern. You can't just look at ballistic gel lab data right?
The stress involved with being in a life or death encounter will alter a persons ability to handle a firearm. In fact you will have a 20% decrease in accuracy and proficiency under stress. I have noticed that people will lose the ability to think perfectly clearly and to move with fine motor skills. This is what will lead me into my first guideline suggestion which is to set a standard and stick to it. By way of explanation, if you own multiple firearms, you should avoid changing which firearm system you carry, and you should strive to carry the same way every day. When you get into a life or death encounter, you will most likely not have the luxury of recalling where you put your handgun and which one it is. You really need to combine this concept with selecting the right firearm and accessories. If you standardize, you will have better muscle memory which is what you will rely on during stress.
Being in a life or death encounter will completely change the way you feel and think about the use of a firearm, and the most important things to you at that time will be reliability, accuracy, stopping power, firepower, standardization and the ability to operate it under stress.
Reliability- I consider this virtue to be the most important of them all. The very first thing you need to look for in a firearm and system is the reliability. Will this tool perform every time? In other words don't bring a jam-o-matic to a hammer fight, hammers don't jam. This brings up the question should I use a revolver or should I use an auto-loader? The answer to that question is that it depends but I find more advantages with semi-automatics. There are times when I wish I had a revolver and there are times when I wish I had more capacity, but I will tell you that more often I suggest Auto-Loaders. The primary reason I suggest auto-loaders these days is that you can more easily reload them one handed and the secondary reason is that they have a greater capacity to hold ammunition. The tertiary reason is that Auto loaders reduce felt recoil better. I will suggest here that as a general rule, you want to stay away from +p+ ammunition, with one exception. If you are shooting a firearm like a .357 magnum and you load it with .38 special +p+ ammunition, you'll probably be okay, but if you shoot a 9mm with 9mm +p+ then you are risking damage to your firearm, and increased wear and tear and increased potential of failure. If you feel like you need +p+, then you should simply opt for a firearm that is bigger. For example instead of using 9mm +p+, I would suggest you just use the .40 Smith and Wesson. This is just an example, not that I suggest .40 Smith and Wesson for everyone.
Accuracy- Can you put effective fire on the target? After you find a firearm that is reliable enough that you trust your life, you then need to ask the question, is it accurate enough to hit your target? This sounds pretty basic, but if you consider the fact your target isn't going to stand still for you, then maybe the picture changes a little bit in your mind. The other problem you might face that will bring into light the accuracy issue is the hostage situation. Most handgun fights are 3 to 15 feet distance, with most modern handguns, accuracy is not an issue.
Stopping Power- You won't have time to debate whether or not your firearm has the stopping power necessary when you are in a lethal encounter, therefore, it's important to select in advance a firearm capable of stopping the threat you are presented with and not the threat you have imagined in your mind, so I prefer to cover all my bases when I choose a firearm cartridge and firearm. I will say, the smallest handgun I would use is a .380 Auto, which gives about 185 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. I would say that is about the equivalent of a .22 long rifle such as a Ruger 10/22 with powerful loads. Please know that I don't recommend the .380 Auto, I merely accept that it would work. I am more confident in a cartridge with 400 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle or better. I personally feel like if I absolutely knew I would be in a pistol gunfight that day that I would select a minimum of a .45 Automatic and a maximum of a 10mm Auto or equivalent. If you were to ask me what is the smallest cartridge to use for combat or duty I would say 9mm Parabellum. I would like to add, that the smaller you are and the more vulnerable you are the more important it is to have a firearm with sufficient stopping power, the last thing you need is to be a small statured person fighting a body builder where you fire a few rounds into the bad guy and they just keep comming take your gun away and use it on you (this happens more often than it should).
Firepower- When you get into a gunfight, you don't want to run out of ammo first or run out of ammo before the threat is stopped. You also don't want to have to reload if you get wounded and are down to one hand. This reminds me of a video I saw where two guys were taking pot shots at each other from around a vehicle and one simply ran out of ammo first and was killed. This also bring up a story where a man shot and killed a grizzly bear with a 9mm in 6 shots, the operator had a 7 shot magazine.
Standardization- If you and your partner use the same model of firearm then you are more likely to be able to share ammunition and be able to use each others firearms proficiently. This isn't necessarily a strong reason to select a certain handgun, but it's an example of how standardization can be of use. Another example would be that ammo availability is better. Another example of standardization would be if you have two different model's of Glock you like, for example a Glock 19 and a Glock Model 22, you would want to carry them the same way, using the same style holster and carry method, so regardless of which one you carry, your muscle memory is still of use.
Operation Under Stress- The cartridge and firearm you select should be easy to handle under stressful conditions. It's important to keep in mind that your body will function differently during stress and you want a firearm that is more forgiving to that reality. An example would be, you don't want to carry a handgun that will jam more easily if you have a less than perfect grip. Another unfortunate cause of death during a gunfight is that for some reason the operator doesn't take the firearm's safety off. I prefer firearms with no external safety by the way.
One Handed Operation- I had recently chopped a good size cut into my left knuckle while setting up a trail camera, I had to get a few stitches, it takes time for things like that to heal, so I will say this, I have recently decided that semi-automatics have enough advantages over revolvers that I will say go with an Auto-loader if you have a choice. The first advantage is that it's easier to operate a semi-automatic with only one hand under stress for example reloading with one hand. The second advantage is that auto-loaders typically have larger ammunition capacity. Third advantage is that Auto-loaders seem to reduce felt recoil better.
Shooting to live:
Let me point out some key factors that go into successfully defending yourself with a firearm. The key elements to successfully putting rounds on target are many in reality however I will only point out a few, because some of them are to general to need to discuss. Lets first visualize an astronaut in space, what would happen if that astronaut fired a pistol? The answer is probably that the recoil would cause the astronaut to be pushed in the opposite direction of the bullet, and my point is that it all starts with your platform. If you want to be able to send follow up shots on target, then you'll need to have some way to recover back to your original firing position.
Your shooting stance should be something close to feet shoulder width apart or I would suggest a fighting stance such as a karate or similar stance because a gunfight is a fight just the same and you will need to possibly use hand to hand skills. The stance should be followed by proper arm alignment and shooting vector, generally speaking you want to be standing so that when you point, you are pointing at the target without having to contort any part of your body awkwardly toward it, unless you have to. Next you want to have a proper Grip, and then sight alignment, sight picture and a good trigger press.
Stance: I personally stand so that I am naturally going to point the firearm at the target. I try to have a stance that is similar to a stand up boxing match in it's essence, but I angle my self so that my gun will naturally point toward the target some people call it blading a little. When you raise the firearm to eye level it should naturally point to the center of the target.
Arm alignment: The idea here is to control recoil and to provide a good support for shooting accurately, quickly and reliably. This will impact the functionality of a recoil operated firearm as well. Most auto loaders of the handgun variety are operated by recoil, so in order for them to properly function they need to have proper resistance on the frame.
Grip: Generally speaking, you want to be able to fire the firearm so that the firearm reliably functions and so that you are quick and accurate and effective. I try to keep my bore-line as low in my hand as I can, I also try to put as much of my hand on the frame as I can get on there, and I like to lock out my joints to help the recovery of the sight picture back on target after a round discharges and flips up, but keep in mind every situation will require a different method possibly so don't limit yourself. I like to keep from putting any force on the firearm that prevents the firearm from naturally pointing at the target. Also, keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to shoot. Keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction at all times.
Sight alignment: After you have successfully pointed your firearm and provided a good platform from which to launch your bullets, you need to align your sights on the target or target area you intend to destroy. There are many types of sights out there, I will simply say, learn to use the sights you have and make sure you Zero the firearm at the correct distance, and if you don't know how to zero a firearm then have an expert help you do it.
Trigger Press: The biggest issue I have seen with a person's trigger press, is that most people tend to naturally slap the trigger and most people don't realize they are doing it. Slapping the trigger is pressing the trigger with a subconscious flinch. The flinch will cause your muzzle and sights to leave the proper target area for a split second just before the round discharges. Practice with a partner, have that partner safely load and unload the firearm while the shooter looks away, then have the shooter fire at the target while not knowing if there is a bullet in the firearm or not, this will reveal that flinch, once noticed, dry fire a couple times and keep in mind, when you finally press the trigger properly, it should surprise you when it actually goes off. Keep in mind you should always treat the firearm as if it were loaded, so never pull the trigger unless you intend the firearm to discharge.
Shot Placement: Each different situation will require a different shot placement to accomplish the incapacitation needed. You may need to shoot an advancing knife weilding man in a different body part than a body armor wearing bank robber or a hostange holding terrorist and you get the idea right. This is the less than desireable subject but a necessary evil.
Statistical, Situational and Anatomy Based Shot Placement, and Shot Number Guide:
The truth is, there is no place on the human body that isn't important, but we are looking to incapacitate in a timely manner and that amount of time will depend on the situation and usually it's immediately. For this article I will simply point out that your shot placement will be the most important aspect with regards to self defense with a projectile. The three main regions you will want to concern yourself with in regards to shot placement are the central head area, the central chest area and the pelvic bone area. If you place one shot in each of those locations, it's very unlikely the attacker will be able to continue to fight. We also want to take into account body position and dimensional awareness. Shooting an attacker from a direct front angle perpendicular to their chest is different that shooting while somone is leaning forward and at an angle or through an object like a car door. I personally prefer handguns with higher muzzle energy and more penetration because I like to try and be capable of incapacitation under many circumstances. For the purpose of this article just keep in mind, you are going to want to shoot for incapacitation and not just at the target. You want to aim for the upper central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system and the skeletal system respectively. More specifically, the brain stem, the heart and lungs and the pelvic bone. Don't get me wrong if you hit somone in the femoral artery (leg) they will eventually bleed out (exsanguination), but we want them to stop as soon as possible right? Just keep in mind that shooting someone from under the armpit is not the same as shooting somone from the back side, keep your incapacitation organs in mind and not just generally aim at a torso if you can.
The last thing I will mention about shooting is have confidence and be safe. Do not compromise safety for speed, accuracy or anything else because what is the point of using a firearm for self defense if you shoot yourself to death on accident long before you ever needed it to survive a lethal encounter?
Lethal Encounters Vs. Competitive shooting.
There are some very modular differences between competitive shooting and self defense. I believe there are valid and valuable things that can be learned from and taken from competitive shooting but it's important to distinguish that self defense and sporting competition are completely different activities.
The most important difference between the two in my opinion are that when you choose a self defense handgun, it will be completely impractical to use competitive shooting firearms and accessories. When is the last time you saw a guy with magazines all around his belt at different angles on the streets of a major city with what looks like a robocop holster and a race gun? Well, it's probably very rare and a very bad idea, if your objective is to blend in. My point is, I don't put to much stock into competitive shooting as a determining factor of street survival. I don't want to take anything away from competitive shooting as a sport and as a development activity because a lot of those innovations that are made in competitive shooting can translate to the streets like certain upgrades to firearms or certain methods of holding a gun etc. however, just because a guy can shoot this or that in this many seconds this many times, does not determine who wins on the streets. This is the reason I started looking at tactics. I am a firm believer that solid tactics combined with sufficient firearm handling skills are a much more solid skill set than cowboy action shooting if you will. For example, determining whether or not you will enter into a hallway might be more important than how many bowling pins you can shoot down in 10 seconds. Besides, do you think grandma is going to get out on the firing line and run from spot to spot to train for that burglar situation in which all she really needs is a reliable firearm and a platform to fire it from?
GUIDE TO HOLSTER SELECTION
Criteria for a good holster:
1. Does not cause the handgun to point at any body parts.
2. Protects the trigger and trigger guard to prevent accidental discharge.
3. Keeps your firearm from accidentally falling out.
4. Does not break free and cause the firearm to fall to the ground.
5. Smooth and quick and ergonomic to draw from.
6. Does not cause too much wear to the finish of the firearm.
7. Secures your firearm during a fall or scuffle.
8. Is comfortable and does not interefere with your natural body movements.
9. Accomplishes the mission or objective.
The truth is, you'll probably end up with a few different holsters for different situations. The idea is to follow the criteria when you select a holster. I have been carrying since 2002 (15 years) and I have had box loads of different holsters. Anywhere from duty holsters, to drop leg holsters to shoulder holsters to cow boy action holsters and the list goes on. After many years of carrying different holsters, I have settled on the Blackhawk Serpa style holster. The other holster that I really like happens to be a pocket holster for the Ruger LCP. Between those two, I would say, they fulfill about 99% of the time that I carry. I used to carry inside the waist band holsters but I find that I am more likely to carry if it's comfortable and crisp. I don't find IWB holster comfortable at all. It is different for everyone but if you go with how I do things, you will be a happy camper when you are caught in need of the use of your sidearm. I also have a theme I stick with, which is to carry the same way each day, so I try not to carry different holsters and in different ways. I stick to Black-hawk Serpa, I buy one for each model of handgun that I have excluding my BUG (Back Up Gun). The Back up Gun holster will be different depending on which make and model of BUG I carry. Currently I have a Serpa holster for my Glock Model 19, 30, and 40. I will add one more suggestion, I prefer the paddle style carry, for some reason the paddle seems to really help make the carry and draw more smooth. You almost can't go wrong with a Blackhawk Serpa paddle holster depending on your body type. I realize that a holster is a very personal and individual thing, so just try and stick to the criteria when you find one and remember to try to carry the same way each day.
http://www.blackhawk.com/Products/Product-Promos/Serpa-Holsters.aspx
GUIDE FOR HANDGUN CARTRIDGE AND AMMUNITION SELECTION:
As I have mentioned before, I don't like to adopt the conclusion of most recent studies to quickly because as these articles below will show are that those studies become obsolete.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/4/16/throwback-thursday-the-fbi-ammo-tests/
http://www.policemag.com/channel/weapons/news/2015/11/02/fbi-going-back-to-9mm-ammunition.aspx
There are as many different opinions on what cartridge to use for personal protection, in fact, I would say there are more opinions on the issue than there are cartridges and loads to choose from. This section is simply my view on the subject because I fully recognize that pretty much any firearm is a deadly weapon, and should be handled and treated as such. My approach to trying to tackle this section will be to explain what I use and how I use it.
Handgun Stopping Power
Like many Americans, in the last 23 years, I have owned more different rifles, pistols, and shotguns, than I can reasonable try and list. I have had very extensive exposure to different firearms and calibers and upgrades and more. The most direct experiences I have that I can gauge my suggestions by, are my hunting and competition and every day carry experiences and my military experiences. Clarification, my exposure to military experiences was rather limited but I still was trained by the Army regarding basic rifle marksmanship and the use of standard machine guns, like the SAW or M60. By saying that, I would like to offer, that if I were to go to war I would probably feel most effective with a hunting rifle. I don't expect many of you to understand that, other than to say, I know the limits of machine guns and happen to be a firm believer in precision and accuracy and reliability.
I think a good start to my suggestions of what caliber's to carry for self defense should be to explain the ones I have adopted, because naturally that means I have probably done the most amount of research on them, and have the most amount of experience with. Let me first say, that the handgun calibers I have settled on, after many years of experiences and research and carry, are the .380 Auto, 9mm Parabellum, .45 Auto and 10mm Auto. Of all those choices, my favorite for all around everything is the 10mm Auto.
If we talk about my other firearms that I think are the best choices, I have .300 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester, 5.56mm (.223 Remington), .22LR and 12GA shotgun. I don't want you to think that just because these are my choices (suggestions) that they are best for you also because I realize there are different body types out there and different situations and needs. I will say however, for what I need a firearm for these are what I have settled on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.380_ACP
.380 Auto (9mm Kurz)
The .380 Auto as a BUG (Back Up Gun) This firearm only generates about 185 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle, therefor it's really a poor choice for self defense (because it won't penetrate barriers and still have good energy), but I carry it anyway because it fits into a category I really need a gun for. This is just a cartridge that is really easy to design for extreme concealment. This is, in my opinion, your best pocket gun option, if you use the Ruger LCP. My personal experience with this cartridge. A family member shot themself with this cartridge in the abdomen, that family member survived but not without significant emergency surgery. A lot of people survive being shot with this cartridge, but this cartridge definately does a lot of damage.
Since the .380 Auto has the lowest muzzle energy of any handgun I would carry, I prefer loads that have excellent penetration. I prefer to carry ball ammo in this carry system. I feel like hollow points won't have the penetration necessary to perform incapacitation under many circumstances. I realize that this may not match the data you find regarding street results or ballistic gel tests possibly, but I don't make choices always that are in line with the main stream, I make personal choices based on my experiences. In my experience, I go with FMJ type loads for .380 Auto because I feel they are more reliable to feed and will penetrate better. See link below for the ammunition I currently trust. There is no doubt that this ammunition is one of the more expensive but that's true for pretty much all .380 Auto cartridges.
Side Note: When I was a kid, we shot a large pig in the head with a .22 long rifle (rifle) to try and stun him for a slaughter job we were trying to do, the result was the pig grunted a little, then continued to eat. I am not fully confident in the 100 - 200 ft/lbs energy levels. The .380 Auto has about the same energy as a .22 long rifle (not .22 pistol mind you) but a full power long rifle, not subsonic or practice ammo. I recognize these are different types of bullets and different situation but in terms of muzzle energy, they are fairly similar. I still carry the .380 Auto, but keep in mind it's when I have no better choice, usually when I have a good reason to have deep concealment. I have seen .22 rim-fire fail many times, but I have also seen .22 work many times so this one is a gamble. The only time you want to gamble with your life, is when you have no choice, just keep that in mind.
http://store.sigsauer.com/380auto-100gr-elite-ball-fmj.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9%C3%9719mm_Parabellum
9mm Auto
I suggest longer barrels for this caliber, in other words, if you had to choose between the Glock 26 and the Glock 19, I would always suggest the longer barrel so the Glock 19. To be honest however, I would suggest the Glock 34 if I was using it for duty, but I would change the fact that the magazine release was extended and I would not use extended magazine release. This may depend on which generation of Glock you buy. If I did use this cartridge I would buy Speer Gold Dot Hollow Points. I like this cartridge because you can reload much more ammunition with smaller amounts of components, in other words you can load more cartridges per pound of powder in comparison to .45 ACP or 10mm Auto.
I used to be critical of this cartridge until I learned of a man who killed a grizzly with a Smith and Wesson Model 3953 with a low capacity magazine. . I still prefer the 10mm Auto but I have to give credit to this cartridges ability to do the job.
http://www.speer-ammo.com/products/gold_dot_prsnl.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_ACP
.45 Auto
I admire the muzzle energy of this cartridge, I also admire it's performance in ballistic gel and competition. I have shot coyote with this firearm and it has proven to me to be effective. I also like the .45 Auto because it's a lower velocity cartridge and it's also easy and safe for reloading.
https://www.federalpremium.com/ammunition/handgun/family/premium-personal-defense/personal-defense-hst/p45hst2s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10mm_Auto
10mm Auto
With out a doubt, this is my favorite all around performing defensive and hunting handgun cartridge. I can use reduced power loads or I can use full power loads to fullfill any use you would have for a firearm. I have carried this cartridge the most out of any other cartridge my entire career as an avid shooter. I have finished off elk, fox, rabbits, grouse small game and snakes with this cartridge and so far, I have not needed more than one good shot placement. I prefer the 6" barrel so I can hunt with it and so I can get the best performance as well as reduce my recoil. In terms of having magnum like performance that is tolerable to handle, this is the cartridge to do it. I could probably write an entire book on how much I like this cartridge but I fully recognize this is not for everyone. I would not suggest this for small hand people and generally speaking those are our ladies. Gentleman however, look no farther, this is a very versatile cartridge you can use for just about anything you would want or need it for. If you can figure out how to get the right load for the right task, you are solid. I use this cartridge as a bear defense gun down to a small game hunting gun, and I have never been dissappointed. I will say however, that you should use the Glock Model 40 6" barrel because that handgun model reduces felt recoil so well, that it will seem like you are shooting a standard medium sized 9mm. I have come to respect the HPR loads, I feel like this company loads 10mm to suit my desires of getting it's full potential and still being affordable. Most 10mm ammunition manufactures load their 10mm to perform about like .40 S&W so some people think 10mm is the same as .40 Smith & Wesson but make no mistake, 10mm gets a lot more oomph if you get full power ammunition. Interestingly as well, the 10mm Auto can fire .40 Smith and Wesson also. I am not saying I would make a habit of shooting .40 Smith and Wesson in my Glock model 40, but if I was in a pinch and didn't have any 10mm Ammo, and I found some .40 S&W I would load those up and they will fire.
http://www.hprammo.com/catalog/jhp/10mm-29/
http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/10mm.html
CHOOSING A HANDGUN:
My Credibility:
I have been an avid shooting enthusiast since 1986. I have been a concealed carry permit holder since 2002 or so, I have taken and completed at least 3 classes on handgun defense and I have also seen a lot of firearm damage. I have been hunting since 1993, and I have seen what different firearms can do to a life form many hundreds of times. I have seen failures to stop, and one shot stops. I have carried firearms professionally for a at least 3 different jobs, and yes, they also had training associated with those roles. I am active in keeping up with new technologies to a degree. The following is how I choose a handgun, you decide if it's adequate or not. I will say, I have not ever had to use one in self defense against a human being and I don't want to, but I do support the right to self defense and the right to keep and bear arms and I understand that firearms are a real need.
I do give credit to personal anecdotal information and lab or research based information; You don't have to shoot a deer with a .270 Winchester with Federal 150 Grain soft point round nose to know that a .270 Winchester will kill a deer (you could probably suggest it from ballistic gel test), but if you have shot a deer with a .270 Winchester with 150 Grain soft point round nose in the shoulder, then you will probably be more likely to trust .270 Winchester will kill that deer in one shot. I am not the guy who when he sees a new study come out, will be to quick to adopt it's ideas, because there are plenty of times in the last 20 years when studies that get published end up obsolete or my experiences frankly do not match to it's conclusions. Don't take that to mean that I don't have an open mind or that I don't find value in reading studies and looking at gel tests, but realize what I mean is, we want to know if a handgun will work for you in your likely situation.
The other main reason is because let's be honest, it's just not legal to test whether or not a particular ammunition is effective at stopping a person. There is no lab test for that, you might find that people try to "simulate it". Newer handgun ammunition loads are manufactured to perform to a very specific ballistic gel depth under a very specific circumstance. So you can get an idea of how a load might perform based on that testing but you can't know for sure it's right for you on the streets. For example, you might find that a 115 grain +p+ 9mm hi shok is one of the best choices for penetration and expansion, but what happens when that +p+ round breaks your gun because of the included pressures? If you ask me thats a real concern. You can't just look at ballistic gel lab data right?
The stress involved with being in a life or death encounter will alter a persons ability to handle a firearm. In fact you will have a 20% decrease in accuracy and proficiency under stress. I have noticed that people will lose the ability to think perfectly clearly and to move with fine motor skills. This is what will lead me into my first guideline suggestion which is to set a standard and stick to it. By way of explanation, if you own multiple firearms, you should avoid changing which firearm system you carry, and you should strive to carry the same way every day. When you get into a life or death encounter, you will most likely not have the luxury of recalling where you put your handgun and which one it is. You really need to combine this concept with selecting the right firearm and accessories. If you standardize, you will have better muscle memory which is what you will rely on during stress.
Being in a life or death encounter will completely change the way you feel and think about the use of a firearm, and the most important things to you at that time will be reliability, accuracy, stopping power, firepower, standardization and the ability to operate it under stress.
Reliability- I consider this virtue to be the most important of them all. The very first thing you need to look for in a firearm and system is the reliability. Will this tool perform every time? In other words don't bring a jam-o-matic to a hammer fight, hammers don't jam. This brings up the question should I use a revolver or should I use an auto-loader? The answer to that question is that it depends but I find more advantages with semi-automatics. There are times when I wish I had a revolver and there are times when I wish I had more capacity, but I will tell you that more often I suggest Auto-Loaders. The primary reason I suggest auto-loaders these days is that you can more easily reload them one handed and the secondary reason is that they have a greater capacity to hold ammunition. The tertiary reason is that Auto loaders reduce felt recoil better. I will suggest here that as a general rule, you want to stay away from +p+ ammunition, with one exception. If you are shooting a firearm like a .357 magnum and you load it with .38 special +p+ ammunition, you'll probably be okay, but if you shoot a 9mm with 9mm +p+ then you are risking damage to your firearm, and increased wear and tear and increased potential of failure. If you feel like you need +p+, then you should simply opt for a firearm that is bigger. For example instead of using 9mm +p+, I would suggest you just use the .40 Smith and Wesson. This is just an example, not that I suggest .40 Smith and Wesson for everyone.
Accuracy- Can you put effective fire on the target? After you find a firearm that is reliable enough that you trust your life, you then need to ask the question, is it accurate enough to hit your target? This sounds pretty basic, but if you consider the fact your target isn't going to stand still for you, then maybe the picture changes a little bit in your mind. The other problem you might face that will bring into light the accuracy issue is the hostage situation. Most handgun fights are 3 to 15 feet distance, with most modern handguns, accuracy is not an issue.
Stopping Power- You won't have time to debate whether or not your firearm has the stopping power necessary when you are in a lethal encounter, therefore, it's important to select in advance a firearm capable of stopping the threat you are presented with and not the threat you have imagined in your mind, so I prefer to cover all my bases when I choose a firearm cartridge and firearm. I will say, the smallest handgun I would use is a .380 Auto, which gives about 185 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. I would say that is about the equivalent of a .22 long rifle such as a Ruger 10/22 with powerful loads. Please know that I don't recommend the .380 Auto, I merely accept that it would work. I am more confident in a cartridge with 400 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle or better. I personally feel like if I absolutely knew I would be in a pistol gunfight that day that I would select a minimum of a .45 Automatic and a maximum of a 10mm Auto or equivalent. If you were to ask me what is the smallest cartridge to use for combat or duty I would say 9mm Parabellum. I would like to add, that the smaller you are and the more vulnerable you are the more important it is to have a firearm with sufficient stopping power, the last thing you need is to be a small statured person fighting a body builder where you fire a few rounds into the bad guy and they just keep comming take your gun away and use it on you (this happens more often than it should).
Firepower- When you get into a gunfight, you don't want to run out of ammo first or run out of ammo before the threat is stopped. You also don't want to have to reload if you get wounded and are down to one hand. This reminds me of a video I saw where two guys were taking pot shots at each other from around a vehicle and one simply ran out of ammo first and was killed. This also bring up a story where a man shot and killed a grizzly bear with a 9mm in 6 shots, the operator had a 7 shot magazine.
Standardization- If you and your partner use the same model of firearm then you are more likely to be able to share ammunition and be able to use each others firearms proficiently. This isn't necessarily a strong reason to select a certain handgun, but it's an example of how standardization can be of use. Another example would be that ammo availability is better. Another example of standardization would be if you have two different model's of Glock you like, for example a Glock 19 and a Glock Model 22, you would want to carry them the same way, using the same style holster and carry method, so regardless of which one you carry, your muscle memory is still of use.
Operation Under Stress- The cartridge and firearm you select should be easy to handle under stressful conditions. It's important to keep in mind that your body will function differently during stress and you want a firearm that is more forgiving to that reality. An example would be, you don't want to carry a handgun that will jam more easily if you have a less than perfect grip. Another unfortunate cause of death during a gunfight is that for some reason the operator doesn't take the firearm's safety off. I prefer firearms with no external safety by the way.
One Handed Operation- I had recently chopped a good size cut into my left knuckle while setting up a trail camera, I had to get a few stitches, it takes time for things like that to heal, so I will say this, I have recently decided that semi-automatics have enough advantages over revolvers that I will say go with an Auto-loader if you have a choice. The first advantage is that it's easier to operate a semi-automatic with only one hand under stress for example reloading with one hand. The second advantage is that auto-loaders typically have larger ammunition capacity. Third advantage is that Auto-loaders seem to reduce felt recoil better.
Shooting to live:
Let me point out some key factors that go into successfully defending yourself with a firearm. The key elements to successfully putting rounds on target are many in reality however I will only point out a few, because some of them are to general to need to discuss. Lets first visualize an astronaut in space, what would happen if that astronaut fired a pistol? The answer is probably that the recoil would cause the astronaut to be pushed in the opposite direction of the bullet, and my point is that it all starts with your platform. If you want to be able to send follow up shots on target, then you'll need to have some way to recover back to your original firing position.
Your shooting stance should be something close to feet shoulder width apart or I would suggest a fighting stance such as a karate or similar stance because a gunfight is a fight just the same and you will need to possibly use hand to hand skills. The stance should be followed by proper arm alignment and shooting vector, generally speaking you want to be standing so that when you point, you are pointing at the target without having to contort any part of your body awkwardly toward it, unless you have to. Next you want to have a proper Grip, and then sight alignment, sight picture and a good trigger press.
Stance: I personally stand so that I am naturally going to point the firearm at the target. I try to have a stance that is similar to a stand up boxing match in it's essence, but I angle my self so that my gun will naturally point toward the target some people call it blading a little. When you raise the firearm to eye level it should naturally point to the center of the target.
Arm alignment: The idea here is to control recoil and to provide a good support for shooting accurately, quickly and reliably. This will impact the functionality of a recoil operated firearm as well. Most auto loaders of the handgun variety are operated by recoil, so in order for them to properly function they need to have proper resistance on the frame.
Grip: Generally speaking, you want to be able to fire the firearm so that the firearm reliably functions and so that you are quick and accurate and effective. I try to keep my bore-line as low in my hand as I can, I also try to put as much of my hand on the frame as I can get on there, and I like to lock out my joints to help the recovery of the sight picture back on target after a round discharges and flips up, but keep in mind every situation will require a different method possibly so don't limit yourself. I like to keep from putting any force on the firearm that prevents the firearm from naturally pointing at the target. Also, keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to shoot. Keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction at all times.
Sight alignment: After you have successfully pointed your firearm and provided a good platform from which to launch your bullets, you need to align your sights on the target or target area you intend to destroy. There are many types of sights out there, I will simply say, learn to use the sights you have and make sure you Zero the firearm at the correct distance, and if you don't know how to zero a firearm then have an expert help you do it.
Trigger Press: The biggest issue I have seen with a person's trigger press, is that most people tend to naturally slap the trigger and most people don't realize they are doing it. Slapping the trigger is pressing the trigger with a subconscious flinch. The flinch will cause your muzzle and sights to leave the proper target area for a split second just before the round discharges. Practice with a partner, have that partner safely load and unload the firearm while the shooter looks away, then have the shooter fire at the target while not knowing if there is a bullet in the firearm or not, this will reveal that flinch, once noticed, dry fire a couple times and keep in mind, when you finally press the trigger properly, it should surprise you when it actually goes off. Keep in mind you should always treat the firearm as if it were loaded, so never pull the trigger unless you intend the firearm to discharge.
Shot Placement: Each different situation will require a different shot placement to accomplish the incapacitation needed. You may need to shoot an advancing knife weilding man in a different body part than a body armor wearing bank robber or a hostange holding terrorist and you get the idea right. This is the less than desireable subject but a necessary evil.
Statistical, Situational and Anatomy Based Shot Placement, and Shot Number Guide:
The truth is, there is no place on the human body that isn't important, but we are looking to incapacitate in a timely manner and that amount of time will depend on the situation and usually it's immediately. For this article I will simply point out that your shot placement will be the most important aspect with regards to self defense with a projectile. The three main regions you will want to concern yourself with in regards to shot placement are the central head area, the central chest area and the pelvic bone area. If you place one shot in each of those locations, it's very unlikely the attacker will be able to continue to fight. We also want to take into account body position and dimensional awareness. Shooting an attacker from a direct front angle perpendicular to their chest is different that shooting while somone is leaning forward and at an angle or through an object like a car door. I personally prefer handguns with higher muzzle energy and more penetration because I like to try and be capable of incapacitation under many circumstances. For the purpose of this article just keep in mind, you are going to want to shoot for incapacitation and not just at the target. You want to aim for the upper central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system and the skeletal system respectively. More specifically, the brain stem, the heart and lungs and the pelvic bone. Don't get me wrong if you hit somone in the femoral artery (leg) they will eventually bleed out (exsanguination), but we want them to stop as soon as possible right? Just keep in mind that shooting someone from under the armpit is not the same as shooting somone from the back side, keep your incapacitation organs in mind and not just generally aim at a torso if you can.
The last thing I will mention about shooting is have confidence and be safe. Do not compromise safety for speed, accuracy or anything else because what is the point of using a firearm for self defense if you shoot yourself to death on accident long before you ever needed it to survive a lethal encounter?
Lethal Encounters Vs. Competitive shooting.
There are some very modular differences between competitive shooting and self defense. I believe there are valid and valuable things that can be learned from and taken from competitive shooting but it's important to distinguish that self defense and sporting competition are completely different activities.
The most important difference between the two in my opinion are that when you choose a self defense handgun, it will be completely impractical to use competitive shooting firearms and accessories. When is the last time you saw a guy with magazines all around his belt at different angles on the streets of a major city with what looks like a robocop holster and a race gun? Well, it's probably very rare and a very bad idea, if your objective is to blend in. My point is, I don't put to much stock into competitive shooting as a determining factor of street survival. I don't want to take anything away from competitive shooting as a sport and as a development activity because a lot of those innovations that are made in competitive shooting can translate to the streets like certain upgrades to firearms or certain methods of holding a gun etc. however, just because a guy can shoot this or that in this many seconds this many times, does not determine who wins on the streets. This is the reason I started looking at tactics. I am a firm believer that solid tactics combined with sufficient firearm handling skills are a much more solid skill set than cowboy action shooting if you will. For example, determining whether or not you will enter into a hallway might be more important than how many bowling pins you can shoot down in 10 seconds. Besides, do you think grandma is going to get out on the firing line and run from spot to spot to train for that burglar situation in which all she really needs is a reliable firearm and a platform to fire it from?
GUIDE TO HOLSTER SELECTION
Criteria for a good holster:
1. Does not cause the handgun to point at any body parts.
2. Protects the trigger and trigger guard to prevent accidental discharge.
3. Keeps your firearm from accidentally falling out.
4. Does not break free and cause the firearm to fall to the ground.
5. Smooth and quick and ergonomic to draw from.
6. Does not cause too much wear to the finish of the firearm.
7. Secures your firearm during a fall or scuffle.
8. Is comfortable and does not interefere with your natural body movements.
9. Accomplishes the mission or objective.
The truth is, you'll probably end up with a few different holsters for different situations. The idea is to follow the criteria when you select a holster. I have been carrying since 2002 (15 years) and I have had box loads of different holsters. Anywhere from duty holsters, to drop leg holsters to shoulder holsters to cow boy action holsters and the list goes on. After many years of carrying different holsters, I have settled on the Blackhawk Serpa style holster. The other holster that I really like happens to be a pocket holster for the Ruger LCP. Between those two, I would say, they fulfill about 99% of the time that I carry. I used to carry inside the waist band holsters but I find that I am more likely to carry if it's comfortable and crisp. I don't find IWB holster comfortable at all. It is different for everyone but if you go with how I do things, you will be a happy camper when you are caught in need of the use of your sidearm. I also have a theme I stick with, which is to carry the same way each day, so I try not to carry different holsters and in different ways. I stick to Black-hawk Serpa, I buy one for each model of handgun that I have excluding my BUG (Back Up Gun). The Back up Gun holster will be different depending on which make and model of BUG I carry. Currently I have a Serpa holster for my Glock Model 19, 30, and 40. I will add one more suggestion, I prefer the paddle style carry, for some reason the paddle seems to really help make the carry and draw more smooth. You almost can't go wrong with a Blackhawk Serpa paddle holster depending on your body type. I realize that a holster is a very personal and individual thing, so just try and stick to the criteria when you find one and remember to try to carry the same way each day.
http://www.blackhawk.com/Products/Product-Promos/Serpa-Holsters.aspx
GUIDE FOR HANDGUN CARTRIDGE AND AMMUNITION SELECTION:
As I have mentioned before, I don't like to adopt the conclusion of most recent studies to quickly because as these articles below will show are that those studies become obsolete.
https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/4/16/throwback-thursday-the-fbi-ammo-tests/
http://www.policemag.com/channel/weapons/news/2015/11/02/fbi-going-back-to-9mm-ammunition.aspx
There are as many different opinions on what cartridge to use for personal protection, in fact, I would say there are more opinions on the issue than there are cartridges and loads to choose from. This section is simply my view on the subject because I fully recognize that pretty much any firearm is a deadly weapon, and should be handled and treated as such. My approach to trying to tackle this section will be to explain what I use and how I use it.
Handgun Stopping Power
Like many Americans, in the last 23 years, I have owned more different rifles, pistols, and shotguns, than I can reasonable try and list. I have had very extensive exposure to different firearms and calibers and upgrades and more. The most direct experiences I have that I can gauge my suggestions by, are my hunting and competition and every day carry experiences and my military experiences. Clarification, my exposure to military experiences was rather limited but I still was trained by the Army regarding basic rifle marksmanship and the use of standard machine guns, like the SAW or M60. By saying that, I would like to offer, that if I were to go to war I would probably feel most effective with a hunting rifle. I don't expect many of you to understand that, other than to say, I know the limits of machine guns and happen to be a firm believer in precision and accuracy and reliability.
I think a good start to my suggestions of what caliber's to carry for self defense should be to explain the ones I have adopted, because naturally that means I have probably done the most amount of research on them, and have the most amount of experience with. Let me first say, that the handgun calibers I have settled on, after many years of experiences and research and carry, are the .380 Auto, 9mm Parabellum, .45 Auto and 10mm Auto. Of all those choices, my favorite for all around everything is the 10mm Auto.
If we talk about my other firearms that I think are the best choices, I have .300 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester, 5.56mm (.223 Remington), .22LR and 12GA shotgun. I don't want you to think that just because these are my choices (suggestions) that they are best for you also because I realize there are different body types out there and different situations and needs. I will say however, for what I need a firearm for these are what I have settled on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.380_ACP
.380 Auto (9mm Kurz)
The .380 Auto as a BUG (Back Up Gun) This firearm only generates about 185 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle, therefor it's really a poor choice for self defense (because it won't penetrate barriers and still have good energy), but I carry it anyway because it fits into a category I really need a gun for. This is just a cartridge that is really easy to design for extreme concealment. This is, in my opinion, your best pocket gun option, if you use the Ruger LCP. My personal experience with this cartridge. A family member shot themself with this cartridge in the abdomen, that family member survived but not without significant emergency surgery. A lot of people survive being shot with this cartridge, but this cartridge definately does a lot of damage.
Since the .380 Auto has the lowest muzzle energy of any handgun I would carry, I prefer loads that have excellent penetration. I prefer to carry ball ammo in this carry system. I feel like hollow points won't have the penetration necessary to perform incapacitation under many circumstances. I realize that this may not match the data you find regarding street results or ballistic gel tests possibly, but I don't make choices always that are in line with the main stream, I make personal choices based on my experiences. In my experience, I go with FMJ type loads for .380 Auto because I feel they are more reliable to feed and will penetrate better. See link below for the ammunition I currently trust. There is no doubt that this ammunition is one of the more expensive but that's true for pretty much all .380 Auto cartridges.
Side Note: When I was a kid, we shot a large pig in the head with a .22 long rifle (rifle) to try and stun him for a slaughter job we were trying to do, the result was the pig grunted a little, then continued to eat. I am not fully confident in the 100 - 200 ft/lbs energy levels. The .380 Auto has about the same energy as a .22 long rifle (not .22 pistol mind you) but a full power long rifle, not subsonic or practice ammo. I recognize these are different types of bullets and different situation but in terms of muzzle energy, they are fairly similar. I still carry the .380 Auto, but keep in mind it's when I have no better choice, usually when I have a good reason to have deep concealment. I have seen .22 rim-fire fail many times, but I have also seen .22 work many times so this one is a gamble. The only time you want to gamble with your life, is when you have no choice, just keep that in mind.
http://store.sigsauer.com/380auto-100gr-elite-ball-fmj.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9%C3%9719mm_Parabellum
9mm Auto
I suggest longer barrels for this caliber, in other words, if you had to choose between the Glock 26 and the Glock 19, I would always suggest the longer barrel so the Glock 19. To be honest however, I would suggest the Glock 34 if I was using it for duty, but I would change the fact that the magazine release was extended and I would not use extended magazine release. This may depend on which generation of Glock you buy. If I did use this cartridge I would buy Speer Gold Dot Hollow Points. I like this cartridge because you can reload much more ammunition with smaller amounts of components, in other words you can load more cartridges per pound of powder in comparison to .45 ACP or 10mm Auto.
I used to be critical of this cartridge until I learned of a man who killed a grizzly with a Smith and Wesson Model 3953 with a low capacity magazine. . I still prefer the 10mm Auto but I have to give credit to this cartridges ability to do the job.
http://www.speer-ammo.com/products/gold_dot_prsnl.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_ACP
.45 Auto
I admire the muzzle energy of this cartridge, I also admire it's performance in ballistic gel and competition. I have shot coyote with this firearm and it has proven to me to be effective. I also like the .45 Auto because it's a lower velocity cartridge and it's also easy and safe for reloading.
https://www.federalpremium.com/ammunition/handgun/family/premium-personal-defense/personal-defense-hst/p45hst2s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10mm_Auto
10mm Auto
With out a doubt, this is my favorite all around performing defensive and hunting handgun cartridge. I can use reduced power loads or I can use full power loads to fullfill any use you would have for a firearm. I have carried this cartridge the most out of any other cartridge my entire career as an avid shooter. I have finished off elk, fox, rabbits, grouse small game and snakes with this cartridge and so far, I have not needed more than one good shot placement. I prefer the 6" barrel so I can hunt with it and so I can get the best performance as well as reduce my recoil. In terms of having magnum like performance that is tolerable to handle, this is the cartridge to do it. I could probably write an entire book on how much I like this cartridge but I fully recognize this is not for everyone. I would not suggest this for small hand people and generally speaking those are our ladies. Gentleman however, look no farther, this is a very versatile cartridge you can use for just about anything you would want or need it for. If you can figure out how to get the right load for the right task, you are solid. I use this cartridge as a bear defense gun down to a small game hunting gun, and I have never been dissappointed. I will say however, that you should use the Glock Model 40 6" barrel because that handgun model reduces felt recoil so well, that it will seem like you are shooting a standard medium sized 9mm. I have come to respect the HPR loads, I feel like this company loads 10mm to suit my desires of getting it's full potential and still being affordable. Most 10mm ammunition manufactures load their 10mm to perform about like .40 S&W so some people think 10mm is the same as .40 Smith & Wesson but make no mistake, 10mm gets a lot more oomph if you get full power ammunition. Interestingly as well, the 10mm Auto can fire .40 Smith and Wesson also. I am not saying I would make a habit of shooting .40 Smith and Wesson in my Glock model 40, but if I was in a pinch and didn't have any 10mm Ammo, and I found some .40 S&W I would load those up and they will fire.
http://www.hprammo.com/catalog/jhp/10mm-29/
http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/10mm.html