Thoughts on Self-defense

Posse Incitatus has 2 posts on self-defense. Certainly some of the discussion revolves around the revolver/auto-loader debate, but the important aspects are covered.

• Does the gun fit my hand? While you can change grips to make adjustments, it should not be too large or too small.
• Can I be accurate with the firearm? (Or as Posse asks, is it easy to shoot?) If you can't shoot a .357 magnum accurately, don't use one. If you don't like shooting it, you won't practice.
• Is this a reasonable defensive round? I would not want to rely on anything smaller than .380 for defense.

One thing that I think needs more consideration generally is what my likely defensive situation would be, and choose appropriately. (I don't use the same firearm for home defense that I use for concealed carry.)

When I first began using a .357 magnum as my house gun, I lived in an all masonry house in the Midwest. The exterior walls where 6 inches of brick and concrete. My most likely defensive position was in the master bedroom shooting down the hall. There were no windows in my likely target zone and 2 exterior walls (both sides of the garage) behind the target zone. Over-penetration was NOT an issue. If I lived in an apartment with nothing but drywall between myself and the next apartment, I might select a different firearm, and go with the frangible ammunition to avoid shooting in the next apartment.