Does Your Concealed Carry Have Enough Firepower?
Dr. John Woods 04.06.18
How many rounds does it take to stop a threat? Say if you are approached or assaulted in a parking garage, or maybe you get caught up in the middle of an active shooter situation? Is that concealed pistol you are carrying with six cartridges in the magazine enough to end the incident? Impossible to say?
Sure, one good shot to an effective kill zone could stop a threat, but most of us can hardly be expected to shoot that well, especially with all the distractions going on around us not to mention the sheer stress of the situation. A well trained, highly experienced shooter might take care of business, but could you? Are six rounds enough? What, you forgot the extra mag or you don’t carry one anyway? You might be caught in dire straits.
Here’s the average scenario. People interested in concealed carry for personal self-defense very often choose a small, lightweight, minor caliber pistol with a minimal magazine capacity. This might be a .380 or 9mm semi-auto pistol classified as a pocket pistol that might carry 5 or six rounds in a loaded magazine? Women, too, often make this choice. Ask yourself if you think that is enough firepower to halt or deter an active threat?
Now, if you happen to have access to a larger caliber pistol in a .40. 10mm, or .45 that will hold up to 8 or 9 rounds or even with a magazine capacity of 15 to 17 rounds then you might have a better chance at staving off an assault if you act quick enough. I mean just the law of averages might say the more shots you have available, the better are your chances of survivability.
All this assumes you are a trained shooter fully capable of handling your firearm of choice. That is a huge assumption for most people. And it is your responsibility to be proficient in the effective use and handling of your personal self-defense handgun.
The bottom line is this? There is no way to determine ahead of time how many bullets flying downrange is enough to stop a terrorist attack, or active shooter, or other event. It is all subject to how many of those rounds hit the target to cease the threat. So, when you elect to go concealed carry, pick your weapon carefully, as well as the ammo choice and then get proper training and shooting experience.
