15 Oct 03

Matching the Mission with the Gun:

I try my best to discourage it, but, at every Urban Rifle Course, at least one student will bring an M1A (sometimes even a M70 bolt gun) with a mammoth, high-magnification, close-eye-relief scope, usually 3-9X variable. In addition, the rifle itself has invariably been "accurized" to the point where it is tight, temperamental, and ammunition-sensitive. Nothing inherently wrong with this equipment. It's just unsuitable to our mission!

This is what we all need to understand: We carry pistols as a way to deal with unexpected threats. As such, carry pistols need to be slim, slick, smooth, short, and easy and convenient to carry concealed. In addition, a carry pistol needs to have an adequate reserve of ammunition and be powerful enough to stop a fight even if several opponents must be neutralized quickly. Defensive pistols, indeed all defensive firearms, also need to be loose enough to continue to operate reliably in spite of exposure to sweat, grit, lint and continuous neglect. No pistol is going to be nearly as effective (as accurate, as powerful) as a rifle or shotgun, but, unlike rifles and shotguns, we can have a pistol on our person (concealed) nearly all the time. Pistols are convenient, not particularly effective.

Utility/defensive rifles and shotguns cannot be carried on the person concealed (in most cases), but we keep them nearby as a means of dealing with expected threats, albeit threats that may still come at any time and from any direction. Like pistols, utility/defensive rifles and shotguns thus must be thought of as reactive/defensive weapons. Sometimes, rifles and shotguns must be employed at what are normally considered pistol ranges, where retention is a critical issue. Hence, defensive rifles and shotguns must be short, slick, and handy, but robust in much the same way a defensive pistol must be robust. In my opinion, for quick, reactive deployment, iron sights are best for most people. Anything that requires batteries is begging the question! Anything that adds bulk slows reaction time. Rifles and shotguns are effective, not particularly convenient, even in the best configurations.

Given the above, we must face the fact that any suitable, defensive rifle or pistol is never going to yield better than mediocre accuracy. Accuracy and reliability are mutually antagonistic. Of course, the inherent accuracy of any good, utility rifle is more than sufficient for the purpose to which we're putting it. Greater accuracy is certainly possible, but tighten a gun up to yield great precision, and you turn it into a moody, temperamental prima donna, not something you would want protecting your life. I am happily give up superfluous accuracy in exchange for dependable reliability.

Finally, we use hyper-accurate, scoped rifles as a way of dealing with threats that are not only expected but are also known and identified. These weapons are not "reactive" and thus are not particularly suitable for dealing with unknown and unlocated threats, be they expected or unexpected. These are temperamental, sniper rifles, requiring anal maintenance and gentle treatment. They do have their place, just not in domestic, defensive, reactive shooting. People bring them to Urban Rifle courses, not because they're suitable, but because their owners want to show them off and look good. Tiny shot groups are always impressive, at any range, providing that impressing people is all you want to do.

If you're serious about defensive shooting, stay away from any rifle (or pistol) that is marked "Target" or "Match." Accept the fact that, to stay alive long enough to finish the fight, you're going to have to deploy your weapon quickly and shoot decisively, perhaps at multiple targets at various ranges, with sufficient accuracy to stop the fight and sufficient speed to allow you to seize and hold the agenda.

We have to equip ourselves to fight, not play games!

/John