Threat Envelope 2
Recapping ranges...
Range breakdowns:
Contact: 0-1 yard
Close: 1-15 yards
Short: 15-25 yards
Medium: 25-50 yards
Average: 50-100 yards
Long 100-300 yards
Extended 300+ yards
Every weapon has a 'prime' range, in which it is a best choice. Most everything is good through Short range, but some are better choices than others. If you are carrying 2 weapons, the ideal choice at range is to use the one which has the best hit ability at the longest engagement range at hand. In other words, don't go for a 50 yard pistol shot if you have a rifle at hand.
I want to talk about pistols a bit. Todd's Law of Handguns states that the smaller the handgun, the higher the level of training it takes to operate. It annoys me when some guy, who means well, gives his SO some small frame pocket pistol for protection. Handguns are harder to shoot than long guns, both from a technique standpoint and from a fact of mechanics. Pistols have a shorter sight radius, which amplifies any errors in sighting. Plus, they rely on the shooter for stability moreso than a long gun. As a first timer, do not fall into the 'too heavy, too much recoil' trap. Small bore pocket guns require much better shot placement to be effective, and are generally fussier than their full size brothers. With that said, if you are a rank amateur, I recommend a 6 shot .38 revolver. There is less to fiddle with control wise, they are easier to learn to shoot effectively, and is the minimum caliber I'd want someone to use. The good choice there is the old FBI special, a Model 10 or 13 Smith & Wesson with a 3" barrel. The barrel is the shortest length that you can get a full length ejection rod with, and it has a good sized grip frame that can be adapted to most hand sizes. My only other options here would be a Ruger, or a Taurus. There used to be a lot of old police trade-in Smiths out there, but most departments have gone to autos now, so they aren't around like they were, but the Model 10 has been in production since 1900 or so...Semiauto pistols take more training to use, since they have safeties, and require more technique to use. There are beaucoup choices here...the big issue would be how much do you have to spend. I like either the .40 S&W, or .45 ACP. The 9mm is a choice, but it is very very dependent on ammunition to be a workable choice. Glock, the Springfield XD, or Sig Sauer are all workable options. The specialist's choice is (IMHO) the king of semiautos, the 1911. The 1911 requires more training since it's a single action auto, but it has a track record of being THE handgun to carry into harm's way. (Sidebar 1: the spec-ops world still uses 1911s, even with the advent of all the new superduper pistols out there)
If you plan on getting a pistol, get training. If you're serious, go to somewhere like Gunsite or Blackwater and take a course. Where ever you go to train, it has to be from a real instructor, not your uncle Bob or the gun nut down the street, unless of course they are real live certified shooting instructors. Undoing bad habits after the fact are harder than learning to do it right from the start.
More later...