Are you armed?

[DA Aquamaster]

Not all criminals are created equally. There are a subset of professional criminals who use guns in the course of a burglary or perhaps an armed robbery or kidnapping and are probably not likely to have an accidental discharge. However, they are a minority and will only be found in some very specific settings and circumstances.

For the average guy knocking over a 7-11 or mugging someone on the street, they are most likley going to be on the edge with a finger on the trigger, and are also unlikely to have have had any formal training in using firearms, let alone any training or concern about firearm safety.

Range is critical here. Most people who get shot by a criminal, get shot at ranges under 6' as most criminals can;t shoot as good as most LEO'S, who as we have discussed do not shoot well. Given a choice, you are probably better off facing an assailant at a range of 20' who is armed with a pistol rather than a knife. The odds are good he won't hit you from 20', especially if you are moving to cover and/or fleeing to open the range.

So if you have the advantage of distance, use it.

 

[deepwater]

Interisting poll, but finding the answer will cost you.

 

[gypsyjim]

Not all criminals are created equally. There are a subset of professional criminals who use guns in the course of a burglary or perhaps an armed robbery or kidnapping and are probably not likely to have an accidental discharge. However, they are a minority and will only be found in some very specific settings and circumstances.

For the average guy knocking over a 7-11 or mugging someone on the street, they are most likley going to be on the edge with a finger on the trigger, and are also unlikely to have have had any formal training in using firearms, let alone any training or concern about firearm safety.

Range is critical here. Most people who get shot by a criminal, get shot at ranges under 6' as most criminals can;t shoot as good as most LEO'S, who as we have discussed do not shoot well. Given a choice, you are probably better off facing an assailant at a range of 20' who is armed with a pistol rather than a knife. The odds are good he won't hit you from 20', especially if you are moving to cover and/or fleeing to open the range.

So if you have the advantage of distance, use it.

Distance, with most weapons, is your friend. My Tae Kwon Do instructor once said that, especially in a situation with a knife, your feet were often your best weapon. By placing one in front of the other, rapidly, you could avoid getting seriously hurt, in a lot of potentially deadly encounters!

One of the single most valuable things that martial arts taught me was the intangible, to read situations earlier, and keep out of situations where fighting would be required. I can't begin to remember all the people that I have been involved with in martial arts, that have never really needed to use their fighting skills, because their observation skills had helped them avoid developing situations in time to keep that distance.

Someone once told me that if they never once had to fight again, then all their money and time training in the martial arts would have paid for itself.

 

[Raz_]

with a well-practiced modern Kung-fu, your hand are your best weapon.

 

[Dr Wu]

with a well-practiced modern Kung-fu, your hand are your best weapon.

That only worked in Enter the Dragon.

 

[Sik_Z33]

with a well-practiced modern Kung-fu, your hand are your best weapon.

Let me know how that works out for you when the other guy has a gun, and knows how to use it.

 

[Cave Diver]

Yup! Got me thinking and pushed me into try figuring out how to post a poll!

So Jim, it's been a year since this thread ended. What was your final assessment? Did the poll turn out like you expected?

 

[gypsyjim]

Unlike so many of today's polls, I had no idea where this would lead when I started it. I was merely curious to see what the opinions of the general membership of this site would be.

I have my own beliefs, and was not looking or expecting to have them changed, but I am willing to listen to the opinions of others, as part of my own learning process.

SB has more than a few members with strongly held, and strongly defended views on almost any subject, and I figured pros and cons of ownership of fire arms, and the right to protect ones self would be among those.

I also recognize that our sport of diving does tend to attract some pretty independent folks, so it was almost guaranteed to be an interesting discussion.

I did actually expect a bit more of the control is the answer crowd to be represented, as I do believe they are a bit more highly represented in the SB population than this poll reflects.

All in all it was a fun discussion, and as polls go not a heck of a lot less scientific or accurate than many major pollsters produce, and expect the public to swallow as accurate.

 

[k ellis]

I never commented in this thread previously but to provide some interesting facts to the pro gun arguement (As I deal with alot of gun issues in my line of work) it is interesting that while the anti gun crowd cries fowl when a business allows employees to carry firearms it is interesting to note that far fewer gun stores and pawn shops are robbed then the larger businesses which forbid their employees to carry firearms while on the clock. An interesting note on this is criminals do want to get into a store rob a store and get out quickly. Most do not opt to be in a gun fight and will avoid them usually in favor of less defended targets.

This is merely an observation from my work and history of law enforcement and not intended to sway a decision either way.

 

[netmage]

If I was a criminal,you can bet the gun free zone would be the top of my list...but I'm not., so it isn't....