I find myself musing sometimes about things/history etc. I get to thinking every now and then, is self defense markedly different today from 1985 or 1975 or 1925 etc.? Now I don’t mean law enforcement actions where you are obligated to go to the fight, nor do I mean consciously putting yourself in the middle of a riot or other unrest. I mean regular, day to day, civilian SD scenarios. I would argue that there is a higher chance of being involved in a rifle wielding mass shooter or terrorist attack but even those are pretty rare. The vast majority of videos I see seem to be pretty standard stop and robs by one to three folks who haul ass as soon as it becomes a 2 way range.

Why do I ask/think about this? The older I get the more I see that we rely on technology or chase magazine capacity etc. when the reality seems to be that the day to day threats don’t change much. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying tech or capacity is useless nor have I become some kind of Fudd who is saying “You should only need or have …….” As that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I own dots and lights and large capacity firearms that I use quite often. I just Feel like we haven’t really moved too far away from a well trained man with a decent six gun being fairly well armed for most instances.

Does that mean I’m going to eschew my tactical Tupperware or dots or lights ……… of course not. It just means that I don’t think the threats are radically different for us “normies” than they ever have been.

………says the guy who really does believe 10+1 of 9mm is likely more then fine………but really doesn’t want less then 12 or 13+ rounds on tap. So take my musings with a grain of salt.

Self defense scenarios may very well be similar but most, both good guys and bad, are much better armed, particularly regarding capacity and speed of reloads. I’d assume more shots are being fired than yesteryear. Secondly, today’s bullets are vastly superior which I would guess means more serious wounds and DRTs than when lead round nose or FMJ were the norm.

A whole lot of energy and advertising is directed at the average schmuck to convince them that if they can’t give John Wick a run for the money in a firefight..they will die.

The odds of needing any gun, is tiny. The odds of the five shot J frame not being effective, is smaller still.

Do I carry a 5 shot J frame? No. Do I run errands around my quiet town with a 6 shot Kimber K6xs? Yes. And, it’s been more gun than I’ve needed. And, I’m still alive.

Do I carry more gun and more ammo when I wander around big cities? Yes. And, it too has been more than I needed.

I think the ‘big $$’ in self defense is earned mentally and with highly tuned S.A.. not trying to be flippant, plus I do live & operate mostly in a low crime environment. That said, I travel a fair bit.

Over the years I believe I’ve diffused a situation or 2 with body actions, positioning & telegraphing that S.A.. I guess you could accuse it of all being in my mind.

I’ve been a pilot since NAS Whiting Field in 1985. There are many adages with aviation. One that’s somewhat pertinent is ‘don’t fly your aircraft somewhere that your mind hasn’t already been’. That could somewhat relate to a defensive scenario.

Back to the magazine with 7, 12, or 16 rounds, not really a biggie for me, usually.

In the targeting of an individual, the threat is mostly unchanged. The perp wants your wallet or valuable thing. One on one situation. There is the newer style of group strike, where several well armed thugs execute a high speed assault to take your vehicle or invade your home. The latter seems quite rare though for most parts of the country.

But the mass casualty event is new. In most cases the best defense is escape unless you're right next to the perp.

I have been mulling carrying a small 22lr pistol when a 9mm isn't practical. So my level of concern hasn't ratcheted up over the years.

Maybe to some degree the capacity issue has been driven by recent experiences in the Middle East. When I was a security contractor in Baghdad I felt that 12 magazines for my M4 was solid, 3 spares for my Glock was ok, 2 frags, 100 rounds of SAW ammo, NVG's,etc.
A lot of guys post on the web with similar / military experience. I feel that this might skew peoples opinions what is reasonable here in the United States. I wouldn't be okay carrying a revolver anywhere but I feel comfortable living my life with a Glock 43X and a spare magazine on my hip.
As the old saying goes you pay your money and make your choice. I happen to be in the camp that believes the man is the weapon and the firearm is the tool.
Sourdough44 hit it 2 posts above when he discusses situational awareness. Add mental toughness to this and trouble would be foolish to pay me a visit...

As others have stated, the larger events and coordinated attacks by several assailants may be a relatively new phenomenon, but I think the rise in attacks have more to do with opportunity. The vast majority of the general public walks around in condition white with their face in a device, giving them zero situational awareness. It makes for easy pinkns for those looking for a free lunch.

I am one of those perceived "old fuddy duddies" that does not use optics on my carry guns, and Its not because I think they aren't useful tools. Odds of actually needing your gun, rare. Odds of needing your gun to make a self defense shot past 15 yards - almost incalculable. Since I don't carry appendix, an optic makes concealment drastically more difficult, so I take calculated risks to insure I am almost always armed.

I believe the simple basics of self defense are the same now as they have always been. Try to avoid bad things by being aware of your surroundings, and be prepared for bad things to happen anyway.

YesAndNo

Situational awareness is your greatest tool.

And that has to be established and maintained upon understanding the threats.

What, When, Where, Why and by Whom.

Those five are the most important knowledge to have and keep fresh.

The best thing you can do to defend yourself is not need to defend yourself with deadly force.

Once you can consistently meet that goal, your chances of surviving the outlier are the best you can hope for.

And all that will make your selection of the physical tools, training and daily living much better.

Your brain is the weapon, everything else is a pointy stick.

I've been watching 10-15 year old videos of the latest and greatest (pre 365 of course). My carry is still one of those 7+1 single stacks (LC9s Pro). I have others with more capacity that I could also carry. We can't alway predict the circumstances we find ourselves in but if I think, hey I might need a bigger gun then I think why am I going there? 4 rules of stupid haven't changed much through the decades.

Bad guys may well be better armed, but, for the most part, they still can't shoot worth a shit. They don't practice, have poor grips, etc etc. That's why you see so many bystanders and kids shot in places like Chicago. I find as I get older I have less need to do things like go out after dark or travel in crap neighborhoods, and habitually practice good security, like parking under a light if I have to go out at night. As far as the basics go, nothing much has changed except I am more likely to rely on a weapon of some type than go hand to hand, cause I'm old now.

I mostly agree with the above posters. I generally carry a medium capacity (13+1) 9 mm. But I've been watching a lot of police videos on that internet channel. Most police now carry nines and it takes multiple rounds to stop them. Not permanently just temporarily. I am moving back to the 45 ACP. Ending aggression since 1911. YMMV

Yeah I’d say it’s changed some. There’s more mental illness out there and thugs have gotten braver. Their gear choices are driven by their influencers. Pistol with a 50 round ‘stendo magazine.

But, there’s no denying that the self defense industry drives trends in peoples choices on the other side. Some gun companies have poor marketing. But, some companies do a really good job of utilizing influencers to push products or ideas. Look at the number of social media posts where you see “pocket dumps” from people’s trips to the grocery store where they have got a full sized pistol complete with a full sized light, MRDS and three magazines with +5/6 extensions, a tourniquet, chest seals, blah blah blah.

Sometimes I don’t even wear underwear to go to the store.

I would carry a revolver if I wanted to. Being trained up with what I have is way more important to me. If I was going someplace like Muncie Indiana, yeah probably going to carry a G19 and a reload.

quote:

Originally posted by xfarfuldog:
Most police now carry nines and it takes multiple rounds to stop them.

Breakin' rocks in the hot sun.

I fought the law and the law won.

quote:

Originally posted by xfarfuldog:
I mostly agree with the above posters. I generally carry a medium capacity (13+1) 9 mm. But I've been watching a lot of police videos on that internet channel. Most police now carry nines and it takes multiple rounds to stop them. Not permanently just temporarily. I am moving back to the 45 ACP. Ending aggression since 1911. YMMV

Police hit rates have not improved in years. Even back when .40s and .45s walked the Earth. Culture, not caliber, is the problem.

Caliber is a choice. But it won’t fix what ails police agencies.

I carry a J frame and avoid shady parts of town.

quote:

I’ve been a pilot since NAS Whiting Field in 1985. There are many adages with aviation. One that’s somewhat pertinent is ‘don’t fly your aircraft somewhere that your mind hasn’t already been’.

I live near Milton and I have lots of clients with rental homes near the base they market towards Pilots. I live pretty close to Spencer Field and I have orange training copters overhead daily.

Small world.

quote:

I would carry a revolver if I wanted to. Being trained up with what I have is way more important to me. If I was going someplace like Muncie Indiana, yeah probably going to carry a G19 and a reload.

What? Muncie must have changed since the last time I was there! Of course it's been a long time since I was in G.I. as well.

The last time I was in Muncie I saw a member of a protected class spending his time off work challenging traffic at a 4-way stop. I doubt this last twenty years has seen an improvement.

Something to consider, in the “ old days” large mass attacks or multi attacker events still occurred, but likely did not get the media attention and endless digital publication they get today.
I haven’t looked into it but I would not be surprised if “ mass shootings” ( a hard to define term) were just as frequent in 1960-1970 as today. Back then these incidents would be publicized in the local printed paper, rarely get national attention or television news coverage.

Today if a mass shooter incident occurs in backwater Alabama it is on you tube Facebook and countless media outlets within minutes or even seconds.

My approach to carry and defense hasn’t changed in decades. A gun I trust that is reliable and suitably accurate with a reload. Most of the time here in warm to hot Arizona that means a J frame or micro 380 in a pocket holster.
I am looking to add a layer of less lethal and get proper training to do so.

All the standard advice:
Don’t go to bad sections of town/ out late after dark
Don’t get in public confrontations
Disengage whenever possible

Maybe it's just me but I kind of saw major events as sparks for marketing changes:

-9/11 and GWOT. Seems many companies started using the terms tactical and military grade more often. Does it work? Not for me, many of us here realize military grade means lowest bidder.

-black lies matter movement. Maybe more movement towards carry permits being applied for.

-obama being president. One of the greatest salesman in the firearms industry.

Past few years the micro pistols have become so popular. Used to be the G26 was the sub compact to carry.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Used to be the G26 was the sub compact to carry.

And nowadays it's kinda yuge (especially in thickness) compared to the newer generations of micro 9mms, many of which have the same or even higher capacity than the G26.