tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472522213724665613.post3104690020184546576..comments2023-09-24T08:56:31.091-05:00Comments on The Thinking Gunfighter: THE MYTH OF MURPHY'S LAW: Why "better to have it and not need it" fails the test.David Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12232049066525911448noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472522213724665613.post-18951289009867779262018-06-27T12:18:01.828-05:002018-06-27T12:18:01.828-05:00Dr. Armstrong, I appreciate your continued referen...Dr. Armstrong, I appreciate your continued reference to risk analysis, which is a never-ending process. I carry two spare magazines because they fit on my belt and there is no real down-side for me. Formerly, I carried three spare mags, but I replace on with pepper gel. I am more likely to need the tourniquet I carry, but I carry it and the mags for the same reasons; I am trained and experienced in their use, the are potentially useful, and there is no down-side.oljames3https://www.blogger.com/profile/07967564274502319114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472522213724665613.post-62192336397817968712011-10-13T00:37:20.884-05:002011-10-13T00:37:20.884-05:00"Better to have it and not need it..." i..."Better to have it and not need it..." is one of the numerous gems of "common wisdom" that falls in the "true, but irrelevant" pile.<br /><br />If we could only teach a little economics in high school, folks would learn about the idea of "opportunity cost" which is relevant here, and basically in every other single decision in life. We need to look at what this decision prevents that we would otherwise do/have, such as convenience, lighter load, etc which Dave mentioned. Every decision comes at the cost of not making a different decision - your next best option if the first choice is not available. It's the difference between these two that we need to focus on, and the Whole difference at that, not just the narrow part we may have been focused on when we came up with the solution in the first place. <br /><br />E.g. "Maybe bandits will set up a hide-out in my house while I'm at work and I'll have to fight my way back in. Well, I'll just carry my M1 and auto-shotty as well as two or three backup pistols." On the one hand, this does solve the problem - on the other, there are a host of other consequences that should be considered before committing to this course of action and not just the single narrow one the solution was designed to solve. Keep thinking about All the results of a choice, not just the direct/intentional ones.anymousenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472522213724665613.post-76918810348179713642010-04-15T01:50:28.109-05:002010-04-15T01:50:28.109-05:00This is why I don't feel "naked" wit...This is why I don't feel "naked" with just an Airweight Bodyguard and a speed strip. Low profile town, low profile life, lower odds of being in need of more. Traveling? Grab one of the other J-frames for another pocket.micko77noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472522213724665613.post-62179870686724588402010-04-04T04:08:54.068-05:002010-04-04T04:08:54.068-05:00Carrying a spare mag might make more sense for a l...Carrying a spare mag might make more sense for a lefty, as the typical mag release button is pointed out at the world while in the holster, instead of protected by the body as for a right handed shooter. Over twenty-some years, I've found a mag released a couple times, while checking it in holster. Also, that TUNK!dink, tink,tink,sliiish sound as a full mag hits the ground right after drawing while running is heart-stopping. <br />I carry a speedloader when packing a snubbie.<br /><br />One scenario that might require a reload is one of those mall shooter incidents. I realize most gun carriers state that they intend to beat feet, and the devil take the hindmost, if that happens. However, if you can't, or won't, having a little more ammo on hand might enable you to keep him bottled up until the calvary shows up. That's if you can't take him out on first encounter. Will it be a hazardous situation? Oh, yeah! Lots of variables there. But, personally, I expect I would be moving to the sound of guns in such a public venue.<br /><br />I think the most common use of spare ammo is to fill up that gun after the smoke clears, for comfort.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722792638246578812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472522213724665613.post-50662616202968396702010-04-03T19:59:35.662-05:002010-04-03T19:59:35.662-05:00Four time world champion in IPSC and Bianchi, he w...Four time world champion in IPSC and Bianchi, he was the first winner of the IP game and former LEO and Marine before that, in combat, so you can probably guess the name, as he has a stance named after him...anyway, we were sitting around and he was having his evening glass of red and I was drinking a Meskin beer, jawing about guns and such...he said "If you need more than four or five rounds and you aren't in a beach assault or other pitched military battle, you need to be running not shooting, more likely than not..."<br /><br />I couldn't say I disagreed with him. He was one of the pioneers of semi shotguns instead of 500s and 870s for mil/LEO use because "It's awkward to rack a slide when you're hiding under a car and such and semi-autos are pretty dang reliable, worst case, you have to rack the bolt because of a missfeed, so you aren't any worse off than with a slide gun."<br /><br />He saw many an ele in his life and I can't think of anything he ever said that didn't make sense about shooting. he got frustrated when IDPA, which was formed to take all the gamesman crap out of IPSC, just turned into IPSC Jr. Engineer's mind, and a keen one at that.<br /><br />Miss that old feller.tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14230665595988628546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472522213724665613.post-19262256982552010882010-03-19T00:41:29.873-05:002010-03-19T00:41:29.873-05:00As a recovering "BTHIANNI" addict, your ...As a recovering "BTHIANNI" addict, your article is definably SPOT ON. Well done, glad I found this blog and looking forward to reading more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472522213724665613.post-75135428870460546032010-02-15T22:47:03.370-06:002010-02-15T22:47:03.370-06:00I take your point. These days, I most commonly car...I take your point. These days, I most commonly carry a .38 snub with a speedloader and a speedstrip, or a 9m with one spare mag. But, the reloads are more force-of-habit from my days on the job and/or security blanket than anything else. If I can't solve the immediate problem with what I've got in the gun, it probably wasn't an "immediate" sort of problem, was it? Frankly, I, too, doubt that a bad guy is going to give you time to clear a magazine failure, or dump and reload a snubby, if he wasn't impressed by your initial efforts.<br /><br />Having said that, I'll also say that, if you're the one on the sharp end, I'm not going to criticize whatever security blanket you need to get you through the night. Just be honest with yourself and admit that it's a security blanket, and not likely to be decisive in and of itself...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472522213724665613.post-5456456465678781872010-01-19T00:10:36.675-06:002010-01-19T00:10:36.675-06:00Spot on David!Spot on David!Xavierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00036652456691021642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472522213724665613.post-31303577561887964902010-01-18T19:51:48.775-06:002010-01-18T19:51:48.775-06:00I carry a spare 5 round full moon clip for my S/W ...I carry a spare 5 round full moon clip for my S/W 940 9mm snub. Think that's enough?Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16718266524335017117noreply@blogger.com