Fun thread, but I view most of this as fantasy. Worthwhile fantasy perhaps, but still fantasy. It certainly doesn't hurt to discuss and think about various situations, and even be prepared for some variations of them. To me much has to do with the circumstances that lead me to having to rely on a gun in the first place.
How many people reading this thread actually own their "one gun".
Anyone who only has a single gun has already gotten their one gun. To me, it's a lot like having to pick one motorcycle. No doubt I can get by with a single bike, but it's nice to have options. I'm pretty convinced that if I'm ever forced into being reliant on a gun (not talking typical CC as we know it today), I will most certainly have more than one with me, or I will find myself SOL. It's a little bit like asking which of your kids would you save. If you really only save one, the choice was probably not yours in the first place.
I certainly hope that it does remain in fantasy land. But I think planning and making mental steps of what you would do in hairy situations could save your life in a multitude of situations. Your plane gets hi-jacked, you are taken hostage in a bank, you find yourself caught in the crossfire of a gang war, hurricane knocks your power out, Car goes off the road in the rockies during a blizzard. These are all survival situations and the seconds or minutes immediately following the incident where you make your first move can often times be the one that kills you or keeps you alive.
September 11 and you are in the world trade center while over the intercom they are telling you to stay put because everything is taken care of. Many people believed that something of that magnitude was only "fantasy", and remained at their desks. An ex special forces security officer instructed people on his floor that "if it feels wrong, it probably is wrong" and his entire floor made it to safety.
Looking in the news we see evidence of this "fantasy" becoming reality every day!
I also see many instances of people saying "when it comes to my family I'll do what it takes". I don't doubt that people will do what needs to be done to keep their family safe but a lot of these statements seem retroactive instead of proactive. Sort of we'll do what it takes when the situation arises. When the situation arises can you keep it together mentally to do it right? Are you physically ready to shoot when your heart is beating 150 beats per minute. Can you carry your wife or children up or down stairs and run with them to safety. Emotionally can you keep your wits knowing someone means to do your child harm. More thought might need to be given than just "if they mess with my family I'll stop at nothing". This is extreme but as an example if seal team 6 had my family I'm pretty sure my macho mentality wouldn't do anything positive for the situation. So what does it take to know when you are beaten and that putting the gun down to live and fight another day might be in you and your family's best interest?
Started reading the book and found it good, but then got loaned a book to read and wanted to get that one back to the owner. I've been wanting to get back to it since, but have been distracted with other things. That's the great thing about a book. It will wait for you.
"So what does it take to know when you are beaten and that putting the gun down to live and fight another day might be in you and your family's best interest?"
That is an excellent question. I have no ready, snarky, or glib answer for that. It's too complicated.
I do highly suggest that you try very hard to avoid shooting at law enforcement of any kind. There are a limited and rare number of circumstances where it's justified, legally and morally, but the odds of surviving them are slim too.
There's a planet's distance between legality and logic in some horrid events.
For example, a street gang ( say, 6 youths, seems to be a common number locally ) accosts you, and it becomes evident that just taking your money isn't the goal. ( money isn't worth your life, almost always ) A new guy is going for membership and he must now kill you, a random stranger. Oh joy.
Are you justified in killing the teenager trying to kill you? Yes, usually, legal, usually...depending...
Are you justified in killing the other 5 people? Not legally, but it may be not only the only way to survive that evening, but to protect your family from vengeance.
There is actually, in some places laws against "aggravated self defense".
Running away is often much smarter than fighting. But if you have to fight, go big. I could be wrong. Use your big head.
Currently looking in local shops for a Paraord LDA alloy frame Commander variant. Anyone use a LDA? Opinions?
Tom, I had my doubts about a Para LDA, like many do until I tried one. Not at all like a "normal" DA pistol. It felt like an older Colt Python revolver; smooth, not too heavy and with a nice crisp letoff. Try one and you'll most likely love it. I do now, though, prefer my Glock 30 w/13 round mags. and a Consistent, 5 lb trigger pull.
Consensus on the web seems to be, Trigger good, but different. Slower than a SA 1911, with a long reset.
Good construction, with some complaint about the short 3" barrel versions & the Recoil spring assy. That's a common complaint on all shorter than Commander length 1911 clones, it just may be that the design is near it's limits. John Moses Browning never intended to build a pocket pistol in the 1911, and the engineering to make a big gun smaller varies in execution from company to company.
Other complaints are the difficult and complex frame/trigger disassembly. Since I seldom take a gun down to the bare frame, and have access to an ultrasonic cleaner big enough for a 1911 frame, I suppose a combination of learning new tricks and spray cans of CLP would do me.
Finally, the Para Ordnance 1911's including the LDA's use the Colt 80's series firing pin safety. This uses the trigger to move a pin/rod that blocks the firing pin from going forward. On a SA 1911, the Series 80 safety is widely reviled as A Bad Thing that makes the trigger pull crunchy and crappy. ( 1911 fans are usually very into good triggers... )
Kimber OTOH uses a version of the Swartz system, which uses the Grip safety to unlock the firing pin. ( In "series II" 1911's ) Wilson uses a Ti firing pin and heavy firing pin spring to solve the same issue. ( dropping a 1911, muzzle down, and having momentum slide the pin into a primer...... causing an AD )
While I've seen, heard, and read about AD's of MANY kinds, That One I haven't seen any data on. Most AD's I have witnessed are do to either the usual belief than the gun is unloaded ( Rule 1 ) Or re-holstering and having cloth/finger/strap catch the trigger.
Most of the "gun was loaded?" bangs I've seen were from modern polymer pistols that required a pull of the trigger to remove the slide. ( at IPSC and IDPA events ) There's even a market now for "muzzle safe" kevlar patches on bags, etc. to catch the bullet. ( A "Check the Chamber, stupid" patch would save nearly as much property damage, IMHO ) The rest of the "unloaded gun" AD's seem to be one second's of careless action, in a wide variety of different scenarios. ( see Rule 1 )
I know I sometimes come off as a Safety nazi. Still, I'm a geek, and like computer geeks, how the switches work is of interest to me.
Living in the Imperial State, I'm limited to 10 rd. magazines, and am "allowed" to load only 7. ( per last change in the NY SAFE act, an unconstitutional bill ) This means that a 7 round capacity 1911 is a better gun for us than a 17 rd 9mm of the same size. ( it also means that concealed carry smaller capacity guns make more sense... Why bother with a bigger, harder to hide ( and it MUST be Hidden in NY ) gun with no capacity advantage? )
Thanks for the input. While I often see used Kimbers, locally, I'll keep my eye out for a Para-ord LDA.