There are people who support gun rights who really dislike guns but want to defend themselves. To the point where they tool-up and [perhaps] get their concealed carry permit (void where prohibited by law or where freedom rings). True story. Given the owners’ limitations, here are my three recommendations for reluctant gun owners . . .
1. TASER Pulse
Some people are incapable of shooting another human being, even if a bipedal bastard poses an imminent, credible threat of grievous bodily harm or death. Others can’t imagine jumping through the hoops needed to get a license to carry.
These people should not be defenseless. Not when they can buy and carry a TASER Pulse — straight from Amazon.com. I know: there’s no guarantee a “stun gun” — which is a gun — will stop a determined attacker. But the TASER Pulse is way better than nothing.
[Note: The Supreme Court recently rejected licensing schemes for conducted electrical weapons (CEWs). Some states have yet to recognize the ruling. Check your local law.]
If nothing else, the TASER Pulse looks like a gun.
Perceived wisdom holds that most defensive gun uses end without a shot fired. A perp sees a gun and decides to cease and desist. As a stun gun that looks like a “real” gun — barrel, trigger, muzzle and all — the Pulse provides far better bad guy intimidation than devices that look like electric shavers, and/or require physical contact.
Also setting the TASER Pulse apart: it delivers a 30 second charge. The company recommends owners shoot the attacker, put the gun down and run. Send them a police report and they’ll replace it for free.
2. Ruger LCR
People who hate guns — but want one anyway — aren’t comfortable with large guns — even though larger, heavier guns are easier to control and thus more accurate. They’re too deadly-looking. (Go figure.)
Let’s face it: non-gun guy folks aren’t going to practice loading, reloading or firing their handgun. They’ll probably never clean it. Nor will they spend the trial-and-error time and money needed to find an appropriate holster or holsters.
A small revolver is the answer.
The Ruger LCR is dead simple [sic] to operate, it’s small enough not to be intimidating (to the reluctant owner) and it’s gun enough to be intimidating (to the bad guy). While I would never recommend it, it’s a handgun that can sit loaded in a secure spot for decades and still function should push come to ballistic shove.
The LCR gets the nod over other excellent snubbies due to its class-leading patented trigger. Just as a beginning piano player will play a Steinway better than a cheap piano, an inexperienced shooter will shoot an Ruger LCR more accurately than its rivals.
Gun-averse buyers are style-driven. All those gun guy arguments about caliber, capacity, ergonomics and reliability are given no more attention than Charlie Brown’s teacher. They prefer guns that look “friendly.”
I reckon the Ruger Mark IV is as freundlich a firearm as you can get in semi-automatic form — especially in silver. It’s not a monolithic block; you get a distinct barrel, a grip and a trigger. It doesn’t look “cop” or “bad guy.”
The Ruger Mark IV is also a .22 with a long sight radius, which makes it painlessly fun to shoot. Which should (but probably won’t) encourage its owner to shoot it every now and then. With its one-button takedown, they might even clean it.
Yes, there are holsters for the gun. More than that, there’s now an excellent selection of .22-caliber hollow-point ammunition for that extra measure of probability that its owner can stop a violent attack.
Given the importance of shot placement for armed self-defense, given how easy the Ruger Mark IV is to shoot, given its ten-round capacity, given that any gun is better than no gun, Ruger’s target pistol is a viable choice for handgun owners who have one because they feel they have to, not because they want to.