"a handgun is only good to fight your way to a rifle"

[mikeyp]

So where does this statement(or whatever variation you use) come from? If a handgun round has a bigger projectile(especially a JHP that expands) why are some people so crazy about a rifle round for home defense? Wouldn't you want something larger to damage someone and drop them? I can see if the blue helmets are roaming the streets and you want to pick them off lol. What's the benefit of a rifle round that is smaller and faster? Not trying to start a flame war, I just want to understand where the idea comes from.

 

[not new guy]

Velocity and range.

 

[mikeyp]

But for home defense, if someone breaks in, wouldn't a handgun be better? You don't need the range inside your place, unless you have a really long hallway, right?

 

[dessert1st]

But for home defense, if someone breaks in, wouldn't a handgun be better? You don't need the range inside your place, unless you have a really long hallway, right?

Shotgun. BOOM

 

[not new guy]

But for home defense, if someone breaks in, wouldn't a handgun be better? You don't need the range inside your place, unless you have a really long hallway, right?

Does that "fight your way back to your rifle" quote have anything to do with home defense against intruders already in the house though? I don't think it does.

Just my opinion, but I'll take a handgun over a long gun against one or two intruders inside my house any day.

 

[mikeyp]

Does that "fight your way back to your rifle" quote have anything to do with home defense against intruders already in the house though? I don't think it does.

I've seen it thrown around in different contexts, but some people have flat out said only thing a handgun is good for is fighting your way to your rifle, granted some were being obvious lol

 

[noxin]

most people are more accurate with a rifle? Longer sight radius, more control of the firearm, etc, etc

 

[Cap]

Rifles are more accurate, have greater capacity, are easier to control, and fire projectiles with my greater energy. Isn't the answer apparent?

 

[not new guy]

I've seen it thrown around in different contexts, but some people have flat out said only thing a handgun is good for is fighting your way to your rifle, granted some were being obvious lol

The first time I heard/read it was in Boston's Gun Bible.

Handguns are important because they're concealable and maybe a little more maneuverable in close quarters. A rifle can be wielded in close quarters too, but good luck carrying one around with you all day. I think the saying is acknowledging that a rifle is a superior weapon in most circumstances (maybe even HD), but since you can't stick one in your pocket carry a pistol to get you back to your rifle.

 

[Deleted member 12999]

Because you cant put a single point sling on a pistol like a badass.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

 

[ChevyGuy91]

most people are more accurate with a rifle? Longer sight radius, more control of the firearm, etc, etc

More magazine capacity, better killability, with a sling you can drop it and empty your hands with out losing control of it, operator status, on the primary slaying bodies.

 

[jhagberg88]

id go with a 7in SBR in 5.56

 

[todd c]

in almost all circumstances i can think of i'm grabbing my rifle first, the hand gun is just if and when i run out of rifle rounds. to answer your question if someone has a hand gun beside their bed and rifles are locked up in another room this is where the saying might come from, which i see as a high possibility.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

to answer your question if someone has a hand gun beside their bed and rifles are locked up in another room this is where the saying might come from, which i see as a high possibility.

Or a rifle in your truck and a pistol in your waist.

 

[atilla]

Because you cant put a single point sling on a pistol like a badass.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

challenge accepted.

pics when i get home from work.

 

[FSTC]

Clint Smith (pre 9/11) training guy coined the phrase iirc.
"The purpose of the pistol is to fight your way to your rifle"

To frame the mindset. Picture this: You are on the back 40 of your ranch, your M1A is in your truck. You are accosted by ruffians, your truck is 25yds away.

Another "Old School" guy to study, is Jeff Cooper

 

[hurley431]

.

 

[Boris]

Clint Smith (pre 9/11) training guy coined the phrase iirc.
"The purpose of the pistol is to fight your way to your rifle"

To frame the mindset. Picture this: You are on the back 40 of your ranch, your M1A is in your truck. You are accosted by ruffians, your truck is 25yds away.

Another "Old School" guy to study, is Jeff Cooper

sound advice for his situation.


When I was a kid and saw a movie where a guy refuses to take up machinegun position. That made my 5 yo mind wander why. MG is so much cooler and deadlier than any pistol or rifle.

"that's because you are a bigger target and will be first priority to be eliminated" said my brother. Grow up kids.

Gun in a bush is worth 100 guns in your hand that Marsha knows about.

 

[exo]

So where does this statement(or whatever variation you use) come from? If a handgun round has a bigger projectile(especially a JHP that expands) why are some people so crazy about a rifle round for home defense? Wouldn't you want something larger to damage someone and drop them? I can see if the blue helmets are roaming the streets and you want to pick them off lol. What's the benefit of a rifle round that is smaller and faster? Not trying to start a flame war, I just want to understand where the idea comes from.

Rifle rounds in general do a lot more damage than pistol rounds.

 

[Golddiggie]

Because you cant put a single point sling on a pistol like a badass.

Says who?? You just need the right pistol...

 

[Boris]

Rifle rounds in general do a lot more damage than pistol rounds.

not always true. Fast passing bullet can go through a body and even catheterize the wound in the process and a few walls, but a pistol round will most likely stay with your target.

 

[Evadd]

For me, it depends on the situation. Outdoors, I'd much rather have a rifle. Inside my current house, I'd rather have my rifle too, because the hallway is straight and there are open rooms. In our old houses, I'd rather have my handgun b/c the rooms were all small, and hallways were tight, short, and had corners, which would make even a short rifle difficult to use well.

 

[whatluck]

Says who?? You just need the right pistol...

View attachment 84972

lulz

To answer OP's question:

HYDROSTATIC SHOCK

 

[uvholic]

can't put a 203 on a pistol. and pistol bayos suck

 

[AllaSnackbah]

"The purpose of the pistol is to fight your way to the rifle you should never have put down."

Pretty sure Clint Smith said it as somebody else mentioned.

OP, a rifle or shotgun is generally deadlier than a pistol regardless of bullet diameter. Most people shot with handguns live. In my house, the G17 is on the nightstand for the girlfriend, and the ARs are in the safe. I'm grabbing a 12g Remington 870 express. Because its the deadliest thing I have that will hurt the least to see put in an evidence bag for what will probably be a long time.

 

[todd c]

not always true. Fast passing bullet can go through a body and even catheterize the wound in the process and a few walls, but a pistol round will most likely stay with your target.

i could be wrong but i'm under the assumption that when a high velosity round passes thru someone even though it may coaterize the hole the shock wave from the round ruptures bloode vessels and creates organ damage aswell.

 

[Deleted member 12999]

Semantics... ROFL

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

 

[EJFudd]

Because you cant put a single point sling on a pistol like a badass.

 

[Evadd]

not always true. Fast passing bullet can go through a body and even catheterize the wound in the process and a few walls, but a pistol round will most likely stay with your target.

Sure you mean cauterize.

Fast-moving projectiles may pass right through a body, but it's not just the hole they make. An projectile with a lot more speed carries a lot more energy to dissipate. The tissues around the hole also get disrupted, so something moving quickly may not always be a bad thing. That being said, there are a lot more factors to take into account, like the diameter of the hole, etc. A large pistol caliber with an expanding bullet may create a bigger cavity and still disrupt a lot of surrounding tissue. Bottom line is I don't think there is a 'perfect' solution, especially not for every situation.

 

[PaulD]

The MA State Police have kindly provided answers on why a rifle is better than a pistol.

http://www.mlefiaa.org/files/MPTC_NEWS/Patrol_Rifle_Student_Manual_2010.pdf