When Robert Ruarke admonished us to use enough gun, he was talking about hunting dangerous game in Africa. But, the armed citizen knows that one might have to deal with all sorts of dangerous encounters. In considering personal defense, “use enough gun” certainly applies, and it should affect our choice of the handgun we carry for personal protection. However, not everyone’s situation is the same.
The urban dweller is primarily concerned with the human criminals that might need to be dealt with. However, they are also concerned about the community that they have to live in. There may be concerns about work restrictions and the general atmosphere of the community which may not be very gun friendly. A small semi-auto or revolver, capable of being carried in a pocket holster, may be the choice that they have to live with. So be it. By carefully choosing the right gun and ammo, plus adequate training and practice, they can deal with the situation.
On the other hand, when this same armed citizen is planning their annual camping trip to the western mountains, they might need to rethink everything. The choice of defense gun didn’t suddenly go bad, it’s just that the situation has changed.
I live in the rural Southwest and, in addition to bad guys, I need to use my carry gun to deal with various varmints. My personal defense gun gets used against coyotes and bobcats that are after young domestic stock. In addition, we have a small population of black bear and a healthy population of mountain lions; although we rarely see them, the potential for danger is there. I am much better served with a .357 Mag. or .44 Spl., 3- to 4-inch barreled and target sighted. Fortunately, my community is gun friendly and the need for deep concealment is not a real issue. If I lived in the northwest, I would probably consider carrying an even more powerful handgun due to the presence of the big bears.
In short, we ought to carry enough gun to deal with our current situation, whatever that might be. In addition, I would suggest that a person carry the biggest, most powerful handgun that they shoot well and conceal, given the customs of their location. When the location and situation change, the armed citizen may very well change what, and how, they carry. All that works when we are careful about the guns that we select and our ability with them. Being well informed and taking advantage of training and practice are the key. By all means, use enough gun.
