Presence, reliability, penetration.

As many of you likely have, I've seen some very unsettling video clips of folks being attacked by packs of literal two-legged animals. I reminds me of what I have read of the Mau-Mau resurrection, Africa the 1950's. Fanatical racial insurrection, politically motivated. Bottom line, ALWAYS carry. Something not present is of no use at all. Presence is paramount for a defensive piece, no matter the supposed effectiveness. A .25 in the pocket is far superior to the .45 locked in the glove box. It wins hands down every time.

My last ditch kit. The NEBO light is worth the extravagance. (yeah, those are my daily supplements, 27 of them, hopefully prolonging the inevitable surgery)

I'm reminded of the fellow robbing a bank with a sawed off single shot shotgun. He fired a round in the air to get attention. Now what Barney?! One heavy hitting shot that misses and then a jam is useless as well. The revolver is not dead by a long shot (no pun). Practice with both hands, dominant and weak to ensure function and do it with your carry ammo! Practicing with cheaper ball and not testing that $1.50 a shot JHP you carry with is asking for it. Does it even run in your gun? If not go ahead and carry ball, it works too. Reliability is a must. I remember seing a guy with a $800 SIG (I was jealous) at a CCW class tussling with it jamming every 3rd shot. It didn't like his ammo and he might have been limp wristing too. A little pocket gun made that gun look like a chump tool. Reliability is key too.

I have seen it on animals, mostly hogs. JHP expanding beautifully, just like the magazine adds, just under the skin. I saw some 400 gr. JHP from a .475 fail to reach vitals! Were the same gun shooting cast bullets would have shot through both sides of the creature. I've done it myself. It's no good if you can't reach vitals to incapacitate. A firearm works by projecting your will, via projectile, to disrupt nerves or cardio vascular activity by varied means. A 50 gr. pill that penetrates to the heart ventricles is far superior to a 115 gr. that expands in fat and stops on the breast plate. Penetration, do you have it, summer and winter, thick and thin? Maybe ball is not such a bad thing, every time.

Just some stuff to think about. The little pocket revolvers are a reliable deterrent. Hopefully you can hit your ass with both hands, might practice some to see. Don't shoot one of your fingers off. The smaller the gun the more difficult to wield much less in a hurry. But it's nice to have something. Would it inflict a telling wound? You might test that in some method for your own satisfaction. A .22 LR from a 4" barrel will penetrate one fresh 2x4 but not two of them.

If you find one of these I highly recommend them. It's a re-thought Spanish version of the Colt 1905. It has three safeties that are useful, well thought, and less obtrusive. Grip, mag disconnect, and lever/slide catch. I can worry a 25 yard gong, and it shoots EVERY time, all the time, with 50 gr. FMJ. Even upside down! I paid $150, most are around $300.

Robert Ruark carried a small piece during the Mau-mau uprising. I know it was not "Enough Gun" and he did too. But it was there. I'm trying to follow suit and always have one there. Even if it's JUST a .25 that works, for the sake of my family.