I recently visited The Firearm Blog, where I read an article about the DoubleTap pistol production being halted. It seems that manufacture of this much anticipated
pistol has been put on hold, not due to any fault in the pistol's
design but due to problems with the manufacturing company reportedly being
unable to get the job done. The DoubleTap is, as the name implies, a 2 shot
pistol. Besides the round in each barrel, it also holds two rounds, in the
grip, for a single full reload. It has a titanium frame, ported interchangeable
barrels and it is slated to become available in both 9mm and .45 ACP. It is, as
far as I see it, a new age, high tech, double barreled Derringer.
Seeing that article at The Firearm Blog got me to thinking -
why would anyone want to carry a two shot pistol. While these little pistols
look neat and as if they would be fun to shoot, I see major disadvantages with
relying on a 2 shot pistol of any make or model for self-defense and I think
there are better options available. In fact, I would rather be armed with a
semi-automatic pistol in .22LR, like a Beretta 21A Bobcat, than a two shot 9mm
or .45 Auto. Before you call me crazy and before you tell me what a great
man-stopper is the .45 ACP and how inadequate is the .22LR, allow me to tell
you why I would prefer such. Then, after I am done with that, let me offer some
higher caliber alternatives than the .22LR - all that beat out a two shot pistol
for self-defense in my estimation.
First of all, think about why you want a 2 shot pistol. My
guess would be that you want it as a last ditch back-up gun or as a very
concealable self-defense piece. In each of those cases, self-defense is the issue.
If you want one because it looks cool, or because it looks like fun, or because
it is something different - that would be another issue and maybe this post
will bore you to tears. If you want it for self-defense read on. Now think
about self-defense. Preferably, you would be carrying around a rifle or shotgun
as a primary self-defense weapon with a pistol as backup for that application.
In most populated areas though, carrying a rifle is impractical and often
illegal. So you choose a pistol. Maybe you have a need to have it be very
concealable; you want something small. Could be it is a back-up for your
regular handgun or it could be your only handgun although I would hope not. A 2
shot pistol possibly would seem to fit the bill nicely. Remember though, I said
think about self-defense. So, think about the type of situations in which you
may find yourself needing to defend yourself or family (or other innocents).
Then consider whether two shots would be the best way to face your assailants
in those situations. Think about that not only if your 2 shot would be your
primary handgun but also if it was a back-up, since once you have to go for the
back-up you are drawing your then primary but albeit two shot gun. Really –
take a few moments at least, maybe even minutes, to think about a bad situation
in which you may need to defend yourself and you having only a 2 shot pistol or
a 2 shot as a back-up and you need that back-up now!
What have you come up with in your thoughts? Did you realize
that a 2 shot pistol would be woefully inadequate in many, maybe even most,
situations in which you may be confronted by armed criminals who are ready,
willing and able to do serious harm to you or your loved ones? Most criminals
do not act alone. They usually have accomplices or so my Law Enforcement
training and experience had always taught me. Even my off duty experience
taught me likewise when I was assailed by two armed robbers one night long ago.
I have been the target of criminals several times - both while on the job and
while on the job and almost every time I was targeted by multiple bad guys.
Such instances, before I carried a firearm included having a knife held to my
throat during what amounted to a riot in a subway car, once having a crazed
junkie attack me with a knife, twice being followed by thugs who obviously were
thinking of robbing me (no I am not a mind reader but could read the signs they
gave). After I started carrying a gun on the job, the amount of encounters I
had with evil doers intent on harming me rose markedly, that was a hazard of
that type of work. These incidents included: an illegal alien grabbing (but not
getting) my pistol and trying to shoot me with it (but leaving a bite scar on
my left bicep), a group of at least a half dozen illegal aliens beating me
while helping a prisoner escape my custody, with one trying to disarm me and
one calling for at least 20 to 30 others to beat me to death (I am still here
but suffered bruises and a fractured sternum at the time), two dirtbags
attempting to mug me in an armed encounter, and Heaven knows how many
encounters of teams of bad guys who were armed or who resisted during raids and
other such operations. By now I guess you have noted that almost every time,
there were multiple assailants and in the instances where there was only one,
the situation was such that I might not have been able to have assured the best
accuracy had I needed to fire my weapon. Indeed, I fired in at least a couple
of those situations. Once as a warning shot (never will do that again) and once
I hit the bad guy. Granted, I only fired two shots in that particular encounter
but had they not fled the scene, I would definitely have needed more. I know of too many others who have been involved in incident where they had to shoot in self defense and they had to fire many more than two shots. So, while I
am very willing to bet my bottom dollar that the majority of cases in which you
may need to defend yourself against bad guys will involve more than one
criminal, I am not willing to bet that I or you would be so lucky as to need
only one or two shots (in the gun) in any such an encounter. I certainly would not
want to face down multiple assailants with only two rounds in my gun and then find out I needed more when it was too late. Thus
the reason I would prefer 8 rounds of .22LR over only two of 9mm or .45 Auto or any
other caliber. If that is not enough reason for you to
realize that a 2 shot pistol is lacking, then allow me to give a few more
reasons why I think that way.
Beside the facts that criminals usually work in groups of two
or more and often target lone individuals, putting their victims at a tactical
disadvantage, there are other reasons to prefer an 8 shot small caliber pistol
over a two shot large caliber pistol? Indeed there are several! I will cover a
few of them here to give you an idea. To begin with, let's think about you at
the time of an armed encounter with a bad guy or three. What is your condition
likely to be and how would that effect whether or not you would be better armed
with a 2 shot .45 or an 8 shot 22LR pistol (or something else I will discuss
later on)? Chances are that the criminals will have targeted you for a variety
of reasons. The reasons could be valid or invalid, you may seem weak or tired
or inattentive or otherwise an easy mark but you can rest assured that in the
great majority of cases you were not merely picked at random. Criminals usually
look you over first, they do what you should do, they assess the situation,
before trying to rob you or assault you. Be it you out for a late night walk
all alone, or it being late at night and all your house lights out, no dogs
barking, all quiet when they approach, or the factors of your age, your
apparent physical condition, if you just used an ATM or came out of a bank, you
seem lost, you are inebriated - the bad guys are opportunists. They look for
opportunity that gives them an advantage. Maybe you have thought of having the
upper hand too and you wisely went out, armed yourself and learned how to shoot
and defend yourself in a bad situation. The surprise, you may think, will be
the bad guys instead of on you.
Regardless of the scenario, in the majority of cases you
will be somewhat surprised if a criminal attacks you or threatens you with violence.
Even if not surprised, even if you saw it coming for a week, certain physical
things will take place that will change how you react in such an instance once
it begins. If you are fairly normal condition: your heart will beat faster,
adrenalin will be pumped into your system, your breathing rate will increase,
you will tense up, you may tremble, you will be afraid, your mind will race
making events seem to slow down, your hearing may become impaired, you may (in
fact likely will) develop tunnel vision even if only briefly, you may begin to
perspire profusely, and you may get dizzy or lightheaded as your blood pressure
changes and as adrenalin floods your system. That is just with you realizing
that a bad guy is coming at you with the intent to harm you. Imagine what
happens when he starts shooting. All of the above to a higher degree plus maybe
some other things like loss of control of bodily functions. The pucker factor
may come into play, the muscles controlling your bladder or sphincter may
simply fail to pucker. (Yes, I mean you may wet or dirty your draws or both.)
You also may start to cry, hallucinate and see the weapon in the thugs hands
turn into something benign (this happened to me, once, but that was too many
times). Remember too, the fight or flight reaction. It really is not that
simple. I see it as the fight or flight or freeze or comply reaction in such an
encounter. You may comply and give in to the demands of the bad guys and
essentially be at their mercy (if they have any), or freeze in fear like a deer
in the headlights and again put yourself at their mercy, or you may run away
and hopefully escape if you are faster than the bad guys (but what about your
ten year old daughter who was by your side), or you may engage in combat in an
attempt to protect yourself and hopefully come out the winner.
If you decide to do the latter, to engage your assailant(s)
and fight back - would you really be willing to do so with a 2 shot gun. Not
me, not if I had had the opportunity to better arm myself before such a
confrontation. That goes for my primary pistol as well as for my back-up. I see
no reason to give the bad guys any advantage, especially the benefit of me not
having enough ammo to engage more than one or two of them before needing to reload.
Add to that the fact that you may well be suffering from all of the above
physical reactions and now think about how well you would be able to shoot at
multiple attackers, or even one, while your mind and body are in that state.
Being al hyped up on adrenalin, trembling with fear or rage or maybe just from
the adrenalin, knowing your life or your loved ones’ lives depend on what you
do next, these are not what you are subjected to while you shoot at the range ,
are they? Are those mere two rounds of man-stopper .45 ACP, or any caliber,
still sounding like sufficient firepower to you? Maybe those 8 rounds of .22LR
suddenly begin to have a certain allure?
Does the little 22LR really have an advantage in such a
situation? Well, for sheer number of rounds in the gun, over a two shot pistol-
the answer is yes. I, or you, potentially could double-tap four bad guys, or
could shoot two bad guys four times each, before needing to reload. As for the
power of the rounds, they certainly lack what a .45 has to offer but they offer
many more shots with the potential for more well placed shots being in the
group and that may give you a much greater lifesaving advantage. Yes, I said
better placed multiple shots after I just talked about all those physical
effect that may throw off your accuracy. Here we go again, let’s use our little
gray cells. Think about it before reading on. Really, take a minute or two and
think about what I am getting at.
What did you come up with? Here is what I think: Even with
only two assailants, I think you would be better off with the eight round 22
pistol than the two shot 45. Have you ever tried to shoot immediately after
even a brief run of maybe 100 yards, or after doing some other physical
exertion that gets your heart beat up and you breathing just a bit heavily? Try
it sometime (do not do this if you are in poor health without first consulting
with a doctor as to what type of activity you can do). Go to the range. Ask
permission to do the following: Stand behind the line, a good distance from it
so as not to disturb other shooters and do 15 pushups, or as many as you can in
a half a minute or minute (make sure you exert yourself enough to get your
heart and breathing rates sped up a bit). Then immediately walk to the line,
pick up your pistol and shoot at multiple targets (make sure the line is hot
and not in a state of a ‘cease fire’ and that no one is down range and that you
are at the firing line before even touching your pistol). Then shoot at your
target set at 7 yards. If you can, shoot at moving multiple targets. Did I
forget to mention above that bad guys often move when they see you pointing a
gun at them; it is rare for them to pose for a shot as they would for a Kodak
moment (Google it if you do not understand it). You may also want to shoot as
you move (if allowed on your range) and shoot from both behind cover and while
in the open and from many different positions. Try the man down position if
your range allows it (you on the ground as if wounded since you may not be so
lucky as to get off the first shot and may be hurt badly by the time you
finally realize what is happening). See how accurate you are as opposed to say just
going to shoot at the range, and shooting from the bench or the line, without
having done any of what I just mentioned. Chances are great that your accuracy
will suffer somewhat if you try this.
Which way will it likely
happen on the street? Yes, you
may have an armed encounter someday, when you are just standing there and a bad
guy walks right up in front of you, say 7 yards away and he stops, stands
there, pulls out a gun and tries to rob you and you stand there, assume a
shooting position while you draw your pistol and then you get off the first
shot, stop him with that one shot, and come out of it unscathed– but I tend to doubt it. So, while you can
train and arm yourself with a 2 shot pistol for that last scenario – the one
like you were shooting a paper target at the range - I will keep on training and arming
myself as if I were preparing for a wide variety of situations that might take place,
some more likely than others, in which I would be much better prepared for
any of them if I had a pistol with more than 2 shots. I know that conditions
may have the bad guy or me moving, I know that there may or may not be cover, I
realize I may be surprised, I know that I may be shot before I even know what
is happening or have time to act, I know there may be multiple bad guys, I know
I am going to be thinking at the speed of lightning or faster and will have
thoughts like holy moly these guys are really trying to kill me, I know I may
tremble with fear, I know I may be scared, I realize I know that there may
actually be a warm wet feeling down my pants, and I know all of that can affect
how I shoot and therefore I would prefer more rounds than two, even if only in
.22LR and even if there was only a sole attacker let alone multiple assailants.
Still not convinced that a pistol with 8 shots of .22LR, and
a spare magazine or two fully loaded (don’t ever forget to carry at least one
full reload) can be better to carry than a larger caliber pistol with only two
shots loaded and two in reserve, then let me mention a couple of other things.
Accuracy may also suffer due to physical characteristics of your firearm and
how those characteristics affect your shooting ability. This would likely be on
subsequent shots, after the initial one, due to the fact you may be shooting a
very small framed but large caliber pistol like a 45 Derringer and the recoil
makes firing this gun less controllable for follow-up shots. That recoil, in
such a small pistol, will almost assuredly affect your grip after each shot. If
your grip is affected, it could affect your accuracy in a negative way. A round
with less recoil is much easier to get back on target for follow up shots -
especially in a very small framed pistol with small grips. Thus you are more
likely to have better placed follow-up hits on target with a smaller caliber
than with the much larger round in a similarly sized small gun.
The last thing that I will cover are reloads. I just
mentioned above, you should always make sure you have at least one full reload
available for your handgun. Okay, use those little gray cells again and give
that a bit of thought. Would you be better off with 7 rounds to reload (an 8
shot semi-auto pistol would have a magazine with 7 round capacity considering
the 8th round would be in the chamber) and a two shot pistol would have two
shots available. Which could you reload more quickly? Think about reloading the
two shot 45. You probably would do it by grabbing one bullet at a time and
placing them into each barrel. If you had some decent small amount of training,
you would grab both bullets at once and place both into the barrels
simultaneously. Seems easy, try it under even moderate stress. Then try to
reload the semi-automatic pistol with a magazine containing a full complement
of rounds. That would be seven rounds in the 22 auto I have been using as an
example. If you were the average shooter, you could reload and have another 7
round in your pistol, ready to shoot, as fast as or likely faster than you
could reload two rounds into that 45 caliber two shot pistol. Thus you could
reassess the situation, reacquire the target (if you lost sight of it while
reloading) and fire again if need be faster with the 8 round semi-auto pistol.
Remember - multiple assailants, remember accuracy maybe not quite good enough
for a mere two shots, remember the pucker factor may have failed you and your
pants are drooping, and remember you want to hit each assailant multiple times,
if need be, to get them to stop being a threat of serious bodily injury or to
your life. Sure that 45 is supposedly a one shot man-stopper - just tell that
to the third or fourth or fifth bad guy when you have a 2 shot gun.
So you are not convinced yet that an 8 shot semi-automatic
pistol in .22LR would be a better choice than a two shot 45 pistol. Okay, I'll
grant you that a .22LR round is much less powerful than a 45 Auto. (Please
note, if you have not figured it out yet, this is not a 45 Auto versus any
other caliber round debate, this is a post about the merits of a magazine fed
small semi-auto compared to a large caliber 2 shot pistol.) So what other
options are there when a very small pistol is what you need. Why not consider
something in .32 Auto, .380 ACP or even in 9mm. There are many small pistols in
those larger calibers on the market today. Some are right around the same size
as a .45 ACP caliber 2 shot pistol and hold more 3 to 4 times as much ammunition
when loaded. They would all be worth serious consideration as primary or
back-up handguns, for all the same reasons as would be a pistol chambered in
.22LR, plus they are larger and more powerful than the .22LR. So, if your
overwhelming need is for a very compact pistol for self-defense and you were
considering, or currently carry, a 2 shot pistol of any caliber for that
purpose, why not reconsider and think about getting yourself a high quality,
small framed, semi-automatic pistol. It may tilt the odds in your favor
someday and have you coming out as the winner in a gunfight as opposed to you
running out of ammo and being carried out in a body bag.
The bottom line for me: I may someday get myself a two shot pistol
for shooting fun but I am not about to carry one in any caliber, as either a
primary or backup piece when something that I think is better is available to me.
All the best,
Glenn B
