Is there statistical research on what works for PD?

[Magoo541]

Joe Carillo was on the New York stake out squad and was involved in numerous gun fights and was a competitor.  I remember him telling the story about his first shooting and seeing his sights so clearly he could count the serrations on the front sight blade.  3 shots in 3 seconds=3 dead guys.

Massad Ayoob says it best, shooting contests aren't a gunfight but a gunfight is a shooting contest.

You won't get better if you don't train and shooting at a static target from a stationary position bulls-eye style is not training for self defense.  The LE you mentioned may have been good at poking holes but found out the hard way his training was inadequate.

[tombogan03884]

The most effective self defense fire arm is the one that's always with you.
A .22 in your pocket has much more stopping power than a .44 magnum you left home.
After that comes what are you comfortable shooting and the best way to answer that is to shoot a bunch of different types and calibers as you have been doing .
You didn't say where you had gotten the guns,I'm guessing your friends are saying "here, try this".
In case you were not aware most, if not all, indoor ranges have rental guns available that will let you try further types and calibers.
After that comes the cost factor.
Then, pick an action  (semi Auto/ revolver )( Single action/ or double action ) in a caliber you are comfortable with, in a price range you can afford.
As for the long gun, since it will be a "house gun" while a shotgun is fine, and can be had for reasonable money, you will want to consider what your wife can comfortably shoot as well, since it is possible that she will need to use it.
She may be fine with the shot gun, you may want to consider a pistol caliber carbine, or you may want to buy her her own long gun.
Regardless of what you get for protection, you should include a .22 LR rifle, and pistol since they are much less expensive to shoot than other calibers, and they are fun  

Joe Carillo was on the New York stake out squad and was involved in numerous gun fights and was a competitor.  I remember him telling the story about his first shooting and seeing his sights so clearly he could count the serrations on the front sight blade.  3 shots in 3 seconds=3 dead guys.

Massad Ayoob says it best, shooting contests aren't a gunfight but a gunfight is a shooting contest.

You won't get better if you don't train and shooting at a static target from a stationary position bulls-eye style is not training for self defense.  The LE you mentioned may have been good at poking holes but found out the hard way his training was inadequate.

What Magoo posted is true, but only up to a point, any time spent practicing the fundamentals of sight picture, and trigger squeeze is good training for shooting.
If you just plain can't shoot all the Tommy Tactical training in the world will not do you a bit of good.
Start with Safety training, move on to learning how to shoot, then you will get the most benefit from training focused on Self defense.
Then Practice man, practice. This is where the .22 comes into its own with ammo under $5 a box opposed to center fire ammo at $15+
There are also "dry fire drills" that you can do at home.

http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=357.0

http://www.downrange.tv/videos/bruce-gray.htm

Here are some more video's on Concealed carry as well

http://www.downrange.tv/videos/ccw-demystified.htm

[kmitch200]

If you do not feel your life is in danger (when a gun would be an inappropriate response ) the use of Pepper spray or other non lethal defense item is called assault and YOU will be the one going to jail.
If there are more than one attacker you will wind up with that light shining out your butt.
And people will laugh at you and ask " why didn't you carry a gun ?"

I call Mall Ninja Bullllsheeet!    If you are assaulted, you have every right to defend yourself and you can use non-lethal means to do so.
You are only going to jail if YOU assault someone with OC spray. 

In what circumstances would you use OC spray or a light in self-defense?  Deadly force is clearly valid in cases of imminent grevious bodily harm or death, what is short of that were the application of OC/taser/bright light/club is valid?
I guess what I'm getting at is if you aren't in immediate/immenent danger you can run away or am I missing something?

I'm too old to run and too fat to hide. Having 35% disability in one leg, running isn't an option any more.
Not all attackers have their "hands full". The aggessive panhandler who doesn't want to take no for an answer, the drunk who thinks it's time to be a badass. 
Geez guys, use your imagination a little. Watch The Best Defense. You really want to shoot these people for buffoonery?

Do a search on Harold Fish.
Ask yourself if he might have been better served with a can of OC spray rather than using his 10mm and ending up in prison and $500,000 in legal fees. His 10 yrs in prison was overturned with the conviction. The 1/2 million debt is still his.....and he "won".
His gun was the ONLY option he had with him.

All I'm trying to say is - keep the weapon as an option but it doesn't have to be the ONLY option.

[Magoo541]

Do a search on Harold Fish.
Ask yourself if he might have been better served with a can of OC spray rather than using his 10mm and ending up in prison and $500,000 in legal fees. His 10 yrs in prison was overturned with the conviction. The 1/2 million debt is still his.....and he "won".
His gun was the ONLY option he had with him.

All I'm trying to say is - keep the weapon as an option but it doesn't have to be the ONLY option.

Did you happen to catch Massad Ayoob's interview with Tom Gresham on Guntalk a few weeks back?  Mas elegantly dealt with this case and if you listen close you'll see that Mr. Fish was poorly represented yet still alive.  Are you sure pepper spray would have caused the attacker to cease hostilities?  Would you bet your life on it?  BTW if a man charged me after I fired a shot at his (dangerous?) dogs and I were disabled I would have feared for my life (clearly he isn't afraid of a gun), so where was he wrong?  Just because the DA charged him and got a conviction doesn't mean Mr. Fish was wrong.  In fact they are changing the law so that it can't happen again.

As a healthy mobile man, with the ability to put the hurt on someone if I need to, I don't have first hand knowledge of the challenges of disabled people.  But my wife and father-in-law both have MS and face extremely different challenges-she is mobile but has anxiety problems, he is in a wheel chair but has no problem leaving the house/state/country. My father-in-law carry's a gun-sometimes, his prerogative, but hasn't ever felt the need to carry pepper spray. That being said I am not a fan of pepper spray, it has little affect on me and I have NO faith in its ability to dissuade an aggressor.  But I would carry one of those Scottish club/walking sticks if I was less mobile, it gives you a chance to create distance to bring a gun into the fight.

[tombogan03884]

A couple other things Mitch overlooks, first off, lights don't bother aggressive dogs, second, the fog type pepper sprays aren't worth a crap out doors, the stream type that are more effective take more accuracy than a pistol since they require an face hit. That kind of accuracy is a challenge with a pistol with sights, never mind a spray device.

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[kmitch200]

Are you sure pepper spray would have caused the attacker to cease hostilities?  Would you bet your life on it?  BTW if a man charged me after I fired a shot at his (dangerous?) dogs and I were disabled I would have feared for my life (clearly he isn't afraid of a gun), so where was he wrong?  Just because the DA charged him and got a conviction doesn't mean Mr. Fish was wrong.  In fact they are changing the law so that it can't happen again.

I never said I was sure about spray, just as I'm not sure about handgun effectiveness either. Shotguns and rifles are MUCH more positive than the popgun handguns in any popular, commonly carried caliber. (have a plan B and plan C) We carry handguns because it's easier. Fish could have used the spray on the dogs and maybe he wouldn't have needed to fire a shot to try to scare off the dogs.
I also never said Harold Fish did anything wrong. They had to change the venue from Payson to Flagstaff (treehuggerville) so he could get hosed by a corksoaker of a prosecutor and 12 people too stupid to get out of jury duty. He eventually got freed and he's still severely fooked. And remember, He Won!!     
 
I SAID LESS THAN LETHAL WAS AN OPTION. That means optional, as in: You can carry it or not while you carry your gun. I have never said INSTEAD of your gun.  

A couple other things Mitch overlooks, first off, lights don't bother aggressive dogs, second, the fog type pepper sprays aren't worth a crap out doors, the stream type that are more effective take more accuracy than a pistol since they require an face hit. That kind of accuracy is a challenge with a pistol with sights, never mind a spray device.

No shit - that's an apples and watermelons comparison drawn up from.....I don't know what. Now you're just making crap up.
Nobody mentioned anything about using a light on dogs.
Pepper spray DOES work for dogs quite well, at least the dogs I've used it on. To equate spray with pistols you would have to use a Glock 18 as the pistol example. The spray is "full auto" and can be adjusted on the fly. I've never used the fog type because I've always wanted a stream. They have their drawbacks too, so if conditions aren't right, go to plan A. You know, that OPTIONS thing.


 

[MikeBjerum]

Make a plan, evaluate your plan, prepare for your plan, evaluate your plan, practice your plan, add to your plan, subtract from your plan, evaluate, prepare, practice, evaluate, etc, etc, etc, etc, ...

There is no perfect plan, and there is no one size fits all plan!  Tools, abilities, situation all change what is best, and what will work.

There are plenty of reports of sprays and electronic guns crippling and killing, just like a lead projectile kills (remember that chemical spray and electrodes are also propelled objects just like a chunk of lead moved by gunpowder).  You are better served to follow my first line, practice it, document it, and live it.  That is better cyb than a million dollar lawyer, a good insurance policy, or always worrying about the what ifs.