Amazing

There's more than a thousand words that I could say about this, but I'll let the pic do it. If you crave words, here you go. Just do yourselves a favor and look at the photo very carefully.

Hat tip: Jeff Harrell of The Shape of Days

Citizenship test

MSNBC.com has a sampling of the U.S. citizenship test online. Give it a try and let me know how you did. It's the honor system, but no Googling, alright? It's already multiple choice, something candidates don't get (it's actually an oral exam). I made 100%, but that includes guessing on at least 2 of them - the one about the naturalization form and the original 13 states. The latter was more of an educated guess that I had narrowed down to 2 answers.

Hat tip: Cam Edwards

24 and the War on Terror

There was an interesting panel recently held discussing the greatest show ever, 24, and its potrayal of the fight on terrorism. Among the attendees were the show writers, Tony Almaeda, Chloe O'Brien, (but no Jack), and Rush Limbaugh as the host. Cam Edwards has written a little review of it. For those interested in the video, it's here; I've heard there is a hilarious exchange between Rush and Carlos Bernard (Tony), but it's almost two hours long and I haven't had the time or patience to watch it yet.

More about me...

...than you ever really wanted to know. :p

You Are 48% Open Minded

You aren't exactly open minded, but you have been known to occasionally change your mind. You're tolerant enough to get along with others who are very different... But you may be quietly judgmental of things or people you think are wrong. You take your own values pretty seriously, and it would take a lot to change them.

How Open Minded Are You?

Personally, that's about 47% more than I thought I was. Have I mentioned my stubborn streak?

Your Seduction Style: The Charmer

You're a master at intimate conversation and verbal enticement. You seduce with words, by getting people to open up to you. By establishing this deep connection quickly, people feel under your power. And then you've got them exactly where you want them!

What Is Your Seduction Style?

I have no comment on this one whatsoever.

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have medium extroversion. You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party. Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences. But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time." Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness. You're generally good at balancing work and play. When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done. But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You're generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is low. You're a pretty conservative person, and you favor what's socially acceptable. You think that change for novelty's sake is a very bad idea. While some may see this as boring, many see you as dependable and wise.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Fairly accurate, I think.

Only in Georgia

So I'm browsing through the list of visitor tips for the Georgia Aquarium when I come across this wonderful little tidbit in there security section:

For the safety of our guests, everyone must go through the security checkpoints before entering the Aquarium. No guns, knives, lighters, matches or fishing poles are permitted inside Georgia Aquarium.

Has this really been a problem? A quick glance through the Tennessee and New Orleans aquariums' sites omitted the fishing pole reference, therefore I must assume that it's not been raised as an issue there. This is right up there with putting "Not for human consumption" on a tube of Preparation H. (shaking head)

Somebody needs a hug

Saw this at Espn.com this morning - a minor league coach has a serious meltdown (definitely watch the video). After a close play at second, the coach took umbrage with the umpire for calling the runner safe. It really went downhill from there. I can only hope that somebody within the organization is already taking action to fire this jerk.

At this same time, I hope some MLB umps take note of how the umpires in this video acted - after ejecting him, they just turned their backs and said nothing.

Dummies

No better time for an intro to my pal Moshe, who is coming towards the end of his tour of duty as a teacher in Spain. His most recent blog entry has to do with smokers, whom I affectionately refer to as dummies:

Today I was giving an English conversation class to Tamara and we began talking about smoking for some reason, and it occurred to me that my entire circle of maybe 20 friends here is composed of non-smokers. Not so abnormal for a group of Americans, but for Spaniards, it's quite rare. Everyone here smokes, even though it's obviously harmful. I have met many smokers my age who could have ended up in my circle of friends, but they didn't.

I didn't think much about why they didn't, and simply told her that non-smokers probably just have a personality more compatible with my own than a smoker does. She asked in what regard, and I said I wasn't quite sure, but after a few seconds' thought, I realized what it was. It is the concept of self-control.

He's on to something here, but I think it goes just a little bit further than a lack of self control. For those of you that have tried a cigarette, what was your first reaction? If it was like mine, it was a severe choking attack followed by sheer panic at realizing that a) your lungs are on fire and b) you can't breathe. Now the normal, rational person with an elementary school education would know that if your body just went through that kind of reaction to something, then you walk away (and usually never turn back).

It's also not quite like doing harder drugs - the effects of those, both harmful and "mind-altering" are quite well known before your first time. Cigarettes give the loser user a feeling of calm from the nicotine, but that is not a well known side effect to a non-smoker. Sure peer pressure plays in to it, but the simple fact is there is some wiring in lungers that is crossed wrong, something that says "even though you're choking to death now, you'll eventually get used to it and, after a period of time, will enjoy this new habit of yours before your addiction gets to you and you can't break away without medical intervention."

Somebody, if you think it would do any good, forward this to my sister.

What I'm...

Watching:

• My wife and I are hopelessly addicted to Lost. A few weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to see what all the hype was about, so I added the first disc to my Netflix list. We finally got around to watching it this past week, and I must say that through just the first 4 episodes, this is some of the best storytelling I've ever sat through; I can also see why nearly every person I know of that likes this show has turned in to a conspiracy theorist, mumbling about number sequences and black helicopters.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 6. Best. TV show. Ever.
• Catching up on some occasional older shows - NCIS; House; The Unit.
• Watching the Braves just absolutely implode.

Reading:

• The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw - a great compilation of stories from the WWII generation. It covers everything from the tales of the guys on the front lines to the home front, but more importantly it talks about their character. Sometimes it's kinda sad reading this knowing that this generation will never fully appreciate the lessons that can be learned from that quickly fading generation.
• Biggest Brother: The Life of Major Dick Winters - if you're not familiar with Dick Winters, go read and watch Band of Brothers. His WWII company saw some of the most brutal fighting, and his leadership and battlefield tactics are the reason that he brought his men through it all.

Playing:

• Resident Evil 4 - easily one of the best games I've ever played. Zombies, guns, and saving the girl - just nevermind the cheesy dialog.
• Mario Golf - The antithesis of R.E.4. A calming day on the greens of the Toadstool Tour is just what a guy needs.
• Advance Wars: Dual Strike - the game that got me to take the plunge for a Nintendo DS. Turn based strategy goodness at it's finest.
• Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town - Here's what a typical day consists of in this RPG/Life-game: waking up, lifting and setting down your puppy; tending to your cows and sheep, including milking and sheering and then shipping those items for money; brushing your horse; tending to your chickens and scooping up the eggs they laid overnight; harvesting, watering and planting crops if it's Spring, Summer, or Winter; spending time in the mines looking for precious jewels; fishing; and, somewhere in between, attempting to woo one of the local girls. Yeah, I know, doesn't really sound like much of a game. But I play it, nevertheless.

Listening to:

• Flyleaf - think Martika or Avril Lavigne crossed with Creed. A hard rocking band with a chick lead singer who's a Christian, though they do not label themselves as a Christian band - their lyrics do.
• Kutless - probably my Christian hard rock band du jour right now. While I was a little disappointed with Strong Tower, it's still a good CD.
• Air1 - this is my favorite internet radio station. Playing alternative Christian music with heavy doses of Jeremy Camp, Third Day, Kutless, Pillar, etc. Keeps me going through most of the work day.

Doing:

• Smoking, just not the harmfully addicting kind. I'm talking taking normally rough and tough pieces of mammal flesh and barbecuing them low and slow with a heaping helping of hickory or mesquite smoke to the point where they are tender, moist, sweet, and maybe just a little bit spicy - my first rub left my wife without the use of her taste buds for the day, though I think I got a nod of approval from her dragon-mouthed brother.

Guns 101, part VII: Safety

Part I: "Evil Guns"
Part II: "Why?"
Part III: The Law
Part IV: The 4 Commandments
Part V: Which type?
Part VI: Calibers

It's hard to have any discussion of firearms and not talk safety, which is a good thing. The big bad in terms of weapon safety is called an unintended discharge, or UD. In this post I'll address direct weapon safety, storage, as well as that age old question of whether or not you should have a loaded gun in the home.

The safety on a gun is usually a mechanical switch (see pic) that prevents the weapon from firing. Most gun owners and potential buyers like the idea of this, however I want you to think about it in a little different way.

For starters, no matter what kind of gun you get, there are always two safeties that come with it. The first one is your trigger finger; if you obey the 3rd commandment (keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on your target), this won't be a problem. Having good trigger discipline is a must when talking gun safety. The second safety you have is located between your ears, which for most people is their brain. Your trigger finger is controlled by this, as is the rest of your actions. Constantly reminding yourself of the 4 rules when a firearm is in your hands can save lives and make you more efficient if a crisis occurs and you must use deadly force to save your life or the lives of your family.

While those psychological safeties are in place, most manufacturers include mechanical safety switches, usually located toward the back of the gun near where the thumb is positioned when the gun is gripped (on semi-automatics; to my knowledge, there isn't such a safety on revolvers). When the safety is on, the gun is not able to fire.

Probably the most important safety on today's guns that I do look for is the internal safety. Most older guns lack this; if dropped at just the right angle, they will discharge sending a bullet in whatever direction the muzzle was pointed in. On some guns, like Glocks and Springfield XDs, this is used in conjunction with a trigger safety. These safeties have a little piece on the trigger that must be pressed down in order for the trigger to move at all (click the pic to the right for a much larger view; note there is also a grip safety that ensures the gun is in a hand before the firing pin is released).

With all that said, if it makes you feel better to have a gun with a lot of safeties, then by all means go that route. Just don't put your faith in them and allow that to compromise your following of the 4 firearm commandments.

The question of whether or not to have a loaded weapon in the house is one that always raises a few eyebrows. There's just something about having a "loaded gun" around that makes some people nervous - maybe they're afraid that it'll just magically go boom for whatever reason, or worse, they're afraid little hands may get on it.

We'll just debunk the magical discharge thing real quick - cops carry their weapon fully loaded every day. Soldiers carry their weapons fully loaded. Every law enforcement officer around carries a loaded weapon. When was the last time you heard of a gun discharging in a holster? If all those fully loaded guns can handle the bumps and grinds of daily life in the police force, I'm pretty sure it'll handle laying peacefully in a safe, under a car seat, or in the nightstand.

That said, this issue takes on a whole new meaning if you have young kids in the house - while a high shelf in the closet may have worked in the old days, it's just not suitable today. A safe is always a great idea, though I would recommend something that you can open quickly. A number of safes come with keys so that you may bypass the number pad or combination style lock. There are also a few that are made explicitly for quick access to your firearm. The key point to keep in mind is that the weapon is for self defense; in a crisis, will you have time to fumble with a lock to retrieve the weapon?

Here endeth the lesson. Get out to the range and have some fun, safely.

Eeyore Jeff meets his match

Jeff Rushing is a fellow blogger that until the past few months has lived the life of single man in the city, but no longer. On his whirlwind tour of the northeast, he proposed to his hunny, Valerie. Which just proves my theory that there is just something about ladies so named that puts a spell on a guy.

In other news, the Atlanta Bureau of Brother Ellsworth is seeking a new single member that we may live vicariously through. Apply with me, or with Mark. General qualifications: aforementioned singleness, jolly nature, headfull of random trivia, and the ability to suck at fantasy baseball.

Must be related somehow

This cat and my wife must somehow be related...

Guns 101, part VI: Calibers

Part I: "Evil Guns"
Part II: "Why?"
Part III: The Law
Part IV: The 4 Commandments
Part V: Which type?

This is an area that is hotly and regularly debated in the gun community. Browse any message board and you'll find guys preaching the "big and slow" vs. "small and fast" bullets. I'm not really wanting to wade in to that mess. What I do want to do is help clear the air a little and make some sense of the different calibers available.

A firearm cartridge is made of the bullet (top pic, upper shiny part) fitted in to a casing (top pic, bottom dull part). Inside the casing is the gun powder which is ignited when the firing pin on the gun is knocked forward by the hammer and detonates the primer (second pic, left cartridge, dented center). The resulting explosion forces the bullet out of the casing and propels it through the barrel of the gun.

Bullets are measured across the top in inches, though the most popular pistol round in the world is measured in metric, the 9mm (don't pay attention to the ruler in the pic here; I just wanted it for the primer). It can get quite confusing when deciding which one is best for you; the best way to find this out is to go try them. However, as a brief walkthrough:

• .22 - this tiny cartridge is the cheapest to buy, offers no recoil and little noise; however, it also has very little stopping power relative to personal/home defense. This should be regulated to fun shooting (often called plinking) or as a last resort. Good place for a beginner, especially for kids or even adults who have never held a gun before.
• .25 - very similar to the .22, except slightly larger. Best used for last resort.
• .32 ACP - in some European countries, this is the base caliber for self defense. In the U.S., it's generally the bottom line for a backup. Light recoil, little more noise than the .22. Note: ACP means automatic colt pistol; this cartridge is only available for a semi-automatic.
• .380 ACP - called the 9mm kurtz, or "short", this is where you start getting in to some real personal defense. This is mostly used in smaller semi-auto weapons that are easier to conceal. Loud, and can have some snap from the recoil; bigger bullet and smaller gun means more felt recoil. Ok for a beginner, but better suited to someone who has handled rounds with some kick.
• .38 Special - This little jewel was old faithful for the longest time for many in law enforcement. A little snub nosed .38 revolver is the backup gun of choice for many. Recoil is manageable, though at this point it really starts to depend largely on the weapon; there will be more kick with a snub nosed lightweight pistol than a 4" full framed model. A great place to start any beginning shooter of mature age, especially good for beginning women shooters.
• .357 magnum - quite possibly the most proven man-stopper on the planet, and yes, the bullet is actually a little smaller than the .38. A lot of blast and kick with this one, though if you hit, the target will go down. While there are some small revolvers that take this potent catridge, it's better suited to a medium or large framed pistol with at least a 4" barrel. Note: pistols made for the .357 mag round will also shoot .38 special ammo, which is significantly cheaper for target practice. If the recoil from shooting a .357 round is too much, you can always back down to a .38.
• .357 sig - this is the semi-auto version of the .357 mag, though it packs a little less power. Just wanted to mention it.
• 9mm - probably the most popular handgun caliber around. Semi-auto only with moderate recoil and noise, just a bit more than a .38 special. Most full sized pistols can have up to 15 or more rounds. A decent all around caliber for mature newcomers.
  
• .40 S&W - the new kid on the block in terms of calibers, this is now the preferred round of most police departments. Semi-auto only, but offers a good bit more stopping power than the 9mm, though it does sacrifice some capacity.
• .41/.44 magnum - these rounds are better left to advanced shooters that hike in bear/ mountain lion country. Lot of power, lot of kick, lot of noise. Not for beginners or smaller bodied people.
• .45 ACP - this is the epitomy of "big and slow"; the .45 is the largest bullet for semi-auto pitsols and is an effective manstopper. The government model 1911 (pictured right) is a classic design and to this day is still one of the most popular pistols. Most of these weapons are made out of steel, therefore making them heavier than polymer pistols (most often 9mm) and able to handle the kick. While many are able to start with this pistol, best to start with the 9mm and move up to this one when comfortable.

There are several more calibers, but those cover the main ones for defense consideration.

The final component to bullet selection is a little more advanced; it consists of bullet weight, measured in grains, and the bullet tip. Within each bullet type, there are several available weights. For the 9mm, the standard weight is 115 gr, though there is a wide variety available from 95 gr up to 147 gr (for self defense, I use 124 gr.). You can use this "sliding scale" of weights to find one that works best for you, the heavier bullets give you more power with a little more recoil.

Because we're talking about self defense here, I'll just mention the two main bullet tips for that purpose - full metal jacket (FMJ, left bullet) and jacketed hollowpoint (JHP, right). A FMJ bullet generally will hold it's form when it penetrates it's target, potentially passing through and traveling on. The hollowpoint, however, will expand or "mushroom" on penetration, causing a considerable amount of damage and transfering the maximum amount of energy to the target (thus the term "manstopper"). For self defense, the JHP is the way to go; however, some semi-autos have problems feeding these from the magazine in to the chamber. It's recommended that you fire about 200 to 300 rounds of a given brand of hollowpoints through your weapon without any jams or misfires before carrying this type of ammo in your weapon regularly. Revolvers, on the other hand, can be loaded and trusted with them right out of the box.

That's probably a bit more than an elementary look at bullets, but it's barely the tip of the iceberg. Next up, we'll talk safety.

Ding, dong

It's not an execution

A nightmare turned in to reality here in the Atlanta area recently:

When the red car passed by Jordin and the other youngsters on Monday, [9 year old] Jordin called out to the occupants that they had a bad wheel, police said.

The car stopped and a man in baggy clothes got out, approached the kids and then suddenly hit Jordin in the face with a hatchet, according to the police report. The car apparently took off, leaving the killer behind, Syblis said.

The police showed up:

When an officer tried to talk to Cabrera Borjas at the Chastain complex, he ran across Roswell Road to another apartment complex, said Syblis, the police spokesman.

Cabrera Borjas threw a tire at an officer, Alexis Powell, and broke the officer's arm, according to police. Then, Cabrera Borjas tried to come after Powell with a stick, police said.

Powell shot Cabrera Borjas and has been placed on routine administrative leave.

Borjas was pronounced dead at the hospital. The family, though, seems to think that he didn't do it and have hired a lawyer:

Meanwhile, a lawyer for the family of Cabrera Borjas, questioned whether the man shot and killed by Fulton County police was the same man who killed Jordin.

Attorney Richard W. Summers said interviews with residents at the Chastain and Chateau Villa apartments are "leading me to the conclusion that [police] may have shot the wrong guy and were over zealous and hasty in their actions."

He said he's talked to almost two dozen witnesses at both apartment complexes and is piecing together a timeline of Cabrera Borjas whereabouts Monday night.

Ok, let's give Mr. Summers the benefit of the doubt for the moment. Let's say, just for the sake of arguing that Cabrera Borjas wasn't plunging a hatchet in the boy's head - let's say he's in a car, riding around with his buddies or playing a videogame in his apartment.

1. Why did he run from the police? If he hadn't done anything wrong, no need to run.
2. Why did he assault a policeman with a tire, breaking the officer's arm?
3. Why did he attempt to assault the other officer with a stick? (Insert your own "don't bring a stick to a gunfight" joke here)

It sounds to me like Hatchet Man's friends and family (as well as their ambulance chaser and the media) are trying to paint this as a picture of the police wanting to make sure they shot, or executed, the "right" guy. But that's not the case - whether he was the man that murdered that child or not.

June 6, 1944: D-Day

This is almost a holy day for people like me, WWII history-buffs. The fact that most people are concentrating more on this present day's nonsignificance (6/6/06?) than it's history is expected, but sad. It's on this day in 1944 that the Allied march toward Germany began on Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold, and Juno beaches in Normandy, France (known as Operation Overlord). The following is the General Order of the Day issued to all in the U.S. armed forces on that day:

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower; June 6th, 1944
Listen here.

A heartfelt thanks to all that gave, especially those that gave all.

Guns 101, part V: Which type?

Part I: "Evil Guns"
Part II: "Why?"
Part III: The Law
Part IV: The 4 Commandments

Before I delve in to the plethora of firearms readily available, there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, what do all of those fancy terms mean (i.e. double action)? As with anything, there is some jargon and terminology that comes with owning a gun - using words like "thingies" and "doo-flotchies" will get you a wary glance from anyone in the immediate vicinity, even if that person knows nothing about firearms. One of my favorite gun sites has a good glossary that covers over most of the terms, acronyms, and jargon associated with all things firearms.

Looking at this from a self defense standpoint, there are three main types of guns to get familiar with:

• Rifles - two-handed, shoulder-fired, generally used for hunting purposes because of their accuracy and higher calibers, though there are a few (carbines) that are shorter and shoot smaller handgun caliber bullets. A good place to start kids or timid beginners is on a .22 rifle - no kick, little noise, and cheap, cheap, cheap.
  
• Shotguns - two-handed, meant to be shoulder fired, good for hunting, though possibly best used for home defense. When fired, it shoots several pellets that expand with more distance; while not very effective over a distance, devastating at close range. Another good starting point, and probably the best starting point for someone that can't make do with a pistol.
• Handguns - two-handed or one, available in a myriad of sizes and calibers from big to small. Probably the most popular weapon for self defense and home defense due to concealability and how quickly you can have it ready vs. shotguns or rifles.

The rest of this post will be referring to handguns. Much of what you learn with them can be applied to the other two. First off, a few hardware definitions for you:

• muzzle - this is the "business end" of the barrel, the part where the bullet leaves the gun.
• hammer - located at the back of the gun near the grip, pulling the trigger drops the hammer on to the firing pin, which then hits the bullet causing it to discharge. Some semi-automatics, like the Glocks, have an "internal-hammer" that you can't see.
• chamber - the area at the other end of the barrel, opposite of the muzzle. When a bullet is chambered, it is ready to be fired.
• safety - mostly on semi-automatics, this is a switch or lever that when active, prevents the weapon from being fired. There are also internal safeties that prevent a gun from going off when dropped.
• action - this describes what occurs in the weapon when the trigger is pulled; single action pistols must have the hammer in the cocked position in order to fire (think cowboy guns) and take very little pressure on the trigger to fire the gun. On a double action pistol, pulling the trigger will cock the hammer and fire the weapon.

Two types of handguns, the first is the revolver (pictured right), sometimes referred to as a "six-gun" or a "wheelgun" because most hold 6 rounds in their cylinders (the round area just above the trigger). Mechanically speaking, it doesn't get much simpler than a revolver - when the trigger is pulled, the cylinder rotates and the hammer is drawn back and then dropped on the round. Easy to clean, simple to load/ unload, easy to fire. Those that are new to guns or not mechanically inclined should consider this no muss/ no fuss type. The only real drawbacks are 1) they're double action, so the trigger pull is heavier (makes it a little difficult for those with weaker hands) and 2) at the most, only 7 shots (in a true self defense caliber). I recommend anyone to have at least one good revolver in their nightstand, though for when something goes bump in the night - they're just that reliable.

The second type and probably most popular is the semi-automatic (sometimes called semi-auto or just auto, pictured to the right). What these weapons lack in some firepower (vs. revolvers) they make up for in volume, lots of volume - most semi-autos chambered for the world famous 9mm can hold upwards of 15 rounds. They have a slimmer profile (easier to conceal) and can be loaded quicker if the magazine is already loaded (the magazine fits in to the handle). When fired, the slide is pushed back by the force of the explosion ejecting the spent casing and when returning forward chambers a new live round; the slide also recocks the hammer, therefore after the first shot is fired in double action*, the remaining shots will be fired in the shorter and lighter single action mode. However, drawbacks a plenty:

• More mechanically complex than a revolver. Cleaning involves stripping the entire weapon down (or taking apart), then reassembling; a daunting task for someone that's not so inclined or if they lack the hand strength.
  
• Prone to jams. On every semi-auto there is a break-in period of up to 500 rounds before you should put your life in it's hands, and that's only shooting cheap target practice ammo. Once you get past that point, it's recommended that you put between 200 and 300 rounds of your chosen self defense ammo, which should be a hollowpoint of some variety (in contrast, revolvers may be loaded with whatever kind of bullet you want straight out of the box). I'll talk more about ammo choice later.
• Working the slide on most guns takes a fair amount of strength, and is something that must be done constantly (when you load a new mag, to clear a jam, etc.). This makes it somewhat not ideal for some ladies, though many can work at it long enough to get past it. Still, the last thing you'd want to do in a crisis is to have to fidget with the slide.

* there are now several semi-autos on the market that have a lighter double action trigger pull on every shot (no single action). This is a pretty good compromise as most of those require only about 7 to 8 lbs of force as opposed to 12 or more for a traditional DA pull (most single action triggers are around 4 to5 lbs.).

So, of the two different types of handguns, which is right for you? The one that fits your hands, both your left and your right. Get out to a range that rents guns, go to a store or even a gun show and put a few in your hands. If the grip is right, you'll be able to deal with the recoil a lot better than if it's too big/ small. As for the decision between revolver or semi-auto, I've developed a few criteria; for a revolver you need to be able to...

1. Load and unload the weapon.
2. Clean the weapon.
3. Safely draw and fire and hit what you're shooting at.

For a semi-auto...

1. Load and unload the weapon, including the ability to put a round in the chamber or safely remove one by working the slide.
2. Field strip and clean and lube the weapon.
3. Safely draw and fire and hit what you're aiming at.
4. Clear a jam (this is critical).

That's all for this one. Up next will be a discussion of caliber and bullet types.