The Smith & Wesson Model 19 and Model 66

Perhaps, back in the day, I simply read too many articles authored by Bill Jordan and now I'm somewhat of a throwback. I still regard the double action revolver as an effective defensive tool, I still believe that the .357 Magnum with a 125 grain jacketed hollow point bullet is an excellent defensive cartridge, and I still highly regard the Smith and Wesson Model 19 and its stainless steel brother, the Model 66.

The Smith & Wesson Model 19 and Model 66 provide a good balance between being light enough to carry comfortably while being heavy enough to remain controllable during rapid fire, even with 2.5" and 3" barrels. They are accurate and they are sufficiently rugged when .357 Magnum cartridges are occasionally fired but the majority of shooting is done with .38 Special cartridges. Sadly, these revolvers received undue criticism when they were pushed beyond their limitations with heavy diets of magnum loads that they were never intended to digest. The Smith & Wesson Model 19 and Model 66 have now been discontinued for several years.

The Beretta 950 Minx and Jetfire

The Beretta 950 is a blowback, single action pistol that was produced between 1952 and 2003. In .22 Short, it is known as the Minx and in .25 ACP it is known as the Jetfire. Originally produced without a mechanical safety, one was added to facilitate importation following the Gun Control Act of 1968 and models including the safety are known as the 950 BS. These little pistols are still widely available used at bargain prices and they are often carried for defense.

The Beretta Minx and Jetfire are of good quality, surprisingly accurate for their diminutive size, fun to shoot, and they are easy to carry in a trouser pocket or tucked over a sun visor. These qualities and the modest cost of .22 Short ammunition makes the Minx one of my favorite mouse guns. Over the years, I have often carried a Minx which not only accounted for itself during impromptu plinking sessions but proved useful for dispatching snakes and other vermin.

Although I am a fan of the Minx, it is less reliable than the Jetfire because of the rimfire ignition of the .22 Short cartridge. Rimfire cartridges are more prone to misfiring than are centerfire cartridges and this is fact, not theory. If you shoot enough rimfire ammunition, you will encounter misfires which may or may not ignite following a double strike. With most semi-automatic pistols, a simple jam clearing drill will remedy a misfire and keep the pistol in operation. This is not the case with the Minx or the Jetfire because their design does not include an extractor.

To clear a misfire from a Beretta 950, it is necessary to tip the barrel. Usually, a loaded cartridge will fall free of the chamber due to the weight of the bullet, but if it does not, it must be either plucked or poked out. Thereafter, a fresh cartridge can be loaded into the chamber or the action can be closed to allow the slide to be racked in order to chamber a fresh round from the magazine. This is a minor inconvenience on the range and even when shooting at a snake some distance away; however, in a defensive situation, this awkward clearing regimen can prove fatal.

The Beretta Jetfire is a better choice for defense than the Minx because misfires are less likely to occur with the centerfire .25 ACP cartridge. However, they are still a possibility and a stoppage caused by a misfire should be carefully reflected upon before either are employed for defense. Likewise, it should be noted that neither the .22 Short nor the .25 ACP offer much in the way of stopping power and any ballistic differences between the two cartridges are more academic than practical. In other words, both are weak cartridges, good shot placement is essential, and the significant possibility of either failing to stop an assailant should not be discounted.

Another point that should be considered before selecting either the Minx or the Jetfire as a defensive pistol is the single action design. Single actions must be cocked before the first round is fired. The design of the Beretta 950 did not originally include a safety; rather a half cock notch on the hammer was provided instead. The safety on the 950 BS is somewhat of an afterthought that I do not particularly trust and I find it small and awkward to use. Thus, for me, the Minx and Jetfire are not suitable for "cocked and locked" carry as is standard for single actions like the Colt 1911 A1 and Browning Hi-Power.

The Beretta 950 Minx and Jetfire are good quality pistols that are still available at bargain prices even though they have been out of production for nearly a decade. They are fun to shoot and the Minx makes a better shooter due to the affordability of .22 Short ammunition while the Jetfire is a better choice for defense due to the more reliable, centerfire ignition of the .25 ACP cartridge. Before selecting either for a defensive application, the limitations of both their designs and the cartridges for which they are chambered should be carefully considered.

The Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader for Defense and Survival

Hurricane Katrina provided a glaring example of the jeopardy that can become present when typical municipal services are disrupted by a natural disaster. A successful terrorist attack could cause a man-made disaster of greater proportions, resulting in even lengthier disruptions of services. Current economic turmoil and political tension present realistic concerns regarding civil unrest and images of the mayhem of the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 easily come to mind. In such situations, a reliable and effective firearm could be invaluable to the preservation of self and family. Those who have not included a firearm in their emergency or “survival” preparations due to tight, recessionary budgets should consider the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader.

Introduced in 1961, the Mossberg 500 has proven itself to be a reliable pump action shotgun that remains popular with hunters and law enforcement agencies alike. With the addition of a metal safety, metal trigger guard, and bayonet lug, the Mossberg 500 became the 590A1 which is used by the U.S Military. In its Special Purpose Persuader form, the Mossberg 500 provides a proven, no nonsense, defense ready 12 gauge platform with an 18 inch cylinder bore barrel, three inch chamber, five shot magazine (with 2 and ¾ inch shells), and a bead front sight that can occasionally be purchased new for under $300 and for substantially less when found used. This is quite a bargain, considering the well regarded effectiveness of the twelve gauge shotgun as a short range defensive weapon (about twenty-five yards with buckshot and about forty yards with rifled slugs shot with a bead sight).

While primarily configured for defense, (i.e. as a “riot gun”) the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader does have the flexibility to take a variety of game from squirrels to deer with proper ammunition within the modest effective ranges provided by its cylinder bore and bead sight. Some, who interpret survival as foraging for food and living off of the land, may criticize these limitations. However, for most, survival will mean either weathering the storm until services are restored or evacuating to a safer location, perhaps to the homes of friends or relatives, as quickly as possible. In either instance, taking game will be happenstance at best, dictated by opportunity, circumstance, and individual hunting skills (or lack thereof). Thus, while the option to collect game could be valuable, the primary purpose of a firearm that is incorporated into emergency preparations (especially if only one firearm is available) should be defense and the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader is well suited for this role.

Sometimes, the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader comes with a pistol grip that can be optionally installed in place of the butt in order to convert it to the more compact, Cruiser version. Some will be tempted by this because it looks “cool”, allows the shotgun to be stored in a tight space, and perhaps even carried in some duffel bags or backpacks. Unfortunately, this greatly compromises the effectiveness and utility of the shotgun by rendering it awkward and best suited for extremely close ranges. A better solution which provides a compact package without sacrificing serviceability is a folding or collapsible stock as manufactured by Knoxx SpecOps and ATI, respectively.

Shotguns are occasionally recommended for the unskilled and chosen for defensive applications with the erroneous belief that all that is necessary is to point one in the general direction of the target, pull the trigger, and the scattering shot will do the rest. Nothing could be further from the truth and it is quite possible to miss with a shotgun, even at very close range. Shotguns require the same commitment to safety and the acquisition and maintenance of fundamental marksmanship skills that are necessary for the effective use of any firearm. Additionally, if a pump action shotgun such as the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader is chosen for a defensive application, combat loading from a shell carrier is a skill that must be learned and practiced so that the shotgun can be kept in action in the event that the magazine runs dry.

The Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader is a proven design that is reliable yet inexpensive enough to be acquired despite the constraints of a lean budget. It offers the flexibility necessary to provide for both opportune foraging and effective self defense in emergency situations, provided one develops the skills necessary to effectively use it. The Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader should not be overlooked as a viable tool for self defense and survival, especially if one is limited to just a single firearm.

Double Barreled Shotguns for Defense

Double barreled shotguns are not considered ideal defensive weapons amongst "experts" of all levels because of their limited fire power. The double barrel provides only two rounds of ammunition before reloading is necessary while pumps and semi-automatics generally have a capacity of six rounds (one in the chamber and five in an unplugged magazine). However, old yet serviceable double barreled shotguns are found in many homes, often having been handed down through the family, and their usefulness as a defensive tool should not be discounted.

Whether considered ideal for defense or not, any serviceable firearm at hand is better than being unarmed in the face of an emergency. In the case of double barreled shotguns, two rounds of buckshot will provide a very substantial response to an attack, provided they hit the target. One 2 and 3/4 inch round of 00 buckshot for a 12 gauge shotgun provides nine .33 caliber pellets and one 2 and 3/4 inch round of number 3 buckshot for a 20 gauge shotgun provides twenty .25 caliber pellets that are delivered all at once.

Double barreled shotguns provide five advantages that mitigate their perceived deficiencies: 1. They are very simple to operate which is an advantage to someone who is not a firearms enthusiast and regular shooter. 2. Effectively two guns in one, their robust actions are unlikely to suffer broken parts and, if they do, both barrels are not likely to fail. 3. Double barreled shotguns will never jam. 4. Short barreled coach guns with 20 inch barrels or less are handier in confined spaces than are pumps and semi-automatics because the length of their actions provide a shorter overall length. 5. Psychologically, the twin muzzles, which scream "shotgun", are quite intimidating, underscoring street knowledge of the devastating damage that a "gauge" can affect on flesh and blood. These advantages allow them to defend the homestead just as well now as they did one hundred years ago.

The NAA Mini Revolver: Unsuitable for Defense but Far from Useless!

Long before concealed carry was a legal option in my state, I carried a North American Arms Mini Revolver in .22 Long Rifle caliber in my pants pocket. It collected a snake or two, provided a measure of comfort, and, being similar in size to a respectable folding knife, it did not "print" in most clothing. Although the NAA is a high quality, reliable revolver, the general consensus is that it is not suitable for defense and after much experience with one, I concur; however, unsuitable does not mean useless by any stretch of the imagination.

The NAA Mini Revolver, as pictured, is a five shot, single action revolver. Its solid frame, spur trigger, and bird's head grip harken to Nineteenth Century pocket revolvers, making it rather nostalgic. As a defensive weapon, it is superficially criticized for its small caliber and single action design; however, its greatest limitations are brought about by its chief advantage: its miniscule size. When held and fired traditionally in the strong hand, the tiny birds head grip and spur trigger cause the muzzle of the revolver to be substantially elevated (off of the cuff, around thirty degrees). Combined with the absence of a rear sight, this provides a tendency to shoot high, even at modest ranges. Since there is very little to hold onto, at 4.6 ounces, the muzzle rises sharply with each shot, creating substantial recovery time exacerbated by the fact that it must be manually cocked.

There is a technique to shooting these little revolvers that improves both accuracy and recovery time. Hold the revolver in the strong hand and let the trigger spur hang over the strong index finger. Them, assume a conventional, two handed stance and cock and fire it with the weak hand. By "shooting off of the top strap" (i.e. aligning the front sight with the imaginary center line of top strap and holding down so that the front sight appears split in half) useable defensive groups and fairly rapid fire can be attained. Although this technique works fine for the range, it is awkward to the point that I would not recommend it for defense.

The handling qualities of the NAA Mini Revolver make it unsuitable for defense before detriments such as small caliber, single action mechanism, and the fact that it cannot be reloaded without disassembly are considered. However, once again, unsuitable does not mean useless. Because of its especially small size, a NAA Mini Revolver can be carried unnoticed in almost any attire (including some swimming trunks if a pocket is available) and it can be easily secreted in unlikely places (e.g. small lunch boxes, document pockets of generously designed padfolios, clipboards with reasonable storage compartments, and over sun visors of vehicles, just to name a few). I have even heard of them being carried duct taped to various parts of the body and I have had mine go unnoticed or mistaken for a cigarette lighter or other novelty (by novices and trained professionals alike) when in plain sight.

Though its handling qualities make it awkward at best, its ultra concealability allows the NAA Mini Revolver to be carried unobtrusively where larger firearms might be detected, which makes it useful in liberty compromising environments that are hostile to firearms (no, it is not impervious to metal detectors, x-rays, and determined searches so do not try it). While no substitute for a more conventional defensive handgun, the NAA Mini Revolver will reliably provide five shots that should be sure at contact to arm's length distances when it is used as a "belly gun" whenever a larger firearm is unavailable (or imprudent to carry) and a knife may prove unwieldy. Thus, while regarded "unsuitable", the little NAA Mini Revolver is far from useless.

Double Action Revolvers Still Provide Effective, Versatile Defense

Thirty years ago, double action revolvers were highly favored for defense, being relied upon by law enforcement and civilians alike and they proliferated the market. Then came the age of the high capacity "Wonder Nine" and the trusty old revolver became a relic of the past, more suitable, in the eyes of many, for the novice rather than the skilled "operator". But double action revolvers have not faded away and they remain effective and versatile defensive weapons.

Those who criticize revolvers point to limited capacity, high bore axis (which renders greater perceived recoil than many semi-automatics), heavy double action triggers, bulky profiles, and slow reloading. They may also continue that extractor rods can loosen to bind actions, that revolvers shoot loose and get out of time, and that (at least in theory) the lock work of revolvers have more moving parts than semi-automatic pistols which makes them more likely to fail in adverse conditions.

While there is merit to these criticisms, semi-automatic pistols are not without issues. Double feeds and stove pipe jams (both of which are often caused by shooter error such as "limp wristing" and unseated magazines) can bind actions, a bad cartridge can momentarily stop a semi-automatic (which leads some to promote double strike capability), and damaged or lost magazines can compromise reliability and curtail function. Moreover, the service life of most handguns is finite which means that after so many rounds, they will require the attention of an armorer.

Proper care and maintenance, understanding the design and the limitations of your defensive handgun, and practice and more practice can eliminate the majority of criticisms that can can be directed towards both revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, making them more academic than practical. On both sides on the aisle, some designs are more fragile than others. Many extoll the virtues of the Glock which has a well deserved reputation for reliability and durability, yet the Ruger GP 100 and the larger Redhawk offer similar qualities and may well represent the current pinnacle of evolution for double action revolvers.

What does the archaic, double action revolver really have to offer in the world of high capacity semi-automatics and rapid magazine changes? We could enter the land of the theoretical and say that as long as a handful of cartridges remain, the old revolver will keep shooting long after magazines have run dry. We can point to custom grips, such as those offered by Herrett's that make the revolver truly fit the hand of the shooter. We can indicate that revolvers are strong enough to handle the most powerful handgun cartridges in the world while semi-automatics are typically not and we can note that the fixed barrel renders accuracy that far exceeds the "combat accuracy" offered by many semi-autos.

But, the real virtue of the revolver is the combination of sufficient capacity (yet and still, an average of 2.5 rounds are fired in defensive situations), simplicity of operation (just open it, load it, close it, and pull the trigger), and substantial versatility. Since revolver cartridges headspace on the rims rather than the case mouths, overall cartridge length does not affect function as long as the cartridge fits in the chamber. Since revolvers do not have feed ramps, bullet profiles do not interfere with feeding. Since revolvers do not have slides that are dependent upon recoil springs, low chamber pressures does not cause revolvers to fail to cycle.

Thus, a revolver can be loaded up or down for specific applications without the necessity of changing barrels and/or recoil springs. This provides a field day for the hand loader (who is also gratified by not having to crawl around on the ground to recover his brass) but it is also useful for those who only use factory ammunition. For example, one who chooses the well proven .357 Magnum for defense can reliably shoot lower cost, milder mannered, .38 Special cartridges for practice by simply loading them in the chambers. Similarly, one who chooses a .44 Magnum for the field can use less powerful .44 Special cartridges which are more suited to defense against human attackers.

Of course, there are trade offs when you choose one handgun over another. For many years, six rounds of .357 Magnum ammunition in the cylinder and two loaded speed loaders (or a total of eighteen rounds) was considered adequate for most defensive applications requiring the use of a handgun. Although many now seem to feel unprepared without 45 rounds of .40 S&W at their disposal (which is five more rounds of ammunition than was held by an infantry cartridge box during the War Between the States) the double action revolver still provides capable, reliable defense with exceptional versatility that does not require purchasing and changing parts.

Thoughts on Accuracy, Stopping Power, and "Marginal" Cartridges

For years, debates regarding handgun stopping power have raged and many have their favorite cartridges that are hoped to be panacea for a deadly force encounter. My favorite is the .357 Magnum but that does not mean that I would feel under gunned with a .38 Special, 9mm Luger, or other cartridge that has been relegated by experts and gun shop commandos alike as "marginal". The fact is, nothing is one hundred percent. Sometimes, the best cartridges fail to stop and conversely, those that are looked down upon as inadequate or marginal sometimes do an admirable job.

I firmly believe that you should carry the most powerful handgun possible but I do not believe that accuracy and the ability to deliver rapid, well placed shots should be compromised for the sake of power. Shot placement is critical to stopping an assailant and neither misses nor peripheral hits with a handgun and cartridge combination that you do not shoot well will guarantee an end to an attack. Thus, a pistol chambered for the 9mm Luger cartridge that can be effectively used is far superior to a .40 S&W or.45 ACP that one does not shoot well.

Gun shops and periodicals are filled with advice and the misapplication of good advice can prove fatal for the stubborn and the ignorant. Back in the 1990s, I was conducting a concealed carry class and one participant, who was fairly well off, was determined to have the "best" defensive handgun and ammunition available, in accordance to the advice that he had received. Thus, he had acquired a beautiful, Colt Gold Cup and several boxes of then new, Remington Golden Saber ammunition which had been well reviewed.

Sadly, his Colt would not reliably feed the ammunition that he had chosen. When he was advised to change ammunition, he adamantly stated "this is the best ammunition available and it is what I want to carry." He was unable to explain how ammunition that rendered his pistol a single shot could be considered the "best" and he grudgingly bought ammunition that fed reliably. He then demonstrated that he was sensitive to recoil and that he was not a good shot. Although such deficiencies can be overcome, the fact of the matter was that the pistol and the cartridge for which it was chambered, contrary to reasonable advice, were unsuited to the level of skill and knowledge of the user which rendered them ineffective and far from "best" under the circumstances.

Firearms enthusiasts sometimes make the mistake of assuming that everyone who purchases a firearm will ultimately share their zeal for shooting and for knowledge. This is just not the case and many who carry firearms on a daily basis (even in professional capacities) never develop more than very basic skills and knowledge. For such shooters, control of the firearm (and simplicity of operation) will ensure greater success than optimum stopping power and "marginal" cartridges with low recoil such as the .38 Special and 9mm Luger may well prove more effective for them than more powerful cartridges that are more difficult to master.