Good post, OldMarksman.
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Originally Posted by OldMarksman
...those factors would not prove very important if there were ample evidence supporting the shooter's claim of self defense. But in cases in which the evidence supporting the shooter's claim is sparse, either one or both just might matter a lot....
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And if it happens to you, there is no way you can know ahead of time whether in your particular case there will be ample evidence to support your claim of self defense or if, when the smoke clears, the evidence will be sparse that you were justified in using lethal force.
Everyone who has ever been on trial after a self defense shooting probably thought (at least somewhere in the back of his mind) as he pulled the trigger that he was right -- that he had no choice. But the fact that he wound up on trial shows that in the aftermath the prosecutor found good reason to challenge the claim of justification and to believe that he could get a jury to agree.
It also may help to think of the issue in terms of a paraphrase of Pascal's wager: I don't know if using handloads (or disabling a safety device on my gun, or adjusting my trigger to be very light) will adversely affect the outcome if I am on trial for using my gun in what I claim was self defense, but I really have nothing to gain by using handloads, (etc.) even if it won't affect the outcome (because I can get adequate performance without engaging in those behaviors -- i. e., by using quality, commercial ammunition, by using a different gun, learning to better manage the one I have, etc.). However, I have a great deal to lose if using handloads (etc.) would adversely affect the outcome.
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Originally Posted by alloy
My local department doesn't carry .380's as far as I can tell,...
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You can still use the same make/type.
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Originally Posted by alloy
...I only reload in the daylight.
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Do you really think anyone's going to believe that.
