So could we say it might be a pretty important piece of equipment, like your life may depend on it?

Best Backup Back

This point is always arguable, but being a proponent of revolvers — for the right person for the correct job — I think the re-introduction of the Smith & Wesson Model 40 is great as S&W has brought the M40 back up online after a 30-something year hiatus. The steel-frame five-shot is probably as close as one is going to get for the near perfect revolving handgun for the purpose of being a backup weapon. New advances in metallurgy now allow the handgun to be made with a +P rating and the quantum leaps in projectile and ammunition technology over the last 10 years puts the handgun in a serious contender mode for its intended purpose. Is it a .44 Magnum? No, and its not a .45 Auto, either.

Then again, I firmly believe a large percentage of people who have taken instruction from me over the years do not always carry the same gun on the street as they bring to the classes they attend. Call me silly, but a lot of people bring guns so they can shoot well and look like they know what they are doing, and not draw the attention of their peers while attending class. Trust me, performance anxiety is often a big deal to the students, but in all candor it’s in their head, not mine. I know my job, “Teach ya with whatcha brung.” So that said, the point is many people carry smaller guns and since they do they might wind up fighting with it.