I just think that if I was a mugger or rapist, I would pick the person that had no visible firearm over someone with one hanging off of their side. Kinda like...don't race the 68 Camaro with the blower out of the hood, race the 77 Bel Air with a straight six...
Larry, believe me, I know where you're coming from. But there is a very good chance the crooks will see you coming in the door and shoot you before you ever know something's wrong. They are focused on the door. You are walking into a store; a whole lot of territory needs to be scanned before you can perceive a threat. And how many crooks are there? Robbers seldom work alone any more. The lookout in the car may well take you out before you get to the door. Or, you walk into the store and the first thing you see is some guy pointing a gun. You shoot, patting yourself on the back for your sharp reflexes and the fact that you just saved the day. Too bad, he was an undercover or off duty cop, or an armed citizen, who just got the drop on the crook. Now you walk in blazing away at the good guy. Your intentions may be good, but you have to consider all of the possibilities before you act. Things aren't always as they appear. If you shot the cop, you're screwed. If he shot you (and he may well think that you're the lookout coming in to save the crooks), you're screwed - or worse.So, you just shot the off-duty cop and set the crooks free. As they scramble for their guns, Noob charges in. He heard the shots. He sees you pointing your smoking gun at the off-duty cop who's bleeding on the floor. The same cop who married his cousin. Noob, aghast that some lowlife robber just shot his cousin's husband when he was off duty, starts blasting away at you as he makes disparaging comments about your ancestors. You see where that could go? If you've never been in a shootout, believe me, you don't want to start now. Too many things can go wrong (and that's if you DON'T come out of it with any new leaks) and you don't have time to consider them all if you want to survive. Protect yourself and your family, by all means. But don't try to police the world without the proper training and equipment. And don't assume that you will always see the threat first; that only happens in the movies.
