Personal Defense for Women

by Gila Hayes

  At the same time, we can legally and ethically shoot only a person we have clearly identified as a deadly danger to ourselves or other innocents. The rifle’s ability to control distance must be balanced by the home owner’s clear-headed analysis of the situation.

  “We’re hearing the term ‘urban rifle’ to describe a rifle used for defense between 30 and 150 meters,” John Farnam elaborates. These distances allow target identification and verbal warnings, both vital elements of legally justifiable self defense. And at any distance, if circumstances allow all-out escape, it is heartily recommended.

  As you know from the following chapter, I am an enthusiastic advocate of the personal defense shotgun. Still, most shotguns are effective only out to 12 to 14 yards with buckshot, unless the shooter has a safe backstop behind the assailant that she knows will absorb a buckshot pattern that has spread beyond the size of the assailant’s body. A slug can certainly be substituted in such circumstances, but unless they have shot the weapon extensively with slugs, shotgun-armed home defenders may lack confidence in their marksmanship, especially at longer distances. Because the recoil discomfits them, few shooters practice enough to realize long-range competence with their shotgun loaded with slugs.

  A rudimentary rifle or carbine is unhampered by the problem of shot spread, and smaller calibers are almost free of recoil. Over and over, we see beginners’ faces light up after firing their first shot through a .223 carbine. The comparatively light recoil of the rifle or carbine has another advantage: that of nearly instant recoil recovery and the ability to accurately deliver rapid, multiple shots. For this task, it will be hard to surpass the .223 Remington caliber (the civilian equivalent of the military’s 5.56mm NATO cartridge). This caliber will generally show muzzle velocities of 3,000 feet per second for the common 55-grain bullet.

  Rifle ammunition generally derives its power not from the weight of the projectile, but from its high velocity. Even so, an assailant may be hit with a .223 rifle bullet without immediate incapacitation. The harder-recoiling .308 Winchester rifle cartridge is capable of a more decisive result, but its compromises eliminate some of the advantages of a defensive carbine.

  Federal legislation restricting features available on the AR-15 style rifle has run up the cost in recent years, until what was once an affordable home-de-fense tool has become a major equipment investment.

  The Ruger Ranch Rifle (Mini-14) is a .223 caliber rifle that has none of the militaristic appearance that seems to alarm legislators and antigun activists.

  In 2008 Ruger redressed their classic Mini-14 in a rubber overmold Hogue stock, with a blued finish, and a handy 16-1/8” barrel and dubbed it the NRA Mini-14. With each one sold, Ruger makes a contribution to the NRA Institute for Legislative Action to support our gun rights.

  Overpenetration of larger caliber rifle bullets must be considered. Most hunting rounds are capable of penetrating wall after wall of modern housing construction. This very real hazard makes selection of ammunition that will not overpenetrate exceedingly crucial with any rifle, even a .223. In the book Ultimate Sniper1 author John Plaster reports that a .308 bullet that has gone through a body still maintains the power of a .357 Magnum handgun bullet, although it has lost half of its velocity. These concerns should raise a very serious warning to those considering a rifle for home defense in a multi-person household, apartment building or densely populated area. Remember, even if your reason for discharging a firearm is completely justified, you remain responsible for harm inflicted beyond your immediate threat.

  Further, fewer semi-automatic rifles are chambered for the larger .308 caliber, and tend to be considerably more expensive than the .223 carbine. The .308 rifle will be heavier than most .223s. Finally, the concussion of firing a .308 inside a confined space is vastly more disorienting and deafening than doing so with a .223, which is certainly bad enough. For the same reasons, other hunting rifle calibers like the .30-30, .30-06 or 7mm Magnum are not suitable for home defense.

  So Many Rifles

  Semi-automatic rifles that work well for ensconced defense scenarios include the ubiquitous “black rifles,” derived from Eugene Stoner’s original AR-15 design. Although Colt’s Manufacturing was long the primary source of AR-15s, nowadays Remington, Rock River Arms, Olympic Arms, Bushmaster, DPMS, Armalite, Sabre Defence and others have divided the market share.

  The prevalence of state and federal gun restriction laws has put the price and availability of the AR-15 and its clones out of reach for some shooters. A very serviceable alternative is the semi-automatic Ruger Mini-14 or Ruger Ranch Rifle chambered in .223 Rem. It is not too heavy and is short stocked for a good fit for small-statured shooters right out of the box.

  The Ruger Ranch Rifle, the civilian version of the Mini-14, is drilled and tapped for scope rings, so installing optical sights is easily accomplished, depending on the use envisioned. For home-defense distances, the rifle’s rudimentary peep sight should serve just fine. If you begin to enjoy practice and casual competition with your Ruger, the sights may be the first feature you wish to upgrade, possibly with a telescopic sight, commonly called a scope.

  Author and Massad Ayoob test-drive the Sabre Defence AR-15 rifles wearing the “Massad Ayoob Signature Series” imprimatur.

  Both the Ranch Rifle and AR-15s are magazine fed. The magazines make reloading or switching to specialty ammunition for different degrees of penetration a quick, relatively simple task, which is not true of other rifle operating systems.

  Radical Caliber Change

  An alternative “urban” rifle is a carbine chambered for a pistol cartridge. “Some people argue that a carbine is just a big, clumsy handgun,” John Farnam contends, “but that’s not true.” He noted that the pistol-caliber carbine has a considerably longer sight radius than a pistol, that most handgun bullets develop much higher velocities in the long barrel and that these guns generally have sights far superior to the handgun.

  The pistol-caliber carbine recoils considerably less than a handgun firing the same cartridge and is relatively quiet when discharged. These features make them very pleasant firearms with which to practice and simply enjoy recreational marksmanship. Farnam reported that he has seen women shoot hundreds of rounds comfortably with such carbines, becoming deadly accurate in the process. Excellent “companion” guns to the handgun, they allow the owner to keep one caliber of ammunition on hand for use in both weapons.

  The carbine offers good accuracy out to 100 meters, for threat management where an assailant has been clearly identified and has disobeyed warnings to leave. Beretta’s CX4 Storm, chambered for 9mm or .45 ACP pistol cartridges, carries on a tradition formerly exemplified by the Marlin Camp Carbine and Ruger’s PC carbine, both now discontinued.

  Another pistol caliber carbine that deserves thoughtful consideration for home defense is the manually operated lever action. While we think of this firearm as the province of those fun-loving cowboy action shooters, it has the potential to serve the serious duty of defense, too.

  Common calibers include .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special and .44 Magnum, with cartridges generally loaded in a magazine tube banded beneath the barrel. A round is chambered by working the lever, although due to the nature of many of these gun’s safety mechanism (most only have a cross bolt safety), I would do with the lever-action carbine as I do with a shotgun: store it chamber-empty until ready to use, unless the manufacturer specifically describes internal safety provisions to avoid an inertia discharge.

  On initial consideration, it might seem that a manually operated gun like a lever-action carbine may be too slow for self defense, although that cycle differs little from the pump shotgun. With practice and habituation, the manual cycle to remove the empty shell and replace it with fresh ammunition can become smooth, natural and quick. The reload will be slower, because only one cartridge at a time can be loaded into the magazine tube, introduced through a tiny loading port.

  Pistol caliber carbines are not as popular as more m
odern rifles, because despite their rifle-like size, the ballistic performance of these guns will never approach that of a .223 or .308. However, I believe they deserve serious consideration for home defense for their user-friendly operating systems, handgun ammunition compatibility, easy aiming qualities, milder noise and recoil when discharged, and the tendency for hollowpoint pistol ammunition to stop inside the assailant’s body.

  Sighting Issues

  Probably the most common rifle accessory is an optical or telescopic sighting device. Because rifles have seen more traditional service in hunting and competitive sports, a telescopic sight or “scope” has been the common method to increase ability to see and aim at distances of 100, 300, 500 yards or more. Defensive rifle uses generally occur within the 10-to 50-yard range, and 100 yards represents an extreme distance for justifiable defense by a private citizen. In this venue, traditional hunting-type scopes represent more disadvantage than benefit.

  Fixed iron sights, while preferred for home defense, also present their own challenge. The greatest one is learning and remembering that the rifle, designed for more distant targets may not hit the exact spot covered by the iron sights at closer distances. This is a concern for the AR-15 rifle system, on which the rear sight is mounted on top of the carrying handle several inches above the barrel, creating a “mechanical offset” that is comparable to parallax between the viewfinder and lens of a camera. A close-range shot with an AR-15 will strike several inches below the point covered by the front sight.

  Competent training and serious practice allow the rifle owner to commit these disparities to memory, and if a precise shot is required at close distances the shooter compensates for the mechanical offset by holding the sights an inch or two higher than the spot they wish to strike. If these possibilities seem obscure, let me admit that more than one police officer has put a crease across the hood of a patrol car behind which they took cover before shooting. The mechanical offset of their AR-15’s sights gave a clear sight picture, but the barrel itself was obstructed by the car body, a difference forgotten in the heat of an emergency.

  If discussing home defense, it is difficult to imagine any viable threat beyond 50 yards, unless the carbine’s role includes “protecting” a garden, livestock and pets. While it is common to sight in, or “zero,” a rifle or carbine to hit precisely at a 100-or even 200-yard distance, it may be more reasonable for the home-defense rifle owner to sight her gun in for 50 yard targets. Even then, a rudimentary understanding of bullet trajectory, mechanical offset and such factors is necessary.

  Upon leaving the rifle’s barrel, the bullet begins a slightly upward path of travel, called its trajectory. After the bullet reaches the apex of a gentle arc, it will begin to drop. Naturally, different bullet weights and calibers have flatter or sharper trajectories and begin their descent at different distances.

  Thus, the rifle and carbine shooter’s task is to zero their gun and defense ammunition at a reasonable distance. From muzzle contact distance to the 50-yard zero suggested above, the bullet will rise to intersect with line of sight (the point on the target on which the sights are precisely aligned). Most .223 ammunition will strike only an inch or two higher at the 100-yard line, and begin to drop from that point on.

  Mechanical offset occurs at the close distances likely in home defense, because the sights are located several inches above the barrel, “offsetting” the close range impact. In this illustration, the line from eyes, through the ACOG optical sight and ending on the big black dot, shows the shooter’s aiming point, while the actual hit would occur at the point at which the muzzle contacts the target.

  Training Issues

  Besides the pure marksmanship issues associated with carbines, there are additional lessons to be learned if this is the tool with which you intend to defend self and family. One of the biggest impediments to women enjoying rifle shooting is the weight of the gun compared to their upper body strength, not so great an issue for the male shooter. Adaptive techniques that run counter to classic competitive rifle methods can help the female shooter overcome the problem of all that outboard weight.

  Perhaps the most simple cure is taking a braced or a kneeling position whenever possible. Along with stabilizing the gun, it reduces your own target size and should be considered if circumstances allow you to ensconce and fight from a protected position from which you need not move. Along with taking a lower position, be sure the support arm is directly beneath the stock, maximizing skeletal support, as well as exploiting the natural strength of the biceps.

  A depiction of bullet trajectory shows the difference between line of sight and actual bullet impact before and beyond the distance at which the rifle is “zeroed.” In the drawing, bullet drop is somewhat exaggerated for illustrative purposes.

  Traditional marksmanship coaches have taught rifle shooters to stand upright, with the rifle centered over legs and feet, shoulders angled back behind hips and the spine in something of an S-curve. This position is very relaxed and perfect for the slow pace of classic competitive courses of fire. Introduce the stress and rapid-fire requirements of a home-defense emergency, however, and the marksman’s position deteriorates.

  Two decades ago Massad Ayoob developed his combat handgun system, dubbing it StressFire, to indicate techniques that succeed when stress and adrenaline affect the body. He applies many of his basic StressFire principles to the rifle, including taking a tight grip on the rifle and leaning the upper body dramatically forward. A deep, wide stance provides excellent balance and makes the weight of the rifle seem less burdensome. Deeply flex the forward, support-side leg for further stability.

  A wide stance helps eliminate the troublesome wobble of the rifle sights across and on and off the target. If sight wobble is unchecked, the shooter usually tries to snatch the trigger when the sights cross the target, a reaction that results in trigger jerk and abysmal accuracy. Instead, Ayoob has developed several radical techniques that further steady the rifle long enough to make an accurate shot.

  A strong shooting stance helps shooter stabilize rifle and keep sights on target for accurate hits at greater distances.

  Coupled with the StressFire rifle stance, Ayoob teaches a grip modification of which I have made extensive use. Traditionally, the non-dominant hand supports the forend, with the elbow as completely beneath the rifle as possible. This classic shooting technique works for all rifles. When shooting an AR-15, however, I use Ayoob’s “Death Grip” method almost exclusively, though it is not recommended for other rifle types on which it may disrupt feeding reliability.

  The shooting hand clutches the pistol grip firmly, while the support hand takes a hard grip on the magazine well and pulls firmly. The effect is something like the isometric tension of the Weaver handgun shooting stance, and compensates nicely for limited upper body strength.

  An entire book could be written on additional riflery techniques, and indeed many qualified authors have written works worth the reader’s time.1 I present these vignettes in this context to underscore that shooting techniques for most women, whether with a rifle or handgun, must address the particular issues of upper body strength, overall body size and physique, to enhance the female shooter’s control on the gun.

  The Rifle’s Appeal

  Evan Marshall believes the rifle fills several roles in civilian self defense. Many people simply find the “long gun” easier to accept. They’ve been socialized to perceive rifles and shotguns as legitimate, having seen their fathers and grandfathers hunt, he points out. Yet, some are simply unwilling to learn to shoot the shotgun. They’ve been told the recoil will be painful, and they may be unable to find suitable training. The smaller caliber rifle appeals to this person.

  Some jurisdictions still deny citizens the right to own a handgun. Because of the social acceptance of hunting sports, owning a rifle or pistol-caliber carbine may remain permissible. In the wake of strict laws on firearms possession in Canada, we’ve seen an increase in home invasions and burglaries.
As government and society attacks American gun owners’ rights, the skills and ability to defend home and family with a less impugned firearm than the handgun may well become vital. Either the shotgun or the rifle, in the hands of a determined, trained individual can do much to assure the safety of innocent citizens and those in their care.

  Notes

  1Suggested reading: The Fighting Rifle, Chuck Taylor, 1984; The Ultimate Sniper, An Advanced Training Manual for Military and Police, Maj. John L. Plaster, USAR, Ret.1993., both published by Paladin Press, Gunbarrel Tech Center, 7077 Winchester Circle, Colorado 80301. 800-466-6868, 800-392-2400; and The Farnam Method of Defensive Shotgun and Rifle Shooting, John S Farnam, DTI Publications, Inc. P. O. Box 18746, Boulder, CO 80308 303-443-9817.

  Modifications to classic riflery methods, including what Ayoob teaches as the “Death Grip,” ease handling the weight of the carbine.

  CHAPTER 24

  Post-shooting Survival

  If forced to shoot an assailant in self defense, you should be prepared for a number of consequences, including interacting with the authorities, dealing with your psychological and physiological responses, and answering to a society that may not acknowledge the deadly danger that caused you to use deadly force.