You can think that all you want but when I had an intruder break into my house, my .38 Special made all the difference. Stupidly it was in a holster hanging in my closet at the opposite end of the room, but knowing I had it and that getting to it was going to be my only means of defense, I waited till the guy left the bedroom and went snooping in other parts of the house to creep over to the closet to get it. The miscreant heard the snap of the holster and bolted out the front door before I ever got back out of the closet.
Had I had the gun in my nightstand or under my mattress where it should have been, I’d have been armed at the time he entered the bedroom. (I was awakened by the sound of breaking glass and was wide awake and alert by the time he came creeping into the bedroom. Quite a rush, that was.)
Anyway, it was nothing but pure luck that I wasn’t shot or stabbed or clubbed while the guy was in my bedroom, as either could have easily happened. But again had I been armed the intruder would either have found himself facing the wall with hands up and legs spread while we waited for the police, or he’d have been shot.
But without the gun I’d have been utterly helpless and my fate would have lain in the intruder’s hands. I’d have had to just lie there and wait to see what happened next. With the gun I had both the means and the confidence to take action to protect myself.
This is silly. It’s like saying that seatbelts are useless because they won’t save you from a truck running into your driver’s side door.
Most people aren’t buying handguns to protect themselves from assassination attempts. Most people aren’t conspicuous enough to need protection from assassination attempts. It’s the more common threat of Joe McThug, who hasn’t travelled halfway across the country just to kill you, that people are worried about.
I recommend the pump-action shotgun. I can tell you from experience, rack that thing and the sound alone will send anyone running. Busted out the SPAS-12 4 times in my life and haven’t had to even put my finger on the trigger, let alone fire it.