Why do you own a gun?
The obvious answer is to protect yourself and those you love from an attacker who poses a lethal threat, right?
But are you training the right way for the threat you’re most likely to face?
Reports of real close-quarters attacks reveal that when it comes to facing an armed attacker intent on taking your life, you’re in much more danger from a knife attack than from someone armed with a gun.
Don’t believe me? Here are…
5 Reasons A Knife Can Be More Dangerous Than A Gun
1. Knives Are Deadlier
Yes, you read that right…
According to FBI fatality stats from officers killed in a fight, 10% of those who were shot died from their wounds.
But 30% of those who were attacked with a knife were killed as a result of being cut and stabbed.
2. Knives Don’t Have A Line Of Fire
A gun can only kill you if you’re in the direct line of the path of the bullet.
That also explains why , even in ranges as close as 3′-6′, only about 1 in 4 bullets actually hit the target – and these stats are from trained police officers!
But knives can do lethal damage from any angle and they don’t miss their target.
3. Knives Don’t Run Out Of Ammo
In a close quarters attack, you could be stabbed 3-5 times in a single second.
A handgun is only going to give you about 15 rounds or so (on the high end).
Unless you’re behind cover or at a distance far enough to give you some time to reload, that’s all you’re going to get.
And FBI stats also reveal that only 1 in 4 bullets ever hit their mark – even at ranges as close as 3′.
Considering that it may take several rounds to finally stop an attacker, you may find your clip empty and still facing an enraged thug with a knife that’s not running out of metal.
4. Knives Take No Skill To Use
Since we were young, holding and cutting with a knife has been built into our natural abilities.
While it takes lots and lots of training to become an expert with a firearm, any scumbag with a pointy piece of metal can wield a blade like a master with even the crudest of movements.
Consider also that most gun owners who go to the range are practicing “target shooting” and aren’t prepared for how to shoot in a real close-quarters gunfight.
5. Knives Give Little Warning
Not only can knives be concealed and drawn easier than a firearm, but they’re silent killers.
When a gun is fired, you know you’re in a gunfight.
However, many victims in a knife attack claim they didn’t even know they were being stabbed until it was too late.
When under the influence of the adrenaline rush of a real attack, you may in fact not feel yourself being cut and mistake it for simply being punched.
Are YOU Training The Right Way For The Right Attack?
Now the purpose of this article isn’t to convince you to give up Ol’ Betsy for a pocket knife as your main defense weapon.
I’ll still stick with my trusty Glock 19 at my side any day.
But do you really think some scumbag with a knife is going to whip out his blade from 15 yards away and give you time to draw your weapon and get your sights on his center mass before he’s charging your way?
Hell no!
A desperate criminal is going to already be right up in your face – where he knows he can cut you – before you even know your life is in danger.
That doesn’t give you a whole lot of room or time to draw your weapon – especially when it’s already concealed and your heart’s racing.
Yet 95% of the guys I see down at the range still expend all their rounds trying to get super tight shot groups from 15′-50′ away when real gunfights actually take place less than 9′ away!
You know it’s true.
So don’t find out the hard way that you were training all wrong for the wrong threat.
Train for close quarters gunfights rather than “target practice” and you’ll greatly increase your chances of saving your life – or the life of someone you love – if you’re ever attacked.
Great article. I have one (very slight) disagreement: “Knives take no skill” — Knives are simple, but require training to be truly effective.
Training with both knife and gun will help keep the user from injuring themselves or unintended targets, and hone the necessary skills to end the conflict quickly, and in their favor.
Aside from that — Training.
Following that, — TRAIN.
SAFLEY – SAFELY – practice drawing your preferred weapon until it is an extension of your hand and is ready to employ without thought to the act.
This will also free up your mind for defensive action or target acquisition.
Substitute an open marker for a knife – provides visual evidence of where the free hand drifted out into the path of the blade, or where the blade swung low onto a leg.
Find a professional to help you develop proper form with your weapon – get smooth. Learn to draw smoothly. Learn to think clearly with adrenaline hammering in your temples – THAT will prepare you for nearly anything you might encounter.