Legal? Moral? open for lawsuit?

[BUGEYE]

Not sure where this question should be  but I'm wondering about the rammifications of having a shot cartridge first up in your revolver and shooting the bad guy in the face.  it might blind him and at the very least, he will forget about you and start clawing at his face.  if nobody is watching, you could just leave him and walk away.  if there are witnesses, you could then shoot him in the heart.
Has this question come up before?

[Junior1942]

Tell him he can choose a shot in the face or a shot in the crotch.  Or he can run away as fast as possible.

[no guns here]

My guess would be that you would have to be VERY cautious to make sure that that round was ONLY for snakes/rats etc.  It was just what "happened" to be in your gun at the time...  deliberately shooting a guy in the face as opposed to the torso would seem to be able to be interpreted in a bad way by some lawyers.  Of course if you just happened to keep a bunch of used targets on hand with a bunch of head shots then I guess you could prove that you were just training for head shots.  Of course, if rat shot slows him down and distracts him... wouldn't two rounds to the chest be an even greater distraction?


NGH

[guzzijohn]

I may be totally full of it here but I seem to remember that some major city some years back started training officers to shoot for the hip area when a perp was threatening to attack them with a weapon other that a firearm. The thought being that the bullet would damage or break a hip enough to put the perp on the ground immediately. When put into action most perps stopped as soon as the gun was pointed at the hip area thinking that they were about to be shot in the groin.
GuzziJohn

[Pat/Rick]

I'm thinking that if the situation has deteriorated to the point where a firearm needs to utilized, its best utilized in the manner intended. I figure that my being disabiled only dictate that one verbal warning be given.

[bilmac]

I kind of remember one of the "self defense experts" used to recommend shot cartridges alternating with full house rounds in a 6 shooter. Sounds like a poor idea to me. 

Shot loads from a pistol are very poor. poor penetration and a poor pattern.

They are effective for only a very limited range. Too close and you had just as well be shooting a bullet. Too far and only a few whimpy pellets will hit the target.

Sounds like a good way to get your pants sued off.

[BUGEYE]

good replies.  it's that lawsuit thing that worries me.

[bilmac]

I could whisper in your ear what I think about the lawsuit thing, but I don't want some lawyer looking at everything I've ever posted on the internet using my own words against me in court some day.

[Pat/Rick]

Over at marlin owners one of the regulars there is teaching at a CC, law enforcement, law, oriented. he stated that even a "clean shoot" would cost the shooter up to 10,000 dollars to defend. Like others, my families lives are worth quadruple that and more. I pray I am never in the situation.

[SHOOTALL]

I would ask another ? Why would you carry a load in your weapon that could be blocked with an open hand ?
I will also suggest for those who have never had opertunity to see for themselves that soical events that require you to use a weapon seldom go as you would like. IE the other guy don't stand still for you to make a head shot !
IMHO putting anything in your weapon other than the best self defense round you can afford is just a handicap .

[SHOOTALL]

I know some one will point out if i miss the first shot the rest are real bullets 
Well if you get a second shot that would be 100% true , "do ya feel lucky ? " Mr Eastwood said it best .

[Pot-Bellied Stallion]

If I'm forced to pull the trigger to defend myself or my family, it will only be for a kill shot.  If the perp is left alive, there are too many variables that could lead to an even worse situation.

[45-70.gov]

after  it took 2 shots  to dispatch a water moccoson

i started to carry  2 nine shot for my first 2 shots

snakes  ..rats...i  am  more likely to have this type of threat

car  jacking  is  af slight concern...and 2 shot shells to the face
just to get to the real  ones....only 3 left now

but  i did carry the shot primarily for pest control

after a few years of this  i thought  this set up was  TOOOOO much
 to think about  under stress.
now  i just keep it simple...125grain hp......x5....point and shoot  center of mass
..and keep a 410 supercoanche  in the glove box for the small stuff

[BUGEYE]

I could whisper in your ear what I think about the lawsuit thing, but I don't want some lawyer looking at everything I've ever posted on the internet using my own words against me in court some day.