Picking the best weapon

If I could choose any sidearm the choice would be easy. However, picking the perfect firearm or melee weapon (any weapon used in close quarters combat) is going to vary from person to person. If you put a Desert Eagle 50 AE in the hand of an average person they will be very ineffective in a fire fight. The weapon is heavy with a major kick so their arms will get tired very quickly hampering their aim.

There are several factors to consider when choosing the right weapon. First off, look at the situation. In a close quarter combat situation, like the one that is faced in a building clearing scenario, you would not want a long barrel weapon because you need maneuverability and control over your weapon. In a long range fire fight you would not want a pistol. We also have to look at the user of the weapon- how strong they are, how used they are to combat, weapons, etc?

A perfect example is that a lot of people in the world have a 12 gauge shotgun in their house for home defense. However this is a mistake, a 12 gauge shotgun will tear through your house as much as it will to an intruder. Also, I have seen shotguns get blown right out of peoples hands because they are not used to firing it and they do not know how to use it. I prefer a 20 gauge shotgun for home defense because it will do much less damage to your surrounding environment while still dropping your target.

When you are considering a sidearm for yourself you need to make some big decisions:

-The size of the pistol for concealment
-Weight
-Size of the round for stopping power
-Consider how the recoil will affect your accuracy and potential fatigue.
*The same considerations come into play if you are looking at an assault rifle, melee weapon, etc.

The reason I am making this post is because I constantly see guys in gun stores buying a big shiny expensive gun and then selling it two months later because it was not what they needed and they didn't take time to properly consider what they were looking for in a firearm.

Do you agree, disagree, have something to add? Sound off in the comments below.