Gun vs. Knife

[cakeshooter]

So on my FB I posted my target from last week and somebody posted that they want to get a gun but that they mainly prefer knives, as there was some research done that a knife-wielding person is actually more intimidating than a gun-wielding one.

Huh?

Anyone else heard that????

I just told her I hope the bad guys never get close enough to me to where I need to use a knife.

[Cherokee60]

Yeah, right. Knife beats gun, in an average to average situation? Prob not.

I can throw a knife, or I can sling lead. Gotta say from experience...lead flies faster.

[silkworm]

Never heard of any studies but I would believe it. Most people conceive of guns as instant death machines, that will kill you immediately. Whereas knives are percieved to mame and disfigure. Just like in the movies.

Of course it's far from the truth, but if it's on screen then that's what must happen!

A girl once told me she didn't wear seatbelts because she didn't want to be trapped in a burning car after an accident (like the movies). She had been in almost a dozen already (yes that's 12) and I asked her in how many of those the car went up, "none". Then she asked why I was looking at her like she was an idiot.

[offshorebear]

I think it depends on distance, your reaction to recognize what is going on, your reaction time to think to act, and your draw time with the various weapons.

I don't want to have to draw a gun at contact distance.

tactical hop

[streaker69]

[Cherokee60]

Precisely.

[cakeshooter]

I just can't see it. If the guy is further than arm's length, you need a gun. If the guy is upon you...its going to be just as difficult, if not more so, to draw a knife AND open it AND get a good hit...as it would be to draw a gun and pull the trigger a few times.

Its also harder to immobilize somebody with a knife, I would think, in general, (unless you have a good angle) and would also take more strength.

[soberbyker]

There was a similar thread on Defensive carry a few years ago, I thought this was a good reply from that thread:

I don't think even the most avid gunowner would deny that a gun is the best tool for killing people, whether it is a woman protecting herself from a rapist or a lunatic trying to wipe out his whole family.

I don't think that a gun is the "best" tool for killing people. At 100 yards, I think a rifle beats a knife. At 1 yard, a knife beats a rifle. It just depends. As a defensive weapon, I prefer a handgun over a knife. However, if the BG was 7 feet away and I could pick the weapon he had to fight with, I'd choose a handgun. (Well, I'd actually choose a rather small head of lettuce maybe, but between a handgun and a knife, I'd choose handgun). That close, it is almost guaranteed that I would get hurt very bad with a knife, handgun he might miss, or at least miss something vital. Also, I have never tried it, but I think wrestling a guy with a knife would be more difficult than one with a handgun.

The reason I still carry a gun, even though I think a knife would be deadlier in this scenario is I'm carrying for defense. As a defensive weapon, a handgun has a psychological advantage over a knife, both because of the sight of the gun and the sound of it firing. Also, you can be attempting to disengage from the BG and still have the handgun covering him. You lose that with a knife, since you can't disengage without the BG feeling that you are not a threat anymore.

http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/...-vs-gun-2.html

[cakeshooter]

Interesting reply!!!!

I personally think that a knife would require a degree of strength and confidence that I as a woman may not have...plus, a BG can turn a knife back on you, whereas if they turn a gun back on you, unless somebody's finger is on the trigger, it won't hurt you. But the knife would, without a doubt.

I do think knives are cool though! I'll prolly eventually get one...are those legal in NJ? :-)

[soberbyker]

Interesting question had me looking for more, here's a response from opencarry.org:

http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/sh...r-self-defense

So I've been thinking about this one for a long time, and at first, my thoughts were clear. I thought the gun would have about every advantage imaginable. I didn't even think it was a contest.

Then, I kept thinking, and I kept imagining a particular situation where a knife would be a clear advantage. Especially a knife such as a bowie knife.

Let's way the pros and cons:

Gun Pros

Effective at a long range, where an attacker might also be armed at a distance.

Depending on shot placement and caliber, you can put the attacker down with a single shot.

You can quickly and effectively fire off multiple shots, at multiple attackers.

Gun Cons

Limited ammo

The further your target is, the more challenging it will be to hit your target.

Can be disarmed much easier than a knife via muzzle grab and redirect.

Knife Pros:

Long blade, deep enough for fatal penetration.

Firm grip, and incredibly dangerous for an attacker to try and grab the knife out of your hand, as the only exposed part is the blade itself.

Knives don't run out of ammo.

Capable of quick actions of slashes/stabs if necessary.


Knife Cons: Only effective at a close range.

Is pretty much infective if you're attacker has a gun, and is out of range of your knife. (Unless you throw it, but a person can pull a trigger a lot faster than you can throw your knife, and once you throw your knife, it's gone, and the bad guy could have it, if you miss)

Both a gun and a knife can be worn quite easily and comfortably with the right sheath/holster. Both are easily accessible.

With all of this said, which do you think is superior in a general self defense situations?


If I were an attacker in close range, U'd rather try to disarm a guy with a gun than a knife. In fact, I would run from a knife before I would run from a gun, because I wouldn't want to get shot in the back.

Both would be equally intimidating if I was unarmed, but if i also had a weapon, a knife is far less scary due to limited range. I think I could take out a guy with a knife if i had a broom handle or maybe even a brick

Against 3 or 4 guys close range, I'd want the knife.

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