Thank you for Shelly Cone’s article, “Have a blast” (Dec. 15). While I’m not opposed to self-defense, I also urge caution.

Greater availability of small arms also means more guns for criminals, as well as the law-abiding. And the legal gun market feeds the black market.

More criminals come armed and always have the advantage of surprise. An armed victim must kill or disable a homicidal gunman with his or her first shot—or else. This is why large clips are unnecessary.

And as I’ve said so often, we must distinguish among various classes of guns. Pistols are accurate to 25 yards, with effective range around 100 yards, and 200 yards when fired from submachine guns. Long guns have point-blank range around 100 yards and effective ranges over 1,000 yards.

Firepower also matters. Bolt rifles cycle 10 rpm. A semi-automatic M-14 cycles 40 rpm. But a BAR and M-3 submachine gun both cycle 350 rpm, while a MAC-10 machine pistol cycles 1,000 rpm.

No right without responsibility.

-- Steve T. Kobara - San Luis Obispo

-- Steve T. Kobara - San Luis Obispo