[madengr]

IIRC the statistics, according to cop teaching my CCW class:

90% of handgun shootings are < 3 feet

Takes 7-15 seconds to bleed out from a direct shot to the heart (i.e. drugged up people are still dangerous after multiple shots to chest). The only instant stop is a 2" band around the head.

15% of handgun shootings are fatal (mostly due to quick medical response these days).

In the one second you have to draw, the bad guy can cover 18 feet from a standstill; have done this drill.

[mirimir]

At 18 feet, a trained attacker with a sharp knife can take one down before the gun is drawn and shot. With a machete, they'll just start with the gun arm. Self-defense law takes this into account.