From: [j p casey] at [indiana.edu] (Patrick Casey)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: [REVIEW] In the Gravest Extreme
Date: 4 May 1994 15:05:42 -0400
"In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection,"
by Massad F. Ayoob, Police Bookshelf, 1980, $9.95 ISBN 0-936297-00-1,
paper, 5" x 8", 130 pp.
In my opinion, "In the Gravest Extreme" should be required reading for
anyone who owns a firearm for personal defense.
Massad Ayoob is widely recognized as an expert in the use of firearms for
self-defense and law enforcement. He is the author of several books and
hundreds of magazine articles dealing with the use of lethal force. He is a
duly-sworn police captain, firearms tactics instructor for law enforcement
and civilians, and the founder of the Lethal Force Institute (LFI). As a
champion pistol competitor, Ayoob has been a member of several all-state
and state champion handgun teams in both bullseye and combat style
shooting. And, he is an expert witness who appears in the defense of police
officers and private citizens involved in justifiable shootings.
While Ayoob is well qualified to write on gunfighting techniques, this book
does not deal with those in any detail. Rather, it is a basic guide to the
legal, moral, and ethical aspects of the use of deadly force. It is written
for civilians who lawfully keep or carry forearms for self-defense. The
book "makes no attempt to convince the private citizen to acquire or carry
forearms. It speaks to those who have already made the decision to do so,
and endeavors only to advise them in the legal, ethical and practical use
of the deadly weapons they already own" (p. 1).
Ayoob believes that the citizen has the right to use lethal force in the
defense of innocent life. While the legal right to use such force in
defense of property exists in many places, he questions the moral right to
do so. His view is that lethal force is warranted only when the citizen is
in the gravest extreme of immediate, unavoidable, deadly danger.
The essence of the book is this. Through his dealings with police and armed
citizens, Ayoob came to conclude that "the average citizen who keeps a gun
for self-defense has little real grasp of what the laws are that govern
such instruments -- the laws of the land as well as the laws of survival
... Every other book on self-defense with firearms began with the draw and
ended with the last shot. Ayoob sought to teach the armed public what would
happen to them afterward, and what they had to think about before. This is
the core of _In the Gravest Extreme_" (pp. i-ii).
Ayoob summarizes it this way. "It will be said by some that this book
teaches the reader to kill criminals and get away with it. I prefer to
think that it teaches him to stay alive in certain desperate situations;
the emphasis is not so much on the taking of life as the relieving of
threat to life. Far from encouraging the reader to take life, it advises
great practical and moral restraint in the use of lethal power" (p. 3).
This book was originally published as a series of articles in "Guns"
magazine. Some of the text shows traces of its 'serialized' past (for
example, some cross-references point to subsequent chapters when they
should point to previous chapters). The book's publication is a home-grown
affair; it suffers from minor technical flaws, such as the wording of
chapter titles not matching the table of contents precisely. None of these
seriously compromise the value or readability of the book.
Here is the Table of Contents, with my comments in square [] brackets.
1. Introduction [much of the above comes from the introduction]
2. Self-Defense and Lethal Force [lethal force; disparity of force; equal
force; reasonable force; when you can pull the trigger; retreat,
withdrawal and avoidance; bare fear and reasonable fear; innocence;
escalation]
3. The Dangerous Myth of Citizen's Arrest [Ayoob views this as a major
misconception many people have picked up from TV and movies. He
considers it a very slippery slope, and cites numerous examples of
how it can get you into serious trouble, or get you shot by the
cops. "He who chooses to play the role of Citizen Cop does so at his
own peril" (p. 30).
4. Samaritans with Guns [when it works, and the many case when it doesn't]
5. Women and Guns [Ayoob reserves a special disdain for what he calls
"media silliness" on this subject. After discussing hat pins,
yelling, police whistles, pepper shakers, sharpened umbrellas, steak
knives, kicks to the groin, eye jabs, karate, and mace -- he states
"guns are the only weapons that put a physically small or weak
person at parity with a powerful, very possibly armed, criminal" (p.
38). Goes on to review weapons choices for women, carrying, key
attitudes.]
6. How and When to Use a Firearm in Your Store [variations in local laws,
weapons choices and locations, basic in-store gunfighting
techniques]
7. A Gun in Your Home ["The average American has more misconceptions about
lethal force in the home than in any other self-defense situation.
He not only has little understanding of his legal position under
these circumstances; he has no idea how to conduct himself if, by
infinitesimal chance, the day comes when his home actually is turned
into a battleground he must defend against armed criminals" (p. 51).
He then goes on to summarize some practical, street-proven do's and
dont's for the home, discussing not just firearms but also
telephones, cops, lights, flashlights and other tactics.]
8. A Gun on the Street [Debunks the idea of "now that I carry, I can go
anywhere." Kleck fans will be pleased to note Ayoob's recounting of
armed encounters in which he was involved, none of which resulted in
shots being fired]
9. A Gun in the Car [Practical do's and dont's regarding hitchhikers, car
guns vs. carry guns, where to keep guns in the car, blockades and
car-jackings, the car as a two-ton bludgeon]
10. Deterrent Effect of Defensive Handguns [Additional recountings of armed
encounters in which no shots were fired. Ayoob contends that "the
very presence of a citizen's gun ... often prevents bloodshed on
either side" (p. 80).]
11. Common Sense About Carrying Guns [Ayoob considers the ownership of guns
a right but carrying a privilege. He advocates competency tests as a
prerequisite for carry permits. This chapter contains a discourse on
Ayoob's experiences to the effect that carrying handguns "engenders
not belligerence, but an enhanced degree of self-control and
coolness in tense moments of real or potential conflict" (p. 82).]
12. The High Price of "Handgun Machismo" [devoted to further discussion of
the common misconception that "when you carry a gun, you don't have
to take anything from anybody"]
13. Choosing a Gun for Defense [Ayoob contends that revolvers are easier to
manipulate, but semi-autos easier to shoot. Reviews snub nose .38s,
service-sized revolvers, .357s, and service autos. While he
considers "the cocked and locked auto ... the fastest of any handgun
for the first aimed shot," he also states his opinion that the .38
snubbie is the "best all-around choice" for a self-defense firearm.
Considers rifles to be best suited for offensive applications.
Considers shotguns the "most devastating combat weapon available to
the civilian" (where shotguns are applicable, he recommends 12
gauges with 18-20" barrels). Debunks the 'scattergun' myth. For a
more detailed discussion of firearms selection issues, see chapter
42 of Ayoob's "The Truth About Self-Protection" and chapter 9 of
Paxton Quigley's "Armed & Female."]
14. What Caliber for Self-Defense? [Begins with a discussion of shock power
or stopping power versus killing power; slow heavy bullets (.45s)
versus fast, light bullets (9mm, .38 specials, .357s). His summary:
"use the most powerful weapon you can control with speed and
accuracy." He considers .380s and .38 specials to be about the
minimum effective self-defense round. Recommends .38 specials, 9mm,
and .45 autos (all with hollow points of course).For a more detailed
discussion of amunition issues, see chapter 42 of "The Truth About
Self-Protection" and chapter 9 of "Armed & Female."]
15. Basic Gunfighting Techniques [holsters, position, cover, challenges (as
in "stop or I'll shoot"; advises against this), point of aim, taking
a bullet, practice and the value of competition, rapid reloading.
Summary: if you need to shoot, shoot -- and keep firing until the
attacker cannot shoot back]
16. Gun Safety [child safety, storage]
17. The Aftermath [criminal and civil negligence, liability for wild shots,
newspapers and the media. Summary: call for an ambulance, then call
the police, then call your lawyer]