"What if you bang one off at the burglar and miss - then he'll shoot you for sure if he has a gun, or he may grab your gun and turn it on you , whereas if you were unarmed and non-agressive there's a reasonable chance you won't get shot (more police advice there)."

I always hate to hear those arguments.

a. I wouldn't bang one off at the burglar unless my life was already endangered, in which case you haven't anything to lose. It's illegal to do otherwise as well as immoral & dumb.

b. Why do you think he could grab my gun? Do you think you could safely grab someone's gun when he's got it pointed at you?

c. Staying non-agressive. See a. If he's endangering my life he very likely does not intend me any good, whatever I do. Most assailants, muggers, rapists and so on do not want a fight; they want a victim. Especially in the case of the armed villain who wants to take you somewhere else. Trust me, it's not for your safety, it's for his. If for example you are carjacked and the bad guy is driving away with you, the police advice is to wreck the car of you can. You'll have a better chance of surviving.

All this assumes a violent, extreme and unusual scenario, of course. If it wasn't, you wouldn't need a weapon.

clint