Personally, I don't care whether handguns are legal or not. I don't like 'em. A handgun has to be used to be a deterrent. I'd rather just scare hell out of 'em. That's why I much prefer my pump-action shotgun over any handgun.

In the unlikely event that I'll actually have to use it for protection someday, I figure the sound of the action being worked will probably scare hell out of whoever needs shooting without my having to fire a shot. It's a sound that can't be mistaken for anything else and what it says, if translated into English, is, "Get ready to hear a VERY LOUD BANG! (Assuming your head is still on your shoulders by the time the soundwaves get to your ears, that is.)"

And in the even more unlikely event that it actually does come down to pulling the trigger, it's hard as hell to miss a human being with a shotgun. Just ask Mr. Cheney.