natty, i wasnt trying to insinuate that you were not prepared nor skilled enough. I know you have a military background and thus posses an aptitude and skill set far above most people. I was just trying to explain my philosophy.
Thankfully i do not live in what most would consider a high risk/threat environ. That said its advantageous to be self reliant. I live in the middle of nowhere, although I am close to town, a town of 200 people. Its not an affluent, liberal rural though....but we generally have good folks and low crime. I would consider myself more than proficient with my firearms and would like to think in a threat situation, i will make one or two well placed shots and end the threat. However, i think that represents the normal robbery, mugger, car jacker, home intruder, rabid animal....traditional threats to be prepared for. It seems to me that in this day and age there are more threat ranges to be prepared for beyond the traditional modality. Fergusson, Baltimore, wanna be ISIS "soldiers", active shooter/s, all have changed that traditional threat axiom. Granted, I dont live in an area where mass civil unrest and rioting is likely to occur. I do however travel up to an hour away, to areas where the newer threats are conceivable, at least once a week with my family. Those areas have serious drug problems and depressed economies. Crime is on the rise. There was a shooting in the one city last week in a part of town that has traditionally been safe and that i frequent.
While I do not think any of those high level massive threats are likely, i'm sure the people who have survived them didnt think so either. It isnt much of an inconvenience for me to have an extra mag on my person, extra ammo in the vehicle, or a higher capacity, longer range, more stopping power weapon in the vehicle. And like you said, its all about assessing the threat level for the situation. As i stated in my previous post, the secondary weapon is only in play when practical. It isnt always practical and I can and do live with that. Sometimes the secondary weapon is a full sized handgun, not a carbine or shotgun.
I'm not so worried about or even prepared for "red dawn" (sidenote: the original is one of my favorite movies ever!)....no one is. I dont worry about much on a daily basis. I'm not hunkered down in my house with my black rifles and chest rig on. I do however believe in situational awareness. I have practiced this mental exercise to the point that i dont even think about it anymore. My mind goes into it instinctively. Points of ingress/egress, how to move through a place in a way that will lead to safety in an emergency, location and proximity of other people, potential threats and so on and so on. I almost always assess for getting to safety first, confrontation as a last resort. I dont get all wound up or freaked out if i cant sit in a corner so i can see the whole room and have a wall to my back or anything like that...lol. In many ways its a lot like scouting for deer or turkeys. It also goes back to my EMT training....scene safety. Just basic awareness of your surroundings makes one much more prepared for an emergency.
