To rephrase a statement by Clint Smith, "The purpose of a pistol is to fight your way to the nearest shotgun (Clint said "rifle"), which you should have never put down".
I am first and foremost a shotgunner. I feel the most secure when I am near my SXP, but my 1911 gives me much security when I can't be near the 12 gauge.
I think that was one of Coopers's original rules of gunfighting.
That was who I had remembered said it too, AGS. But, when I did a search on it to make sure I quoted it right I found it credited to Clint Smith, who I believe was a student of Cooper's.
