Ahab would be pleased to hear this story:
Prendergast carried the revolver with the first two chambers unloaded as a safety measure, and as a backup also had a small 0.22 caliber automatic pistol hidden inside his flight suit. When a rescue helicopter and support aircraft showed up, strafing drove off all the North Vietnamese except the guards, who felt safer staying with Prendergast than running for cover.
This proved a fatal mistake. While the two North Vietnamese were distracted by the noise and confusion, Prendergast pulled out the little automatic, cocked it, and shot the militiaman with the rifle in the head. The other militiaman tried to shoot Prendergast with the revolver, only to find that the hammer fell on an empty cylinder, and was shot himself an instant later. Prendergast swam out to the rescue helicopter and was retrieved.
It’s all about shot placement.
Nice – indeed my predilection for .22’s and mouseguns is well known. According to rumor, Israeli Air Marshals used to carry .22s on their flights and relied on superb shot placement to get the work done.
Before anybody starts packing a back-up gun, be sure and check your CCW laws. I believe only 2 states allow CCW holders to carry more than 1 gun. Oregon is one of them(no limit on how many you can carry), I forget the other.
In Washington the law generally uses “a pistol” but on the concealed pistol license it says “pistols.”