Re: "Pistol paranoia (or any gun paranoia, for that matter) really gets my goat."

Frankly, I'd prefer that those w/o training maintain their sense of paranoia. Better they keep their mitts off a gun if they don't know one end from the other.

Re within 25' feet of a deer with one in the pipe and a loaded mag ... well, I know zip about deer, but, yeah, I think might be able to. There might be some tracking involved (sans a decisive hit, I hear those buggers can go a long ways). But I've held my own in bowling pin and steel plate matches, so I'd tend to believe I could score multiple hits on an animal the size of a deer.

Frankly, for a survival firearm, I'd like a 12 ga. shotgun with a full stock or at least a stock that locks firmly into place. Give me some shells in No. 6 shot for critters that fly and scamper and some 0 or No. 1 buck and some slugs for dangerous beings. No one firearm will do everything, but i think that would keep me fed, as well as protected w/in close ranges.