they are carrying, at best, dead weight, maybe 15 lbs
A lot less than that. More like 2 to 4 lbs for a loaded weapon. Maybe 3 to 6 with a holster and some extra ammo. An M14 rifle with a fully load of 7.62 mm rifle ammo (both rifle an ammo noticeably heavier than an AR-15 or M-16), cleaning equipment and a bipod, doesn't weight 15 lbs.
Millions of people conceal carry very frequently. Its not as difficult as your making it out to be. And the vast majority of them also have a small chance of actually being attacked or having to come to the defense of someone else.
You realize, of course, that the teacher would have to carry fire power at least equivalent to the potential threat.
No they wouldn't have to, and probably would not do so.
On an open field a rifle (wielded by anyone close to equal competence) has a huge advantage over a pistol. That isn't so much because of firepower (whether you mean rate of fire which would be the same here anyway, ammo capacity, or power of each shot), but because of accuracy at range. You can easily hit a target with a decent rifle a lot further away then you could hope to hit it with a good pistol except by luck. (Well maybe not easily if its moving or esp. shooting back, but those factors effect pistol shooters as well.)
In close quarters might still have an advantage (except in very close quarters) but not an insurmountable one. Yes the AR15 might have 20 or 30 rounds in a magazine, but its shooting one at a time just like the 9 (which might have 8 to 20 rounds). Yes they are more powerful rounds but that isn't' really decisive here unless your wearing body armor. The real advantage would be the accuracy if your in a shoot out at either ends of a hallway. If your in a classroom, esp. a small one, it would be all about the skill, determination and ability to handle the stress of combat (which all matter a lot even at longer range anyway). |
