Anyone actually own a pistol [fired] in [civilian] self defense?

[Muss Muggins]

I do. In 2002, in the bootheel of Missouri, two fellas were having a disagreement over the same woman. One of them went to have a drink at Ed's Bar, a redneck place in the middle of an oppositely diverse neighborhood. The aggrieved fella busted through the door of the bar and took a shot at our hero, who returned fire. The first round struck the assailant in the pistol holding hand (very common in shootouts) removing his trigger finger and disabling the pistol. I think the attacking pistol was a .22 Jetfire or something similar, but memory fails. Our hero fired 6 more rounds (all of the available ones), striking the assailant three more times. He expired from his wounds at the hospital. The victim endured a coroners inquest at which he was found to have committed justifiable homicide. He was charged with a misdemeanor for carrying a concealed weapon, pleaded guilty, and was fined. He got his pistol back and sold it to my father. When Dad died, I sold it so Mom could have the money, with the caveat that if the buyer ever wanted to sell it, I had first dibs. Bought it back today for $450. Still had the handwritten providence note from the original shooter. I plan to get the police report later. I present to you a Colt Pony Pocketlite in.380 ACP which has been proven in self defense . . .

 

[robertrwalsh]

I have a couple of pistols that I have used in self defense. As far as I know none of the used guns I have bought have ever been used along those lines, but some of them are milsurp so it seems likely.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I have a couple of pistols that I have used in self defense. As far as I know none of the used guns I have bought have ever been used along those lines, but some of them are milsurp so it seems likely.

You have fired a shot in self defense with more than one pistol? Remind me never to hang around with you . . .

 

[Ziggy2525]

Can't be possible. Your Pocketlite is a .380. A 380 won't work for self defense. Everybody knows that. The bullets will just bounce off the BG's t-shirt.

Cool gun. Great story.

 

[Pisgah]

I have never fired a shot in self-defense, but I own 2 handguns I have used in self defense. In both cases, my assailants ran when they realized they'd brought a knife to a gunfight.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Brings up the question of definitions . Used with fatal results ? Discharged in defense/ duty ? Pointed at BG for defense/ duty purposes ? You can safely assume most former LE guns were used at least for the later .

I once owned a .25 that was fired at knife wielding armed robber , but either missed, or at least didn't hinder the escape of the felon .

In an earlier era was acquainted with two pistols that had been stolen , used in a murder, and eventually returned to rightful owners . One to the private owner , one was to a retailer than in the interviening years no longer sold pistols
my friend was a mid level exec for them, and picked it up cheap . Both of these were 9x19s , a Luger and a 1972 era Browning HP .

And in my imeadate circle , a cpl of suicide guns , a 6in M19 , and a Ruger Blackhawk .

But meanwhile in the current era , in my jurisdiction , the State's Attourney Ofc ( aka Prosecutor ) has a policy of 75yr hold on any gun involved in a fatality , regardless of the judicial outcome , or if stolen from rightful owner .

 

[BC38]

...And in my imeadate circle , a cpl of suicide guns , a 6in M19 , and a Ruger Blackhawk .

But meanwhile in the current era , in my jurisdiction , the State's Attourney Ofc ( aka Prosecutor ) has a policy of 75yr hold on any gun involved in a fatality , regardless of the judicial outcome , or if stolen from rightful owner .

Your state AG holds a stolen gun that has been recovered for 75 years? How is that even legal - to deny someone their property just because someone stole it from them?

 

[lkabug]

I still own my original service revolver, (S&W Model 10-5). Does that count?
Was not allowed to purchase the Glock I carried when retired.

 

[G-Mac]

I bought a Model 18 S&W .22 revolver some years back. The gun was in perfect condition except that the bluing was gone, down to the bare metal, on the front half of the barrel, in a blotchy pattern. The seller simply said that was how he got it. I was thinking that the presence of blood had caused the bluing to be removed. I had the gun professionally reblued by a member of the Pistolsmith's Guild that I know (he's local). It looked great but not knowing the history of the gun just bugged me. My worst thought was that maybe it was used in a suicide. It just felt like bad juju. I sold it as a reblued gun and moved on.

 

[nate-dogg]

I bought a Model 18 S&W .22 revolver some years back. The gun was in perfect condition except that the bluing was gone, down to the bare metal, on the front half of the barrel, in a blotchy pattern. The seller simply said that was how he got it. I was thinking that the presence of blood had caused the bluing to be removed. I had the gun professionally reblued by a member of the Pistolsmith's Guild that I know (he's local). It looked great but not knowing the history of the gun just bugged me. My worst thought was that maybe it was used in a suicide. It just felt like bad juju. I sold it as a reblued gun and moved on.

Suicide by 22lr sounds like a terrible way to go. I don't blame you for ditching it!

 

[THEmodelof1989]

I have a couple of pistols that I have used in self defense. As far as I know none of the used guns I have bought have ever been used along those lines, but some of them are milsurp so it seems likely.

You've used a couple different pistols in self defense in the state of California? You must have an excellent attorney.

 

[petepeterson]

I do. In 2002, in the bootheel of Missouri, two fellas were having a disagreement over the same woman. One of them went to have a drink at Ed's Bar, a redneck place in the middle of an oppositely diverse neighborhood. The aggrieved fella busted through the door of the bar and took a shot at our hero, who returned fire. The first round struck the assailant in the pistol holding hand (very common in shootouts) removing his trigger finger and disabling the pistol. I think the attacking pistol was a .22 Jetfire or something similar, but memory fails. Our hero fired 6 more rounds (all of the available ones), striking the assailant three more times. He expired from his wounds at the hospital. The victim endured a coroners inquest at which he was found to have committed justifiable homicide. He was charged with a misdemeanor for carrying a concealed weapon, pleaded guilty, and was fined. He got his pistol back and sold it to my father. When Dad died, I sold it so Mom could have the money, with the caveat that if the buyer ever wanted to sell it, I had first dibs. Bought it back today for $450. Still had the handwritten providence note from the original shooter. I plan to get the police report later. I present to you a Colt Pony Pocketlite in.380 ACP which has been proven in self defense . . .

Ironically, both times I've ever pointed a pistol at a human, it was my Colt .380 Gov't Model. I decided it was bad luck, and began carrying something different. Maybe I wasn't too far off...those little Colts are sweet, but seem to attract trouble!

 

[Muss Muggins]

I know, right. A .380 that fired seven times in a row. I'm sure Rastoff thinks I'm making that up . . .

Can't be possible. Your Pocketlite is a .380. A 380 won't work for self defense. Everybody knows that. The bullets will just bounce off the BG's t-shirt.

Cool gun. Great story.

 

[haywood]

I believe this was in the 30's. My dad and uncle were young and home with my grandmother their mom. There had been numerous reports of a peeping Tom in the area. Grandpa was at work and grandma hears a knock at the door. She kept asking who it is but they just kept knocking. She fired a Savage 1907 32 ACP at the door. She heard someone falling/running down the steps. No more reports of the peeping Tom after that. I had the gun for years and now my nephew has it now.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I've still got mine, a 66-2 4", which I bought when we traded for Glock. I wasn't with that agency when they upgraded Glocks, and they likewise didn't let me track down the Glock 22 I was last issued. The Yankee Gov't gave me a 66-2 2 1/2", which got sent to the band saw when we went to Glocks, and I wasn't given or allowed to buy the Glock 23 I carried for about my last 16 years. They did give me my badge encased in lucite, though . . .

I wasn't counting service pistols and edited the thread title accordingly . . .

I still own my original service revolver, (S&W Model 10-5). Does that count?
Was not allowed to purchase the Glock I carried when retired.

 

[SuperMan]

My 1952 vintage Colt Commander .38 Super was used in a robbery in the Texas Panhandle during the 1960s. After the trial it was given to the court bailiff who passed it on to his son who became a Dallas Police Officer in the 1970s.

I happened to be riding partners with him one evening and mentioned I had just bought a 60s vintage Government Model .38 Super.... He told me about his .38 Super, said he had no use for it and did I want to buy it....

The Commander was carried on duty from 1980 to 1985+- until our Chief banned all semi-autos as "dangerous"... Was carried off duty from 1980 till 2007 when it was replaced by another 1952 Commander in .38 Super...which is still carried daily. The original Commander still gets shot in IDPA matches once in a while...
Pics:
Original gun
10 shots at 10 yards
Original grips I wore on duty...

Bob

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Twice I have gone for my concealed gun, twice it never left my pocket. The bad guys took off before I could clean denim! That is my EDC, a model 49 no dash that somebody had silver Teflon coated in the 90's. It looks like a 649, but the action is much much slicker!

Ivan

(ETA: My apologies, not actually fired in SD)

 

[Valmet]

Only firearm I've ever pulled is my 1968 LW Commander .45ACP- back in 2003. The only gun I've ever ccw'd that isn't a S&W J-frame or a Glock.

 

[nyeti]

I own a lot of "blood guns" that were used in law enforcement shootings of felons, including on of my own (my others were with department issued shotguns).

 

[Biggfoot44]

Re my above post -

Recoved merely stolen would potentially be returned , BUT :

The County PD evidence "room" has a backlog of 20k firearms . Usually they only put efforts into those involved with current prosecutions , and the rest just sit there more or less indefinitely . A cpl yrs ago, an LT assigned to Evidence for light duty took it upon himself to work on backlog , and Wife and I each got on back . After having sat in evidence 10 plus years.

Also , the PD doesn't simply return them. They hold a hearing to decide if ( either Ofc who took it into evidence, or head of Evidence if orig Ofc no longer there ) " feels comfortable " to give it back . Of course if you don't respond quickly enough to Registered letter to request the hearing, it is deemed forefitted . If you aren't on time for hearing deemed to be forfeited .

*************

The 75 years is for any Fatal Shooting . Dosen't matter if ruled Justified, or had been stolen inbetween .

But at least that isn't the usual melted down . Just be sure to mention it specifically by s/n in your Will , and eventually your gandkids can retrieve it .