In 1974 I found myself in a gun battle w/three armed robbers fighting w/my issued Colt Detective Special .38 & only one reload. Turned out to be enough (had to finish things w/my blackjack) but I would have preferred a .223 backed up by a Marine rifle squad.
In 1974 I found myself...just out of diapers.
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.32ACP and Command Voice vs APBT
Was walking a city park trail in some city in Texas (Austin or San Antonio I suspect) with my wife and our dog, a 75lb German Shorthaired Pointer on a leash. I was armed with my Kel-Tec P-32. Some Chowderhead thought it was a good idea to walk his Pit Bull(1) on a public trail without a leash. APBT comes running up towards us at full speed, eyeballing us the whole way. I drag GSP and wife behind me, pull the Kel-Tec from my pocket and when APBT gets close enough, I break out my inner drill sergeant(2) and rgr face and hit the APBT with a "NO!" and and a "DOWN!" APBT put on the breaks and skidded to a stop about 10' away. One more word, "MOVE!" and a gesture got him moving back down the trail. A moment later Chowderhead Owner comes around a bend and meets APBT and grabs hold his collar. I kept P-32 out and gave Chowderhead Owner the stink eye as he walked past us, hand on APBT collar.
Nowadays, I kick the concealed carry piece up a notch when out with family. If I would engage in that activity by my lonesome happy with a P-32, with family I tote a .38spl J-frame. and so forth: P-32 .32ACP > .38spl J-frame > .38spl K-frame > .45ACP 1911 LtWt Cdr > .45ACP GM 1911 > SW686 .357 > SW629 .44mag
Nowadays, my minimalist woods-carry gun is a SW638 J-frame stoked with UNderwood or Buffalo Bore hard cast wadcutters. I'll move up from there depending on circumstances.
(1) I can tell the difference between most bully breeds: APBT, Bull Terrier, Boxer, American Bull Dog, etc. I like them for what they are, but some of their owners need a salutary beating.
(2) The NCOs at the unit I ended up at were much more tough and unforgiving of error than the drill sgts at Basic & AIT, but they tended to be more soft-spoken about things.
.22LR Crickett and (maybe) .45ACP SW9111SC vs Feral Hog
Out squirrel hunting on national forest land with my 10YO daughter. She is toting a single-shot .22LR Crickett rifle with a 4x scope. I am toting my SW1911SC .45ACP and a Gerber MKII on my belt. Rules state that hogs are OK to hunt with whatever gun is legal for the season. Squirrel & rabbit season is shotgun with non-toxic bird shot or rimfire. So my 1911 was not to be used in hunting hog, just vs 2-legged critters. I had, however, had my daughter train up vs squirrel and hog silhouettes at the range. Got to hit either in the right space to anchor them. Squirrel from under shoulders up to skull (heart & lungs and CNS), hogs in the ear (CNS). She did alright.
We did the usual squirrel hunt thing: walk the woods a bit until reach a likely spot, sit down on bitty stools, kick back, be silent, and wait. Maybe scrape a couple quarters together. No luck that day, but as we were going back toward the truck, I hear a hog rooting a ways off in a small stand of trees, with lots of brush going up to 4'. I wanted to see if we could sneak up on them. Not to get a shot, more to just see if she could hold it together on a stalk. Well, she did just fine. We got within 25 yards, there was no breeze I could detect. We got eyes on one of the hogs and I called it good enough. Her rifle was zeroed at 25 yards with the little 40gr solid, but it would have been from the standing position, as there was no rest and my shoulder as I was kneeling was not quite enough elevation over the scrub. It was a good exercise and we both enjoyed the thrill.
Were I alone, I would have likely taken the shot, but that was too much pressure for a 10YO girl. As we left, she told me, "Daddy, next time I want to shoot a hog."
In any case, two years later she got an axis doe with her 6.5 Grendel AR15.
