Have you ever had to draw/use your handgun?

[feralmerril]

Many years ago there was a huge overgrown half witt 17 year old teenager I knew in my neighborhood that was a pest. He happened to be a younger brother to a girl that I hired to keep my house clean.
One night I had a GF over that woke me up right at the gray of pre dawn, and said there was someone out in the liveing room! I had a s&w .45 1917 under the mattress and went to the liveing room with it in my hand, really kind of doubting her. Well, there was carl the retard. I had left my model 60 S&W on the bar and he was standing there in the gloom holding it! He saw me, dropped the gun and let out a scream and ran for the door. I caught him a step or two from the door and tried to "buffalo" him with the gun barrel. It was a glancing blow and I kicked him square in the butt with my bare foot. As he ran outside I couldnt resist and hollered ya ***, I am going to shoot cha after all! With that I shot what I hoped was a harmless direction in the dessert as I lived on the edge of town. It was comical. I swear he jumped 5 feet in the air and his feet were still running at the top of his leap and when he hit the ground he scratched out with his upper body almost falling backwards! It was just like a cartoon on TV!
Howsomever, I limped on that foot for over a week! I never did call the SD on that deal. I had trouble once before with him before that maybe a few months. I had told told him I "might" be going somewhere for my days off, and if I did I would leave some dogfood out so he could feed rusty. I told him I wasnt sure I was going, but if I did my truck would be gone and he knew where to find the dog food.
Well I didnt leave town but came home in the evening. I seen light through the window in the front door. I drove about a 100 yards pass the house, parked and walked back with my model 60 in hand thinking I could have left the light on myself. I got to the door and hear music! I opened the door quick and had my gun ahead of me. Carl was there drinking one of my beers and about to put a new record on my stero!
He got white, couldnt even talk and about puked! As for me, I had a big relief spell that I didnt have to shoot someone hit me. Then we had a discussion. I didnt call the sheriffs, but let him know I didnt ever want to see him near my house ever again etc. I belive it was something about a month later when I almost shot him in the first story. I kind of figure his sister might have put him up to it as I think she made have had a teenage crush on me and sent him over to see who I was messing with or whatever.

 

[stantheman86]

As a civilian, no, have never drawn or used a weapon in self defense. There have been times when I saw some shady looking people and was glad I had it though.

 

[buckeyeshooter1]

Working my way through school, I had a job as a manager for an auto parts chain. I was lucky enough to be sent to the worst neighborhood in the city with an 'ethnic' motorcycle club on the same block. Part of my duties included night deposits after closing.
One, evening I had 3 of the cycle brothers approach my pickup. When the gentleman grabbed the handle to open the door--- the model 28 came up and hammer went back. I informed them if they opened the door, they would not live to close it. Never had any problem after they knew I was always armed.

 

[Ironhand]

you mention the mil failed to take legal action...why didn't you simply obtain an arrest warrant for kicking in your door?

"Been there, done that" is why. This wasn't the first run-in with this guy, and I knew that the MIL would go to court and stand against her own family for this guy. She'd done it before, so I figured she would do it again, so I said "why bother"? I just started packing up and getting ready for the inevitable eviction, which came the next day.


In hindsight I probably would have done the world a favor if I'd shot him. I know the local police would have probably bought my dinner, as he was a well-known drunk, troublemaker, and abuser.

 

[Florida Guy]

Many years ago there was a huge overgrown half witt 17 year old teenager I knew in my neighborhood that was a pest. He happened to be a younger brother to a girl that I hired to keep my house clean.
One night I had a GF over that woke me up right at the gray of pre dawn, and said there was someone out in the liveing room! I had a s&w .45 1917 under the mattress and went to the liveing room with it in my hand, really kind of doubting her. Well, there was carl the retard. I had left my model 60 S&W on the bar and he was standing there in the gloom holding it! He saw me, dropped the gun and let out a scream and ran for the door. I caught him a step or two from the door and tried to "buffalo" him with the gun barrel. It was a glancing blow and I kicked him square in the butt with my bare foot. As he ran outside I couldnt resist and hollered ya ***, I am going to shoot cha after all! With that I shot what I hoped was a harmless direction in the dessert as I lived on the edge of town. It was comical. I swear he jumped 5 feet in the air and his feet were still running at the top of his leap and when he hit the ground he scratched out with his upper body almost falling backwards! It was just like a cartoon on TV!
Howsomever, I limped on that foot for over a week! I never did call the SD on that deal. I had trouble once before with him before that maybe a few months. I had told told him I "might" be going somewhere for my days off, and if I did I would leave some dogfood out so he could feed rusty. I told him I wasnt sure I was going, but if I did my truck would be gone and he knew where to find the dog food.
Well I didnt leave town but came home in the evening. I seen light through the window in the front door. I drove about a 100 yards pass the house, parked and walked back with my model 60 in hand thinking I could have left the light on myself. I got to the door and hear music! I opened the door quick and had my gun ahead of me. Carl was there drinking one of my beers and about to put a new record on my stero!
He got white, couldnt even talk and about puked! As for me, I had a big relief spell that I didnt have to shoot someone hit me. Then we had a discussion. I didnt call the sheriffs, but let him know I didnt ever want to see him near my house ever again etc. I belive it was something about a month later when I almost shot him in the first story. I kind of figure his sister might have put him up to it as I think she made have had a teenage crush on me and sent him over to see who I was messing with or whatever.

Great story.... thanks for sharing.

 

[Cooter Brown]

When I was about fifteen a buddy of mine and I were camping at a local neighborhood pond. His parents had dropped us off with their 10 foot Sears Gamefisher. We fished that evening and then had some bream for dinner. At some point before dark two guys showed up, probably in their twenties. Rough looking guys but we were young and stupid (especially me). They were on foot and shirtless. Shoulda been a clue!

They said if we had money they'd get some beer. Well why not? We walked up to the little store a couple of miles away and got some Miller quarts.

At some point in the evening (I had had a quart and had a pretty good buzz) my buddy, who was a lot smarter and more aware than me) grabbed me and told me to get in the boat. He said it like he meant it. I got in the boat and one of the guys hit Tony hard across the face--when I heard it I looked and saw Tony with a Coleman lantern in his left hand and his Buck 110 open in his right, and the guy was screaming that he was gonna take the knife away and kill both of us.

Even at his age, Tony was a big kid and knew how to take care of himself pretty well--I was a squirt who had only been in a few scraps.

The face off continued with a lot of yelling and I remembered the Crossman CO2 pellet revolver under the seat of the boat. It looked like a 686 I think--full sized and very real looking.

I took the thing out, cocked it (it was loaded), pointed it at the guy closest to Tony, about twelve feet away from me, and shouted "Hey!".

I was pointing that thing right at his face, and when he saw it in the lantern light I think messed up his shorts. There's no doubt in my mind that he thought it was a real gun, and he was probably able to tell that I was perfectly willing to pull the trigger, which at the time I was.

He started saying "Hey man! I was just messin' with you!" etc., but man he backed right off.

We went and spent the night on the dam where it would be hard to approach us, and I had that Crossman in my hand all night long.

The next evening, I was watching the local news, and they were reporting an escape from the County Farm jail--sure enough, they showed the pictures of our two buddies.

Three or so years later, I saw the one that threw the punch on a prison crew swinging a sling blade. Definitely him--he had the tattoo of an eagle on his back from shoulder to shoulder.

Kind of an embarrassing story, but all true, and the only time I've ever had to draw a weapon.

 

[310Pilot]

Excluding military (and related) service, as a civilian, I have had to draw on people several times. Fortunately, each situation was resolved by that action, just in time for the offending party to remain alive (the trigger squeeze had already been initiated in several instances).

Many years ago, I owned a gun shop. For a short period of time, I was open until 9:00 PM on Thursday, as were all the other stores in that rather upscale retail area of Scottsdale. On the last night I was open late (that decision was due to this incident), a group of 5 young men came in, looked around for a while, and appeared somewhat nervous, as if screwing up the courage to do something they shouldn't. The apparent leader was talking guns with me when he suddenly reached beneath the field jacket he was wearing and drew a Ruger Blackhawk, cocking it on the way out. I drew my Model 29 from my shoulder rig before he could finish the draw, and he found himself looking down the bore of my cocked gun. He went ash white, turned the Blackhawk upside down, opened the loading gate, and dropped the rounds out of it, then set it on the counter, all the while frantically saying "I'm sorry" over and over. I ordered them all down on the floor, spread eagle, called a detective I knew personally, rather than a general call to the PD, and he and his partner were their within minutes. He knew every one of those jerks by first name, real trouble makers. He talked with them, took the gun, and told them, to be in his office with their parents the next morning, then let them go. After they left he asked me how close it had come - I told him that I was starting the trigger squeeze when the kid gave up and was taking his weapon out of play. He then asked me how old I thought the peep was, I thought about 24-25.He said he was 17, but looked a lot older, and it was lucky I didn't shoot him, as he was a juvenile, and it could have been a messy situation, even though I was completely justified (not so many serious problems with juvinile criminals back then, viewed very differently by the courts during that time period). He was glad I was OK, and said he hoped that what I did scared those kids enough to make them straighten out. A year or two later, we were talking, and he said that was the last time they had any trouble with that bunch of punks, so it seemed to have had an impact.

Another time, in the mid 80s, I was driving in a "problem" area in Phoenix, and stopped at a light. A person started across the crosswalk from the right, but as he reached the left front corner of my car, he turned and ran to my open widow, producing a knife and demanding my money. I introduced him to the business end of my 2 1/2" Model 66 and informed him he brought a knife to a ginfight. He said no more, turned and exited the area at the highest rate of speed he could muster. I considered finding a pay phone and calling the police, but instead elected to just continue on my way, since I could give no more detailed description than race, approximate she, white T-shirt and jeans, and that fit the description of, probably, hundreds of young men within several blocks. I also doubted he would call the PD, as they were not popular in the area, and he would have a credibility problem.

There were a few other instances in which I had to draw; however, I never had to fire(as a civilian), thank goodness, but only because, in each case, the other parties immediately ceased to be a threat, at least at the level requiring immediate termination.

I hope to never have to draw or fire, but remain prepared to do so if necessary. I hope none of the other forum members are ever put in a situation requiring that level of response, either.

 

[Catshooter]

Isn't interseting how many times 'using a firearm in self defense' doesn't involve firing it?

Many years ago the house next to mine had two, not at all friendly couples living there with two Dobermans.

One day I was taking the garbage out to the curb and the neighbors were in their yard playing frisbee with the dogs.

The frisbee came sailing towards me with the two dogs behind it. When they saw me, they deceided that fetching me instead of the frisbee would be much cooler and they both focused on me.

I stopped, flipped back my jacket and put my hand on the butt of my 1911. The 1911 was on my side facing away from the neighbors so they couldn't see it, but they knew instantly what was about to happen.

When the dogs had started running at me, no one said a word. Once my hand hit that pistol, oh my. They could hardly call the dogs back fast enough.

Neither of them said a word to me as they gathered up their dogs, and I took the garbage can to the curb. I never spoke.

I was glad I didn't have to shoot the dogs, I like them.


Cat

 

[Florida Guy]

There is so much road-rage down here, I wouldn't want to pull a gun unless it was absolutely necessary.

 

[captorquewrench]

I have never had to draw and use on another person, but I just wanted to say, I don't think I would ever have a problem doing it because I wouldn't be here today if someone had not had the brains and the guts to do it in my defense when I was a kid.

 

[venomballistics]

yup .. man beast and machine.
Beast .... me versus a black bear ... I had pockets full of bunny puff 44's to feed the 629 ... took a few reloads and a good bit of athletics but I won.
Man ... well this country boy decided he might go see how the other half lived it up and opted to investigate this big city night life thing.
pretty shallow way of life in Milwaukee's "scene" but thats beside the point. I had enough of the freak show, knocked the cup of swill out of my cohorts hand and lead him to the door.
as we headed to my car, a goblin presented a blade demanding money ... so .. I presented that 629 and requested his ..... most fun I had that night.
Machine .... I should have gotten a clue about my inability to jel with Milwaukee but I guess some lessons require a refresher course. That came in the form of a case of road rage when a Vette driver decided to torment us. He grew rather brazen, even trying to run us off the road a few times. We could neither out run, nor out maneuver that machine, but I did know that cast aluminum as is used for most EFI intake manafolds, was not bullet proof. never went back to old Mil again.
Ive had others where traveling with iron came in handy.
I had encountered a savage thunderstorm in the southern part of the state .. Sun roof leaked, windshield gushed and I never could find where. Wasnt long before my feet were under water and the car was getting too laden with water to perform properly. so as soon as I could get to an exit .. I put two drain holes behind both seats and let her pee.

 

[Thuer]

It was happened in 1990. I had a shift as a train conductor on a train to Den Haag.
A woman called me that there was a man not well in the first class compartment. When I arrived I saw a person who was on his back over the bank with his eyes closed. I did try to wake him up. He opened his eyes and says. I am there, I am there. I asked him if he was sick and needed help. He replies I am there and that he was fine. I asked where he want to go to.
That seems a little place Rijswijk before Den Haag.

I checked if he was alright and go off to do my work on the train.
When I came before Rijswijk back. He was again flat on the bank. But now his jacket was open. I saw a round tube sticking out. I did realize that it was a revolver because I did saw an ejectorrod as well.

Within a second I grab the revolver. The man was right very awake.
He attacked me. I hit him with the point of the barrel on his chest and said to him that I was very familiar with this type of revolver.
(It was an Uberti Cattleman)
I told him that I call the police and hand him over to them.

He said that I can have the revolver if I let him go. I did say to him that I already had a better one.
(I did)

The man was realizing that I didn't make a joke and gets easy.

I looked at the revolver and saw that the bullets are very deep in the cylinder. I opened the loading gate and saw to my surprise that the revolver was loaded with .45acp ammo. To put it in the cylinder they had wrapped electricwhire to the ejector groove so it would end fall true the cylinder.

At that point the man grab in his pockets. I hit him on his hands and said that I like to see his hands.
He says that he wants to smoke. I replied that he has to do that by the police. The man said that I did like to shoot him. I told him that I would only shoot his kneecaps and I really didn't want to do so because it spoiled the train bank with his blood.

I did ask a passenger to notify the train driver to call the police.

When we arrived at Den Haag 7 policeman fall all over the man and arrest him. I gave the revolver to the police and have had a very nice day off for the rest of my shift.

But in real I could miss this excitement very good.

 

[Thuer]

WoW Caporquewrench that is very hefty.

 

[Checkman]

How about before I became a cop? I'm 43, but I've only been a police officer for ten years.

The answer is no either as a soldier or a private citizen. I spent many years in the U.S. Army, but never saw any combat.

 

[gunblade]

Pulled a couple of times, never had to fire. Once the wife and I were heading home after a night out...she was driving and as we headed down the entrance ramp to the highway, a gang of four young guys came walking up the road out of nowhere, blocked our travel, then split up two on each side of the car, and started knocking on the windows. They obviously weren't looking for a ride. Out came the S&W Mod 60 from my ankle holster and when they got a glimpse of that they scattered. Second time was at a traffic light...a guy I had honked my horn at earlier followed me to the traffic light, him and his son got out and came up to my windows...he on my left and the son on my right. The son spotted my Walther PPKs I was holding in my lap while the dad was running his mouth through the 2" crack in my window about how he was gonna mess me up...then it was "Dad, Dad...he's got a gun. Let's go."

 

[PuertoRican]

Pulled once & fired. Once just cocked it.

Years back I owned a convenience store just outside of town. At the time several similar stores had been ripped off both at the gas pumps & in stick ups. My daughter worked for me once in a while & one night 2 punks ripped off a tank full of gas on her. Really shook her up & scared her. Only thing she could do was get a good description of the car. A week later in the middle of the day a car matching the description pulled up to the pumps. I'm watching out the drive thru window & sure enough there's 2 punks out there. One pumped the gas & the other sat behind the wheel. Soon as he filled the tank, gas pumper dropped the hose & jumped in the car. While this happened I pulled my 39-2 and waited. Soon as the car hit the street I put 2 in the left rear fender. Called the sheriff's office & reported the theft, the direction the perps were goin & described the car including the 2 bullet holes. Had to repeat that part & admit that I put them there. Caught some flack from the local constabulary about it but they backed off when I threatend to call the local news media.

One evening about closing time I had 2 customers in the store. One was a local woman who was a regular. The other was a young guy wearing a coat even though it was a warm night. As I was checking the woman out, the guy was just kind of aimlessly wandering around the back of the store. After she left, he wandered around a little more and finally walked up to the counter. For all his shopping around, he hadn't picked up anything to buy. I thought maybe he just wants smokes but put my hand on the .45 LC Ruger under the counter anyway. When he got to the counter he asked "Keep a pretty good amount of cash on hand?". While he said that he slid his hand inside his coat. With that I cocked the Ruger. He froze. I said "If you're reaching for a check book. I don't cash checks. If you're reaching for something else, I gonna blow you into the potato chip rack. Best thing you can do is show me an empty hand." He slowly pulled his hand out, turned around and walked out of the store. Called the law. They never caught up with guy but they were relieved I didn't shoot no cars or people.

Forgot one & its the most recent. I was sitting in living room watching TV one night. Mama was in bed so TV was down low. Dogs were outside in the back yard & they started raising holy hell. I muted the TV & could hear somebody yelling. I grabbed the 39-2 & went to the back door to see what was going on. Didn't see anything so hollered at the dogs to shut up. Somebody up the street from the house hollers again. That sets the dogs off again and I holler at them to shut up. Out of nowhere some guy runs down the street and comes right up on my car port heading straight for the gate where I'm standing. Fortunately for him the car port is well lit & he had no trouble seeing that nickle plated automatic pointed straight at his face. Reckon the 9mm hole looked like a cannon bore to him. He stopped dead in his tracks mumbled something about the wrong house & left faster than he came.

 

[feralmerril]

This isnt about me. Just a story about my mothers family about in 1919. Mom was about 5 at the time. My grandparents ran a large country grocery store at auroaville wisconsin. They had another family in business with them by the name of heine and gussie pries. My mom always called them her uncle and tonta although they werent by blood.
Late one night a guy threw gravel at the upstairs window to wake up grandpa to get gas. Grandpa was known as "JD", (john bruhn).
It wasnt unusual to have to get up and sell someone 50 cents worth of gas in those days. Things also were peacefull back then and I guess grandpa didnt see the need to put a gun in his pocket. He went down to pump the gas but the two strangers threw down on him. They wanted him to open the safe. They might have been discharged soliders from the war as I belive he said they both were wearing army greatcoats.
Anyway heine and gussie heard the commotion as they also lived over the store. Heine came down the stairs with a colt auto in his hand. Gussie also came down the stairs and that put her a couple steps above heine. The robbers hollered for heine to "stick em up"! Heine complied and raised his hands with the gun. Gussie was a fiesty and dareing woman and when her husband raised his hands, gussie snatched heine`s pistol. She stepped down and proceeded to beat one of the robbers about the head with it! The other robber shot her through her arm.
Well, they got away. Later the next day a LEO wanted grandpa and heine to come to the town of horicon, about 50 miles away, and identify a body. The body was one of the robbers shot to death and left at a store there. No shooter found.
About 5 years later both my grandparents and the pries`s all removed to santa ana california and started another store.
One day heine and grandpa were on a streetcar in downtown los angles on business. They spotted one of the robbers! They had him arrested. This might have been after the statuet of limitations or whatever. Anyway I was told the robber confessed to accidently shooting his partner that was climbing over a transom in the store door at horicon latter that night after hitting my folks store. I also heard he confessed to a life of crime. I heard he actualy got very little time.
Seems to me I read a old news clipping my mom had. It may be stored in my garage.

 

[29aholic]

Not quite 30 years ago I was working in a gunshop/indoor range. I had my 29-3 in a crossdraw holster, loaded with Glaser Safety Slugs. Me and a regular were chatting when I heard the front door open. I couldn't see the door from where I was standing due to a holster display (I changed that), but heard a guy say "This is a stick-up". The 29 came out cocked and I was laying it across the counter when 2 guys (who were laughing) walked around the display. Apparently saying what they said seemed like a joke to them, but when they saw the big hole in the end of that 44 it didn't seem so funny. The color drained from both of their faces when I informed them they were about 2 1/2 pounds from being blown in half. I told them I didnt care if they had pockets full of money to spend I didnt need customers like them and to get out and never come back. Bad thing is, if they would have had guns they were bringing to shoot on the range in their hands at least one of them would have died. Fortunately this wasn't the case. The local prosecuting attorney was a friend and I asked where would I have stood had the situation gone bad. He told me I was in the right and would have never prosecuted me, especially since I had a witness. He then asked if I wanted THEM prosecuted (I dont remeber the charge now) but I figured they had already learned their lesson.

 

[Knightrider03m]

Once. Not going into the details of it but the main things that I remembered was the sound of my thumb break unsnapping with my finger on the trigger and the look on his face as he stopped running towards me. I don't even think I saw my gun during this whole thing.

 

[KSCowboy]

Woulda been the summer of 09, I had been to the local casino to play a little poker. Left the poker room with a few more greenbacks than I went in with about half an hour before sundown. Got in the old pickup truck and stuck my sixshooter back in the holster and proceeded to head home.

Got a couple a miles away and pulled up to a stop light behind four young fellers on Japanese crotch rockets. It was a beautiful evening and the boys were visiting and laughing. When the light turned green they failed to notice so after a respectable length of time I game 'em a toot on the pickup's horn that the light hand changed. Their mood changed on a dime. Now they were indignant. They started off a few feet and suddenly slammed to a stop. Yellin' at me and then took off again. Next they surrounded me and tried to run me into the concrete median. Well this old man wasn't about to take on four punks in any physical altercation if they got me stopped so I pulled out my sixshooter and showed it to 'em, didn't point it at them but held it kind of flat ways pointing up in the air to make sure somebody could get a good look at it as we were only a few feet apart at 10 or 15 mph.

One of the boys got a good look and hollered to his buddies and they decided that this game was over. Glad I didn't have to make 'em own any lead but I would have if they hadn't ceased.

Since then I've wondered if they had been at the casino and knew I had money on me or suspected that. Couldn't recognize anything about them as they had big helmets and jackets on. People can get awful upset when you take money from them at a poker table and some want to get it back by other means. I've had people scream right in my ear, throw cards or chips across the table, and make threats while at the tables. So one of them could even have been a sore loser from a prior game or something. Who knows.