Have you ever had to draw your weapon for self defense?

[Execpro]

Once when a hitch hiker I picked up refused to get out the car.
Once while hunting deer in the woods of Maine when I came upon a hunter with buck fever. He stared at me for the longest time. Wouldn’t speak when spoken too, just stood there starring at me. Had my rifle ready in case he raised his and knew I would have to defend myself.He finally snapped out of it,turned around and left.
Once while I Was carrying Mexican style (large safety on) there were 3 men that had too much to drink that were making threatening words and gestures.Put my hand on the pistol grip which changed their demeanor and they left.
Twice while clearing secured floors in federal buildings. Gun in hand at all times.
Once in a bank when a man came in to case it. Partner was in car outside with the engine running. Had hand on pistol grip. He saw me and left.
Just some of my experiences.

 

[BrBa]

Yep riding my bike to work on Graveyard. I was confronted by a car with 4 young punks who rode alongside me and smashed a bottle over my head.
I was wearing a helmet which saved my noggin.

There was a confrontation and I fired a shot into the ground before firing on the 4 of them.

You couldn't believe how fast 4 punks got into the car and departed.

So they didn't stop to ask if you were firing a .25 or a .45 before they left a vapor trail? Interesting.

 

[S-W4EVER]

Nope, never off duty or as a retiree.

Same here, thank God.

 

[Stephanie B]

I was out walking early one morning about ten years ago when two large dogs came towards me. I stopped, drew my revolver and, in a command voice, told them to "go home". I repeated that and they did.

I switched out the revolver (3" Model 60) for a .40 P226. It felt nice to have a few months later when some clown drove by me and thought it would be funny to "roll coal" as he passed me. It wasn't, as I had feared, the opening move for something nastier. Just some jerk being a jerk.

 

[Clayguy]

I am not a lawyer.
I was intrigued by your comment.
I cannot confirm it anywhere.
"Dangerous weapon" has a legal definition in every state.
Are you coming from a legal standpoint? It occurred to me that you may be referring to a kind of language etiquette, No?

We have had some difficulty with Mas Ayoob in this area. He has said similar things, like you must never wear a funny gun t-shirt. It will be used against you. No gun bumper stickers. No funnies on Facebook. What Mas does not understand is that attorneys will say anything in court, but the jury will dismiss all that in deliberations.



There was a night watchman who killed someone. It was a justified shoot ultimately, but in doubt through a long and expensive trial because he had been wearing a shirt that said, "Killing is my business, and business is good!" I cannot remember if Mas commented on that case, but I seem to recall that he hinted that the prosecutor only pressed the case because of the T-shirt.

You know blue city prosecutors well enough to know that suggestion is ridiculous. His wife gave him that t-shirt that very day, his birthday, because he loved the funny movie "Major Payne". In fact, the defense bringing up the birthday party and that movie helped to acquit him and helped show the malice of the prosecution. Furthermore, the ADA possibly deliberately overcharged and deliberately used this t-shirt argument at trial, to look good to his liberal superiors, while at the same time giving the defense an easy way to get him off!

I do not use the t-shirts or bumper stickers or any such. Don't need to. I also post comments here that can be read at my trial to illustrate my actual mindset. A man's gun was stolen from his glove compartment because, according to the investigating officer, he had an NRA sticker on his window. I don't do that either, but still had a gun stolen out of my truck anyway.

If you see where I am coming from, I would like to hear more of your thinking in this area.

Thanks for your contribution here WR!
BrianD

It's not just Blue State prosecutors. None are your friends. Once a case has been submitted to the DA's office and charges filed, the prosecutor becomes your enemy.

 

[Clayguy]

I think the semantics of calling a gun concealed in public a "firearm" instead of a "weapon" is really a distinction without a difference.

If you have a Glock 19 in an IWB holster covered by a shirt and bend over and expose your gun in Wal-Mart and someone calls law enforcement, the responding officer is not going to believe you were carrying that gun for plinking.

It is most assuredly a weapon that one carries legally to defend themselves lawfully. Talking around that with word play only makes a person look like they're trying to obscure that fact.

You articulated the reason I am against "open carry". There are a lot of ignorant people in our world that see a firearm and panic. The news media has painted every firearm owner as a crazed killer and have made people who, previously, had little or no contact with firearms, fear firearms and firearm owners. They see a person openly carrying a firearm who is not in uniform or has a badge clearly displayed and they will call the police. The responding cop does not know if you are a bad guy with a gun or a good guy with a gun, but will initially assume the worst. Laying face down on the ground is not only embarrassing, it's uncomfortable.

 

[Smoke]

The responding cop does not know if you are a bad guy with a gun or a good guy with a gun, but will initially assume the worst. Laying face down on the ground is not only embarrassing, it's uncomfortable.

So I want to clarify, Oklahoma is an open carry state. Are you saying that you would prone out somebody that you saw just minding their own business with an openly displayed firearm in a holster. You'd prone somebody out for an absolutely legal activity?

True story bro, I would have your badge and a fat settlement check before that one was all over.

You might want to Google Sorensen V Colorado Springs

 

[Mainsail]

The responding cop does not know if you are a bad guy with a gun or a good guy with a gun, but will initially assume the worst. Laying face down on the ground is not only embarrassing, it's uncomfortable.

That would result in a LOT of money in the pocket of the open carry person. The police cannot detain, much less put you on the deck, for lawful behavior.

 

[03hemi]

Yes

Walking in federal forest in Michigan.

Came across a couple of "campers" had pitched a tent on the edge of a marsh.

Had that bad feeling, said hi and kept moving.

They started walking towards me rapidly, one had that look in his eyes, you know it when you see it.

Drew my SigP226.

Talk about putting on the brakes.

I backed out of there, got to a road and got cell signal. Called the sheriff, don't know if they sent someone out or not.

Didn't get the shakes until later

You mean that "banjo music" look?

 

[stansdds]

That would result in a LOT of money in the pocket of the open carry person. The police cannot detain, much less put you on the deck, for lawful behavior.

Believe that if you wish, but the responding officer(s) generally cannot initially tell friend from foe, so they are likely to treat all as foes. It's just the world in which we live.

 

[Denverd0n]

Believe that if you wish, but the responding officer(s) generally cannot initially tell friend from foe, so they are likely to treat all as foes. It's just the world in which we live.

No, it's really not. There are numerous states where open carry is legal. If some hysteric calls 911 and starts screaming about a man with a gun, the cops usual first question is, "Is he doing anything wrong? Anything threatening?"

Often that ends it right there.

If it doesn't, and the cops come out, they all know that the person with the gun might be a completely peaceful, law-abiding citizen who just happens to be carrying. They may be a little more alert than usual as they approach him, but they are NOT going to put him down on the ground without a better reason than, he is lawfully carrying a firearm.

This is not just speculation on my part. I have a relative who is an LEO in Arizona, where open-carry is legal. I have friends who live in other states where open-carry is legal, and who routinely carry. The cops in those states do NOT throw down on people, and prone them out, for nothing more than legally carrying a firearm!

 

[Autonomous]

If only that were always true.

 

[jmace57]

I had a knock on the door at 9:30 one night. I grabbed my Model 19 nickel and held it just behind my hip when I answered it. There were two late-teen boys there. I asked them if I could help them with something.

They started looking at each other - I could tell trying to decide whether to go ahead with the home invasion they were planning. I brought the revolver out and put it against my front leg and asked them again if I could help them. They ran off as fast as they could. (they would have had to come up stairs at me, and I could have responded if I had needed to) That's the only time.

 

[375hh1973]

You mean that "banjo music" look?

Had that predator look. Not quite a squint.

6th sense was screaming at me, GTFO.

 

[mtgianni]

The first time was as a Reserve Officer in the SD. We pulled over a car and had information that one of the occupants had a warrant from the FBI. We both went hot with revolvers and circled the car. 15 minutes later, about 1:00 AM the dispatcher told us the Feds had cancelled the warrant, just forgetting to let the locals know about it. No one was happy that morning.

 

[adwjc]

Weapon vs Firearm

It's funny to see the reference to NRA language preferences when they name their most popular courses as follows:

NRA Basic Personal Protection In The Home Course,
NRA Basics of Person Protection Outside The Home Course,
NRA Defensive Pistol Course and
NRA Basic CCW

The object of each course after mindset, is generally use of a gun.

 

[Smoke]

No, it's really not. There are numerous states where open carry is legal. If some hysteric calls 911 and starts screaming about a man with a gun, the cops usual first question is, "Is he doing anything wrong? Anything threatening?"

Often that ends it right there.

On Halloween morning 2015 three people were shot in downtown Colorado Springs by a man with a rifle.

Apparently, 10 minutes before he started shooting people had called 911 to report him and were told that him walking down the street with a rifle in his hand was a legal and no cops were coming. in

In 2020 I was working at FedEx one night and I saw a guy walk down the street in front of the warehouse with a rifle in his hand.

I decided not to call the police because again, what he was doing wasn't illegal and he wasn't on FedEx property.

The FedEx shift manager was just coming to work at that time and saw the guy and he told me to call the cops. So I did.

The dispatcher initially told me that no cops were coming because the guy wasn't doing anything illegal.

I asked her how that worked out for them the last time they tried it and she got pissed. But she told me again no cops were coming.

The weird thing is, 10 minutes after I got off the phone with her 5 cop cars converged on our front gate looking for the guy.

I never saw him again and I have no idea if they caught him or not.

 

[S-W4EVER]

I prefer to keep my handguns concealed for stealthy reasons. If a bad guy decides to rob the establishment I’m in I don’t want him to take me out first. Odds are if they were just stealing money I’d just be a good witness anyway, but I don’t want my hand forced.

BTW, I gave my 442-2 a rest, 9mm ammo is a lot cheaper lately so I’m back to carrying my 940... I had forgotten how nice that little revolver is.

 

[Imissedagain]

In almost four decades of outfitting boats with electronics, when leaving the vessel in the night, a gun was in my hand.
Owners would ask why, and I would reply, the evil doers most likely have a weapon in their hands.
Some yards and marinas were dangerous at night.

 

[Autonomous]

I don't blame you. Not just desperados but organized theft rings prowling Florida boat yards and marinas too.