When did a S&W Save your Life?

[Silversmok3]

It seems like war stories among Glock and Beretta owners are in no small quantity, so im posting this to get an idea of the times your S&W handgun has saved your neck both off and on duty. Im not cruising for a gory story, im simply a young gun owner who could use some background on how S&W has performed 'on the ground'.

Thanks in advance for reading

 

[GKC]

Last week, I stopped at my LGS on just to browse, and they had a NIB M&P9c, so I bought it. It took a few minutes to complete the 4473, pay, and then get back on the road. As I made my way home, I came upon a scene where they were still cleaning up a large wreck. If I hadn't stopped and bought that M&P9c, I might well have been involved in that wreck!

I told my wife that I should make it part of my defensive driving strategy to stop and buy a gun every time I am out, and before I head home.

 

[GKC]

And now on a serious note...I have never been in a situation where I needed to use a weapon of any kind to save my life. I sincerely hope that remains true for the rest of it (my life, I mean!)

 

[P&R Fan]

I told this one a while ago in a similar thread.
About 11 years ago I came home late one night to our fairly remote acreage and saw a strange car in the driveway. Didn't think much of it, thought someone stopped by to see my Wife. I got out of car and walked along the North (back) side of the house, which was lighted. In my right hand I had my keys. In my left I had an 8 1/2x11" notebook and propped behind that I had my M696 S&W revolver. The way it was positioned the muzzle was pointing to my left and sticking out a few inches. I had not planned it that way, but the muzzle would be visible to anyone in front of me.
As I walked along the back of the house, suddenly a man I had never seen before stepped out from the East side of the house. That side is not lighted, there are no doors there, and there was about a foot of snow on the ground, and it was not shoveled over there. I immediately stopped and said "Hi". He said "Hi" and continued walking towards me with a very disturbing smirk on his face and his hands in the pockets of his coveralls. He continued advancing towards me until he got about 20' away, and suddenly stopped cold in his tracks, the smirk vanishing from his face. The reason? He could now see that Stainless .44 Spl muzzle. The revolver was not in my hand, mind you, still in the crook of my arm pointing to my left.
I said "What are you doing?" He nervously replied he was "Looking for a friend and rang the doorbell and nobody answered". I said "Who is your friend?" he replied "I'd rather not say". At that point I suggested he might want to leave, and he readily walked to his car. He opened the door, stood there and asked "Do you always get home this late?" Now, if he's just looking for a friend, why should he care? I once again suggested he leave, and he did.
I went inside and my Wife was still up. When I related this story she told me nobody had rang the doorbell. I took my flashlight and looked at his footprints in the snow on the East side of the house. They went right up to the window. My Wife and three young children were all home. I shudder to think what would have happened had I and my two friends Smith and Wesson not come home when we did.
I called the Police to report it, telling them I was armed at the time, and they made no comment.
Did the presence of my S&W save my life that night? I really can't say. All I know is this stranger, who was bigger than me, with his hands in his pockets and a very disturbing look on his face had a "Sudden and acute failure of the victim selection process" when he caught sight of that muzzle.
That, my friends, is a happy ending.
Jim

 

[carbuncle]

When I was a security guard a few years ago I found a burglar in the facility I was responsible for as I was locking up. I was carrying a 5906 IWB, when I found him in the darkened hallway I lit him up with my Surefire 6P and had my hand on the 5906: after some short discussion I walked him out to the front door, when we got into a more lighted area he saw where my right hand was, the blood literally drained from his face, I think he may have soiled his drawers and he ran out the door as fast as I've ever seen anyone run.

 

[1 old 0311]

I was in Vietnam in from 1969-1970. I was the designated marksman and as such carried a M-14. The 14 IS the finest battle rifle ever made but is a bit hard to maneuver in tight spots.
My Father sent me a Model 60 as a BUG. I would sleep with the 14 beside my right leg, my 60 beside my head, and my 14" Bowie knife by my left side.
We got hit one night with sappers trying to get through our perimeter. Because of the close combat I grabbed my 60 in one hand and my Bowie in the other. We fought them off but the other guys in my Platoon said I looked like a pirate swinging a 'short sword' and firing my 60.
In late 1970 I was shot twice and medivaced to a hospital ship, the U.S.S. Repose. While there my beloved 60 disappeared.

 

[fighter62]

Smith and Wesson saved my life once. ( I think it did.....)
And in one form or another it keeps me warm and safe since 1983

 

[wordsmith]

More than once, with a different S&W each time.

Spring 1973, Northwest Alabama - Mod. 19-3, 4" nickel. Chasing a load of illegal liquor in the Bankhead Nat'l Forest, a guy tried to run us off the road a few times and, in the process, ran over a woman walking on the side of the road. We did what needed doing. He went to Holman Prison with quite a number of years to do, but didn't actually serve out his time. Got himself killed one night by a bunch of sissies who cut him in little pieces and then tried to flush him out the sewer system. 6 or 7 were charged with his murder, most of them already had lengthy sentences, so they wound up staying a bit beyond their originally scheduled release dates.

Fall 1975, Birmingham area - Mod. 58, 4" nickel. Infamous local drugstore burglar, armed with stolen .45 auto, arrested while trying to self-fill a "prescription" at 3:am, in a pharmacy that had 8:am-6m business hours. We got the drop on him, no shots fired.

Spring 1983, west-side Birmingham. .44 H.E., Mod 1926, 5" nickel. After a long chase on foot and a few shots fired back and forth, me and "Bertha" caught us an armed convenience-store robber.

Thank God for S&W, period. Thank God also, that - at this age - I don't do those crazy things for a living these days.

David

 

[squidsix]

I was shooting in Oso, WA, at a gravel pit range. Two "people" walked out of the woods while I was digging around in my range bag, and placed themselves on opposite sides of me, looking at me somewhat expectantly.
I had put my FAL down on the tailgate of my truck, about 20 feet away.
"Hey man, that's a cool gun." said one guy.
"What do you think is going to happen?" Was my response. I had a model 10-7 in my hand by then, and they walked up the road a long way in a hurry.
I have no idea what motivated them, and I never saw them again. Also: I never shot there alone again.

 

[rboineau]

I bicycle usually 2-4 thousand miles a year and have been doing it for decades now. My regular route takes me out into the country--well, at least what passes for country these overpopulated days. On several occasions I have been accosted by scumbags black and white who either throw bottles or other objects at me, try to run me off the road, stop and want to fight and/or take my bike, etc.

Never had to shoot any of them with the S&Ws I carry in a seat bag on the bike (depending on what I grab, I might have a 2" 34 or 36, or Airweight 43 along) but have had to show it more than once. Thought sure I was going to have to fire it one time, when 3 dirtbags piled out of their clapped-out pickup after passing me and stopping. They came at me, cursing and threatening but stopped when I leveled down on them.

People, generally, suck.

 

[Miami_JBT]

I carry a GLOCK 22 On Duty and a S&W 642 as my BUG. Also carry the 642 off duty. My GLOCK has saved my life a number of times and have made scumbags to reevaluate their decisions and choice of actions.

My 642 saved me when I was off duty... was about three AM and leaving a late night movie. When to the truck when I noticed someone waiting by a darken area watching me. Guy started to follow me. I grabbed the 642 that was in my pocket. He started to advance towards me... I told him if he values his life then he should walk another way. He saw my hands in my pocket and figured that I either had a knife or gun... never brandished it... but had it ready.

 

[harleyargunner]

I dont know if it saved my life but at sure didnt hurt. Back when my son was a baby he woke us up about 6 am Sunday morningfor his bottle. On my way to the kitchen I saw a weird shadow on the front window. I went and retrieved my 5906 opened the door and nothing. Then form the blind corner a gut steps out starts moving forward and stops dead in his tracks as soon as he saw the pistol in my hand. He says is John home I said no he turned I backed inside and called the police. The is no John in my house. What if I hadnt got the pistol?

 

[harleyargunner]

Sorry Just try to carry something comfortable for you and practice.

 

[bulletproof-791]

this will tell you why my screen name is what it is..

I am the Second Chance Saves Club Member 791

"UPDATE" the 18 year old subject was found later with a gun shot to the upper arm......,hard to hit a running target, so now since he is in Mansfield Oh @ Richland Correction Center for 10 more years, every time he see that scar on his upper arm, he will know i was there.....and when he gets out in 2021.............guess who will be there.....

here is the my life saver

 

[Old cop]

During my LEO days my S&W M15 (service ammo = FBI +P load) was used to shoot a bad guy (BG) who had taken a hostage and was about to cut his throat. I don't want to go into a lot of detail out of respect for those involved, but it saved the innocent hostage. The BG lived, was prosecuted, did a long stretch in prison and I'm not sure what happened to him after that.

 

[captken]

Way back yonder in 77, wife and I took a vacation to the Florida Keys. I was a new hire on the local PD so I carried a M36 in the glove box of the car. We had stopped on the south end of 7 mile bridge and was going to snorkle around some off the little park there. We was standing in the water's edge when some guy shouted to us and asked if that was my brown Pontiac in the parking lot. I shouted yes and he answered that two guys had just broken into it and took something and they was just pulling out of the lot. We ran back to the car to find that they had taken my wallet and the wife's purse but my gun was still in the glove box. We jumped in the car and took chase back across 7 mile bridge heading toward Marathon. Wife was white knuckled when speeds exceeded 90 mph. This was still when the bridge was two lane. FDOT was working on the center of the bridge and had one lane closed so traffic came to a stop. When it did, I grabbed my gun and started running down the bridge toward the car. They saw me coming and attempted to run the roadblock but the workers heard me shouting and blocked them. I went to the driver's window and stuck my gun in his face, grabbed the wad of cash he had in his top pocket, handed it to my wife and told her to count it and that was how much was taken. Unknown to me until then, the guy that had shouted had his car broken into the day before and was there looking to see if any of his stuff had been thrown in the bushes. He was behind us in the chase and while I was running down the center of the road with gun in hand, he was running down the right side with a speargun. I had the driver at gunpoint and he had the passenger at spearpoint. Just picture that scene in your mind. The FDOT had radioed back and deputies arrived shortly and escorted everyone back to Marathon where the two was arrested. I returned to Key West several months later for the trial and turns out that they were local firemen and and LEO's had been trying to catch them for several months.

 

[boingboing]

About 6 moths ago I responded to a domestic call. Dad was beating up daughter. When I grabbed dad to get him off daughter he turned on me. During our "struggle" dad grabbed my 4006TSW that was still holstered. I put my hand over his as we continued to struggle. I pressed the mag release at the same time the rotating hood strap broke allowing him to pull my gun out. My had slipped off the gun and the dad pointed it at me and pulled the trigger. To his surprise nothing happened. As I rolled away from him I was able to take possession of my gun and as we were both standing up, I smacked him on the side of the head with the slide. I was tired and didn't know how hard I hit him but apparently it was hard enough because I knocked him unconcious. Thank God for mag safties and steel guns.

 

[sooftwn12]

1962; Laos

 

[44 Mag Fan]

Back in the 90's before the wonder nines became popular, I carried a model 29.One night while on patrol, I stopped a vehicle for speeding and possible DUI. While I talking with the suspect he attempted to pull a handgun from under his coat. A quick placement of the model 29 in his mouth made him change his mind. He said he was only going to show me his gun. Back then as one of only 2 officers on duty in my county at the time and my nearest backup being about 40 miles away, I believe that the sight of the Model 29 saved me. While talking with the suspect several years later, he told me that the sight of that big barrel that close to his face almost scared him to death. I still carry a 629 almost daily.

 

[Leiden]

January 2006 - Smith & Wesson 3000 with 12 ga. slugs vs. Angry Cow. I got a call for a car vs. livestock non-injury accident (no people injured) and arrived on-scene to see a pissed off cow with a broken leg. Well, the cow didn't like the color of my uniform and decided he wanted to charge me. I shot him with four slugs from the Smith & Wesson 3000 and he promptly hobbled over to the local PD side of the intersection and died right there....since he died "out of county jurisdiction" I just had to write a memo and the PD took disposition. You could say the shotgun saved me from being killed by the angry cow.

On a serious note, over the last ten years of carrying a 4506 I can't remember how many times its been pointed at people. I've never shot anyone with the 4506, but I like to think it made them think about their course of action...I think this could have saved my life. I will tell you though from experience that a 649 will rotate and fire when held against the stomach of a suspect hell-bent on trying to beat you with a rock.