Have you ever NEEDED your handgun?

[FordMan08]

In my short time carrying a handgun (14 years), I have only had to use it in self defense once. I was on a payphone....remember those. There was another payphone about 10-12 yards away from the one I was on. This numbnuts guy was clearly drunk and on the other phone yelling at someone. He kept looking over at me and telling me that he was on a personal phone call and to get the fu*k away. I shrugged it off because I knew it was what ever chemical he had ingested talking. I heard him say "Hold on a damn minute" to whoever he was talking to. He then left the phone dangling and started walking my way in a very aggressive manner. He took maybe two steps and I saw him slide a knife that was on a pocket clip out and flung it open. He was about to say something when he found himself looking down the barrel of a Glock 17. I didnt say anything. He could tell in my eyes that I would not hesitate to defend myself. Without taking his eyes off me he flipped the blade shut and walked off quickly. He didnt even finish his phone call. I finished my phone call and started driving home. When it happened I was very calm and collected but when I was driving home my foot kept bouncing and shaking almost to the point I had to pull over. I guess I just kept thinking that I almost had to shoot someone.



Anyone here ever have to use your gun?
Share your story if you want to.

 

[SavageEagle]

No I haven't. Thank God. There's been a couple confrontations that I thought I might, but they ended peaceful enough. Then again, I've only been carrying a few months too.

I pray I never have to use mine but I know the chances of that aren't looking too good. THe way things in this Country are going I carry even in my own home, and my rifles are loaded. I'm hoping I get a chance to get some training before I ever have to pull it for any reason. I always wonder until then how I will react. Sometimes I imagine the different ways it will go down, but I can't ever find the time to practice the things I read about. I do have snap caps though just for that purpose.

Glad you didn't have to pull the trigger Ford.

 

[repair]

Once

 

[USMC_0311]

Twice

 

[schwaky18]

Twice when I was younger and it was in my truck not on my person. After the second time I learned my lesson and now it is always on me and not in my truck. However, both times the confrontation ended with out problems but things could have went the other way real easily.

Lesson, a load gun not on you is the same as not having a gun. Carry it, and Carry it loaded

 

[hardtrailz400]

Once. Good ending without real injury.

 

[cce1302]

Not yet.

 

[obijohn]

did you report this incident to the proper authorities?

 

[jeremy]

In the civilian, world never, not even once.

In the military, sometimes I wish I could walk around with a cannon in my holster!

 

[indyjoe]

I'm guessing I have had some bad luck. (Especially if yesterday is an indication with both frozen water pipes and hittinga piece of ice in the road just right to puncture my radiator...) I have used my pistol 3 times in defense. Never fired in any of them.

First - Terre Haute, 1-3 AM. I was leaving a fellow students apartment in a not so great part of town. I decided that my Glock 22 was a good idea. I had to park a ways away and was walking back to the car. I notice a guy maybe 30 feet away that was eyeing me. He pulls a knife and slowly advances demanding my money and car keys. I yelled something to stop him. Don't remember what. We were looking at each other from 20 feet or so. He was on something. I had pulled back my shirt and had a full grip on my pistol. I told him that I could draw and put two holes in him in under 2 seconds. It was his choice how to proceed. He walked the other direction pretty fast.

Had this have happened today, I would have drawn on him. Probably still not shot him, but I didn't understand the speed a knifed assailant can close a distance at the time.

Second - I borrowed my dad's old Chevy Caprice (dark blue boxy). I borrowed it to move and was taking it back down 37 to 60 to Louisville. In Bedford, I decide to get some food at the Arby's, that seemed open. They left the sign light on and you can't really see much else till you pull off the road. I was either driving a car that looked like someone elses or I was being targeted for a robbery. Not sure which.

I wasn't paying as much attention to who was following me, just trying to figure out if the Arby's was open. I stopped to look at the hours on the door for future reference and notice a big truck pulling up directly behind me. Still no alarm bells, just figure he wanted food too. Then the two trucks that pulled around the building, reverse drive-thru direction blocked me in fully. A guy or two from each truck got out with their weapon of choice. Didn't see them all, but bats, tire irons, etc. You get the drift.

I triggered the door locks, then turned on the dome light. Then I brought up my trusty G22 out of my seat carry fanny pack and racked the slide. This sent a round into the seat, but I did it more for effect. I wasn't planning on shooting inside the car and blow my hearing out and I had two more full mags in the pack, if needed. I turned off the dome light, layed the pistol on the seat and put the car in drive.

My plan was to smash between the two trucks ahead of me. They parked with the backs of the trucks facing each other, seperated by 3 feet or so and angled towards me. Think of me being the line and them making the arrow tip. I knew the big engine in the Chevy would get through there fine. Then once I created some seperation, I would stop and get out to engage if needed.

They decided either that I wasn't a soft enough target or figured out the case of mistaken identity and started back to the trucks. Part of me still wished they kept coming, because I think it would have been fun to smash through. In reality, I couldn't have asked for a better solution.

Third - In our rented house on Fruitridge (I think) in Terre Haute, there was some apartments being built next door. I heard our trashcan lid fall in the exterior door right outside my bedroom. This was barricaded, so I needed to go around the front. I stopped halfway down the hall and went back to my room to add the Glock to my flashlight. Not sure why I did, just didn't feel right to go out and look for the cat I was sure knocked the lids off without it.

I started around the house with my big mag light off. Then I saw someone. I put the Mag light on and right in his face. His hand went in his pocket to some bulge there. I drew and told him in no uncertain terms that if he moved, he would meet his maker. He turned to run and I let him go. The outline looked like a pistol in his pocket. Still not sure if that is real or my mind seeing what I expected. I called this in to the Police, but I couldn't give a description that well. I was aiming directly at his chest and focused on his pocket. I could tell them exactly what the shirt cuff and jeans pocket looked like, but nothing else.

They figured as did I that he was some of the folks stealing supplies from the construction site and decided to see if he could get in my door. We didn't have a problem after that. Perhaps the word got around.

Honorable Mentions - I find that I am much more willing to stop and help folks when I am armed. I stopped for a lady with a flat tire, that I probably would not have, very early in the morning (1 or 2). I had recently heard about an attack and car jacking done when somebody looking innocent is broken down and another stops to help them. Then the rest come up from the ditch and attack them. This was just an old lady with a flat and having issues changing it in the rain. She was more scared of me. I told her to stay in the car and I'd change the tire for her. After a few minutes, she wound up getting out and hold and umbrella for me. Soon we were on our ways. I would not have stopped had I not been armed.

I also had a situation where somebody cut into my lane without seeing me. I gave them a horn as I swerved away and braked. A mile or two later, we pull up to a light and he rolls down his window and motioned for me to do the same. I've actually been in his situation and apologized when I had the chance and expected the same. Not to be. He just started yelling about how I was an idiot driver and how he would like him to come over and beat the $#!t out of me with his baseball bat. I yelled "Hey!" to get him to stop talking. Then I calmly told him that I was licensed to carry a handgun. I in fact was carrying a handgun at that moment. I then asked if he realized that him attacking me with a bat would be make me fear for me life and I would be legally justified in drawing my pistol and shooting him until he decided to stop the attack? He kept looking at me but his eyes went wide. After a few seconds of comprehension, he turned and looked forward as the window motored its way up.

Wow. That was a lot of typing and an interesting walk down memory lane.

 

[colt45er]

So there I was..... Sitting on a log behind a down tree....Shotgun at the ready waiting for that monster buck to just walk by.

All of the sudden I saw movement out of the corner of my eyes, next the leaves made noise. Then I saw her, a nasty LARGE racoon coming at me, I was forced to pull out my old .22 lr Ruger revolver and shot it 5 times.

There have been times where I was glad I had it and thought I might need to pull it. I did draw down on the maid one day at the hotel....it was just a misunderstanding.

 

[esrice]

Everytime a thread like this comes up in any gun forum, where the OP asks others to share their personal defense stories for the education of the readers, there are always those that don't care to elaborate any further than to acknowledge they they have indeed been involved in an incident, but don't want to share details. I've noticed this quite a bit.

I'm not saying they SHOULD share the stories, but what I'm asking is 'why'? Why do people hesitate to share their real-world stories?

Is it because the event is still currently in the court system and therefore they are legally not able to speak to the details?

Do they fear critisism from other members, as they pick apart their split-second decision making?

Is the incident such that it brings back some ugly feelings and therefore they'd rather not talk about it? (kinda like how vets don't like it when you ask them if they've ever "killed a man")

I appreciate FordMan08's post and hope we can all learn from it, and realize that bad things do happen to good people. But I'm wondering if there aren't more stories that could teach us just as much.

 

[jeremy]

indyjoe, I am thinking you have a magnetic personality.

 

[esrice]

indyjoe, I am thinking you have a magnetic personality.

Yeah, a s***magnet.

 

[jeremy]

I was not going to say a sh**magnet. But you said it I didn't.

 

[paddling_man]

Esrice - I think lots of folks are concerned something on the net could come back and "bite" them.

There was a guy on Bladeforums who cut a raccoon with a BIG hog knife. The raccoon was in the garage and came at him. He posted pics on the forum...

Someone called HSUS (Humane Society) who in turn had local LEO show up at his home with questions.

I suppose that if one found themselves in court for a justified defensive shooting, their internet postings could be used to establish a pattern of violence or a desire for conflict.

I don't necessarily have the same concerns but I can empathize with their attitude.

Only one incident for me in since in the midwest. When I first moved here, I gave up my old work cell and hadn't gotten the new one. I stopped at the convenient store on East Wash near... Prospect maybe?? I was using the payphone on the building dark side to call the wife in St Louis. Roughly 10p.

Three neighborhood youth were walking down the sidewalk, stopped when they saw me, split into 2 - 1 after conversing amongst themselves, and headed toward me. One on one approach angle, two on the other. 25'-30' away, I lifted my shirt to expose the butt of the 642 and shook my head. They stopped in their tracks, turned around, reconverged and headed down the sidewalk.

Maybe stupid but it worked. Really embarrassing to admit, but I saw almost the same thing in a movie later.

 

[indyjoe]

I appreciate that guys.

All of these happened within about 3 years and I haven't had a problem in almost a decade. Knock on wood.

Wait, if opposites attract and I no longer attract this $#!t. What does that mean I've become?

I think one of the reasons is that I have learned enough to keep myself out of places and locations where these type of things would occur. College student with no money vs. professional with some money, puts me in different types of places where this is less likely to occur. I don't hang out in the places I used to. I also think it is partially training. I wasn't as observant then as I am now. Each of my three main situations could have not happened or been much easier if I was more observant at the time.

The one ironic thing that exists with self-defense. The more prepared you are to defend yourself, the less likely you will need to. The confidence in how you carry yourself and the positional awareness that you exude cause you to be see as not an easy mark. All of this without having to use your pistol at all.

 

[Nathan]

never. only been carrying for a year. hopefully, never will happen. i live in a peaceful town and the chances of that happening are slightly less than that of a larger city. i carry with one in the pipe, whereever i go

 

[schwaky18]

Yea among many reason including legal, I were prefer not to go in depth.

I have notice several people saying that they showed or mentioned they had a firearm but did not draw. I have always been taught this is a no no because they could say you were waving your firearm around and then you get in trouble. If you need it use it, don't show it.

However, as people as said the showing you are armed can end a situation without someone getting shot. So what is a guy to do. I feel that had I had my glock the two times i mentioned and followed the don't draw until you are going to fire rule, the first time I would have shot the BG and the second time I would have probably broke the rule and just showed it which would have probably resulted in ending the situation. However, even the first time I was able to defuse the situation without even having a gun. So is showing you are armed best if it could defuse the situation or not?

 

[SavageEagle]

Yeah, a s***magnet.

LOL Ever read a book called "Maverick" by Dennis Marvicson? LOL He was a chopper piolt in Vietnam and his callsign was MagnetAss for all the bullets he attracted and gotten shot down by.... Sorry, made me think of that. Carry on!



BTW, good read so far. Situational Awareness is surely the key in any and all situations, 24/7/365.