Here are a few more stories that came today in a USCCA email.
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The Power of Adrenaline
I am just a regular Joe, but I had an interesting experience quite a few years ago. I was in my early 20's and thought I'd go out for a little survival camping. I had a Browning Buck Mark .22 cal. pistol holstered on my hip, and was feeling very cocky. I hiked about 10 miles and picked out a nice spot by a creek.
I set up my tent, and decided to take a little nap. I had just started to drift off to sleep, when I started hearing a whole lot of noise from some brush right next to the tent. It took me a while to remember that I was 10 miles out in the middle of no where, and there shouldn't be something making that much noise.
I started to lean up, and as I did a rather large snake raised it's head and decided he wanted to join me in the tent. I don't remember drawing or firing in the tent, but I did find 2 spent cases in the tent. I did remember to count my shots and was up to 8 and deciding shooting this huge snake wasn't working.
I picked up my walking stick and proceeded to shove the snakes head about 3 foot into the hard dirt. I tried for the next 30 minutes to reload my pistol, but couldn't. Now don't get me wrong, I had done that hundreds of times. In the dark, in a hurry, in the rain, in the snow, and never ever had any trouble, but that day I couldn't do it.
I finally pulled the snake back out of the whole I pushed it in and found that I had hit it at least 5 times. I tried to push the stick into the dirt again, and found I couldn't get it in more than several inches.
I packed up my tent, and tucked my tail between my legs and ran home. Since then I have decided that adrenaline is extremely powerful, it gave me amazing strength, and speed, although the after affects made me feel fairly useless.
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Evil from the shadows...
I was vacationing with my family in San Antonio, Tx in the summer of 2006. I have a Texas CHL and I carry a Glock 23 in an IWB holster. We had a hotel room near the river walk and downtown, and my oldest daughter (who was 13 at the time) wanted to go one night and take in one of the "haunted San Antonio" tours that are a popular tourist attraction there.
My wife and other child stayed behind at the hotel, it was too far to walk so we drove. En route to the tour, my daughter announced she had to rather urgently locate a restroom- I was a little ticked that she didn't use the restroom before we left, but drove past the haunted tour and started looking for a public restroom.
I soon discovered public restrooms in downtown San Antonio are pretty scarce; I was going to leave the downtown area and find a gas station or fast food joint, but my daughter said she couldn't hold it much longer so I spotted a liquor store and pulled into a darkened parking lot behind the store and hoped I could persuade whoever worked there to please allow my daughter to use the facilities.
We got out of the car and started walking towards the liquor store. I had recently gotten my CHL and part of the training you receive is situational awareness; as we walked down the dimly lit sidewalk, I knew we were not in the nicest area and normally would not have stopped there for just that reason, but hey, when ya gotta go, ya gotta go.
I was visually scanning the area for potential threats and almost immediately noticed a young man across the street who was looking directly at us, and it wasn't a casual glance; I got the distinct impression he was "sizing us up". My instincts were correct; he looked around, as if he was making sure there weren't any potential witnesses around and then started walking directly towards us.
I calmly told my daughter to get behind me; she gave me a puzzled look but complied as we kept walking. As the man approached, he smiled and asked for a light. I told him we didn't smoke and kept walking. He said something unintelligible and then stopped directly in front us, and was nervously looking from side to side- I knew something was about to go down;
I was wearing a t-shirt and button up shirt and I quickly pulled my unbuttoned shirt open so he could clearly see my holstered Glock and I grabbed the grips to quickly draw it if necessary; I keep a round chambered and prefer the Glock as my carry weapon because Glocks do not have a traditional mechanical safety and are "ready to fire" in situations that call for it- I don't want to have to remember if the safety is on or off or fumble for one when a bad guy is threatening.
I never had to draw; upon seeing my gun, the guy immediately threw his hands up in the air and started walking backwards, saying "hey take it easy man, be cool!!" and as soon as he had back pedaled about 15 yards, he turned away and quickly retreated into the shadows.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another man who had initially been walking towards us from the opposite direction, when the 1st man retreated, this guy also did an immediate U-turn and disappeared as well.
I then knew that they were working together, the 1st guy was the distraction, the 2nd, well, not sure but I know it wouldn't have been good and I am very, very glad I was armed and able to defend myself and my daughter. My daughter now brags to her friends about how her gun toting dad thwarted some bad guys; I really don't mind, especially now that she's nearing dating age...(grin)
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Most Criminals NEVER Learn.
A few years ago I was working at night in Montana and since my Mother was not doing very well I would drive down to help her on her ranch after work Friday night, help over the weekend and then go back for work Monday night. I carried a change of clothes in the car so if I ran short of time, I would stop along the road and change clothes before going to work.
This particular day I was running behind and pulled off of the highway at an overpass to change. I was reaching into the car for my clean underwear when a voice asked, "Got any money...??" Looking through the back window of the car, a man was stepping across the fence.
I replied, ..."Yes, and I've got this to...." and straightened up out of the car with my long barreled colt in my hand. The man vaulted back across the fence, around a pillar of the overpass and out of my sight. I got dressed and by that time was a little mad so went to see if I could see him.
I found where he had a camp up just under the highway beams but no sign of him all though I looked up and down both sides of the highway. I went on into town and to my job where we laughed about my experience.
Later I found that it probably had not been very funny for about a hundred miles down the highway later that night a woman stopped at an underpass to relieve herself and was robbed and raped. Always felt that it was the same person that I had run into.
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Clint Eastwood Would be Proud
My story involves walking my dog in what used to be a quiet neighborhood. It wasn't a shooting, but it could have been.
Lately, several homes have been turned into rent houses because of owners moving or dying and occasionally, transient people move in with no regard for others. One afternoon I was walking my dog when a car blew by me at about twice the speed limit.
I yelled at them to slow down.
There were three guys in the car. They slammed on their brakes and squealed tires backing up. The driver sarcastically said, "you talking to me?"
I said, "yes, this is a residential neighborhood with small children and animals and you were driving too fast and could have killed or maimed someone."
At this point, he pulled out a large pocketknife and acted like he was cleaning his fingernails. He then asked if I really wanted him to slow down or maybe I should mind my own business.
I always walk my dog with my 9mm Ruger tucked in an in-side the belt holster with an over shirt on. When he pulled his knife and made his asinine comment, I merely pulled my shirt back exposing the handle and hammer of my 9mm and said, "yes, I definitely want you to slow down."
He slowly drove away.
*********************************
The Power of Adrenaline
I am just a regular Joe, but I had an interesting experience quite a few years ago. I was in my early 20's and thought I'd go out for a little survival camping. I had a Browning Buck Mark .22 cal. pistol holstered on my hip, and was feeling very cocky. I hiked about 10 miles and picked out a nice spot by a creek.
I set up my tent, and decided to take a little nap. I had just started to drift off to sleep, when I started hearing a whole lot of noise from some brush right next to the tent. It took me a while to remember that I was 10 miles out in the middle of no where, and there shouldn't be something making that much noise.
I started to lean up, and as I did a rather large snake raised it's head and decided he wanted to join me in the tent. I don't remember drawing or firing in the tent, but I did find 2 spent cases in the tent. I did remember to count my shots and was up to 8 and deciding shooting this huge snake wasn't working.
I picked up my walking stick and proceeded to shove the snakes head about 3 foot into the hard dirt. I tried for the next 30 minutes to reload my pistol, but couldn't. Now don't get me wrong, I had done that hundreds of times. In the dark, in a hurry, in the rain, in the snow, and never ever had any trouble, but that day I couldn't do it.
I finally pulled the snake back out of the whole I pushed it in and found that I had hit it at least 5 times. I tried to push the stick into the dirt again, and found I couldn't get it in more than several inches.
I packed up my tent, and tucked my tail between my legs and ran home. Since then I have decided that adrenaline is extremely powerful, it gave me amazing strength, and speed, although the after affects made me feel fairly useless.
*******************************************
Evil from the shadows...
I was vacationing with my family in San Antonio, Tx in the summer of 2006. I have a Texas CHL and I carry a Glock 23 in an IWB holster. We had a hotel room near the river walk and downtown, and my oldest daughter (who was 13 at the time) wanted to go one night and take in one of the "haunted San Antonio" tours that are a popular tourist attraction there.
My wife and other child stayed behind at the hotel, it was too far to walk so we drove. En route to the tour, my daughter announced she had to rather urgently locate a restroom- I was a little ticked that she didn't use the restroom before we left, but drove past the haunted tour and started looking for a public restroom.
I soon discovered public restrooms in downtown San Antonio are pretty scarce; I was going to leave the downtown area and find a gas station or fast food joint, but my daughter said she couldn't hold it much longer so I spotted a liquor store and pulled into a darkened parking lot behind the store and hoped I could persuade whoever worked there to please allow my daughter to use the facilities.
We got out of the car and started walking towards the liquor store. I had recently gotten my CHL and part of the training you receive is situational awareness; as we walked down the dimly lit sidewalk, I knew we were not in the nicest area and normally would not have stopped there for just that reason, but hey, when ya gotta go, ya gotta go.
I was visually scanning the area for potential threats and almost immediately noticed a young man across the street who was looking directly at us, and it wasn't a casual glance; I got the distinct impression he was "sizing us up". My instincts were correct; he looked around, as if he was making sure there weren't any potential witnesses around and then started walking directly towards us.
I calmly told my daughter to get behind me; she gave me a puzzled look but complied as we kept walking. As the man approached, he smiled and asked for a light. I told him we didn't smoke and kept walking. He said something unintelligible and then stopped directly in front us, and was nervously looking from side to side- I knew something was about to go down;
I was wearing a t-shirt and button up shirt and I quickly pulled my unbuttoned shirt open so he could clearly see my holstered Glock and I grabbed the grips to quickly draw it if necessary; I keep a round chambered and prefer the Glock as my carry weapon because Glocks do not have a traditional mechanical safety and are "ready to fire" in situations that call for it- I don't want to have to remember if the safety is on or off or fumble for one when a bad guy is threatening.
I never had to draw; upon seeing my gun, the guy immediately threw his hands up in the air and started walking backwards, saying "hey take it easy man, be cool!!" and as soon as he had back pedaled about 15 yards, he turned away and quickly retreated into the shadows.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another man who had initially been walking towards us from the opposite direction, when the 1st man retreated, this guy also did an immediate U-turn and disappeared as well.
I then knew that they were working together, the 1st guy was the distraction, the 2nd, well, not sure but I know it wouldn't have been good and I am very, very glad I was armed and able to defend myself and my daughter. My daughter now brags to her friends about how her gun toting dad thwarted some bad guys; I really don't mind, especially now that she's nearing dating age...(grin)
*******************************************
Most Criminals NEVER Learn.
A few years ago I was working at night in Montana and since my Mother was not doing very well I would drive down to help her on her ranch after work Friday night, help over the weekend and then go back for work Monday night. I carried a change of clothes in the car so if I ran short of time, I would stop along the road and change clothes before going to work.
This particular day I was running behind and pulled off of the highway at an overpass to change. I was reaching into the car for my clean underwear when a voice asked, "Got any money...??" Looking through the back window of the car, a man was stepping across the fence.
I replied, ..."Yes, and I've got this to...." and straightened up out of the car with my long barreled colt in my hand. The man vaulted back across the fence, around a pillar of the overpass and out of my sight. I got dressed and by that time was a little mad so went to see if I could see him.
I found where he had a camp up just under the highway beams but no sign of him all though I looked up and down both sides of the highway. I went on into town and to my job where we laughed about my experience.
Later I found that it probably had not been very funny for about a hundred miles down the highway later that night a woman stopped at an underpass to relieve herself and was robbed and raped. Always felt that it was the same person that I had run into.
*******************************************
Clint Eastwood Would be Proud
My story involves walking my dog in what used to be a quiet neighborhood. It wasn't a shooting, but it could have been.
Lately, several homes have been turned into rent houses because of owners moving or dying and occasionally, transient people move in with no regard for others. One afternoon I was walking my dog when a car blew by me at about twice the speed limit.
I yelled at them to slow down.
There were three guys in the car. They slammed on their brakes and squealed tires backing up. The driver sarcastically said, "you talking to me?"
I said, "yes, this is a residential neighborhood with small children and animals and you were driving too fast and could have killed or maimed someone."
At this point, he pulled out a large pocketknife and acted like he was cleaning his fingernails. He then asked if I really wanted him to slow down or maybe I should mind my own business.
I always walk my dog with my 9mm Ruger tucked in an in-side the belt holster with an over shirt on. When he pulled his knife and made his asinine comment, I merely pulled my shirt back exposing the handle and hammer of my 9mm and said, "yes, I definitely want you to slow down."
He slowly drove away.
