---->THE MOMENT I KNEW I NEED A HANDGUN PERMIT<------

[browncoat]

Had a guy come up when the wifey was getting into the car after a dinner out. I had my son and was putting him im his car seat
The gentlemen in question approached my wife while I was on the other side of the car. He was rambling on about some sob story about needing cash. Weird thing was he wouldn't let me get in a word. Learned afterward that this is a tactic for some beggars. Anyway as he was walking up I got my son into the car and slid around to put myself between him and my wife. Finally I had enough of his speech and said "I have no cash and you're threatening me" . He got startled and ran off. I had no idea what else to do other than prepare for a physical altercation. Called the police and they took a statement. Realized then that I needed a firearm.

 

[iChokePeople]

Denzel. The Book of Eli. That's all I'm sayin'...

 

[youngda9]

Come on...nobody is going to bust his chops about using the word "permit".

For me it was when my first child was born. Something clicked in my head, amongst all of the rattling and voices. I realized then that I had to be there for her, and have the ability to protect her along with my wife and myself.

 

[TTravis]

I realised I needed a LTCH after I was in my late 20's. It was not uncommon for me to keep a .22 pistol in the car or in a tackle box when out and about, or travelling. I finally bought my first nice gun worthy of carrying and I decided to get the LTCH. I did not realise at the time just how easy it was, but with some encouragement from a carrying friend, I applied and now I am legal. I did not realise just how much I was putting myself at risk without it. I now have a lifetime LTCH.

 

[T.Lex]

It was a long time ago - Galyans was still around! I had special-ordered a nice Mossberg shotgun, but my car was in the shop. I couldn't wait, so my mom took me. Nice bonding time. Anyway, after we got it, we were heading home and something let go in the engine block. This was before cellphones, so there wasn't much we could do but try to flag someone down. A bunch of people drove by, and I had decided to start walking. But, I couldn't just leave the shotgun sitting out, so I tried to stash it somehow under the front seat (not easy, BTW).

Anyway, about that time, a beat up pickup rolled up real slowly behind us. Couldn't tell how many people were in it, but it was several. I got a strange vibe right away. One guy made some sort of gesture to his pocket as he got out. My mom was trying to talk to him, but he didn't look much interested. I got out, but kept my hand on the shotgun - not that it was loaded - and as soon as he caught sight of it, he JUMPED back into the truck and they took off like crazy!

I stayed with mom, and eventually a county sheriff showed up and helped us out. Someone had called in that we were stranded. He told us that there had been a few instances of people getting stranded, then getting robbed.

I honestly believe that the shotgun saved us from some ill-intent of that guy and his buddies. But, I also realized that a handgun was MUCH better than a shotgun for carrying.



(This may or may not have actually happened.)

 

[indiucky]

I can remember many years ago that it was a fairly common story about a woman out hitchhiking, when you stop to pick her up a guy or two hop up out of the ditch.

Actually goes back further...White Shawnee adoptees would put their white folk clothes on and stand on the banks of the Ohio (north side) and try to flag down flat boats coming down the river from 1775-1810 or so. When the flat boats would slow down and try to pull in to help the "escaped captive" the cane would open up with musket fire. I am actually quite sure we could go back even further in history to find the old "bait and switch'.

Here is a link of the attempted home invasion we had at our home 2 years ago. I posted it on ferfals blog while it was fresh in my mind. It happens. The damsel in distress routine.

http://ferfal.blogspot.com/2010/01/home-invasion.html

 

[mrortega]

Actually goes back further...White Shawnee adoptees would put their white folk clothes on and stand on the banks of the Ohio (north side) and try to flag down flat boats coming down the river from 1775-1810 or so. When the flat boats would slow down and try to pull in to help the "escaped captive" the cane would open up with musket fire. I am actually quite sure we could go back even further in history to find the old "bait and switch'.

Here is a link of the attempted home invasion we had at our home 2 years ago. I posted it on ferfals blog while it was fresh in my mind. It happens. The damsel in distress routine.

SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA: Home Invasion

Thanks for the link. That was a very good warning/reminder.

 

[minx]

A co-worker, Mj. Wise was gunned down on Christmas Eve, right in front of his family.

 

[rnungester]

that is so sad to hear... Gosh, I couldn't imagine.

 

[ws98ta]

The moment I knew I needed a ltch was as soon as I turned 21 and I could legally buy a hand gun. But I did not get one until my wife approved 7 years later.
She realized we needed one when, one night on our way home from broad ripple after a friends birthday. We were stopped at a light on 34th and college, and some one came up to the drivers door and attempted to open it. Without hesitation I blew the red light and gtf outta there. The next day she asked when I was going to apply for my permit.

 

[mrortega]

The moment I knew I needed a ltch was as soon as I turned 21 and I could legally buy a hand gun. But I did not get one until my wife approved 7 years later.
She realized we needed one when, one night on our way home from broad ripple after a friends birthday. We were stopped at a light on 34th and college, and some one came up to the drivers door and attempted to open it. Without hesitation I blew the red light and gtf outta there. The next day she asked when I was going to apply for my permit.

Sometimes you have to take the bull, er the cow, by the horns and just take care of business. Forgive me if you've seen my post on this a long time ago but my wife and I were in a new CVS in Evansville and were about half way back in the store. She needed stuff back by the pharmacy, which was closed, but there was a woman and young daughter that she felt spooked by back near there. This woman was a pleasant overweight 30 something and her little girl was a grossly overweight 10 or 12 yr old. I don't know why that spooked my wife but she pretty well tried to order me to go more to the front of the store. Unfortunately there was a sort of unruly group of old teens/young 20s up there making a lot of noise and my thoughts were a distract and grab deal was about to go down. (BTW, that didn't happen.) I refused to move up front and my wife was getting really pissed at me. I finally said, "Look YOU'RE wrong, there's no threat back here, if something happens up front I'm pulling you down to the floor and drawing my pistol and hiding. I spent 14 months in Viet Nam and I damned sure am not going against my gut. Now cool it." She looked at me and knew I was serious and later that evening apologized. My point is don't let your wife or anyone else's misguided or paranoid opinion stop you from doing what you feel or know is the prudent thing to do. Just do it!!

 

[88GT]

There have been a few, though thankfully all of them occurred AFTER the LTCH came into my possession.

1. Someone "followed" us home one evening.

2. Twice I've had complete strangers knock on the door asking for someone who didn't live there. One of those was at 1:30 in the morning. (At a time when this technique was being used to gain entry into homes.)

3. I was meeting someone to show one our rental units. The person hadn't yet arrived, but 3 large Hispanic (in context this was a red flag) men approach my husband who was outside. He tells them they will have to make an appointment for another time and starts to head back up the porch stairs. They attempt to follow him. As he enters the door, one steps towards it like he's going to push dear hubby out of the way. Already on high alert, hubby places hand towards hip in preparation for the inevitable (mine was already drawn). I don't know, but be a universal sign of "don't even try it" because they immediately turned around and left.

4. Same rental unit (you knew it was), I watched as the relatives of one of my tenant's boyfriends postured and profaned each other, culminating with the brandishing of some nickel-plated sissy pistol, complete with 90* gangsta cant. Yeah, they really do that. Still kinda upset they didn't remove a few from the oxygen demand, but in hindsight, who needs to worry about crime tape and blood pools on his property, right?

 

[PastorBlaster]

I worked in downtown KC, LA and spend a lot of time in downtown Detroit and I've never felt afraid (alert, but not afraid). But as soon as I moved to New Zealand, within 2 weeks we were robbed with my pregnant wife and I sleeping in the front of the house and our 1 year old in the next room. They took everything of value, including the car we were borrowing. But you can't own a handgun in NZ - the cops can't even carry which is why there are more police dog related attacks in NZ than anywhere else in the world. Since I was on a 1 year visa I couldn't get any kind of gun - so the only thing I got out of being robbed was a higher insurance premium!

Several years later and I'm attacked by a skinhead in front of our church with all of the teens looking on. Again, no handguns available (though a very sharp knife pointed upwards with great pressure into his groin sent him scurrying =) ).

Now with an adoption bringing us into contact with some questionable extended families, and being back in a country where I can actually defend myself, the LTCH app is being processed, the XDM is at hand, and I sleep well at night.

 

[jgreiner]

My love of guns started at an early age......on the farm. Dad had a Ruger .22LR single six that I learned to love to shoot. Bought my first rifle at 8.

I am new to the OC/CC arena though. I decided last spring that I needed to get a handgun for self protection.

 

[Ben Nelson]

Though I have shotguns and rifles, I finally got a handgun permit when a man nearby was threatened in his yard by two guys with machetes. Criminy, if I'm no longer safe from thugs while mowing my yard, it's time to carry.