Tell us about your "closest call"......

tjhands · April 1, 2005, 11:30 AM

Few people in here have actually had to fire lead at another person, but with so many of us carrying handguns for self-defense, there should certainly be some good stories concerning the "almosts," and "close calls." I think hearing some of your experiences would vicariously help to increase my own awareness.

So tell me, friends - what happened?

9mmsnoopy · April 1, 2005, 04:59 PM

years ago when i still was living at my parents house i almost made a tragic mistake. parents and rest of the family were out of town, i was there alone. was awaken by someone pounding on the door in the middle of the night. there are 3 doors you had to go thru to actually get into the main part of the house, this pounding was on the 3rd door, so whoever it was was already past 2 doors. i grabbed my ppk/s and my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest, i yelled at the top of my lungs "who is it?", got no reply, again i yelled it, no response, i drew my gun up towards the door and was about ready to unload when i yelled it again, this time i heard "open the door you idiot", it was my sister coming home earlier than was planned. i yelled at her for not responding to me and told her that she was nearly shot, it really freaked me out. i learned 2 things from that, 1 that if neccessary i am prepared to pull the trigger and 2 that i pray to God i will never have to. tragedys like that happen to often, im glad i decided to give whomever it was another chance to respond.

mvpel · April 1, 2005, 05:03 PM

I was in Arizona, and taking a class in a less-savory part of town. I was out for a stroll after dark around the hotel parking lot, trying to shake off the stiffness from sitting all day, and I noticed a young, shady-looking character was making a beeline for me. Since I didn't have an AZ CCW, I was carrying openly in a hip holster. As I turned to my left, so the guy caught a glimpse of the pistol and made a hasty change of direction and walked away.

Not terribly exciting, but I hope to heaven that that's the most excitement I ever have with respect to defensive firearm use.

zardoz45 · April 1, 2005, 05:22 PM

While delivering medical supplies to a customer in a Chicago housing project. I turned a corner and came to face with a BG. He started pulling a shotgun out of his pants so I drew my .38 and pointed it at his face, he turned and ran so I didn't have to shoot. I realize what a disadvantage I was at, I won't pull the trigger without thinking, the BG's will.

Jim

SpectreBlofeld · April 2, 2005, 03:57 PM

Pulled a shotgun out of his pants!?

Was it this guy?

Bullrock · April 2, 2005, 07:45 PM

When I was a teenager my best friend had been taking boxing lessons, and I guess he wanted to try out some of his new found boxing skills.

We were inside a garage. No one else was in the area. He asked me to throw a slow left at his head. After refusing several times, I finally did.

He came over my left with a hard right that knocked me flat on my back. As I struggled to my feet, I reached for my concealed .357, and emptied all six rounds into his head.

It took him awhile to get up, but when he did he promised me he would never do anything like that to me again. His wounds have healed and he's retired in Florida. We talk on the phone every month or so.

AttackTurtle · April 2, 2005, 07:55 PM

Quote:

I reached for my concealed .357, and emptied all six rounds into his head.
It took him awhile to get up, but when he did he promised me he would never do anything like that to me again. His wounds have healed and he's retired in Florida. We talk on the phone every month or so.

???

perception · April 2, 2005, 10:55 PM

I second that^^^^

BillCA · April 2, 2005, 11:32 PM

Quote:

I reached for my concealed .357, and emptied all six rounds into his head.

It took him awhile to get up, but when he did he promised me he would never do anything like that to me again. His wounds have healed and he's retired in Florida. We talk on the phone every month or so.

I think we found out something about those Florida voters in 2000!

chris in va · April 3, 2005, 03:41 AM

Little late for April Fools, isn't it Bullrock?

Para Bellum · April 3, 2005, 02:16 PM

Quote:

.38 and pointed it at his face

a .38 into the face shoul do. I don't see the disadvantage...

riverkeeper · April 3, 2005, 03:15 PM

a GI got off a bus and was 15 feet away at the rear end of the bus when a Viet Cong shot him in the chest at point blank range with a handgun. Fortunately I was facing that way ... SHE (that's right) glanced at me just before she shot him in the head. We were the only white folks around ... I dove under the bus and quickly exited the otherside as she fired one shot at me. Within a few seconds a poiceman killed her. The GI also died on the spot.

Bullrock · April 3, 2005, 05:50 PM

Ya know, chris in va, I really didn't want to post that. but as I began to write, the devil made me click on 'Submit Reply' It doesn't happen often!

My smilies don't work [Big Smile]

katzbalger · April 3, 2005, 08:46 PM

I have had a lot of luck so far
This is one of them
Croatia summer 1995
I walk out of a bunker just because i feel like it...10 minutes later the bunker is hit twice by morter and a tankround
Everybody inside either dies or lie wounded
True story maybe wrong thread
I was 19

kittyhawk · April 3, 2005, 09:41 PM

In my former life I was gunner on H-60 Sea Hawk helos in the Navy, While In Somila I took 3 Rounds 2 in my Vest and one hit my helmet and took off my boom mike. The Skinny took a Sh-t load of 7.62 for his mistake. Luckly only bruses and some cuts on my face.
As A cop in 97 had a BG shoot out my passanger side window one night while on patrol, with a bb gun dam drunk fools...

katzbalger · April 4, 2005, 07:40 AM

SORRY KITTYHAWK
I fougth in the Serbian Kraijna (today Croatia)
I have also done tours in Bosnia
and a tour in afghanistan

Nnobby45 · April 4, 2005, 06:15 PM

I was once target shooting along a county road in 1967. It was common to go outside of town, Las Vegas, in those days and shoot from the side of the road into the desert off Red Rock Rd.

One day a fellow and his wife stopped and he wanted her to shoot his 30-06, but she didn't want to. Finally, she relented and took the rifle that he had loaded, chambered, and placed in her hands. She pointed the rifle down range, all hunched back, trembling. Her husband was behind her and I was behind but well over to her right.

Well, she finally got tired of holding the gun up, and with her finger on the trigger, safety off, she lowered the rifle and turned way around to her husband, and said "I can't!"

The muzzle of the rifle was pointed at me quicker than you could blink an eye, and I watched her hands tighten up. I should have seen it coming, but didn't. Neither of them had a clue as to what had happened. He took the rifle and they were soon on their way. That was about as close a call as I'd had and I'd just returned from Viet Nam, where I'd served with the 1st Inf. Div!

kittyhawk · April 4, 2005, 09:54 PM

katzbalger: What the HELL do you mean???????? Poserwannabe?????

You my freind can stick it.
I fought in The First gulf war and Somila.
I was telling of one of my experinces. As you did.
Thank you and have a Great night.

38splfan · April 4, 2005, 11:27 PM

More than I care to remember, but I will share a few.

Was in Iraq this past year and had several good ones.

Coming back from Tal Afar we had a civilian vehicle weaving in and out of our convoy. After several shouts and honks we determined he was a threat and the gunner on our Humvee put about 20 rounds of BMG in his hood and engine.
He responded by detonating the car bomb he had been trucking about. Blew two doors off the Humvee. Put the driver and gunner in critical condition, broke my hand and wrist. (Still waiting for my Purple Heart on that one, by the by

)

Going through Mosul we somehow ran into another convoy and our bright eyes battalion commander decides it would be cool to link up. We made a ripe target with 93 (that's right, 93) vehicles. The fire-fight lasted about forty minutes and netted me two broken fingers and some window shrapnel. Y'all may have seen that one on the news.

This one may be more on topic:
Was at the local mall a few months ago. December, I think. Suspicious looking group of teenagers makes a beeline toward my truck. I have a wife who at that time is eight months pregnant. I tried to leave quickly to avoid the situation completely, but wasn't fast enough. I didn't even wait to see what they wanted. As soon as I heard "hey, dude" I drew primary and backup.

In retrospect, I was probably wrong to do so without a better grasp of the situation. It did turn out later on that they were caught with some shoplifted goodies, but that may have been nothing to me. But hindsight is always 20/20, right?

I hope that, aside from my upcoming return to the big beach with no ocean, I never have to point a gun at another person ever again. Not afraid to, and not unwilling. Just don't like it.

rlpinca · April 4, 2005, 11:43 PM

I've actually put lead in someone, but it's a long story that I'm not getting into.

As far as close calls go.

I got mugged at an ATM in Long Beach CA. We fought for a little, he pulled a knife, but I was better with mine than he was with his. Cops followed a blood trail for a few blocks before they lost it. As far as any of us knows, he never was admitted to an ER despite heavy bleeding. I had a gash on my forearm, but it was just enough to let me know I'm not invincable.

Then in Clovis NM, a neighbor was getting the crap beat out of him with a piece of pipe. I came out of the house and when I got closer, the other guy's friend came at me with a tire iron from behind. I pulled my 1911 and stopped him in his tracks about 10 feet from me. The guy that jumped my neighbor and put him in the hospital for a week ended up getting 6 months in jail.

It took me about 2 days to un-pucker from that one.

Then here in lovely Albuquerque I have gotten that "feeling" several times where I all of a sudden am compelled to get the hell out of the area pretty quickly. Since I live in one of the crappiest areas of town, I rarely walk out the door without my gun. And you just have to love the feeling of 4 or 5 people watching you pull money out of your pocket at a gas station in the middle of the night.

God, I've got to get out of this town.

Garand Illusion · April 5, 2005, 01:09 AM

I've never had a close call with a bad guy -- had a few nearly violent run ins with people, of course, but always managed to use my size and voice to get out of the situation. In some I didn't have a gun; in one I decided that I was probably facing a heavily armed group of drunks (it was in the woods) and the gun was best left in the 4x4. Left the area feeling like the worlds biggest coward, but neither me or my wife was hurt and I didn't have to kill anyone.

But way back when I was in college ...

Some friends and I used to go into a field and shoot up everything we had; a pistol, some shotguns, throw some skeet, etc. We were all well beyond our years in safety, being careful all the time.

One time, however ... when I had my turn on the spring skeet thrower my arm was sore from firing the 12 gauge and I just couldn't get the #@! thing to work right. I kept trying to throw, but the pigeon kept rolling off the thrower and rolling front of my friends -- standing ready to shoot with their shotguns.

Everyone had a good laugh at this.

Then my turn came to shoot. I put my shoulder to the shotgun, my finger on the trugger, yelled "pull" ... and suddenly there were stars exploding in my eyes and my legs turned to rubber. Totally dazed and not able to control my body, I remember watching the sight picture change on my safety-off shotgun:

First the road to the left ... then the car ... then the face of my friend appeared above the front sight. Although totally dazed, I still remember how his eyes widened as he looked down the barrel of the gun

and then suddenlly dropped out of sight (he hit the ground).

I came back to my senses as I was again pointing downrange with a WHOLE lot of pain on the side of my head, and realized I had just done a full 360 degree spin and had moved back against the car.

Turned out my friend had decided to be funny and throw the skeet right in front of me. Trouble was he missed and smashed me in the side of the head. Didn't seem humorous when he was looking straight down the barrel of my shotgun with my finger tight against trigger.

For months I got shakey as I remembered seeing my friends face over the barrel of a shotgun that I was too dazed to be in control of. That gun could have taken my friend's head off as easy as not.

Spotted Owl · April 5, 2005, 01:44 PM

Quote:

I've actually put lead in someone

Someone put "lead" into me once.

I was sitting in 11th grade trigonometry class taking a test when the guy behind me tried to sneak a peak at my paper over my shoulder. I covered up my paper with my hand so he couldn't see it, and this pissed him off so he stabbed me in the calf with his pencil. I had to go to the hospital to have the broken off lead point of his pencil removed from my leg and the wound stitched up.

The guy was the son of a teacher at the school, so he got off scot-free. :barf:

hso · April 6, 2005, 08:42 AM

Nearly shot Brotherinlaw when he came into the house unannounced and wandered upstairs where I was working.

molonlabe · April 6, 2005, 09:09 AM

Lets see... I Jumped out of bed to grab the muzzle of the rifle pointed at me and it went click...... I grabbed the muzzle and did not allow the bolt to be pulled back again. Every time he tried I yanked it. That was after three rounds were fired at the headboard to wake us up.

The rifle was loaded and the cartridge had a firing pin hit.
He did seven.

That's all I'm sayin about it.

There were others but the military was different.

leadcounsel · September 8, 2005, 06:59 PM

I lived in Philly for a few months and found it to be a very rough town. Back in my anti-gun youth (20) I had walked a girl home at 1am and was returning to my apartment through a shady area of the city, and had about 15 blocks to walk. In hindsite I should have taken a taxi... anyway, as I was walking a very shady fellow doubled my pace and was following me, and we were about the only foot traffic at that hour. He walked past me at twice my speed and looked over his shoulder, began pulling up his shirt and reaching toward his waistband as he ducked into the alley 5' ahead of me.

Using my best weapon, my brain, I immediately darted across the street and began jogging. The perp began taunting me by saying, "Why you runnin' white boy, I wasn't gonna hurt you."

I get chills thinking back on that near brush with a almost certain robbery and possibly death on the dark streets of Philadelphia. Had he drawn on me that night, I realize that I was completely at his mercy and that will never happen again. It was terrifying.

Now that I am completely pro-gun, have a CCW and an impressive gun collection and am quite familiar with guns and am a good shot, carry regularly and even wear a threat level IIA vest, I think that leaving would still be the right action (except now I'd be inclined to take a taxi). Although part of me would love to run into that perp again sometime on my terms!

As my judo coach always said: "The top 5 rules of self defense: 1. Don't be there; 2. If you're there, leave; 3. Put something like distance or an object between you and your attacker; 4. Yell "fire" instead of "help" to draw attention; and 5. If you must fight, show no mercy.

My other close calls were also in Philadelphia.

I was walking home from kickboxing and was just exhausted and in no condition to defend myself. A group of 4 rugged teenages were walking toward me on the sidewalk and they spread out on the sidewalk and one of them really "shoulder checked" me quite hard, clearly trying to start a fight. I really did not want any trouble, swallowed my pride, and kept walking. Luckily I avoided any further conflict.

The third incident occured when I was working for the District Attorney and doing a "ride along" with the police in Kensington, a very poor, drug laced, violent and crime riddled suburb of Philly. The police officer I was with saw a criminal take off on foot out of a stolen car, leaving his car running and the radio and baton in the car. In a moment they disappeared down an alley. I dutifully turned off and locked up the car and grabbed the radio and baton. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was too scared to think clearly at the time and failed to call for backup, which I should have immediately done. When I located the officer, he had lost a struggle with the perp and had gotten his butt kicked very badly and his hand broken and nearly had his gun taken from him. The perp was juiced on something. Someone had called the police and they arrived and after a significant foot chase the cops caught the perp. Meanwhile, I was standing in the middle of a very hostile area with nothing more than the image of being a cop to protect me (as I had a vest and a radio). I could have easily been a big target. It was really a very bad situation which could have easily resulted in more than just the cop getting his butt kicked.

April 1, 2005, 11:30 AM	#1
tjhands Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2005 Posts: 1,718	Tell us about your "closest call"...... Few people in here have actually had to fire lead at another person, but with so many of us carrying handguns for self-defense, there should certainly be some good stories concerning the "almosts," and "close calls." I think hearing some of your experiences would vicariously help to increase my own awareness. So tell me, friends - what happened?

April 1, 2005, 04:59 PM	#2
9mmsnoopy Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Thrillsville ,Tx Posts: 904	years ago when i still was living at my parents house i almost made a tragic mistake. parents and rest of the family were out of town, i was there alone. was awaken by someone pounding on the door in the middle of the night. there are 3 doors you had to go thru to actually get into the main part of the house, this pounding was on the 3rd door, so whoever it was was already past 2 doors. i grabbed my ppk/s and my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest, i yelled at the top of my lungs "who is it?", got no reply, again i yelled it, no response, i drew my gun up towards the door and was about ready to unload when i yelled it again, this time i heard "open the door you idiot", it was my sister coming home earlier than was planned. i yelled at her for not responding to me and told her that she was nearly shot, it really freaked me out. i learned 2 things from that, 1 that if neccessary i am prepared to pull the trigger and 2 that i pray to God i will never have to. tragedys like that happen to often, im glad i decided to give whomever it was another chance to respond. __________________ beretta cx4 storm .40 caliber sig P290 Kahr PM9 Glock 26 Bushmaster AR15

April 1, 2005, 05:03 PM	#3
mvpel Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2000 Location: Hooksett, NH Posts: 1,847	I was in Arizona, and taking a class in a less-savory part of town. I was out for a stroll after dark around the hotel parking lot, trying to shake off the stiffness from sitting all day, and I noticed a young, shady-looking character was making a beeline for me. Since I didn't have an AZ CCW, I was carrying openly in a hip holster. As I turned to my left, so the guy caught a glimpse of the pistol and made a hasty change of direction and walked away. Not terribly exciting, but I hope to heaven that that's the most excitement I ever have with respect to defensive firearm use. __________________ Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!" 1 Samuel 13:19

April 1, 2005, 05:22 PM	#4
zardoz45 Junior Member Join Date: March 25, 2005 Location: Mountain View, Arkansas Posts: 2	Tell us about your "closest call" While delivering medical supplies to a customer in a Chicago housing project. I turned a corner and came to face with a BG. He started pulling a shotgun out of his pants so I drew my .38 and pointed it at his face, he turned and ran so I didn't have to shoot. I realize what a disadvantage I was at, I won't pull the trigger without thinking, the BG's will. Jim

April 3, 2005, 03:15 PM	#12
riverkeeper Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2004 Location: Tacoma, Washington Posts: 214	During the Viet Nam war a GI got off a bus and was 15 feet away at the rear end of the bus when a Viet Cong shot him in the chest at point blank range with a handgun. Fortunately I was facing that way ... SHE (that's right) glanced at me just before she shot him in the head. We were the only white folks around ... I dove under the bus and quickly exited the otherside as she fired one shot at me. Within a few seconds a poiceman killed her. The GI also died on the spot. __________________ "A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves." -- Bertrand de Jouvenel ........ 'All the wooly-headed thinking explains the happy howling.' -- r

April 2, 2005, 03:57 PM	#5
SpectreBlofeld Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2004 Posts: 304	Pulled a shotgun out of his pants!? Was it this guy?

April 2, 2005, 07:45 PM	#6
Bullrock Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2004 Posts: 2,686	When I was a teenager my best friend had been taking boxing lessons, and I guess he wanted to try out some of his new found boxing skills. We were inside a garage. No one else was in the area. He asked me to throw a slow left at his head. After refusing several times, I finally did. He came over my left with a hard right that knocked me flat on my back. As I struggled to my feet, I reached for my concealed .357, and emptied all six rounds into his head. It took him awhile to get up, but when he did he promised me he would never do anything like that to me again. His wounds have healed and he's retired in Florida. We talk on the phone every month or so.

April 2, 2005, 10:55 PM	#8
perception Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 421	I second that^^^^

April 3, 2005, 03:41 AM	#10
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	Little late for April Fools, isn't it Bullrock?

April 3, 2005, 05:50 PM	#13
Bullrock Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2004 Posts: 2,686	Ya know, chris in va, I really didn't want to post that. but as I began to write, the devil made me click on 'Submit Reply' It doesn't happen often! My smilies don't work [Big Smile]

April 3, 2005, 08:46 PM	#14
katzbalger Member Join Date: February 10, 2005 Location: europe Posts: 25	I have had a lot of luck so far This is one of them Croatia summer 1995 I walk out of a bunker just because i feel like it...10 minutes later the bunker is hit twice by morter and a tankround Everybody inside either dies or lie wounded True story maybe wrong thread I was 19 __________________ Chris. Last edited by katzbalger; April 4, 2005 at 07:30 AM.

April 3, 2005, 09:41 PM	#15
kittyhawk Member Join Date: February 15, 2005 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 55	In my former life I was gunner on H-60 Sea Hawk helos in the Navy, While In Somila I took 3 Rounds 2 in my Vest and one hit my helmet and took off my boom mike. The Skinny took a Sh-t load of 7.62 for his mistake. Luckly only bruses and some cuts on my face. As A cop in 97 had a BG shoot out my passanger side window one night while on patrol, with a bb gun dam drunk fools...

April 4, 2005, 07:40 AM	#16
katzbalger Member Join Date: February 10, 2005 Location: europe Posts: 25	SORRY KITTYHAWK I fougth in the Serbian Kraijna (today Croatia) I have also done tours in Bosnia and a tour in afghanistan __________________ Chris. Last edited by katzbalger; April 5, 2005 at 05:22 PM.

April 4, 2005, 06:15 PM	#17
Nnobby45 Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2004 Posts: 3,150	I was once target shooting along a county road in 1967. It was common to go outside of town, Las Vegas, in those days and shoot from the side of the road into the desert off Red Rock Rd. One day a fellow and his wife stopped and he wanted her to shoot his 30-06, but she didn't want to. Finally, she relented and took the rifle that he had loaded, chambered, and placed in her hands. She pointed the rifle down range, all hunched back, trembling. Her husband was behind her and I was behind but well over to her right. Well, she finally got tired of holding the gun up, and with her finger on the trigger, safety off, she lowered the rifle and turned way around to her husband, and said "I can't!" The muzzle of the rifle was pointed at me quicker than you could blink an eye, and I watched her hands tighten up. I should have seen it coming, but didn't. Neither of them had a clue as to what had happened. He took the rifle and they were soon on their way. That was about as close a call as I'd had and I'd just returned from Viet Nam, where I'd served with the 1st Inf. Div!

April 4, 2005, 09:54 PM	#18
kittyhawk Member Join Date: February 15, 2005 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 55	katzbalger: What the HELL do you mean???????? Poserwannabe????? You my freind can stick it. I fought in The First gulf war and Somila. I was telling of one of my experinces. As you did. Thank you and have a Great night.

April 4, 2005, 11:27 PM	#19
38splfan Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2004 Location: Ft. Lewis/Tacoma, WA. Posts: 1,034	Close calls. More than I care to remember, but I will share a few. Was in Iraq this past year and had several good ones. Coming back from Tal Afar we had a civilian vehicle weaving in and out of our convoy. After several shouts and honks we determined he was a threat and the gunner on our Humvee put about 20 rounds of BMG in his hood and engine. He responded by detonating the car bomb he had been trucking about. Blew two doors off the Humvee. Put the driver and gunner in critical condition, broke my hand and wrist. (Still waiting for my Purple Heart on that one, by the by ) Going through Mosul we somehow ran into another convoy and our bright eyes battalion commander decides it would be cool to link up. We made a ripe target with 93 (that's right, 93) vehicles. The fire-fight lasted about forty minutes and netted me two broken fingers and some window shrapnel. Y'all may have seen that one on the news. This one may be more on topic: Was at the local mall a few months ago. December, I think. Suspicious looking group of teenagers makes a beeline toward my truck. I have a wife who at that time is eight months pregnant. I tried to leave quickly to avoid the situation completely, but wasn't fast enough. I didn't even wait to see what they wanted. As soon as I heard "hey, dude" I drew primary and backup. In retrospect, I was probably wrong to do so without a better grasp of the situation. It did turn out later on that they were caught with some shoplifted goodies, but that may have been nothing to me. But hindsight is always 20/20, right? I hope that, aside from my upcoming return to the big beach with no ocean, I never have to point a gun at another person ever again. Not afraid to, and not unwilling. Just don't like it. __________________ "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to others and I expect the same from them." - John Wayne

April 4, 2005, 11:43 PM	#20
rlpinca Member Join Date: September 14, 2002 Location: New Mexico Posts: 66	I've actually put lead in someone, but it's a long story that I'm not getting into. As far as close calls go. I got mugged at an ATM in Long Beach CA. We fought for a little, he pulled a knife, but I was better with mine than he was with his. Cops followed a blood trail for a few blocks before they lost it. As far as any of us knows, he never was admitted to an ER despite heavy bleeding. I had a gash on my forearm, but it was just enough to let me know I'm not invincable. Then in Clovis NM, a neighbor was getting the crap beat out of him with a piece of pipe. I came out of the house and when I got closer, the other guy's friend came at me with a tire iron from behind. I pulled my 1911 and stopped him in his tracks about 10 feet from me. The guy that jumped my neighbor and put him in the hospital for a week ended up getting 6 months in jail. It took me about 2 days to un-pucker from that one. Then here in lovely Albuquerque I have gotten that "feeling" several times where I all of a sudden am compelled to get the hell out of the area pretty quickly. Since I live in one of the crappiest areas of town, I rarely walk out the door without my gun. And you just have to love the feeling of 4 or 5 people watching you pull money out of your pocket at a gas station in the middle of the night. God, I've got to get out of this town.

April 5, 2005, 01:09 AM	#21
Garand Illusion Senior Member Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,278	I've never had a close call with a bad guy -- had a few nearly violent run ins with people, of course, but always managed to use my size and voice to get out of the situation. In some I didn't have a gun; in one I decided that I was probably facing a heavily armed group of drunks (it was in the woods) and the gun was best left in the 4x4. Left the area feeling like the worlds biggest coward, but neither me or my wife was hurt and I didn't have to kill anyone. But way back when I was in college ... Some friends and I used to go into a field and shoot up everything we had; a pistol, some shotguns, throw some skeet, etc. We were all well beyond our years in safety, being careful all the time. One time, however ... when I had my turn on the spring skeet thrower my arm was sore from firing the 12 gauge and I just couldn't get the #@! thing to work right. I kept trying to throw, but the pigeon kept rolling off the thrower and rolling front of my friends -- standing ready to shoot with their shotguns. Everyone had a good laugh at this. Then my turn came to shoot. I put my shoulder to the shotgun, my finger on the trugger, yelled "pull" ... and suddenly there were stars exploding in my eyes and my legs turned to rubber. Totally dazed and not able to control my body, I remember watching the sight picture change on my safety-off shotgun: First the road to the left ... then the car ... then the face of my friend appeared above the front sight. Although totally dazed, I still remember how his eyes widened as he looked down the barrel of the gun and then suddenlly dropped out of sight (he hit the ground). I came back to my senses as I was again pointing downrange with a WHOLE lot of pain on the side of my head, and realized I had just done a full 360 degree spin and had moved back against the car. Turned out my friend had decided to be funny and throw the skeet right in front of me. Trouble was he missed and smashed me in the side of the head. Didn't seem humorous when he was looking straight down the barrel of my shotgun with my finger tight against trigger. For months I got shakey as I remembered seeing my friends face over the barrel of a shotgun that I was too dazed to be in control of. That gun could have taken my friend's head off as easy as not.

April 6, 2005, 08:42 AM	#23
hso Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2002 Location: Appalachia Posts: 170	Nearly shot Brotherinlaw when he came into the house unannounced and wandered upstairs where I was working. __________________ TANSTAAFL

April 6, 2005, 09:09 AM	#24
molonlabe Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: MD Posts: 296	Lets see... I Jumped out of bed to grab the muzzle of the rifle pointed at me and it went click...... I grabbed the muzzle and did not allow the bolt to be pulled back again. Every time he tried I yanked it. That was after three rounds were fired at the headboard to wake us up. The rifle was loaded and the cartridge had a firing pin hit. He did seven. That's all I'm sayin about it. There were others but the military was different. __________________ The United States Constitution © 1791. All Rights Reserved. I Don't want you in here period...Patricia Konie NOLA 2005

September 8, 2005, 06:59 PM	#25
leadcounsel Junior member Join Date: September 8, 2005 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 2,119	Near mugging in Philadelphia I lived in Philly for a few months and found it to be a very rough town. Back in my anti-gun youth (20) I had walked a girl home at 1am and was returning to my apartment through a shady area of the city, and had about 15 blocks to walk. In hindsite I should have taken a taxi... anyway, as I was walking a very shady fellow doubled my pace and was following me, and we were about the only foot traffic at that hour. He walked past me at twice my speed and looked over his shoulder, began pulling up his shirt and reaching toward his waistband as he ducked into the alley 5' ahead of me. Using my best weapon, my brain, I immediately darted across the street and began jogging. The perp began taunting me by saying, "Why you runnin' white boy, I wasn't gonna hurt you." I get chills thinking back on that near brush with a almost certain robbery and possibly death on the dark streets of Philadelphia. Had he drawn on me that night, I realize that I was completely at his mercy and that will never happen again. It was terrifying. Now that I am completely pro-gun, have a CCW and an impressive gun collection and am quite familiar with guns and am a good shot, carry regularly and even wear a threat level IIA vest, I think that leaving would still be the right action (except now I'd be inclined to take a taxi). Although part of me would love to run into that perp again sometime on my terms! As my judo coach always said: "The top 5 rules of self defense: 1. Don't be there; 2. If you're there, leave; 3. Put something like distance or an object between you and your attacker; 4. Yell "fire" instead of "help" to draw attention; and 5. If you must fight, show no mercy. My other close calls were also in Philadelphia. I was walking home from kickboxing and was just exhausted and in no condition to defend myself. A group of 4 rugged teenages were walking toward me on the sidewalk and they spread out on the sidewalk and one of them really "shoulder checked" me quite hard, clearly trying to start a fight. I really did not want any trouble, swallowed my pride, and kept walking. Luckily I avoided any further conflict. The third incident occured when I was working for the District Attorney and doing a "ride along" with the police in Kensington, a very poor, drug laced, violent and crime riddled suburb of Philly. The police officer I was with saw a criminal take off on foot out of a stolen car, leaving his car running and the radio and baton in the car. In a moment they disappeared down an alley. I dutifully turned off and locked up the car and grabbed the radio and baton. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was too scared to think clearly at the time and failed to call for backup, which I should have immediately done. When I located the officer, he had lost a struggle with the perp and had gotten his butt kicked very badly and his hand broken and nearly had his gun taken from him. The perp was juiced on something. Someone had called the police and they arrived and after a significant foot chase the cops caught the perp. Meanwhile, I was standing in the middle of a very hostile area with nothing more than the image of being a cop to protect me (as I had a vest and a radio). I could have easily been a big target. It was really a very bad situation which could have easily resulted in more than just the cop getting his butt kicked. Last edited by leadcounsel; September 9, 2005 at 10:31 AM.