The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Tactics and Training

View Poll Results: Did you ever draw your weapon?
Yes 204 47.33%
No 227 52.67%
Voters: 431. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old July 1, 2009, 10:25 AM   #76
CorpITGuy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 14, 2009
Posts: 113
I strongly agree with Uncle Billy on this one. I own a dog. I love my dog. But I'm not one of these self-absorbed, arrogant jerks who thinks that if my dog bites someone it must have been their fault. "Oh, she's never bitten anyone. My dear sweet dog must have been provoked!" Ugh.

My dog is an animal. Period. There's no reason a person should risk life and limb to preserve my dog's life. Our society has gone mind-numbingly stupid with regards to animals. Animals < People. End of story. Don't like it? Keep your mutt on a leash.

That said, I prefer pepper spray to bullets when it comes to dogs. I take walks with my family in our neighborhood several times a week, and I always carry my pepper spray but not always my gun. If you wait until the dog is close enough to know the animal's probable intent, you're likely to be bitten. If you start shooting at that point, you're likely to hit your femoral artery before you hit the dog.

I think it's best to have BOTH a gun and pepper spray while taking a walk.
CorpITGuy is offline  
Old July 1, 2009, 10:28 AM   #77
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
 
Join Date: June 25, 2008
Location: Austin, CO
Posts: 19,578
Quote:
I strongly agree with Uncle Billy on this one. I own a dog. I love my dog. But I'm not one of these self-absorbed, arrogant jerks who thinks that if my dog bites someone it must have been their fault.

My dog is an animal. Period. There's no reason a person should risk life and limb to preserve my dog's life. Our society has gone mind-numbingly stupid with regards to animals. Animals < People. End of story. Don't like it? Keep your mutt on a leash.
Bingo. Couldn't have said it better.
__________________
Nobody plans to screw up their lives...
...they just don't plan not to.
-Andy Stanley
Brian Pfleuger is offline  
Old July 3, 2009, 01:12 AM   #78
MauiDoc
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 28, 2007
Location: Mountainside
Posts: 126
I did draw my first gun. SW 686 6" barrel. Graphite on typing paper. Took about three hours, and my dad (art teacher who taught me to shoot) looks at it, goes, "hmmmph. Grip's too big." Took all the wind outta my sails. Wish I still had the drawing. Or the gun. Or my dad.
MauiDoc is offline  
Old July 6, 2009, 05:03 PM   #79
Farmland
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 5, 2009
Posts: 869
Only once did I ever come close to pulling my gun out in site of a person during a situation. I was a deputy constable at the time and serving an arrest warrant. When attempting to make the arrest the father and brother both jumped up one with a club in hand and came shouting towards me. I did place my hand on my gun in the hostler.

This gave enough time for everything to settle and permitted me to talk everyone into remaining calm so that I could handle the situation. That was the first time I ever came close to using my firearm and thanks to both my training and think the problem through everything ended the way it should have.

I have pulled my handgun out twice though I am sure both times no one saw it. The first was on a dirt road when my wife and I were going to our cabin. I had stopped to secure something that came free in the back of my pick up truck. While I was back in the back of a truck some local drunks were coming the other way and stopped in front of us with their high beams on. They then started to yell and swear and sign spot lights on the truck. I did pull my gun out of the holster with out aiming and held it along the side of my leg. However after they had their fun they drove off and I did nothing to aggravate the situation. Just some good ole boys having too much of a good time, though they sure gave my heart a few extra beats.
Farmland is offline  
Old July 6, 2009, 05:50 PM   #80
ISC
Junior member
 
Join Date: August 5, 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,982
not counting when I was on duty, I drew down on a rottweiler once that was running wild through the nieghborhood and started fter me when I was jogging.

Another time I had a truck in front of me take issue with how close I was driving behind him (he was going 10 MPH in a 25 MPH zone). It was a bad nieghborhood and I think he was looking for someone he knew so he could jump him or something.

Anyhow, He slammed on his brakes at a point with a curb on one side and a median on the other so that I couldn't pass him. His passenger got out with a hydraulic jack handle and approached my car from the passenger side. I reached over from behind and put my hand on my pistol (loaded and under the passenger seat) just as he got to my car.

He started cussing and said something like, "You think I'm worried that you are pretending to reach for something?"

I calmly said, "If you're not, you should be".

He turned around and went back to his truck.
ISC is offline  
Old July 6, 2009, 06:37 PM   #81
TonsofOregonBrass
Member
 
Join Date: March 10, 2009
Posts: 39
twice

One time just after i got my CCW. I was with my father in a bad part of town. We watched an agitated crack head step out of a bus stop shelter when the light was red and start trying to open all the car doors. my Dad's door was open. When the crack head opened the door, he must have thought alright, payday. but when he saw the two 1911 45 pointed at him, he changed course very quickly. he went back to the bus stop as the light turned green, and an officer pulled up after we went by. some else must have called in him trying to carjack / rob people.

Second time i Was with my wife. We were heading to get a new vacuum as she broke ours. we passed someone who had just pulled out of a drive way. he got very close to my bumper so i tapped the breaks, didn't even slow down just enough to turn on the lights. The man decided to use a 1 million candle light spot light to illuminate all my mirrors. unfortunately the did not help me see it actually blinded me in the middle of some turns. so i applied my breaks heavily. he almost hit me and was upset by this. after the turns the road opened up from being narrow and he passed me then evidently he needed to stop very quickly also almost causing me to hit him. i stopped about 4 inches from his bumper when another car almost hit me. i was then blocked in and couldn't leave. a large male got out of his vehicle and started yelling that he was not happy with me and was going to have to "kick my F-ing A**) i pulled out a double barrel 410 darrenger cracked my window and told him to get back in the car. he still wanted to talk so he kept coming back. i yelled one more time to get back in his car he still came toward me. when he got to the front of my car i raised the gun. at that point he figured he didn't need to talk with me or physically let me know how he felt any more. He drove off. i called the police, so did he. after a fun discussion with the officer he let us both go after letting me know i could have been charged with brandishing, i told him there was a threat that i met with an amount of force to stop the threat. he was the aggressor and if he wished to charge me i would see him court. He was a nice officer, and i think he just wanted both sides to feel as though no further action was necessary and maybe to avoid some paper work.

As far as the only draw if your going to fire mentality. If you can stop the threat with a lesser amount of force then lethal, then why wouldn't you. you will go to jail much faster if the non-lethal means are available and you don't use them and choose to wait until lethal is necessary.

Drawing you weapon is going to do one of two things in my opinion.
1) stop the threat then. if the person is either bluffing or not interesting in pursuing action further they will stop as evident in many of the postings from this thread.
2) If the threat was completely intent of doing you harm, they will continue even when the weapon is drawn. This makes the decision to fire easier and easier to defend in court. you gave many options for the assaulter to cease. you tried meeting the threat with an amount of force to stop the attack.

Not all situations will evolve this way or allow the time to draw. but if the threat is escalating and you have the option of defusing the situation any other way besides killing someone then that is the route to go.
TonsofOregonBrass is offline  
Old July 7, 2009, 12:03 AM   #82
Ian0351
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 11, 2009
Location: Washington
Posts: 414
Never pulled it outside of uniformed service

Although I have been awakened by strange noises or a barking dog in the middle of the night; only to rack a round in the shotgun, check it out and unload/reload to condition 3... more times than I can remember.
__________________
You can have your churches, I'll keep my guns. Just keep your hands off my paycheck and your eyes out of my backyard.
Join the Libertarian Party! http://www.lp.org

Semper Fidelis
Ian0351 is offline  
Old July 7, 2009, 12:11 AM   #83
Kermit
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 6, 2001
Location: California
Posts: 3,020
20 plus years of firearms ownership and I've had to draw my pistol 2X -- I don't count the one time I had to convince someone to get off my property w/ the help of my pump shotgun
Kermit is offline  
Old July 7, 2009, 07:26 AM   #84
Uncle Billy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 10, 2009
Location: Small city in New York
Posts: 482
Quote:
Originally Posted by Playboy
It doesn't have to be too serious. In this one I am a cowboy. You can tell by my hat. It even has a pony in it. How serious can it be with a pony in it?


Excellent! Very creative and fits my sense of humor just right.
__________________
Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?
Uncle Billy is offline  
Old July 8, 2009, 01:17 PM   #85
ECHOONE
Junior member
 
Join Date: February 10, 2008
Location: FL
Posts: 204
KUDO"S to HKMP5SD how very very true "situational awareness" 22yrs a ccw carrier never had to pull his pistol,that's something to really brag about, and some thing we all need to always improve on no matter how good we are at it , as far as I'm concerned he's got the best bragging rights!
Fatboy2 Congrats you seem to be the first one that actually called 911! I hope it was just overlooked when most were righting about there experiences that they neglected to say that immediately afterwards they called 911! Failure to do so not only leaves themselves out in the breeze for some possible big legal matters that the BG can claim and imply they did to them turning the table around and virtually putting them in jail,but also by letting these nut jobs go on to there next victims,when a call to 911 could have notified LE and got them off the street.I hope it was just an over sight,but so many replies just ommited that they called 911 after the altercation, which surprised me as this is one of the most important things that has to be conveyed to others who have never gone thru the experience.
Im a Vietnam vet, there is no glory in taking a life, like some have seemed to imply,As a civilian I have never pulled my pistol,I was always trained that you do not pull your gun unless your 100% sure your going to use it! SELF AWARENESS! it would have helpled in alot of these cases im sure.
ECHOONE is offline  
Old July 8, 2009, 01:38 PM   #86
tmd11111
Junior member
 
Join Date: January 26, 2009
Location: San Angelo, Tx
Posts: 275
Nope, never had a need to but from the looks of this poll it seems that 46.11% of you need to move to a better neighborhood.
tmd11111 is offline  
Old July 8, 2009, 02:15 PM   #87
sakeneko
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 23, 2009
Location: Nevada
Posts: 644
I've had my CCW for just over two weeks now, so if I *did* have to answer "yes", I wouldn't blame anyone for wondering how that happened. <wry grin> I've never drawn in self defense. I hope I never will need to. (Target shooting, a few good classes, and practice in the desert are all the excitement I need in this regard, thankyouverymuch.)
sakeneko is offline  
Old July 8, 2009, 03:58 PM   #88
mike21603
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 19, 2008
Location: Pennsylvaina
Posts: 124
i have been carrying for three years and i have drawn my gun a few times and never had to use it. either i was in the shower and my fience would come home and not know it was her or sometimes dumb along those lines. one time i did drawn my gun with every intention of using it. my parents have three dogs and they had them all outside. i was upstairs coming out of the bathroom and i heard what was another dog that has been known to fight with other dogs and attack kids. sounded like he was attacking someone. i came down the stairs out the front door as fast as i can and pointed my gun at the attacking dog which at this point was trying to attack my father. as i drew the gun and put the sights on the dog's front shoulder, for some reason the dog turned away from my dad and ran the other way. i re holstered my weapon and went back down to the house. the situation got my blood pretty good. my mom and grandmother was watching the whole thing and said i looked like i had drawn my gun many times before.
__________________
Pfrogner's Firearms Located in Coal Center, PA
mike21603 is offline  
Old July 9, 2009, 05:53 AM   #89
Beauhooligan
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 3, 2008
Posts: 70
Did you ever draw your handgun?

Yes, I have, on numerous occasions have both drawn and used my handgun both as a peace officer and as private citizen. I am also a Vietnam Veteran, a survivor of the "brown water Navy", and it was there that I found out how terrible it is to have to take another persons life, especially when it is "up close and personal", the way it is with a handgun or shotgun. As a police officer I was in 5 shootings, and I can't look back at any of them and say there was any other solution to those situations; even with the blinding power of my hindsight. I would have given anything if there had been other options. I talk to young male shooters at the local ranges and some seem enthused, even eager, for that first chance to get into a shooting situation, and it scares the bejesus out of me. I wonder if life has just become cheaper as time has passed?

I carry concealed because my home town is violent and growing more so. The last time I drew my weapon was about 6 years ago when I was visiting my favorite Mexican restaurant after dark, and two guys came at me as I was getting to my car. One had a knife, the other had what turned out to be a short pry bar. I drew my 1911 and let each one get a view of the bore. I told them to drop the weapons, and they complied. Then I suggested in Spanish that they run home and they seemed to think that was a wonderful idea. When they had run away I picked up the weapons and called 911 and reported the incident. The officer I spoke to took the descriptions, but was not even interested in having a unit come by to pick up the weapons. I dropped the junk by the PD the next day. It's become a strange world.
Beauhooligan is offline  
Old July 10, 2009, 06:24 PM   #90
dosjoel
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 16, 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 142
Quote:
Drawing a weapon is a serious decision and if the situation calls for drawing a weapon it also calls for pulling the trigger.
Quote:
I drew my gun three times and pointed it at individuals. Twice, it was the same idiot.

Never had to shoot anybody. Once they saw that .45 and the look in my eyes, they immediately gave up and complied with all instructions.
This great thread, one of the best ever IMHO, and the second quote illustrate why the first quote is wrong.

Listen, everyone can be wrong so don't get upset. The fact is if you believe,
a. don't draw unless you plan to shoot or
b. If you draw you should shoot
Then you are wrong both times. But if you modify that just a "snidg" and say;

"Don't draw unless you are willing to shot."

Then I am with you.

A gun is a tremendous deterant and it need not be shoot to make that point. But yes, you must be ready to shoot it if necessary and it should never be drawn to bluff.
__________________
DosJoel
"God and the Soldier we adore, in time of trouble but not before.
When the danger's past and the wrong been righted,
God is forgotten and the Soldier slighted." - Anonymous Soldier.
dosjoel is offline  
Old July 11, 2009, 03:42 PM   #91
P5 Guy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 1, 2005
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 1,804
Late Night at a Traffic Light

Driving home from working 2nd shift.
I caught the red light at 38th and 28th. A male started to come up to my new convertible, top down, saying I needed to give him a ride. He had his shirt off but covering his right arm. I pulled my pistol from the door map pocket and told him I wasn't going his way and he ran. I ran the red light too.
P5 Guy is offline  
Old July 11, 2009, 08:50 PM   #92
tmlynch
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 28, 2009
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 197
Beautiful!

Quote:
Wish I still had the drawing. Or the gun. Or my dad.
MauiDoc, this is poetry. I'm in awe.

And I'm sorry for your losses.

Tom
tmlynch is offline  
Old July 12, 2009, 10:49 AM   #93
Uncle Billy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 10, 2009
Location: Small city in New York
Posts: 482
I totally agree.
__________________
Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?
Uncle Billy is offline  
Old July 12, 2009, 04:32 PM   #94
Firepower!
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 3, 2008
Posts: 2,109
pretty even

I am glad you guys are liking this thread. I am quite surprised that the result so far is pretty even. I like that. I am getting some nice stories to read.

I guess at the end of the day one must realize that having a weapon on person is a great deterent. The next part is tricky. Having a weapons properly using it to defuse a hostile situation is a great skill.
Firepower! is offline  
Old July 16, 2009, 10:30 AM   #95
jwfuhrman
Member
 
Join Date: March 20, 2008
Posts: 31
was out on a double date with my best friend and our girls, who happen to be sisters. My best friend and I both have our CCP's(Indiana). XD40 for me XD45 for him. Well when we get into the theater, Im the last one to sit down, and there was a young man black male behind me, with his legs sprawled out and his feet on my head rest and arm rest. I dont think anything of it when I sit down as I dont really care if ppl put there feet up, cause I do it too. Well, evidentally I bumped his foot when I sat down and he proceeds to get all ****ty about it. Gets up and starts mouthing off about how I have no manners and this other crap. Now, Im not gonna lie, I can have a smart ass mouth on me at times and this was just one of those nights. I mouthed off and told him to just keep walkin, and that he's a bigger idiot than I thought if he's gonna make something of it.

Well, randomly throughout the movie, he would get to up go talk on his phone and everytime he'd walk buy he'd say some remark about meeting me in the parking lot after words. Im just thinking this guys just an idiot and all talk.

After we leave the movie, he follows me, my girl and my friend and his girl out to my car. Evidentally during one of his trips he called some "buddies" in for assistance. They proceed to keep following us. Once we get to my car, he keeps talkin ****, and slams my car door on me as Im attempting to get it. I get out, and ask him what his problem is, his reply was to muble something about how Im a moron and gonna get my ass kicked then takes a swing at me, striking me in the left shoulder. At this point his friends are starting to move in. After he takes a 2nd swing and misses. I decide this needs to end before it gets bad. Using my left hand, I strike him open palmed in the chest while drawing and keeping my pistol close to my body. Its at this point one of his friends sees what I just did and yells he's got a gun, they all freeze, including the punk who is just trying to act cool for his girl and his friends. He starts mumbling things about this just being a misunderstanding and he's sorry. I tell them they need to leave and nothing will be thought of it anymore.

That is the closest I have ever come to thinking I am gonna have to use my weapon in defense. Ive never been more scared in my life. I was running it thru in my head that if he would have taken another aggressive move towards me, I would have placed my finger on the trigger and fired. My dad is on the Sheriff Dept here and he's always told me you shoot until the threat has stopped, and thats exactly what I would prepared to do. I just hope I never have to....
__________________
I will not go quietly into the night, I will not stand idolly by while the Constitution of the Country I love so much, and so many men have died to protect be changed. The Constitution starts WE THE PEOPLE, not We The Governing Body.
jwfuhrman is offline  
Old July 16, 2009, 11:17 AM   #96
Tennessee Gentleman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 31, 2005
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 1,775
jwfuhrman,

As one of the more astute posters on TFL used to have in his signature line.


"You can have a gun, and you can have a temper. You just can't have both."

A government vacation awaits many of those who have both.
__________________
"God and the Soldier we adore, in time of trouble but not before. When the danger's past and the wrong been righted, God is forgotten and the Soldier slighted."
Anonymous Soldier.
Tennessee Gentleman is offline  
Old July 16, 2009, 11:40 AM   #97
Playboypenguin
Junior member
 
Join Date: February 27, 2006
Location: Great Pacific Northwest
Posts: 11,515
Quote:
Excellent! Very creative and fits my sense of humor just right.
Thanks, I am glad you appreciated it.

My employees were getting a bit miffed at me when I stopped helping them put in insulation to draw that. Especially since I stole their sharpie marker to do it.
Playboypenguin is offline  
Old July 16, 2009, 12:41 PM   #98
(BH)
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 15, 2009
Location: East TN
Posts: 638
PBP,

You're quite the cartoonist. I like the Kahr cowboy.
(BH) is offline  
Old July 16, 2009, 04:15 PM   #99
jwfuhrman
Member
 
Join Date: March 20, 2008
Posts: 31
I asked some of the local LEO's about if what I had done was the correct thing to do, and was told that it that instance, the other guy was in the wrong and I had every right to draw. So its good to know that at least here, I did the right thing.
__________________
I will not go quietly into the night, I will not stand idolly by while the Constitution of the Country I love so much, and so many men have died to protect be changed. The Constitution starts WE THE PEOPLE, not We The Governing Body.
jwfuhrman is offline  
Old July 16, 2009, 04:24 PM   #100
Tennessee Gentleman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 31, 2005
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 1,775
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwfuhrman
and was told that it that instance, the other guy was in the wrong and I had every right to draw.
The best part is nobody got hurt. Remember too that the police will not judge you, a jury will and generally it is not a good idea to get into any kind of fight when you are armed. Better I think, to just smile, disengage and walk away. If you shoot someone the consequences will be life changing and not for the better. Why take that chance? I promise you that you would not have felt good about shooting those guys.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jwfuhrman
Now, Im not gonna lie, I can have a smart ass mouth on me at times and this was just one of those nights.
Hard to break old habits I know, but since you are CCW it might be a good idea to break that habit. Better to take some verbal guff than go through a SD shooting aftermath. I recommend reading some of Massad Ayoob's files about this.
__________________
"God and the Soldier we adore, in time of trouble but not before. When the danger's past and the wrong been righted, God is forgotten and the Soldier slighted."
Anonymous Soldier.
Tennessee Gentleman is offline  
Reply

Tags
self defense

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:43 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.12797 seconds with 9 queries