Have you had to draw or shoot your weapon to defend yourself?

[FirearmFan]

Hi everyone,

I'm reading a conceal and carry book and was just curious if anyone here has had to draw there weapon or shoot to defend themselves and or others? Not trying to be nosey, wanted it for more an idea of what to expect and what you learned from the experience so that the rest of us can improve from it.

Thanks.

[Clinot]

Never had to, pray each day I never have to.

[USP45usp]

Nope (came close once) and I Pray that I never have to.

Wayne

ps. Which book? The ones by Mr. Waters? Read those, great books!

[Wynterbourne]

Ask me no questions...and I won't have to check Statute of Limitations.

[Zachary Vonler]

I was once sitting a stop light about 3am, after having been working late. It was a weekday night, close to UT campus in Austin, where there are a lot of homeless people. Most of them are fairly young kids (that I suspect drive in from the suburbs to ask for change) but there are a few that truly live on the streets. The light is a pretty long one, I was the only car around, and there were no pedestrians except for one homeless-looking guy about half a block away walking along the sidewalk, approaching the intersection from my left side. The path that he was on would cause him to walk in front of my car while crossing the street. I wasn't really concerned about him approaching, but did keep a little attention on him. When he was about 15 feet from the car, which was where he first had a clear path to my door (the parking lot he was walking along had a barrier along the sidewalk), he suddenly angled toward my door. I turned my face to him, put my left hand flat against the window, and moved my right hand to the pistol I had in a IWB holster under my shirt. The guy basically came to a screeching halt, and put both of his palms flat out in front of him, and said something I couldn't hear through the window. I simply shook my head and very loudly said "NO." He turned back to the sidewalk and walked away.

I learned a few things:
1) It's difficult to draw quickly from an IWB holster while seated in a car. I didn't actually end up drawing, but getting my hand into position took a lot longer than normal.

2) I believe this guy knew *exactly* what I was doing. He stopped instantly when my right hand went to my hip. I don't know if that means he was up to no good, but it at least impressed me that he recognized the movement.

Looking back, I'm not sure that it was completely the right response. Since there were no cars around, I could have safely just run the light to get away from him. I had my doors locked, and always keep them that way, so barring him drawing a gun and shooting (in which case I'd likely be unable to draw quick enough to do any good anyway), there's not much he could do if I just started moving. In all honesty, it happened so fast that I didn't really even think about it. While sitting there I hadn't planned out what to do if he approached me, but the way that he turned toward the car made me react.

[losangeles]

Nope, never had to. Even when I worked as a security guard to finance college. Now I live in an upscale area with near-zero crime rate, so it's not very likely.

[chrisandclauida2]

i have had to draw many times.several while working with work crews and a couple riots.the only time out of work was at a light down town i had some idiot try to car jack me. he was probably drunk or stoned. i caught a glimps of his approch and as he opend the passanger door to get in the car i was already drawing. his ass hit the passanger seat as my weapon hit his tempel. he said sorry wrong car and took off. thankfully he got out quick enough so his unintentional fecal discharge didnt get on my seat.and yes i would have stopped the threat to my life if he didnt immeadiately get out. or if i saw any weapon. i think he had a weapon in his right hand but entering the car from the passanger side delayed his presentation thus saving his life.
at work we had some guy attempting to break into a prison. i stopped him, and he reached into his bag digging for ...well you know.he pulled his bottel wanting to finnish it before he went to jail. thank god he didnt pull any weapon as well i dont want to think about that. i had an inmate attempt to walk up on me while on a work crew in a remote area. an 870 racking the slide finnally stopped him. he refused verbal commands to stop coming closer. he was 10 feet away when he stopped. as you all know thats way too close. if i hadnt stopped him there[i started to rack the slide at about 20 feet and gave commands at about 30 feet]he would have been on me before i could react if i had started then. our cover man on the dam looking down on us alread was starting to pull the trigger on a m16. the idiot inmate was too close and almost died.other than that all the shooting was done during riots or on work crews with less lethal ammo so it wasnt no big thang.

[stratus]

Originally Posted by chrisandclauida2

i caught a glimps of his approch and as he opend the passanger door to get in the car i was already drawing. his ass hit the passanger seat as my weapon hit his tempel. he said sorry wrong car and took off.

Was your passenger side door lock broken?

[AMT8951]

About 3-4 yrs ago, I had an experience very similar to Zachary Vonler. I was driving home from a 12hr shift at the PD shift in my old pick-up. It was raining like crazy and it was about 4:15am on a Sunday morning. I live and work in a college town and last call had been at 3am. Despite the hour and the weather, there were still plenty of people on the streets, mostly drunk college kids. I was carrying a 3in S&W M65 in the cargo pocket of my work pants.
I was stopped at a red light with a vehicle in front of me and a vehicle behind me. The doors were unlocked, I was dead tired, and my mind was a million miles away. All of the sudden, I saw movement outside the front passenger side window of my truck. I looked and saw a figure in a black hooded sweat shirt peering through the window. A split second later the door was flung open. Before I knew it I had my revolver out with the muzzel about two feet from the strangers face.
It was then I realized that it was a young lady. Fairly pretty and very drunk. She didn't even seem to notice the gun. She smiled and said " It's pouring out, can me and my friends please have a ride up to campus?" I looked over her shoulder and saw two other females hudled under an overhang a few yards away. Feeling a need to explain the gun in my hand I said "I'm a cop. You need to find a cab" or something like that. I was about to pull out my badge and ID myself, maybe lecture her or something, but before I had time, she slamed the door and walked away.
Even over the rain I could hear her shout to her friends "He said no!" (nothing about me being a cop, or getting a gun stuck in her face) Then I heard one of her friends reply "Why are people such A**holes!" Then I heard the guy behind me blowing his horn. The light had turned green. I think the whole incident took about 10-15 secs.
I'm pretty sure that this incident freaked me out much more than it did the young lady. I guess I learned a few things from this incident. I always lock my doors. I always stay alert at traffic lights. I always leave enough space between my car and the car in front of mine so that I can get around them if I have to.

[tjhands]

Ummmm, Chris.......did you misspell your wife's name by chance? Hehehe, that's probably a good one to get right.

[springmom]

Hopefully never will.

Springmom

[chrisandclauida2]

her name is spelled that way on purpose. it really cuts down on spam and crap/ people spell it properly on mail; and it goes back to em. they just stop.so when ui register for places i just spell it that way so i dont have to think too hard.


the car was an old one and the door was broke. the lock didnt work in years.

[stratus]

Originally Posted by chrisandclauida2

the car was an old one and the door was broke. the lock didnt work in years.

I figured that was probably the case. You did the right thing (well, obviously )

[tuckerdog1]

On our way to a sporting event. Can't carry at the event, so my gun is under the driver's seat. I'm 1st in line at a red light left lane. Intend to turn left at the next traffic light about 3/4 mile up the road. Light turns green, we're moving, but before I even clear the intersection, the Caddy behind lays on the horn. Scared me at 1st. I'm thinking, what am I not seeing, am I about to be involved in a wreck? I check the mirror, and this guy is flashing his lights & throwing his hands up in anger. I'm thinking geezz man, the light just turned green, I can't pull to the right, because there is a car right next to me, and go to hell, I'm turning left at the next light & need to be in this lane. Well, I'm moving faster than the car to my right, so a gap opens up for him to pull into the right lane & pass on the right. He pulls up next to us, slows to our speed & gives me the hard a$$ evil eye. He looked like a gang member. I guess I'm just a politically incorrect profiling type. At this time, my wife helps out, by giving him the finger. He gets furious, cuts me off, hits his brakes, accelerates, passes a couple cars & starts to disappear. Well, as luck would have it, he is turning left at the same light we are. The left turn light is red. There is 1 car between us. But he sees us. He gets out of his car & starts aggressivly heading for my car. Could not pull out, as through traffic on my right was heavy & moving fast. To the left was a steep ditch ( and him ). Told my wife, I think I might have to shoot this guy. Pulled my gun from under the seat & made it visable. He was about even with my headlight when he saw it, turned around quickly, got in his car, pulled out of the turn lane & drove off.

Discussion with my wife later. Had he approached us with a gun drawn, and quickly opening fire, we'd have been sitting ducks. I'd still need to try & retun fire as best I could, but she needed to take cover on the floor ASAP. And please, don't aggravate the situation again by giving the guy the finger. She seems to be a slow learn on that. Still happens.

Tuckerdog1

[bedula32]

A friend of mine and I just parked in the parking lot at a mall in California. I turned the ignition off and it was one of those wonderful cars that unlocks all the doors for you when you switch the ignition off in case you forgot how to unlock the door yourself and end up dying from exposure. Anyway, just as the doors conveniently all unlocked a pedestrian dude approached my friend on the passenger side door and my friend being very aware and fast managed to grab the door handle and prevent the guy from opening the door. As they wrestled with the door the pedestrian guy pulled out a bowie knife and within what probably was milliseconds of that my friend pulled out his 1911. The dude with the bowie knife actually stepped back and smiled and then walked off. He actually smiled like "you win." Of course this could not be reported unless my friend wanted to go to jail for having the 1911 as he did not have the money to bribe the local sheriff for a permit which cost a contribution to his election campaign of $1000 to start.

[281 Quad Cam]

Of course this could not be reported unless my friend wanted to go to jail for having the 1911 as he did not have the money to bribe the local sheriff for a permit which cost a contribution to his election campaign of $1000 to start.

Glad to see all those gun laws in California are cracking down on criminals.

[swmike]

This company I used to work for had a real "Clown" and he just happened to work in my office. One Fall we went on one of those famous "Corporate Planning Retreat". One evening, during this retreat, we decided to go as a group to a local restaurant noted for Crab. Several carloads started out. At one of the stoplights, this "Clown" got out of the car he was riding in, snuck up alongside my drivers side door (while I was talking with a co-worker riding with me). The "Clown" thought it would be funny to slap the driver's door window a few times. After the first "slap" he was looking at the bore of my 9mm. After we arrived at the restaurant he spent the better part of the first hour in the restroom cleaning up.

Several months later the company circulated a "No weapons on ANY Company property (including cars) policy. I shredded it and ignored it for the next 16 years. Carried wherever I went on their property until I retired.

[rapier144]

Sure they are the bad guy didn't have one He just did'nt see the law about armed assault being illegal.

[bedula32]

If I were a murderer, rapist, child molester, or robber I'd certainly live in California since it is the public policy there to take it easy on violent crooks and leave the general population helpless against predators. Gun laws or otherwise the general consensus in California seems to be to let the violent thugs walk around with everyone else and turn society into one big prison.

[MCIWS]

One evening, after a late dinner, my wife and I were walking up to a set of stairs that led to our apartment. As we were approaching the stairwell, a Hispanic male, about mid-twenties, began walking toward us at a very brisk pace from about twenty feet away.

He had a shaved head, plain white T-shirt, low-sagging khaki pants and white tennis shoes. I remember it clearly because it struck me as odd, as it obviously should have.

I was wearing a Glock 26 in an open-top IWB holster at eleven o’clock. My shirt was not tucked in. I moved my hand to the weapon in a manner to appear that I was scratching my stomach.

I did not realize that I had uncovered my weapon completely. Basically, he saw my hand gripping a firearm and me starring right at him.

He stopped dead in his tracks and then slowly changed his direction of travel.

To this day, I truly believe that he had the intent to cause us harm. I also believe that having a weapon on my person possibly saved a life (him) or lives (us).

I did not purposely show my weapon with the intention of intimidating him, but I do not regret him seeing it either.

My wife was just reading over my shoulder and saw a little bit of the story: “Nothing even happened. You are making that up!”

I hate to admit it, but she is so oblivious it is scary. I wish she would have a little situational awareness sometimes.

[JohnKSa]

And please, don't aggravate the situation again by giving the guy the finger.

Any girl I have gone out with for any decent length of time has gotten the lecture.

I stress that if I am with them they are absolutely NOT to escalate or create a situation by doing something stupid like shouting or gesturing. I make it clear that they are not the ones who will have to back up their stupidity with actions--the bad guy will take it out on me.

[stratus]

I'm glad to see that from those who have posted their experiences in which they've had to draw (or nearly draw) their weapons, just judging from this thread, that the handgun seems to act as an excellent deterrant. Even though it's imperative to back the threat of force with the actual use of force if necessary, if the deterrant aspect works, then thank god for that.

[yorec]

I scew the averages having been an LEO for twelve years, but yeah I've drawn several times in defense of my person. Thankfully I've never had to fire.

What I've learned that sticks out the most? I hate vicious dogs in dark alleys...

[mvpel]

I was out stacking and sorting firewood when I heard my dog yelp and snarl maybe ten or twenty yards away behind me. I dropped my firewood and drew my pistol, thinking "coyote" or some such, expecting to see blood. The sound of the snarl was very alarming, she NEVER does that.

When I ran up to Heidi, I found her nose was sporting about a dozen and a half small quills, courtesy of the resident porcupine. The only blood she shed, thankfully, was when I tackled her, held her down, and plucked the quills out of her nose.

I thought I'd have to draw and fire back in February, too, but the deer I hit only had the wind knocked out of him, and got up and scrambled away. My car wasn't so lucky - $2,000 worth of unlucky, at less than thirty miles per hour.

[FirearmFan]

Thanks for contributing guys. I'm glad to see no one has had to shoot and that the weapon acted as a deterant!