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Old May 3, 2005, 06:20 PM   #1
Archie
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Rules for a Gunfight...

Just as a matter of preparation, check these. Please feel free to discuss and suggest.

*****************************************************
Rules for a Gunfight (Individual, not military circumstances)

1. Have a gun.
Yeah, it's obvious but still worth repeating; if you don’t have one, you can't play. The gun should be loaded, and in proper operating order.

2. Carry enough gun.
Not going to start a caliber war thing, but a sidearm for self-defense must deliver enough force to make a difference.

3. Have confidence in your equipment.
Know what your sidearm will do. Know where it hits. Know the gun's limitations. Know your limitations. Practice with this sidearm and ammo until you can hit reliably whenever you're at the range. You won't get any better in a fight, you won't have any time to practice and there is no three-minute preparation time announcement.

4. Be aware of where you are.
You can do some things on a deserted section of country road you cannot do in MacDonald's at lunchtime.
You will not have the same problem on a deserted section of country road as you will have at the "Stop n Rob" at 2330.

5. Don't attend a gunfight alone.
Not if you can help it, anyway. Bring a friend. Bring several friends. Make sure they are armed as well.

6. Don't Panic.
Keep focused on your problem and the solution. Your best option may be to shoot, or to remove yourself from danger; you decide. You can shoot, you can run and you can mess yourself. It is difficult to do two or more of the above simultaneously with any degree of success.

7. "When it's time to shoot, shoot! Don't talk."
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Old May 3, 2005, 06:30 PM   #2
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Good post. The only thing I didn't see was have a reload and/or bug. I spose #5 would cover that situation though. (possibly #8 too )
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Old May 3, 2005, 07:45 PM   #3
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Feel free to discuss? Okay, this is a shortened and incomplete list as compared to the two or three lists that keep getting repeated here and on other forums every few months that also include "rules" and "gunfight" in the title.
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Old May 3, 2005, 08:12 PM   #4
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Quote:
2. Carry enough gun.
Not going to start a caliber war thing, but a sidearm for self-defense must deliver enough force to make a difference.
I don't think handgun caliber makes a difference. More appropriate would be "Carry a long gun" A .223 is much more effective than a .45, even though the .45 is a bigger caliber. If I was in a gunfight, I would rather have a rifle than a handgun any day of the week.
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Old May 3, 2005, 08:16 PM   #5
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I agree

There is only one rule to a gun fight
1. THERE ARE NO RULES
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Old May 3, 2005, 09:06 PM   #6
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Easyyyyyy,
I think the thread was meant to be more of a checklist to see if you would really be prepared if you ever had to be, (God forbid) in a gun fight. Maybe some sort of a wake up call to some people who don't know just how vulnerable they really are. I would imagine, that if you were involved in a real gunfight, you wouldn't be thinking, "alright, just gotta remember the rules and I'll be okay", It'd be more of a, "holy sh....", as you dive behind some cover while returning fire.

but...then again...that could also NOT be what he meant.
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Old May 3, 2005, 09:12 PM   #7
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Archie, . . .

Isn't it wonderful that we have such intelligentsia on here that they can just maybe through osmosis, . . . provide all the possibly needed training, suggestions, information, intelligence, facts, cues, . . ?

On the other hand, . . . maybe ozzieman and pamick are so advanced that they are bored with our trying to help each other.

Your post may be a bit basic, . . . but my guess is that there are viewers out there to whom the basic stuff is needed and this forum does a good service by providing that info for them.

Only suggestion I had, . . . somebody already mentioned it, . . . there is a pretty good list out there that covers yours and adds some stuff to it. It is both informative and entertaining.

May God bless,
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Old May 3, 2005, 09:21 PM   #8
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I'd always just boiled it down to two simple rules:

1. Have a gun.

2. Don't die!
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Old May 3, 2005, 09:24 PM   #9
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And we have a new record folks.........
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Old May 4, 2005, 03:34 PM   #10
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Wow, people are really hard on eachother today!
I like the post.....
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Old May 4, 2005, 03:42 PM   #11
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Me too but I'm not so sure about number 5. If I could forsee I'd be getting into a gunfight, why would I go? Why would I round up my friends to go to a gunfight and possibly get them hurt when I could have just not gone in the first place.
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Old May 4, 2005, 03:51 PM   #12
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It is the nature of the beast in forum like this that posts will "recycle" with time. New people are joining in constantly and are unaware of the past posts. Besides that, it is more gratifying to get personal responses to your own, though admittedly not original, question than looking up voluminous old posts with 217 replies.
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Old May 4, 2005, 09:20 PM   #13
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Everyone knows that if posts weren't repeated, we wouldn't have to worry about guns because we would die of boredom. Bring on the recycled material.
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Old May 5, 2005, 06:14 AM   #14
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Rule #1:

Avoid gunfights... You'll live longer that way.
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Old May 5, 2005, 08:56 AM   #15
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Quote:
Avoid gunfights... You'll live longer that way.
My thoughts exactly.
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Old May 5, 2005, 11:45 AM   #16
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#8. Bring a mediator like this guy to promote peace. (I apologize in advance )
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Old May 5, 2005, 12:21 PM   #17
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Always cheat.
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Old May 5, 2005, 12:43 PM   #18
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US Marine Corps Rules for Gun fighting

1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. And bring all your friends who have guns, too.

2. Anything worth shooting once is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap; life is expensive.

3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.

4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover effectively.

5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend (lateral and diagonal movement are preferred)

6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a gun. Long guns and friends with long guns are preferred.

7. In ten years no one will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.

9. Accuracy is relative; most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than on the inherent accuracy of the gun. Accuracy declines proportionally as pucker factor increases.

10. Use a gun that works every time; all skill is in vain when an angel pisses in the flintlock of your musket.

11. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

12. Always cheat, always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

13. Have a plan before going into the gunfight.

14. Have a backup plan, because the first one never works.

15. Use cover and concealment as much as possible.

16. Don't drop your guard (or your grenade).

17. Always tactically load and threat scan 360 degrees.

18. Watch their hands; hands kill ("In God we trust...everybody else keeps their hands where I can see them")

19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.

20. The faster you finish the fight, the less likely you are to be shot.

21. Be polite. Be professional. Have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

22. Be courteous to everyone and friendly to no one.

23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.

24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4" or higher.

25. When in doubt, call in an air strike.

26. Do not eat the Claymores.


US Navy Rules for a Gunfight

1. Go to sea

2. Send in the Marines

3. Drink coffee
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Old May 5, 2005, 12:46 PM   #19
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Rules for a Gunfight
  • Bring a gun.
  • Preferably, bring at least two guns.
  • Bring all of your friends who have guns.
  • Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
  • Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
  • If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough or using cover correctly.
  • Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
  • If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
  • In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
  • If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
  • Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
  • Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. "All skill is in vain when an Angel pisses in the flintlock of your musket."
  • Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
  • Always cheat, always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
  • Have a plan.
  • Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
  • Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
  • Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
  • Don't drop your guard.
  • Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
  • Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.)
  • Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
  • The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
  • Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
  • Be courteous to everyone. Friendly to no one.
  • Your number one Option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
  • Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4".
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Old May 5, 2005, 02:45 PM   #20
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I think they were workin' at the same time, but I think the Navy may be on to something.
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Old May 5, 2005, 04:04 PM   #21
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LOL... I didn't realize that someone posted this right before I did...

Anyway, he forgot Navy rule #4: Make sure your guns are measured in inches, not caliber.
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Old May 5, 2005, 05:09 PM   #22
Archie
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Yeah....

I've seen the Marine Corps rules and such. I've also read (had and lost) Cooper's "Seven Principles of Self-Defense", which is excellent, by the way.

What I was thinking was something of a 'preparation checklist', as Mass Hunter suggested. I also want to pare down the list somewhat; as Cooper did with condensing 10 rules of firearms safety into 4. Many folks here carry on a regular basis; just being prepared for a very ugly possibility. What I want is the very minimal concepts or rules to get home alive and unscathed. Further, I am considering this as primarily a solo exercise. I haven't been in a 'patrol' in over thirty years.

FWC officer makes a good point about long guns. However, it's really hard to pack a proper carbine or riot gun when doing that 2330 cigarette run to the Stop'n'Rob. I always leave the long gun in the rack and then get bushwacked somewhere in the canned good section. (Hate it when that happens.)

Ozzieman is of course correct; at least in the sense of participation; Erich seems to agree. And of course, I'm sure Oz didn't mean to ignore the concept/principle/rule of not shooting the wrong folks. Not much point in defending the homestead and killing one's firstborn accidentally. I think we can posit 'rules' in the meaning of 'principles' by which to prepare.

Bad350 and the Wolfe make valid points. If one can avoid the problem, one should. Unfortunately, the 'prescience' switch in my head is intermittent. I can only foresee about five to six seconds into the future.

TJ. Where did you get that picture? And who in blazes is that, anyway?

Oh, the list of 26 rules left out the one about "Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo."
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Old May 5, 2005, 05:12 PM   #23
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Aewsome rules, there should be a book if there isn't already that could constantly be added too... I just wanted to say there was a guy on Ripley's believe it not last night who has been shooting from his hip forever he can successfully shoot a balloon from 200 yards with a snubbie S&W as well as shoot a card from a deck of cards on it's side like "------" not so you can really see it and he shot it damn right to hell in half.

Lots of practice I guess... it would be aewsome to be able to come to a gun fight knowing that before this guy even draws his weapon I can have two in him. This guy also managed to shoot two balloons about 8 feet apart so fast that the slow motion couldn't even differentiate between his cocking. He used single action .45's for his 'experiments'.
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