[riddleofsteel]

Robber's fake gun doesn't fool manager

10-17-03

By AMY WOLFFORD, Staff Writer
News & Record

GREENSBORO -- Ron Simpson knows guns -- and instantly knew the one in front of him Wednesday night was a phony.

Sure, the gun in the hands of the would-be robber at Action Video at 1058 Alamance Church Road had the look of a 9 mm, but Simpson, the manager, said he was "95 percent sure" the muzzle was too small to project a bullet.

"That is not a real gun," Simpson told the robber. "This is a real gun," he said, pulling a .25-caliber derringer from his front-right jeans pocket.

Seconds earlier, the robber had thrown a paper bag on the counter and pulled his version of a gun from his waistband. When Simpson threatened to shoot, the man pulled a rack of gummy bears in front of him for protection.

"Like that's going to stop the bullet," said Simpson, a Vietnam veteran and gun aficionado who carries a concealed-gun permit.

Simpson picked up a cordless phone, dialed 911 and followed the robber outside. The fearful criminal stayed about a minute and ran before police arrived.

Simpson described the robber as a 200-pound black man who appeared to be in his 40s. He was wearing sunglasses, a blue toboggan, dark pants and a gray velour sweat shirt that zipped at the neck. He was last seen running south behind businesses on Liberty Road. Greensboro police continue to investigate.

Simpson carries the gun for protection and admits he's told employees not to risk their lives by fighting robbers. But to him, it was personal.

"Police don't suggest this, I know. But this is me. I'd do it again," he said.

Contact Amy Wolfford at 373-7008 or awolfford@news-record.com




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[Marko Kloos]

"This is a real gun," he said, pulling a .25-caliber derringer.

The point is debatable. :D

[jsalcedo]

The robber was better armed than the video store employee. :neener:


Good on him though. We need more folks like Ron Simpson.

We should chip in and get him something better than a .25 derringer though.

[Standing Wolf]

When Simpson threatened to shoot, the man pulled a rack of gummy bears in front of him for protection.

Never try to commit an armed robbery with a rubber gun and half a brain.

[jsalcedo]

gummy bears = ballistic gelatin for a .25acp :D:D

[Mark Tyson]

It's actually a well known phenomenon that some people with guns aimed at them will try to hide behind the most improbable objects - even a piece of paper, for example.

[Rogelio]

I wouldn not dare to shoot a 200 pound angry man with a .25... I own a baby browning, but I would use my glock on that guy!!

I guess if the jelly bear bag was big enough...

[DorGunR]

It's actually a well known phenomenon that some people with guns aimed at them will try to hide behind the most improbable objects - even a piece of paper, for example.

Like those B rated westerns when the bad guy or hero would hide behind a spoked wagon wheel.:banghead:

[makarov1]

.25, maybe better than bare hands, maybe not. Certainly not a good first, second, or even 3rd choice for a defensive weapon. Come on , man.

[Drizzt]

somehow, the phrase "that's not a knife... this is a knife" keeps coming to mind for me when I read this story.

[P95Carry]

Well, any gun (real!) is way better than no gun (or fake!:D ) .... but ......

''gun aficionado '' ....... man, he needs to do an upgrade. He was lucky here but really ... .25cal!?!:D Derringer?!! :D

If he wants small but vaguely useful .. a KelTec P32, at least ........ or even a .380.

Oh well .... his would have made the bigger ''bang'' !:p

[Bill Hook]

"That is not a real gun," Simpson told the robber. "This is a real gun,"

:D

[Nightfall]

Now THIS is how you fight crime!

[MrPhil]

He was wearing sunglasses, a blue toboggan, dark pants and a gray velour sweat shirt that zipped at the neck.

I wanna know how he was wearing a toboggan!

[madmike]

He was wearing sunglasses, a blue toboggan, dark pants and a gray velour sweat shirt that zipped at the neck.

Clothing so tasteless deserves at LEAST a shot from a .45 :D

[madmike]

or even a .380.

What do you have against .380? It packs the muzzle energy of a stock .38 Special, and mine weighs less than a pound loaded, less than 4" X 5" X 1" and holds 12, plus 12 more in the spare mag. It fits handily in the "Cell phone" pocket of my jacket.

[Sean Cloherty]

Drizzzt has a point but to my mind - I keep hearing:

...The fact that you've got "Replica" written down the side of your gun. And the fact that I've got "Desert Eagle point five O" written on the side of mine, should precipitate your balls into shrinking, along with your presence. - Bullettooth Tonny (Vinnie Jones ) in Snatch(2000).

[Illuminate]

"precipitate your balls into shrinking..."

Their balls should be raining/snowing/sleeting?

[El Rojo]

Whether a .25 is good enough or not, a gun is a gun and it has power that dialing 911, fists, and blunt objects don't have. This is a perfect example of what an armed person can do to persuade wrong doers to think again. And as we all say, not a shot was fired. Great example of why everyone should be armed.

[Bill Hook]

A full clip of .25 is probably at least equal to ONE .38 round, which is better than nothing.

[P95Carry]

mine weighs less than a pound loaded, less than 4" X 5" X 1" and holds 12, plus 12 more in the spare mag. madmike - can you expand?!! 12 in the mag ........... less than one pound loaded ...... what the hell is it!?:eek:

[Double Naught Spy]

In the story, the .25 was a derringer and so while a full "clip" might equal to one .38 round, the option in the story was for no more than 2 rounds from the 25.

.25 pistols don't have clips. They have magazines.

A full magazine of .25 or one .38 is better than nothing, but that is the wrong end of the scale to compare against when it comes to protecting your life. A mean look an heavy body odor is better than nothing for defense as well. It is not hard to be better than nothing.

Given the effectiveness of the .25, Gummy Bears might be adequate ballistic protection.

[DorGunR]

Given the effectiveness of the .25, Gummy Bears might be adequate ballistic protection.

Hey, it worked.......bad guy ran.:cool:

[Langenator]

I wanna know how he was wearing a toboggan!

Well, maybe if he put the curled-over front part over the top of his head with the flat part running down his back...

Clothing so tasteless deserves at LEAST a shot from a .45

My vote would be for a good shot from a flamethrower...

[sturmruger]

I hope to God he caught the attepted robbery on Tape!! That would be the funniest thing ever. Could you imagine the robber's eyes when he realized he brought a toy to a gun fight. It must have been priceless.

[semf]

the man pulled a rack of gummy bears in front of him for protection.
New topic "What caliber for Gummy bears"

Who makes a .25 derringer. And why not a .38 derringer, if you gotta have a derringer. And for that matter why the hell a derringer. And if you gotta go .25 why not an auto, emty it into his throat at that distance (M.P. taught me that one)

[yesterdaysyouth]

My vote would be for a good shot from a flamethrower...

NAPALM no doubt....

[madmike]

madmike - can you expand?!! 12 in the mag ........... less than one pound loaded ...... what the hell is it!?

A Grendel P-12. Oleg has a photo of it.

Like a KelTec 9mm (Same designer) but with a double-stack 11 round mag plus 1.

Accuracy? marginal. Reliability? Excellent. Very few parts. Very safe. Light and easy to use. Plastic with steel liner, steel slide and barrel, phosphated.

They were $160 new 15 years ago. I paid $80 for it used, with two mags, case and documents. Case is smaller than a paperback book.

In fact, IIRC Glock makes one now that's almost mechanically identical. For about $600.

I would assume the Glock is more accurate. But at five yards, who the hell cares?

23 rounds of .380 will make someone go away. (Sorry about the bad math in previous post. 12 + 11 = 23. Not 24)

[gunsmith]

afaik only LEO version available.
But the G33 .357sig is a little bigger size for alot bigger bang!

[P95Carry]

A Grendel P-12. Oleg has a photo of it. Thx for the heads up Mike ........ I think I want to know even more about that puppy!!!:evil: :p

[4v50 Gary]

It's a heck of a thing to enter a dialogue instead of start blasting at a bad guy. The article could have been written a bit better.

[HABU]

Simpson described the robber as a 200-pound black man
How unPC. ALEGED black man.:evil:

[twoblink]

I don't know why you all are bagging on the .25..

If it's such a "sissy round", then stand in front of one!! Yeah, I didn't think so:neener:

That said..

He missed the opportunity to say "Do you feel lucky, well, do you.. punk?":D

[Elmer Snerd]

a .25-caliber derringer
Could this be an error? Given the gun mistakes routinely made by reporters, perhaps he actually had something else.

Maybe it was a 2.5 derringer. :D