Who here has used a gun in self defense

[HarleyFixer]

I have used a weapon to defend myself and my family a number of times. Somtimes with critters, sometimes with criminals.........sometimes in rural areas, and sometimes in urban areas. Sometimes no shots fired, and sometimes something / someone got shot. My family and I are well and none of us has any trouble sleeping at night. If you are going to own a weapon and will use it to defend yourself you need to do some soulsearching BEFORE hand to decide if you are willing to do that. If not then find another alternative. IF you decide yes, then do what you NEED to do and go on with life.

 

[kimberkid]

Never had to use, but did show my carry piece one time about 10 years ago.

Coming out of a Taco Casa, right in front of the building and headed for my car a rough looking guy asked me for a smoke ... I didn't think much of it, unzipped my jacket and reached up to my shirt pocket. Guy said "Never mind, just give me your money and I'll buy my own." At that point I flipped my jacket open to where he could see my 45 and said "Really?" ... he said "Whoa, sorry!" and disappeared. I didn't have to pull it and it was so fast the wife didn't even realize what happened.

Glad I didn't have to use it as we didn't have Concealed Carry yet ... but we do now

 

[BADSBSNF81]

Mere presentation kept me alive, twice.

 

[mnrivrat]

Fired upon - missed . I returned fire - been a long time ago.

 

[frogomatic]

only had to draw my gun once, and didn't need to discharge it to end the situation.

 

[Manco]

I have used a weapon to defend myself and my family a number of times. Somtimes with critters, sometimes with criminals.........sometimes in rural areas, and sometimes in urban areas. Sometimes no shots fired, and sometimes something / someone got shot. My family and I are well and none of us has any trouble sleeping at night. If you are going to own a weapon and will use it to defend yourself you need to do some soulsearching BEFORE hand to decide if you are willing to do that. If not then find another alternative. IF you decide yes, then do what you NEED to do and go on with life.

Although I have not yet been forced to use a firearm in self-defense, frankly if I didn't feel the same way about these matters as HarleyFixer here, then I would not keep a loaded gun in the house. I'd never point my gun at anything that I didn't wish or wasn't willing to destroy, and that's precisely what my gun is for: to destroy those who would maliciously do harm to my family and me. I sincerely hope that I will never be put into a position in which I'd have to defend my family with lethal force, but if I had to, then there will be no hesitation and no guilty conscience afterward.

I think that those who have reasonable doubts about their ability or willingness to defend their families and themselves using firearms need to focus more on mental preparation and their mindset. If you can quickly point a gun and score a hit anywhere on a human-sized target silhouette within about 7 yards, then you've got the physical aspects covered well enough for now, and it's time to work in earnest on the important mental aspects of self-defense.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I think I would rather die first,

My mind on self defense was permamently changed forty years ago when when I said something like that (more noble to die than to kill, hippie phase stuff) and I was then asked: you let some thug murder, rape or rob you, and you don't try to stop your attacker, what is your excuse to the attacker's next victim?

I have not so far had to defend myself with a gun against a person (I have killed a rabid animal, and a copperhead snake in a bathroom). I do know four women who defended themselves, all brandishment only, and one involving a woman against four male intruders, so it happens, only not to me.

 

[NMGonzo]

I have (no harm resolution)

Relative has (lethal resolution, 3 vs him) ... costed him a bunch of money and time but no jail.

 

[TexasRifleman]

An informal count shows an amazingly high percentage of incidents where the simple presence of a gun was enough to deter any crime.

That pretty much bears out years of statistics of course, yet something so simple is refused to be believed by so many people. That's sad.

Interesting stories folks, thanks for sharing.