Back in the early 90's my wife (now ex) was coming home from the Hickam AFB store where she worked and noticed a car following her. She kept driving towards our house in the Pearl City military housing area and flashed her headlights on and off as she approached the guard shack. There was a police car there at the time and he turned on his blue lights. The car following her immediately did a U-turn and left. She stopped at the guard shack and told them what was happening. They told her that they could not do anything except cite him for a U-turn even if they went after him.
When she told me about it, she also decided she wanted to carry a gun in the car. In Hawaii back then (and now I think) it was illegal to have a gun in the car unless you were on the way to a gun show, gunsmith/store, hunting area or rifle range. CCW is nearly impossible to obtain and bringing a gun onto a military base without prior permission (only allowed by police or base residents) is hard to get. Getting caught on base armed was likely to cost her the gun, car and job as well as put my housing privileges in jeopardy. She was also uncomfortable around guns. While I did not forbid her to carry a gun, we talked about these things and she still decided that she wanted a small pistol to take with in the car.
I bought her a Makarov in 380 auto. She said it was too heavy (she is a small filipina) and was unable to pull the slide back. I cut down the slide spring and loaded ammo with 90 grain bullets over 1.8 grains of bullseye. She joined me at the range a few times and learned how to use it, but the 90 grain bullets only went about 700 fps. In the end she did not carry it in the car. But she learned about the experience and she knew enough to never stop or get out of the car but to instead drive to the nearest police station and lay on the horn.
When I went out to sea for six months, she wanted her pistol taken out of the safe and stored in a handy place with a loaded magazine nearby. I warned her that the ammo was rather low powered and would really piss off her attacker if she shot him. My advice to her if she ever found herself in a position where she had to use deadly force was to empty the mag into the threat at close range then run like hell. She never had another close call, but it was a learning experience for both of us.
Ranb
When she told me about it, she also decided she wanted to carry a gun in the car. In Hawaii back then (and now I think) it was illegal to have a gun in the car unless you were on the way to a gun show, gunsmith/store, hunting area or rifle range. CCW is nearly impossible to obtain and bringing a gun onto a military base without prior permission (only allowed by police or base residents) is hard to get. Getting caught on base armed was likely to cost her the gun, car and job as well as put my housing privileges in jeopardy. She was also uncomfortable around guns. While I did not forbid her to carry a gun, we talked about these things and she still decided that she wanted a small pistol to take with in the car.
I bought her a Makarov in 380 auto. She said it was too heavy (she is a small filipina) and was unable to pull the slide back. I cut down the slide spring and loaded ammo with 90 grain bullets over 1.8 grains of bullseye. She joined me at the range a few times and learned how to use it, but the 90 grain bullets only went about 700 fps. In the end she did not carry it in the car. But she learned about the experience and she knew enough to never stop or get out of the car but to instead drive to the nearest police station and lay on the horn.
When I went out to sea for six months, she wanted her pistol taken out of the safe and stored in a handy place with a loaded magazine nearby. I warned her that the ammo was rather low powered and would really piss off her attacker if she shot him. My advice to her if she ever found herself in a position where she had to use deadly force was to empty the mag into the threat at close range then run like hell. She never had another close call, but it was a learning experience for both of us.
Ranb
