Draw your weapon?

[HI express]

How many of you have had to draw your CCW in preparation for defending yourself and/or others? (Putting your hand on your weapon in preparation for an escalating situation without drawing your weapon from your holster is included).

Once my wife, my daughter, and I attended a wedding banquet and we had to leave around 9 p.m. as my daughter had homework and I like to get out before the people who imbibe too much get out on the streets to play bumper car.

The parking lot was a few stores above this restaurant and as we walked towards the parking lot I saw what appeared to be a transient in a long rain coat moving to cut us off from the area where my car was parked. I indicated to my family that we had to move a little quicker towards the car. As we picked up the pace, so did he. On the move I drew my handgun but kept it under my suit jacket. My daughter drew her knife and kept it hidden.

We broke cover to cross a lane between the parked cars and he was running to cut us off. I gauged the distance and figured he'd beat us. I gave a soft command and I hunkered down behind a car and faced him with my handgun at the ready below the body of the car but not pointed at him, my wife took a covering position with her handgun ready but hidden, and my daughter dropped to a squatting position and turned to cover our six with her knife drawn. The transient/BG was about 30 feet from us at this point. Our car was still another 50 feet away.

He must have picked up on the vibes and figured that this was bad juju for him. He turned on his heel and went the other way quickly, cussing to the night sky.

Can you guys share a time or two that you had to draw your weapon?

 

[Jim PHL]

I've been carrying almost ten years and had my hand on my gun one time. (Never drew it.)

 

[Gordon Fink]

I’ve encountered more than a few panhandlers in my day, but I’ve never felt the need to go all tactical on them.

~G. Fink

 

[Standing Wolf]

Once. That was enough to last the rest of my life—I hope!

 

[mscott]

Once. I was in the garage and turned to see a rottweiler standing in the door way. I decided to make my carry gun a bit more handy while I eased over to the button to close the door. He took off and I'm pretty sure he was just curious, but you just never know.

 

[Hazwaste]

Once

Hand on weapon, unsnapped retention strap, never drew. Was out walking around block and an unfriendly dog came running at me barking in a very threatening way. When he was about 10 feet away his/her owner yelled at it and it turned around and ran back. I doubt the owner saw my sidearm.

 

[Risasi]

Yeah, you did the right thing. Number one you became aware of the situation quickly. This was the most important piece. Second you became defensive. As usually happens these things work themselves out.

I forget who said it but the saying is; "when you see ten troubles down the road by the time you get to them 9 will have jumped off the path"...

Depending on how much trouble I think this might have been, I personally would have headed back to the restaurant and brought some buddies back out with me. (Who knows, maybe he had friends that you just didn't see). Give the guy a good scare if he was trouble. Or if it's nothing give him a friendly wave as I leave.

If he's real trouble I would NOT have walked to my car until he's gone. I don't want him having my license plate.

 

[Risasi]

P.S. I once came home from a party in my younger days. It was about 2 am. Because I was aware of the situation I came to realize that four guys in a camaro next to me were trouble. They eventually tried to run me off the road. But I realized this ahead of time. As they pulled up to my left to cut me off they were met with a gun in the window. Not pointed at them, just there. They drove off.

Unfortunately it was a black powder derringer, not loaded. Fortunately they didn't stick around to find that out.

 

[WEPS]

I was sitting in my car one night adjusting my new sterio system when i had 3 (gang members i think) run up on me fast. I caught sight of them in my rear mirror, one of then had his hand in his waist band. i quickly drew my weapon and took cover behind the engine block. They ran off pretty quick. I've gone over that night in my head time and time again, trying to figue out if i did the rightthing or just over reacted.

 

[Risasi]

Yeah, you were alone. Bad situation. Better to have not been there.

 

[38SnubFan]

Only twice, and only one of those times where I needed to draw the weapon from the holster (but not display it).

The first was when my girlfriend and I went out for a drive. We came up into what was a "questionable" part of the city when a black coupe starting tailgating me. Now, I figured he was just impatient, and moved to the right lane for him to pass when I got into the multi-lane part of the street. He continued to follow, then shut off his headlights and started creeping up my left side. I sped up - he sped up. I hit the brakes - he hit the brakes. At that point I put down the driver's side window and drew the gun from my holster, keeping it down at my lap. I didn't want to turn on to a side street since I really wasn't familiar with the area and knew most of those streets around there are one-way-only. He must have seen my right arm move back to draw, because he immediately raced to the next intersection, hooked a right, and was never seen again. I immediately called the county dispatcher who had an officer call me back on my cell phone. He asked me if I displayed the gun to him, to which I advised him I didn't. He asked me what kind of gun I was carrying (just in case of a "man with a gun call", to where he'd ask them what kind of gun to determine if they were lying to him), the vehicle and driver's description, and thanked me for calling, and told me, "if he indeed DID see you drawing the weapon, he probably won't bother you again." I should certainly hope not, as I find a different route for that hour of the night.

The second time was at a convience store I frequent on my way home for just to grab a late night cup of coffee. The clerk there who knew me told me this guy had been in the store for over half an hour just wandering around. I took notice to him and could see the grip of a small semi-auto pistol "printing" against his jacket pocket. At that point, I felt for my retention strap through my leather jacket and released it. I kept my right thumb hooked on the edge of my coat should I need to access and draw quickly. Finally the "customer" picked up a soda and some beef jerky, approached the register, paid for his items, and left without incident. Needless to say though, as he approached the register the cashier and I were both feeling a little edgy. I think the poor cashier about peed herself, especially since she was about 3 1/2 months pregnant at the time.

I sincerely hope that is the worst I will ever encounter in my life. However, if I need to draw and shoot a BG, I WILL do so without hesitation.

-38SnubFan

 

[QuarterBoreGunner]

I'm with Standing Wolf; one glimpse of that particular elephant was enough to last me the rest of my life. I hope.