Glad I had my gun!

[rondog]

I'm 53, seriously overweight, and have two bad knees. The ACL in my r. knee is gone, and the meniscus in my l. knee is all chewed up. Plus, I have arthritis thriving in both feet. In other words, I'm a fat, easy target. I also work in downtown Denver, quite often at night.

Does my having a permit and a .38 in my pocket make me paranoid and bloodthirsty? I just try to stay alert to my surroundings and be prepared.

 

[pbearperry]

gun forums

All together I belong to five different gun forums.Out of those,three seem to have a lot of members that I suspect are quite young and in many cases immature.There is an awful lot of role playing and internet bravado going on.I may be wrong,but I thing video games has a lot to do with it.Killing cartoon villains does not make you a warrior.I truly hope most of these guys do not actually own firearms.

 

[searcher451]

Having read the original post here a couple of times, it would seem that some of us, at least, are reading more into threads on The High Road than perhaps what those threads' original posters intended to begin with.

That's just a guess, however.

 

[Rezin]

The closest I have ever come to "drawing" my weapon was taking it from it's holster and putting it on my lap in my car, while some crazy guy tried to run my wife and I (and then 2 other cars) off the road on the PA turnpike. But, we have a friend who is a PA State Trooper, who we called and he took care of the problem.

Oddly enough, this was only 2 weeks ago.

But I AM glad I had my gun.... as is always said, I's rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

 

[florida1098]

I have been a cop now almost 27 years. In NYC (20 plus in upper Manhattan) and here in Florida 5 plus, anyway I have never had to take my firearm out of the holster. Common sense and tactics, (waiting, backing away, cover, whatever).
I have seen stupid people, including cops I was with, draw their weapon on a perp, and I still hear it so clearly in my mind, the perp telling the weapon holder, " I'll take that gun and stick it up your arse, so go ahead and shoot bitch". Now, the weapon holder was not ready to shoot and just wanted to scare the person, but now was in the position of the perp walking up to him and grabbing his gun, all because he was bluffing and to quick to pull out a weapon.
So words to the wise, if you pull your gun and get challenged, you'd better be ready to shoot or run away with your weapon as fast as you can. Believe me bad guys or angry persons will challenge you, and can sense when you are not gonna shoot

 

[rogerjames]

I have been a cop now almost 27 years. In NYC (20 plus in upper Manhattan) and here in Florida 5 plus, anyway I have never had to take my firearm out of the holster. Common sense and tactics, (waiting, backing away, cover, whatever).
I have seen stupid people, including cops I was with, draw their weapon on a perp, and I still hear it so clearly in my mind, the perp telling the weapon holder, " I'll take that gun and stick it up your arse, so go ahead and shoot bitch". Now, the weapon holder was not ready to shoot and just wanted to scare the person, but now was in the position of the perp walking up to him and grabbing his gun, all because he was bluffing and to quick to pull out a weapon.
So words to the wise, if you pull your gun and get challenged, you'd better be ready to shoot or run away with your weapon as fast as you can. Believe me bad guys or angry persons will challenge you, and can sense when you are not gonna shoot

Fantastic points! The way I see it, if I ever NEED my gun, I won't have to start a thread and ask what everyone else thinks.

 

[yeti]

Every once and a while, someone starts one of those threads, and the only thing I can think of is that sometimes, when you are approached, and asked if you know the time, the only evil intention the perp has, is finding out what time it is.

 

[Rockwell1]

Roger James

My profound apologies. After reading a few of the threads in S&T, I have come to the conclusion that it ain't just you.

 

[wankerjake]

My profound apologies. After reading a few of the threads in S&T, I have come to the conclusion that it ain't just you

Yes. Yes this thread makes sense now.

 

[Mr. Bojangles]

I'm still a little confused

But I do have my gun... And that guy pumping gas does look suspicious.

 

[jackstinson]

After reading a few of the threads in S&T, I have come to the conclusion that it ain't just you.

This prompted me to do something I have not done before, go to the S&T section and some threads. I was reminded why I haven't read these before. "Thanks for all the fish".
I suppose I must start a thread to find out what to do next. I really need to be told and/or validated; Should I continue typing? Should I keep reading? Should I call the police? Did I do the right thing 30 years ago? Is Elvis really living with aliens?
Yes, I do carry most of the time....I just don't feel the need to post about every detail of it.

 

[Kentucky Kernel]

I guess I'll chime in my two cents. While I've never drawn my weapon, I have on many many occasions been prepared to draw, meaning hand on butt of firearm, condition yellow to red, seeking exit strategies to preclude the need to draw.

In other words, during the normal course of my day I find that I am increasing the frequency of evaluating my situation, and ensuring that I am prepared to defend myself and loved ones. It's not that I am caressing my grip looking for trouble, rather I am trying to be of the mindset that I may have only seconds to decide to draw and I'd better not need to wrestle with a seatbelt, bulky coat, etc.

Hope this makes sense. In line with the OP, I am not drawing more frequently, but I have found myself prepared to draw more and more often.

KK

 

[Phatty]

In other words, during the normal course of my day I find that I am increasing the frequency of evaluating my situation, and ensuring that I am prepared to defend myself and loved ones.

Perhaps its just the differences in our locations, but the times when my spidey-sense goes off and I get a bad feeling about a situation are pretty few and far between. I would estimate maybe once every two months or so this might happen to me, and those relatively few occurences practically always end up being a false alarm.

I think it's good to be "aware" but it may be excessive to actively assess the threat level all around you 24/7 like a secret service agent guarding the PotUS. That will only lead to higher anxiety levels.

 

[rogerjames]

Roger James
My profound apologies. After reading a few of the threads in S&T, I have come to the conclusion that it ain't just you.

No apology needed. I appreciate all opinions. I may not always agree, but each opinion helps to either substantiate my initial premise..., or causes me to rethink it. Both are beneficial. That's what makes this forum great.

 

[chuckusaret]

If you don't like the aesthetic appearance of non-caucasian skin tones, or if you don't like the culture of 'urban types,' that's fine. But it's naive and over-simplistic to associate skin color with behavior. What's more, I would suspect that a fear or dislike of these 'urban types' may increase your vulnerability to attack from someone who is white, since you're less likely to consider them as a potential threat.

The "non-caucasian skin tones" make up 16% of the population in my area but commit 85% of the crime. Yes, it is only human to be leary of the them based on the actions of the majority of their group.

 

[largecaliber]

I will keep this short and simple. Yes, I have had to use a weapon in self defense while on my own property. No, I did not enjoy it and no, you won't either if it becomes necessary, and not everyone will pull that trigger as easily as you may believe you will. Keep it concealed, keep it to yourself and avoid trouble if you can.

 

[Just One Shot]

I used my gun.

It was just 2 weeks ago and I was walking along carrying my 9mm. As I came upon a vacant area I noticed a big ugly thing and I had to draw my weapon. I went into my shooting stance and fired. I saw red and emptied my magazine hitting my target dead center multiple times!

I'm glad I had my gun with me otherwise it would have been a boring day at the range!


Seriously, While I may be skeptical of some of the incidents posted, I read all the post I can find, here and elsewhere, about using a CCW in self defence.

I do not desire or look forward to ever having to draw my weapon. I read the posts because situational awareness is important. Some of the posts that I have read gave me food for thought on the different senarios that may occur.

While many of us go to the range and practice handling our firearms for hours on end, many don't give a second thought about the mindset and planning of how to handle a violent encounter.

Reading the experiences of those that have gone before us can not only help us to prepare for a situation. It may even equip us to avoid one all together.

 

[etex]

I am always glad I have my guns!