It is a highly personal experience.
In IL, you must transport firearms in a locked container that is not accessable to the driver. Anywhere in the cab is considered a nogo. You are also not allowed to carry ammo in the same compartment. You can carry your firearm in the trunk, and ammo in the glove box, but trust me, LEO's get very anxious if they find the ammo and no gun.
Carying a firearm with just blanks to be "safer" is actually pretty dangerous if you ask me.
I have the same situation. I was 6'6 when I was a junior in high school, but I've always been a pussy cat...unless someone crosses that line. I'm now 28 6'8 and 260 pounds; I've adopted the term 'happy warrior'and being substantially larger than the average grown man by the time I was 15-16 years old that has kept me away from the "tough guys" begging for someone to look at them cross-eyed.
"Brandishing" is a false concept. Here in Texas, it is not illegal to draw your weapon if you have reason to believe you might need to use it. Think about it. You're not just indiscriminately waving your weapon around. You are responding to a threat. You have to draw your weapon as part of that response. If the threat suddenly realizes that urgent health requirements demand his presence elsewhere, thereby relieving you of the need to aerate him, isn't that a preferable outcome? That's not "brandishing." That's common sense - both on the part of the "brandisher" and the threat.marinepilot81 said:Im pretty surprised to see these responses. I have always been told "if you're gonna pull, you better shoot" for legal purposes, but that's not what I've read here.
It would appear people are choosing to illegally brandish vs. legally shoot?
Does instant cessation mean we let them walk away?
BTW, my only story was someone dumb enough to walk towards his trunk threatening to shoot me and my friends 20 feet from 4 police officers.
Thanks for your completely useless post. You rock.none of your business
Haha, baloons and ceiling fans. The only time I have been really ready to shoot, it was late one evening and i was getting ready for bed. I was in my bathroom taking my contacts out/brushing teeth etc. and just as I turned out the light and opened the door I heard what sounded like a light shuffling across the wood floor. I froze for a few seconds, not able to see anything, just turned the light out to a completely dark house and no contacts. I am trying to make out a figure, or a position or something, but couldnt. I bolted into my room handed my girlfriend my S&W airweight and said if ANYONE comes through that door that isnt me, shoot until it stops shooting. I grabbed my 1911 and my streamlight and went back into the living room. I could still hear the shuffling and hit the light. Helium baloons... my roomate had just had surgery the week before and had his balloons sitting on the kitchen table and the ceiling fan was left on and they were shuflling against eachother and the flowers. Freaked my girlfriend out more than it freaked me out. Other than that nothing, thank goodness I havent had to pull it on someone.my kid's helium baloon had come untethered and was being frapped about by the ceiling fan, which was left on hi.
About two months ago, my wife and I were sound asleep. We live in a quiet neighborhood, but I keep a S&W 686+ loaded with 38+P Remington 158 grain LSWCHPs in a GunVault beside my bed. I've got a 2 year old, so I keep it secured, but I can access it very quickly.
I was awoken by a rather disturbing thumping noise . I reached down beside the bed and had my 686 in hand in little more than a second. I lay still for a few moments and listened, asking my wife what she thought about it. She wasn't concerned .
The thumping continued. It sounded like the doors to our entertainment center in the living room being jostled about . I got up and exchanged my 686 for my Mossberg 590, the magazine already loaded with Federal Tacticle 2 3/4" 00 buck. I took a careful peak around the corner of our bedroom out into the living room, shotgun at low ready pointed away from the living room, figuring that perhaps my little boy had figured out how to break out of his room and was rummaging about the living room.
I saw nothing.
I backed up out of my room and crouced down low to the floor and just looked around. It was silent for a moment, than I heard the "thump". My eyes immediately went up to the ceiling where ... my kid's helium baloon had come untethered and was being frapped about by the ceiling fan, which was left on hi.
Whew. That was a relief. And man, was I exhausted after the adrenaline left me. Though it may have been a false alarm, I am pleased that I was able to cope well with the fear I was feeling. No tunnel vision, shaking or anything like that. I play scenarios through my mind on a daily basis, thinking how I would respond. Maybe that has helped.
Hopefully I'll never have to find out for real.
Though I knew it in my mind, I truly learned how much more comforting it is to have 12 gauges of whoop___ in your hands, vice a puny handgun, when your are not sure whether or not things are about to get ugly.