I got caught flat-footed today

[AntiqueCollector]

Could be helpful to have just a good derringer in another pocket or somewhere that's accessible even when the main carry gun is not. That one shot may kill the attacker, or at least give you a chance to get out or get your main gun out in a situation like this. Even when I'm open carrying sometimes I have a derringer in my pocket too...

 

[crebralfix]

Learn to flip your jacket over the seatbelt before you buckle it. When you draw, DRAW TOWARD THE TARGET. Don't go around the steering wheel or other nonsense. Pull yourself forward to access your holstered weapon. Get your left arm out of the line of fire (glue your left hand to your chest) and shoot one handed. Yes, you'll sweep your legs, but this isn't a range and certainly not a game. Right-handed people have the advantage in a car if the goblin is on the driver's side.

You may consider acquiring a short barreled revolver or semi-auto and leave it on the off-hand side. That way, your draw will be MUZZLE TOWARD the goblin with either hand. Speed is the key; get bullets downrange as fast as possible.

All this is assuming the goblin slipped past your awareness in the first place. However, real life intrudes upon 'net idealism.

 

[Flopsy]

I use crossdraw. No seatbelt issues.

 

[ball3006]

Been there myself....

those panhandlers seem to come out of nowhere......chris3

 

[doorman]

This may seem weird, but I carry a right handed IWB on the weak side so the butt of the pistol faces forward. I can easily access the weapon while seated with the seatbelt fastened much as you would if you had a shoulder rig. Kinda cross draw from the weak side. This way I can have my left hand on the steering wheel my right hand on the grip under my shirt and not break my eye contact of who ever is confronting me. I also carry the Kahr P45 hot so if it does get pulled I do not need to think about racking or releasing any safeties. This gun is DAO and the striker is only half charged which is the reason that is has such a long trigger pull.

 

[HippieCrusher]

Quote-
"This might sound kinda weird, but it's because of the seatbelt thing that I usually have a concealed pistol in an IWB AND another one beside the seat."

Not weird at all. I've kept a revolver either under or between the seats of my pickup truck for years, long before I ever CCW'd. I keep my "truck gun" within quick reach hidden between the seat padding in case I can't get to my CCW easily or fast enough.

 

[PaulTX]

A while back the wife and I were confronted at night on semi-lit parking lot by a guy asking for monetary help. I didn't have any trouble with him but decided right then if anyone came up to me at night my hand was going at least have a grip on my pistol - ready to bring it out if necessary. I will then say "KEEP AWAY". I don't want anyone coming up to me at night!!

Another time I had just pulled into a store parking lot and this guy almost immediately pulled up next to me - driver's door to driver's door. I was surprised. He was asking for gas money. He had probably been cruising the parking lot and I didn't think anything about it.

I guess there are just too many scenarios. I do a pretty good job of being aware of my surroundings but they can still surprise you.

I only have 4 keys on my car key ring/door fob. I am well practiced at pulling out my keys, pressing the button to unlock the door, and finding the ignition key without looking at my hand. While I'm doing this - I'm looking around.

Paul

 

[highfive]

real nice thread. It got me thinking about some things I do too, and about some panhandle encounters that I have had.
I probably need to rethink a couple things, thanks everybody. excellent ideas, excellent knowledge

 

[tuckerdog1]

My morning routine is like clockwork. I'm backing out of the garage at 0140 AM, or I'm late for work. Neighborhood is a good one, but I still don't take that for granted. Just in case somebody "might" catch on to that routine, the doors get locked & windows up before I even open the garage door. After backing out, I immediatly close the door & watch it the entire way down, to be sure nobody slips inside. When I exit the driveway, there is almost never any other vehicle traffic at that hour. But if somebody is coming down the street & see me leaving, I make note of the vehicle, then drive around the block to be sure they didn't come back to my house, knowing somebody just left. My employer is one of those that will fire you in a heartbeat if a firearm is in your vehicle. So when going to work, I don't carry. But I have a knife in the driver's door pocket & another on the sunvisor.

Tuckerdog1

 

[Crunker1337]

Meh, it's the best kind of mistake you can make - the kind you can walk away from.

 

[Joe Gunns]

My solution for key management it to have each car on separate rings, housekeys on yet a different ring etc. Each ring has a tactilely (NOT tactically ;-) distinctive "fobs" ( one leather, one brass, one a mini-tool, one a mini-light, etc.) so I can pull the right set outta pocket by feel. Modern ignition keys have big plastic wads on 'em so don't have to look at the ring to select key. i don't remote unlock door until ready to enter. Lock after entry. Dont do belt until moving.



I have found that since some health probs, I get tired more easily and that maintaining situational awareness requires more conscious effort later in the day. I catch myself being unaware more often than I like, more often than when I was younger. I usta think that if you practiced it all the time it would become automatic, but, at least for me, it is not as automatic as I want.

When I was young and impressionable, Elmer Keith wrote about an old retired sheriff in town that always had his left hand in his coat pocket. He kept a .45 SSA with no barrel or trigger in that pocket and when somebody unknown approached he could ear back the hammer, there would be none of the distinctive clicks, and just let it slip if things went South. I have been partial to jacket pocket carry since.
James

 

[hemiram]

Years ago, I went to the drive in theater. My GF was working, and didn't want to see whatever crappy movie I was going to see anyway, so I took my dogs and went alone. I open carried, but it was hot and I just didn't want to lug around a 6" DW .357 (My one and only gun at the time), so I was unarmed, at least gun wise. I never saw, or heard him coming, but suddenly, a very big, and very drunk hispanic guy grabbed me by the hair (It was long then, and I had a lot of it), and starts trying to pull me out of my truck. My dog, who showed no signs of ever defending me in the past, he loved everyone, suddenly bit him on the hand and wrist, twice. These were full power bites from a 95 pound dog, and the guy yelped like a dog himself!

Suddenly his brother appears and it turned out he had exited to the wrong theatre (there were 5 screens) and thought I was stealing his brother's truck. It was the same year, model, and color, as mine was. I thought, "I'm gonna get sued, but the sober brother said that his brother deserved it, and that my dog was just doing his job. I never heard from them again. Those were very bad bites, and I always wondered what happened.

From then on, I've become much more aware of my surroundings, and I am always armed with something, usually a knife at least. I find myself doing the "Now what would I do if this guy walking towards me tried to take my car?" thing a lot. It's never happened, but I did make the mistake one time of laughing at a guy and his two year old wearing "clownish" matching outfits. The guy got all upset, and we wound up fighting between our cars. I was a lot bigger than he was and just about the time I got him down for good, here comes the mounted police on their horses, telling me to stop. He wasn't hurt all that badly, and we both refused to file charges on each other. The two cops laughed at the matching outfits too. He finally "got it" and we shook hands and left.