It happened to me, Carry stories

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Sitting in a BK lounge while off duty (I was in LE at the time.).. a young punk passed me while exiting the store to a car parked just outside the window I was seated at. Before he got in the car, he made eye contact with me, then produced what he wanted me to believe was a switchblade, and started waving it to get my attention. Because he was keeping the back of the "blade" toward me (and because I had had one myself as a kid!), I knew it was really a comb. I threw my leg up onto the table, causing my pant cuff to ride up some and expose the .38 snubbie on my ankle. He immediately began to grin sheepishly and run his fingers along the teeth of the comb to show me what it really was. I then made a running motion with my fingers, essentially telling him to "run along, little boy!", and had a little laugh to myself.
 
Time: long enough ago that concealed carry permits were not issued in NC, mid-1980s but I can't put a specific year on it. A few days before Christmas, in the early evening. It was dark but the area lights were on.

Place: the parking lot of the Fayetteville, NC franchise of a 'big box' jewelry etc. store chain, now out of business.

Situation: I was looking for a particular item the store had on backorder for me as part of my intended Christmas shopping for the year. I had just run in after getting off work to see if the item had come in, had nothing to delay me in the store. Just a quick in-and-out visit. The parking lot wasn't too crowded, just a car here and there except close to the main entrace where parking was solid for a dozen spaces or so in two or three rows.

I had parked outside the crowded area, it wasn't far to walk and I was in too much of a hurry to cruise for a parking place. Coming out of the store and about halfway back to my car, I noticed a man following me through the parked cars. I hadn't noticed him previously, I figure he was waiting in one of the parked cars elsewhere in the parking lot. He definitely had not come out of the store behind me.

At the time it was not legal to carry concealed in NC. But it WAS legal to open carry in your vehicle. And I did just that, slipping the satin nickel Commander under the driver's seat when I parked the car.

So what Mr Sketchy and I had was a walking race, me trying to get to the car and get the door unlocked and open (no key fob for me, then) before Mr. Sketchy with his right hand down behind his pants leg could catch up to me. And I did, plopping down into the driver's seat with my feet still outside the open door and diving a hand underneath the seat to recover the Colt.

That movement seemed to put the brakes on Mr. Sketchy, still a few yards away. He hadn't seen the gun, the open car door was between us and I had not raised the gun into view. But apparently the body language was pretty clear.

Mr. Sketchy sliiiipped his right hand slowly back into his pocket, sort of casually showed both palms, and said with unnecessary loudness, "You ain't gonna SHOOT me, are ya?" as he strolled slowly around the front of the car, still keeping his distance.

I said back equally loudly, "Not if you don't come over here WITH THAT KNIFE," as I swung my feet under the steering wheel, closed and locked the door, and got the key into the ignition and the car started.

lpl
 
A story from my sister-in-law. At the time she was working the graveyard shift at the local hospital. It was her practice to go my the warehouse store to purchase groceries and such around 7 a.m. on the way home.

She pulled into the parking lot, and started into the store. She noticed a man in the parking lot who followed her in. (Paid membership required.)

She saw a friend and visited awhile, but noticed the man lingering in the distance. She made her purchases and started to leave.

The man immediately left as well, and started gaining on her as she walked to the car. She has a CCW permit, but did not have her gun with her. Thinking quickly, she shoved her hand into her purse, and turned toward him and yelled -"I have a concealed carry permit, and I am not afraid to use it!"

The guy got wide-eyed and took off at a sprint in the opposite direction.
 
Wow, that last one is very lucky, and a stark reminder of what has been said many times before now, ALWAYS carry!!!

Glad it worked out well for her.
 
Not me, my brother-in-law:

For a little background info, my brother-in-law is a marine vet, a retired Baltimore PD officer, and now has his own repo company.

Obviously in that business, there will be a decent number of encounters, and ANY time they go out to grab something, they are always armed to the teeth. And unfortunately, in this economy, business is booming.

One particular instance, they had to repo a man's car. They are getting the tow truck positioned behind the car when the guy comes running out screaming. He starts walking towards them threatening them. So my brother-in-law asks the man, "How big is yours?". The guys looks at him confused, but still pissed and says, "What? What the **** do you mean?". So my brother-in-law repeats himself, "How big is yours?". This time he pulls up his shirt a little to expose his .357 sig. The man throws his hands up and is immediately apologetic and very helpful. My brother-in-law gives the man a nice little smile, and they tow his car away...
 
I've had several occasions of one or more probable-incipient assailants-robbers/muggers, walking up to me briskly, and, I'd put my left arm out Palm vertical, and right hand as though to draw...as I said, smartly, "Don't!", or, "No!"...and, whether I had my Revolver on me at the time or not, each time, they stopped, fumfured a little, then turned and left.

One time, 1995...dressed to-the-nines, with my girlfriend, her in dress and high heels...our Car had broken down, and, we'd taken a Bus to get close to home...crossing a large vacant Lot at midnight, bad part of town (ie: close to home) I see two big black guys split up, walk fast, and on a heading to converge on us from two slightly forward sides in about the middle of the unlit Lot.


I had my old Ivor Johnson five-shot in .38 S&W with pre-war 'Peters' Cartridges having that light 'bloom' of Lead Oxide on the Bullets, in my right front trouser Pocket, and, Hand on it, ready to draw, half-drawn really, I had a little Pow-Wow with my gal on how this might play.

Basically, at 20 feet, I'd announce Palm-up "STOP", and, if they did not, first/closest one would get 'two' to the chest, followed by second one getting the same, a.s.a.p., with one shot left in reserve for either of their heads, if we were not overwhelmed by that time...and, she was to hit the ground 'flat' if she saw them NOT stopping at the command.


Well, by golly, at about 22 feet...they slowed...paused...as if hitting a 'Force-Field', turned...and split...


Fine with me...


The 'vibe' was really 'thick' and I guess they got the drift alright.


All-the-while, my gal and I walking normally, arm-in-arm...
 
walked the dog with my wife around the block a few weeks ago. It's hot and I had a pair of gym shorts on..... no .380 like I usually do. We got out the door and found a small 20 year old girl getting pulled by her pitbull towards us. This dog was snarling and the girl, who was obviously struggling to control the dog, kept saying 'he's not friendly, he's not friendly'. So I scruffed my dog by the neck, dragging both my wife and dog back into our house. The dog got to about 15 feet away from us before we got back inside. I went upstairs, retrieved my .308, and finally got the walk in.

Haven't seen the girl or pitbull again, and I think she was just visiting friends or family, but just goes to show you can never predict the time or place that you will encounter a threat. It scares me that I almost had to watch my 40 lb dog get mauled by a pitbull or even worse, me or my wife.
 
I had a banger thug make a bee-line for the car when it was idleing at a rest stop; wife nursing baby in the back seat, I was throwing rocks into the river 100 yds away.
Click to expand...


I hate to sound preachy, but this situation could have been solved in SO many other fashions than a gun. In so many instances such as this, the CAR was most likely the target. Your wife and child could have been collateral damage along for the ride. Was it better practice to pull a gun, or would it have been a better idea to not leave your wife and infant alone in a running vehicle at a rest area, doors presumably unlocked. I think this is a good example of the old adage, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
Alas, hindsight is 20/20, right?

In any case, I am glad your situation did not escalate higher than it did and it sounds like you were at least alert while you were away.

All of these stories are phenomenal. Sure am looking forward to getting my ccw in the immediate future.
 
walked the dog with my wife around the block a few weeks ago. It's hot and I had a pair of gym shorts on..... no .380 like I usually do. We got out the door and found a small 20 year old girl getting pulled by her pitbull towards us. This dog was snarling and the girl, who was obviously struggling to control the dog, kept saying 'he's not friendly, he's not friendly'. So I scruffed my dog by the neck, dragging both my wife and dog back into our house. The dog got to about 15 feet away from us before we got back inside. I went upstairs, retrieved my .308, and finally got the walk in.
Click to expand...

Typo, or you really came back with a rifle?
 
I've only got a couple of "it happened to me" stories and both ended well.

When I was living in North Carolina last summer I had to pick up my fiance from her 4pm to midnight shift at the hospital in Greenville, we lived in Goldsboro at the time. I stopped at a gas station to get something to drink. As I walked out of the gas station and started to get into my car I noticed a shady looking guy wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood up walking towards me. The temp that day was about 103 degrees so I really doubted that he was feeling cold and he was walking directly at me instead of towards the gas station entrance. So I decided to turn and face him (he was about 15 feet away at this point) and swept my shirt away to get my hand on my XD45 that I was carrying in an IWB holster. I got my hand on it and I think my movements were very clear because the man looked away quickly and turned towards the gas station entrance. I was very glad that I was carrying that night, I also bought a kimber pepper blaster for my fiance the next day.

And I've got an uneventful dog story, about two weeks ago my friends and I were riding quads/dirt bikes out on state land. I was cruising along by myself at the time on my little minibike when I saw a big brown pitbull come out of the woods about 30 feet ahead of me, he started barking and growling but not really approaching me yet. I was carrying my XD45 again, this time in an SERPA CQC holster. I started turning the bike on the narrow road while keeping my hand on my pistol in case the dog decided to charge but the dog stayed back. So I got going in the other direction and the dog wandered back into the woods. I told my friends about the dog and we all avoided that area while I got my SUB-2000 out of the truck and waited to see if the dog was going to come. Luckily he didn't and I'm glad because I'd rather not shoot a dog.
 
.380!!!!, my mistake. The .308 stays tucked away most of the time. I don't know how exactly I would have handled the situation if I had been carrying my .380 during the encounter. The girl with the dog was being pulled towards me, directly behind the dog (on about a 5 foot leash), making any shot difficult until the pit bull was right up on me, my dog, or my wife. I think the smartest decision even if I had been carrying would have been to do what I did, grab our dog by the neck and get my wife, dog, and me back into the house. It just gues to show that there are no cookie-cutter scenarios..... in the real world, decisions must be made in a split second.
 
Ok I don't tell many but here's on when i was on a tac squad. We were raiding two bars with the local police, some of my plain clothes guys, and state liquor agents. Locals had the perimeter we had 8 people ours and the states inside. I and a state liquor agent were standing outside to coordinate the operation. I had an ankle holster on. I don't know what the statey had.we were across the street from a another bar when a guy walked out with a girl and said to her,"Those Mother #$@#$ers are looking for me. He walked straight across the street and at the last moment stuck his hand inside his shirt and pulled the stock out of a pistol just so we knew he had a gun.

Myself, the statey and the girl spent the next 10 minutes talking him out of shoot us. I would have shot this man if my gun was in reach. I don't know what the liquor agent was waiting on. He finally walked away and we got him soon after. To say the least that was the last time I used an ankle holster.:)


Jim




Jim
 
Ok i can tell you a story where a gun would have helped me, and did help me, but i sure in heck can tell you where one wouldve been nice. I was outside working, when 3 dogs ran across our 40 acres. Having livestock i always investigate too make sure its ok. well one fo them dissapeared. i was walkign back when i turned to face a huge black wild dog. this dog was snarling and growling. it then started to creep forward. i was unarmed nothing not even a pocketknive. i was about to be mauled for sure. at this point the neighorbor across the street starting shooting at clay pigeons. not even knowing the issue i was in. the crack of the shotgun sent the dog flying other way. i owe this guy a lot of gratitude.

Another one was horseback riding, i had been on a long trail. i always told myself that a bear or cougar incident wouldnt happen to me. sure enough i came around a bend, there was a huge blackbear. if i didnt have that dang mustangm any horse of mine would have bolted leaving me hurt. it was a 20 minutes shouting match before the bear took off. if i had my 357 mag a good shot in the air would have ended this.

Another just happened recently, i did have a gun. two wild dogs ere on my property first thing in the morning. trust 30/30 winchester was there, few shots right behind the dogs feet sent them running. what i didnt know was that they had killed 8 piglets before i saw them. now if id had known that i would have shot and killed them, but im glad i did have that 30/30 winchester.

POINT IS ----- i learned to carry always, im 18 years old and every knows that i open carry now including sheriffe, dont ever be taken by surprise
 
My dad took me and my brother fishing when we were young. The bank across from us was way up a steep cliff. As we were fishing some teens came up and started firing down into the water with a .22. The bullets were zinging everywhere and they sounded very close. My dad yelled at them to stop two times, very loudly, very agitated. He told them they were going to kill us with the richochets. They yelled back that they weren't hurting anything and were just shooting at turtles, then they fired some more.
My dad pulls his .44 magnum from the tacklebox and yells at them again. Their response was to rapid fire into the water. My dad fires a well placed shot below the boys on the cliff and they scatter very quickly.
When we got back to the vehicle the sheriff was waiting on us. My dad told him what happened backed up by us and that was the end of it.

This was more than 20yrs ago.
 
my unexciting story...

Back during my pharmacy school days I was visiting my aunt and uncle while on Christmas break. They live in the NC mountains (as now do I) and it had just snowed. They were both at work and I was hanging out at the house by myself. I'm guessing I was 25 or 26 at the time. Anyway, I noticed a beat up Dodge Neon going up and down the road very slowly -- definitely not typical for the neighborhood. Eventually the car stopped in front of the house and the grungiest looking man I've ever seen approached the front door. By that time I had turned off the TV and retrieved my Walther P99 from the guest bedroom, my very first gun that I bought earlier that summer. The guy knocked once very loudly and then proceeded to slink around to the bay window trying to get a look inside. It looked to him that no one was home so he came back to the front, opened the storm door and was I assume getting ready to try to open the main door. At that point I jerked the door open and said "Can I help you?". I kept my gun behind the opened door but did let it peek out long enough to be seen. Once Scummy realized my intentions, he said, "I was wondering if you wanted anybody to shovel your driveway for you." Nevermind the fact it had already been shoveled. I said, "No thanks, we've got it." Scummy beat a trail back to the Neon and drove away.

Prior to that incident, I repeatedly questioned the wisdom of a poor pharmacy student dropping $500+ on a gun. After that incident, I realized it was one of the best purchases I've ever made. I've since realized that guns in captivity appear to reproduce at an alarming rate...
 
Not long after getting my CCW in Georgia years back, I had an incident that
really opened my eyes to the responsibility of carrying a weapon. I was on my way home from work about 4:00 PM in Gwinnett Co. I had two rough looking guys in a "beater" car that had passed me, and then got in front of me. I was carrying my Glock 23, stuck between the two front seats. (My usual city cruising mode). As we approached the next light, we were both caught at the light as the driver suddenly bowed up, brake lights on, and he seemed to get caught at the light intentionally...I immediately go from condition yellow, to red, as the passenger jumps out and races back toward me. As he came beside the passenger side door, I already had the pistol in hand, pointed at the passenger window. He bent over, grabbed something off of the pavement, and hustled back to his ride. He never looked at me, or saw the gun. I'm just glad I wasn't skittish, and that I didn't shoot him over nothing. The point here...We need to be aware of our environment. However, we can't necessarily judge a book by it's cover. And I'm glad I didn't over-react. I was reminded that day that there is so much responsibility that goes with carrying a firearm for protection...
 
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I had lunch with my daughter and my dad who was babysitting her today. If I wasn’t working I would have been carrying. As my father and I are picking up our order from the counter a guy walks in, comes straight to the end of the line and puts his hand on my back, kidney area just above my wallet. I mean a firm grip like you are going to push someone away from you with a lot of force and right where my pt92 would have been if I had been carrying it in my high ride holster. I am carrying my daughter on my hip with my left arm. It all happened so fast. Even though I wasn’t carrying, my hand instinctively went to that area as if I was protecting him from touching my weapon. He backed up, looked at me and asked "spare a cigarette?" My dad grabbed my daughter away from me and I informed him, with a few choice expletives, that I did not smoke and if he touched me again there would be trouble. I know I escalated the situation but I don’t like feeling threatened when I have my 5 year old with me. The way the staff saw it they thought I was about to be mugged, the manager of the restaurant called the police. The bum turned from us and went outside and rode his bike into the 4 lane obstructing traffic, giving the cops another good reason to question him. My nerves have been thoroughly shot after that.
 
Young, Dumb and Lucky

Many years ago I was working in a rural small town with a well-deserved reputation as a rough hard drinking town. We had shut down work early one Friday, some of the guys had 5-hour + drives to get home for the weekend and we were working 10 to 12 hours a day. I decided to go to the dump outside of town and get some practice with my brand new Charter Arms 44 special. I had bought only one box ammo with it and this was the first opportunity to shoot it. In my youthful enthusiasm I had shot all but 2 rounds before realized it. Not a big deal, I thought, today was payday tomorrow I’ll get more ammo.

As I was starting to leave 3 guys approached my car in a way that blocked the exit and kept me from avoiding what I recognized as a potentially bad situation. I couldn’t make a quick run for it, so I decided deliberate confident actions was how I’d handle them. I still had a loaded gun in my hand. I got in my car as to leave and they continued to block my way out. I could tell they were about half in the bag and was afraid they would not or could not get out of my way if I charge them with the car. There word against mine would probable equal prison time. For several reasons, I was very much the outsider there. They continued until they had me trapped in my car.

They’d run out of money and thought I should contribute some cash so they could continue drinking, aggressive panhandling. I disagreed, mostly form moral objections to alcohol abuse, but also because it was payday. I had a check and pocket change. Not enough to satisfy them and I felt it would probably set them off if I offered them what small change I had. They had my car block and I had my pistol plainly visible in my hand, a stand off. So we discussed my moral objections and there desire to continue drinking. After over two hours of discussion they got tired or bored of talking and left. Too this day I cannot be sure they new I was armed even though I was shooting when they started towards me and I kept the gun in plain sight!

My mistakes are obvious. The only thing I did right was keep my kool and not force an escalation in the situation. I was young, dumb and lucky. I’m older and … more experienced. Every gun I have has at least two loads of ammo in the case with it. An empty pistol is an expensive rock.
 
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I better tell you about Guatemala.

Walk in a restaurant on a smaller town for dinner, and most males there were packing openly.

Most of them with their families, clean cut, some sported beards, well dressed.

Well ... I felt that I was probably in the safest restaurant in the whole Central America!

This took place in December 2007.

Other stories involving me and my own weapons I prefer not to disclose.
 
After over two hours of discussion they got tired or bored of talking and left. Too this day I cannot be sure they new I was armed even though I was shooting when they started towards me and I kept the gun in plain sight!
Click to expand...

Let me get this straight....you got out of the car to talk with the possible muggers for TWO HOURS!?! You had two weapons, a car and a gun, (possibly a cell-phone too, which you could have called the cops with) and you just simply stayed there. Either way you should have gotten out of that situation one way or another in a few minutes, not two hours.
 
Let me try to clear up a few points.

1- “Many years ago” for me predates the common use of cell phones by about 20years. Should have noted that originally. Sorry
2- “trapped in my car” I was in my car all the time.
3- there was no verbal or direct physical threat made by them at anytime. If I had charged them with the car or threatened to shoot them, I would have escalated the situation and become the aggressor.
4- if I had injured one of them it most likely would have meant federal prison time. It was their territory, there law. Hypothetical statement from one of the witnesses; “We just walked up to his car to ask for some money a he shot him’. They were impaired! That may be just what they though they had done.
5- I was the sober one. It was my responsibility to direct the situation to an optimal outcome. Pointing my pistol at one of them and having him attack me because I threatened him, they were impaired!, then shooting him would not have been an optimal outcome.
6- talking for two hours and having them leave was fine with me. Our safety, our lives and my future was worth 2 hours of talk.

7- a gun is a tool. Just because it is the easer tool to use does not make it the best tool.
 
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