Thought I was about to get carjacked

[Jacobus Rex]

I had a scary incident while driving my van this weekend. I was pulling into a parking spot at a restaurant when a suspicious looking man obviously eyed my door lock and handle and that of my wife’s as well. (My wife was sitting in the back seat on the driver’s side with our baby in her car seat.) As I was watching him in the rearview mirror, I told my wife that I didn’t like the situation and to lock her door. I had decided to pull back out of the space and drive away from him. As we came to a stop, he started coming towards our side of the van from the rear with his hand in his pocket. It looked has if he was grasping something in his pocket. I reached down into my “gun toting bag†that I keep my car gun in. As I reached into the bag, he made a 90 degree turn and got behind a truck and tried to act casual. I continued to back out and drove away, he said something along the lines of “I’m not going to hurt you.â€


I think that I’ve reinforced a few things in my mind because of the incident:

1. Unlike guns, a Dodge Caravan has real “knock down†power if required.
2. My P95, which I use as a car gun sometimes, is far more comforting than the pocket pistol that I normally carry.
3. The potential bad guy was employing some real tactics. He made his approach from the rear of the van and was observing me closely. (I’m sure that he had observed that my door was locked but that my wife’s door was unlocked.)
4. I was in a very poor position tactically speaking. He broke away because his “risk†level was exceeded.
5. Even my wife was convinced that he was up to something. I hope that I was not being overly paranoid but the fact that he took notice of our leaving shows that he was focused on us.
6. I should have “flagged†him sooner and used the other side of the parking lot.
7. You can’t access most concealed handguns while seated and seat belted. I’m evaluating a need for both a CCW on my person and a car gun in some type of fixed holster/bag. That brings up the issue of car lock boxes.
8. Being in a situation like that with your child (and wife) is a world away from being in a situation like that while alone.

Thanks,
James

 

[G21dude]

http://www.smartcarry.com/scfaq.htm

In the interest of disclosure, I have no professional affiliation with SmartCarry in any way, shape, or form, real, or imagined .

Q: What about moving around when I'm wearing it? Or how about driving for long periods of time?

A: Because SmartCarry® is worn in the best location on the human body to carry a concealed firearm, there is absolutely NO RESTRICTIONS to your body movements. When you bend over to sit down, the barrel or slide tucks in between your thighs and sensitive body parts are actually protected by the bulk of the firearm. You'll never be "pinched" by the firearm in SmartCarry ®! And because it's worn in the front and on the centerline of your body, SmartCarry® never throws you off-balance, like rigs on your side will do. If you'd like to read the comments of one of our customers who gave a class on Tae-Bo (Cardio Kickboxing) while carrying his firearm in his SmartCarry®, just click here and use the back button on your browser to return to this spot.

Sitting down is probably the most comfortable position you can assume when wearing SmartCarry®. This is because your weight and that of the firearm are supported by the whatever you're sitting on. And, most people of average build can draw very fast when sitting down, even when wearing a seat belt, the instruction sheet that comes with each holster tells you how to draw when seated. I know from experience that a 997 mile drive, from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Knoxville, TN is a snap when wearing SmartCarry®.

If there are any movement restrictions when carrying in SmartCarry ®, I haven't found them yet. And I carry my M1911A-1 10 to 14 hours a day, plus I worked on aircraft, in avionics, which means a lot of crawling around under instrument panels. Of course, you can't pass through a metal detector with a firearm, without the detector going off, but that's something none of us would ever do!

Worth looking into perhaps...

 

[Tall Man]

You should have rammed your van into the vehicle sitting in a space adjacent to yours, as this fellow seems to prefer.

Kidding. Glad to hear that your Spidey Senses were fully functioning at the time.

TM

 

[sturmruger]

Good job it always pays to be aware.

I think I would have stayed where I was and put my pisol in my lap. That way if he came up to the window it would be easy for him to see it, but you were not bradishing it about. If he would have seen your pistol it would have been smart to call the cops. You never know if he would call the them first and say there is crazy guy with a gun in a minivan. As far as where to park I think I would have parked in whatever spot was well lit and closest to the door. I would not have exited the vehicle if this shady looking character was still in the vicinity. Especially with the wife and little one with you.

I also keep a car gun just for situations like this. With a seatbelt on it is difficult to pullout my Steyr S40, but my M40 is located in such a way that I can easily pull it out. Another bonus is the fact that my S40 and M40 accept the same mags.

 

[Penforhire]

Scary.

The only thing I would add is, from your story it sounds like your window was down (you could hear him as you passed). If so, I would have rolled up the window at first sign of risk. Makes it much harder for an assailant to interfere with your driving.

 

[Jacobus Rex]

Believe it or not, the window was up. The distance was short and he was loud!

 

[Mannlicher]

Glad you and yours are ok. It always pays to hone those observation skills. With your wife and family depending on you, its very important.

Interesting remark about the difference in confidence you feel between your smaller carry gun, and your more effective car gun. Thats why I dumped all the mouse guns years ago.

 

[Oracle]

Ankle holsters are excellent for when you're seated and belted into a car.

 

[mod29]

Cross Draw

James..try a cross draw holster. They work well in a car. I also prefer them for general carry duties.

Jim

 

[Andrew Rothman]

In the interest of disclosure, I have no professional affiliation with SmartCarry in any way, shape, or form, real, or imagined.

Well, I own one. I like it. A lot.

However, the one thing it's not good for is car carry, despite what Charlie, its inventor, says.

To draw from SmartCarry, you have to pull a straight object, the barrel, up and out of your pants. But when seated, there is a bend at your waistline. It's awfully hard to bend a barrel through that angle.

I often carry with an OTB holster in the car, then switch to SmartCarry if I'm going someplace where I want to be very discreet.

 

[V-fib]

Matt,

I have a smartcarry too, love it, but agree that it’s useless when sitting in a vehicle. However I came up with a very comfortable way to use it as a vertical under the arm crossdraw or shoulder holster. First, position the smartcarry under your arm or slightly anterior on your chest with the strap just under your nipple line. Fasten it,(very lightly). Next, take a pair of dress type suspenders and adjust them short as possible. Connect the suspenders to the band on your smartcarry and you now have a shoulder holster. I have a Uncle Mikes shoulder holster which I never use anymore since I’ve started using my smartcarry “shoulder holsterâ€. It’s so much more comfortable. The nice thing about this setup is when you get to where your going and want to wear your smartcarry in the normal position its easy to head into the BR, pop off the suspenders and put them in your back pocket and your on your way. Its also very easy to convert back to the shoulder rig when needed. I’ve worn this “rig†under a shirt on and off for a few months now, had my SO check it out when on and no noticeable printing, even with a baggy T-shirt. Try it you’ll like it.

 

[cryptoguru]

be vigilent

got my mp5 and a few mags in a lockbox in my truck.

 

[labgrade]

Quick skim & an aside ....

Had an incident once where I was parked in the left-hand turn lane. A sedan, full of "disadvantaged minority youths" pulled up along side my right hand. One got out & started pulling on the passenger side door handle (which was locked) - looked, by all accounts to be a car-jack-kinda thing.

A quick draw & safety sweep of the BHP & pointed directly at the DMY's face caused an immediate retreat.

The DMY beat feet back to his car & they laid rubber leaving the scene.

Everybody all happy.