The HuntChat Armed Citizen Poll
 

I'm not looking for specific incidences unless you want to share.
Be careful not to post any information that may come back to haunt you.
Don't forget to vote in the Poll.

Twice, for me. Two probable attempted carjackings/robberies.

Both at stop lights, but on opposites sides of the country. One middle of the night, one mid-afternoon.

I recently came real close to a third incident. I went into a grocery store, noticing a 9-passenger van parked right in front of the door. There were several BIG men and one woman, and the woman and one man were horseplaying on the sidewalk, all laughs and giggles.

When I came out, the horseplay had turned to angry yells, and the guy forcibly pulled the woman into the van as I watched!

I walked over, blatantly moved my right hand under my vest and to my hip, and said "Lady, if you want to step out of there and leave these guys, you can." She said everything was fine. I said, "I just want you to know that if you want to step out of there right now, I won't let anyone stop you."

You should've seen the look on the guy's face as he stared at my right hand. He now knows that wrestling a woman into a van can be hazardous to your health - joking around or not!

Skinny Shooter,

Great poll and an even great disclaimer about "not revealing too much information." Often a thread like this generates a lot of "stories", some of which are true, but all can come back and haunt a yarn spinner.

Adam

Carried pretty regularly over the years. Never needed it. Hope it stays that way.

That's cool, Skinny.....I'll bite!
 

I won't go into the minute details but when coming home from a half hour long errand in town, I found myself coming home to find a burglary in progress. I was not carrying concealed but had a rifle (Mini 14) in my trunk. I discharged once as a warning after seeing a Perp looking out my own bedroom window where I had lots of firearms and ammo stored. I then was forced to discharge a couple minutes later when I found myself faced with a self defence situation when one of the Perps who was fleeing attempted to retreive his car from my driveway. When it was all over, it was a very frightening experience. While it was happening, it was very surreal and slow motion. You never truly know how you will react to a situation like this until you are face to face with it. I wish that engagement on no one. That was nearly twenty years ago and I still own that Mini 14 today....it's the one that bears a notch in the stock as a reminder to how things could have been had I not reacted as I did.

~TD

No one else?
 

Boy....did I shoot this thread to pieces too?

:confused:

TreeDoc,

I liked your personal accounts. I had three early moring home invasions that I came out the winner on in each instance. All I can safely say is the arms used were:
1) .45 Webley MkVI
2) M1911 Colt
3) M28 Smith .357.

The score was: Adam 3, Invaders 0, because I am here typing this.

Adam

Had several occasions where carrying was, shall we say advantageous, from just showing a bulge in the coat all the way to pushing the coat behind the butt and in effect saying let's draw. Never dropped the hammer and hope I don't ever have to. Classic

I don't always carry but once on the way to shoot skeet my Father In Law and I were, well sort of accoused at a stop light. Six guys were in a Caddy pulled up next to us and well say we say making racial expressions at us. I just reached into the back seat, produced a old Savage 12 ga pump, managed to get it stuck out the window which was unloaded by the way and just yelled "Here talk to Rosco". Never seen a car move so fast.

I feel just the sight of a gun saved us from a beating.

My poor father in law was shaking like crazy, I just said lets get going. Little did he know I was pretty shakey inside.

Only one time
 

And it ain't a fun feeling. Can't carry in Md but had 4 guys wanted to check out the gun shop at 2:30 in the morning. Held a gun on them while I called the police. They told me it would take a half hour to get a cop to me(I live in the country). Told 'em not to send a cop then...just send the coronor cause I didn't think the guys could stay still that long...and if one of 'em moved I was gonna start killin. Had a cop in 5 minutes(out of his bed ya understand). Locked up the guy driving the car and let the rest go. Driver had a sawed off shotgun under the seat. Scary situation...and one of the reasons I closed the gun business. It ain't getting any better, ya know. Wish I could carry but this is the People's Republic of Maryland. They don't trust us(moderately) honest people :rolleyes:

While I have been comforted on a few occasions, by knowing I could handle the situation, if it 'went south' , I have never had to show, or use a firearm against another person. I know what to do, I am prepared to do it, but I am greatful that I have not had to defend myself or another with a gun.

I have a concealed weapons permit, but don't carry. I have had a few run ins with guns and knives toward me. Which terrorizes my wife, I guess she thinks I don't have a fear mechanism.

I'll try to make a long story short. My buddy Larry split ways with a woman he had a child with, Larry got custody. Another friend, Larry and I went to get the child's stuff along with a few leftover items of Larry's. The women had been living with an airforce MP. We had no intensions but getting all the stuff quick and painlessly, the child was at Larry's sisters. I was asked to do any moderating if needed and she knew we were coming. I knocked on the door and was greeted with a cocked colt 1911 shoved in my face. I told the MP guy to holster it, because he was seconds away from having it shoved up his (bleeeeeep!). The guy said he wasn't messing around and pointed the pistol up and fired it. The dummy lived on the first floor of a three story apartment complex. Shot a hole right in the ceiling. I don't know if the guy hit the magazine release or if something malfunctioned, but when the gun fired the magazine fell out. After the gun discharged he went to pick up the magazine, I grabbed the top of the 1911 with both hands and turned it back towards him. I don't know if I twisted it out of his hand or if he let go because it was pointed towards him. This all happened right at the front door. Anyway, I chucked the pistol across the parking lot. Larry took off running when the gun was shoved in my face. After I threw the pistol, Dave and I knocked the holy living crap out of the MP guy for the stunt he just pulled. We drug him outside and made him lay face down on the sidewalk till the cops got there. The cops took the guy and our statements. When they retrieved the pistol, it did have a live shell in the chamber and still cocked. Must be pretty stout pistols to bounce across a parking lot and not trip the sear. From what I understand, the guy was kicked out of the airforce, but that's the last I heard of him.

My wife says if I pull anymore crap like this, she is going to kill me!

It's kind of strange when things like that happen. Your adrenaline rushes, but everything goes in slow motion. I do get scared though, of my wife or children getting hurt for any reason. My 4 year old fell asleep under her bed. We didn't know where she was. After about 15 minutes of looking and yelling I was panicing pretty hard, till she finally woke up and was wondering what the heck was going on. Never been so scared!

Different Times Over The Long Years -
 

There have been several times in my 73 years. I chose a "Relative using my gun" due to an incident from my childhood, the only time a cap was popped.

My mother and I were alone in an isolated rural home while my dad worked a night shift job. A guy tried to break in through the front door. He didn't quit when she yelled, "I have a gun!" I'd grabbed my little .22 Remington bolt action, as dad's deer rifle and 12 gauge double were too big for either of us. She took it and fired through the door, up near the top, above a man's head level. The man cursed and ran.

The next day dad bought her a small shotgun. I still have it after 63 years. She hung it on a wall, loaded.

Also, years later, I thwarted a car-jacking by showing and cocking a pistol. He ran.

Twice I've been in the "pull your coat back" to avoid trouble. The other people, armed in both cases, backed off.

Once I leaned a 20" barrelled 12 ga pump against a picnic table when a bunch of rowdy bikers were harrassing a campground full of people. They didn't bother me and soon rode off with rude gestures.

Although I live in the PRK for family reasons, I live in a remote county where any resident, especially a property owner, can have a carry permit with no problems except the state hoops you must jump through - - classes, etc. I chose not to carry because the less the PRK knows about me, the better I like it.

12 ga

I don't carry Concealed
 

The people Republik of Maryland doesn't really allow it, but I voted about usinf my weapon in defense against an animal attack.

I was working in my yard one afternoon after returning from hunting. I had my truck hooked to a stump trying to pull it out of the ground, and for whatever reason I was out of the truck when at around 1:30 in the afternoon a Racoon came acros the subdivision road into the yard and whe I stomped my for and yelled, it stood on hind honches and growled at me. I immediately grabbed my weapon from the truck and fired into the ground in front of the coon trying to deter it from advancing I grazed it and it rolled over and kept coming. well then my dachsund came around the corner and it and the racoon were about to have a go at it so I shot and killed the racoon. I am the type that would feed and befriend a racoon in my yard if it were coming around at night or early morning and acted like it was supposed to. I feared that this on was rabid, being out in the day and not being scared of me or the dog I wasn't taking the chance.

I've fortunetly never had to pull a gun on a person. Although I did have my shotgun with me while hunting when I cconfronted some trespassers and I think with the drunken state they were in and being 3 of them and only one of me things MIGHT have escalated if I had not been carrying my shotgun.
They were riding ATV's on our hunting lease and when I told then to leave they started to give me some grief about they had permission when I knew they didn't so I told them that if they wanted to wait for a Police officer to arrive and find out if they had permission the mumble some explicitives and left. No further problem.

Guess I don't need to go into the details so I will just say it is part of my job.

Never had to and I hope I never will. I carry concealed most of the time because I deal with alot of strangers daily (subdivision sales). I use to carry at my sales meetings of over 100 agents but quit when one gal patted me on the lower back and felt my Beretta. She said "is that what I think it is"? I said yes and pulled her to the side and showed her my permit. Fortunately she didn't freak out. That would have been embarrasing:o :o :o
muledeer

but muledeer...you told me you ALWAYS carried a crossdraw inside the pants holster. Are you sure that was a Beretta she was pattin' down? :confused: :eek: :D

Doc
 

Location, location, location:D
muledeer

About thirty years ago while on a 4WD trail in Kalifornia, about five miles from the nearest road, I had this wierd looking guy come out of nowhere carying a hatchet. He had bright orange hair, and a large purple scar across his face. My girlfriend and I just watched him stagger over to our jeep and jerk open the door. I might add that his stagger was not from an injury, as much as from what he had been drinking. Although I did not have a permit to cary the thing, I always kept a Ruger Blackhawk in .44 Magnum with us while off road. As he pulled open the door, I pionted and cocked the .44. He almost turned himself inside out backing up. He dropped the hatchet, and we never saw him again. I still have that hatchet.
John

Brno22h
 

Welcome to Huntchat!!
Your experience is why I always carry a weapon either in my vehicle or on my person.
muledeer

Thanks for sharing.If you wouldn't have had your 44 you may not be here to tell us.

Very recently in St Louis, I had to go out to the van at 2AM. I carried my keltec P-11 with me. It was very cold and as I got to the van I noticed 4 gangbangers coming at me across the parking lot off of Grand Blvd. One of them stated yelling, "Hey, we want to talk to you." I pulled my pistol out of my coat pocket where they could see it and I told them to "Move on". They did.

First, I think that we need to ad another choice: Was armed and that knowledge got me thru a bad situation.

Having a legally carried firearm makes a difference in how you handle a situation.

If you are verbally threatened by and individual that is bigger/stronger than you (I was), having the firearm gives you a confidence in the outcome of the event. You KNOW that if it comes down to it, you will be walking away from the confrontation and the other guy will be carried. This confidence allows you to remain calm enough inside (not having to worry about personal survival) to humble yourself or whatever is required to ease out of the situation. This is not cowardace, this is common sense. There is no need to shoot someone for scaring you half to death. A woman will certainly benefit from this added confidence. An attacker often is put off by a victim that doesn't respond to a threat with fear.

Always remember "Nobody rapes a 38".

warning shot
 

never fire a warning shot. court can percieve that as provoking on your part.you also stand the chance of the bullet going somewhere and hitting someone

If you ever have to fire your weapon, remember that you testimony to the responding officers will often determine wheather you are charged or released. Don't let your mouth run away.

He threatened me and I shot his ass dead where he stood.
(Not a good ideal)

He verbally threatend me, then made a movement that appeared to be drawing a firearm out of his coat. At that point, fearing for my life, I drew my weapon and fired. (Better ideal)

#1. Never draw without intent on pulling the trigger if needed.

#2. Never point a unloaded shotgun or handgun at anyone ever.

#3. Never show any sign you have a hidden gun. Now it isn't hidden and you can be at risk of loosing your concealed to carry permit and now days, is the law on your side?

#4. If you do pull the trigger.....make it a one sided story in the end.

All advice from a relative having been from patroleman to Judge.

All in all ..some very interesting stories...

concealed
 

you have to conceal the gun. that is why it is called a concealed carry weapon.you are not allowed to carry it in the open.you should never point any weapon at anyone at any time.just because you pull it does not mean you have to use it.by doing that you can over react and shoot when not nevessary.you had better tell the truth before you get caught in a lie.this comes from a retired cop who has actually investigated these things

Would a kitchen knife in intruders cold hand be a lie?...How about just not telling the whole truth..sounds better since most of us were taught long ago never lie. But how can you sit in court and take an oath and have a law officer take same oath and lie through his teeth and win the case without learning something there?...cheaters never win?...ka...Then again we aren't talking of something those like CSI would have to get involved in...so..how about if they followed you foot prints to the kitchen knife drawer with blood tracks?..well...sir..I seen the knife in his hand and just checked to see if it was from my drawer before I called you...?

on the stand
 

you stated that you saw this yourself.why did you just sit on your hands? why did you not say something?i assure you that if you get on the stand lying a atty will find you out and make you look like a idiot.where in the world did you come up with not to conceal a gun?you will have you license pulled if it is visible. it is to be concealed and out of sight,
common sense and watching what you say to the investigating officer.many change their stories without realizing it.it shows up when the atty questions you.you can tell a lie that sounds plausable but the ballistics prove it wrong.there are many factors that can get you in trouble.
if you breaks into your home and is leaving,you can not use deadly force. the courts state that the threat is gone if he is leaving.now on the other hand one could say you felt threatened bu just his being there.the burgular could always make a sudden movement that you preceived as a threat.texas laws alllow you to use deadly force to protect your property.not all states do this.a few years ago a man caught a man breaking into his car.he did not own a gun so he went and got his compound bow.the guy started towards him and got shot. the guy died. he was no-billed by the grand jury.on another occasion a man saw a woman being assaulted in her car.it was her estranged husband.the guy shot her and took off in his car.the witness had just returned from the gun range and a scoped 44mag revolver.he shot the guy trying to leave 2 times.he was justified . the law here states you have the right to use deadly force to protect another who is in immediate danger.he had to go to trial and was not no-billed by the grand jury.he was finally cleared but it cost him money.
you are blatantly wrong to tell the people to lie. investigators have seen too many things happen not to know a lie.i know this from being a officer for 25 years.just because you have a gun does not mean you know when to use it unless trained. many tin]mes just the appearance of the gun escalates the situation

papi..believe it or not we are on the same track..I think maybe my point was taken wrong a few times here and if you would have read what I wrote above before leaping ..I was pointing out first of all your weapon is no longer a concealed one if it is visable even through the buldge in your shirt if it suggests you carry or if you flash it just to scare someone. This action can lead to loss of CC...correct? Pull it if needed and I have done so in the past...after the talk stage didn't get anywhere and his beer muscles started talking too much.(used other means to defuse the sitration) .I was kind of letting off steam when saying about lie on stand...which by the way I did not sit and let him get away with it either nor do I remember saying that...on 3 seperate times during the hearing, the judge interupted me and reminded me he has the badge not me and that makes him right. I even pointed out the written law he violated all 3 times but the badge made the officer right and me wrong..above the law .kind a kangaroo court thing....sure you couldn't shoot someone in the back if they were leaving..how could they be a threat if running from you?...My point is this ..do not rely on the courts to handle every situation and expect to get off with anything ...guilty or not...you are right. ..the lawyers could twist things to their advantage and make ya look like a butt...after all ..isn't that their job?....Now I was raised to never tell a lie and I don't but there are those times when the whole truth isn't needed either....sometimes ya just have to cover your own hams...ask OJ...was he honest?...Is he free?

lies
 

how can you compare oj? he never even testified. the lawyers did all the talking.i do not believe for one minute that a judge said the officer was right just because he had a badge.lets not exaggerate our points.just the mere visibility of the gun will not cause you to lose your license.if you show it purposely without cause is what gets you in trouble.the mere act of scaring a guy with a gun can get you in trouble. he can say you showed the gun in a menacing way.this will get you arrested. never show the gun unless you have to use it.there are very few times when you can just use it to scare some away.be very careful because they can file on you.remember you are always taught that just the appearance of a firarm can escalate the situation.this again will get you in trouble

Papi ..as I sit in this chair..it is word for word from the judges mouth and I also couldn't believe it.....I have an uncle that has been everything from patrolman to captain to judge and he even teaches criminal law in our local college and he couldn't believe it either...he wanted me to take the judge and officer to a higher court for action but....I guess adding up atty fees, more lost days wages etc etc....let it go.....but it does bother me that they get away with that kind of thing. Fellow worker/friend and his brother got run down on a sidewalk when people in a jeep had words with them. Friend pulled his cc and shot the radiator out of the jeep..is how the officers found them..They were not charged..but the guy that shot the gun off in the city limits lost his cc for a few yrs for shooting it in the city...I posted that before somewhere here and also posted how friend from irac saved his motorcycle from getting loaded in back of a truck and when he slug the guy and stomped on his hands, he got the brunt of it all from using excessive force, big fines..thief/ nothing...I have been pulled over and ticketed in my 18 wheeler for speeding..went to hearing on that one and they came out and said if you can prove you weren't speeding, rip the ticket and go home...???...da...why get it in first place...and I obey the laws...even when I use to drive for a living..been pulled over a few miles down the road from a school zone by an officer comming the other way. He said I was speeding in school zone I just passed..I said was not. He said I needed my CDL to work..I said yes sir and is exactly why I wasn't speeding..But I won that one...all this happened around Pittsburgh area and the towns just south and west of it..another officer wrote me up for going 35mph in a 35mgh zone because it says trucks 25..I wasn't going 20 and even stopped at the redlight where he came up behind me not one block from where he wasn't even in his car..was gabbing outside to someone..said I can't prove you were speeding but say you were..did no radar, no vascar, didn't follow me the required 3/10 of mile to clock speed..just said in court I was speeding.that judge asked after I pointed these items out...the officer if looked like speeding..said yes..judge said good enough officer..I said law applies to trucks over 26000 lb..and weigh tickets or scale never used..asked officer if looked heavier than 26g...said...yes...well I was guilty there too and paid fine...and even though I myself didn't lie, I sure see now how it can work in your favor....oh well..is in past..and I won't go into the reason I did pull once but it worked and sure saved things...have a nice day papi...and a nice Christmas to you and yours....

radar
 

there is no requirement to follow you 1/3 of a miles. the get you on the spot.anyway hgave a good holiday and best wishes to you and the family

Re: radar
 

I got the impression he meant for pacing and not radar.

pacing
 

he may be referring to pacing. pacing will not stand up in court any more with a good lawyer.i have not even heard for years of it even being used

I don't know. I got burned outside of Pittsburgh late one night around Shaler with "pacing".

pacing
 

it is really not a scientific finding.it depends on the human to know the excat time of start and the exact time of passing.that is not humanly possible

By "pacing", I'm referring to the police car following at a distance and judging your speed by maintaining an even distance.

It's not scientific either, but they can do it.

Damn.....I hope this one gets in.

Yes............Lycanthrope pacing means exactly that.

I see way too many stories getting bantied about by my friends and neighbours. Sorry ....they are usualy in the wrong. But, like most people we try and make ourselves look less .........uhm....guilty.

I have seen way too many self serving stories that I am sureif we heard the other side it would not seem so black and white.

pacing
 

it is easily beaten in court.the officer can not prove how fast he was going and can not prove how fast the other car was going.they used to time you from one point to another.they quit using these outdated procedures but they will not hold water in court now