Ever been in a situation where you needed your gun?

F

Friar Whently

New member
Hi all, I have a question I've been wondering about since I've made the decision to buy a gun (haven't made the purchase yet...still reading and shopping). I've been contemplating taking a CCW course and getting a permit, but I can't help but wonder if I would ever need it. In my 27 years of life I've never been in a situation where I wished I had a gun on me. Maybe I've just been lucky? Anyway, I'm just curious as to how many of you have ever had to draw your gun in SD from a CC position. I'm NOT talking about pulling a gun out of the drawer by the bed when you hear something going bump in the night. I'm also wondering if since you started carrying if you felt like a hammer always on the lookout for a nail...

The decision to get a gun was based entirely on the fact that I like to go shooting at a range with my friend's and father-in-law's guns...SD or CC haven't at all factored into the equation.
 
The closest I've come to pulling a gun (as a civilian anyways): Got a call about 2am from some drunk buddies at the bar needing a ride home so I went to pick them up. Of course they were hungry and wanted to go to Waffle House but didn't have any cash on them. So I pull up to an ATM machine and when I get the money out of the machine a guy comes outta no where (from drunksitting I guess I just didn't see him walk up ) with a knife and tells me to hand the cash over to him. I had my Springfield Champion between my seat and the center console. Well I pulled it out, set it on my lap and said "I don't think so"...the guy dropped the knife, said he was sorry and ran away. This happened across the street from the local police station so right after I went in a filed a report.

About 2 weeks later another guy was robbed and killed at the same ATM....they think it was the same guy that did it.
 
In my 27 years of life I've never been in a situation where I wished I had a gun on me.
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In my 64 years I've never "needed" my seat belts. I've never needed my smoke detectors either.

You never kwow. Take Class, get some good training (out side the class), follow that up by constant practice and dry firing and pray you never need it.

I'd rather go through life with training I didn't need, then spend one minute in hell for failing to protect my girls because I never thought I would need a firearm to protect them.

As a side note, you just might find a new sport you like and end up with a great hobby.
 
Yep.. ONCE. Caught a guy breaking into my parents house in January. Very cold year that one was to!

Using a Colt Agent .38 all I could think of saying was, 'Just stay".

He stayed... and sat down when I told him to.

Sheriff's deputy came and took him away.

That was back in '76 or '77.

Deaf
 
Need - no. Glad I had it - yes.

Once with a charging black bear who decided to dart up a tree at the last second instead of up me.

Another time with a young man exhibiting classic predatory behavior coming toward me and my date date with his hand in his pocket.

In neither case did I have to fire.
 
Friar Whently
Ever been in a situation where you needed your gun?
Hi all, I have a question I've been wondering about since I've made the decision to buy a gun (haven't made the purchase yet...still reading and shopping). I've been contemplating taking a CCW course and getting a permit, but I can't help but wonder if I would ever need it. In my 27 years of life I've never been in a situation where I wished I had a gun on me. Maybe I've just been lucky? Anyway, I'm just curious as to how many of you have ever had to draw your gun in SD from a CC position. I'm NOT talking about pulling a gun out of the drawer by the bed when you hear something going bump in the night. I'm also wondering if since you started carrying if you felt like a hammer always on the lookout for a nail...

The decision to get a gun was based entirely on the fact that I like to go shooting at a range with my friend's and father-in-law's guns...SD or CC haven't at all factored into the equation.
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Twice. Once for me and once for my wife at the time. For me happened when I was younger and still went clubbing. It was about 2AM and 2 ladies and I were heading back to my car when a group of 4 guys try to herd us into an alley. Was carrying via ankle holster back then (NEVER again) and it took a couple of seconds for me to draw. The guys thought I was running away when I dropped back to get the gun out. They continued to focus their attention on the women. They scattered when I drew.

Another time my wife who worked as a retail store manager had a couple of guys follow her home after work. This was around 10 PM on a weeknight. Her space was in the alley and she drew on them as they approached her. They also ran. After that incident, she started parking on the street. This was in 1987 so cell phones weren't the norm but we got walkie-talkies after that incident. On nights she closed the store, I would have mine on so that I could be outside watching for her as she came home. We got bag-cell-phones a year later.

No shots fired in both situations, but I'm pretty sure bad things would have happen if either of us weren't armed at the time. I hope that I or a loved one will never have to draw or shoot a BG, but let me tell ya - I would rather have that option than not.
 
kraigwy said:
In my 64 years I've never "needed" my seat belts. I've never needed my smoke detectors either.
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I was going to say my fire insurance, but you get the idea OP.

No one wants to have to use their fire insurance, seat belts, etc, but its only wise to have them.
 
Wearing my seat belt did save my life in a crash. I wear it more than ever now. Sadly, I have been in a couple situations where I needed my gun. Somehow, by the Grace of God perhaps, I have never been forced to actually shoot anyone. There was no mistaking the presence of the gun to be the deciding and calming factor in either incident.

I had a dog incident where a dog attacked me while I was walking down the sidewalk. The owner had just let the dog out and it immediately charged me one house over. The dog was big. I think maybe a Shep/Rottie mix? Desperate for a solution to the charging dog without shooting it, I shot once down into the grass in front of it hoping to turn it from the noise...it worked! (that time). It was just after dark and as soon as the dog turned I safetied and started running home. They never even seen me but they bought him a new chain the next day so I know they heard.
 
I have never had to fire a shot at anyone. I have had to draw three times. Each time I was cleared after reporting the incident. I have even pulled a rifle to stop a home invasion next door. No shots were fired, and they were later arested.

Tonight I was amazingly glad I had my gun on me. I came home from the gym and there was a strange car parked on my road. That doesn't sound unusual to most people. However, I live on a private dirt road shared by about ten or eleven families. I know every car that comes through here on a regular basis. I also know about what time they usually come and go for work.

So, there was an unoccupied Ford parked on my road. It was parked in a manner suggesting they didn't want to be seen from a particular house. I slowed as I neared the car. I scanned the area and saw somebody in dark clothing step out of the trees. When they noticed my car they ran back in to the trees. I pulled my pistol and pulled in to my drive way. I hurried in to the house with my head on a swivel and my pistol in my hand. When the door was locked behind me I called the cops to report the car and the person.

Turns out he is an ex-boyfriend of a teenage girl in the neighbohood. She has a restraining order out against him and has filed stalking charges. She has pressed charges on him in the past for assault and sexual assault. Also he beat up her last boyfriend after seeing them kiss at a football game.

The guy isn't exactly stable or friendly. One cop asked why he ran when he saw me pulling up. The response was roughly, I didn't know if he was coming to see her and I wanted to make sure before I jerked him out of the car.

Even in my safe/nice neighborhood others can drag danger in to my life. So, I'm glad I made the decision to start carrying.
 
There have been several times I "thought I might need it" but didn't draw when the perceived threat did not materialize.
Once, I drew and pointed my HiPower at the driver of a vehicle containing 3 young men whom I caught spotlighting on my farm. I was chewing out the drvier and the passenger door opened. I took a step away from the driver's door, drew the pistol, and told the driver if the passenger got out, I'd shoot. Apparently, they got the message. After describing the guys and vehicle to the local game warden,I found that the threesome were known poachers, burglers, and dopers.
In afterthought, the whole thing was not my smartest move but there was no more spotlighting. That has been the only time in the last 20 years that I have actually pointed a gun at a person.
 
Did anyone hear about the Lt colonel just back from multiple tours who got shot in FL? He sounded more worried about life stateside than in a warzone!
 
I pulled my CW9 for the first time yesterday (while hiking) but it was for 2 off-leash Rhodesian Ridgebacks (aka African Lion Dogs) that ran about 100 yards to get to me and my German Sheperd. Long story short, they didn't attack but many non-dog people would possibly have shot them. I say this because there were some small clues that they might not attack. It was a close call and if I had seen one tooth touch my dog I was prepared to shoot (the gun was pointed at them for about 3 seconds) ... my finger never touched the trigger. The 31 year old man I was hiking with didn't respond to my commands (I told him to take my dog's leash) ... he later admitted that he had an adrenaline rush and that his heart rate was very high.

Bottom line - turned out well, finger was never on the trigger and I am going to Sportsman's Warehouse today to pick up some bear spray for situations like this. I'd rather have some bear spray be my first line of defense, IF POSSIBLE.

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I'm also wondering if since you started carrying if you felt like a hammer always on the lookout for a nail...
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I've only had my CCW for a few months, but this is an interesting question. I'd say since I got more into firearms (and forums such as this) I'm more AWARE of situations than I was before (so there always was plenty of nails, I just never noticed them). In fact having a CCW permit makes me more careful of getting into bad situations in the first place.

It's comforting to me. Just like having life insurance and knowing that my wife would be financially fine is comforting. I'd prefer to never have to use either.
 
Yes if you're counting non-human threats. Was out walking and had a German Shepard not on a leash charge me, no control from the owner who was with his 3 year old son / grandson. Grabbed weapon from fanny pack, dog stopped after repeated sit commands ~ 1/2 second before...

Glad he was trained, would have hated for a 3 year old to witness that.
 
I'm also wondering if since you started carrying if you felt like a hammer always on the lookout for a nail...
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I think I'm more of carpenter without a hammer kind of guy.

I've carried since I was a kid, carried a 22 revolver while trapping, or fishing (lots of cotton mouths where I grew up). Use to hunt crows for a bounty in corn fields.

When I was in HS, my parents were separated, mother in Arkansas, and I lived with my father in Portland. I'd make summer trips to see my mother on a motorcycle. Carried then too. (back then, it was no big deal for kids to carry guns).

Then in to the army which I'll skip. Back to civilian life and back to carrying. Of course after joining the PD, it was a no brainer. Carried after I retired, even when I wasn't suppose to. Now we have the LEOSA, so that's that.

But, hind sight kicks in. I don't worry about carrying now, I've had tons of training and do training, but I cringe when I think how lucky I was carrying as a kid with no professional training. I was lucky.

However, just because you carry, doesn't mean you are protected or safe. I'd no more suggest one carry without training then I would suggest getting a heart transplant from a doctor without training, Both are deadly.

I'm not going to get into how many times I had to use my gun, I will say, if I hadn't received proper training I wouldn't be writing this.

PS: Shooting beer cans off a fence post ain't training.
 
I've had to draw knives three times when I lived in Cali. First was a mugger who tried to deal with me with a wrench, second was pulling a guy away from four lunatics trying to kill him with hammers and boots, third was a pair of dogs trying to chew on some guy and his smaller dog.

Interestingly, two out of three of these cases involved defending somebody else. No legal problems in any of these cases and the four lunatics were rounded up and pled down to misdemeanor assaults (in Oakland Cali). One of said lunatics later tried to kill an Oakland cop with a knife about 9 months later - I assume that particular one is still in prison. Worst part was, a year later the deputy DA handling the case killed himself about a year later, probably due to a bunch of these kinds of cases.

Anyhow. Been out of Cali and legally carrying since 2005, daily without fail. Never even had to mention a boomthing in anger, which is how I like it. Knowing that I'm wired to try and help out others in dire need, I'd have to be nuts not to pack.

I pack something very big, scary and weird and I *think* that will increase the odds of a "chase-off" if I ever do have to draw. No guarantees of course, and I doubt the odds shift all that much (5% maybe?), but I'll take what I can get.
 
Closest I have come was one windy night when we forgot to make sure the front door was locked (stupid) and a gust of wind blew it open around midnight and set the dog off. In the seconds after the commotion it was comforting to be able to immediately reach over to the nightstand and have a cocked and locked Colt Government Model loaded with 230gr JHP in my grasp.
 
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