rellascout-
Here's a list as best I can recall offhand. I was living in an apartment in a pretty decent neighborhood, which had one common entry door for the 12 apartments in the building. I was coming home from buying groceries. Early in the afternoon.
1- I didn't think a thing about the strange car parked in front. I had not lived there long, so may not have known it was a strange car anyway.
2- I filled both hands/arms with groceries.
3- To open the door (windowless), I had to back in, pushing it open. Due to this, I was inside with the door closed behind me before I got turned around. When I did, I saw a big guy (you didn't expect a small guy) holding in the air the crowbar that he used to pry open my neighbor's door.
4- I was carrying a S&W 3913 in a shoulder rig. I had used that holster very little, and had practiced less. I threw it on because it was "convenient".
Since by now he was coming my way, crowbar in hand, and I would have to do magic tricks to get through the door, I decided to draw.
5- I stood still.
6- Then, rather than drop the grocery bags........
7- I shifted them all to my weak hand, which is worse, and drew...
8- Aiming at his head. Besides being a harder target, that blocked my view of, well, almost everything but his head. Tunnel vision, threat focus, whatever name it is, I did it. The crowbar was still visible though.
9- I then ordered the BG to leave. Remember, I'm still more or less between him and the door. Dork. I wasn't at all blocking it, but he would have to advance somewhat TOWARD the guy with a gun to get out.
At least he stopped coming directly toward me. Stunned at my stupidity, probably.
Seriously, he really didn't seemed that worried. That just shocked me.
Something else- I'm still surprised at how clear and forceful I sounded when I told him to leave.
I realized that I was still somewhat in his way should he want to go, so moved to my right.
10- That was wrong, because that didn't really put him any farther from me as he would pass. Had I gone left, I could've gone a couple of steps up the stairs and put the stair rail between us, besides being farther off his path.
Then again, I could've tripped and fell on them, so maybe that was OK.
I think I chose to move right subconciously- my apartment was that way!
After again telling him to go, he started to leave. But the whole way out, he was telling me not to shoot him. It was almost like a threat.
11- Once he was out the door, I relaxed, lowered the gun, and gave out a huge sigh.
That's when, out of the corner of my eye, I see Bad Guy #2 run from the broken-into apartment, past me, and out the door.
I never knew he as there.
The thought that there would be another had not occurred to me.
I found out later that the apt's occupant kept a Colt .380 Gov't pistol by the bed. Had BG #2 found it, he would've been armed.
I went inside my apt, watched them leave from my window (they backed out, so I couldn't see a license plate), and called 911 as the shaking began.
That was only 11, but close enough. I could probably name more.
The big ones were:
-Even if you can't keep both hands free, be able to empty one.
-Prioritize. There may be a lot going on, so all the more reason to think about the important things. Don't worry about dropping the groceries if you are trying to keep from getting your head smashed in.
-Don't enter unseen areas by walking in backwards.
-Don't use a gun/holster system until you are comfortable with it through practice. Don't just throw that one on as you leave because it's convenient.
-Watch out for tunnel vision. I was very disapppointed in myself over this one, since I had read enough to expect it. Tunnel vision got me by focusing at his head, and caused me miss #2 completely. I focused on the guy I SAW, although he was standing by an already open door when I came in. Why would I think he was by himself?
-Don't give someone a command they can't do.
-Don't stand still.
-If you move, move to a place that improves your situation rather than worsens it.
-Just because you took care of the threat you see, don't relax, because you may not be done.
At the time, I had no formal training, which I have since begun to correct.
Still, I knew better anyway.
I now try to stay more aware of my surroundings, I keep at least one hand
so I can free it, I watch for cover and avenues of escape.
I have started getting formal training. Naturally, I was ready that day, but a back injury soon after that squelched a lot of things for a while.
The biggest changes in my shooting practice are that I now practice movement while shooting, and I look around before reholstering.
It all seems obvious now, but strolling in with groceries at 2:00PM, and getting into that, it didn't.
and fainted. Also did 8 years. 