handguns used in self defense
- Thread starter docstodd
- Start date
There was a post similiar to this one a few weeks ago. An idiot smashed a window and came into my house. I didn't fire a shot but the sight of my shotgun had him high tailing. Cops never caught him.
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Svt
1911 Addiction
"Rangers Lead the Way!"
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Svt
1911 Addiction
"Rangers Lead the Way!"
Two events come to mind:<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI> The first one happened about thirty years ago, the neighborhood that we were living in was starting to turn bad. At around 5:15 & 5:45 in the morning (I remember the time because my father woke up at 5am to go to work and left the house at 6am), our doorbell starting ringing which woke up the rest of the family. Before anyone had a chance to get to the door, the person starting banging on the door.
Being one of those old glass doors and worried that the person was going to break it and not knowing what was going on, my father grabbed an old service pistol that he had from his WWII days. The gun was showing serious signs of rusts and hadn't been cleaned in 20-30 years (my father kept it around for home protection and never expected to use it).
My father opened the front door and pointed the gun at the guy's nose and said: "What the @^&* do you want?". The guy's eyes opened up so much that I thought they were going to pop out of his head. He backed up, fell down about 8 steps and a brown paper bag that he was holding ripped, and money went flying all over the places (mostly singles and a few fives). He quickly picked up most of the money (at least the bills that the wind wasn't blowing around all over the place) and ran off.
That evening we found out that evening that a local bar several blocks over was robbed in the early morning hours. We assumed (maybe incorrectly) that our unexpected visitor early that morning had something to do with that robbery and he must have come to our house by mistake.
Fortunately, my father did not have to fire the gun, because the condition that it was in, it might have blew up in his face -- assuming that it was loaded.
<LI> The second one happened to me about ten years ago. I was leaving a local shopping center in my car. The way this place was set up was that there was a two lane entrance on one side of the place and a two lane exit on the other side.
As I was pulling out on the left side, some idiot decided to pull in. I was half way out and he was halfway in. He jumps out of the car and starts yelling at me that I'm blocking his way and I better move or else. I rolled down my window and said that this was an exit only and he's the one that has to back up. At this point another car had pulled up behind me and I couldn't go anywhere even if I wanted to.
Seeing this, he ran toward my car screaming that he was going to drag me out of the car and beat the *^&%$#& out of me. We were both about the same size but I was recovering from a stomach operation a few months earlier and a blow down there would have landed me in the hospital again.
As he approached my door, I reached for a Browning BDA380 that I had under the seat loaded with 12 rounds. Thinking back I should have first rolled up the window but everything was happening so fast.
He first tried to open the door from the outside but it was locked and as his hand started to reach inside, I held the gun at waist level and racked the slide back to chamber a round and still holding it at waist level, pointed it directly at him.
The sight and sound of this made him freeze in his tracks. He looked at me and I looked at him for what seemed to be an eternity but in reality was only s couple of seconds. Then the car behind me started honking the horn and he went back to his car and drove off, giving me the finger as he left.
</UL>
Share what you know, learn what you don't
[This message has been edited by FUD (edited April 06, 2000).]
Being one of those old glass doors and worried that the person was going to break it and not knowing what was going on, my father grabbed an old service pistol that he had from his WWII days. The gun was showing serious signs of rusts and hadn't been cleaned in 20-30 years (my father kept it around for home protection and never expected to use it).
My father opened the front door and pointed the gun at the guy's nose and said: "What the @^&* do you want?". The guy's eyes opened up so much that I thought they were going to pop out of his head. He backed up, fell down about 8 steps and a brown paper bag that he was holding ripped, and money went flying all over the places (mostly singles and a few fives). He quickly picked up most of the money (at least the bills that the wind wasn't blowing around all over the place) and ran off.
That evening we found out that evening that a local bar several blocks over was robbed in the early morning hours. We assumed (maybe incorrectly) that our unexpected visitor early that morning had something to do with that robbery and he must have come to our house by mistake.
Fortunately, my father did not have to fire the gun, because the condition that it was in, it might have blew up in his face -- assuming that it was loaded.
<LI> The second one happened to me about ten years ago. I was leaving a local shopping center in my car. The way this place was set up was that there was a two lane entrance on one side of the place and a two lane exit on the other side.
As I was pulling out on the left side, some idiot decided to pull in. I was half way out and he was halfway in. He jumps out of the car and starts yelling at me that I'm blocking his way and I better move or else. I rolled down my window and said that this was an exit only and he's the one that has to back up. At this point another car had pulled up behind me and I couldn't go anywhere even if I wanted to.
Seeing this, he ran toward my car screaming that he was going to drag me out of the car and beat the *^&%$#& out of me. We were both about the same size but I was recovering from a stomach operation a few months earlier and a blow down there would have landed me in the hospital again.
As he approached my door, I reached for a Browning BDA380 that I had under the seat loaded with 12 rounds. Thinking back I should have first rolled up the window but everything was happening so fast.
He first tried to open the door from the outside but it was locked and as his hand started to reach inside, I held the gun at waist level and racked the slide back to chamber a round and still holding it at waist level, pointed it directly at him.
The sight and sound of this made him freeze in his tracks. He looked at me and I looked at him for what seemed to be an eternity but in reality was only s couple of seconds. Then the car behind me started honking the horn and he went back to his car and drove off, giving me the finger as he left.
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[This message has been edited by FUD (edited April 06, 2000).]
VictorLouis
New member
I was a rookie cop waiting in the ER of the county hospital. I was off-duty, and wearing my academy issue, monogramed, athletic shorts and T-shirt. I was carrying a Surrender&Whine M659 (on-safe)in a hand-held "man's purse".
A county juvenile probation officer had an offender in for medical attention. The BG had on cuffs, BUT, they were in front of him! They were seated about 20' to my left in the waiting room. He said something about wanting to smoke, and made a move toward a standing ash tray, about 5' to my left.(Yes, indoor smoking still existed then!) At this point, alarm bells are ringing, as he was wearing only prison smocks, w/no pockets.(No room for a pack.)
He scooped up a small child from a seat in the row of chairs in front of mine. He held the kid so that he could put tension against the boy's head. Then he turns, back towards me, to tell his P.O. that he's "getting outta -there-, or -he's- gonna break the kid's neck!"
I popped up, drop my Signed&Wept into my hand, & point it at the back of the BG's head. The "click" when I released the safety got his attention, and it was priceless. He slowly turned his head towards me, and I told him he'd better think twice. Quite slowly, and gently, he lowered the boy, and his P.O. quickly and firmly brought him to the floor. Some nurses had seen my gun and called the city cop working the off-duty security detail there. Thank God, he'd noticed my clothes earlier, and "knew" it was probably me. Otherwise, the pucker factor would have been much greater, I suppose.
A county juvenile probation officer had an offender in for medical attention. The BG had on cuffs, BUT, they were in front of him! They were seated about 20' to my left in the waiting room. He said something about wanting to smoke, and made a move toward a standing ash tray, about 5' to my left.(Yes, indoor smoking still existed then!) At this point, alarm bells are ringing, as he was wearing only prison smocks, w/no pockets.(No room for a pack.)
He scooped up a small child from a seat in the row of chairs in front of mine. He held the kid so that he could put tension against the boy's head. Then he turns, back towards me, to tell his P.O. that he's "getting outta -there-, or -he's- gonna break the kid's neck!"
I popped up, drop my Signed&Wept into my hand, & point it at the back of the BG's head. The "click" when I released the safety got his attention, and it was priceless. He slowly turned his head towards me, and I told him he'd better think twice. Quite slowly, and gently, he lowered the boy, and his P.O. quickly and firmly brought him to the floor. Some nurses had seen my gun and called the city cop working the off-duty security detail there. Thank God, he'd noticed my clothes earlier, and "knew" it was probably me. Otherwise, the pucker factor would have been much greater, I suppose.
To make a long story short, I used to work for a material handling company. Myself and the owner of the warehouse that I was going into to look and see if I wanted to buy any of his used equipment. Happened upon a couple of vagriants that had broke into the old warehouse and were smoking some marijuana. When we kicked on the lights they took off running but we were standing in front of the way out. So here the two of them come with broom handles that they had found in the back. They are going to work us over. The guy I was with pulls out a .38 Chiefs special and I whip out my Glock 27. We hold them their for about 20 minutes untill the cops finally show up and arrest then.
Never bring a broom handle to a gun fight.
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Never bring a broom handle to a gun fight.
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jeffelkins
New member
About 30 years ago, I pointed a 12ga single-shot at a intruder. The fellow was drunk and came through an unlocked screen door. He exited very rapidly and I had the shakes for hours. BTW, the shotgun was unloaded.
Lessons: Lock the doors and buy shells!
Lessons: Lock the doors and buy shells!
This question is asked quite often here, and like most people here, I am kinda tired of telling the stories. Some people also just don't like to talk about it. That is probably why you are not getting a ton of responses.
I have used mine a few times.
For instance (very short version) I was walking to my car once in a low rent apartment complex where my friend lived. A group of black male hoodlums (I realize I am being politically incorrect and including their racial type, but that is the same description of everyone I have been attacked by in several street crimes so far) told us from behind that they were "going to kill us".
We both pulled our sidearms and said "Oh really?".
They apologized profusely and took off very fast.
I have used mine a few times.
For instance (very short version) I was walking to my car once in a low rent apartment complex where my friend lived. A group of black male hoodlums (I realize I am being politically incorrect and including their racial type, but that is the same description of everyone I have been attacked by in several street crimes so far) told us from behind that they were "going to kill us".
We both pulled our sidearms and said "Oh really?".
They apologized profusely and took off very fast.
bestdefense357
New member
I'm very interested in this thread. So far, no one has had to fire a gun--just showing it resolved the confrontation. This is exactly what Gary Kleck's research found. Of the 2.3 million cases of armed self-defense each year, a weapon is actually fired about only about one percent of the time.
Here's my own story. I didn't have a handgun at the time, but this is what made me go out and buy one. I was a teenager in Jacksonville, Florida in the early-to-mid 1960s. Lots of people don't remember it now, but there was a race war going on in many Southern cities, and Jacksonville was no exception. Blacks and whites were being beaten and killed as gangs attacked one another.
It was about 11:00 p.m., and I was driving through the black section of town coming home from my girlfriend's house. I stopped at a red light and a minute later heard a loud thump. Then I heard a crack, and looked around and a bottle had hit my car and shattered. Behind me, I saw about 25-30 black teenagers running toward my car. A couple more bottles sailed toward me. When they were only a few feet away, I gunned the engine, ran the red light, and escaped.
But the sheer terror and helplessness I felt that night made me determined to never be a victim. I went out and bought a Saturday Night Special, a .22-caliber pistol with no name, just a number. It was all a poor teenager could afford. I carried that gun for years, until I was able to buy a better one.
I want to add that this post is not racist. Had I been black in a white neighborhood, the likelihood is that the same thing could have happened. And did on more than one occasion--many blacks were injured and killed by white thugs.
My own vulnerability in that situation is what caused me to become interested in armed citizes fighting back, and eventually led to the writing of my book.
Robert http://www.ocala4sale.com/bestdefense
Here's my own story. I didn't have a handgun at the time, but this is what made me go out and buy one. I was a teenager in Jacksonville, Florida in the early-to-mid 1960s. Lots of people don't remember it now, but there was a race war going on in many Southern cities, and Jacksonville was no exception. Blacks and whites were being beaten and killed as gangs attacked one another.
It was about 11:00 p.m., and I was driving through the black section of town coming home from my girlfriend's house. I stopped at a red light and a minute later heard a loud thump. Then I heard a crack, and looked around and a bottle had hit my car and shattered. Behind me, I saw about 25-30 black teenagers running toward my car. A couple more bottles sailed toward me. When they were only a few feet away, I gunned the engine, ran the red light, and escaped.
But the sheer terror and helplessness I felt that night made me determined to never be a victim. I went out and bought a Saturday Night Special, a .22-caliber pistol with no name, just a number. It was all a poor teenager could afford. I carried that gun for years, until I was able to buy a better one.
I want to add that this post is not racist. Had I been black in a white neighborhood, the likelihood is that the same thing could have happened. And did on more than one occasion--many blacks were injured and killed by white thugs.
My own vulnerability in that situation is what caused me to become interested in armed citizes fighting back, and eventually led to the writing of my book.
Robert http://www.ocala4sale.com/bestdefense
A tad OT, but from Ojeffelkins drunk's standpoint, I offer this.
I was in the Navy in Cuba in the pre-Catro days. As usual for a 17-year-old sailor, some buddies and I were sauced to the gills and staggering home. We ent down a wrong pier and hear this uniformed bozo yelling
"Alto! Alto!"
Through our alcoholic haze we could barely make out that he had a rifle and wondered what all the fuss was about.
About then we hear the 'snick-snick' as the guy puts one up the spout. Instant sobriety! We "Altoed" the Hell out of there pronto.
The guys back at the boat told us Batista had a mean bunch called "Maritime Police" and we were damned lucky the guy didn't shoot first.
That 'snick-snick' always stayed with me as
a major deterrent/sober-upper. That's one reason I keep a pump shotgun for home defence. It makes one Helluva snick-snick, although I would pull the trigger if needed.
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The New World Order has a Third Reich odor.
I was in the Navy in Cuba in the pre-Catro days. As usual for a 17-year-old sailor, some buddies and I were sauced to the gills and staggering home. We ent down a wrong pier and hear this uniformed bozo yelling
"Alto! Alto!"
Through our alcoholic haze we could barely make out that he had a rifle and wondered what all the fuss was about.
About then we hear the 'snick-snick' as the guy puts one up the spout. Instant sobriety! We "Altoed" the Hell out of there pronto.
The guys back at the boat told us Batista had a mean bunch called "Maritime Police" and we were damned lucky the guy didn't shoot first.
That 'snick-snick' always stayed with me as
a major deterrent/sober-upper. That's one reason I keep a pump shotgun for home defence. It makes one Helluva snick-snick, although I would pull the trigger if needed.
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The New World Order has a Third Reich odor.
sorry I didn't even stop to think that this subject has probibly been here a thousand times ( I am relativly new to TFL ) I am also understanding of those that have been involved in a shooting not wanting to talk about it. thanks for being tolerant of my requests. also thanks for the posts.