Okay, a real scenario

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newarcher

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I have thought about this one quite a bit.

You are driving to work on a major interstate in your city. As you approach an overpass, you see some sort of commotion up ahead. Cars are swerving and a couple of accidents ensue. As you get closer, you see the problem...a man is on the overpass with an AR15 shooting at cars. With the commotion, several cars are wrecked and many more are pinned down by the gunman. You, however, have a clear lane to get under the bridge and beyond, if you so desire.

You have a CCW permit and are armed with (your gun of choice, a handgun).

What do you do?
 
My answer is this:

My vehicle is going to be useless as a shield against the high power rifle cartridge. Further, because of the height of the overpass, I would have to drive very close to make the handgun cartridge effective.

I could not just continue driving given the circumstances.

I wouldn't bother calling 911, the other unarmed motorists would anyway. I think I would stop under the overpass and attempt to walk up on the other side of the overpass. I would then use any cars on the overpass as cover while I stalked close enough to the gunman to put him down. Really, with the limited range of the handgun cartridge, there isn't much choice.

I harp against the savior effect, but in this instance, I couldn't just let people get mowed down without trying something.

Thoughts?

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^agreed.

Bad odds stopping with the other cars ( and also clogging up another lane that unarmed drivers can use to escape). I'd drive under. But I would at least call the police and monitor the situation from the other side. I might even, under my terms (that is where I have good cover and a means of escape if need be), select cover from the other side or somewhere off a frontage road and fire at the sniper to distract him from shooting down other drivers.
I wouldn't stop and challenge a sniper with a handgun if it put me in a disadvantaged situation.

I would then use any cars on the overpass as cover while I stalked close enough to the gunman to put him down. Really, with the limited range of the handgun cartridge, there isn't much choice.

A handgun, vs. an AR-15. Yikes. On the other hand, Officer Ray Martinez did it to Charles Whitman in Austin with his .38 Spl. service revolver (but he caught him completely by surprise and did have backup help from an armed citizen and moments later another policeman.

Hard to say what exactly you would do until faced with it and knowing the layout of the area. Freeway layouts in some cities are different than others.

I agree just letting other people get killed isn't the way to go. It isn't about being a "hero" but about helping your fellow man if you have the means to do so (if they were armed too that would be even better)
 
I'm not gonna challenge an AR at distance with a 2", 5 shot 45LC revolver (my main carry gun).

If I want to commit sideways, I'll re-marry my second wife.

Biker
 
I would just pull out my AR-15 that I have straped behind my seat along with 4 30rd mags and put him down.


























J/K I am thinking about strapping my AR behind my seat, Does anyone know if its leagal in Texas to do so? But about the thread. I think I would drive under the over pass hike up the enbankment, peek over the top and assess the situation then act as needed while he is either occupied shooting defenseless people below or reloading I would simply creep up behind him and take him out with my 1911.
 
Think, folks. Within minutes, every cop within 100 miles will soon be on the scene looking for a Man With A Gun, maybe more than one. No description, no nothing.
Do you really want to be creeping around a mass murder scene with a gun in your hand in a situation like that?
Cops don't know you're a Good Guy, only that you're an armed man in the vicinity of some corpses.

Biker
 
No way I would go up against him with only a handgun. If he were shooting at me I may return fire to get his head down so I can retreat and call for help.

If I had this with me I may use it...:D
2007_0615Image0009.jpg


TC CONTENDER cal.223 Burris 7X scope with Harris bipod 2" groups at 200yds easy!
 
All good points but I think I would have to do something. If I get killed in the process, well....life sucks sometimes. I wouldn't be too happy knowing I did nothing and could have helped.

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Yes archer you are right. Just like if I was still in college and went to school at VT and carring on grounds was leagal and I had a gun with me. I would have went and found that slim ball and wasted his crazy ass. I don't think I could have sit by and even though I had a clear shot to the door I wouldn't have been able to live with myself afterward even if I only saved 2 lives it would be very worth it. And in that case you don't have to worrie about the cops coming in and seeing you with a gun and having mistaken Identey because hell the cops never go in on these things.
 
Newarcher, you must be from Indiana :)

The Biker, I would probably agree with that in this particular scenario, however if it WEREN'T in the city (on the interstate out in the middle of nowhere) it could take quite some time for police to arrive.

Sorry, if all I had was a handgun, unless an incredible opportunity opened itself and gave me a huge tactical advantage, I would probably do whatever I could to find safety and wait for the calvary or flee. Otherwise its suicide and that doesn't help anyone.

If I had a good rifle and there was good cover and concealment available, I might feel confident against someone standing in the open on an overpass. Big emphasis on the good cover and concealment though!
 
Regarding the police, they will be coming loudly so if I was actively confronting the guy and heard them, I would holster me weapon and back off. If I was lucky enough to take him out, I would be on with 911 demanding to be patched through to the responding officers so I could describe myself and let them know the bad guy is neutralized.

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If I could make it, maybe I would try to drive beyond and take the exit ramp that will take me up there. Maybe. Maybe I would floor it and attempt to haul ass up there and run his butt over...using my vehicle's engine as cover.

But I would not even consider to attempt a one-on-one against someone armed with a rifle. That is just suicidal and stupid.
 
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Yawn. Clear lane? Drive away real fast. Opening under bridge? Go under bridge and sip on coffee until scenario is finished. I'm going to bet that most of these folks advocating attck the BG have never been in a real gunfight.
I would be on with 911 demanding to be patched through to the responding officers so I could describe myself and let them know the bad guy is neutralized.
Yep, they'll really believe that.
Just like if I was still in college and went to school at VT and carring on grounds was leagal and I had a gun with me. I would have went and found that slim ball and wasted his crazy ass.
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....while he is either occupied shooting defenseless people below or reloading I would simply creep up behind him and take him out with my 1911.
Ya' gotta love people that are so darned confident.
And in that case you don't have to worrie about the cops coming in and seeing you with a gun and having mistaken Identey because hell the cops never go in on these things.
Umm, ever think that maybe there is a reason for that? Maybe those cops, with all that training and experience, know something you don't?
 
Ummm No I know that all these cops that can sit outside a school when innocent children are being massacred have something wrong with them and yes I’m very confident in my abilities. I'm sorry your not.

And for you to sit under the bridge and “sip on coffee until its over” when you have the means to stop it that’s just cowardly if you ask me. Not everyone turns tail and runs at the first sign of danger.


EDIT: Hmmm it just dawned on me "sit and sip on coffee until its over" "sit and do nothing" "these cops know something you don't" I think you are either a cop or a ex-cop let me guess you are one of the police officers that sit and hide behind the trees while the children are being murdered.
 
Originally posted by David Armstrong:

Umm, ever think that maybe there is a reason for that? Maybe those cops, with all that training and experience, know something you don't?

Please enlighten us, what do cops know that we don't? I dont need to be paid to go in and try to stop a massacre if I have the means and motivation, seeing as how I was just as easy a target as anyone else.
 
No I know that all these cops that can sit outside a school when inocent children are being massacred have something wrong with them
Apparently your knowledge is not that good, nor is your understanding of what goes on in these situations.
yes i'm very confident in my abilitys. I'm sorry your not.
LOL!!! Don't be sorry about something that exists only in your mind. I'm plenty confident, but it is based on actual experience. So enlighten us. How many gunfights have you been in? Tell us how many sniper scenarios you've rolled on. How many times have you crept up behind someone with a gun and taken them out with your 1911? I'm curious.
And for you to sit under the bridge and “sip on coffee until its over” when you have the means to stop it that’s just cowardly if you ask me.
Fortunately I didn't ask you.
 
Please enlighten us, what do cops know that we don't?
Apparently a whole lot about responding to shootings. Believe it or not there are a number of fairly good reasons why the lone officer doesn't rush the BG hiding behind cover with an AR available to him. I might ask you the same thing I asked in the other post--what in your experience or even your training suggests that this is a good thing to do?
 
Hey Armstrong, have you always been such a jerk or has it taken time to hone your skills?

You sound like a real Cliff Clavin.

Let me stop tying so you can enlighten us all with your supreme knowledge....:barf:

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