Tales of self defense...

[dgludwig]

"Quote:
I went out in my pajama bottoms with a pistol in my hand, and yelled, "What the h### are you doing?"

QUOTE: "Except under very rare circumstances, that would be an exceedingly unwise thing to do, for several reasons."

I agree 100%, OldMarksman. There's almost never a reason to simply brandish a firearm to "scare" or "warn" someone away. Such foolishness is almost as bad as firing a warning shot.

A gun is drawn only when your life or limb or that of another is in imminent danger. And in that circumstance, you shoot immediately to stop the threat, with no warnings given, verbal or otherwise.

 

[1goodshot]

I had to defend my friend from a mt lion once while we were javelina hunting.
I watch it stalk him than charge him,seemed like everything was moving in slow motion but it was over in seconds.
Neither my friend or the mt lion were hurt, the mt lion turned and ran as soon as I fired a shot

 

[agtman]

Does anyone have any personal accounts of using a gun in self defense? Mainly any situations which involved you, family and/or close friends. I realize, given the legalities involved, they may have taken place some time ago but I was interested in the emotional, legal and financial impacts of these events.

I read all about such heroic episodes of self-defense each month in the NRA's American Rifleman magazine, in the section called "The Armed Citizen."

Heart-wrenching but ultimately morally satisfying tales of self-preservation. Bad guys get shot. Harrowing recounts of daring-doers who bring alacrity, self-reliance, and quick-thinking to the mortal table ... Why, it almost brings tears of joy to my old eyes, it does ...

Occasionally there also appear accounts of justified defense of an innocent third party, but most stories detail a person defending his or herself, or their home or business enterprise, from some form of armed assault by one or more thuggies and goblins.

I read this section of the magazine over coffee and find its little vignettes, which more often than not end with a dead or wounded thug, to be more spiritually uplifting than going to church - and certainly less time-consuming.

 

[chaim]

Good advice, chaim. It would also seem that in the situation as you reported it, having a gun on your person might have been a bad idea for many reasons. The exception to the rule, no doubt, but an exception worth thinking about.

Very true, and I've thought about that several times over the years. Though, it does bear on armed self defense in a few ways...It also taught me that being attacked by a group/mob can be life threatening (even though I wasn't killed) and can justify armed self defense. It also is part of my motivation for owning guns for self defense and wanting the right to carry: 1) I never intend to be a victim of a violent crime again, 2) it taught me that no matter how prepared you think you are (I was young, a student at a military college, just recently out of the Army, and a weight lifter at the time), things can happen that are beyond your capabilities without the right tools (hence I carry pepper spray always, a knife when not at the school where I teach, and a gun when in a state that allows it, so I can have a continuum of options depending upon the situation).