Those Who Have a Concealed Weapons Permit, Please Read.....

Wheel-Gunner

New member
For those that actually do carry on a regular basis, how many times have you actually drawn your gun? What kind of situation made you reveal your firearm? Please understand that I'm not trying to pry into your personal business, but rather trying to learn from others experiences. I also have a Concealed Weapons Permit, but have yet to actually conceal on a regular bases. I'd really like to get an idea on what is approriate and what is not as far as acting with your carry firearm. Thanks in advance for all your comments!
 
Wheel, You are only legal "technically" pulling your gun if you are in fear of death or great bodily injury. Of course the law doesn't take into consideration the grey area in protecting yourself. When that shady character starts to invade your safe zone but hasn't made any "threats" yet. I have pulled my gun dozens of times however the vast majority of times only I new my gun was out. So to answer your question, I pull my gun on anything that I feel is a direct threat. I just don't show it to the threat.

Example. You are in your car stopped at a red light. The driver ahead suddenly opens his door and exits toward your car. My gun is in my hand now. The driver was only going to his trunk to insure it was locked. I remained prepared for the potential carjacking and nobody was offended or laws broken.

Another. You are walking from the mall. You are almost to your car when you notice a man on an intercept course with you. If I can't turn and go back, I change speed. If the man corrects his path to intercept me again, I covertly pull my gun. When the threat gets within speaking distance I tell him not to approach any closer. I say leave me/us (if with family) alone. If he insisits in approaching I retreat to maintain the safety zone and change tones increasing the decibles and now ask that he not rob me/us. I say that I/we have no money, please don't rob me/us. This is usually enough to disuade anyone. My gun is ready if it isn't enough. It is my last resort but it still must be ready. Study the tueller drill as to how fast a threat can be on you.
 
After carrying for many years I had my hand on my gun only once !Elmer Keith said that the best way to win a gunfight is to avoid it !! I agree. Alert, aware avoid !! If you shoot it out with the BG you might get killed .It's not an excercise in macho.It's just like your seatbelt - you don't want to get into an accident ,you don't expect to but just in case you wear the seat belt.
 
how many times have you actually drawn your gun?
Three.
What kind of situation made you reveal your firearm?
Fear for my life. The third time, fear for my and my child's life.

One might ask how it could be that one man could be in fear for his life to that extent three times. I have a job that takes me into dangerous areas. I have never had to draw my gun in those areas. The three places I have had to draw my gun were my own home, my own property, and a Wal-Mart parking lot.

I have had to fire my gun to preserve my life once as a civilian. I am including it in the number. I do not wish to discuss that incident on an open forum.

I'd really like to get an idea on what is approriate and what is not as far as acting with your carry firearm.
What is appropriate is rife with opinion and speculation. Know what is legal in your state, and then form your own boundaries within those limitations, not to exceed them. Realize that when you draw your gun you will likely have to use it. Drawing a gun does not diminish a conflict, it escalates the conflict dramatically. Not everyone will back down from the muzzle of your gun. It is not a magic talisman to protect you from evil.

If you fire your gun, the act can never be taken back. There will be consequences, whether you kill or not. You will suffer legal, social, professional, financial, mental and spiritual consequences. You must live with those consequences for the rest of your life. If the use of the weapon was legal, and you, yourself, can live with the consequences, then nobody has a right to say the use was inappropriate. Nobody.
 
Wheel, carrying a handgun is just not that big a deal. Use common sense, keep things in perspective, and dont be stupid. That will cover about 99% of your concerns. The likelihood of your ever having to defend your self is pretty remote. While the probability is remote, the stakes are high. Be safe.
 
It is very important to keep situational awareness. Know your surroundings. I notice more going on around me now that I carry than I did before.

THe closest I came is going back to my car in the city with my wife. We are in parking garage and getting in elevator to retrieve car. Just as door is closing a guy crams his hand in to 'catch the elevator.'

Immediately my hand is in my pocket (Colt Mustang Pocketlite) and the safety is off. The guy is some twenty-something kid who looks inebriated - and happy. He just leans in the corner and goes along for the ride. Doesnt even get out at our level.

No big deal, and no need to draw or challenge. But best to be prepared if the situation does escalate. Just use common sense.

"Does this situation warrant me shooting my firearm?" Thats the question you should ask before drawing your pistol. Different part of the country have different laws regarding 'brandishing' - and if you DO have to brandish, you would be advised to report the incident to police. Other person could report you and you could find yourself in a messy situation.
 
Mannlicher gets an "A"! The CCW "trend" is still relatively new, which is why there are so many questions being asked about it. When the "trend" becomes more "normalized", CCW will NOT be as big a deal to you as it may be right now. It will be a PART of you, and will be almost as routine as putting on your trousers.

I've legally carried for 35+ years, as a LEO and as a retiree. I don't carry "24/7", for I don't carry while I'm in the house, but I don't leave home without it!

Add to that, I don't do a lot of "What if...." thinking. There is NO scenario that you can conjure in your mind that will fit ANY real-life situation that you might find yourself in. That's why you need to use good COMMON SENSE, practise with your firearm to know it implicitly, be aware of your surroundings, keep yourself physically fit and healthy, and don't go LOOKING for trouble! Know what the laws are and keep current with them, for they tend to change quite often.

Lastly, think BEYOND that CCW firearm being your ONLY resort! Get it in your mind that "retreat" might not be a bad idea! Exercise your brain and realize that it is your BEST weapon! Add to that, there are other "weapons" that you might be able to use before escalating to the "last resort"! Fists, feet, elbows, knees! Maybe even firing a "warning shot" before aiming at someone might save you a lot of grief!
 
Pulled weapon?????????????

I've had a carry license for over a year. I'm retired and for something to do, I'm a currier for a jeweler. I carry diamonds and high dollar watches on a daily basis. Once in the past year I was slightly concerned that some one was acting strange near me. I DID NOT pull the weapon, but my hand was inside my jacket on the butt of the gun.
I was very relieved that the situation did not play out. The last thing in the world I want to do is even show my weapon, let alone have to shoot some one, but I definitely would if my family or I were in danger.
 
I carry everytime I leave the house. I've never had to pull it. However, there have been afew times in my car when I saw something/someone that didn't seem right and I pulled up my shirt alittle to facilitate drawing, if need be. Thank god need has never been.
 
Add to that, there are other "weapons" that you might be able to use before escalating to the "last resort"! Fists, feet, elbows, knees! Maybe even firing a "warning shot" before aiming at someone might save you a lot of grief!

When I'm carrying, my brain and my firearm are the only weapons I'll use. Concealed carry holsters are very different than open carry holsters in that there's very little to "lock" them in place. There's no way I'm going to give anyone an opportunity to take my weapon from me if I have a choice. There will be no fists, feet, elbows and knees for me. It's either retreat or draw...maybe both.

So far, I've never even come close to drawing my weapon on a person. There have been times when I was glad my gun was on my person and not in the car, but I've never been presented a situation where I couldn't back away and avoid further confrontation.

I'm not aware of any federal laws that state you can only pull your weapon "in fear of death or great bodily injury." Concealed carry is regulated by state and local ordnances. You should become familiar with the laws governing concealed carry in your state and local community.
 
If you have a CCW ,a good instructor should have covered all this with you. In many jurisdictions ,drawing ,"showing" or flashing your gun is a criminal offense. You only draw your gun if your in fear for your life ,or beleive great bodily injury is impending. Regards 18DAI.
 
Litework,

When I'm carrying, my brain and my firearm are the only weapons I'll use.

Amen. No sense in arming an otherwise unarmed man. Besides not everyone has the tools to go hand to hand. Now I will deploy pepper spray if availible, especially at work.
 
From the CCW class I took -- don't pull your weapon unless you intend to fire.
Don't even think of firing to protect any property! Only protect your life or the life of another. Always retreat if possible. Sounds pretty good to me!.... but having your hand on it and being ready to go is prudent.
 
I have carried for only a few months, so my answers may be skewed for lack of sufficient time. Anyway ...

A) I have had plenty of times where I was glad to have a weapon on me, but the situations didn't warrant anything more than extra awareness.

B) I have had perhaps three times when I felt it appropriate to have my hand ready to pull the weapon, but I was not actually gripping it.

C) I have never had to grip my weapon because I thought I might need to pull it.

D) I have never had to pull my weapon.

I know my area well enough to know what places to avoid. Response A above has happened in the places I consider "safe" (which I admit is a relative, not absolute, term; else, I wouldn't be carrying there in the first place). Responses A and B have happened when I have unintentionally entered unfamiliar places that turned out to be on the rough side.
 
know your laws

....and follow them. FallsGuy, here in Texas it is legal to protect property with deadly force in some circumstances; in other states, there is a duty to retreat; states vary on their laws. Know YOUR state's laws. Then look into your own soul and ask yourself: when would I shoot? For myself, although Texas allows it, I wouldn't shoot just for property. My car can be replaced and isn't worth a life, not even a BG's life. Now, if he CARJACKS me, that's different because that's a personal threat; but some kid hotwiring my car in my driveway isn't going to get a hollowpoint COM.

I keep my gun handy, but have never had to pull it and hope I never will.

Springmom
 
Springmom,

True, every state is different. In Ohio you cannot defend property with deadly force. The threat has to be to your life or to serious bodily harm.
 
A lot of good posts above.

In Colorado, we can use physical force to defend property (i.e. restrain a guy or kick him in the knee -- or a little higher) but can only use deadly force, including brandishing, for defense of ourselves or others.

I think a very simple rule is simply to not act ANY differently when carrying a weapon than when not. Don't treat people differently, don't go to different parts of town, don't enter into situations that you wouldn't if not armed, etc. The carried gun is for when nothing else works out, and when without using it you would suffer serious injury or death.

But ... while I agree with most everything above, I would say that firing a warning shot is a really bad idea. The bullet will come down somewhere, and if you have enough cause to legally fire a warning shot then you have enough cause to shoot COM.

Take the above into consideration, and as has been said -- carrying a gun is just not a big deal. My biggest concern is carrying safely, since given where I live and etc. it's doubtful I'll actually have to use it, and I'd feel damn stupid if I blew my kneecap off holstering my weapon for a trip to the grocery store.

And to answer the original question ... I've never drawn my weapon or seriously considered it or even put my hand to it to prepar. But there have been a number of times when I was glad to have it with me just because I wasn't sure exactly what was happening.
 
white,yellow,orange,red

There have been several times I have placed my hand on my CCW in a "yellow" situation. Only once have I had to display it. I was waiting outside a 7/11 at 0130 in a not too great part of town. Just came back from a trip and my friend wanted some soda before being dropped off a couple of blocks away. Midsummer,windows down still belted in and here comes John Q Public. "Say man you got some money?" "I need some money." "Come on now man give me some money." NOT an obvious robbery but based on the situation, dress code of John Q and the time/area I was "uncomfortable". As he started towards me my hand went to the pistol and when he started speaking my free hand uncovered the gun.(I carry IWB right draw most times.) After the "give me some money" I told him "Leave me alone". By the time he got within about 8' I had added something like "All I have for you is bullets." He then noticed the gun and left the area at a high rate of speed. When he turned away I was one step away from drawing and presenting. This young gentleman was NOT a panhandler,NOT a drunken bum and NOT collecting for his church group. If I had seen a gun, knife,etc. there would have been no question. I have driven around the block, changed sides of the street, gone to another store,waited in the car,waited inside a building,and waited for a crowd, to avoid a potential bad situation I thought I could see coming. My three rules to survive a gun fight:1. Don't be there. 2. Have a gun. 3. Be willing. I'm willing and have a gun but prefer not to be there.
 
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