What do you do if someone grabs your gun?

H

hoosierboy

New member
I work in a pawnshop and always open carry. I know lots of you prefer concealed, but in my enviroment I want my customers to know I carry, (btw I conceal it when I am not working.) Since I have been carrying, I have had a lot less problems, kind of like the likelihood of a robbery at a gun show...etc.

Anyways we sell cell phones to people and I was out in the lobby explaining the instructions to a lady with her kids. One of her little bastards is messing around and tries to grab my glock, which is holstered on my hip. I grab the little kids wrist and swing it around so its behind his back. THis is what I have been taught. His mom asks me what I was doing and I told her that her son tried to grab my gun. She apologized to me, but I am starting to get a little paranoid.

I am just wondering what you would have done, besides carry my gun concealed.

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"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force."

--Ayn Rand, in "The Nature of Government"
 
I probably would have done the same, or brake something then throw 'em[thats what I was taught ;-)] if it wasn't a kid.

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"There are roads that must not be followed, and battles that must not be fought.." --Sun Tzu
 
Just my 2 cents, have you considered a shoulder holster.

It'll be high enough for kids not be able to reach it and I don't know about you but somebody reaching up to get something near my chest will definitely get my attention quicker than my hip.

You reacted as I would have, and perfectly justified in your actions.

~bamf
 
hoosierboy,

I would definitely think about a shoulder rig. In the mean time you might think about contacting a lawyer. At least find out about one you can get to quick. Mommy could mention this incident to a child advocate and hoosierboy could be in deep doo-doo. You know, guilty until proven innocent?

[This message has been edited by sensop (edited July 05, 2000).]
 
The procedure I was taught for a grab from a hip holster is to put your hand over theirs and push down so the weapon cannot be extracted or fired. (If your holster doesn't enclose the trigger, get a new holster.) Then turn your body sharply away from them and get your torso between then and the holster, use your weight to break their grip. You should end up with your weak-side facing them. Step back out of reach, and if they still exhibit threatening behavior, draw and come to Ready.
 
In a class exercise, I shook hands with the instructor. He suddenly gripped my hand hard and, with his left hand, deftly removed my handgun from my holster (on my right hip). It was too fast to counter.

Note that some "professional" criminals are more familiar with level II and III holsters than most law-abiding citizens.

Even in Texas, if I were carrying openly on my right side, I probably wouldn't shake hands with most people - giving only a courteous verbal acknowledgement of an introduction.

In a sales situation, I would keep a counter between me and the customer.

In First Aid/CPR classes, I teach LEOs to take a patient's pulse with the weak hand and the gun side well away from the patient.

If the situation justifies carrying a handgun, the situation also justifies care that it can not be snatched.
 
I think Open carry really requires a gun like a 1911, HK P 7, P 35 or some such that has a manual safety. I don't like any manual safety on combat handguns but make exception for open carry.

I don't think you should change holsters since you will have to unlearn all the habbits you have now.

Dennis: Was that with a red gun? If the instructor pulled something like that with a loaded gun on me (with no warning?) I think I would be inclined to return the favor adding a few lumps and then leave. Ambushing a student or friend requires no skill and proves nothing.
 
hoosierboy,

In the future, consider staying behind the counter, even when explaining things. Or else back into a corner and don't let anyone, especially little boys and bad guys, into the zone of danger. Stay safe.

For what it's worth, you might reconsider using a tactical response to a kid with his mom right there. Could you have stopped his grab with less physical response and more shouting? Sometimes less is more, Grasshopper. Especially when every little jerk's Mom has a lawyer convincing her that nothing is his own fault.

My .02.

Ledbetter
 
"What to do..."

Depends on if the gun has already been unlimbered or no. If so, most typical response is probably to drop back and shoot them off. If holstered, depends on carry mode- most positions for rapid access place the assailant in precarious position, unless he's lightning quick (which some are).

The advantage of a firearm is distance- use it!
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Would you mind not shooting at the thermonuclear weapons?
 
Well once agian thanks for the input. To answer your question. We have a bulletproof glass wall between the customers and us. I always joke that the glass wall is to protect them from me, so talking through it is out of the question. It just isn't very personel and we have a good reputaton with our customers throughout the city.
The shoulder holster isn't what I really want. Sometimes I have to get money from the bank and the shoulder rig is more noticeable, when I can put my hip holster to my back.
The lawyer thing probably wont happen, people in Indiana haven't caught on to that type of thing like they have in Kali. Besides I didn't really hurt him, but if I did he probably deserved it!



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"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force."

--Ayn Rand, in "The Nature of Government"
 
Glamdring,
I left out all the boring details. :D
The instructor was my best friend, mentor, and (part-time) employer. The handgun was my personal handgun, cleared and checked by both of us beforehand, with all ammo across the room.

We both knew it was a personal demonstration. He knew what he was going to do - I didn't. So it scared the bejiggers out of me but was safe, 100%.

With students and other people we used dummy guns (ours happened to be blue :) ). When alone, we put all ammo across the room, cleared our own weapons and double-checked the other fellow's. I understand some folks would consider this unsafe. I remain satisfied with this particular instructor for too many reasons to list. With anyone else, my response would have been similar to what you expressed.

Thanks for asking about it.

[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited July 05, 2000).]
 
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