Someone broke into the house. A roommate near the door heard him, saw him, ran to our rooms. We grabbed our guns (I have one, Husband has one) and we entered the area where the man was but as soon as he saw us holding our weapons, he bolted. We let him run, then called the cops.
Trouble with "merely displaying " it is that the majority of cases of that which were reviewed by a judge were deemed aggressive https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/gun-threats-and-self-defense-gun-use-2/
Only once, and I did not even have to unholster it. I was pumping gas. I heard something behind me. I turned and there was a guy in a hooded jacket with his hand in his coat pocket, gesturing like he had a gun on me. He told me to give him my wallet. I opened my coat, and reached slowly for my wallet, which I fully intended to give him. When I did, he saw my Springfield XDm .40, holstered there on my belt. He didn't say a word, turned and walked briskly away and into a nearby wooded area. I went home and changed my boxers. This guy got the jump on me. If he did have a gun, he could have shot me, and there was little I could have done about it. I can't say for sure that my gun saved my life that day, but I can say it definitely saved my wallet. I voted "Maybe".
No, those tiny single action pistols? 1 inch barrel? .22? So small that after the first shot it is very difficult to even **** the little thing. Its more a noise maker and the psychological fear of a firearm. As I weapon? I'd been better off with a hammer. I read an opinion by one of the endless "gun experts" who explained that probably 98% of the time having ANY gun is sufficient to run someone off. ALL guns are loud and sound like guns. All guns are scary. That makes sense. For my conceal carry - when I do - it is a small and lightweight mostly plastic 7 shot pocket LCP .380 that I just drop in my pocket. A bit more firepower and semi-auto. I think that'd cover it in virtually any situation IF the goal is to chase people off.
I desire not to shoot anyone. However, twice that desire put me into a very serious life-death situation where if I had just shot the guys with the knife coming at me there would have been no danger since I had grabbed a short barrel double 12 gauge before they got to me both times. One of those times I swung around firing over that guy's head, figuring the shotgun blast would cause him to turn and run. He did turn, but then stopped and came back at me - he and I realizing the same thing like a light bulb going off. I had pulled both triggers and no longer had a shotgun but instead just a steel pipe (barrels). But I'm a tough guy and that was enough. The other time I also fired over an knife yielding attacker coming out of the dark, same shotgun, but firing only one barrel. I then took out after him screaming obscenities and how I was going to kill his ass - firing one shell and reloading it as I ran - though him faster - thru near total darkness in a pine woods. He was faster, so I was just trying to scare the hell out of him. Chasing some drug crazed fast young guy with a knife - possibly the robber-murderer they were trying to identify and find (explained later) thru a woods in virtual total darkness? Stupid, huh? Fortunately, it suddenly hit me for some reason - a thought - two lines from a poem I once read: "Not even the leaves made a sound. Something is afraid." I dropped to a prone position. Total darkness. Total silence. The only sound I had been hearing was my own feet thru the leaves and sticks. Only I was running. He had stopped. I knew he was close, very close. A waiting game. Who makes the next sound first? Ready to shoot and back to a tree, I held the shotgun one finger on the trigger with the barrel protecting one side of my neck - and my arm holding the stock protecting my other side. And waited. And waited. And waited. On the balls of my feet, not even to drop my heels for the sound it would make. Finally I heard a stick break and shouting "Got you!" fired at the sound. By the flash I saw him momentarily (CLOSE!) and I had pointed right at him, but him partially shielded by the tree he was waiting behind to have jumped me as I ran past. I heard some kind of grunt and like he fell to the ground from being hit, but then him running again. I chased only a few seconds firing one more time - leaving only 1 shell left from the stock's shell holder. Time to go back. The next day deputies with a dog, the route was followed including to where I had waited. He had been 11 feet away. Had I run 2 more seconds he'd have had me. I had hit him, there was some blood there and here and there along the way - not a lot. Probably just one OO pellet (approx. 32 to 34 caliber balls). But for it starting to rain the trail was finally lost. Don't know who the hell he was but did know what he wanted - the day's receipts I had brought from where I worked, taking it to the elderly owner. He was old and frail. I was young and tough as hell. Told him to let me bring it to him due to the robberies and murder - always at the business owner's home at night after closing. He trusted me to do so. I had it in a bag under my black motorcycle leather jacket the whole time. I had left that shotgun at his house, just inside beside the door I had enhanced against kick-in for him - and had him leave empty handed when closing - leaving just before me. He had opened the door when I heard the guy running at me coming out of that black woods, and I had spun around having grabbed the shotgun firing over his head. He turned and ran, I chased. That's how it started - and probably why. There had been robberies and two murders of such small business owners (both older husband and wife stabbed to death) at night in their homes by someone with a knife for the day's cash sales. I wasn't the only one who hoped he had bled out in the near endless woods in the direction he was headed. Will never know. There were no more robberies or murders of business owners at their homes after that night. These incidents were many years ago.
While not rich, he wasn’t a poor old man either. Probably around $2500 in that bag for that days receipts. Nice house. New Cadillac. Boat. Pickup truck. After work the next day, he told me that he can’t find the words to thank me enough. “You saved my money” he said. Curious he cared more about his money than his life - or mine for that matter. He then said,” wait a minute, I have something extra for you.” As he handed it to me as if giving me a winning lottery ticket, he repeated he couldn’t thank me enough for saving his money. That stingy old man gave me a $10 bill. Paid for the shells I had fired anyway. LOL
I imagine you've heard the expression: "No good deed goes unpunished." I hope you'll think twice before risking your life and the possibility of "collateral damage" (i.e. dead bystanders) for someone else's material goods. Some of the wealthiest clients I've had have been the stingiest. Good luck
It's unlikely that many people here have fired their weapon in an act of self defense (outside of the military or law enforcement). Those who would be most likely to fire one would be those living around dangerous animals (wolves, feral dogs, bears), or living around dangerous animals in urban street gangs (M-13, Crips, 4 Corners). The closer one lives to savage creatures, the greater the risk. I never had to pull my gun or show it---yet.
Yes I live in a rural area and these tools were trying to carry my generator out of my garage (about 2 AM), I put a 12 gauge round over their heads, they scrambled back to their truck and scooted. I got them and their truck descriptions and the sheriff caught them a few days later trying to rob someone else. I could have ended it for at least one of them, but chose not to as they weren't out to get my family.
Have you ever used a firearm for defense? Certainly have or I would not be here. It is what you do in a war to survive. Sometimes I wish all of these anti gun people would be put in a shot or die situation and see how fast they change their tune.
When I was about 12, my dad, brother (9) and I had gone to the DC Zoo, then walked around DC. It had gotten late, maybe midnight. Two guys were crossing the street from two different angles, as soon as they met up in about the center of the roadway, they turned towards us and came straight at us. I think they were within about 20-25' when my dad tucked his coat around the grip of his 357 and then put his hand on it. The guys immediately turned off and one of the men said "Cold Mother F'er" and they walked off. One night at the local PDQ store, maybe 10pm, I was grabbing a 12pk and got my son candy, he was about 5. As I was grabbing the beer towards the back of the store, maybe 5 guys walked into the store. They were wearing hoodies, looking down at the floor and they all went down separate isles. I wasn't feeling good about it, so to stall and avoid putting my son and I near them, I asked him if he wanted ice cream. The ice cream freezer was right next to us. I remember he looked at me kind of oddly as he had just gotten candy and didn't think he was gonna get both. He reached in and grabbed it quickly, so I said keep looking to makes sure that's the one you want. I was going to slip into the back room with my son and G23 if something went bad but after just a few minutes, they noticed I was back there and maybe that was enough to make them rethink doing what I believe was going to be, rob the store or just grab beer and run or something but they all walked out, not buying a thing. I've had a few more stories and twice my kids have asked me if I had my piece.
