Several years ago, my wife and I were on our way to Seattle and stopped at a rest station along I90 in eastern Washington. As we were leaving, I see an older Cadillac with five or six grungy looking dudes eyeballing us as we drove out the exit. I watched as they all loaded up and pulled out behind us. No problem yet but about fifteen miles down the road, they sped up as though they were going to overtake and pass us but when they got along side us, the passenger side punk holds up what looked like a gun and started yelling at us to stop. I slapped the brakes on and had Hilda give me my 220 Sig but she couldn't rack the slide so she held the wheel while I did.

Punks has slowed down also and were along side us again so I poked my gun out the window and was going to fire a shot but they stomped on the brakes and drove into the median. I was glad!

No cell phone service out there back then so I decided to outrun them if I could and maybe attract the attention of a state patrol but none to be found.

We didn't see any more of them and when we had cell service, I called the cops but never did hear anymore about the deal.

Since then, I keep my shootin iron ready.

It pays to pay attention - congrats on a happy outcome.. Rest stops can be very dangerous places to be in at times..

Twice. Both times stopped at red lights. The first time was in the middle of the night as I was driving to work. Guy came out from behind the edge of the corner building and yanked on the passenger door handle - locked of course. While he yanked, I tapped the muzzle of my .38 on the glass. When he looked up, it was an inch from his nose. That old saying about eyes like cueballs? It's true. No Warner Brothers cartoon could have bugged a pair of eyes bigger or quicker. Turns out he was a magician, too. Vanished into thin air.

The second time was broad daylight. Guy saunters out in front of my truck and says something about money. I shook my head and he came around to my window. "I said gimme some cash!" I then repeated the muzzle on glass trick and yelled, "AND I SAID NO!" Whattaya know - another magician!

I didn't report either event, because I was not supposed to have a gun in my car either time. The first time due to employer rules and the second time I was in a state that didn't honor my CCW. I'll tell ya what, though: you drive a little fast and erratically after things like that. Might be the second-most dangerous part of it, if truth be known.

Good on ya.. Amazing how a small symbol of liberty can change a potentially bad outcome...

Never ever

I have had my hand on it

Snake

A few times...always with the same results Rocky got

Nope, been carrying since 88' Knock on wood.

Not yet, hope I never have to.

My Florida CWP instructor told our class that displaying a firearm is illegal in Florida. His advice was not to pull a gun unless you are going to use it. I'm not sure if he was right but if so, it is a stupid law. Brandishing a gun can be very effective as proven by the previous posts.

Never here.

A similar thing happened to a friend of mine. The difference was the miscreant found himself inspecting the muzzle crown of a Super Blackhawk 44 magnum. Same result though, some chalk lines and a timer would have established a new 100m record.

Just once when I got between a baby Griz and her momma while I was fishing in Montana. Fortunately cub caught up with momma and all ended well. Here is the cub, I was in the water with waders.

Yes.

Yeah BD...I had one of those too...

Uh huh.

I believe the proper wording is "No I didn't display it. I took it out to shoot him and when he ran away I didn't need to shoot him anymore so I put the gun away."

They can't make a law that REQUIRES you to shoot people after you draw.

From what I have read, just placing your hand on it and saying, "Take it or leave it," can be a very effective way to settle disputes.

If they can force you to buy insurance after making a law that says you gotta and one branch can call it a tax to say it's legal and the other can say it's something else so they don't have to say they just raised taxes, then they can do anything they want including make laws that say you can't display your gun but you can shoot somebody. Just sayin'...

I know, I know...My point is that the law doesn't say "you have to shoot people", it says you can't brandish a gun. So when the popo asks you why you were brandishing the gun, your answer is that you weren't...you were just not murdering the guy who was (after he saw the gun) running away from you.

Rather than being confused by weird laws, understand what they're saying and work around them when you need to stay safe.

Ye si have... guy tried to rob me at an ATM one night.... yelled I had a gun and pulled it and he turned and ran off like a little school girl... sure and glad he did and I did not have to shoot. I would have but glad i did not have too.

Yup

Same here.................

Yes. Three times. First, I was parked with my first wife and three punks started dicking with the car. When one of them went into the trunk of his car and came out with a tire iron and made like he was going to break a window on mine, I tapped the window and motioned him closer. When he got closer I rolled the window down a little and he was looking down the barrel. They decided to go break someone else's window.

Second time two guys were trying to steal my car. I stood on the balcony with the gun in full sight and informed them it was my car, not theirs. One guy decided to sneak up the stairs so I just backed into my apartment and squared off and told him that threshold was a line he hadn't best cross. He decided to go steal someone else's car.

Third time an idiot out bird hunting threatened to shoot me in my own driveway in front of witnesses. He was looking down the muzzle of a shotgun at six feet before he knew what happened and he heard the safety snap off. I told him if he so much as twitched or if his buddy who was looking down the barrel of my friend's shotgun twitched, that was all it'd take. My friend and I had a discussion about whether to disarm them and call the sheriff while they stood real still. They allowed as how they might have been a little hasty and asked nicely if they could just leave.

I chased a burgler out the front door of my uncles house after coming in the back door with an Ithaca 37 loaded with buckshot back in 1983. I had just gotten home from OCS and was home alone when I took a call from my 16 year old female cousin who lived a block away. This guy (if O had a son he could have been him) had tied her up and was ransacking the downstairs and she got loose and called. My dad was a cop so she called our house instead of the police she was so freaked out. I dialed (yeah literally) 911 then was out the door in a flash.

The venetian blinds were still moving on the front door when I came into the living room from the back. It was that close. At the same time my cousin was coming down the steps so I backed us both into a safe corner. Within 30 seconds the cops were coming in the front door.

The first cop in the door was a classmate of mine from high school. He kind of laughed then told me to empty the gun and put it in a closet and then they searched the house.

That's about it. All I know is that mentally I was in full attack mode. Looking back I'm glad I did not have to live with what would have happened if I got there any sooner. I would have shot him, no doubt about it.

Bluedreaux is correct. It is all in the articulation.

Twice but it was a griz on the porch and a pack of pit bulls attacking 2 kids outside of my home in Kotz many years ago. Never with a human situation.

BTDT

Had five incidents. One with a shotgun, one with a rifle and three with a handgun.

Thankfully, the various miscreants on the other side of the muzzle rethought their proposed actions and I didn't have to pull the trigger.

"Skin that smoke-wagon and go to work, boy!"

Yep.

Three times � twice to protect myself, once to protect my wife.

Shots fired all three times (.44 Magnum).

First two turned the attacks with no harm or injury. Third resulted in death.

Badge-toter was furious at inability to hang me.

Please don't ask for details.

Only once. About ten years ago, a dude was driving ridiculously slow on rural road and when I went to pass him, he cut me off and stopped. I pulled out my 9mm and opened the window and said something to the effect of "look azzhole, I would suggest that that you get back in your car and drive off, or call an ambulance NOW, because one of us is going to need one". Thankfully, he complied.

donsm70

Only once, and I won't tell the story on an open forum.

Not yet.

Before he retired, Twin Cities cop Charlie O'Neil stood erect and unbleeding after several gun fights with mob gunsels � some of whom were trying to collect on the mob's contract on him.

After he retired to Montana, the contract was still out, so he always "carried" � either or both a PPK and a 9mm Sig Neuhausen.

His house and shop were a few miles west of Alberton on old two-lane highway 10. Going to town for his mail one morning, he faced only a semi pulling the grade in compound low. Nothing going in his direction � until some dude came-up behind him in an attempt to cross Montana on his coffee break.

The dude had four options �
� head-on into the semi
� wait for Charlie and the semi to get out of his way
� rear-end Charlie
� run Charlie off the road

He chose the fourth, but Charlie wouldn't let that happen. He straddled the center line until he was about to head-on into the semi. The dude had to lay rubber with a screech, dip his front end, and wait for room to go around Charlie.

When Charlie and the semi cleared the road, the dude screeched past Charlie's old car. As he passed Charlie, he shook his fist at Charlie and yelled at him.

He got more angry as he sped down the road. On the flat, with marshy ground on either side of the road, he stopped athwart the center line, got out of the car, and stomped back toward Charlie.

Charlie knew better than to pull-up close behind the dude's car, and he knew better than to sit and wait in his own car. He stopped with plenty of space ahead of him, got out of his car, and stood looking over the top of the open door.

"God damn you, you mother-f*cking old son of a bitch!" the dude cooed. "I'm going to beat the f*cking sh�t out of you!"

Dumpy little Charlie, who looked like everybody's grandfather, just smiled, picked-up his home-made elk-butchering knife (a long piece of sawmill blade) from behind his seat, slammed his car door, and walked toward the dude.

"And I'm going to hang your liver in that tree [pointing]."

The dude skidded rubber off his boot heels, ran back to his car, and left more tire rubber behind. He went out of sight soon, and Charlie never saw that car again.

I never asked him but always wondered what Charlie was carrying that morning. Probably the PPK, which the dude most likely would've sneered at and tried to take away from Charlie. Whatever. I'm sure that Charlie just didn't want to be bothered with the inevitable hassle of leaving a bleeding hunk of meat on the pavement.

When I told Bill Jordan of the incident, Bill grinned � and agreed that its deadly element wasn't Charlie's short sword but his calm, sweet smile.

What?! Standing between a driver and his by-God-given right to disobey the speed limit? I await the righteous condemnation by all others who jelously protect this right. (Way to go, Charlie - I love it!)

Twice.

Overlook parking lot in the South Dakota Badlands.

Three hunter trespassers on my property.

Working in my shop, one day, and happened to see this skinhead coming towards my double overhead door which stood ajar to the alley. This guy was carrying an upright vac that he pretended to try to interest me in. I loudly ordered him to stop, just as he began to duck under my door.

Behind a barrier between us, my hand hovered over my revolver, which he could not see. But he could tell that I was looking through him and had the upper hand. I pointed down the alley and ordered him to leave, which he immediately did. As he was leaving I picked up the revolver and covered that hand with a rag, following him out, to make sure he left.

As I came around the small barrier, I saw the hardwood wheelbarrow handle lying on the threshold. Had it not been for my lucky vigilance, and having a gun, I feel I could have been killed by this POS. No shots fired. No brandishing, which I think is strictly for kids and can get you killed..

Well, yes and no.

I have heard accounts here that made me wonder about whether they should be carrying.

But, with that said, I have had to pull handgun (a Colt 1911 .45) on a couple of guys.
One was in Philadelphia. He got in my passenger door at a red light. When he turned to look at me after closing the door, he had the barrel of my .45 about an inch from his nose. It was weird....he opened the door and exited my truck, politely closing the door. The whole thing was just a few seconds. No words were spoken. Not one.

The second was when I was out of town and a guy asked me for light for his smoke as I walked back to my room from the parking lot. After that he fell in behind me. I didn't think much about it as there were other rooms along the walkway, and I assumed he was going back to his room.

I unlocked my door and entered my room, and went to shut the door and he stepped through the doorway and kept the door from shutting with his foot at the base of the door. I was partially hidden from his view by the door itself, and instantly grabbed my 1911 that was tucked behind my belt, in the small of my back. I opened the door and put the barrel of the 1911 directly on his nose and clicked off the safety at the same time. I just said "Git!"... He did. I don't know what that guy had planned, but a near invasion like that needed some more attention, so I called the cops. They knew his description when they got there, and said he had tried that very thing a couple weeks previous on another guy.

Back to my point....

Brandishing can get you in trouble, or worse.

But, if the hair stands up on the back of your neck, it's for a reason.... I would have shot both guys at the first wrong move from the point I pulled down on them. But luckily, it never got that far. If they had not seen the pistol and seen that I meant business with it...who knows?

Many more are the times while hunting out in the desert along the border that I was stopped by someone for directions or for them asking for help with something like a flat....that I had that 1911 nestled in my lap with my thumb on the safety to see what the situation was first. They never knew I had them covered. But I did....and it pays to be cautious out in the desert not far from the Mexico border.

By far the noblest function of a defense weapon is preventing the necessity of its use.

Once, the very day after I got my CCW.

Trying to pick my kids up from track practice & I'm stuck in the intersection in a traffic jam caused by concert goers, most of whom were already smashed.

Next thing I know the stereotypical overweight, tattooed, shorn head, goatee type decides to run up and bang on my window.

Is shining a laser in some fat douchebucket's face considered brandishing?

No I haven`t and man, I hope I never have to...

I don't know if you could call it self defense, but several times in my last home. Fired shots at burglars in my house one night. Fired a round over the head of some punk attempting to steal my riding mower one night.

had to pull the trigger onetime, that guy is one of my best friends now.

Nope!!!!

But the ex wife did at a stop light one night in Jacksonville, FL. It was in the middle sixties, she was on her way to pick me up from night school with our three kids in the car and a car load of young bucks pulled up along our car at a stop light and started some of that [bleep] jive at her so she reached under the seat and pulled a S&W 32 Spl out and placed it in her lap. She said she would have used it if one of them would have gotten out of their car and touched a door handle.

One of the many reasons people should be carrying. You never know someone who looked like he could have been oberry's son could have been in that car though.

Age 14. Sitting in the east texas river bottom with my new lawn care jobs monkey ward pump 12 3 in mag with a 4 lb barrel while awaiting a dumb buck that didnt exist, I heard the most god-awful racket approaching through the Jack Frost covered palmetto my grandad had leased and posted years before to run his cows in the winter? Finally saw two horseback coming through the bottom to bypass me at 40 yards. I hailed them down and approached to see what they were doing screwing my hunt on posted ground.

They lied they were lost and didn't remember crossing a fence.

Got belligerent and one had on his name tagged army jacket and a semi- auto 30 cal.

I had my gun over my rt shoulder with rt hand on the grip, finger on t-gard, and butt pointed to his horse and muzzle away, while my thumb was on the tang safety on top of the action housing.

I could spot shoot woodies all day long coming up off the river or sloughs and up through the vines and pin oak and ironwood and sycamore and sweetgum trunks and limbs.

Army hero made a move to swing his 30 cal from across the saddle toward me and with a jerk of my right hand downward the muzzle arced from over my shoulder to right toward his face in the blink of an eye.

He froze before his muzzle had crossed his horses head. I really didnt have to explain chitt as he knew I could handle a gun.

He asked and got directions to a trail to a road to a gap that would let them out.

They were pissed but headed the direction I suggested and I stepped behind a pin oak in the switch cane and palmetto and kept sweet Bessie pointed in their general direction as they left pissed and peeved but still alive.


Rumor has it don't mess with old men who will shoot, but I would say to take care threatening a kid with a gun.

One time at my cabin on a dark rainy night. I was there for 10 min getting in my cabin. I see headlights and they stop at the end of my driveway. The hair stood up on my neck. Some Son of a bitch followed me in. I grab my .22 Ruger III and started alkinf to the guys truck. As I got 25 ft. I see it is just a utility worker looking for a downed power line from the storm. I walked up to him and he couldn't believe somone else was back here. Another time the garage door opened @ 2AM. Grabbing the .Ruger 357 Blackhawk I open the garage door and noone. It was back in the days when you could rigg your opener to open many other doors. Scary, hope it never happens again but most likely will. There are a rash of robberies in Kewaskum, Wis. Even an armed robbery at a gas station. Times are changin and time to load up!!

Twice. Climbed up in a tree stand in Hinckley, Mn. one warm foggy morning. 'Hear something rustling in the leaves under the stand just at sunrise, although it was so foggy you couldn't see very far any ways. 'Look over the side of the stand and there's a bear cub digging in the duff right under my stand. 'Hear more rustling back about 10 ft. behind me. Turn on the chair and there's another cub digging for acorns. The chair squeeked when I turned to look at the second cub, and that's when Momma bear caught wind that I was there. I heard the most guttural "WOOF!" ever. The cub under the stand takes off, number two runs over and starts climbing THE TREE I'M SITTING IN! Momma comes on a dead run, hell bent on saving her cub. Cub bails out, and Mom's about half way up the tree when I put a round through the floor of the tree stand. No idea how I didn't hit myself in the foot. Luckily she bailed out and took off, because I'd have never got another round in the gun before she'd have been on me. Take it from experience, bears move extremely fast when they're mad.

Second time.

First month in my first apartment. Not knowing the neighbors real well yet, I kept an 870 next to the bed. Turns out the kids that had the apartment before me sold a little weed on the side. One of their customers is knocking on my door at 2:00 in the morning. Rolled off the side of the bed and racked the 870. I get the impression they'd heard that sound before, as they were gone instantly. The only thing I heard was "OH SCHIDT! FOCKER'S GOT A SHOTGUN!

Word must have got out quickly, as I never had another "visit."

Great stories there gopher.

There's a difference between brandishing and preparation. I was taught a long time ago that if you lose a gunfight because it came down to a quick draw contest, you had already lost before the quick draw started.

You can discreetly draw and be prepared without waving your smoke wagon all over creation.

Blue, I remember being ready at the time I was approaching and then standing there talking to them. I was 14 and it didnt feel right to walk up to them with my gun on them.

I was watching them and carrying in a ready way and felt confident I could get the drop on them had either started anything, but I do know you are right.

Pulled twice nearly pulled the trigger once. Most recnt time I was heading to work early about 5:30. At a red and here this lowlife comes stumbling off the curb. I got the passenger window open a couple inches. I got the pistol in my hand down between the seat and the console. Now I am a rather large ugly and crazy looking redneck in a rusty suburban and I have Hank Jr rather loud on the radio. Never would I have thought you typical ghetto rat would ever come stumbling up to my truck. Anyways he is mumbling about needing gas money or some crap. I am watching cross traffic so I could run the red. I just wanted no hassles. Well lowlife decides to open the passenger door. Doors don't lock. I pulled the 45 and leveled it at his forehead. Told him to shut the door in a not so polite matter. He did and took off running.

Other time I came within a second of pulling the trigger. Caught a couple guys breaking into a property I watch over. One guy stuck around as I called the sheriff. Second guy took off. He got in his car that was parked down the road aways. As he comes in to view he punches the gas and steers towards me. I bring the pistol up and just as I pressing the trigger he locks up the brakes. I get out of the way he ended up stopped about 6 feet from where I was standing. Had he not hit the brakes at that very moment I would of sent rounds through the windshield.My father was with me and promptly got out of the truck and shoved a twelve gauge in the idiots face. He was more than willing to wait for the sheriff after that.

Never needed to. Only wished i had it once when i didnt.

3 times while on duty years gone by, once on a hell of a big bear at 5 feet, and once on a real idiot in a SAM'S club parking lot, All 4 persons decided to cool it fast, and the big assed interior Grizz decided that he didn't need to slap me around that day,,,was best for both of us.

Yep. Couple times were 4 legged. One time it was 3 2-legged "animals".

Middle of the winter. My father and I were meeting at a boat ramp, him with the jet sled, me with the truck and trailer, to take the boat home for a little maintenance. I got there first. Whole place was empty. I backed the trailer down the ramp to get ready then meandered up the shore skipping rocks 'n' so on. Couple minutes later, an old beater truck pulled down on the bar, sort of between me 'n' our truck but up against the bank. I didn't think much of it 'til 3 guys got out. They split up, one cutting me off from returning to our truck (downriver), one upriver, and one came straight at me over a thigh-high pile of small boulders in the middle of the parking area that turned it into sort of a circle drive. I wasn't looking right at them, just watching out of the corner of my eye. I pulled the ol' 8-3/4" pre-NRA "registered model" S&W proto Model 27 out of my belt and drew a bead on a seagull. Those fuggers swapped ends and went back towards their truck.

Just then I heard the outboard running ... 3 cylinder Mercury 60/70 has a unique howl. 'fore I could get back to our truck and the ramp, they'd sorta surrounded where dad was landing. He jumped outa the boat and his K-frame swung out in plain sight.

I heard one of the guys say "that fugger has a gun, too. All these fuggers got guns." They got in their truck and left. We never called the cops, they were an hour away if they came at all. I was underage to pack a pistol for sure and maybe to drive, not sure dad ever did understand how serious that situation was. Denial, y' know. "Can't happen to me out here." Hah!

Figure someone was going to get robbed at minimum.

FWIW, I used quick reply. It was just a general observation.

I'm a serious bad azzzz mo' fo..so no reason to carry.

Thus, NO!

I had spent the night at the Hitching Post Motel in Cheyenne and was heading out at about 7:15 for a meeting downtown. A young couple left the motel just ahead of me going out for a morning walk. Motel is on the north side of the street and we all were heading east. I noticed a couple of bums heading west so they and the couple met up, bums going west and the others east. Ok until the bums stopped, had a quick conference, turned around and quickly caught up to the young people. I was on the south side of the street and had stopped, wondering what the bums were going to do. Of course they were asking for money and didn't plan on taking no for an answer, one of them even tried to grab the woman. I jumped out with a 629 in my hand and told bums to get going or else I was going to start shooting. They took off and I sure was glad. The "kids" were pretty shook up but no harm done. They sure were grateful but the experience caused them to go back to their room. I advised the guy to get a gun and keep it with him all the time.

Buddy I graduated with lives in Weslaco heard a noise in the garage one night and shot a brown guy DRT.

Another guy worked with a close friend had a racket at his back door one night. Opened the door as a guy was trying to break in and fired. Black guy turned and fled.

I don't remember all details but he called cop shop and told hem he thought he may have shot some one. No evidence that night but Chief of police comes by next morning and and says, "____, we found your burglar in an alley in town this morning dead as a door nail. Don't ever call the police if something ever happens like that again. You call me the next day and just let me know what happened, ok? "

I answer the original question, yeah. The closest I ever got to using it was being about half way through the trigger pull on a guy that went for a knife at about two feet from me. He changed his mind and I was able to let off the trigger, but the scariest part was what seemed like slow motion, waiting to feel if the trigger was going to let out or the gun would recoil. I could've killed him, but I'm glad I didn't.

Dayom. I had a friend LEO from Odessa years ago had that kinda happen to him but blew perp away. Guys name was Tony Suttle, spitting image of Robert Mitchum.

Speaking of Odessa. I 20 & crane hwy (385) I'm waiting to meet a guy from work to get some supplies. Junkie comes up and ask for cash, I tell him no, I don't carry cash. He walks a little closer and says "but you got an ATM card don't you" all I had to do was pull the Kimber from between the seats and rest it across my lap and he got the point. 2 years later he's still working the same corner trying to get a ride to El Paso because he can't find work in the biggest oil boom in the country.

Rats, I mean Dimocrats.

Domestically? Never.

But there was this one time in Falujah....

YOU WIN. NEXT!

Aww, hail. Evahdamnbody know dat!

A few times. The only two I'd talk about involved the same family renting across the street. We live in a decent cul de sac, but the original owners of the house across the street moved out about 10 years ago. He couldn't get the jacked up price out of his house he thought it was worth, so it's had about 7 "families" in and out of it.

Anyway, one day there was a new bunch moving in, and three huge canines running around the neighborhood. Two were St Bernards and one was a huge black wolf mix. My kids had (wisely) came running in the house, announcing the newbies unexpected arrival and scarey dogs, so out I go to greet our new neighbors.

I went over, introduced myself to a very big guy, and asked if his dogs were friendly. He said, "sometimes". Big or not, that response changed the direction and nature of our conversation. I did try to keep it as neighborly as I could, and offered any help he might need in building a kennel he said was in his plans.

I had three labs, three kids, and a wife, and did my best to communicate the concept that what was mine belonged on my property, his dogs did not, and they might not return to his alive if they came over for a visit. I hate days like that.

His dogs would get out every so often, more at first, but quite a bit less after I started open carrying a Glock 20. I'd immediately know when they were out since my dogs would go nuts. One day they were out doing laps around my house, so out I go, 20 in hand. I give a yell and that nasty wolf-mix heads for home, one St Bernard comes up and wants petted, but the other one starts snarling and foaming at the mouth. The woman living over there, sticks her head out the door and calls for the dogs and the calm St Bernard runs home. The nasty one's not sure what it wants to do, so I start walking it out of my yard. It all goes well until she goes back into the house and the dog turns and starts walking towards me. I start backing up and yelling for the woman. All the time the dog is slathering at the mouth, and doing some kind of bark/snarl/growl. I figured I was going to have to kill it. I was nearly all the way back to the side of my house and it was about 18 inches off the end of my muzzle. I had about 5 pounds of a 5.5 pound trigger taken up, when she finally comes out of the house and calls it. It went. She hollers, it wouldn't hurt you. I yelled back, she was right since I was half a second away from killing it.

A few months go by, I'm still carrying the Glock, and I'm out in my garage up on the work bench after stowing some boxes in the attic, when in stomps the big guy hollering something about somebody letting the decent St Bernard out of their house. He obviously thought that somebody was me. Somehow seeing that Glock quickly appear by my side as I jumped down off the bench to meet him, changed accusations into a genuine discussion. We talked a bit about locks and deadbolts and security systems. I told him a 10mm Glock was a good thing to have around, too. Then he went back home to consider how topics discussed might fit into his need for better home security.

They moved out in the middle of the night about a month later. We never got a forwarding address.

A few times.

First time, I'm just out of college and coming home from work and notice a pickup sitting on the side of the road just before our drive up to the house, that sits about 500 yds off the road. I'm going up the drive and scanning the pastures on either side and notice that I've got a cow with six legs and two of those legs have blue jeans on them. I just keep going up the drive like normal because nearest gate into that pasture is up within 50 yds of house. I get to gate, fling it open and haul ass across the pasture headed towards the guy who'd been hiding behind my cow, now running like hell for the front fence. As I get close to him, he starts trying to reach in his denim jacket for something. My window's down and I poke my Super Blackhawk .44 Mag out at him and yell at him to freeze as I'm skidding to a stop. He sees the .44 and throws up his hands. I get out and make him get face down and I end up pulling a nice S&W Model 19 out of a shoulder holster he's wearing. Turns out he's the ex-husband of the woman who owns the place next to us, and they were supposed to split their herd, but she'd sold the whole herd at the sale barn and we'd bought a few of them and he was looking for them. Dumbass coulda called us and we might have helped him. He was all pissed off that I'd pulled a gun on him, even though he was trying to pull one on me. He called my Dad and started to fuss but Dad shut him up and said he was lucky he didn't pull that crap on him because he'd have shot him dead.

Second time, wife and I were headed home one night and stopped in a Zippy Mart in Sheffield, Alabama, for gas. These two "bruthas" pulled up next to us and the big one got out and started talkin' some schit, and I told him to stay the hell away from us. He came around the gas pump towards me and met the barrel of my Sig. His eyes damn near popped completely outta his head, he dropped a knife that I hadn't even seen, and in an instant jumped clean over the trunk of their car, haulin' ass outta there. Then I saw my wife had pulled her S&W Centennial on the driver. He bailed and the last we saw of them was [bleep] and elbows. They abandoned their car. The cashier in the Zippy Mart had seen the whole thing on a security camera and had already called the cops. They caught both the essobees.

A couple of months after that, I got into a gunfight with a guy that was with three others that were trying to rustle some of our cattle on a Sunday morning, when they thought we would be in church (where we normally were). They got away, but I had hit their truck twice with my Blackhawk. Two years later I was paid a visit by a couple of FBI agents. Said they'd broken up a burglary and cattle rustling ring. They asked if I still had that Blackhawk. They'd found a .44 slug in the firewall of a truck that matched the description of the truck I had given to the Sheriff's investigators two years before. I not only still had the Blackhawk, I also had some of the same box of ammo. Turns out it was one of the bullets I'd fired at that truck two years earlier.

There was an incident in the parking lot of a Kroger's in Huntsville, Alabama, on a New Years Eve that didn't go the way a couple of bruthas wanted.

Last time was five years ago, I was awakened by the sound of our front door being forced open in the little town of Ethel, Missouri. I grabbed my Mossberg A590, ran downstairs butt naked and got to the foyer just in time to jack a round in the chamber and shove the muzzle into the face of the first crud through the door. They ran over each other getting the hell outta there and my German Shepherd and I chased them down the road for most of a block, before I decided I didn't want to be caught nekkid in the middle of Hwy 149. They were hobo's off the railroad that ran behind our house.

Damn, I am lucky to lead a sheltered life, no doubt about it.

Sycamore

Having been in a gunfight in my younger years.....without a gun.......I generally pack iron these days. I'm no Clay Allison, tho.

I've had to show my .44 to some limpdicks. Not big city stuff.....out in the hills, no less. Apparently some think you're an easy victim especially if it's only you with no cops or witnesses out in the sticks. I don't like strange, out-of-place dudes walking up to my truck window out in BFE.

One time in Wyoming, I was scouting for antelope in the sagebrush hills alone. I was 20 miles from the pavement, in rolling sagebrush hills in truly BFE country. I came over a hill and into a draw, and there was an older big 4-door car with dark windows parked there. I thought odd that such a vehicle was waaaaaay out there on a 2-track. Couldn't even imagine how or why it got there. As I drove past, it started up and followed me. And never let up. I thought maybe it was somebody lost and wanted to follow me out, but what an odd vehicle for WY plus WTF was it doing waaaaay out there in the desert. Maybe it was somebody hiding from the cops and was lookin' for a victim with no witnesses when the perceived opportunity arose. It even followed me thru rougher wash crossings and hills where it drug bottom. At each fork in the road, it followed me. I even chose rougher 2-tracks to try to shake it. Couldn't see inside it cuz the dark windows. After about 5 miles of this sheet, I had had enough and pulled onto a hillside above the 2 track. Grabbed my bonafides which is always on the seat next to me, hopped out and stood next to my truck and let the sunlight reflect off that beautiful stainless 629. The car slowed way down as it passed me on the original 2-track, studying things, and then accelerated and drove away. Never did figure out what that mickey mouse sheet was about.

Makes me all the more itchy to get my CCP...

Anybody in central Minnesota have a recommended place? The price to beat is $75 from a local guy.

Back in the day when fanny pack holsters were common I had a guy stare at my wife and me while acting like he was using a pay phone. I slid my hand in my holster ready to pull my SIG P220. The guy lost all interest in me and my wife. I didn't pull it out but he knew what was next.

Long story short: Had to take a greyhound from Fayetteville, NC to Detroit during an ice storm (no other way to get back). While sitting on the commode, two pair of feet held a conference outside the door and then the big pair of feet jerked the stall door open and clicked a switchblade. Only to stare in the end of a muzzle and exclaimed with a big pair of saucer sized eyeballs, "Aw shxt!", where as the little pair of feet behind said, "What's wrong man?".... Answer from big feet, "The MF done got a gun, be cool man, we be gone, we be gone!" Exit stage right at a high rate of speed.

What was funny was as I was coming out of the bathroom a city cop came in and asked me if I was OK. When I said yes, he said he had been watching those two watch me. I told him I had seen them also. He said they came out the bathroom door on a run, hit the front door at a high rate of speed, hung a right and by the time he got there, they were two blocks down the street and still trying to hit passing gear.

He said he was not going to ask me what went on in there (NC at that time did not have a CCW law) as he was pretty sure I did not want to explain. I agreed that I really appreciated that. He then said that he sure would like to discuss it over a beer sometime after he found out his police sergeant was an old military SF buddy of mine and that put things in perspective.

Couple others, but this one was funniest, "Bringing a knife to a gunfight!" even from a sitting position.

Same place I suspect. Elk Heights rest stop in 91. I was heading back to Anacortes after a few days of fishing some of the desert lakes. About 2330 stopped there. I was the only car except for one at the far end. I tucked my 1911 in my shorts, used the head and as I came out three latino gents told me to stop they wanteed to talk and one pulled out a buck knife too far away to use it. I pulled out the 1911 and their tune changed and said they were sorry and it was a misunderstanding. I told them not to move and dialed 911 from the pay phone (remember those?).

Troopers answered, I told them the situation and that I was armed and they had one there in less than 5 minutes. These guys stood there the whole time. He put the spotlight on us and asked me to set the pistol down and step away. Approached us for the story (and told the other guys to shut up). He checked my drivers license and saw my mil-id (no CCW then) and told me "thanks I'll take care of this, have a nice evening" and sent me on my way.

Key issue is not price, but quality of the instruction on CCW, use of deadly force etc.

Cost of the course is cheap no matter who gives it, compared to civil suit/criminal charges for pulling in the wrong place or circumstances!

I'll +1 that. Some of the CHL instructors I've met have been scary in their ignorance of the law, guns and shooting.

Not me but I know the lady who got into her car and found Richard Allen Davis in her back seat! She pulled out her gun and shot at him, but unfortunately missed. He had escaped from Napa State Mental Hospital.

In case you don't know this evil guy murdered Polly Klaas a 12 year old a few years later. He snuck into her house and kidnapped her. He had a wrap sheet a mile long and was responsible for California's three strikes your out law.

Punishment is increased for your second felony and when you break the law for a third time it's life in prison for you with no parole. This is where all the sob stories about someone getting life for stealing a pizza come from. The rest of the country needs this law accept that the punishment for the third strike should be death.

I have but the scariest one is the only one I'll tell about



this guy from Kenai comes up to FBKS once in awhile and we drink beer together. Couple of times I thought I was gonna have to plug him if he went for that last brewski.


He seems a determined sort, sorta Chuck Norrish, I'm not sure a bullet would keep him away from beer.

I'm a student of Massad Ayoob. I appreciate the advice, though.

Once, in early April about 5 years ago. A cold rain was coming down as I was pulling into the garage at lunch. I heard the dog go off and went to the back door to look out and there are a couple of young crack heads huddled under a tree. Soaked to the skin and freezing. They saw me and ran to the door and rang the door bell. The guy said they were hungry and needed some money. I told them to get the hell out of my yard, to which he replied 'you better just give us money...'. I told them to wait there and I would be right back. Came back with a .45 and the phone and said I was calling the cops.

The girl was only about 5'2" but I think she hurdled my 6 foot privacy fence. Cops caught them about 15 minutes later.

Well, the way I recall it...

The old man cupped one quarter in the palm of his hand and scratched the edge of another against it as he sat on the bench in front of Kelley's grocery.

He assured me that it would work.

So, later that afternoon I took up residence beneath my favorite hickory tree and gave it a try.

Sure enough, a few seconds later a grey squirrel came sprinting down the trunk of the tree with teeth bared and malice in it's soul.

A quickly aimed blast of high brass #6 from my break down Stevens 20 allowed me to avoid the humiliating tragedy of death by weresquirrel.

It fell at my feet and quivered there as I rapidly administered a coup de grace by slamming a pale green 8 ounce co-cola bottle against its head.

unfortunately, more than once. One of the funny ones, at least to me, now.
many years ago i had repo'd a vehicle from a guy out on bond awaiting trial for heroin trafficing. He was rather upset with me and threatened to "do me."
about a week later i was sitting in my car with soon to be wife about 10at night watching the submarine races. A car pulled in behind me with lights on bright blinding me. A voice said, "get out of the car." okay, i did rolling out with a .38snubbie, had him cold in my sights. AS i looked through the glare of the headlights i noticed the big ol sheriff's badge on his shirt.
At that point i told him if he wouldn't draw, i would lay the gun down. After we both put our hearts back in our chest, I explained the situation and why i reacted the way i did. His mistake was he had not lit me up, nor announced who he was. Not long after that i joined the S.O., and he became a pretty good friend. But i bet he never stopped a car again like that.

Couple times on 2 legged types.

Funniest time was on a dog though. My wife and I just moved into a tiny burg with about 25 occupied houses and nearly twice that number of deserted places. Had a dog running around the front and side harassing our dogs in the back yard. It was dark and foggy out, late in the evening in early December. I step out the front with a shotgun and go around the side of the house to chase the dog off. As I'm walking back, I notice a guy walking away, down our street with a bunch of Christmas lights in his arms watching me over his shoulder. Turns out he had been stringing Christmas lights on the utility poles on our street that night.

We didn't get lights strung on our section of the street for 3 years after that. Guess they didn't want to risk it around the "new crazy" guy's house.

Three times, flushed a rattler from the trail and had him head out about 20 feet and then come right back at me. Shot him at about 5 feet, he was still coming. Then there was the three bear in camp, the first two left after a couple of warning shots, the third started towards me after all the earlier shooting. Caught the neighbor boy in my yard one night, he was shortly after arrested for armed home invasions.

We practiced disarming people when I was studying martial arts. If the barrel of the firearm was against me there was a near zero chance of getting hit. We graduated to using blanks and with a shooter who know you were going to attempt a disarming move, still never got hit - yes, I know that was a stupid move but my instructor was a tad fanatical. My point here being if you do wish to hold someone at gun point keep your distance.

I thought this thread was not for me when I first saw the title. Did some thinking, and dredged up the memories of more than one incident , a couple of very close calls, and a time or two when I REALLY, REALLY wished I'd been armed.

Also had a weapon pulled - and pointed - at me a couple of times. That wasn't fun, either.

Yes, four times:

1) Grizzly attack in Montana in 1960. I was treed and needed to get back to the road to be picked up (7 mile hike) or I'd be left for the night.

2) A locksmith I was helping in 1962 pulled a 45 on a guy who was entering the basement of a goldsmith who the burglar had tried to burgle the night before - I didn't pull but was saved by the locksmith who did.

3) I pulled on a group of 3 who were blocking my route on a USFS forest and threatening me with a shovel. This was in 1983. I reported it to a ranger who said they had problems with marijuana growers and he'd report it to the county sheriff.

4) I was living in an apartment (1997) in Northern VA (just across Key Bridge from DC) and a car pulled up and I heard someone trying to break into cars in the parking lot. I stuffed a 45 into my waistband and went onto the porch. They threatened me and I pulled and said "Get going"; they did and that was the end of it.

The only time I fired was to kill the grizzly, but I'm glad I was carrying the other times.

On my way to meet my folks for a weekend camping trip in 1998 I was stopped on a corner crossing a bridge by a hippy with a german shepard. There were 40 or so others milling around on the bridge. I rolled my window down thinking something was wrong and he needed help. The dog jumped up on the side of the door of the F250 4x4, which sat high. The guy was screaming and basically being incoherent while the dog was barking a foot from my face. I was coming off three days of hard work and 7 hours sleep in the same time so my nerves were frayed to say the least. I calmly reached over on the seat and placed the revolver on the dash out of his reach but in plain sight of all who watched. He pulled his dog away, but never stopped yelling. The seas parted and I proceeded thru. A mile up, stopped at road construction, the road crews told me they had had their equipment sabotaged (sand in the fuel tanks, etc) and that there were hundreds of hippies camped out under the bridge.
I spent the weekend sitting around the campfire carving what I named my "Timber Town Tenderizer" expecting grand fun on the trip back out on Monday. Turns out the Feds arrested 300 hippies that weekend on various offenses, including charging people a toll to cross the bridge and robbing them.
Never got to tenderize any hippies with my big stick. Was a little disappointed at that.

Yep!

Gal told me once..."Ya got a pistol in your pocket there buddy or are ya just proud to see me?"

That's....been a while!!

Mae West?

Lived in two story apartment in a bad area many years ago. There were drug dealers, vandals, gangs and home invaders in the area. Late one night, there was banging on my front door. Not expecting company, I turned on the bedroom light and opened the curtain of my bedroom window, which was right above the front door.

When the two male strangers looked up, they realized they were beating on the wrong door. They took off like greased lightning. Boy, were they fast!

Might have been the SKS they saw me holding.

If you would, tell us about the grizz deal. A very good author friend of mine has quite a collection of stories like yours and I wonder if he already has your story.

Thanks

I believe that is the story where he was 20 feet up a tree in Glacier, and the bear's claws were inches below his feet. He shot the bear dead and walked out.

If I've confused you with another poster, I apologize djs.

I second that motion, Big Buck.

Then he surely would have been sent to the electric chair for about six months for even packin a rod in GNP. And then to kill a grizz with it??

Sure would like to read the story. You just might be right, BGG.

Good. Maybe he gonna bring us up to speed.

lolol,...

Back when I was immortal, I spent a lot of time hiking and camping in GNP.

The first time was in 1980.

I have some pics of myself posing beside some signs which read, "CAUTION! ENTERING AREA FREQUENTED BY GRIZZLY BEARS! BE ALERT!

It was all a big laugh to me until two young park employees were killed by a bear 1.5 miles from where I was camped.

I've returned a couple of times since then,...and a heavy loaded 7.5" Ruger Superblackhawk .44 mag was my companion on the subsequent trips.

I don't mind obeying the law unless it's apt to get me et.

Was going to wait and see, but figured nah. Here it is.



http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/6729661/3

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/6812539/3

My oldest Army son. While in Iraq, he used THIS Ma Deuce to scare away an Iraqi who got a little too close to THIS vehicle. The Iraqi ran away screaming like a little girl. Iraqi might have had a homicide vest. We'll never know.

Shot over about 3 Griz while working in AK. Always makes it entertaining.

Good on your son, Plinker. Hope he stays safe.

Thanks, BGG, for posting that. I remember it now. Quite an event!

This is a really good thread, best we've had in a while. Great stories, dudes. Keep 'em comin'.

This thread brings back a few memories of hanging with my Great Uncle (by Marriage) when I grew up in southern New Mexico in the 1970's.

His name was.......believe it or not.......Lacy Crabtree. He was a true badass, fearless.........but a terrific person to those that needed help and that he was close to and to everyday people. Very different character.........he strayed to both sides........all in a days work. Had tanglings with the FBI over flying his cessna at night over the border. He either loved you.....or didn't, if you know what I mean.

He was fired from the border patrol in his early days........for........you guessed it.......shooting too many people.

He was REALLY GOOD to me and I spent many summers living with him and my great aunt in Deming, NM.

He used to make and sell turquoise jewelry for a few years. Several times, I went with him to Albuquerque to a show at a convention center. He would hand me a couple satchels full of $100,000 worth of turquoise jewelry, and he would take a couple as well as we walked to the show in public. He would take his roscoe (a .45 automatic of some kind), and casually without words at all hand me one as well to carry in my hand unconcealed as a display to all to not fawk with us. Open carry was apparently legal, or maybe we just never got caught. I was all of 12 or 13 years old. It was fawkin' wild........being around a manly man.....right there in public.

One summer when I was living with him and Aunt Helen, a mex kid kept stealing his doberman which he trained to be mean to folks in order to protect his stuff. The kid would bring him back as "found" and Aunt Helen would give him some $$$ for his efforts. Well the kid caught on for a couple more times, but then the kid and dog never came back.

Unca Lacy heard thru the grapevine that a mex across the tracks had his doberman tied up in his yard. So one morn, Lacy says let's go. He lays his roscoe in the seat next to me and I was wide-eyed as I knew what was gonna happen. We pulled up in the yard, and there's the dog. Lacy gets out, and the mex comes out of his house and says WTF do you want.

Lacy says.........my dog.

Mex says nope.......this is my dog.

Lacy says......I don't fawkin' think so.

Mex goes back inside.......and comes out with a double-barrel 12 gauge. This is my dog, he says.

Lacy grabs the .45 and points it right at the mex......and angrily says "Its my gd dog, and I'm takin it now!!!".

The mex got the message and dropped the 12 gauge, and says "OK senior, you can take it.

Lacy had me walk up there and unchain the doberman who promptly hopped in the truck and we drove away.

Lacy would have shot him over that dog.......and of course, the principle of it all.

I was prolly only 14 or so. I didn't tell my parents about this one. My parents never, ever liked me hanging around Unca Lacy before or after this one, LOLOL.

Not putting him down immediately was merciful enough.

JOG,

Not sure if I get yer drift. Please feel free to expand on yer opinion.

C

Yes, I have, back in 1977. In the parking lot of a business I owned about dark one day, I came upon a fellow just as he pointed a rifle out of the passenger side window of his truck at my father. I pulled my pocket pistol and told him to drop it. He ducked, dropping his rifle just as I shot. I missed him, but put a .38 hole throgh his front and back windshild. Drug him out of his truck and beat the pure hell out of the SOB. He left the scene in an ambulance and spent three days in the hospital. Pointy toed cowboy boots will do a number on ribs and head. My father was able to live another 23 years only because I had my pistol with me and happened on the scene when I did. I am glad that I did not kill the SOB, but I would have been fully justified in doing so. What has bothered me was that I took a chance by yelling for him to drop his gun before me shooting. He could have shot my father before I shot, instead of ducking the split second before I did. Thank God it all worked out. My advice is when shooting is needed, then do it. Do not hesitate. Aviod the situation if at all possible, but if given no reasonable alternative, do not hesitate.

Wow and all you guys think I live in a [bleep] up place! Interesting read.

Not yet. Once I was of the mind that I wanted somebody to try something but I've gotten past that and hope that I never do have to.......but I'm prepared mentally, just in case.

I tried to tell Dorothy that you can't wait until somebody is kicking in your door to decide if you're up to the challenge...you have to decide when you're calm and do like Jeff Cooper taught. When you go to condition red there's almost no turning back unless the goblin flees.

I think I'm ready but am not looking forward to it.

even when they really, really deserve it

I've shown it three times, always with the result that the prospective perp decided to seek easier prey

"You heard me boy...jerk that pistol and go to work...skin that smoke-wagon and see what happens!"

Well done. They say presenting the handgun does the trick in most instances, and yours certainly fits that mold. Most bad guys are looking for easy victims. If it looks like you have the ability and willingness to fight back effectively, they therefore will typically retreat.

Nobody but nobody really wants to get shot. With any caliber. I don't even want to get shot at, even if he misses.

Yes, simply letting the guy know you are prepared to defend yourself usually gives them reason to head the other way.

That reminds me of a bluff I pulled one time.

I was walkin' to work about 5:30 one morning through an average-ish part of town .. not good but not "bad." It was close to a college campus and there were a lot of apartment buildings with open half-basement garages. No traffic on the side street so I was walking up the middle of the street 'cause light wasn't real good and I was uncomfortable with the shadows along the sidewalks. 2 guys came out of one of those garages and cut me off. I didn't say anything, I just "swept" my coat and reached for the back of my pants like I had a small of the back holster. They swapped ends and left. I was damn glad 'cause there was nothin' back there to grab but my shirt tail.

Tom

Fireball2 -

That sounds like the USFS bridge outside Selma.

Tom

I think the first time I was there was in 1980. We, wife and I along with another couple, stayed in cabins at St. Mary's campground but pretty much wandered all around on the west side but never saw a grizz. We have been there several times, came up on some pretty fresh lookin tracks and that was when I started packin heat there, only I was a little underguned being as mine was a Delta Elite 10mm loaded as hot as I dared but still never saw one grizz.

The most fun there was the Friday night hootenanny at the lodge in the north end of the park. Just the employees but they sure put on a heck of a show. I gotta go back there. Maybe this summer.