Have you ever had to use a gun ?

[winnie_the_pooh]

I did, once. I hope I never have to again.

Now that is the truth.

[Amit357]

[Oggie]

C'mon Al - elaborate please.

[Big Gay Al]

I was working as a security guard, in Chicago, 1980. He missed, I didn't.

[king234]

im lucky to have never been in such a compelling situation

[Big Gay Al]

I would give anything to have avoided it.

[adityang]

I had a jammed .22 rifle pointed at me when I was 16. I was senior under officer of my NCC unit and during a firing exercise one girl cadet pointed her rifle at me after it jammed. Although round has already been fired and the empty case was stuck in the chamber, it was scary.
Second time was 5 years later, when somebody was felling some tree in my yard due to misunderstanding of boundary mark. They were around 5-7 group and didnt heed to my request to stop till my father came. I just had to display my grand pa's old, junk muzzle loader to quieten them up. That gun wasn't used for ages and the barrel had visible cracks due to rusting...but a gun is a gun
Third was just two years ago when some rowdy land sharks started to pull down my sister's school! They had to stop midway for my father had his SBBL (with 50 odd cartridges) pointed at them. They had no way to know that it wasn't loaded or even cocked.
I have to admit though that in both second and third cases, I could have achieved same result without guns but you know...why take risk??

[Big Gay Al]

What is hardly, if ever discussed, is what happens to you afterword. Even if you're cleared of any wrong doing, there's the psychological impact, that just cannot be taken care of by a week off (with pay) and a little counseling. It was almost 30 years ago (June 14, 1980). And I still have nightmares about it. And yes, I've gone back and forth with various counselors over the decades. It still doesn't help.

But I will add this. If I were in the same situation today, on the job or not, I'd still do what I did, since the bottom line is, I went home that night, alive. Which is why I still carry a pistol for self defense.

[TwoRivers]

Just had to do it last year. Will say that having a gun pointed at his forehead turned a filth-spewing ex-convict bent on mayhem into someone with a very reasonable and downright pleasant attitude. He got the point without a word being required. That "come to Jesus" moment works wonders.

[drjones]

I don't know, I might be a psycho , but the bottom line is, there is a deep seated part of my brain waiting for it to actually happen....and a real good one . But iam certainly not a trigger happy dangerous guy, i have been through situations where one or two shots through the bird brain standing against me would have been legally justified, but I was calm, never showed him i had my .32 savage in my pocket. But the confidence the gun inspires in you is tremendous and has to be experienced. The more cool I was, more the other guys got scared. Not much talk, just a cold stare was enough. But, if only they had known how eagerly i was waiting for the final straw to break, mann the would have s**t in their pants cause I would have pumped all the 10 shots and the 11th in the chamber into them.
Dr.Jones

[Oggie]

Dr Jones - worry not - your honesty is remarkable ! Most of us fantasise about the triumph of good over evil - especially if its a goonda criminal element who has been terrorising citizens for a while.

[drifter]

in my uncles tea estate 8 years ago and found a car abandoned in the property at 10 pm, uncle and me had to investigate if there were bandits, he took his double barrel and I accompanied him, it was thrilling and errie at the same time. It all fizzled out after the search yeilded no one and the car had broken down..

[Sakobav]

What is hardly, if ever discussed, is what happens to you afterword. Even if you're cleared of any wrong doing, there's the psychological impact, that just cannot be taken care of by a week off (with pay) and a little counseling. It was almost 30 years ago (June 14, 1980). And I still have nightmares about it. And yes, I've gone back and forth with various counselors over the decades. It still doesn't help.

But I will add this. If I were in the same situation today, on the job or not, I'd still do what I did, since the bottom line is, I went home that night, alive. Which is why I still carry a pistol for self defense.

Al

Thats the truth something every one should be aware of the day after and wishing you all the well...

As drifter pointed out the thrill eerie feeling packing a gun lasts few days but once they have to be carried day in day out..its not all it is made out to be //agree with Al wish no one ever has to be there.

[ssmickey.32]

Well... a bad experience happened with me some 13 years back...

I was going with my wife in a huge market for some purchasing... unfortunately the shop we were looking for was on the outer ring of the shopping centre. We were walking together however I was a step or two ahead of my wife. Suddenly I felt some movement behind me... i turned around... and to my dismay i found my wife falling backwards as a bad guy was trying to pull/break the Gold chain from her neck - the chain was tightly digging into her throat and she was trying to somehow hold it - it was so tight that she was not able to utter a word. Suddenly it broke and the guy started running across the road. I quickly supported my [3 months pregnant] wife who told me that he has snatched the chain. I told her to stay here and i ran after the guy - the road was quite wide with full traffic on at 7:30 PM Oct/Nov time. When I started running, the bad guy had reached the road divider, when I reached the road divider - he was on the other end / across the road. He was right in front of me - we had an eye contact. He started running towards my right - I ran digonally through the traffic - in total we ran some 100 meters - both of us were running with full power but I was taller and a better sprinter than him - I caught him by his shoulder - he was very smart - he immediately stopped and took a step back and I being taller went a step or so ahead - we were some 6 or 7 feet apart - immediately he picked up his shirt and drew a ... i think 12 bore local make single shot desi katta [handgun] - it was very huge and painted silver in color - he, very smartly, in a wavy rhythmic pattern started moving his hand... that is what we call 'Katta Lahrana'... i swear... I was SURPRISED... on the look of a HUGE weapon and the way he moved it... i knew he's a professional and I am gone... after a brief movement 'lehrana', he pointed straight on my face - we had a direct eye contact - I knew one wrong move and he'll fire - in a full commanding voice I told him 'JAO!' [GO!]

He immediately flew through some road beside.... It was only after he flew some people came running... my wife also came running with those people and we immediately moved out of the shopping area and came home.

I wonder what would have happened if the distance between us was some 2 or 3 feet apart!!! 6 or 7 feet is tooo much against a pointed handgun to enter into a hand combat...

Now the story starts:

What would you do if placed in a similar situation??? Will you allow anyone to grab chain/purse or other valuables from your spouse and run away - & you will watch it happening desparately or you will run behind the bad guy only to find yourself across a revolver or a knife that he will not hesitate to use!!!

What do u say friends???

Best regards

ssmickey.32

[Oggie]

To be honest Mickey - that was a pretty silly thing to do ! The guy already had the chain, he was trying to get away ie he was desperate, you should have stayed put with your pregnant wife and not tried to play cop. Would be a different story if he was threatening her even after the theft and there was a possibility of physical harm to her or you. In that case my advise would be to not hold back at all. First try and defuse the situation if that's not successful and harm is imminent thenThrow yourself into combat mode. Use any and every means available to neutralise the threat.