Have you ever used your gun?

[dmv9]

I sometimes wonder how useful it is to carry. I know we are responsible for our own self-defense and can't rely on police to be everywhere.

So my question is... have you ever used your gun?

My answer so far in 50 years, no. So far, I have never needed it. It's extra insurance but so far never used it.

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[OLDNEWBIE]

Maybe those who have the foresight to obtain, train and carry a weapon, have a natural instinct to avoid putting themselves in risky situations. Of course sometimes trouble can find you regardless of taking all precaution but the odds seem low to me. That's why I haven't made getting a carry license a priority even though I plan to get one eventually. I mainly own weapons for protection during a natural disaster, major terrorist attack or some other breakdown in the system. WROL would suck without a gun! You guys who carry are two steps ahead of a guy like me who has to make it home unarmed if the shtf.......... You convinced me dmv9! I going to change my priority list.

 

[slimmer13]

And I have never been in a bad car accident so why should I wear a seat belt?

 

[kenboy]

I've never used my carry weapon in self defense but I've never used my life insurance either....

I refuse to be an unarmed victim.:gun05:

 

[WasrNwarpaint]

also depends where you live....during the Rodney King riots I lived in Long Beach Ca, I needed my pistol twice, no need to shoot but it did keep me from getting jacked & or beat.
also needed it to detain burglars inside the house next door after they broke in

 

[OLDNEWBIE]

I carried a condom all through High School and never used ........that's a different matter I suppose.

 

[Caveman Jim]

When I contracted telephone work I took jobs in Ca. (not by choice I'll tell ya but slow times up here) I was workin in La Puente (a real bubblegumhole) and twice gave them a view of my S&W to avoid trouble on the job!!!
I will always carry because it is part of what I do in everyday use, like carrying a wallet. Look at it this way, when I retired from the phone bizz I felt naked without my knife and snip pouch on my right hip!!! Took me years to get over that!!!

 

[dmv9]

6 replies and only 1 person answered the question. "have you ever used your gun?"

 

[Brutus57]

I carried a condom all through High School and never used ........that's a different matter I suppose.

hahahahahah, i had a steady girlfriend so I carried and fired often. Only thing that slowed me down was a ready supply of quarters :winkkiss:

Brutus Out

 

[chemist]

Concealed carry only become legal recently, and it's still virtually banned in many large states. Therefore, hypothetically speaking, if someone had the need to show a would-be assailant the business end of their weapon, it might not have been technically legal at the time, and so it wouldn't behoove such a person to publicly discuss the incident(s).

That's what's behind the vast discrepancy between Kleck's data on self-defense uses of firearms (4,000/day) versus the official law-enforcement numbers of something like 80,000 such uses per year. The overwhelming majority of cases involve no one getting shot, and thus the cops are never called. Why would you borrow trouble by calling attention to yourself?

 

[slimmer13]

6 replies and only 1 person answered the question. "have you ever used your gun?"

Everyday...to fill the empty space in my holster.

 

[simon99]

As a civilian, I have only "used" my sidearm once, thankfully didn't even have to unholster it. I was in a certain large city when two guys were following my wife and me. We both are concealed carry holders. They started walking up to us and were kind of giving us the evil eye. As they approached I pulled my wife to one side, reached under my long shirt and put my hand on the grip of my Glock 17. As soon as I did that, ( I made it pretty obvious) I saw their eyes follow my movements, they decided to take off.
I don't know exactly what they were up to, but I'm glad that I didn't have to draw my weapon and they decided to move on. Better safe than sorry.....

 

[Kid@Heart]

I use mine nearly every weekend at the range.

 

[deen_ad]

Concealed carry only become legal recently,

Perhaps a little more research is needed on your part. WA started issuing concealed licenses in 1938 according to Dave Workman's articles. My father had one in the 50's for his job as a State tax collector. The loggers around here didn't really like it when he showed up and asked for more money!!


Deen
NRA Life Member, Benefactor Level
Defender of Freedom Award
Second Amendment Foundation Member
Washington Arms Collectors Member
Arms Collectors of SW Washington Member

"A gun is like a parachute. If you need one and don't have it, you'll probably never need one again!"

 

[deen_ad]

The answer for me is YES:
Several years ago I had to take my 41' Type A motorhome to Michigan and Indiana for major work. On the way from Washington state to the above I passed through Wyoming. Since the state doesn't recognize my concealed carry permits I was not carrying my .45 but did have it close. I stopped one night at a truck pull off. Not wanting to be bothered by the running engines I pulled as far forward as possible and called my wife on the cell phone. The connection was poor and I got disconnected.
I started the generator to run the microwave and heat some dinner. As I looked up I caught a movement at the front window. Looking out I saw an Hispanic man was at my door, asking a question (after trying the door handle). I also noticed that there was a white pickup parked crosswise, blocking me in. Since I couldn't make out what he wanted I went to the passenger side window and opened it (I always have the door locked). He asked me in broken English how far it was to the border. Since it was my first trip through I didn't know and told him so. I went to look for a map to answer his question, as I did so he went back to the truck and started to rummage under the seat, I also noticed there was a second man in the drivers seat of the PU. I reached down and retrieved my .45 and stuck it in my IWB holster, in full view of them (very large motorhome windshield). I then turned and went to the back to get my 12 GA. By the time I got back to the front they were GONE!! Guess I wasn't quite discrete enough when I holstered my handgun. Gee, I hope I didn't scare them!! In over 25 years of having a CCW permit it's the first time I've ever felt that I needed to show a weapon. I drove another 100 miles till I found a nice, safe, quiet Wal*Mart parking lot, where I stayed the night.
Had they not left my next move would have been to start the main engine and push the pickup out of the way. 435 HP and 1200 ft lbs of torque in a rear engine will let you do that!


Deen
NRA Life Member, Benefactor Level
Defender of Freedom Award
Second Amendment Foundation Member
Washington Arms Collectors Member
Arms Collectors of SW Washington Member

"A gun is like a parachute. If you need one and don't have it, you'll probably never need one again!"

 

[Stomper]

Couple years (or so) back two Latino thugs were kicking the gate to my driveway and throwing stuff at my dog because he barked at them as they were being quite boisterous and noisy as they walked down the sidewalk in front of my house.

I came out on the sidewalk and told them to stop kicking my fence and throwing stuff at my dog. They told me to F-off and that they'd kick my a$$, as one started to drift to my right while the other was verbally engaging me, obviously attempting to flank me and jump me from two sides at once.

I thanked them for threatening me, and that now I could legally shoot them. I drew my Glock-30 and they froze stiff in their tracks, so let them stare down the bore for about 10 seconds (or so) as they were pi$$ing themselves. After that I told them to beat it, and don't come around here again. I've never seen them in my neighborhood since.

When I shared this event back then I got called a "mall ninja" and was basically told I was full of crap by a few posters in that thread... Whatever.

 

[hikepat]

Used once without need to fire just had to pull it out and attacker went looking for easier target

 

[Squidly]

No. Not even once after 33 adult years of gun ownership.

 

[billdeserthills]

I use mine all the time to open these pesky bottles

 

[Kruel J]

Three times. No shots fired. The details are quite meaningless as everyone went home (and bad guys went to jail). I am thankful that I didn't have to fire. But I would have.

Not LEO. Just the wrong place at the right time. At a time when I couldn't afford to live anywhere else.