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Just got this in from John Farnam - awesome stuff and lessons learned:

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10 Mar 09

A student emerges victorious from a dangerous confrontation:

"Back in 2000, you provided handgun training to a large class, including me.
I had been a target competitor for many years, but your class changed my paradigm to serious, tactical application, rather than casual recreation.
Two things stuck with me most: (1) Spin your OODA Loop quickly, and (2) when a fight is unavoidable, be stitching and moving!

NOTE: (OODA is a defensive mindset which is taught to react properly in a survival situation and "stitching" is also called the Zipper technique which a defensive tactic used with low powered handguns)

Thank you! That philosophical shift saved my life this last February!

Late on a weekday afternoon last month, two home-invasion suspects kicked in the front door of my home, as I sat watching television. I was alone in the house at the time. There was no warning, nor did I have any reason to suspect such a thing would happen to me that day, or any day. I remember being astonished as I saw the bottom of a foot still raised as my door lurched open, amid a shower of splinters!

The door-kicker, and an accomplice, burst in, and, seeing me, rushed toward me. I was wearing my G38 (45GAP) in a Comp-Tac holster. It was loaded with WW 230gr Ranger ammunition. I sprung to my feet and drew my pistol simultaneously. At a distance of less than eight feet, I found my front sight and began firing at the closest suspect, while I was still in motion.

As it turns out, I fired seven shots. All seven struck the first suspect (the door-kicker). His accomplice was behind him and immediately fled, unharmed as far as I know. In fact, he fled in such haste that he abandoned his getaway car, leaving the engine running! Police subsequently found much stolen property in the car.

The suspect I shot stumbled backward and fell in the doorway, never moving after he went down. I scanned, reloaded, took cover behind a corner, and checked myself over. When police arrived, they found the suspect I had shot, DRT. The second suspect has not been arrested as far as I know. I was unhurt.

Of the seven hits on the first suspect, one in the neck and one in the chest proved fatal. I was told that either of those two shots would probably have been fatal by itself. Being cold at the time, both suspects were wearing heavy clothing, and multiple layers of clothing frustrated expansion, and penetration, of the other five. They may have been effective, but I'll never know.

Here is what others among your students can learn from my experience:

(1) When at home, stay armed! If my gun had been locked in a safe, or even in a drawer and unloaded, I never could have reacted effectively in time.
Be armed all the time, no matter where you are!

(2) Multiple shots from your pistol will probably be necessary to stop any fight decisively, no matter what caliber or brand of ammunition you're using.
As a category, pistols are poor fight-stoppers. Accordingly, pistols that hold lots of ammunition, and that can be reloaded quickly, represent a real advantage!

(3) Be prepared to react instantly! Sometimes, there are warning signs.
Sometimes, there are none! In order to live through your next lethal encounter, you'll have to be able to spin your OODA Loop fast.

(4) Finish the fight! Don't relax too soon. Scan, reload, get distance, get cover. Be prepared for anything!

(5) Whatever you do, it won't be perfect! Don't worry about being perfect.
Just act decisively, without hesitation. Do what has to be done, with grace and enthusiasm. Don't look back, and don't worry about what might have been!"

Comment: I'll add:

(6) Use ammunition that penetrates adequately! Your bullets may have to plow through many layers of clothing before ever reaching flesh, as was the case here. There are many fine, high-performance rounds available, but Cor-Bon DPX tops the list, because it penetrates and expands, without fail! It's what I carry.

My student is a real hero. He dared, and he won.

Victory!
 
Did this story hit the news?

What do you think? Of course, if it did, the headline would read "Psycho kills houseguest at point blank range." - When an unarmed man knocked on the door, an enraged homeowner emptied his handgun in murderous rampage, hitting the victim seven times, fatally wounding the man....... News at 11...
 
What do you think? Of course, if it did, the headline would read "Psycho kills houseguest at point blank range." - When an unarmed man knocked on the door, an enraged homeowner emptied his handgun in murderous rampage, hitting the victim seven times, fatally wounding the man....... News at 11...

Seriously, I would like to know and see the actual view taken by the media if they did pick this story up.
 
Seems like you hear about the "door kick-in" a lot these days. I wonder if these dirt bags think that the shock and awe of this technique works better?

I had a kid (late teens) walking into my apartment before I saw him standing there. I looked at my shotgun and didn't think it would be appropriate to pick it up and scare the kid. But now I'm thinking I should have been on guard just to be safe.

He said "I must have the wrong place", which I find very suspect.

-Anthony
 
Here is what others among your students can learn from my experience:

(1) When at home, stay armed! If my gun had been locked in a safe, or even in a drawer and unloaded, I never could have reacted effectively in time.
Be armed all the time, no matter where you are!

After reading this thread today I decided to keep handgun on my hip all day. Anything can happen at any time. Thanks ofadan for relaying that message to us.:s0155: Can't wait to continue my training at OFA soon.
 
There are three questions no one can ever answer for us:

1. Who a threat might be? - it could be anyone, young, old, male, female, one, two, or ten.

2. When or where an attack might take place? This isn't the first home invasion and won't be the last, attacks happen in churches, at work, at soccer games, in the park, while shopping, at a movie...

3. What it is going to take to stop the threat? You may have to use every strategy in your use of force ladder/matrix and/or ever tool and tactic you've practice or it just may take effective situational awareness. Don't know.

This is no big surprise...this sorta thing happens all the time...unprovoked attacks have been taking place since Cain attacked Abel.
 
I carry or keep my firearm at reach at all times, home and away. One of the tactics the bad guys like to use is a female to knock on your door, early morning with car trouble. Once you open the door, you find out she's not alone. I wont open the door for anyone I don't know, unless I can fully see whats going on. The other one that worries me, is I am disabled and don't walk well, so getting to the door can take a while for me. Most burglaries take place during the day, the burglars will knock or ring the bell, wait a few Min's. and break in. Being disabled I am home all day, so I try to be right there if some comes to the door. I am not paranoid, nor do I live in fear, I am just very aware of what can happen when you let your guard down. I also have dogs, which helps me know if anyone is around, but there have been those times that people have made it to the door with out the dogs barking. There is no substitute for training and staying alert.
 

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