How to handle armed confrontation?

[John Brown]

You guys are lucky. We've got most of the crime up here! Cop killers and serial killers and rapists LOVE Washington, for some reason.

 

[huntpotter]

I don't typically carry unless I am in a questionable location, so any advice would be great!

I'm going to forward this thread to my pal, Paul Kersey, in New York. He should have some good advice on how to handle street thugs.

 

[SSG]

I think once you open the door to letting peeps walk up on you, put guns and knives in your face...letting them have your wallet...well are you going to let them rape you? Maime you? Knee cap you? Force you into a car, go home to rape the wife? Empty your bank accounts?

For me, when the weapons come out, it's a fight....I'll take my chances that I will drop him, that he doesn't want a murder charge, he will hestitate...run ect....

 

[Gunner3456]

To answer the OP, I'm not going to move into an area I don't know. I'm going to talk to people and the police to find out if it's a high crime area. If I'm staying a motel and I don't know the area, I'm not going out for a walk.

When I do walk, since I'm right handed, I always walk on the left side of the road. If people I don't know are approaching I cross the road. This puts my gun and strong hand out of their sight, and gives me more time to read their intentions. They now have to cross the road to reach me and I'll be getting ready.

After that I can't tell you what I'd do. It would depend on what developed. Too many possible scenarios. I don't see myself just allowing strangers to walk up to me and catch me off guard, and I don't see myself submitting to them, but you never know what all could happen.

 

[orygun]

One, I don't walk my dog in town, but he is a great judge of character and about as big as two pit bulls.
Two, I'm right handed, but my wallet is in my left rear pocket. You can guess what my right hand would be reaching for.
Three, I'd certainly be moving!!!
Four, my targets, when I practice, (which is often) are not large.

Scary dream. Hope it stays a dream.

 

[Will]

So much of the senerio goes to the moment in time. If you can keep distance between you and questionable people all the better. If you have two guns in your face at ten feet and there is a good chance all they want is your wallet then give it up. In that situation even with the distraction of tossing your wallet at there feet, you still have to draw your pistol and take out two armed bad guys who are already pointing pistols at you that won't end well for even the best IMHO. If your walking a mean looking dog these guys would look for an easier target. But Not everyone wants a mean looking dog, I prefer labs. I guess that is the heart of the issue, make yourself less of a target, be aware of your surrounding and if it looks wrong from a distance, retreat or take a different direction. If the senerio does happen it is truly a moment in time to decide if all they want is your wallet or more. No one can answer that until that moment in time. I hope you never are in that position.

 

[Decidion]

I think once you open the door to letting peeps walk up on you, put guns and knives in your face...letting them have your wallet...well are you going to let them rape you? Maime you? Knee cap you? Force you into a car, go home to rape the wife? Empty your bank accounts?

For me, when the weapons come out, it's a fight....I'll take my chances that I will drop him, that he doesn't want a murder charge, he will hestitate...run ect....

Exactly. The more you let them walk all over you the more they will.

Of course I am aware of the issues around once you are no longer in mortal danger, you cannot simply draw on them and drop them.

But as they go to leave (or are leaving) and you draw on them, tell them to stop, and they turn and draw/fire, what are the repercussions then?

I'm not advocating shooting anyone in the back, I'm advocating stopping them after the fact until LEO can arrive. And if they try to stop you from stopping them... well then I would think everything is on the table.

 

[glockguy]

Watch the Matrix.. learn how to dodge bullets

 

[56kninja]

Exactly. The more you let them walk all over you the more they will.

Of course I am aware of the issues around once you are no longer in mortal danger, you cannot simply draw on them and drop them.

But as they go to leave (or are leaving) and you draw on them, tell them to stop, and they turn and draw/fire, what are the repercussions then?

I'm not advocating shooting anyone in the back, I'm advocating stopping them after the fact until LEO can arrive. And if they try to stop you from stopping them... well then I would think everything is on the table.

Well.. If they're facing you. "Officer, they pulled their guns and told me they would take my wallet. I was afraid they would shoot me or my dog, and before I knew it I had drawn my weapon.. I swear I heard him say he was going to kill me."

If they are no other witnesses, then you're probably safe. If there were witnesses, you're probably still safe, at least from law enforcement.

 

[John Brown]

I had a death dream last night but it got me thinking...

Say you do not typically carry but you move into a new area and are not 100% sure you are comfortable in the area. So you go take you dog for a walk and decide to carry because who knows what the area is like as its all new. While walking there are (2) males walking towards you and you think nothing of it. Ad they get closer and about 10' away they both pull out guns and demand your wallet and threaten to kill you. What do you do, draw up against two men or hand over your wallet?

Then then again the same suituation but this time only one guy.

In my dream I tried to draw but ended up getting blasted away

I don't typically carry unless I am in a questionable location, so any advice would be great!

Read this again. Especially the second to the last line.

They already have their guns on you.

 

[SSG]

I came to the conclusion that I am one of the lions in the jungle, and not one of the zebras.

...if a lion walks up, he get's to fight the lion...win, lose or draw...that's the way it's gonna go down......

If a cop can drop a guy with a knife, gun, OC, taser ect...then so can I...

If the legal system, my neighboors, relatives, a jury, a malevelant anti-gun DA decide to make an example of me...so be it, then I am on the next plane to someplace else....simple as that...

Life is too short, I won't live it on my knees.

 

[spengo]

I had a death dream last night but it got me thinking...

Say you do not typically carry but you move into a new area and are not 100% sure you are comfortable in the area. So you go take you dog for a walk and decide to carry because who knows what the area is like as its all new. While walking there are (2) males walking towards you and you think nothing of it. Ad they get closer and about 10' away they both pull out guns and demand your wallet and threaten to kill you. What do you do, draw up against two men or hand over your wallet?

Then then again the same suituation but this time only one guy.

In my dream I tried to draw but ended up getting blasted away

I don't typically carry unless I am in a questionable location, so any advice would be great!

I'd try to draw and step sideways while doing so. If you go to a handgun class they will teach you drawing/shooting while moving. It's much harder to hit a moving target than a stationary one and you have the advantage of action vs. reaction on your side too. Additionally, even if you do get hit that doesn't necessarily mean you are immediately out of the fight. Moving will also minimize the chance of being hit in a vital area. Even if you are critically wounded you will often have a few seconds you could use to fight back. If you can manage to also incapacitate the bad guys, hopefully you will either have enough time to call for help or someone else will hear the gunfight and do so.

Also, I hate dreams involving guns. There are two types of gun dreams for me, one is where I get an awesome new gun I always wanted with all the tacticool I could ever want on it and then I wake up and realize I don't actually have it. :< The other is where I have to actually use my gun to defend myself and ALWAYS the gun either jams, breaks, or the bullets are completely ineffective against whatever I am shooting at and I'm all FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU


In my mind, I'm never gonna die in no ghetto. Absolutely never. If a man turns around and punches me in the head, the fight's on. If he cuts me, the fight's on. If I'm shot, the fight is on. I'm not losing no fight to no scumbag out there in no ghetto. Period. That's it. No sonofabubblegum out there's gonna get me. The only way he gets me is cut my head off and I mean that. I'll fight you 'till I've got a breath left in me. I don't think any of those animals in that street can beat me. You don't lose the fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFr30p0aZl0&playnext_from=TL&videos=UBM3u2_3zFs hehe...

 

[56kninja]

Also, I hate dreams involving guns. There are two types of gun dreams for me, one is where I get an awesome new gun I always wanted with all the tacticool I could ever want on it and then I wake up and realize I don't actually have it. :< The other is where I have to actually use my gun to defend myself and ALWAYS the gun either jams, breaks, or the bullets are completely ineffective against whatever I am shooting at and I'm all FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Not to derail the thread.. But that's always what happens to me in my dreams. Its like I shoot them and their zombies from resident evil and I keep shooting forever and they don't die. Or the gun doesnt work. Most recently I had a combination of the bullets not working and jamming. Where I shot my shotgun, the shell got stuck, however I loaded it again with the jam, fired, that one got jammed then I loaded again.

At least it seems the opponents guns are just as useless most of the time.

 

[phathom]

I also have those dreams. I had one where SHTF and and me and my family were trying to GTFO Dodge and I had to shoot people with my 870, only thing is the magazine cap kept flying off along with the spring, follower, and all my shells. That was really interestingly scary. Luckily for me in the dream I was able to confiscate some of our fallen troops' (the ones trying to put everyone into prison camps) M16s and those worked flawlessly. Soon after I built my M4

Really I have these dreams a lot, in turn I go out shooting a lot and practice timed drills and work on quickly drawing, moving, shooting moving targets, etc. I refuse to be a victim. I will not go down without a fight.

 

[Mattiosmaximos]

I always stay alert, I've done some work with the public, mostly drunk people. I never carried at work but I carry all the time now. I like the video, I'm of the mind if I am in a life or death situation I will take my chances and move and fire. My main concern is whats behind my target. I'm not going to open fire if there are friendly's.

 

[zeezee]

I had a death dream last night but it got me thinking...

Say you do not typically carry but you move into a new area and are not 100% sure you are comfortable in the area. So you go take you dog for a walk and decide to carry because who knows what the area is like as its all new. While walking there are (2) males walking towards you and you think nothing of it. Ad they get closer and about 10' away they both pull out guns and demand your wallet and threaten to kill you. What do you do, draw up against two men or hand over your wallet?

Then then again the same suituation but this time only one guy.

In my dream I tried to draw but ended up getting blasted away

I don't typically carry unless I am in a questionable location, so any advice would be great!

Maybe you should start thinking before they are close? My two cents, walk across the street, or up to someone's house & knock on the door. Put distance between the two groups, maybe palm your gun, get the safety off and prepare yourself. Getting caught flatfooted is your first and possibly your last mistake.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I had a death dream last night but it got me thinking...

Say you do not typically carry but you move into a new area and are not 100% sure you are comfortable in the area. So you go take you dog for a walk and decide to carry because who knows what the area is like as its all new. While walking there are (2) males walking towards you and you think nothing of it. Ad they get closer and about 10' away they both pull out guns and demand your wallet and threaten to kill you. What do you do, draw up against two men or hand over your wallet?

Then then again the same suituation but this time only one guy.

In my dream I tried to draw but ended up getting blasted away

I don't typically carry unless I am in a questionable location, so any advice would be great!

First, you should never feel comfortable in ANY area. Second carry a gun everywhere. Third, situational awareness should keep you safe.

Never draw against a drawn gun unless your absolutely positve that your gonna get shot. If you feel the need to draw then yes, move as you draw. Move away and at an angle.

This is one reason why I carry a BUG. A j frame in the jacket pocket with my hand on it gives me an immediate advantage. Hopefully enough of an advantage that I survive the encounter.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Maybe you should start thinking before they are close? My two cents, walk across the street, or up to someone's house & knock on the door. Put distance between the two groups, maybe palm your gun, get the safety off and prepare yourself. Getting caught flatfooted is your first and possibly your last mistake.

Something like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv_bnDeqYQg&feature=related

 

[Blitzkrieg]

First, you should never feel comfortable in ANY area. Second carry a gun everywhere. Third, situational awareness should keep you safe.

Never draw against a drawn gun unless your absolutely positve that your gonna get shot. If you feel the need to draw then yes, move as you draw. Move away and at an angle.

This is one reason why I carry a BUG. A j frame in the jacket pocket with my hand on it gives me an immediate advantage. Hopefully enough of an advantage that I survive the encounter.

By then it's too late. I've drawn a gun several times when I was sure attack was coming but had no idea that they were armed (mass attack, twice and once at a gas station against a drunk/high crazy) Stopped 'em cold!

 

[Gunner3456]

I like to think of the animal world and in this case wolves or any dog pack.

A strong and unafraid wolf will throw off lots of body language. He'll foremost stare you down. He'll raise the hair on his back, stick his tail straight out, lift his head, perk his ears, show teeth... Again, he won't take his eyes off you - direct unwavering eye contact.

A weaker one will put his tail between his legs, lower his ears, avoid eye contact, lower his head, slump his body down and slink along, and in the end roll onto his back and expose his belly as a sign that he's whipped already.

I want to look like the first one. Alert, erect, balanced, head high, shoulders square, eyes piercing and watching the threat... I don't want to look like a victim.

I'm also going to be turned somewhat away from the possible threat and my hand's going to be on my gun, safety if any off, and snap if any loose. He won't see the gun but he'll see the language.

What I do next depends on what he does and how many of them there are.

Who's gonna attack this, lol?