This is going to be a given for law enforcement, but I would like to know from regular citizens. Were there any events in which you had to draw your weapon on someone?

Share your stories.

I took a few shots at prairie dogs with my 1911 in the IWB holster if that counts...

I don't have a CCW, but I have drawn on a couple people from inside my truck... the road rage people have down here is ridiculous.

No, but came close to in a couple occasions.

On a bikeride on a country road with my wife and infant daughter, I shot the ground in front of an aggressive pair of dogs that were chasing us. My wife's chain had broken as we saw them come at us. We were sitting ducks, and those dogs weren't playing around. After a 230gr. .45ACP hit the dirt in front of him, doggy and his buddy decided to go home.

I had to put my hand on my gun and tell a guy to stop once. He was approaching me as I was unloading groceries from my car. He was a 20 something mexican guy with bushy hair, an oversized jersey, sweat pants, and his hand behind his back concealing somethingin his shirt and pants. He approached me quickly asking for a ride and some other nonsense. As I had parked I saw him and his buddy walk by drinking with a couple hood rat girls. I knew they were up to no good, and as he started getting too close I told him to stop, and put my hand on my pistol. I watched his brain literally reset in front of me. He started mumbling about seeing his baby and some other unrelated things as he backed away. I never did see what he had hidden behind his back. Later my friend ran down and said he had evicted that guy six months earlier, and found drug paraphenelia all over. The police never showed up after I called them about four times. (In their defense they were really busy that nightand they are really understaffed).

Maybe so, but you know they'd never be too busy to throw you behind bars if you had needed to shoot him.

so even if the guy had a knife in his hand and he shot him, they would have tossed him in jail?

TwiceI have had to flash it.   I take a walk everynight after work.  My area is not that bad but it is prone to drunken collage kids that want to prove them selfs.
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I've only had to point a firearm at a human being one time in my life as of now. No shots were fired, hope I never have to do it again.

My gun has been like a good luck charm that keeps instances that would require its use from ever happening.  

so even if the guy had a knife in his hand and he shot him, they would have tossed him in jail?

There's a decent chance, yes.  Unless you're just about bleeding to death as you're shooting back and calling the cops, there's always a half-decent chance.

Unless you're in a house (when in a state with a "castle doctrine" kind of law) or live in a state that doesn't have a "Duty to Retreat" law.

For those that have had to draw, a question...

The adrenaline in a situation like that must be intense.  Did you find yourself shaky during/after?

The 1st time I had to go for my gun yes.  I was shaking but only my knees.  My arms were locked in place.  The second time all I had to do was put my hand on the gun.  The agressor changed his mind quickly.  I thought nothing of it untill a couple of hours later.

There are many times I was glad to have it.  Never have I had to show it or draw it, but my hand has found it's way under my shirt a couple of times.  I really hope I never have to draw it.  

I was out walking the dog one night when we passed a car fwith four  "young, males" parked with the lights off on a side road.  After we passed they pulled out behind me, passed me and parked again ahead of my path.  I passed them again, and they did it again.  At this point, my right hand found it's way under my jacket.  As the dog finished her "business" I pulled out the phone and called the cops, but still kept my hand under my coat. While we walked back, they passed me and parked ahead of me three more times.  I flagged down a girl from my complex who was about to go for a jog down that road alone and told her what was going on.  She got spooked and decided to go jog on the treadmill, and walked back with me.  As we turned back into my complex and they took off towards the main road.  The cops never did bother to show up.  

I'm 6'3 about 250.  The dog is a hundred pound rottie, and I had a gun.  I wonder, if that very pretty, 110 pound, 21 year old jogger  from the apartment complex had gone down there alone if it would have ended differently?  

My guess is that if I ever have to draw, it'l be for a four legged attacker rather than a two legged.  I do my best to avoid situations that would leave me vulnerable to teh two legged kind.  But, I'm still glad I have it.  

Quoted: For those that have had to draw, a question... The adrenaline in a situation like that must be intense.  Did you find yourself shaky during/after?

Not during I went into training mode but after I was a little shaken. No shots fired. It was a botched carjacking....sorry for botching it

Killed an aggressive 4-foot water moccassin with my Kahr PM9 a few months ago while bass fishing.  That was it.

Didn't get it until the last shot and it went right through it's heart.  Good thing I carry one in the pipe.

I'm so mean bad guys shake in thier boots at the sight of me.
At least that's my story........and I'm sticking to it.

i am really glad to hear that none of you guys had to actually shoot someone. it makes me feel good hearing your stories about not even having to pull the gun out and preventing something from happening. who would have known what would have happened if you had not had protection against those younger guys, or against the guy at the market  w/ his hand behind his back. all of these sound like situations that might had the potential of becoming ugly, had you not had protection.

lets hear more!

Quoted: For those that have had to draw, a question... The adrenaline in a situation like that must be intense.  Did you find yourself shaky during/after?

During I don't know/remember. After, HELL YES. Smoked quite a few cigarettes trying to get the nerves in check.

On women. hock.gif Nightly.  I call it the man hammer.

NO.

in FL if you use the gun in a threatning manner its aggravated assault. so the whole "flashing" is a bad idea here. which means if i ever do draw i will, at that exact moment, sadly have every intention of firing. i can think of about 3 times that i either got a firing grip or when i was in my car removed my BUG and put it under my right leg for easy access.

I dont honestly think anyone who HAS shot someone is gonna post up with it - they guys i know that have arnt keen on sharing.

I have had to show mine and yes I was going to shoot them but they backed down. One time was some dirt bags up in the mountains and the other was gang bangers with clubs, about ten and they stood across the opening in the parking lot that I had to go out of. I reved my engine and set my pistol on the dash and they parted like the red sea. Actualy that time I more likely would have used my truck as my wepon instead of my pistol. I was going to go gang banger bowling and my truck was the bowling ball.

While making a withdrawal from a walk-up ATM late at night I was apporached by 3 Hispanic young men who wanted to fill out their personal loan request with a baseball bat.  I had to submit a refusal for funds through Mr. Beretta.  

No shots were fired...

I was going to go gang banger bowling and my truck was the bowling ball.

Hehe, nice quote there.

Quoted: For those that have had to draw, a question... The adrenaline in a situation like that must be intense.  Did you find yourself shaky during/after?

For me, after I shot at the dogs, I was fine, just relieved that they went away. After the incident with the thug by my car, I was really shaky. I could barely dial my cell phone. Suprisingly, during the confrontation I was really cool, and in complete control of my body. I did a few things wrong during that scenario, but I lived to think about them and hopefully correct them in the future.
I'm still curious about what he had behind his back. He backed away from me so I couldn't see it. As he jogged away once he felt safe enough, he stayed at an angle so he could see me, and I couldn't see behind his back.

Not yet and hope I don't ever have to!

I have pointed a weapon at countless people, but only once when I was not in some type of uniform. I was off duty and another officer was fighting with a guy in front of a grocery store. The officer, who recognized me, was glad to see me and my .40 pointed at the bad guy.

I am a Police Officer and I will definately take the side of a CCW carrier over someone else so long as there is no evidence against the carrier.

I have had four incidents I can remember in the 20 years I've been able to carry concealed where I had to "use" my pistol.

First one was pretty scary.
It was a hot summer nite and I was sitting at a RR crossing waiting for a train to cross.
There was a car in front of me and four more in back of me.
Windows in the truck were down and they were crank windows.
I was sitting there and I noticed this guy walking along the sidewalk.
He was acting really wierd, looking into other cars and such and for some reason, he suddenly walked off the sidewalk and started walking up on my truck from the blind side.
I lost him in the back mirror for about 5 seconds and then caught some movement in the side mirror.
I reached under the seat and drew my 941 Jericho out of the holster and put it in my lap.
I am pretty sure he didn't see me do it because of the back post on the truck blocked his vision.
As he came up to the window, I flipped the safety off.
He must have either heard the click or saw the pistol in my hand, because he made beeline towards the sidewalk again.
I got lucky because the train got done passing and I drove off.
I am sure he was up to no good and I was going to be a victim.

Second incident happened shortly after that.
Was going to a gun show with a buddy in the same truck, which was a Toyota. Very small for two big guys.
I had the same pistol in the same place.
There was a KKK meeting in one of the towns near us the day before.
They were protesting the Amish in our area and it was areally big media scene there.
So, as we are tooling down this 4 lane freeway, we see this really old, rusted out 74 Lincoln Contenental coming up in the fast lane like it is on fire.
This car is then all over the place on the car behind us.
He cuts the guy off, the other car then passes him and then he is in the fast lane again making a beeline towards us.
I figure he will just blow by, but he gets up next to us and starts blowing his horn.
As we look over, they flash some KKK signs at us.
We try to ignore them and they pass us by and then get into our lane and slow down.
We get in the other lane and I try to pass them.
They give my friend the same treatment.
They then get behind us, get int he other lane and come up for another pass.
This time, the window goes down and a hand appears with a handgun.
It was a chrome plated Lucern.
I reach down and pull out the Jericho and flash it at them.
The car starts going all over the place and then speeds off.
My buddy then says "I guess they didn't want to play".
I look over and he had drawn his Glock out and flashed them too.

The other two times involved having to put animals down.
One was a deer that had gotten hit and the officer was kind of leery about popping it with a 9mm.
I pulled out the .45 and offered to do it for him.
One well placed shot was all it took.
The other time was when our barn caught on fire and we lost a bunch of pigs.
Some were still alive and the firefighters thought a .22 would take care of it.
Problem was, the wounded pigs wouldn't let them get close to put the rifle next to their ear to do it.
They tried hitting them in the head and they were not going down.
I pulled the .45 that I had stuck in the small of my back as I got there and finished the job.
Was very impressed with the Gold Dots I used.

Sorry this took up so much.

Once. I was a Marine Sergeant stationed in Dallas Texas. I clerked part time at a 7-11 to make enough to feed my family. A car stopped right in front of the door with a full load of teenage boys. The boys had their heads set on a swivel and the car was running. I drew my .38 rossi revolver and put it under the counter. The boys waited for the store to clear out.

One boys got out of the back of the 4door leaving the door open. Every spider sense i had was tingling at full throttle. I grabbed the butt of the revolver as the kid entered the store. His hand was inside an unlined denim jacket and was pulling something out of it. I drew the revolver and put the front sight post center mass and ordered him in my best Sergeant of Marines Voice to "Freeze". He stopped with his hand out of the jacket holding a PLASTIC pistol. The muzzle had not cleared the jacket so I did not fire. I thank GOD that kid didn't get the toy gun clear of his coat before I drew. If the muzzle had cleared the coat I would have killed him.

I found out from the parents of the boys that they were only trying to pull a prank. "Dude! Wanna see the look on this guys face when  you pull a gun on him." The parents put all four on house arrest for a year.

I did not prosecute or even call the Police. Texas law said CCW was OK, but 7-11 policy was no guns. I needed the money to augment my meager GI salary.