What you carry isn't the entire story

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Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
I know many folks who carry a gun. Unfortunately, I feel the majority of them don't have the proper mindset to use the gun they carry effectively.
I've been asked for advice by older women who even though they'd hunted or otherwise had firearms experience, had never fired a handgun. Nearly 100 percent of them wanted the tiniest, lowest recoil pistol on the shelf. When I tried to explain how difficult it was to shoot such a small handgun effectively, the usual answer was "Oh, I won't need to shoot it, I just want to have it with me".
When I asked how they intended to carry the piece, the universal answer was "Oh, I'll just put it in my purse". Another totally unacceptable plan. Sure, there are 'carry purses' but a small handgun just drifting around amongst the nail files and lip gloss isn't one of the good choices.
It's not just the females. Lots of 'macho guys' don't have a clue nor do they have the mindset to aim and pull the trigger on another human even though they fear for their life. I know a guy whole spent several thousand dollars to attend a big name 'self defense training course'. When he returned home, he told me without reservation that he wasn't at all sure he could use the training he'd just received. Turns out, he's just not of a mindset that allows him to shoot even to save his life.
 

jgt

Buckeye
Joined
Jul 30, 2008
Messages
1,000
Location
coleman texas
One thing that really helps is to be on the receiving end of an assault/robbery where the robber uses excessive force even though the victim is co-operating.
Rather than focus on one's personal mindset, they need to shift the focus on the mindset of the kind of person that perpetrates such action. If they think so little of themselves as to think they deserve such treatment then I volunteer them to take my place as a victim.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
The people(?) I see doing mash and grab car burglaries or FTF personal assault robberies don't think about themselves other than immediate aggrandization. Last year, I watched a dude sneaking up to my vehicle's passenger door in what I assumed was a 'grab-n-run' of my backpack in the passenger seat while I was filling the gas tank. He was reaching for the door handle(door was locked BTW) when I stepped around the front and told him he needed to be somewhere else. He jumped in his get away vehicle and roared away but 5 minutes later, the vehicle was cruising the adjoining Walmart parking lot looking for another victim. He wasn't at all concerned about the results of his actions and likely had no fear of getting caught by cops or of someone beating the snot out of him for his actions.
If he'd shown a weapon would I had shot him? Probably. I had my hand on my pistol under my vest and the front corner of my vehicle for cover while he had nothing but open ground. He'd have lost that confrontation and the area would have been better for the loss.
 

Paul B

Hunter
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
2,131
Location
Tucson, AZ
"
You can think you have the mindset or whatever you call it, but until you have you don't know if you can. Once you've learned you can you never want to do it again."

Been there and darn near had to do it. Case of mistaken identity. I wasn't who he thought he wanted to do in. Sad thing was I later saw a picture of who he was mad at and when my wife saw it, thought it was me. The gentleman was an ex-mayor of Tucson. The guy I had the problem with thought that's who I was. When I got home I ended up puking my guts out. As was said, "Once you've learned you can you never want to do it again." Truer words were never spoken.
Paul B.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2017
Messages
1,743
Location
Idaho
I have mentioned this before and seeing them in gun shops confirms my thoughts.
Cites and in the rural areas I have worked I have come across many crimes victims and if the victim has a gun they seem to want to tell me. Of course on hot calls dispatch asks them.
Far too many people have a small handgun stashed away at home, never used it or if did they still have the box of ammo mostly full. I always encouraged them to learn how to shoot it and take classes on CCW and self-defense laws. I was lucky to give them 30 seconds of helpful information. I doubt any ever followed up.
The gun shop part, look over the condition of pocket revolvers and pistols that are used for sale. Not many will show wear.
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2022
Messages
4,435
Location
Maryland
I have mentioned this before and seeing them in gun shops confirms my thoughts.
Cites and in the rural areas I have worked I have come across many crimes victims and if the victim has a gun they seem to want to tell me. Of course on hot calls dispatch asks them.
Far too many people have a small handgun stashed away at home, never used it or if did they still have the box of ammo mostly full. I always encouraged them to learn how to shoot it and take classes on CCW and self-defense laws. I was lucky to give them 30 seconds of helpful information. I doubt any ever followed up.
The gun shop part, look over the condition of pocket revolvers and pistols that are used for sale. Not many will show wear.
This!!! Half of the new gun owners buy a gun and a random box of the cheapest available ammo and consider themselves armed. They think their 12ga is a Claymore. Just point close eyes and jerk trigger and everything before them is shredded. Or they think their 9mm works like they do in the Matrix or something. Oh I've used that hundreds of times in my video games!!! Crap every new gun I get I run everything I have through. I know my P11 will FTE certain jacketed rounds because the squared off case rim hangs up on the lip of the round in the mag. Those same rounds are what I run in my Max9 because the rounds I use in my other 9's light strike more than I like about 2% in the Max9. I also consider all rounds in the Silhouette at 25yds my minimum standard in various drills. The LCP and P11 are adequate. The Max9 with a Crimson Trace amazes me. If I have any idea that I might actually be needing a gun I would and could of course up my game as needed.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2017
Messages
1,743
Location
Idaho
Talk about surprises when you fire a handgun for the first time. I was there when this happened, I was the range master.
An old timer back in about 1987 had transferred to the det.s All his career till then he was using a 4 inch S&W 28. We fired the 357s once a year on a day shoot.
Dicks were all given S&W 66 with a 2 3/4 barrel. He had been carrying it for several months but never fired it. His first time was a night fire and he didn't change to 38 spl target loads. After the first shot and he threw the gun. He thought the fire ball coming out the muzzle meant the gun blew up.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 30, 2022
Messages
4,435
Location
Maryland
Talk about surprises when you fire a handgun for the first time. I was there when this happened, I was thew range master.
An old timer back in about 1987 had transferred to the det.s All his career till then he was using a 4 inch S&W 28. We fired the 357s once a year on a day shoot.
Dicks were all given S&W 66 with a 2 3/4 barrel. He had been carrying it for several months but never fired it. His first time was a night fire and he didn't change to 38 spl target loads. After the first shot and he threw the gun. He thought the fire ball coming out the muzzle meant the gun blew up.
I've heard stories from an Air Force RSO about similar happening on handgun qualification days.
 

Paul B

Hunter
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
2,131
Location
Tucson, AZ
I once saw an S&W 629 6" go full auto. One of my sons in law was a big fan of the Dirty harry movies but has never sh a model 29 or 629. He asked to shoot mine with full power loads. I was a bit leery but he's a grown man so I let he load 6 of my full power handloads (Elmer Keith's pet load BTW) and told him to hang on hard. When he fired the gun rose in recoil and he pulls the ytigger and more recoil and he pulls one more time. I swear he got those three round is about a second and a half. I have no idea where rounds two and three went as they went way over the berm. He was as white as a sheet which is difficult being he's Mexican with a fairly tan complexion. He handed me the gun holding it gently with two fingers as if it just might rear up and bite him. I never could get him to shoot it again. That gun now sits in the safe, honorably (?) retired. Seems it and Elmer's loads just don't get along. After about 250 loads it had to go back to S&W for repair. When it came back it crapped out again at about 200 rounds. Back it went and I've shot much lighter loads in it since, on the rare occasion I take it out of the safe. My old model Blackhawk has run hundreds of Elmer's loads and has run trouble free. It too is semi-retired more in deference to it collectibility than for any other reason. If I want to shoot the .44 mag these days I have several Super Blackhawks and Redhawks to choose from.
Paul B.
 

Hankus

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 13, 2022
Messages
493
Location
Florida Gulf Coast
Even hunting and fishing looses it's appeal.
No truer words have been spoken; I didn't hunt for ~15 years after I left the Army with 11 years active duty. I eventually took up hunting again after I met my wife and "married into" a hunting club with ~1200 acres of prime hunting land in rural GA. I carry, and know what it means to take a life up close and personal. I don't want to ever have to do it again but will, to protect mine or those who can't protect themselves. I've carried for around 25 years now and have never found myself in a situation where I've had to even reach for a weapon. A lot of that is because of the way I carry myself. I know how to project a "don't f*** with me attitude".
 
Joined
May 1, 2022
Messages
834
Location
New Jersey
I know many folks who carry a gun. Unfortunately, I feel the majority of them don't have the proper mindset to use the gun they carry effectively.
I've been asked for advice by older women who even though they'd hunted or otherwise had firearms experience, had never fired a handgun. Nearly 100 percent of them wanted the tiniest, lowest recoil pistol on the shelf. When I tried to explain how difficult it was to shoot such a small handgun effectively, the usual answer was "Oh, I won't need to shoot it, I just want to have it with me".
When I asked how they intended to carry the piece, the universal answer was "Oh, I'll just put it in my purse". Another totally unacceptable plan. Sure, there are 'carry purses' but a small handgun just drifting around amongst the nail files and lip gloss isn't one of the good choices.
It's not just the females. Lots of 'macho guys' don't have a clue nor do they have the mindset to aim and pull the trigger on another human even though they fear for their life. I know a guy whole spent several thousand dollars to attend a big name 'self defense training course'. When he returned home, he told me without reservation that he wasn't at all sure he could use the training he'd just received. Turns out, he's just not of a mindset that allows him to shoot even to save his life.
FINALLY someone agrees with me.
 

DGW1949

Hunter
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
3,916
Location
Texas
You can think you have the mindset or whatever you call it, but until you have you don't know if you can. Once you've learned you can you never want to do it again.
I guess there's a fair amount of truth in that first sentence....The second though, in my experience it don't get harder, it gets easier. It does change a person though, I can guarantee you that.

DGW
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
When you have watched a human through a riflescope just waiting for the right moment to send the bullet, things change. You know what's going to happen. It's not an instant response SD sort of thing, it's contemplated destruction of a chosen target. After a few dozen of those, pulling the trigger on an immediate threat isn't a difficult response.
 

Garth69

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 21, 2017
Messages
371
The people(?) I see doing mash and grab car burglaries or FTF personal assault robberies don't think about themselves other than immediate aggrandization. Last year, I watched a dude sneaking up to my vehicle's passenger door in what I assumed was a 'grab-n-run' of my backpack in the passenger seat while I was filling the gas tank. He was reaching for the door handle(door was locked BTW) when I stepped around the front and told him he needed to be somewhere else. He jumped in his get away vehicle and roared away but 5 minutes later, the vehicle was cruising the adjoining Walmart parking lot looking for another victim. He wasn't at all concerned about the results of his actions and likely had no fear of getting caught by cops or of someone beating the snot out of him for his actions.
If he'd shown a weapon would I had shot him? Probably. I had my hand on my pistol under my vest and the front corner of my vehicle for cover while he had nothing but open ground. He'd have lost that confrontation and the area would have been better for the loss.
sorry things didn't work out. The world would thank you.
 
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