TexasCHLforum.com

rp_photo wrote:A thinly-veiled robbery to say the least.

One reason they keep doing this is that too many citizens sheepishly comply. A step down on this scheme would be the window washers seen at intersections all over town. What angers me most is that so many people just pay them rather than saying "no thanks" one way or another before they get started. Has anyone ever felt the need to ready or draw when dealing with one of them?

The Annoyed Man wrote:

gamboolman wrote:And when Ms. gamboolgal has to dig around in her purse for her pistol.....it is more like the 121 foot drill

When you win that fight, let me know! The Annoyed Woman and I have been doing ‘round and ‘round about that for 8 years now, ever since she first got her license. She absolutely agrees every time that she shouldn’t carry in her purse, and promises that she’ll start carrying on her body. Every single time, I challenge her (diplomatically) about how quickly she would be able to (A) find, and (B) deploy her gun, if she found herself in that situation. Every single time, she tries to show me that she can get to it quickly and safely......and fails. Then she promises (again) to start carrying on body.

I’ve shown her videos of Tueller drills and discussed it with her. Whenever a member of this forum posts an experience of theirs here like the OP’s in this thread, I read it to her. She absolutely agrees that she would be in real trouble in situations like these if it were to happen to her. I read her these stories because I think she exists in a world of denial where things like this always happen to someone else, but can never happen to her. She agrees that she tends to deliberately ignore the possibilities......most of the time. But once in a while, she’ll tell me about how she was crossing a Walmart parking lot or someplace like it, and she either saw something suspicious, or began to game a scenario out in her head, she wonders how quickly she’d be able to get to her gun if she needed it. I remind her that one single change of habit would fix the problem, and she acknowledges that I’m right about it.

We’ll be heading over to my son’s inlaws’ house this afternoon for a big family Thanksgiving dinner. This morning, as I was getting out of bed, she told me she was removing her gun from her purse because she said that she wasn’t comfortable leaving her purse laying around there with all the little kids that will be running around that house. Again..... if she carried on body, this would not be an issue. It’s a Glock 43. It’s not like she’s trying to conceal a 6” Model 29. When she made her announcement this morning, I kept my mouth shut this time. It’s not a hill I’m willing to die on during Thanksgiving. It’s rapidly becoming a hill I’m no longer willing to assault at all.

Events such as the one that happened to the OP scare the bejabbers out of me when I contemplate the possibility of my wife being in the same position as the young woman that crew was intimidating. The only thing I can do about it is to be there with her everywhere she goes, but that just isn’t practical.

I wish I knew something that would get her to change her habit, but I’ve more or less resigned myself to there being no such thing. So, I pray for her safetey every time this subject comes up in my mind.

Soccerdad1995 wrote:

oljames3 wrote:

OneGun wrote:

Pariah3j wrote:lildave40 - sounds like you were thinking on your feet and handled the situation beautifully.

I would like to point out something, not as an attack on what you did, but more as food for thought. You have the right to meet force with force. They threatened bodily harm and had a weapon that could back that threat up. Now it sounds like they weren't within striking distance yet, so drawing your weapon and using it might not have been appropriate yet, but displaying your firearm I believe would have been within the bounds of the law - ie drawing it and leveling it at them while giving verbal commands or keeping it a low ready would have been justified IMO because you are meeting their force (3v1 plus possible deadly weapon and threat of violence). IANAL, this isn't legal advise just my understanding of the law. If I'm wrong, I hope someone can correct me.

I'm not picking you on personally, but I'm raising the question on this notion of distance. What distance is "striking distance" with a knife or a club? There are a number of videos showing that in an attack with a knife or club, etc. that inside of 15 to 20 feet, a person, even a police officer does not have enough time to draw from holster and fire before the attacker strikes. In my earlier post, I linked a video of police officers going through a knife attack drill and even trained police officers that attempted to draw their gun were unsuccessful inside of 15 to 20 feet. Another video, this time from Mythbusters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyDpIi5QNpw

Back to my original question: What is striking distance for a knife or club? Or how much distance to I need to draw my gun, even if I was a skilled gun fighter?

Too many folks underestimate the attacker's speed and overestimate their own ability. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E ... ger_effect

As an artilleryman, my preferred engagement distance is 18 kilometers; the nominal maximum range of the M109A5. Not having my howitzer with me, I have to rely on my ability with my pistol. Through training and practice, I know I can draw and get two A-Zone hits in 2 seconds or less at self-defense range. On my best day. However, in a dimly lit parking lot or other less than optimal setting, I think I will want to be at count 2 of my draw stroke when I feel "force is immediately necessary to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force."

OP survived, no one was hurt. Good job.

18 kilometers is way too close. My unit was equipped with 8 inch howitzers. 25 kilometers is much more comfy.

OneGun wrote:

Pariah3j wrote:lildave40 - sounds like you were thinking on your feet and handled the situation beautifully.

I would like to point out something, not as an attack on what you did, but more as food for thought. You have the right to meet force with force. They threatened bodily harm and had a weapon that could back that threat up. Now it sounds like they weren't within striking distance yet, so drawing your weapon and using it might not have been appropriate yet, but displaying your firearm I believe would have been within the bounds of the law - ie drawing it and leveling it at them while giving verbal commands or keeping it a low ready would have been justified IMO because you are meeting their force (3v1 plus possible deadly weapon and threat of violence). IANAL, this isn't legal advise just my understanding of the law. If I'm wrong, I hope someone can correct me.

I'm not picking you on personally, but I'm raising the question on this notion of distance. What distance is "striking distance" with a knife or a club? There are a number of videos showing that in an attack with a knife or club, etc. that inside of 15 to 20 feet, a person, even a police officer does not have enough time to draw from holster and fire before the attacker strikes. In my earlier post, I linked a video of police officers going through a knife attack drill and even trained police officers that attempted to draw their gun were unsuccessful inside of 15 to 20 feet. Another video, this time from Mythbusters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyDpIi5QNpw

Back to my original question: What is striking distance for a knife or club? Or how much distance to I need to draw my gun, even if I was a skilled gun fighter?