If you are going to own a gun........

[SCfromNY]

First and foremost is getting rid of the TV/Police mentality. Your handgun is NOT a magic wand. You can not wave it and make people do what you want or make things better. You are not LE therefore NOT required to ask,"Please drop your gun."

BG "Drop your gun!"

GG BANG BANG Repeat until you are safe.

Be the first to act.

[CDR]

I have never shot a person, and I have never drawn on a person, so I don't know if I could actually pull the bang switch if I needed to .  However, it is something I consider everytime I put the the leather and steel on!  From having taken gun and light out on the yard when possible threat is there, I do know that I go into a different mind set than I experience any other time (the buzzer in competition is a very similar sensation).  I do believe that being in the position of this person I would empty the mag ... I hope I never have to prove it, but if I didn't believe it I wouldn't carry.

While training is very important, I put #1 as the mindset that you are willing to risk your own life and take another life, to protect yourself and loved ones.  If you can't say that you are willing to try you have no business picking up the tool in the first place.

m58........VERY well said and written.  I feel precisely the same as you and concur with every word you wrote.  I's a feeling that I'm sure many of us have but is really hard to express.  Thanks for putting it into words....well done sir. 

[tt11758]

Mike:

Based upon the logistical reality of your location I think you did the best that could have been done, short of simply calling LE and hiding until they showed up.  The problem with that scenario is that, in rural areas such as ours it could well be half an hour or more before someone was able to reach your home, especially in a low-priority call like a stranded motorist.  In that time, what is the guy outside doing?  Is he really a stranded motorist, or is he moving everything that isn't nailed down from your machine shed to a truck that was parked somewhere outside your field of vision?  Or worse, is he scouting around your house, trying to find the easiest way to get inside to turn you and Audrey into statistics?  We do not live in a perfect world, and based upon my experience, I believe that you made the best imperfect decision available in an imperfect situation.

The physical changes you describe are something with which I am familiar.  In my former LE career I have been forced to look at somebody over a gun sight on more than one occasion, and to even introduce the booger hook to Mr. Bang Switch on one occasion.  In that instance I waited a fraction of a second longer than I should have.  All I can say is thank God for kevlar.  And I can assure you that, God forbid, should another situation arise, that hesitation will NOT occur again.