Excellent piece. I especially intend to share it with friends that are “on the fence” about personal security and firearms.

Great read, thank you.

That is a one-of-a-kind article. A lot of value in it. I posted it a few years ago, and don't think I've read anything before or since that quite struck me the same way.

I didn't re-read it just now, so I don't remember if I got this next bit from it or not. When I have a shady character asking me for something, I look them in the eye and firmly tell them "You don't want anything I've got, buddy" and continue my way.

I've never had a second request after giving that line.

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I posted it a few years ago, and don't think I've read anything before or since that quite struck me the same way.

I vividly remember that, sir, as I thought for a bit that you'd written it from experience

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When I have a shady character asking me for something, I look them in the eye and firmly tell them "You don't want anything I've got, buddy" and continue my way.

I've never had a second request after giving that line.

Well worth remembering

Thank you! Sending to my daughters now.

I have posted this story before, but it ties directly to some of the points made in the article, so I'll repeat it.

Back in 2009, a few months after I obtained my CCW and bought my first real pistol, my family and I headed into a Taco Bell for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. I was driving my F-250 extended cab and 8' bed, so my turning radius is not too great. As I saw a parking spot on the left, I drifted a bit to the right to make it easier to align the truck with the lines. Just as I start to turn left, some asshole in a Camaro came racing around me trying to pass on the left and had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting me. I finished parking and exited the truck and noticed that, rather than head into the drive through, he stopped, with the window down and glared at me. I stopped and looked back, but made no comments, gestures or facial expressions. I felt his hate and anger. The rest of the family was going to stay in the truck while I got the to-go order.

I hate navigating through the drive through lane in my truck, so I rather park and enter. When he was giving me the stink eye, I got scared, and decided to go back into the truck and retrieve my pistol. I did not have a holster or concealed carry setup, I just carried it in a cheap LAPG pistol case, which I decided to carry into the restaurant with me. I did feel self-conscious, but I did it anyway. My assumption was the guy would go on about his business once I was out of his sight. I placed my order, and leaned against the condiment table adjacent to the counter waiting for my order. Directly to my left was a back entrance to the restaurant. Soon, two teenagers came in, followed by Mr. Stink-eye. The kids walked to the counter, looked around, and left. As soon as the guy came in, his gaze found mine, and locked in a stare, he marched straight toward me. As soon as I saw him, I un-zipped the pistol case and reached in, keeping my hand on the gun. I stood there looking like a little old lady at church reaching into her purse to get money for the collection plate. As he bee-lined toward me, I saw him glance down from my eyes to my chest, then back to my eyes. His facial expression changed from an angry look to I am not sure what, but at the same time he abruptly changed direction and walked out the front door, never approaching the counter or looking at the menu. I have no clue what he intended to do, but I am convinced he recognized what I had in my hand, and decided to dis-engage.

Several years ago my BIL stopped at a rest area in northern VA and as he was walking back to his truck a foreign (from a sandy part of the world) guy approached him asking for money. He told the guy he didn’t have any and tried to continue to his truck. The guy kept asking and that set of my BIL’s oh shit alarm. He quickly stepped to the side, turned and there was the scumbag’s partner with a piece of rebar about to swing. BIL pulled his pistol and the scumbags ran.

Sent to a few family members as well. Good stuff.

To echo Leemur's post, while traveling on Hwy 412 in eastern Oklahoma to see my wife who was in Springfield, MO, I stopped at a rest area to let the dog take a pee break. It was close to midnight and a van pulled in almost immediately and three guys exited and fanned out while walking toward me, I opened my coat and exposed my pistol which caused all three to immediately change direction and return to their van and leave.

That incident has remained with me to this day as Hwy 412 is known as "murder alley" to most people in Oklahoma and southwest Missouri. Thanks for posting that article.

Fascinating. Thanks for posting.

In the late 80's I was going to a New Year's celebration at a club in the Shockoe bottom area of Richmond. Parking was bad so I dropped my date at the club and found parking a couple of blocks away. As I was walking to the club I noticed 3 homeboys walking towards me on the other side of the street about a block away. This was before concealed carry was a thing in Va.
For no apparent reason the three crossed the street to my side and kept walking towards me. I knew I was going to get jumped and unzipped my coat to be able to move better. No sooner did I do that and all three crossed back across the street and broke eye contact with me. I kept my head on a swivel and walked the rest of the way to the club. They stayed on the other side of the street and never crossed back over. It wasn't even on my mind to "fake" a weapon but I evidently did so inadvertently.

Thank you for sharing this!

I also passed this article along, thanks for posting.

Excellent information.

Great article and thanks for sharing.

One of his comments hit me, and I am curious, if this is really true?:

"...Expect to never get your gun back. You may get it back one day but maybe not. Do not buy expensive guns for the street. Buy yourself a nice sporting gun if you want a nice gun. Keep your street guns basic. The factory Model 10 Smith and the GI 45 have done a lot of work over the years and aren’t fancy..."

Good read, thank you for posting it.

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Originally posted by h2oys:
Great article and thanks for sharing.

One of his comments hit me, and I am curious, if this is really true?:

"...Expect to never get your gun back. You may get it back one day but maybe not. Do not buy expensive guns for the street. Buy yourself a nice sporting gun if you want a nice gun. Keep your street guns basic. The factory Model 10 Smith and the GI 45 have done a lot of work over the years and aren’t fancy..."

In some, maybe a lot of cases, yes. You may eventually get it back, but it will have spent years in an evidence locker after possibly getting blood/sweat/moisture on it.

I’ve known officers involved in shootings to not get their guns back for 3+ years.

A terrific article, written without a "highbrow" attitude: gritty and streetwise.

One comment confused me:

"If someone challenges you after you indicate you are armed say “I don’t have a gun”. Then they will know you do."

When do you ever tell a potential perp that you don't have a gun?

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Originally posted by chongosuerte:

quote:

Originally posted by h2oys:
Great article and thanks for sharing.

One of his comments hit me, and I am curious, if this is really true?:

"...Expect to never get your gun back. You may get it back one day but maybe not. Do not buy expensive guns for the street. Buy yourself a nice sporting gun if you want a nice gun. Keep your street guns basic. The factory Model 10 Smith and the GI 45 have done a lot of work over the years and aren’t fancy..."

In some, maybe a lot of cases, yes. You may eventually get it back, but it will have spent years in an evidence locker after possibly getting blood/sweat/moisture on it.

I’ve known officers involved in shootings to not get their guns back for 3+ years.

Yikes. I guess I should not carry my prized Ed Brown for which I had to save up for many years. But then by the same token, the chance I am ever involved in shoot are pretty low.

Thanks for posting, I had not seen before.

Like thunderson, I also got to safety by "faking" I was carrying.

I was on a business trip to Philadelphia, and very late one night, half drunk, I made it back to my hotel from some bar, after detouring into the wrong area to get something to eat. I know I was being followed at some points and also being watched/marked by people hanging out in front of me.