My grandmother was outside of her home returning from shopping with my brother. The door is on the side of the home and a crackhead had hidden inside the courtyard of the doorway. Brutally beaten to death with a hammer. Her gun was ten feet away-inside the home.

So that’s one scenario. Returning or leaving your home, working in the garage, mowing, etc.

I use this horrible situation to show why you should always carry, and have it on you. Sometimes I’m in The garage and have a shotgun under the workbench, but one little trip to the trashcan outside leaves me unarmed. Don’t do that.

If I have pants on, I’m armed.

I can’t tell you how many times someone has just popped up at the open door to my garage as they walked across the grass from the neighbors. Think solar salesman. It’s a good reminder to always carry, someone can be upon you in a second as you are working on the mower. And you’ll never hear them.

I vote for a dark parking lot. Happened to me when me and my family were approached in a motel parking lot. He was asking for "directions". Pretty lame excuse to get close to me because 1) I'm in a motel parking lot, good chance I'm not from here 2) Brightly lit corner store 200 yds away, good chance there is a local there. Despite me saying to stay the fuck away he continued his approach. I had a car between us so he couldn't see below my chest. But he certainly read my body language when I pulled my P6. He was off like a shot (no pun intended). I went to the office to report it, management was totally disinterested. As we left we saw the same guy at the corner store, slowly backing away from a pickup with his hands up. He managed to find 2 armed citizens in a row.

For me, its animals when out in the woods. And travel to our wonderful cities. So if anything would happen to me it would likely be in a large unfamiliar city and a robbery, carjacking, road rage type event seems most likely. Not much chance of a home invasion here.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
On a strap, Sam Browne-style, so that the pack rests on my right hip, and no one has ever even glanced at it, at least not that I'm aware. This is no exaggeration. In several years of wearing it all over creation, I have never seen anyone look at it, much less, ask about it.

Thanks.

RMD

Most likely in general, based on my anecdotal experience of working 911, I would say at home vs family/acquaintances/intruders is about even with carjacker/road rager/assault while out and about.


Some of the worst cases I am aware of from doing the 911 thing for thirty years were people at home where they thought they were safe and faced either “unknown” attackers or people who were previously “loved ones”.


Absolute worst case scenario - “The Carnation Murders” a case my agency handled in 2007. Three generations killed by an “angry” relative on Christmas Eve. Woman and her boyfriend killed her parents, brother, sister in law, and very young (3yo and 5yo) niece/nephew. Why? Because she felt she wasn’t treated as well by her parents as her brother was.

The sister in law (believed to be the last one killed if I remember correctly) managed to call 911 moments before she was killed. Other than screaming and unintelligible yelling, no info was given and it was treated as a 911 hang up call.

While I didn’t take the 911 call myself, I did have the task of reviewing it and trying to make sense of how it was handled (or mishandled depending on your point of view).

I posted a thread at the time that generated some very raw discussion about whether you could bring yourself to kill your own child in self-defense. In my entire career, that one call has probably made me seriously think about using a firearm in self-defense more than any other experience in my life.



I think “individually” the risk varies greatly depending on your place in life, your routines, and certainly where you live.

I am now retired, very rare for us to be out after dark or 8pm, avoid major “event” such as concerts, fairs, festivals, etc. and with the exception of an occasional camping outing or road trip am pretty much a “home body”.

I am a ways north of Seattle in a “safer” area and about the only time I go to Seattle proper is when I go through it on the freeway heading out of town or to the airport.

As such, the most likely scenario for me personally would be road rage or other confrontation while out and about doing my various errands.



As MikeinNC posted, if I have pants on, I am carrying (even at home) and if not there is one within easy reach (same room) as me. My EDC sits on the dining table between the kitchen and “media” room where we spend most of our time at home.

The P226 is at the nightstand, there is a P320 in the garage and a few others “stashed” around where they could be handy.

MikeinNC,
Thank you for your post. I have a couple people in my life that think I am a paranoid mess for always carrying, especially around home.
Had a guy show up on our deck and walk in . It was dusk and he had walked up our long driveway, so I didn't hear him coming. Yay, here I am standing at the sink doing dishes with no place to go. I had JUST fed the cat and had not re-locked the door . This guy was on some type of substance and adamantly wanted a ride to a city about 30 miles away because his vehicle was out on our road with a flat tire. ??? Loon! My husband was away, and I told the man that my husband would be back any minute. This goof was not accepting a "no" for the ride. Thankfully have never encountered this guy again, and my guess is that he didn't even know where the hell he was when he was in our yard. Thank you, little j-frame.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
On a strap, Sam Browne-style, so that the pack rests on my right hip, and no one has ever even glanced at it, at least not that I'm aware. This is no exaggeration. In several years of wearing it all over creation, I have never seen anyone look at it, much less, ask about it.

Woo! Definitely intrigued!
I do NOT carry a purse

I don’t know what is the most likely scenario, home, car, whatever, but I’m always prepared for the possibility.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
One situation that is potentially concerning around here, is the ATM at Publix grocery stores. Just about every Publix that I have seen has a walk-up ATM on the sidewalk outside the store. I don't use these, but I cringe every time I see somebody withdrawing cash with absolutely no situational awareness.

Yep, I was going to mention "Accessory To Mugging" as well. My local ATM used to be inside with a non-function door that you needed to swipe your bank card to get into (sounds sketchy now with all the skimmers). They moved the two terminals to outside walk-ups. Don't know the reason they moved it, smell, out-dated, or some liability concern if something happened inside. Yeh, walking up to an ATM is immediate condition orange. Pretty much live in yellow these days. Good thread. Risk of being in the wrong place at wrong time is low, but not zero.

quote:

Originally posted by bean357:

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
On a strap, Sam Browne-style, so that the pack rests on my right hip, and no one has ever even glanced at it, at least not that I'm aware. This is no exaggeration. In several years of wearing it all over creation, I have never seen anyone look at it, much less, ask about it.

Woo! Definitely intrigued!
I do NOT carry a purse

I carry a Maxpedition Fatboy Versipak, my EDC for nearly 15 years, I'm on my 2nd one (first one wore out). No one ever comments about it to my face, except a few times asking where they can buy one. It has never been stolen, misplaced, or damaged, not a single incident. Except when I go for my morning stroll with my dog, it is with me every time I leave the house.

I keep a low profile pretty much; hate to use an ATM that is outdoors (usually do the ones inside grocery stores) and never at night. Count myself fortunate that the biggest danger I could encounter (if you don't include riding on mass transit occasionally) are those big black nasty things with cotton-colored mouths crawling on their belly down home. The OP caught the most frequent ones. Thinking about a pack like Para's though.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
One situation that is potentially concerning around here, is the ATM at Publix grocery stores. Just about every Publix that I have seen has a walk-up ATM on the sidewalk outside the store. I don't use these, but I cringe every time I see somebody withdrawing cash with absolutely no situational awareness.

Outdoor Walk up ATMs are just an invitation to be robbed. There are only a couple drive up ATMS that I use, the type that are in the middle of a parking lot with no sight obstructions.

I just got a Fatboy Versapack so I'm going to figure out a way to carry with it. I'd like to have a few more items than just a pistol, like a small first aid kit and a multitool and of course a couple extra mags.

When I'm driving long distance I usually wear a cross draw with a Glock 43x, and if I have to go in somewhere that doesn't allow guns I take the gun out and secure it in my under seat safe. The little Smith Model 40 stays in my pocket though.

A scenario I have become more concerned about is being near someone who is themselves having a serious personal situation. e.g. A good friend is going through a difficult divorce. I spend time with this friend every week. Were the other spouse to show up while I am there and their emotions escalate, it could get out of control.

Though I would be extremely surprised if either of these 2 people would become violent, you never really know.

There is no way to know if someone in the immediate vicinity is going to be targeted by an estranged relative. It could be the store clerk, the barber, my doctor, etc., while I am interacting with them.

A neighbor couple moved here from another state to escape a stalker who had fixated on the wife. They've taken measures to hide their identities, but wherever they go in public the people around them are unknowingly potential victims.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Huffman:
I just got a Fatboy Versapack so I'm going to figure out a way to carry with it. I'd like to have a few more items than just a pistol, like a small first aid kit and a multitool and of course a couple extra mags.

When I'm driving long distance I usually wear a cross draw with a Glock 43x, and if I have to go in somewhere that doesn't allow guns I take the gun out and secure it in my under seat safe. The little Smith Model 40 stays in my pocket though.

In my Versapack, I carry a wallet, coins, cell phone, Leatherman, Spyderco knife, flashlight, monocular, a pen, 4X4 gauze pads, tourniquet, ACE bandage roll, an encrypted thumb drive with important files, and a Sig P238 with extra mag, both in the large zippered rear pocket. And I too use a crossdraw shoulder holster for road trips, it is far more comfortable than OWB or IWB carry while driving.

oddball tell more of that holster plz.

Here's a scenario for you. I was in WalMart yesterday, carrying two pistols and 36 rounds of ammunition.

Come running at me with a knife and I'll give you a few of those rounds, perhaps an entire magazine of them.

https://x.com/rawsalerts/status/1949225386484613340

I was just about to post about that Walmart mass stabbing event. Going to Walmart may need to be included as a likely scenario event for use of a defensive firearm.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
oddball tell more of that holster plz.

It is not a "holster", but a carry bag.

I was asking about the cross draw shoulder holster