I’ve never been in that bad of a situation while I was allowed to carry. Around 20 years old, I was making an early morning copy paper delivery to the Salvation Army on the south side of Chicago. Someone walking on the sidewalk took objection to the fact that I was Caucasian & he proudly announced it as he was walking towards me.
I was stacking copy paper onto a 2 wheel dolly from the back of a van. The best I could do was grab the tire iron and set it on the bumper. I really thought I was going to have to use it. Another guy was just leaning on the building saying “It’s just business man, he’s just doing business”. So the guy just kept walking past.
That was the only time I really wished I was carrying. Illinois was still 20 years away from adopting CCW laws.

Just once.

Never, but I have talked my way out of some hairy situations.

I have a couple examples from a previous job I had in Massachusetts. I had to fire a new hire because she was high at work. Turns out her boyfriend sold drugs who fancied himself as a tough guy and started making threats against me. We got the cops involved but it pissed me off that I had to leave my legally owned pistol at home in NH and be put into a vulnerable position by the fucking communists in MA.

The other one involved on of my employees at the same company. He was dispatched to do service call in East Boston and had to move a broken lawn chair out of the street to park. The guy who was using it as a space saver comes flying out of the building waving a machete and threatening my guy. Fortunately my guy had his LTC and a 1911. That shut the asshole up real quick.

Once upon a time, I was 40 feet away (from my EDC while on the road), because I was complacent, but the universe decided I got a "do over"...

Now, I have a pistol to make sure I can get to my rifle, and my rifle will turn your cover into concealment...

I have been shot twice and survived. I will never return that favor.

Not wanting to insult the universe.

Attempted carjacking many years ago, while I was living in apartment, right at the exit gate. Two teenage thugs tried to grab me out of the car. I honked and tried to retrieve my gun from the glove compartment at the same time. Fuckers ran off.

I was walking in a park towards evening, middle America, Omaha I think. A guy up to no good came out of the bushes ahead to intercept me. I put my hand in my jacket pocket & left it there, keeping distance as we met.

He asked some silly question, like time or location of a store. I looked in his eyes & remained quiet. His next question was ‘if I was a cop’?

I told him, ‘why would it matter if I was a cop’? After that he said bye. He was up to no good. I didn’t have a gun but used body language and demeanor best I could.

In the fine city of Cincinnati, I was walking downtown alone about 11 PM when a car slowly passed me and stopped ahead of me. As I was closing on it, the passenger door suddenly opened and a dude got out. He offered me a ride. I declined. He then told me to get in the car. I displayed my Colt Commander. He jumped back in the car and it sped off. Great town, Cincy!

It's so funny how much we banter about what capacity is enough, what caliber is best, which sights or optic is superior. Yet in the vast majority of situations of threat, a hand in the pocket, or hand reaching for the glove box, or perhaps, the sight of the handgun itself, and the threat retreats. Confidence, and communicating the information that "this one is not a willing victim" is all that need be done.

One time I got to the point where I was thinking about what was behind me when firing my 10mm G29.
The worst part is that it was my nephew that I thought I was going to have to shoot. He was out of prison (his first time out) and was drugged up. Thankfully he wound down pretty quickly and I did not have to shoot him.

He ended up getting killed in a prison fight in his early 30’s. What a waste of a life. Anyway, that was the closest but there are a couple more where I was glad I was carrying.

I stopped in downtown Tulsa, early in the morning in a bad neighborhood at a mickey d’s to get coffee. That could have gone bad quickly, I should have never stopped there. I was not in a place I should have been, the drive through was not open so I had to go inside. While I was inside my wife said an SUV pulled up next to her side of the car and tried to convince her to open the window. She never did but had her HK ready.

Another one was at a gas station in Arkansas. I was traveling and needed to use the bathroom really bad. I entered and there were 2 bikers wearing their colors and one in regular clothes. They eyed me when I walked in but I had to take a leak so bad I could not wait. I did my business and left as soon as I could, all the while watching for them to approach me. Not sure what they were doing but it was apparent by the way they looked at me that they did not want me in there.

Thought I would share one from a friend of mine. During one of the hurricane evacuations my friend decided to stop at a washateria to clean his clothes before heading out of town. Cannot recall where in Houston it was but a couple guys came in and robbed him at gunpoint. He was the only one in there and was carrying a handgun in a fanny pack. He never tried drawing his gun since he thought he could not beat them to the draw.

They got a little money and not much else, never checked his fanny pack so he kept his pistol. He knew that he should not have been there. Avoidance is my greatest weapon as I grow older. We all know places we do not need to be and avoiding those removes us from a lot of bad situations.

Never...thank God.

Two times…

Once in my home, I caught a gentleman of color in my closet at 3:00am. A Colt 1911 from my concealment holster on my bed put him in jail!

Second, my wife and I were returning to our car after dinner, when a miscreant on a bicycle approached. I cleared my jacket to reach my CCW, once again my 1911 (I like 1911’s). He appeared to understand what was going to happen, tossed his bike down and ran. It turned out he was a known criminal and was under surveillance by police; they grabbed him almost instantly.

I did not have to draw - the move itself stopped him.

I had PTSD from the first event that lasted about a year. The slightest sounds at night would wake me up, firearm in hand, with an adrenaline dump! That would scare the crap out of the lady friend if I had company.

Fortunately, I had Ayoob Stressfire training as well as being an NRA Instructor… one of our Forum members says to train like you really mean it - he is correct!! It will save your life!

Twice.

1) Pulled in to a Taco Bell and began turning left into a parking space, and some asshole came flying around me passing on the left, into my path of travel. No accident, but he was pissed, and stopped in the drive through lane and stared me down. I didn't bother with him, but grabbed my pistol in its pistol case and went in to order. I had just received my CCW, so I didn't have a holster, yet, that is why I was carrying my pistol in a case. Anyway, I order at the counter and am waiting off to the side for my order. The back door of the restaurant flew open and in walked 2 teenagers, a male an female, looking around like they didn't know why they were there, followed by the asshole driver. The driver immediately made eye contact with me and made a brisk bee-line towards me. I held the pistol case up to my chest with one hand, and my other hand on the pistol still in the case. We never broke eye contact until he was about 20 feet from me, when he glanced down and saw my hand in the pistol case. At that point, he made an abrupt turn to the left and walked out the front door, never to be seen by me again. No way to know what he was up to for sure, but body language told me he planned on confronting me in some fashion.

2) I was in the left turn lane at a traffic light behind a car full of urban yutes. The left turn light came on, and they didn't move, so I tapped the horn. Well, they didn't like that and started chimping. We both turned into the strip mall parking lot which quickly came to a 4-way stop. They went straight and started piling out of the car, blocking the road. By then, I had my pistol in my hand, but they were too stupid to block the road before the stop sign, so I just turned right and avoided the whole thing.

Never, and looking back on the dumb things I did in my youth, it must have been divine intervention.

Never for 2-legged animals.

Once for 4-legged animals. Long story short I was hiking in Alaska during July and found myself alone in a "bowl" with a wolverine. I cleared leather, but it scampered off without a shot fired.

Once - Atlanta. Close but no cigar.

RMD

Once, over 30 years ago was nearly carjacked in New Haven Connecticut but was able to drive my way out. It was the only time I ever pulled my firearm from a holster thinking I was going to need it to defend myself.

One thing about in & around a house, it’s a little of a to-do to take care of them, but my German Shepherd prides herself with watchfulness. No one could hide in my closet, taint happening.

After getting divorced 3 years ago, she could no way take care of our dog, I have her. I wouldn’t get another until I’m retired, but I do the drill to keep her routine in order.

If I was to see a vehicle I don’t like in my driveway, I may just let her out to take care of it, I’ll be backup.

Took the wife and daughters to Baskin Robbins one night in a really nice Z-28 I had. Sitting in the parking lot enjoying the ice cream listening to music in the car. It caught the attention of some ner-do-wells that were hanging out in a driveway between businesses, one of which started walking towards us, pulls a handgun from his waist band and holds it down behind his leg as he continued walking towards us as he continually looked left and right.

I put in in drive and drove off. Situational awareness saved the day.