What situations are valid to use your right to pull your firearm?

[Texan2]

If it can be utilized as a defensive measure to avoid deadly force, and used responsibly, then I see no problem with it.

If you are just going out pointing a gun at anyone that get's in your face, then well ... that's not responsible. If a vocal defense fails, and you have little realistic choice, why wait for the situation to become a deadly force incident.

If you can defuse the situation by pulling a firearm, then it's a win:win situation. You are not harmed, the offender is not harmed. The situation was avoided. Do you run a risk of indictment? Sure.

I see the whole "wait until it becomes deadly" situation similar to waiting for the person to throw the first punch. It's a risk.

+1

 

[ftw13]

+1 to that as well

 

[willygene]

I don't think any body is saying or thinking you shouldn't be ready to use the weapon if you have to. if your not then don't carry it, what i responded to was what ReVeRend stated, if you read what he said things don't sound good. "dire need of getting shot" " if i draw my weapon some one is going to die" " hot lead ventilation" rational people who carry shouldnt think and for sure shouldnt talk like that. if law enforcement officers thougt that way they would be weeded out during a psychlogical and if one was heard to say those things would be rquired to submit to one or look for other employement. all im saying is when people talk like that read between the lines its part criminal profiling just stateing the facts of what i see a read. I didnt stay alive or keep from killing someone from thinking and talking that way.

 

[M. Sage]

The idea of shooting someone who is unarmed is totally foreign to me and would be an absolute last resort, but if you are going to keep coming at me with a gun drawn on you, then I guess I’m going to jail.

Why is the concept of shooting someone that's unarmed so foreign to you? Those people can be real threats. Remember that one of the responsibilities of a gun owner is to take precautions to keep your weapons from falling into the wrong hands. If I'm carrying and someone with obvious violent intent is closing with me, I'm drawing and if they continue they're getting shot. If nothing else, to make sure they don't get hold of my gun somehow. That's only one scenario that points out the reason you need to be prepared to engage someone who isn't armed.

 

[willygene]

The whole thing is simple no matter whether the aggressor is armed or not if you feel the need to pull the gun then pull it whether you have to pull the trigger or not that is why it is there. the same goes for any person legally carrying a weapon as for law enforcement the weapon is not just for killing its for self defense wich can be as simple as pulling your weapon and the aggression stops or shooting someone to stop the aggression. Id rather be tried by twelve than carried by six. But be careful what you say where you say it, and be damned sure of what your doing when you pull it. Im more worried about the one who thinks just because he pulls it someone gona die than i am about the person who is aggressive.

 

[smschulz]

But be careful what you say where you say it, and be damned sure of what your doing when you pull it.
I'm more worried about the one who thinks just because he pulls it someone gona die than I am about the person who is aggressive..

If you say 'permanently stopped' ~ would that make you feel better?

 

[Texan2]

this thread has some good posts for the antis who think everyone carrying a gun is a trigger happy cowboy.

I would love to hear the court testimony of one of these incidents...

Prosecutor: Sir, why did you pull out your gun?

Defendant: The dead guy was pointing a knife at me.

Prosecutor: When you pointed the gun at him, what did he do?

Defefndant: He put the knife down and backed off.

Prosecutor: So why did you shoot him?

Defendant: Well, I have a philosophy that if I pull my gun out, someone then has to die, so even though the threat was no longer there, I went ahead and pumped a few rounds into the guy anyway. After all what kind of guy would I be if I didn't adhere to the rules I set for myself to live by?

Prosecutor: The state rests your honor.....

 

[willygene]

I know what you mean Texascop2 around here we all say while in court the prosecutor asked why did you shoot him 15 times defendant states thats all i had in the gun at the time and couldnt reload. You are right a lot of the comments made in here would convict someone very easily and as i stated earlier in a post be careful what you say and where you say it because it will be used against you in court you understand i understand but it is hard for others to understand the law enforcement side sometimes. I have been in court to many times to count including federal court most people dont know just how they try to turn things around on you no matter what. Well thats all im gona say about this one because im not one to beat a dead horse because this one wont get any better.

 

[smschulz]

I would love to hear the court testimony of one of these incidents...

Prosecutor: Sir, why did you stab that guy in the heart with your knife.

Defendant: The dead guy was pointing a gun at me when I was robbing him and raping his 14 year old daughter.

Prosecutor: When he pointed the gun at you, what did you do?

Defefndant: I stabbed him in the heart.

Prosecutor: So why did you stab him?

Defendant: Well, I have a philosophy that if someone is afraid to shoot me when I am robbing them and raping his daughter, that he is no threat and has to die. Since the threat was no longer there, after all what kind of guy would I be if I didn't adhere to the rules I set for myself to live by?

Prosecutor: The state rests your honor.....

 

[Texan2]

First... while I admire your attempt to mock my post, your example has no bearing on the discussion at hand.
Would you mind showing me who in this thread EVER said they were afraid to shoot???
Throughout this whole thread I have never seen ANY post in which someone said they were afraid to use their weapon if it was warranted....if you can find that please show me where it is. I am not sure where you keep coming up with this "afraid to use my gun" stuff... what WAS being talked about was making good choices. Sometimes that may mean you shoot, other times not to shoot. As a military guy surely you have heard of "shoot/don't shoot training". Trains the shooter when to pull the trigger and when not to...
If you re-read the posts, the point being made was that simply because you draw your weapon does not ALWAYS warrant you FIRING your weapon. There are some that are trying to argue that "if I draw my weapon, someone is going to die" which is an illogical, irresponsible and more often than not illegal approach to self defense.
Using a handgun for self defense does not always mean shooting someone, in the overwhelming majority of cases the THREAT of force causes an attacker to re-think and retreat. When your life or that of an innocent 3rd party is no longer in danger you are not authorized to use deadly force. While this is not directed at any one person, anyone who thinks that "if I draw my gun I am going to use it" is ill informed of what he can legally do to defend himself and will more likely than not get to join those criminals in prison that he so badly detests.

 

[smschulz]

First... while I admire your attempt to mock my post, your example has no bearing on the discussion at hand.

Well thank you.
The satire is just as valid as yours.

It just goes to show how different people view comments differently.
Some view the the comment regarding pulling your 'gun out and someone will die' as actions of a reckless cowboy.
Others may view it as not to take your weapon out unless you intend to use it.

 

[Texas42]

We really need a smiley with a ruler in his hand. . . .

 

[M. Sage]

I should just take a picture of myself holding a ban hammer.

 

[Texan2]

My apologies for upseting anyone....i try to stay out of the "opinions" threads. this one to most who know the law is pretty cut and dry but I have said my peace. if someone wants to shoot anytime they draw their gun despite whether it is warranted or not, they do so at their own peril.

 

[M. Sage]

My apologies for upseting anyone....i try to stay out of the "opinions" threads. this one to most who know the law is pretty cut and dry but I have said my peace. if someone wants to shoot anytime they draw their gun despite whether it is warranted or not, they do so at their own peril.

And you're absolutely right.

We can have discussions. We can have spirited discussions. But when it comes to insulting each other, everybody needs to take a step the hell back and relax a little bit.

 

[cougartex]

Only draw as a last resort.

 

[willygene]

Cougartex just because its the last resort doesnt mean you have to pull the trigger obviously you and some of the others havent been there if you had you would know what we were saying So if you dont like what i say sorry learn the hard way. if that gets me banned so what.

 

[Dirt]

I just took my class over the weekend and from what I heard its going to be a big pain if your ass if you pull the trigger. Even if you or your loved one is being beat or stabbed; If you elect to pull the trigger and you kill the bad guy, you are going to be facing a lot of court time and the cost will be enormous! Even if you win the criminal case, you are not going to win the civil case. You are going to have the bad guys mom, dad, sister, uncle, aunt etc. suing you for wrongful death.

WhooHoo we all have guns and can carry them but, your ass is grass if you elect to protect yourself or a loved one, and this may sound cold but helping a third party almost seems out the question. The odds are completely against you when helping out a third party. We'd all be better off leaving the gun at home and taking an ass whoopin or getting stabbed. At least if you have insurance that will cover most of the cost and if you dont have insurance the state can't deny you medical attention.

If you pull the trigger you are in deep shit. This isnt the movies were the scene skips all the legal stuff and its a happy ending. this is real life and if you take someone else's no matter the situation you are in for years of heartache. The story will end a hell of a lot better if you are a victim, rather than an unsung hero.

The only way that gun on your hip is going to benefit you is if some shiz is going down and you draw your weapon and it allows you or whoever is near enough time to get away. You pull the trigger and you are no longer a victim. You are a murderer or you attempted to murder the man trying to rob or ultimately murder you.

Yeah, I know its easy to say that I will let the jury work it out but, there is a defense team who's job it is to convince the jury that you could have done something else. That is there sole job!

I am at complete odds with this whole carrying a gun notion. Its almost as if the criminal has more rights than we do. Maybe because we have more to loose than a scumbag that has nothing to loose. Then if you kill him you are mark by all your peers as the guy that killed another and, thats something you have to wake up and go to bed every night with that moment you pulled the trigger on your mind until you die!

Sorry for the rant, my dog just pissed on the floor

 

[APatriot]

i agree completely.
If you need to pull the gun then you will need to pull the trigger.
Using your weapon as a 'scare tactic' is bad policy, imo.


If this is a scary statement then you shouldn't be carrying.
No one want to shoot but if you carry you must be prepared to use it.
It is a last resort effort....not a next-to-last resort effort to scare.

a big +1 to all!!!!! Excellent advice.

 

[Texan2]

Cougartex just because its the last resort doesnt mean you have to pull the trigger obviously you and some of the others havent been there if you had you would know what we were saying So if you dont like what i say sorry learn the hard way. if that gets me banned so what.

Easy boy....the point has been made.