Author Topic: What got you started? (Read 1127 times)

RedRyder21 · « **on:** August 05, 2005, 03:43:07 PM »

Here is the question for the evening....

What got you started on the self defense part of firearms? When did you first consider a firearm for the purpose of self defense?

I got started in thinking about self defense as a little kid. About a half mile down the road from my grandmothers road was another house with an alarm system. The two houses are WAY out in the sticks. We heard the security alarm going off at the house, so my father, uncle, and myself (I was probally 10 or 11 at the time), we all gathered into the truck to go down the road to see whats going on since about a month earlier the house was completely looted and everything stolen. I remember as we were going down the road I had a very strange feeling about what would happen if we encoutered the theives since we didn't have any firearms or much of anything with us and the local sheriffs deputies were at least 30 mins. away. When we got to the house nobody was there and all the doors were locked and nothing was stolen.

Incident number two happened when I was about 20. By this time nobody was living on the family farm and I was there by myself. I had the windows open and at 1am in the morning I could hear people on the property running dogs and racoon hunting. They were obviously tresspassing. All I had was a single shot .22lr.

Nothing hapened either time, but I am armed pretty much all of the time now with more "significant" firepower than a single shot .22lr.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 06, 2005, 01:44:38 AM »

I have carried a handgun since I was 21. Now I am 44 and still carry. I never had to pull my gun but it is nice knowing it is there, the one time I would.

Dave in WV · « **Reply #2 on:** August 06, 2005, 03:33:57 AM »

I already had handguns when our state changed to "shall issue" for permits. I got one shortly afterward. I've never had to pull my handgun but I did let a fellow know I had my .45 by sliding my hand in my fanny pack holster one evening. He lost all interest in us. He appeared to be sizing us up to mug us.

Lawdog · « **Reply #3 on:** August 06, 2005, 12:38:45 PM »

Bought my first handgun at the age of 13(Dad had to actually give the salesman the money) a Ruger Bearcat. Then I became an LEO after my hitch in the Corp. and have always carried since. Lawdog

Mikey · « **Reply #4 on:** August 07, 2005, 03:30:11 AM »

I bought my first handgun in NYC when I was 18, for personal defense. I bought it from a cabbie who sold handguns to 2 of my 3 roommates. We were going to school in NYC and daily walked from Spanish Harlem to Harlem to go to school. At nights, the streets and corners in the 70s and 80s (70th, 71st, etc.) were rife with Mulatto gangs and it was a bad area. They had finished filming West Side Story, and the construction pits for the Lincoln Towers were still used for rival gang warfare, as they were in the opening scenes of the movie.

The gangs, pimps, drug dealers (only had heroin then, not all the other stuff you hear about today) and whores ruled the streets in Spanish Harlem in the mid-60s and it was rough. I saw my first prostitute slashed by a knife for not working hard enough, saw my first cop shot by a drug dealer and then saw him shot down by four other cops, I regularly saw stabbings and slashings, and when I worked in Roosevelt Hospital's emergency room on weekends I would see as much carnage as I saw in Vietnam.

It was a good buy and it was worth it. Mikey.

retrieverhunter · « **Reply #5 on:** August 07, 2005, 10:39:29 AM »

I got my first handgun (Ruger Super Single Six) when I was 18 for plinking and protection. I had a friend in college that was paranoid and carried regularly (before it was legal). I had an incident (an attempted car jacking)and had my pistol with me to diffuse the situation. I started carrying in my truck at that time and have never stopped. That was 1987. In 1995 when Texas passed the CHL legislation, I jumped to get my permit to carry "legally".

rockbilly · « **Reply #6 on:** August 07, 2005, 01:58:39 PM »

:shock: Near fifty years ago I learned there are bad folks out there that will hurt or take advantage of you given the opportunity. I was quick to adapt the motto "I had rather be judged by 12 than carried by 8." I have never had to shoot anyone, but several times I saved my bacon simply by making a bad guy aware I was packing and ready to deal with him if necessary. Recently, I had three thugs attempt to car jack and rob me at a motel in Ft Worth, when I pulled the little AMT .40 backup they backed off in a hurry. This group was arrested later that night by hotel security and Ft Worth police for beating and robbing someone else in the same parking lot. If you see me today, I am packing.................

Flinch · « **Reply #7 on:** August 08, 2005, 11:44:26 AM »

When I was about 8 or 9 my dad was working out of town but would come home for the weekends.
It was just me, my mother, and younger brother at the house during the week. For some reason though, my dad was home on this particular wednesday evening, when he heard a noise in the kitchen late at night.
Some Jackass was climbing in through our kitchen window. My dad didnt have a gun at the time so he grabbed a knife, (some kind of Case folder) anyway, he held this guy in our kitchen window with a knife to his throat while my mom called the cops. I remember that guy saying, " Oh im sorry I got the wrong house!" and my dad saying "Your damned right you got the wrong house! You move and I will f-ing kill you!"
I guess thats when I started to realize that not everyone is good. I cant imagine what might have happened to my mother, or us kids, if my dad wasnt home that night.
So now, its my duty to protect my family, and I hope that evil never knocks on my door or tries climbing in through a window, but I will be as prepared as I can be if it does.

Paul S · « **Reply #8 on:** August 08, 2005, 03:33:24 PM »

To make a very long story short. Two years ago My 10 year old son and I ran into two wanted felons in the deep woods while scouting for deer season. One was an older guy but the other that had his arm around my sons chest was around 6' 6" range and I would guess 280 lb.s. The old Ruger single 6 .22 I brought at the last second to shoot cans with saved our life's. They went down the road and we got to live for another day. I now have a 9 mm or my Kimber 45 on me about all the time. I do admit when it gets up around 100 degrees I do get lazy about packing sometimes. But I know it saved us that day.
Paul in MO

RedRyder21 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 08, 2005, 06:14:30 PM »

Quote from: Paul S

To make a very long story short. Two years ago My 10 year old son and I ran into two wanted felons in the deep woods while scouting for deer season. One was an older guy but the other that had his arm around my sons chest was around 6' 6" range and I would guess 280 lb.s. The old Ruger single 6 .22 I brought at the last second to shoot cans with saved our life's. They went down the road and we got to live for another day. I now have a 9 mm or my Kimber 45 on me about all the time. I do admit when it gets up around 100 degrees I do get lazy about packing sometimes. But I know it saved us that day.
Paul in MO

That has to be one of the scariest experinces I have hear yet!!!! I guess I probally don't want to hear the full story! I won't be able to leave the house! I am glad to hear you got out all right!

WNY_Whitetailer · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2005, 10:59:10 AM »

My wife and I becoming first time parents lit a fire under me to do something that I had been meaning to do for some time...I applied for my Carry Permit in NY...I was approved for a full carry permit and the rest is history. I've had that permit now for about a year...Now I carry when I can and I have a pistol locked up in my closet in case some derelict decides to break in my house at night...I also have a shotgun there in case I need it too...You never know.

mikedb · « **Reply #11 on:** August 12, 2005, 06:12:23 AM »

I think it was at my birth. Seriously, I grew up in a bad area of Detroit (now there is nothing but bad areas, thank God I left). My Dad had a store and we always had guns there and at the house. My dad had a carry permit before Michigan went Shall Issue. I have been shot at, had a gun put to my head, and have had to fend off buglars. Even though I now live in a very nice town outside of the city I still carry daily. Both of my kids are excellent shots and my wife can hold her own.

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 16, 2005, 01:43:53 PM »

Mine started when i was 18 , had a job delivering pizzas. walked up onto a porch and some a$$ with a .25 told me to hand over the money and the pizza.

Being 18 and full of myself i said no way and turned to walk away , took 2 slugs and have carried to this day.

Its like the american express card ---DON'T leave home without it

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #13 on:** August 16, 2005, 09:22:20 PM »

Paul S., WHY in the name of heaven didn't you shoot that SOB?!! He was OBVIOUSLY a criminal and when you let him get away you should have KNOWN that it was just a matter of time before he found another victem.

Win 73 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 17, 2005, 04:21:36 PM »

Quote from: Dusty Miller

Paul S., WHY in the name of heaven didn't you shoot that SOB?!! He was OBVIOUSLY a criminal and when you let him get away you should have KNOWN that it was just a matter of time before he found another victem.

I think I can answer why Paul S. didn't "shoot that SOB." All he had was a Ruger Single Six. That meant he only had six shots of .22 lr. With a guy 6' 6" and 280 lbs, it would be very hard to stop him with a .22. And there was the other guy. True he might eventually die, but he could do a lot of damage before he did. So if the sight of the gun was enough to dissuade them without shooting, that was probably the best course of action in that case. If he had started shooting, that would probably have provoked them to do all the damage they could.

Jim101 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 18, 2005, 03:47:41 AM »

Car jackings and home invasions in the DFW area are going up, I wanted to be ready.........

Jim

MikeP · « **Reply #16 on:** August 18, 2005, 07:42:35 AM »

When the Supreme Court of your country admits, nay, declares, that the government has no affirmative duty to protect you, then what choice do you have if you want protection?

All it takes is a day or two read of the paper to let you know what's waiting out there, or perhaps what even may be waiting down the hall of your home.

It is a pitiful shame that clean-record citizens have to apply for licenses to protect themselves, and in many areas, they don't even allow you to apply or carry at all. What a sad and sick joke.

I see in England they're debating whether to restrict kitchen knives. Perhaps they should outlaw sharpening stones while they're at it.

Paul S · « **Reply #17 on:** August 18, 2005, 05:25:01 PM »

Quote from: Dusty Miller

Paul S., WHY in the name of heaven didn't you shoot that SOB?!! He was OBVIOUSLY a criminal and when you let him get away you should have KNOWN that it was just a matter of time before he found another victem.

Hi Dusty, Don't think that I have not asked myself the same thing. I have relived that whole thing in my head many times. 1 it was raining hard and I had a rain slicker on with my gun under it. 2 this guy had one hand on my son and was less than arms length from me. I didn't think I could clear my holster from under the slicker before he would be on me beating me with my own gun. 3 there was this whole "I can't belive this is happening" thing going on in my mind. My mind set has changed since then on how to approach strangers. 4 when it got real out of hand I stepped back , ripped back my slicker and put my hand on my pistol. It froze them in their tracks. The older man asked how big of a gun that was. I said big enough. That's when they backed out of my camp. I was just thankful my son was unhurt. I shook for an hour afterwards, almost like the buck quivers if you know what I mean. I never knew how hard your heart would beat in this kind of situation. Clint Eastwood handles it better than I do.

Bubba w/a 45/70 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 21, 2005, 04:45:01 AM »

Good experiences all around. Mine only involves having my car broken into while in college. That prompted me to buy my first shotgun (that I owned, had been hunting for years with Dad's). After moving back home, the buying spree only increased...luckily I live in a very rural area. Never have had to present, but have had a vew times where the "insurance factor" really made me feel better.

Now, I feel just like it is my American Express credit card also.... I have a wife and two kids to look after, and they all can take care of themselves if need be.

WNY_Whitetailer · « **Reply #19 on:** August 21, 2005, 05:51:52 AM »

Quote from: stimpylu32

Mine started when i was 18 , had a job delivering pizzas. walked up onto a porch and some a$$ with a .25 told me to hand over the money and the pizza.

Being 18 and full of myself i said no way and turned to walk away , took 2 slugs and have carried to this day.

Its like the american express card ---DON'T leave home without it

Yup...That would do it for me too...Was the trigger man arrested?

Nuttinbutchunks · « **Reply #20 on:** September 05, 2005, 11:13:13 AM »

I was an alchoholic. I decided one day I had no life, and needed a hobby. After carful consideration I decided to go to Turners in Long beach and see if they had any affordable hand guns. I bought a S&W model 65 .357 mag. It was a police trade-in. Got it for $175. That lead me to get into reloading, and everything that goes with it.

Living in Long Beach, CA, the self defense part of it was natural.

Blasting my 25" color TV and later discharging a round through my bedroom wall turned me against booze, and I quit drinking, which gave my more money for guns

Becaus of that "Hobby", I completely turned my life around and now I live happily ever after.

Cottonwood · « **Reply #21 on:** September 05, 2005, 02:39:13 PM »

While growing up, I lived in a no gun home.

After joining the Air Force, I aquired my first handgun at 18, a S&W mod 19 and the rest is history as well.

knight0334 · « **Reply #22 on:** September 06, 2005, 08:10:06 AM »

I used to carry before I met my now ex-fiancee' because of wildlife in the area. Then over the course of 3-4years I let my permits expire and not carry anymore to ease tensions.

But after she got hooked on cocaine by a friend of hers then cheat and leave me for him, well.... ...it was time to carry again. ...carry again because I ratted out every stinking drug dealer I found out about in the western half of PA, northern panhandle of WV and eastern OH. I also informed the local LEO's of who was bringing it into town for personal use too.

It was made quite clear by certain persons that I should watch my back. ...so as I'm sitting here at my desk at work, I have a Bersa 380 in a IWB and a 1911A1 in my car-spare mags just out of site.

so far, only 2 break-in's to my house... local cops know I carry 24/7, and gave me some tips for "just in case".

retrieverhunter · « **Reply #23 on:** September 09, 2005, 05:53:36 AM »

I started carrying in college and have ever since. I have had 2 incidences of attempted carjacking, and had I not been carrying, could have been really ugly. As I get older, I am more aware of how bad our world really is and have gotten even more faithful in carrying regularly.

The Pistoleer · « **Reply #24 on:** September 09, 2005, 11:29:45 AM »

When I was 12 my dad wouldn't let me have a 22 rifle but my mom had a 22 pistol that a cop gave her during the war (WW2). She gave it to me. She was a farm girl and didn't have any problems with guns. I carried that old pistol in my back pocket all Summer long. All my friends knew it and didn't think anything about it except to call me "Pistol Pete". I got in the normal fist fights that boys get into but never considered pulling the gun anymore than I did the pocket knife I carried since my 5th birthday.

After my stint in the Marines and tour in Vietnam I felt naked without a gun and generally always had on someplace on me. As the years went by and I realized that I was breaking Wisconsin law I stopped carrying on me but always had one in the vehicle. Hopefully Wisconsin will get a CCW law soon and I will carry again.

jrdudas · « **Reply #25 on:** September 18, 2005, 07:22:38 AM »

Ohio passed the CCW legislation about a year ago and I have been thinking about taking the necessary classes since then. I moved to Ohio from Arizona where I carried (don't think it was legal then) when I worked the late shift. Had to walk through a dark parking lot next to the railroad tracks to get to my car after work. My wife's cousin, a LEO, suggested to me that it was better to be charged with carrying concealed as opposed to being dead.

Just recently I had an experience that made me think. My wife and I stopped at an interstate rest stop and I waited for her outside while she finished in the restroom. I was standing at the edge of the walkway well out of the main path. Two hardcases walked into the restroom and went out of their way in both directions to come too close to me for my comfort. There was no one else anywhere near us on the walkway so it was not a question of moving through a crowd. By the look on their faces you could tell that they were just looking for an excuse to get ugly. I have little doubt that if I had accidently bumped one of them as they went by they would have come out with knifes. It may sound a bit paranoid but I think you can often sense danger around you, and this was definitely one of those times. Luckily for me nothing happened, but thinking back to the incident still makes me uncomfortable.

There have been other incidents in the past where the danger was much more imminent and I was lucky. Once was a potential carjacking in a grocery store parking lot that was about to happen. While approaching my car for the second time the two guys saw the rest of my party coming toward my car and took off. Lucky for me again since my 4 year old son was sleeping in the backseat. They would have probably dragged me out of the car and took off with my son still in the back.

I think that you can often avoid these situations if you stay observant and cautious, but I have been surprised on at least a couple of occassions. As I write this I am thinking more and more about the CCW permit.

JR

The Pistoleer · « **Reply #26 on:** September 18, 2005, 07:40:33 AM »

JR, if I lived in a carry state I wouldn't hesitate to get a permit. Hopefully Wisconsin will floow the lead of most of the other states and pass the needed legislation.