The 4 issues of self defense with your CFP

Actually, I applaud you for having enough self-awareness to realize that shooting someone is not something you believe you could do. Too many people think of firearms as a magic wand that bad guys will just run away from and never actually think about whether they're mentally prepared for the realities of using a firearm on another person. Criminals are like predators; they will look into your eyes and know whether you're a real threat or not, and they will not hesitate to walk up and take a gun away from you if they think you don't have it in you to actually shoot them.

I still remember an incident when I was in LE when a fellow agent called for backup, and when I arrived he was facing a man with a board with nails sticking out of the end. He was pointing his sidearm at the man and ordering him to back up... and the bad guy was goading him, swinging the board back and forth. The agent was backed up against a wall, shouting commands in a high, frightened voice, and when I saw the man not backing off I was struck with the knowledge that the only way he was going to be stopped was through being shot. I got out of my unit, moved laterally to where there was a grassy hill that could be my backstop (didn't want stray rounds endangering innocents) and I took aim and started to roll the trigger back. Then, for whatever reason, it hit me I should give a warning, so I shouted at the guy and bellowed for him to get on the ground. He looked back, saw me with my pistol leveled at him, and we locked eyes. He promptly threw the stick away and got on the ground with alacrity. I was confused, since he had shown no acknowledgement of the other agent's drawn sidearm but had dropped on the ground immediately when he looked at me. I remember actually glancing over my shoulder, wondering if somehow a bunch of agents had shown up in response to the assistance call without me seeing them. Later on, once the supervisor was on scene and the subject was being prepared for transport, another agent was asking him questions and asked about what had happened. The subject sneered dismissively about just how unimpressive the first agent had been, but then noted "but that big dude was gonna kill my ass!" The first agent ended up resigning and going back to his prior job as a real estate agent, realizing that he genuinely had never thought about what he would do if a suspect did not capitulate in the face of a drawn gun, and that he didn't have it in himself to shoot someone. That was the moment when I realized for sure that I did have it in me, though I was thankful I hadn't been forced to follow through on that realization.

 

Yes, thank you. My old English teachers are spinning in their graves at my mistake. LOL!

That's an interesting perspective. How long ago were you taught that? I don't ask it to be snarky, but because all of the training classes I've taken in the last ten years - including those taught by some very high speed military people - taught that lying on the ground in a close interpersonal combat situation would probably get you killed. Admittedly, the primary discussion was urban combat for a LEO or Private Citizen and not for military deployments, so I'm just curious.

 

Infantry school has not changed.

The first thing you do when you hear shots fired or incoming is that you take cover in the infantry.

Sometimes the ground is your only cover.

At home, if I am lying (not laying) in bed, and I hear a window breaking, that indicates immediate danger.

For me the best thing is to grab my 45ACP from under my pillow (and take it out of the holster), and roll onto the floor. The floor is the safest place in the small confined quarters of my small flat.

From there I can listen and look. Anything that moves (that is not a Playboy bunny or a relative) is going to get shot. And the angle of the shot from low to high will protect the neighbors from collateral damage as well.

If you live in a really big house then that is more like a forest with trees, and you can feel free to waltz around if you wish.

But as for me in my small flat I am going to be flat on the floor looking and listening.

The cat will probably spot the intruder before I do and go nuts about him.

 

Well, the ground isn't cover. It doesn't stop rounds until after they've passed through you.

Sometimes tactical movement gives you a far better chance at survival over being a static, stationary target. YMMV.

 

Yep, while the OP gave a good rundown, he left what you said out. We can't go crazy shooting everything that rubs us wrong. If you want to do that...join the army.

 

Not in a very small confined area.

In a big house sure.

 

Well, I've heard of both ways being used and both ways succeeding (and failing). In the end, do what feels best for you.

 

If someone is in your home at night, having broken in, they are there to rob or murder you.

The safest place is behind cover.

If you need to move the safest place is on the floor.

They won't be looking down.

This gives you the element of surprise in your favor and the tables will have turned on them.

 

Agreed.

Again, agreed.

Sorry; I know that's your preference but I see it differently... and I know a guy took two rounds when he threw himself on the ground and his assailant shot the floor in front of him and the rounds ricocheted into him. If he'd moved laterally he would probably not have been hit. He fortunately survived, but ended up facing several surgeries and a long convalescence. Me, I'm going to maintain my mobility.

 

Well I would not recommend throwing yourself to the ground.

And lateral movement is always better, yes.

 

That's like asking why are so paranoid for getting car insurance.

 

The anti-gun left is fond of telling us about the terrible rates of violent crime in the US, so terrible that we need to limit the rights of the law abiding to keep and bear arms.

Out the other side of their mouths, they ridicule those that decide to arm themselves in self-defense against the terrible rates of violent crime they just talked about.

At no time do they see their contradictory nature of their positions.

 

The Anti Gun position is firmly based on quicksand.

 

The funny part to me is their position can only be implimented by relying on people with guns.

 

Yes !!!!!

 

Then they probably shouldn't have entered a gunfight. It will likely not go well for them...

 

There are different kinds of deadly force besides guns.

Knives are deadly force.

Baseball bats are deadly force.

Crow bars are deadly force.

Being outnumbered by 2 or more is deadly force.

If someone is attacking you with a knife you can legally shoot them with your gun.

If someone is attacking you with a baseball bat you can legally shoot them.

If someone attacks you with a crow bar you can legally shoot them.

And if you are outnumbered you can legally shoot all of them except the very last one -- because then you would no longer be outnumbered after the rest are shot.

 

What's it to you?

 

Projection of his own feelings onto others ?