When I mentioned I wouldn't mind ruining a good jacket if I had to fire my .38 caliber S&W ultra-light through the pocket I forgot to mention that it is hammerless. That is precisely the reason I selected a hammerless .38. In my opinion it is the weapon of choice because unlike a Glock it will not shoot unless you really want it to shoot. Being hammerless, there is no fear of it hanging up on clothing. Just point and fire up to five times.

 

There is your first mistake.

No one brings a firearm to a crime by accident.

A criminal brought the weapon, drew the weapon, and is pointing the weapon at you for a reason.

You don't know if it is the first time he has committed a carjacking or the fiftieth. You don't know if the weapon is loaded or not. You don't know if he is a nervous guy just looking for some fast cash or some two time loser who just doesn't care anymore.

You can bet your life that the criminal won't shoot you or that by doing everything he says you will walk away with your life. I won't accept him deciding if I live or die if I have a chance to fight back.

 

That's pretty funny Clint. Please try to come into my house when you're not invited or cause harm to one of my family and see if I decide not to protect myself/them. The point of my post was if you decide to try and reach inside your shirt/coat and pull out your weapon while someone has theirs already trained on you, well, you're probably in the same gene pool that created them. BTW, I have a concealed weapon permit and had I been in the situation described in the original post the scum with his gun trained on me would have been driving away in my vet. Oh Boy!

 

Without getting too far off the subject (even though we already are ) how will a glock fire without you wanting it to fire?

 

I was expecting a punchline at the end,I am just not used to crap like that happening around here either,I guess that is kinda your point...
Sorry and glad every thing ended up OK and that it was not your wife

 

Boys ... boys ... the big picture (again) ... No one was hurt.

 

That was a close call, gald to see you are OK!

 

Thanks for the info.... Now I know where to get a spare car if I ever need one..... you make it too easy....

 

wow!!! you got so lucky, maybe next time you should hand over your keys, because they might shoot you. glad your ok. i have pepper spray in my vette for threatening situations.

 

The object is to survive. And the thing that you are missing here is that once someone draws a gun on you, your odds of survival aren't very good to begin with. You are probably going to die. And whether you live or die COULD depend on your subsequent actions.

Your first mistake is in assuming that fighting back always and without fail gives you the better chance of survival. Sometimes, co operating gives you your best chance of survival DEPENDING ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS AND THE SITUATION.

How close your attacker is to you and what weapons you have at your disposal are but two. This guy was in close proximity to and had a gun on the original poster. His odds of fighting back successfully at that point were nil. An unsuccessful attempt at "fighting back" could have made a bad situation worse.

By fighting back in a situation where there is already a gun drawn on you, you are "betting your life" that you can successfully thwart the threat before being shot to death. Depending on your attackers proximity, etc, those can be some very long odds.

The key point of your post however is "if I have a chance".

I am not saying not to fight back if you feel that fighting back gives you the best chance for survival. If I figure that I'm dead either way, then by all means I'll fight back. If the odds are in my favor and I have a good chance of successfully repelling the attack, then by all means I'd fight back.

But if the odds are dramatically against my successfully thwarting an attack where my assailant is holding a lethal weapon on me and is demanding my co operation in exchange for my life. Then my co operation he will get. In all liklihood if he was just a murderer, and wanted me dead, there would have been no "bargain" anyway. He'd have just shot me and taken what he wanted.

Maybe my friend would not have gotten himself shot had he co operated. Who knows.

You know as I read your response, I recall a scene in the movie "Collateral" where 2 guys attempt to rob Tom Cruise of his brief case. One is holding a gun on him, but at arm's length. Cruise, grabs the guy's wrist with his left hand, pushing his attacker's gun hand up and to Crusie's left. Cruise then, and all in one fluid motion, draws his own S&W .40 from it's holster which is under Cruise's suit coat, using his right hand and double taps the would be shooter and his thug friend.

This all looks good on the screen, but trying to execute a move like this or a similar move on the street is likely to get you killed.

Ask yourself this question. You seem to have some familiarity with firearms as do I. You're holding a gun on someone. What chance, if any, will they have against you?

I can tell you that if I am holding a gun on someone, they have absolutely no chance of successfully fighting back, if they are empty handed. First I am going to keep enough distance between myself and them, especially if I have the benefit of surprise. Thats going to be about a car length. Maybe a half car length. They move in any manner that I even remotely percieve to be threatening, and I will fire.

I'm just glad the original poster was not hurt, as I remember vividly what happened to my friend.

 

RandW, glad you're OK and indeed your are lucky. Backing away on the other side of the car from the gunman was a good move.

In 2000 I was on a jury in San Diego. The defendant was charged with the midday killing of a man while attempting robbery and carjacking in San Diego. We found defendant guilty of that and other special circumstances. The judge sentenced him to life plus 20 years. The victim had 5 small kids, and had recently imigrated to the US from the violent city of Mogudishu, Somalia, seeking a safer place to raise a family. You just never know.

 

Hey Rand....where did this happen??? State , Town, Or shopping Center...give up the location.

 

OMG

Thanks goodness you're safe

There're some jerks around.

 

Exactly.

Odds aren't good either way, but they are better by fighting back.

No, reread where typed " if I have a chance to fight back". Sure, sometimes you just gotta take what life deals ya. But if there is any opening at all, I'll take it.

True, but the victim's life is already being wagered. Odds aren't good either way.

Very little, but I spent 6 in the Corps and have had plenty of CQB training.

Even that is too close. Killing radius for a knife is 21 feet.

 

Other side of the country, F.J.B., born and raised in NY, lived there for 42 years before moving to a 'nice CA suburb'. Lost my don't trust anybody attitude somewhere along the way I just hope they catch the losers cause I'd be more than happy to get a second job just to pay the biggest, ugliest con to do him 3 times a day

 

Keep in mind, he gets your keys, he gets your car, in your car is usually documentation with your address. On your keychain is usually other keys, including to your house...

Hopefully it ends with the car but not necessarily... it can turn your life upside down for quite a while.

Recommendation: Split off your car keys from the rest and don't leave any unneccesary documentation in your car that will identify you or your address. Carry your registration/insurance in your wallet, if they get that they've got your drivers license so the extra info doesn't really matter.

Be safe.

 

Yes, I too would say you are very fortunate. Good to hear you are OK! Also, many thanks for reminding us all that we need to be more cognizant when approaching our cars for our own safety.

 

This must have been a traumatic experience. You are truely blessed to have survived with your health (and your car).

Forget all this talk about concealed weapons and self defense. The main thing is that you are safe.

 

You know, good point. Didn't think of that. I don't carry my house keys but address is in the car and so is the garage remote. Thanks again everybody

 

glad you got out safe!