So you pull your gun..

[Yup!]

FIFY.

yup thenks..

21 feet is safe though, phew!

its situational of course, and the distance is likely relative to the situation and measured visually.

 

[chezuki]

im not going to pull it unless im going to fire it

You still have to constantly reassess. A cut and dry "if I draw I'm going to shoot" could be a problem.

 

[dprimm]

So what phrase do you say when calling in that you had to pull but not use your firearm?

What to say if you DO use is simple to plan for. But NOT use? Adrenaline rush concerns me.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

So what phrase do you say when calling in that you had to pull but not use your firearm?

There's no magical phrase. Just say what happened, like reporting any other crime. "A guy came up to me with a knife and told me to give him my wallet or he'd gut me, I reached for my gun and as I pulled it he ran that way. He was wearing..."

 

[Indiana Camper]

I always laugh at the "If I draw I shoot" comments. Like I said, good luck in court if the bad guy turns away as he sees you draw and ends up with a couple holes in his back.

 

[Indiana Camper]

I personally do give more credit to someone that calls right away instead of waiting any significant length of time. But just because you call first doesn't mean that you are automatically assumed to be the one "in the right."

Yeah me too. That's why I worded it the way I did.

 

[USMC-Johnson]

I always laugh at the "If I draw I shoot" comments. Like I said, good luck in court if the bad guy turns away as he sees you draw and ends up with a couple holes in his back.

yeah...probably should have been more clear...if i draw and he runs away then i wont shoot them in the back...but if they so much as take one more step forward the hammer is coming down. VERY VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS

 

[g00n24]

im not going to pull it unless im going to fire it

So you draw and the attacker turns and runsaway...you are saying you will open fire as they run away and stop being a threat? I doubt it. You should use your firearm to stop the threat. If that means reaching for your gun is all it takes, then you used your gun to stop the threat. If it means you have to empty an entire mag into their torso, reload and repeat until they stop being a threat then same thing...you use the firearm to stop the threat.

 

[bwframe]

I won't be pulling my gun. "Pulling" implies using the firearm as a tool to threaten. Lots of stupid can happen with that.

I'm not likely to draw my gun until a threat needs to be stopped. For me, part of the drawstroke is trigger pressing. As soon as the front sight comes to the threat, I'll start pressing until the threat has ended. I don't 100% rule out not shooting, but drastic changes will have to happen in the second or less that it takes to complete the draw.

 

[lucky4034]

FIFY.

plenty of people can run a 40yd dash in under 5 seconds... 20yds? 2.5 seconds is close enough to be deadly in my book.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

plenty of people can run a 40yd dash in under 5 seconds... 20yds? 2.5 seconds is close enough to be deadly in my book.

True. But the "standard" for being able to draw and fire on an attacker who is armed with an edged weapon is 21 feet. That is what I was correcting.

 

[esrice]

I won't be pulling my gun. "Pulling" implies using the firearm as a tool to threaten. Lots of stupid can happen with that.

I'm not likely to draw my gun until a threat needs to be stopped. For me, part of the drawstroke is trigger pressing. As soon as the front sight comes to the threat, I'll start pressing until the threat has ended. I don't 100% rule out not shooting, but drastic changes will have to happen in the second or less that it takes to complete the draw.

I get where you're coming from, but don't discount the possibility that you could draw preemptively as a situation evolves and you go from Orange to Red. You may have not made the decision to shoot yet, but putting the gun in your hand gives you a pronounced tactical advantage (speed, no fumbling).

This obviously won't be an option in every case, but I think it unwise for folks to take a hardline stance like "if my gun is out of my holster I'm shooting". Situations are often much more fluid and decision-making under stress becomes very important.

 

[chezuki]

Situations are often much more fluid and decision-making under stress becomes very important.

This.

I only wish there were some kind of realistic, stress-inducing, yet non-lethal way to train for these situations. Like something that would put you in different scenarios and force you to make snap decisions under pressure that could later be discussed and evaluated to determine what could have been done differently to influence a more positive outcome...

If only...

 

[Yup!]

I always laugh at the "If I draw I shoot" comments. Like I said, good luck in court if the bad guy turns away as he sees you draw and ends up with a couple holes in his back.

I always laugh at the people who are so literal that they can't take a general term and apply it to a "what if scenario" posted on the Internet by random people. Obviously things change on a dime, and people constantly assess situations. If I have a reason to draw, I have a reason to shoot. If I choose not to shoot then something changed. The general point is, I don't draw to scare, I draw to defend.

 

[esrice]

If only...

 

[USMC-Johnson]

I get where you're coming from, but don't discount the possibility that you could draw preemptively as a situation evolves and you go from Orange to Red. You may have not made the decision to shoot yet, but putting the gun in your hand gives you a pronounced tactical advantage (speed, no fumbling).

This obviously won't be an option in every case, but I think it unwise for folks to take a hardline stance like "if my gun is out of my holster I'm shooting". Situations are often much more fluid and decision-making under stress becomes very important.

Your not talking about Cooper's color code here are you?

 

[bwframe]

...putting the gun in your hand gives you a pronounced tactical advantage (speed, no fumbling).

I never said my gun wouldn't be in my hand. It will just be in the holster at the same time. My decision making will happen with the gun in the holster until "go time" which very likely includes the first shots. Deescalation is MUCH easier when the gun stays holstered.

 

[Gluemanz28]

Sit back down and finish eating. I dont call 911.

Nice place you got there.

 

[TTravis]

This.
I only wish there were some kind of realistic, stress-inducing, yet non-lethal way to train for these situations. Like something that would put you in different scenarios and force you to make snap decisions under pressure that could later be discussed and evaluated to determine what could have been done differently to influence a more positive outcome...

If only...

There is something...Try hunting.

 

[esrice]

Your not talking about Cooper's color code here are you?

Yes, I was speaking of the period of awareness between recognizing a potential yet specific threat, and actually fighting. Think loud noise in your home at night, or observing a third party in danger.

I never said my gun wouldn't be in my hand. It will just be in the holster at the same time. My decision making will happen with the gun in the holster until "go time" which very likely includes the first shots. Deescalation is MUCH easier when the gun stays holstered.

I can definitely see several advantages to this approach, including the ability to quickly transition from almost drawing to deciding to go hands on. The downside I see is in making a more furtive movement (assuming strong-side carry) opposed to a more covert ready position (like behind the leg). I can see pros and cons to each.