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I will yield to your scientific evidence and say that you are right and I learned something today. 30 feet is the probable minimum I need to start telling myself to begin the serious stages of escalation, if the alarm starts going off of course.

However, I'd like to point out that in the mythbusters video Adam is drawing and pushing to full extension (as well as racking the slide it appeared) every time he draws. I carry one in the chamber and have trained to draw, rotate muzzle towards target, come to center, and then press out. At distances of less than 20 feet I can get hits on man sized targets with combat accuracy(dinner plate sized groups) even when pushing the speed. For the exact reason that once the barrel is on target you are able to fire if needed and make hits(effectiveness/accuracy increasing as you come to full extension of course). Further, with someone coming at me like that I am going for pelvic hits to shatter the necessary support structure that enables his continued forward movement. I don't care how drugged up or determined you are, hard to run with your pelvis in pieces, because physics.

Jumping Frog wrote:

ripnbst wrote:This type of response sounds to me like it's a little hasty to escalate things in a grocery store parking lot. If I'm suspicious I'll get my hand on my grip with finger along slide at roughly ten feet,

If you let me get 10 feet away with a knife hidden in my hand, I can gut you from groin to sternum and slice your throat before you have finished drawing your handgun. That is WAY too close.

Tueller was an optimist.

That sounds like a challenge I'm willing to accept. Airsoft vs. plastic knife of course. A hit on target before contact equates to a win for me. I am not making the statement I can halt your attack form ten feet. Historically there is proof you'd have a heck of a time stopping an attacker at 5x that distance with only a handgun. Drugs and adrenaline and all that.

So that we can all be informed, where exactly did this occur?

Jumping Frog wrote:

mulfjohn wrote:I would like to use your line of I don't do interviews if it happens again. Funny stuff.

That was my comment here, but that isn't how I actually handle it.

When someone is heading my way, I put my left hand up in a "STOP" gesture, and say "No thanks". If I don't get that started before they reach 30 feet, I'll mentally chide myself afterwards in situational awareness.

If they take another step or two, I'll re-emphasize the stop gesture and state more emphatically, "STOP RIGHT THERE, I said I am not interested".

If they keep coming after that, I conclude they do not have benign intent. Now I am yelling "STOP RIGHT THERE, DO NOT COME ANY CLOSER" while I am reaching for my gun.

I haven't had to actually draw (yet). Hope I never have to, but am prepared should that time come.

This type of response sounds to me like it's a little hasty to escalate things in a grocery store parking lot. If I'm suspicious I'll get my hand on my grip with finger along slide at roughly ten feet, even an inkling of continued forward motion and they are staring at the muzzle a half second later. Another step or two from 30 feet is about 25+/- feet for an average gait. At that distance you should definitely still be saying no thanks not interested but not yelling commands IMO. To each their own and we all have different levels of comfort. You make your decisions and I make mine, I respect your decision but it's not the one for me in our litigious culture. 25 feet is "too soon". Unless a weapon is visible it would be hard to articulate a fear for your life in a place you are both legally allowed to be at 25 feet. 10 feet is just outside arms reach and many people have lost their life as the result of another's bare hands, at this point I would feel "imminently threatened" and also believe that a "reasonable person" would be as well.

I'm not one to begin the draw stroke early to allow more forward movement to occur. If I'm beginning my draw I've already made the decision to do it (draw), the only thing happening between the moment I've made the decision and clearing kydex is something that changes my mind. I don't have a habit of practicing putting my hand on my gun and not drawing. If I've got my hand on my gun I plan to make it visible to my counterpart real soon.

I'm not LEO and don't need to place my hand on my gun for intimidation purposes. Not condemning that action when taken by LEO, but I don't have the same duties/responsibilities they do as a civilian. I don't feel I should have to intimidate someone into stopping what they intend to do. If I ask them to stop nicely, then neutrally, and then not nicely and they don't stop then they've already made their mind subsequently making mine for me. I don't play games.