TexasCHLforum.com

n5wd wrote:

Dirvin wrote:IMHO-The thought that inevitably follows the thought of merely wounding, or simply displaying my gun to stop a threat, is that I have laid my cards on the table. The BG might leave and come back with a bigger gun, more BGs etc.. When it gets to the point for the use of force, and I have to draw my firearm, I will have exhausted all means to de-escalate. The only course remaining is to shoot to kill. If I leave the BG alive, I and my family are still at risk. Shooting to wound, and brandishing my firearm are escalating the situation, not de-escalating. Whenever I have to escalate a situation, I want it to end quickly and finally.

Not to mention, if you ever DO have to draw your weapons, you, or someone in your party, should be dialing 9-1-1 at the same time, to request the presence of the poh-pohs ASAP. If the BG leaves, then brings back some homeboys, and you're still standing there waiting for him, you've made some tactical mistakes!

I agree that if possible, someone should be calling 911. However, if I'm engaging a BG with my weapon and I'm alone, then the 911 call goes out after the shooting stops. #1-Trying to do 2 things at once is difficult, but trying to engage a BG and hold a conversation with LE would be near impossible for either to be done with any sort of effectiveness. #2-With the way that media likes to play (and sometimes edit/distort) tapes of 911 calls, it's best to not give them much to work with. I envision the call to go something like: "Please send police & ambulance to (location), shots have been fired". <Click> #3-The next very next call should be to a lawyer, even before the police arrive. Explain everything and anything to your lawyer outside of hearing range of the police.

If loading a couple of rubber rounds puts you more at ease and you're more likely to carry, then go for it. We all have to reconcile ourselves with the fact that the tool we've chosen to carry may have to come into play. And we also have to reconcile ourselves to the fact that employing a weapon may change a lot of lives in an instant. I went through the same mental preparations for carrying that you seem to be going through. That's great because there aren't likely to be any 'do over' scenarios out there. Make up your mind now about which conditions/threat-levels would be cause for you to pull & use your weapon because if the unfortunate event presents itself, there won't be time to think AND act. However, the majority oppinion on this site will be use live rounds and aim for center-mass.

I will point out that your initial advance plan

if I can hit somebody center mass with a few rubber bullets to give me enough time to take his weapon

has a MAJOR flaw. You don't want to get into a wrestling match with someone after you've drawn your weapon unless there is no other alternative. In any encounter you should be moving (preferably away from the threat). If you're not moving, you should be shooting. If you can't continue shooting, you should be reloading.

With regard to what type of ammo, use whatever will work in your gun consistently. There are lots of options available that use self defense, personal protection, or other such phrases on the box. Go with one of those if you have a real concern about the LEO investigation afterward.

And lastly, welcome!!! You'll find lots of opinions on this site (if you haven't noticed that already). Don't take any of it personally. We really are just a trying-to-be-helpful bunch.