gigag04 wrote:How ready do you get your gun - take it out and keep it handy? Just make it easy to draw?
What level of response do you feel is warranted? For example's sake lets say its at midnight.
Steyr's post got me thinking.
-nick
Taking Steyr's message in consideration with regards to being followed down a street I lived on late at night by a car that had its headlights off, and using that case as an example along with the fact that he had pulled into his driveway (versus continuing on as others had suggested [good point I will remember to do if found in like situation]), I would have actually pulled my weapon from its holster and have it ready in-hand but out-of-site, as well as leaving the car running and in Reverse with the breaks on (in case I need to use IT as a weapon as well).
When they passed by with no incident and I turned off and exited the car (with the gun reholstered), but while walking to the house I detected that they had turned around and were coming back (and not knowing how many were actually inside the car, nor if or what they were armed with), being married but with no children I think I would have bolted inside to alert my wife, lock the doors and turn off any inside lights (our driveway has motion-detected bright lights, so that would have lit up the driveway/entryway and front yard area to my advantage). Once inside and with both of us armed and on alert (and in our places), a knock on the door would be answered with extreme caution (without opening it) and three loud barking dogs. Any barge-in would be greeted accordingly to the best of our abilities.
With regards to how ready I would keep my gun, that depends on so many variables. In short, I would keep it as ready as I could, based on the threat or possible threat situation. If I felt there was a possible threat, and had adequate cover for it to prevent someone from screaming "Man with a GUN!!!" (late at night, dark and while in the car for example) I would have it drawn from its holster and ready-in-hand, but be able to quickly conceal it further if necessary if the threat proved to be false. If walking, and with an IWB holster, I might only stick my thumb down between my tuck, covering the grip with my palm so it's not visible, but ready to pull if needed. With OWB, I would make sure my jacket was unzipped and would have my thumb/strong-hand ready to swing it back for draw.
Of course I'm not a LEO, nor have I had any formal training in self-defence (and as you can see by my sig, don't even have my CHL yet), so I'm sure that there's plenty I don't know. But, to summarize, in a possible threat situation I would try to be as ready as I could without raising any red flags or letting anyone else know that I was readying myself for the worst.