Revolver firing in a car?

[Smitty908]

I got to thinking while I was at the range the other day, watching the fireballs erupt from my little scandium .357.......I'm sure most are aware of the blast and burning gases which escape through the barrel cylinder gap of revolvers. Say you and your signifigant other are in your car and the potential threat/carjacker etc... comes up to the passenger side window? Uhh oh...Do you fire across / in front of your spouses face? Oops...sorry dear...at least we didn't get carjacked... I know I would not like to be in that proximity of a firing revolver.....I think I will start carrying autos in the car....Any thoughts?

-Tim

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[BIG E]

If you fire anything across the passenger you can bet that they will have ringing ears and will be none too happy. What is the alternative? You have very few options when someone opens the door or tries to get in the window.

I agree and would think that an auto would provide less of a direct blast to your occupants face. At that range you will have stuff flying everywhere regardless of what you shoot.

[Blackeagle]

If you fire anything across the passenger you can bet that they will have ringing ears and will be none too happy. What is the alternative? You have very few options when someone opens the door or tries to get in the window.

Well, the obvious alternative would be for the passenger to shoot the carjacker.

[broknindarkagain]

I've read some things about using a semi-auto in the car...the slide could get caught up on something in a stuggle and render the gun useless, so I wouldn't rely on an auto in a vehicle.

I would just instruct the passenger to get down, put their head between their knees if possible, that would avoid the whole issue of having gases burn their face, but there would really be no way around having ringing ears for awhile.

[PatrioticRick]

I know how loud my .45 is outside of the car, wouldn't want to hear inside. Everyone would be def.

[Bark'n]

Well, sometimes a good person ends up permanently marked, injured or even disabled after a shooting incident. Some people miss the whole concept of what using lethal force to save their life really is. It is a dirty, ugly dangerous business and there aint no way to sugar coat it.

Lethal Force situations, while not always, frequently come out of the blue, with little or no warning. They happen in a matter of seconds and then it's over. Someone is usually either dead, or dying.

A car jacker isn't going to stand 20 feet away from the car and wave his hands back and forth until he gets your attention before he starts his assault and allow you to initiate your planned response. It is usually "already in progress" by the time you are aware of it, regardless of how much people claim they can be aware of everything all the time. Or "it won't happen [I]that way![I]"

I have permanent hearing loss in one ear, frequent ringing of the ear, headaches and still, after 25 some odd years have some faint powder tattooing on my face from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It happened during a homicide that took place while I was on the job. The gun used a .357 mag snub revolver firing .38 spl loads, was discharged about 4 inches from my head four times in rapid fire.

It left me scarred and was a life changing event. You carry a strange feeling knowing you are alive today only out of sheer accident and dumb luck.

Smitty908, You are playing the "What If" game. That is the most basic way of thinking through what to do in a given situation. That is how you develop tactics and planned responses. It is essential in planning and training. When suddenly thrust into a life or death situation, your brain will default to what it has been trained to do. If you have not trained it to respond, it will default to panic or be paralyzed.

Keep up with what you are doing and thinking through as many "what if" scenarios you can. And then develop a response to that scenario.

But know that there's a price to pay for just about everything you'll do. Hopefully in the situation you described, you won't accidentally shoot your wife. Stuff like that does happen.

Maybe someday I'll post more of my incident on the survivor story thread.

[glembe]

Hit the gas!

Floor IT

Two tons of steel vs. 158 gr of lead, I would use the car as a weapon or to get away

[TorchMach1]

Hit the gas!

Floor IT

Two tons of steel vs. 158 gr of lead, I would use the car as a weapon or to get away

This is probably your best bet. Also, by law, you may be obligated to retreat in this manner before using lethal force. You have to remember, if the BG has the gun pointed at you, he's already way ahead of you. It takes time to analyze what's happening to you, then make a decision, then take action. He's already gone through that process. It's very unlikely that you can react quickly enough before he can pull the trigger on you! I'm not saying you should be a sheep and give in, but realize that your most viable option is probably to floor it!

[Tex32Cal]

The easy solution is to encourage your wife to procure her own concealed carry license and defense weapon. That way she can shoot the BG, and you can buy her a steak afterward.

Michael

[farronwolf]

If you can see him come up the the passengers side window, then you have plenty of time to get the hell out of there with the car, wife and yourself. My vote is not to shoot across your wife, girl friend or whomever is in the passengers seat, but simply drive away.

If the car jacker is hanging on to the door or the passenger, swipe them off against another vehicle, pole or whatever, you may have a dented door, but they will not be able to hang on. The passenger should be wearing their seat belt so they should remain in the seat even if the attacker gets a grip on their arm or whatever.

I would not want the jeapardize the life of my passenger by trying to shoot around their head and shoulders when there is an escape choice.

[CopperKnight]

Don't always have a chance to drive off. Many carjackings happen while stopped at a light. You may be blocked in and not have a choice. The other thing to consider is that if the guy is at the passenger side, there may be a second guy at or approaching the driver side.

Firing a gun there chances deaf/blind/powder burns on the passenger's face. Do you have time to tell them to cover their face or duck forward and wait until they do? Hard to say ahead of time. I guess I don't have a predetermined answer for this one.

[Pete]

Any deafness is preferable to deadness.
It's a no brainer.

But in that split second when you're making decisions on a 'shoot or no shoot' basis, make sure it isn't just a panhandler or a Police Officer.

Situational awareness is worth all the hindsight in the world, so turn down the stereo, leave the phone alone, stop staring at the blonde wearing a bikini in the convertible and use your mirrors - even when sat in traffic.

The BG will see you there, wide awake, unhindered by a blackberry or whatever and move on down the line looking for someone who won't see him coming.

[TorchMach1]

It's true you may not always have a chance to drive away. That's when you have to make the decision on how to protect yourself. That being said...always try to leave yourself an "out". Remember driver's ed? Doesn't always work out if you're stopped at a light 3 lanes wide, but always something to think about. Also consider backing into parking spaces or pulling through a space so that your car is facing outward. It's a lot easier to get away driving forward rather than reverse. You could get blocked in by the BG's car, of course, but it's always a good idea to think about these things and give yourself the best opportunity possible.

[obxned]

Deaf or dead, not too hard a choice after all.

[pgrass101]

Do what you have too, whatever it takes to keep you and yours alive and whole as possible.