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Robbed at gunpoint - Fight or comply?

  • Comply with the BG, give him your $$ and play the odds that he's not going to shoot you if you compl

    Votes: 105 31.3%
  • Fight

    Votes: 231 68.8%

Robbed at gunpoint, Fight or Comply?

11K views 187 replies 105 participants last post by  tacman605 
#1 ·
I just found out that my cousin was robbed at gunpoint a few weeks back. He doesn't carry.

Apparently he was walking to his car when a single BG came up to him, pointed a gun at him and demanded money and his car keys. He complied and the BG took the car and drove away. My cousin and his wife were unhurt.

The question is: if it was you and you were carrying, would you attempt to do something or would you comply and cross your fingers?

I typically cary at 3:30 IWB so it would be easy to draw when feigning a grab for my wallet. BG should be surprised and stuck in an unusually long OODA loop segment. A step off the X, perhaps a sweep with my week hand to push the gun out of the way and a few shots could end things really quickly.

On the other hand, things could go terribly wrong. He could be twitchy and shoot the second fast movement started. Things might not go according to plan. Depending on who's standing where, bumping the BG's gun might end up with it pointing at your spouse etc. Out drawing a gun pointed at you can be bad. etc. etc.

In the scenario described, my cousin was out a few bucks but survived.

So, for whatever reason, you end up with a BG three feet away from you pointing a gun at your face. Your wife is standing next to you. What would you do?

Edit: I know that the short answer is "it depends". What I'm asking though is what's your plan. Do you plan on complying or do you plan on fighting?
 
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#3 ·
It depends on the circumstances, I think.

If it's clear there is no way out, then absolutely fighting out of the situation is called for. Who knows ... lightning may strike.

If it's clear that a change has come over the robber and the moment of truth is rapidly approaching, then now's the time to fight.

If an opportunity presents itself, such as it might with a single robber and multiple potential victims in a group, a person might hide the draw in a moment of inattention. I hope to always be on the watch for such an opportunity, but I have yet to be held under a knife or gun in this situation, so I suppose that it's a question whether I'll be able to do it.

If a loved one is with me, that complicates things. It also clarifies things, making the responsibility and the ramifications stark and clear.

I am nobody's quick-draw McGraw. Never have been. Am training to improve it, but I likely never will be. Let alone with covering garments being in the way.

As well, drawing and firing is hardly the only option. Particularly if the attacker has been stupid enough to get within contact distance. Medical treatment is better these days, and surviving even a couple gunshots is entirely possible. A single attacker can be overcome, and it's even more possible when the single attacker is too obviously arrogant and prideful in his way of dealing with the situation. That can be used against him, potentially. Depends.

But, let's be real. In a robbery situation where the robber has a firearm in hand, is out of contact distance, is clearly attentive and not missing much, there is little to be gained by attempting to draw and fire on him.

So. For me, it depends.
 
#4 ·
Going on what you've presented, it appears the BG has all the advantages.
1. Victim's already been caught off-guard.
2. Bg already has his gun out.
3. Evidently he's prepared to used it.
4. He doesn't have a family member to be concerned with.
5. Et Cetera!

You can try to slyly pull your weapon but you're aready staring down the business end of his. But how long is he going to hesitate before he pulls the trigger when he sees you don't have a wallet in hand?

Despite all the mondo bad-butts who claim they're ready to shoot it out here, I think you can write this one off as a lost cause and hand over what he wants. SA has already failed; the eliment of surprise is gone; the risks of a sucessful SD are low.
Are your keys and cash worth your wife's and your lives if you can't pull this off? I'd hate to risk it on "crossed fingers."

Besides, if he took my vehicle, he'd probably bring it back, hand me someones else's cash and tell me, "Man, you need a new car."
 
#5 ·
Comply or not

I have been held at gun point before in my car. Trust me all you should do is COMPLY with what he wants. Unless he wants to frisk you to make sure you don't have a weapon or hiding other valuables.. THEN you should fight for your life. It is the reason why sometimes i feel more comfortable carrying in an ankle holster becauase BG wont usually check down there to make sure that you aren't hiding any valuables or a weapon. They sometimes do a quick check around the waist band area and pockets.

I live in a dangerous city and every week in the newspaper there is a story about someone who offered resistance to an armed robber and ended up dead.

Nothing you own is worth your life or the lives of loved ones. Carrying a gun does not mean that you have to draw in a low success probability situation.

Stay safe and always try to remain calm in a holdup...BGs are getting more itchy trigger fingers day by day.
 
#6 ·
Unless you can get off a central nervous system immediate stopping hit, even a fatally wounded BG will still have enough conscious time left to kill you.

Odds are all he wants is your money. If that is the sole demand, there is nothing to be gained by not complying.

If he tries to move you to a different location, put you in the trunk or appears to want to do something other than demand money, then, and only then, would it make sense to resist.
 
#21 ·
This. Esp. the first sentence. Any caliber....few first or even seconds STOP immediately.
 
#8 ·
It depends On the three W's & opportunity, SA is the key, If my Wife is with me then I'm going to try to put her & I out of harms way, Same if I'm by myself, But I don't have to worry about her gives me a little more room to DO WHAT I HAVE TOO ; )
H/D
 
#9 ·
Have to agree with ccw9mm. There is no one clear answer. Each situation has different things that will need to be factored in. What you do in one situation might turn the tables and put the BG under the gun, in another situation it might get you dead. Go with what your gut feeling tell you to do in each situation.
 
#10 ·
I'm gonna comply until he drops his guard then he's getting lead,I know from timed shoots it takes me at least 1.5 seconds to draw from concealment and get the first round off.
 
#15 ·
+1 there is a reason we train.
 
#12 ·
I dont carry a pistol fer nothing.
 
#14 ·
That's a tough one, but in your cousin's situation I would have given him my $$ and car keys, and as he got into the car (with any distractions), or after getting in...BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.:comeandgetsome::ziplip:

Officer, I feared for my life, the guy said he was going to kill me, I gave him my $$ and keys, and he said that he was still going to kill me.
I had to save my own life. You can plainly see the gun he had, laying over there next to parts of his I.Q.:rolleyes:

I will answer any other questions that you may have with my attorney present.:ziplip:
 
#16 ·
That's a tough one, but in your cousin's situation I would have given him my $$ and car keys, and as he got into the car (with any distractions), or after getting in...BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.:comeandgetsome::ziplip:
Aw, man. Can't you get him before he is getting into your car? Why make a mess inside? Really!:twak:
 
#17 ·
"Proximity beats skill"

Totally depends on how the situation plays out and what opportunities present themselves, if any.

Remember....only YOU must ALSO check backstop. And do you care who's behind you if he shoots?

If anything, I would see if I could offer my wallet as a distraction or for them to lower their guard thinking I had complied and see if I could get away with getting my hand in my purse for my gun. If so, I wouldnt even draw, I would point and shoot (I have practiced this)....I would only attempt this if I truly thought he was going to kill me.

Ayoob talks about this (depending on how close they are) as an unwinnable situation for even an expert to draw. He recomments CQC to deal with bg's gun and then use his weapon or your own.
 
#22 ·
You need 2 more options.
#3 Comply then fight
#4 Feel the situation out

It's really going to depend on alot of things such as surroundings, who is with me, and if it seems like the BG really wants my stuff or something else.
 
#23 ·
Of all the questions that can not be answered with a simple yes or no, this ranks pretty high on the list.

There are circumstances that would dictate compliance, and there are circumstances that would dictate fighting. To think that there is one "correct" answer for all possible robbed-at-gunpoint scenarios is short sighted, to say the very least.
 
#24 ·
The question is not about a particular situation but if your plan is to resist.

I suppose I could have posted an option that states "I'll wing it when it happens".

The point of the poll/thread is to encourage dialog on this topic because I'm kind of split on this one. The better one plans for emergencies, the better off one will be when one arrises.
 
#25 ·
Comply until you can gain an advantage....however miniscule....then FIGHT....until the fight is over...on your terms...
 
#27 ·
That sums up my feelings. This is why I've always practiced H2H disciplines. At near contact distance my initial fight reaction would likely be an attempt at an overwhelming violent disarm. I likely wouldn't count on drawing first as my first action in this instance, but yes, I am more likely to fight rather than hope the offender just leaves after the robbery.
 
#28 ·
For anyone who has done force-on-force type training with paintball or Simunitions type gear, have you ever successfully disarmed a "robber" who has a firearm on you as in this scenario ... without being struck by "bullets"? (Describe.)
 
#29 ·
Yes, I have. But I'm also a multi decade martial arts practitioner, and will readily admit it is not always successful. I am still willing to accept the risk in most encounters rather than depend on the charity of a lawless thug who is already committing one crime against me.
 
#30 ·
Tough call, depends, if I see that he wants just my wallet and or car and that's all he ask for and is itchy to just get those items and go, he's got them and so long.

If he's cool and calculating in his approach and attitude and even gives em the hint that no matter what I do, I'm history, I'm going down fighting some how.
 
#31 ·
It depends on the circumstances. If my wife and daughter are present the decision is rather simple. Good night bad guy. If it is just me, well perhaps more time is available to see how it plays out. Being ex military I may look at this a bit differently, but if my loved ones are present and threatend then its lights out.
 
#76 ·
If your loved ones are there and you don't have an Invisible Cone of Safety that is going to appear around them then you are the one who is putting them at risk. By escalating the situation. If the BG start pulling his trigger, whether you hit him or not. do you think that some how your loved ones are magically impervious to gunfire?
 
#36 ·
Wait until BG turns to leave, pull gun and demand my stuff back. LOL Hey, it's an option.... I"m not sure it's a good or smart option.

Start car, drive towards BG ... he aims gun at you... run him over in self-defense.

Now, what I'm really trying to get at.... you can come up with lots of answers of all types. The key is, assessing everything you can in the situation and doing whatever it is that you think is necessary to protect your life and gives you the best chance of going home in one piece. But, there is no ONE answer that fits all, and don't limit your choices... think outside of the box as to what the BG expects you to do.
 
#40 ·
Hard to answer absolutely. But, most of today's scumbags are willing to kill witnesses for $2. My thinking would be that he is going to shoot me anyway.

Hopefully, my reach for my wallet won't give away my reach for my IWB -- about 6" from my wallet. Easy to say now I will be moving. Hopefully I will be moving if it actually happens.

Going back to another recent thread -- no need to stop at a double tap.
 
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