I have some knowledge of a situation where a CCW person foiled a robbery. Two guys were in the process of robbing a grocery store. One of them had a pistol stuck in the ear of the manager.
The CCW, observing this, fired twice. He shot one of the BG's. The other round missed everything but the wall of the store. (Oklahoma Law allows you to use enough force to stop a crime being committed in front of your eyes- 22 OS 31, 33, 39). NOTE: those laws don't REQUIRE you to help, and the police will usually encourage you NOT to...but you can raise these statutes as affirmative defenses if you shoot someone who is committing a crime and get prosecuted for it, which is usually unlikely.
The BG who was shot dragged himself out the door. The other just ran like his butt was on fire. They both got away (for a little while). The CCW didn't shoot more because the BG's, in his judgment, were no longer threats to anyone at that point. THAT is prodigious restraint, and good thinking IMHO.
I got to thinking about that and the weapons I carry- not from a standpoint of "what I'd do" in this scenario, but from a "If it's come to me shooting (whatever the situation is), am I the best prepared I can be?" sort of perspective.
It has changed my outlook on carry weapons a bit. I LOVE my
1911's. Dearly. And I shoot them pretty well.
But I'm thinking I'd want all the advantages and insurance I could get. Including as much capacity as I could comfortably carry. And I shoot my XD45 just as accurately as my 1911's.
I'm also thinking, to paraphrase Cirillo, "no one's ever been in a gunfight and wished later for a smaller gun".
To me, that means carry the biggest caliber, highest capacity weapon you can shoot well, that is legal to CCW (Oklahoma law limits your caliber to .45 or less, overall length to less than 16", I think) and worry about fashion later. In other words, buy your clothes to fit your weapons. Not the other way around.
I'm also thinking a backup is NOT a screwy idea.
I'm also thinking more range time, and fewer straight-on bull's eye targets. Better, more training. And other kinds of training, too.
Thoughts, folks?
The CCW, observing this, fired twice. He shot one of the BG's. The other round missed everything but the wall of the store. (Oklahoma Law allows you to use enough force to stop a crime being committed in front of your eyes- 22 OS 31, 33, 39). NOTE: those laws don't REQUIRE you to help, and the police will usually encourage you NOT to...but you can raise these statutes as affirmative defenses if you shoot someone who is committing a crime and get prosecuted for it, which is usually unlikely.
The BG who was shot dragged himself out the door. The other just ran like his butt was on fire. They both got away (for a little while). The CCW didn't shoot more because the BG's, in his judgment, were no longer threats to anyone at that point. THAT is prodigious restraint, and good thinking IMHO.
I got to thinking about that and the weapons I carry- not from a standpoint of "what I'd do" in this scenario, but from a "If it's come to me shooting (whatever the situation is), am I the best prepared I can be?" sort of perspective.
It has changed my outlook on carry weapons a bit. I LOVE my
1911's. Dearly. And I shoot them pretty well.
But I'm thinking I'd want all the advantages and insurance I could get. Including as much capacity as I could comfortably carry. And I shoot my XD45 just as accurately as my 1911's.
I'm also thinking, to paraphrase Cirillo, "no one's ever been in a gunfight and wished later for a smaller gun".
To me, that means carry the biggest caliber, highest capacity weapon you can shoot well, that is legal to CCW (Oklahoma law limits your caliber to .45 or less, overall length to less than 16", I think) and worry about fashion later. In other words, buy your clothes to fit your weapons. Not the other way around.
I'm also thinking a backup is NOT a screwy idea.
I'm also thinking more range time, and fewer straight-on bull's eye targets. Better, more training. And other kinds of training, too.
Thoughts, folks?