What would you do if robbed at gunpoint?

[AK_Brian]

If I'm already at gunpoint then I've lost whatever initiative carrying and good SA provide me. In that case I'm just going to give the BG what they want so I can get home safely, or -maybe- present me an opportunity to retake the initiative. Again though I'd likely just play it safe and try to make it out alive.

Nothing in my pockets can't be replaced.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Ciwis]

I can't answer the question what would I do if if a gun is pointed at me and I was armed-in Chicago there is no concealed carry allowed. However I can maybe give some insight into one incident where a gun is displayed and I was unarmed. It was an attempted robbery a few years ago. I was raking leaves in broad daylight on the parkway. I basically told him right off 'sorry I don't have anything'. I was courteous but very calm and played kinda stupid. He kept asking, are you sure you don't have money? And then tried to reach in my front pant pocket. I stepped back and pulled out the inside of pockets to show it's empty. Then he asked if I had a car. I pretty much played friendly and dumb and coming across as someone who would help him out if I could. I told him I was broke and didn't even have a cell phone. He asked me if I was crazy and when he walked away he turned around and said "you know, you're very lucky" I don't advise anyone to take this approach. Just give up your stuff. Armed robberies occur all the time and people don't get shot. I don't know how I knew, but I knew this guy wasn't going to shoot me. It wasn't a darkened alley but next to a somewhat busy street. I'm not saying I didn't take the situation seriously but I was able to use a non threatening demeanor and 'role play' to get the guy to move on. If you can take anything from this, do not come off as a threat to them. Let them know you will comply. Put them at ease. Now that I'm out of Chicago but in an adjacent burb, I'm thinking about getting a gun for home defense. In June I believe, we will be able to conceal and carry. I think I will CC under certain scenarios. As far as what would I do in another attempted robbery, well, I have greatly increased my situational awareness and hope I'm not in that situation again. Moving out of Chicago city limits also helps.

[NorthernVandal]

As others have said, if they have the jump on you, just give them what they want and live another day. Most robbers don't want to become murderers, they are counting on you giving it up and them leaving.

[MSZ]

[QUOTE=Blue Thunder;2582765]Most of these street thugs cannot shoot straight as I have seen in multiple U-Tube Video's, I will take my chances with a toss to one side of the goods and get off the X to the other side while drawing and shooting the perp to the ground. These folks are easily interrupted in their OODA loops with most anything as they are not expecting it. I am going down to the right or left and shooting up into the perp. He will likely be shooting over my head as they wave their guns in a wild manner when shooting.QUOTE]

I agree and also have been instructed and practiced the shoot and move, shoot and move, technique.

[Weeg]

[QUOTE=MSZ;2596218]

Most of these street thugs cannot shoot straight as I have seen in multiple U-Tube Video's, I will take my chances with a toss to one side of the goods and get off the X to the other side while drawing and shooting the perp to the ground. These folks are easily interrupted in their OODA loops with most anything as they are not expecting it. I am going down to the right or left and shooting up into the perp. He will likely be shooting over my head as they wave their guns in a wild manner when shooting.QUOTE]

I agree and also have been instructed and practiced the shoot and move, shoot and move, technique.

Its great that you know every single bad guy's level of training and mindset.


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[Maxwell47]

SOP: Placate the aggressor, pray, and hope you survive and/or get a chance to turn the situation to your favor. Things can be replaced. Survival is the bottom line.

[beni]

Take a gun defense class from a reputible trainer. You would be surprised at how many options you have against an armed BG that has the drop on you. Odds are that if a BG has you targeted they have selected you because they believe you to be easy prey. Because of that they may have a delayed reaction to any defensive measure you take because they don't expect it. That delay could be all the edge you need.

Situations like that are why I focus more oh h2h defenses. once you have control of the muzzle of the gun they are at your mercy because they won't want to let go of the gun

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[bubbinator]

Well my first armed robbery was in Thailand, on my way to duty as a Military Police Town Patrol Unit Supervisor-taxi diver pulled off into a tapioca field and passenger jumped out and pulled a knife on me. I had an upright breifcase on my lap and it covered me pulling a 1911a1 from under my belt buckle, which I pointed at him, he dropped the weapon and I busted out the back window of the taxi(it was Baht Bus Toyota pickup truck, and made Popa-san drive it to the Thai Police Station where foreign justice took over! They don't like theeir friends getting robbed. Next, as an AL ABC Agt working a funds escort detail during the Christmas holidays in Montgomery, AL we( my escort and I exitted the unmarked police car-a Ford Crown Vic with a 4K Blue light "low profile" package-10 lights in front!!) to go into a bank in a supermarket. A young B/M in jeans and a grey hoodie pulled over his head rushed up to me and was shouting that his car wouldn't start and he needed help. He came at me so fast, I instictively drew my SA Armory 1911A1 and as he came at me actually hit him in the solar plexis with the muzzle, safety off, and he jumped back and ran away. There was no apparent broken down car in the area and he disappeared in seconds from the area. I didn't realize until after it was over that the store cashier I was escorting was scared it was a robbery and knew I was was going to shoot the guy because of the way he ran at me and I drew my weapon. He blinked and I didn't. Thank God-that would have been lots of paperwork!

[rugergunner]

Looking back hind sight 20/20 what could have been recognized or avoided? Were you guys in a fringe area? Did you see them before you were robbed? We're you walking right into a position that you could not defend, escape or maneuver? Did you allow your close space to be violated and continue in? Did you walk past one guy while another was positioning behind? Did you change angles to see if they were visually or verbally interviewing you while also positioning? Did you understand these concepts at the time?

There are very few times you cannot prevent something from happening. A simple trip to your favorite ATM in the day time can help you know exactly how not to position or act. And in some cases you simply CANNOT go to certain ATMs. Also what time of day was this? Your post could be helpful to others. Hopefully everyone here studies how most or all of these scenarios develop and the signs you will almost always see coming, but most people ignore.

Thanks...

We were a couple of stupid 18 year old hicks, from Northern Michigan, who were way out of our element. Yes, the MEPS station was in a crappy part of town, and yes we should not have been walking from the bus station to the MEPS station after it got dark.

[jbphoto357]

I was in Towson, Maryland when I was held up at gunpoint. In addition, there was a second person who was holding a knife on me. This was in a nice residential area. Since this was the Peoples Republic of Maryland I was NOT carrying and, honestly, even if I was I don't think it would have changed anything. I was approached from two different directions by two guys much bigger, younger and limber than I who requested that I surrender my worldly goods ie: wallet and money to them. All I could do was comply. My wallet was found in a dumpster two days later with everything intact except for my $40 bucks. A small price to pay considering I didn't have to go through the hassle of getting new credit cards and drivers license etc. The officer that took the report said that I was simply a victim of opportunity as the two perps had just robbed several people not far from the residence I was visiting. Shortly thereafter I requested a transfer from my company to a more 2A friendly state where I worked for the next 7 years prior to retiring to Arizona, another very 2A friendly state.

[RubenZ]

[QUOTE=Weeg;2596635]

Its great that you know every single bad guy's level of training and mindset.


.

And from Youtube too lol

[X4ND32]

I guess in retrospect, it would have been worth it to at least TRY and self defend?...

[stevenshizzle]

I've thought about this and my answer to myself is not to let it get that far. If a couple of perps were up to no good, I might have entered a hightened state of condition yellow or condition orange. If someone is within 30' of you, they should be assessed. If your heart skips a beat, better to be prepared than become an episode on last 48.

However, to answer the question -- I guess I would try to reach as if it's my wallet and remember that I can shoot close to my chest from retention. I own a Glock and plan to carry with one in the pipe. This brings up a good point of practicing your draw.

I wonder if they make an app that can randomly beep and allow you to test your reaction time...

[WarMachine]

If you are talking about an alert, aware perp, who has you dead to rights - gun pointed at you - there is little chance anyone can get the drop on him, especially from IWB.

BUT, and this is the important part, it is never that easy. It all depends on the context of each moment. If he has a gun on you (and hasn't shot you yet) he wants something.

What he wants, how close he is, where he is (dead in front, behind, to the side, etc.... what kind of lighting, all play into what your options are.

If he is close, you might do a gun grab and draw, if he is too far away - is there cover nearby? is movement an option? can you massage the circumstances to put yourself in a better position to draw?

All these things are at play - and are different in any situation.

Also important is his demeanor. Is he is hopped up on something, you might take a greater chance then if he seemed collected and somewhat rational.

In the end, the question you MUST know the answer to is this: what are YOU capable of doing?

I know from shooting action sports, that I can draw and fire from retention in 1.5 seconds. (if it is concealed by my sport coat). If I am wearing a tucked IWB, it is about 2.5 seconds.

Depending on the range, the circumstances and whether I can cloak my actions (i.e. disguise my motions as going for my wallet or money to give to him) or distract him, (throwing, or dropping my wallet, etc.) I might be able to buy myself the time I need to take action.

But again, these are very contextual judgments that no armchair quarterbacking can really answer. The best answer IMHO, is know what you are capable of doing, so if you every face the issue, you have an idea of what is and what is not an option for you.





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Agreed. You have to know what your capable of doing as well of your reaction time to certain situations.

[StardogChampion]

I was watching an episode of The First 48 (awesome show by the way) and two young guys were approached on a sidewalk in broad daylight by two thugs with handguns. The bad guys said "give us everything you got". They young guys complied and started emptying their pockets and throwing their wallets, cell phones, etc. on the ground. One of them had an unloaded handgun and threw it on the ground too. When one of the thugs saw that, he opened fire killing one and shooting the other three times. The show was never clear if the BG opened fire because the gun pissed him off, or if he somehow felt he was put on the defensive since the guys they were robbing were armed. Regardless that raises a ton of questions for me since I carry every day. Sometimes I carry front pocket, but mostly at 4:00 IWB.

1. If carrying IWB, would you ever try to outdraw someone that is pointing a gun at you? I could possibly see telling them they can have your wallet while reaching back to get the gun. Right before drawing, point behind them and say, "there's a cop" and drawing when they turn to look. Obviously very risky unless you're Billy the Kid. IWB at 4:00, they would probably never know I had a gun if I gave them my wallet and cell phone.

2. What do you do if carrying front pocket? I can't draw too fast out of the front pocket. You also see criminals reach in people's front pockets to empty them while holding a gun on them. Even if I choose to do nothing, they are going to see the bulge in my pocket that looks like a phone or something else they want. It really makes me rethink front pocket carry. Should it, or am I just being paranoid?

Sorry if it's been debated here before, but I couldn't find anything.

Thanks!

I have gone back and forth and debated in my head a very similar scenario like this for awhile. The decision you make to me comes down to a moral question. They have presented a deadly weapon and have shown Intent, Ability, and Opportunity. You would be legally justified in pulling your weapon and shooting them. However what's unique about this scenario is that they have presented you with an ultimatum which is either Give us your cellphone,wallet etc and we won't harm you OR if you don't comply we will shoot/stab you. The question to me is do I really believe if I give up my wallet and cellphone will they leave me alone or will they still shoot me / stab me? As the saying goes you don't kill somebody over property, you don't shoot somebody because they are stealing your VCR. Here if I felt like I was going to get harmed even if I complied with there demands I would pull my gun and start shooting.
I keep my gun at the 5 oclock position, it's almost small of back but not quite. My gun is just above where I keep my wallet in my back pocket so if somebody tries to rob me I can pretend to be complying with there demands and go for my wallet when in reality I've just gripped my gun and I'm about to draw and they won't have any idea until I raise my gun.
One thing that you might look for in this situation is if the safety is on, on the bad guys gun. If it is you have them dead to rights. You can draw on them and fire before they could ever get a shot off. This would be the first thing I would look for when looking at the gun is where the safety is and if it's on or not.