# attemped mugging



## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

Remember the old saying that it is better to have a gun you will carry than no gun at all. Now I own the same amount of guns as my age and I carry different things depending on attire and circumstances but the other day was a day that will change what I carry. I was walking home from a convenient store and 3 males approached me and one pulls off his shirt and wraps it around his head and started rapping about how he was going to rob me. I only had a .38 spl with 5 shots but man was I glad I had it. I felt so under armed even though they were unarmed? it was 3 against one and they were half my age and in good shape. The threat of a 38 spl stopped them in their tracks and the leader convinced the other two not to proceed further. So my question to me is should I wear a sidearm I shouldn't have to reload and more rounds in it like a Glock 19 that I can carry 90% of the time or a .38 spl that I can carry 100% of the time but have to sacrifice on the amount of ammo or go with a 1911 .45 that has 9 rds I can conceal about 75% of the time / S&W 3913 9mm with 9 rds that I can conceal about 85% of the time without a bulge showing? I just don't trust a .38 spl to stop a fight most of the time with just one shot granted I had 2 extra but sometimes we miss in a stressful situation with people moving.
*What gun would you carry in that situation and why*? I started packing the Glock 19 with 15 rds of a good brand of JHP and figure placement is key. No offense to the .38spl and I am glad I had it but I felt that they had the advantage and I would get hurt if they were persistent. I think I would had even been more comfortable with a Glock 36 with 7 rds of Powerball. I don't know if 2 extra rounds would had made a difference if the crap hit the fan but it represents 30% more ammo over the 5 shot 38spl and it has a heap more stopping power. your thoughs are encouraged as those thugs live down the street and they know I got a gun now but who's to say what will transpire later.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

Did you report this incident to the police? If you know where they live I'd press charges and have them locked up before they harm someone, or get harmed themselves. I'd carry a speed loader or two if went back out with the snubbie.


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

I didn't call the police because I was uncertain how they would respond to me pulling out a weapon on what I though were unarmed men. I talked to people in the neighborhood today about them and apparently they are robbing others.
The leader told me he would commit a felony over $5. They are still on the streets and now that I am informed about them I will defiantly call the police next time. I loaded up the M4, 870 with #4 buckshot and Glock 22 and went inside the house after the incident and they haven't come on my side of the neighborhood today not even to the store on the corner. People in the hood are telling them not to try me as I am not an easy mark and my gut tells me they won't try me again but I wouldn't want to bet my life on a hunch. I went and got a speed loader but it hard to conceal in shorts so I am going to get the speed strips and keep it in my back pocket if need if I carry the 38 again.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Just because they are such nice guys, they could get it into their collective (small) brain that it would be fun to turn you in to the cops for having brandished your pistol at them, as they were innocently walking down the sidewalk, minding their own business.
If they do that, you will find yourself in a world of hurt and expense.

If not now, than next time something like this happens, _immediately_ go to-or cell-phone-the cops and report the entire incident, including good descriptions and direction of travel.

He who gets the report in first looks the most innocent to the police.


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Just because they are such nice guys, they could get it into their collective (small) brain that it would be fun to turn you in to the cops for having brandished your pistol at them, as they were innocently walking down the sidewalk, minding their own business.
> If they do that, you will find yourself in a world of hurt and expense.
> 
> If not now, than next time something like this happens, _immediately_ go to-or cell-phone-the cops and report the entire incident, including good descriptions and direction of travel.
> ...


Sounds like very good advice and I should have gone to the police but I was scared that they would say this guy pulled a gun on us and we were just trying to talk to him or something like that.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Any gun is better than no gun at all. With that said, there are certainly guns that are better for carrying that others. Round capacity is a very good thing and should be a strong consideration. Again, there are times when you may not have this luxury. But when you do, it is always better to carry a firearm that has greater round capacity. You just never know, and you are not likely going to be able to pick, an attack that comes your way. Better to be prepared than not. You Glock 19 with high quality SD ammo (HST, Gold Dot, etc.) is an excellent choice. In the same category, size wise, the Glock 23 is even a little better since it is chambered for the .40S&W, though for some folks that is debatable. I wouldn't worry too much if I had to carry a G19, but my personal preference is the G23.

As has been offered, yes you most definitely should have contacted the police as soon as you were able after the incident. There are so many reasons to so this and almost none not to do it.

BTW, good thing you had a firearm on your person. It could have gone a bit different had you chosen not to go armed.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Them knowing where you live and people stating to the bad guys" your not an easy mark ".
Probably exaggerating of your armament
In my opinion your greatest risk is your home being burglarized when you are not at home.
They may come after your guns. Or inform people who are more Brazen of your residence and firearms in the home
Guns sell fast ,easy money.
Take precautions when leaving your home.
Maybe your home security is already sufficient.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

I would carry two guns, put the 38special in your pocket without a holster.
Also carry another handgun your proficient with, iwb.
Walking down the street, you can keep a hand in your pocket on the 38 spl, without looking like your drawing a weapon.
Obviously keep *only* the 38 in that pocket.
The reason why I say without a pocket holster ,is ,it will get in the way, and the revolver will handle a little pocket lint.
The above advice about contacting the police is good advice, they could have called first n turned you into the aggressor.
The person that calls for help, is usually the scared concerned party.
Just my opinion,, good luck


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

pic said:


> I would carry two guns, put the 38special in your pocket without a holster.
> Also carry another handgun your proficient with, iwb.
> Walking down the street, you can keep a hand in your pocket on the 38 spl, without looking like your drawing a weapon.
> Obviously keep *only* the 38 in that pocket.
> ...


IN GA the weapon must be in a holster or you get arrested but I have been carrying a gun with more bullets and a spare mag.


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

pic said:


> Them knowing where you live and people stating to the bad guys" your not an easy mark ".
> Probably exaggerating of your armament
> In my opinion your greatest risk is your home being burglarized when you are not at home.
> They may come after your guns. Or inform people who are more Brazen of your residence and firearms in the home
> ...


Again good advice! I got gun safes and gun insurance to help in case there is a break in ect... They don't know how many I have just that I am armed at all times now. 
I saw them today and they kept on walking by without saying anything. I have alerted neighbors to their intent so a watch of nearby homes have occurred.
I will dial 911 if something remotely violates the law next time.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

shaolin said:


> Again good advice! I got gun safes and gun insurance to help in case there is a break in ect... They don't know how many I have just that I am armed at all times now.
> I saw them today and they kept on walking by without saying anything. I have alerted neighbors to their intent so a watch of nearby homes have occurred.
> I will dial 911 if something remotely violates the law next time.


Good job alerting the neighbors.
Let the neighbors know of your fear.
I fully understand you not calling the police, their reactions can vary.
When I called the police after firing my handgun , their was a different reaction each time. Each ended in my favor after a full account of the details.
But the initial statement to police " I fired my handgun" can get the police " wide eyed ",lol.
Do you have any witnesses to your encounter?


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Research the holster law. If your gun is in your pocket fully concealed, you should be ok in Georgia


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

shaolin said:


> IN GA the weapon must be in a holster or you get arrested but I have been carrying a gun with more bullets and a spare mag.


So you can't carry a mouse gun, like a Ruger LCP, in your pocket in Georgia? That's strange.


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

pic said:


> Research the holster law. If your gun is in your pocket fully concealed, you should be ok in Georgia


I will look at it again in detail. There was a time when it had to be in a holster but laws do change so I will get a current copy of the the law and check again. The laws are changing in GA to our favor so I wouldn't be surprise if you are correct.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Seriously, folks...

Even if the law doesn't require it, use a holster anyway.

If you want your pocket gun to fire when you need it to, you need to keep it in a holster.
• Pocket lint will disable any gun more quickly than you might think.
• A holster keeps your pistol in the exact same orientation, all the time. You can waste a lot of time, scrabbling for and re-orienting the gun before making a presentation.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Seriously, folks...
> 
> Even if the law doesn't require it, use a holster anyway.
> 
> ...


That's a true statement
I was thinking of a threat that might be imminent .eliminating the holster that sometimes wants to stick to the gun.
But yes , I agree a holster is needed.
Even with the holster lint is gonna collect. Well at least with my cheap pocket holster


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Seriously, folks...
> 
> Even if the law doesn't require it, use a holster anyway.
> 
> ...


Pocket lint is only going to become a problem if the gun is carried like that on a regular basis. If it is infrequent or just carried in the pocket on a lark, then you should be fine.... unless there is a bunch of junk in that pocket. I have experience in this and can attest to what I am saying here. My pocket carry of my LCP is infrequent and only done when another, more serious carry gun is either not available to me or not in my better interests to carry for some reason.

I should add this. Those times when I do carry my LCP in a pocket are almost always at a beach and in a short pant cargo pocket. When moving around in uncrowded areas or to a parking lot, especially a covered lot, that little gun gets moved to my main right pocket with my hand on it. No jostling around to get a grip on it for me. I want to be able to get it out and into action quickly if needed. It is so small that doing this never raises an eyebrow or causes any concerns. Here at home, I almost never carry that little gun since I make use of my primary carry sidearm then.... shorts or not.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

SouthernBoy said:


> Pocket lint is only going to become a problem if the gun is carried like that on a regular basis. If it is infrequent or just carried in the pocket on a lark, then you should be fine.... unless there is a bunch of junk in that pocket. I have experience in this and can attest to what I am saying here. My pocket carry of my LCP is infrequent and only done when another, more serious carry gun is either not available to me or not in my better interests to carry for some reason.
> 
> I should add this. Those times when I do carry my LCP in a pocket are almost always at a beach and in a short pant cargo pocket. When moving around in uncrowded areas or to a parking lot, especially a covered lot, that little gun gets moved to my main right pocket with my hand on it. No jostling around to get a grip on it for me. I want to be able to get it out and into action quickly if needed. It is so small that doing this never raises an eyebrow or causes any concerns. Here at home, I almost never carry that little gun since I make use of my primary carry sidearm then.... shorts or not.


Absolutely , well explained.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

I've carried a beretta 22 pocket unholstered for a ten year span minimum. Never had a failure.
Believe it or not, my pocket guns holstered would gather more lint.
The holster may hold the lint .
Lint wants to settle to the bottom, gravity working , that's why your feet have plenty of lint,lol


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

SouthernBoy said:


> ...If it is...carried in the pocket...you should be fine...*unless there is a bunch of junk in that pocket*...[emphasis added]


Carry _nothing else_ in the same pocket in which your pistol resides.
If there's anything else in that pocket, Murphy will see to it that, whatever it is, it will foul the pistol's trigger-and maybe even cause a discharge.


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Carry _nothing else_ in the same pocket in which your pistol resides.
> If there's anything else in that pocket, Murphy will see to it that, whatever it is, it will foul the pistol's trigger-and maybe even cause a discharge.


Good advice as I like a wheel gun in a pocket when winter time comes around cause in a heavy jacket you can always have a gun ready without them knowing.
I down sized to the S&W 3913 lately as I am very accurate with it and I feel safer with 9 rds of 9mm Winchester Ranger 124gr +p over the .38spl which I feel is less accurate. I also have been carrying a spare mag too although I feel the fight will be over in 4 rds tops. I pray I never have to use my gun in self defense cause who knows how the DA will respond in my town. 
I have been thinking of switching to my Kimber 1911 for the added knock down power "yes I know it won't knock them to the ground with physics involved" to defend myself. 
I just prefer the single stack firearm to a double stack in a stressful situation for some reason. Maybe because I shoot them better and hit to point of aim faster. Must be in my head thing...
Also I prefer a IWB holster unless I know something is going to jump off then give my my paddle holster with a 1911 with Meprolights.

What gun would you carry if you had to be armed at all times and you knew that a threat of 3 persons with the intent of robbing you or worse was imminent?


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## shaolin (Dec 31, 2012)

SouthernBoy said:


> Any gun is better than no gun at all. With that said, there are certainly guns that are better for carrying that others. Round capacity is a very good thing and should be a strong consideration. Again, there are times when you may not have this luxury. But when you do, it is always better to carry a firearm that has greater round capacity. You just never know, and you are not likely going to be able to pick, an attack that comes your way. Better to be prepared than not. You Glock 19 with high quality SD ammo (HST, Gold Dot, etc.) is an excellent choice. In the same category, size wise, the Glock 23 is even a little better since it is chambered for the .40S&W, though for some folks that is debatable. I wouldn't worry too much if I had to carry a G19, but my personal preference is the G23.
> 
> As has been offered, yes you most definitely should have contacted the police as soon as you were able after the incident. There are so many reasons to so this and almost none not to do it.
> 
> BTW, good thing you had a firearm on your person. It could have gone a bit different had you chosen not to go armed.


I own two G23 but I don't like the snappy recoil of them. Now when the crap hits the fan I have been know to carry a .40 S&W for the added power to end aggression but with everything I've read and heard a 124+p JHP from Winchester or Corbon, Horndy and the 127 +p+ Rangers I feel that a center mass hit will end the fight just as fast a .40 S&W or .45acp in most cases. The cops in my town carry the G22 with 165 grain Silvertips and sometimes I think it's best to carry what the local PD or FBI carry which is why I for the most part carry GoldDots or Rangers in my self defense weapon. What are your thoughts on this? Am I wrong cause I like the 9mm so much? NYPD uses it with Golddots and they have good results with their choice. I have lots of choices but I find myself going back to what I shoot the most accurate with and that's either my S&W 3913 or a Kimber 1911 .45acp.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

shaolin said:


> ...What gun would you carry if you had to be armed at all times and you knew that a threat of 3 persons with the intent of robbing you or worse was imminent?


In my own case, I carry a pistol that I know that I can reliably shoot quickly, accurately, and effectively.
I believe that shot placement trumps ballistics.
Let me explain:

Until very recently, I carried a very small, very reliable pocket semi-auto in .45 ACP. It held five rounds in its magazine, and another "up the spout." I also carried one reload magazine.
But then my arthritis, particularly in my right-thumb joints, became troubling enough to make firing a small .45 ACP pistol much more difficult, so I've had to find something else.

I have replaced my little .45 with a Colt's Pocket Hammerless in .380 ACP. This "M-frame" pistol is small and thin, yet it is both large enough and heavy enough to make shooting the .380 ACP cartridge easy and quite comfortable. However, it is really not a pants-pocket pistol, so I carry it OWB in an extremely nice holster made for me by Ed Buffaloe. (Yeah-I can't do leather work any more, either.)
Until a few weeks ago, I could still make reasonably quick 20-yard head shots with this pistol. No longer. I'm now down to quick 15-yard head shots, instead. Still, that seems quite good enough for any self-defense use.
The Pocket Hammerless holds a seven-round magazine (and one in its chamber), and I carry one reload.

The lesson, I think, is that _one should carry the weapon with which one can make consistent, quick, reliable, effective hits_.
As long as it's something at least as strong as .22 WMR, it should do the trick.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Carry _nothing else_ in the same pocket in which your pistol resides.
> If there's anything else in that pocket, Murphy will see to it that, whatever it is, it will foul the pistol's trigger-and maybe even cause a discharge.


Absolutely and that is exactly what I do.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

shaolin said:


> *I own two G23 but I don't like the snappy recoil of them.* Now when the crap hits the fan I have been know to carry a .40 S&W for the added power to end aggression but with everything I've read and heard a 124+p JHP from Winchester or Corbon, Horndy and the 127 +p+ Rangers I feel that a center mass hit will end the fight just as fast a .40 S&W or .45acp in most cases. The cops in my town carry the G22 with 165 grain Silvertips and sometimes I think it's best to carry what the local PD or FBI carry which is why I for the most part carry GoldDots or Rangers in my self defense weapon. What are your thoughts on this? Am I wrong cause I like the 9mm so much? NYPD uses it with Golddots and they have good results with their choice. I have lots of choices but I find myself going back to what I shoot the most accurate with and that's either my S&W 3913 or a Kimber 1911 .45acp.


I hear this a lot but have never found the G23 to be a problem when firing it. In fact my primary carry gun is one of my gen3 G23's. I shoot it well.

Some people will argue that the 9mm is no match for a ,40S&W or a .45ACP. I'll leave those arguments to others but I do know some people with real world experience in this are and their opinions are ones I value. As for what load I prefer when I do carry a 9mm? Generally that is going to be either the Federal HST in 147gr +P (depending on barrel length) or the Gold Dot 124gr +P. Currently the one 9mm I have stashed and loaded in my home has the aforementioned Gold Dot in it.

It's not at all uncommon for police agencies to go with the lowest bidder as opposed to the best load available in a given caliber from what I have heard. Do you research and ask questions. You'll soon find out what may be your best choice in a given caliber.

*"I have lots of choices but I find myself going back to what I shoot the most accurate with and that's either my S&W 3913 or a Kimber 1911 .45acp."*
You should carry the gun that has proven to be the best for you. The one with which you can consistently, accurately, and confidently deliver rounds to target and that fits your particular carry requirements. That is the one you want to walk out of your home with and call upon if needed.


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