Has your carry Gun ever been used (Outside practice)?

Military carry? Yes.
Civilian carry? No.

Mine was locked in my car when my classroom was shot up because it’s illegal to carry on a college campus in Va.

Otherwise yes I would have used it.

I’ve had to draw before but not shoot.

Dangerous animal encounter in the woods. Didn’t vote. Doesn’t seem to quite fit.

Except for dispatching an unwanted four legged critter on the farm, my self defense firearm has never been used in anger.

I've mentioned this one before on THR- I was getting a ride home from a co- worker, he was invited to a party by another co-worker (mostly for the ride there), so we went. It was a kegger, keg in the basement. My co-worker who drove was Taiwanese, and a kid I had gone to school with (I had graduated, he was a senior) was there, and rather drunk. His Dad had died in VN, and started spouting ethnic slurs and saying all <insert ethnic slur common in the VN war era> should die. We figured we'd just go upstairs with a pitcher, but he followed us. He then did something incredibly stupid-pulled a chef's knife from the ubiquitous butcher block knife holder. I unholstered the 6" Trooper I had under the left shoulder, he dropped the knife as his eyes (and everyone else's) got as big as saucers. I Said over my shoulder to the party's host's brother (that I'd graduated with) "Sorry about this- we'll be leaving now, and seeing as most everyone here is under 18 (legal age at the time), I'm sure no one is calling the cops...."
They didn't. I saw that kid about two weeks later, and he asked if I'd have really shot him. I answered "If you'd have come at us with that knife I would have." He then said he was just trying to scare him, and he was really drunk. I told him, "that wouldn't have mattered if you hadn't dropped the knife when you did."
I got frisked at every party I went to in my town for about a year....

460Shooter said:

I’ve had to draw before but not shoot.

Dangerous animal encounter in the woods. Didn’t vote. Doesn’t seem to quite fit.

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I would think the OP should add this to the poll. One of the many reasons I carry is for protection from angry animals both in and out of the woods. Many dog attacks have been stopped by the use of a sidearm.

MihiT said:

CCW, OCW, EDC, whatever...

As per the poll. And I don't mean "prevented /stopped a crime" in some abstract sense. I mean: you were there with your gun while a crime was underway or about to be.

Let me know if I've missed any usage scenarios.

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See my post above. Not crime related but a legitimate use of an EDC.

I shot a rat with mine a couple years ago. Big one, too, I live next to a rail line that carries garbage out of NYC. Didn't bother weighing it, but it was roughly the size of a house cat.

I drew once.
On a raccoon.
It crashed between a couple couple trash cans beside a friend's garage when I was leaving in the dead of night, and I didn't even realize I had drawn until I was aiming at it.
It stopped, stared at me a moment, then slowly backed away and turned around. I think that reaction is the most surprising part.

I fired a round into the ground in front of a charging Rottweiler that had broken loose from its tether in a neighbor's yard and come at me while I was cutting my grass. I had figured I was one day going to have a problem with it, or either of the two pit bulls they also kept outdoors, and had recently taken to carrying a Ruger Mk-II while working outside.

The dog hesitated long enough after the shot for me to position the still-running (push) lawnmower between it and myself and work my way back to my house door. However, there were other people out and about in the neighborhood, so I was still concerned. I called the PD and a patrol officer was sent out ahead of the AC officer that would be called out also.

Long story short, the neighbors returned while the AC officer was loading up the dog. They ended up with seven tickets (one for each unlicensed dog, one for each improperly-sheltered dog, and one for one dog at large.) On top of that, they also got in trouble with their property manager when I mentioned the incident to mine, not knowing he was also theirs. They gave up all three dogs and got a min-pin instead.

My wife and I had lived next to them for six months, and had tried to be friendly with them, but they never spoke or waved back when we did to them, so we'd given up.

Yes, I've cleared my cover garment and placed my hand on it. . . that convinced Somdood to stop closing on me.

entropy said:

He then said he was just trying to scare him, and he was really drunk.

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It worked!

Since leaving Federal service, only for animals, and then only into the ground to get the animal (cougar for one example) to hightail it out of the area.

I have used carry pistols a couple times to put down vehicle-injured deer.

Long long ago in a land far far away, when I was still invincible and eternal and went out wandering in the mountains and deserts I did draw my carry handgun on several occasions but only fired it once to encourage a wolf to cross the road. Now if I include single shot 22s and 410s and a Sweet 16 then the answer is "Quite often" but with minimal success.

No. And I hope to keep it that way.

NO. Hope it never changes to "yes."

MihiT said:

And I don't mean "prevented /stopped a crime" in some abstract sense. I mean: you were there with your gun while a crime was underway or about to be.

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Would an unidentified face peering into a bedroom window be "abstract?"
If yes, then no.

If no, then yes.

Civilian carry all the time.
On the job carry all the time.
My all the time carry is a Glock model 23, .40 cal.
Occasionally would carry Colt Combat Commander .45 when doing D.O.T. truck inspections.
Drawn many times while on the job and luckily never had to discharge!

Once on the job for a charging pit bull and once civi because the guy pulled one on me. Its a feeling that I never want to have again.

FL-NC said:

I have used carry pistols a couple times to put down vehicle-injured deer.

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That one came up for me last fall. But by the time I had put ear plugs in and walked back over to do the deed the deer had already gone to the great grassy field beyond.

I felt bad. He was a big buck and was just out chasing a girl. $4500 worth of damage and no girl...... We both had a bad day, but decidedly more so for him.

I often carry things that would be less than ideal for human threats because I use a sidearm for killing other things.

I have never brandished a firearm is a situation where I thought a threat existed. I have also never played poker where I showed my opponents my cards before bets were placed.

Had it in my hand while shouting at a would be home invader.

Luckily the police arrived in time.

Turns it he was some drunk kid at the wrong apartment. That night was quite the wake up call for me.

Have taken care of a few road hit animals, over bold coyotes. Hope to never expand the list beyond that.