One off Concealed Carry Stories

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SCMikeyP

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I thought it would be interesting to start a thread about one off concealed carry stories. Most of us, thankfully, carry without anything eventful happening. Let's hear some stories of self defense, guns falling out of holsters, interesting public/police encounters, ambulance rides, metal detector bloopers, etc. Toss out an anecdote, we can learn, laugh and maybe even both from our shared experience.
 
This episode is related ...

In the early '80s I changed jobs/locations and in the new one was not allowed to carry. I clipped the Motorola radio on my belt in the same location where I had always carried my Walther. The weight in that location felt ... comforting.

Late one night in a large, dark, deserted elevator lobby (on an "empty" floor) a rough-looking fellow suddenly appeared around the far corner, saw me & looked startled, then quickly jerked his right hand under his coat ...

Too far to rush him, I quickly stepped left into a shallow alcove for what little cover it would afford and crouched as I reached under my jacket ...

... and grabbed a handful of Motorola radio. <sigh>

Thank goodness, it turned out the the guy had been drinking WAY too much that night and had gotten lost ... he was reaching ... for his wallet ... in an alcohol-soaked, jerky fashion.

BTW, after that night, I always wore that Motorola on the LEFT side so that my brain would not, again, during an emergency response make the bad assumption that that comforting weight was my handgun. ;)
 
Here's my only story of note:

I was out on a Sunday ride leading about 15 other guys/gals on our sport bikes down some small, windy country roads. We pass a local sheriff's deputy, and he lights up and pulls us over. Since I was in the lead and he had clocked me, he comes and tells me that we're all in big trouble because we're doing 57 in a 35. Ohio is a duty to inform state, and even though we were in Kentucky I decided it was a good idea to tell him I was carrying. He didn't seem to mind, so I next responded that the road we are on IS a 55 mph, he says "NOPE", says more than 20 over is a big problem, grabs my license as well as everyone else's and goes back to his car for like 20 minutes. He returns, sheepishly says that since the road didn't have the speed limit sign it defaults to 55 and that we were free to go, EXCEPT that he needed to see my gun to run the serial number. I protested and said he didn't have a right to take it, he started puffing up his chest so I decided it was best to just hand him my lcp. He's gone for another 15 minutes, then comes back, hands me my lcp and inform's me it's not stolen (I know, I bought it new) and told us we could go.
 
I posted this once before, back in 2009...

My son, (my Taurus), and I were at a local department store. We were in the shoe department. There was one other customer and a saleswoman at the cash register. As I was looking at some shoes I heard someone behind me and to my left say in a somewhat loud voice, “Do you have a gun?” It startled me but I did not react. I was thinking, how in the world did he know? I slowly turned around to my left and saw a store employee (suit and tie and store badge) walking into the department. I did not say anything, figuring that it would be best for him to continue the conversation. He walked right past me and up to the saleswoman at the cash register. He there retrieved “the gun” - one of those pistol-looking scanners they use to check price tags – and walked off to another department. My son later told me that when he heard the man ask the question he thought, “Oh great, what’s my dad done now?”
 
A couple of weeks ago I was driving cross-country with an old college friend (we are in our 50's now).

He has lived in NYC for a long time and is somewhat in favor of gun control; we don't really talk about it. We are more like cousins than just merely friends, so we don't let things like that come between us.

Towards the end of the trip he said something to the effect that he doesn't really understand how people can carry handguns around all of the time. He's not used to them and he felt that it would would be kind of scary.

I just kind of shrugged. It never occurred to him that I might be carrying, and I thought it would be easier just not to mention it. Those micro 380's are extremely unobtrusive. ;)
 
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I have only drawn my concealed carry weapon (LCP) once and was really glad I had it. A friend hit a deer with her Honda Accord (pretty much totaling the Accord) and called me for help. The Deer had 3 broken legs and was twitching on the side of the highway. It only took one 380 bullet from my little LCP to humanely end the deer's suffering.
 
A couple of weeks ago I was driving cross-country with an old college friend (we are in our 50's now).

He has lived in NYC for a long time and is somewhat in favor of gun control; we don't really talk about it.

Towards the end of the trip he said something to the effect that he doesn't really understand how people can carry handguns around all of the time. He's not used to them and he felt that it would would be kind of scary.

I just kind of shrugged. It never occurred to him that I might be carrying, and I thought it would be easier just not to mention it. Those micro 380's are extremely unobtrusive. ;)
A wise man knows what to say, and what NOT to say.
Well done.
 
Two AM. A narrow, unpaved, rutted, dark street sloping down a hill in a slummy neighborhood. I had just dropped my girlfriend at her gate, my car was pointing uphill. The street was so narrow that there was barely space for a pedestrian between the car and the fencing walls, and so deeply rutted and broken that one could only proceed at a snail pace.

I was still on Park, handbrake pulled, waiting for my girlfriend to finish unlocking the gate, when two low-life came by, sauntering down the street. 20-30 feet from my car, they stopped: the neighbor's gate post light must have been enough for them to spot me inside the car.

I saw both of them having a half-smile, just lips barely pursing and revealing a glint of teeth. "White dude, alone, here, now...". I could see the cogs turning, the smiles widened. They picked up a faster gait, and they fanned, one coming to my side, the other one aiming for the pax side.

My front windows were down. Nobody else in the street, my girlfriend just entering her gate. As the one closer to me reached my fender, squeezing himself between wall and car, I lifted my gun, and racked the slide.

Three feet away from me, the guy exploded - like if he had peed on a 10,000 Volts line.

WRROOOOOOSHHHH-FLA-FLAP-FLAP..... And they were gone, faster than Usain Bolt, uphill and all, in a great cloud of dust and flapping of flipflops.

My girlfriend had seen nothing, till the duststorm kicked in... She came back, puzzled: "What was THAT???". Giggling, I told her. A month later, she moved... :D

Bad guys, zero. Gun, 1+1. No rounds fired, no police reports to fill, no time wasted, and a good laugh.
 
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I was working at a power plant that also had a water purification plant on the grounds. Across the highway there were several pump stations to pump the raw water to the WTP. That area was also owned by the local utility who employed a caretaker to watch over the grounds. The caretaker put the land to use by growing Alfalfa which he sold to supplement his pay

Ordinarily we did not check the farm after dark but the caretaker was out of town and asked us to look in on his horses.

So I'm coming back from the farm to the power plant at about 230AM one morning and I notice a car parked RIGHT next to a gate leading to the power plant. There's a guy out of the car standing at the gate. This warrants at least an "is everything alright?" check so I pull up to the car.

As I'm pulling up to the car the guy gets back in the car and throws something green out of it. (Now remember I have no authority to search the guy, ask him to get out or even ask him why he's there)

So I turn on my spot, pull up and ask him is everything OK? Do you need assistance ? About that time the smell hits me and he says "I'm having a problem."

"What kind of problem sir? Is there some way I can assist you?"

"A Mexican food problem."

At this point things are starting to add up and the guy goes on to tell me he was on his way home after going to a Mexican restaurant and had fouled his pants (That's what he threw out the window) and was trying to clean up when I caught him.

So, everything I'm being told matches everything I'm seeing (and smelling) The guy is clearly not trying to sneak into my power plant and I have no further business with him. So I reach in the back seat and grab a handful of paper towels, hand them to the guy, apologize for embarrassing him, turn off the spot and leave.

During this time I've missed my normal check in with my partner at the front gate and he and the shift supervisor ( who I didn't know was there) are getting concerned. So they call me on the radio and when I attempt to respond I start laughing and gagging into the Mic. ( I'm told I sounded like I was being choked and beaten).

So I roll up to the front gate, still unable to actually speak on the radio. I manage to get the truck door open and fall to the ground (by this time the supervisor and my partner are convinced I've been shot) and am just rolling in the parking lot. :rofl:

They rush over and the supervisor begins a basic assessment to see if I'm bleeding and I roll over and am finally able to say

"HE **** HIS PAAAAAAAAAANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
After which I absolutely lose it again.

End of the story, I calm down and am able explain what happened to my coworkers and my supervisor instructs me that no official report will be made. For the next couple weeks my coworker randomly yells out "HE **** HIS PAAAAANTS!!!!!"

Fun was had by all (except the dude that **** his pants)
 
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I remembered I had another LEO encounter. This was an Ohio state trooper, I was pulled over for speeding in my car (which I was). He walked up to my passenger window and asked me how my day was and I responded, "My day is OK, and I'd like to let you know that I have a conceal carry permit and I am carrying today". He IMMEDIATELY moved his body 45° to me, unsnapped his side arm and with his hand on the grip said "Were is it!?" I said it was in my front pocket and he said, "I need you to SLOOOWLY remove it and set it on your passenger seat."

I did what he requested, but my heart was pounding and a part of me was pretty worried I was about to get shot right then and there in my car with my LCP in my hand. I wasn't quite sure what other option I had though.
 
Before my state (OK) went to open carry,,,
Which eliminated any accidental brandishing charges,,,
I was in my local Wal Mart doing my weekly grocery shopping.

My LCP was in an OWB holster under a "long" tropical style shirt.

I stretched to get something off of a high shelf,,,
My holster became visible for a second or two when I did.

30 seconds later a man approached with his badge in hand,,,
He was an off-duty Payne County Sheriff Deputy.

I had to stand there while he gave me a ten minute lecture,,,
He told me that he could easily charge me with "brandishing".

I just stayed polite and didn't say an argumentative word to him,,,
I did produce my carry permit when he asked for it.

He finally told me to "go on about your business but be more careful".

Aarond

.
 
I was pulled over in a parking lot at work catching up on some paperwork one night around 3am, when a car pulled up right in front of me and blocked me in. Their passenger side was right across the LF of the hood of my car. The driver jumps out and runs around the front of his car coming right at me.

I opened my door, turned on my spots, stood up and started to draw my gun. I looked at the passenger door and there was a young girl, maybe 12 years old looking at me with her eyes about to pop :what: out of her head. I think she thought I was about to shoot her father.

So I tell the guy to stop and I ask if I can help him with anything. Apparently he was camping at the trailhead I had just come from and was hoping I could direct him to a bathroom. I told him to go to the Police station and left. I don't think he ever realized what almost happened.

After that if I had paperwork to do I went to a gated utilities facility and did it there.
 
There's a funny second chapter to my story. We drove from Tennessee to my friend's country house in upstate New York. I carried all of my stuff into his guest room, unloaded my CCW, and put it and my ammo into a small lockbox that I'd brought along. I felt that would be respectful of his and his wife's feelings about firearms. I figured "don't ask, don't tell" was reasonably respectful. I even put the key to the lockbox across the room under a lamp. Their country place is on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere, with virtually no crime, so NBD anyway. We stayed there for most of a week (it was wonderful), then I had to drive home to Texas. I kind of rushed to pack that last morning, and left my stupid lockbox key under the lamp in their guest bedroom. I ended up driving home for three days with an inaccessible firearm due to my own stupidity. It was fine, I didn't stop much and stayed in relatively safe hotels, but I was very annoyed with myself.

I live in a low-crime small town in a low-crime county, but due to some bad incidences when I was younger and not so fortunate, I still prefer to have a firearm handy. Maybe it was good for me to do without for a few days? It's still nice to be back home and have a firearm and a large dog within arm's reach while I'm sleeping.
 
Some body of my acquaintance was no so brightly carried a 45ACP caliber HK USP C "Mexican Style". The gun came loose and landed in the floor in a local restaurant. The local constabulary was there and took no notice. This person went and bought a real quality holster the very next day. He learned two lessons. Lesson one is not to carry a handgun too large to conceal. Lesson Two is always have a decent holster.
 
I remembered I had another LEO encounter. This was an Ohio state trooper, I was pulled over for speeding in my car (which I was). He walked up to my passenger window and asked me how my day was and I responded, "My day is OK, and I'd like to let you know that I have a conceal carry permit and I am carrying today". He IMMEDIATELY moved his body 45° to me, unsnapped his side arm and with his hand on the grip said "Were is it!?" I said it was in my front pocket and he said, "I need you to SLOOOWLY remove it and set it on your passenger seat."

I did what he requested, but my heart was pounding and a part of me was pretty worried I was about to get shot right then and there in my car with my LCP in my hand. I wasn't quite sure what other option I had though.

Yikes, I live in Cinci area too, so hopefully I don't run into that cop... I can't understand for the life of me why introducing a firearm into a situation where it would otherwise go untouched is a smart idea. I can't imagine anyone who intended to do harm to a police officer would announce to them upfront that they a gun...
 
Several lessons learned over the 44 years I've carried, both good and bad I guess;

* In the 70's I carried in a ankle holster. One day while walking through a mall on my way to work a young man approached me and asked "are you a cop?" I knew then the gun showed. Lesson learned... it isn't easy to conceal a gun on your ankle. I changed gun and holster to OWB.

* While leaving work late one night I spotted a cigarette glow in a shadow along the wall out of the corner of my eye about 20 feet away. Within the context of several recent deadly holdups in the area, I drew the gun. Immediately a voice started shouting " it's me, it's me...don't shoot" It was the boyfriend of an employee waiting to give her a ride home.
Lesson learned... people notice and react instantly to the threat of a gun. I've been on the receiving end of this and know how true this is.

* Sometime around 2005 I think I had a small pistol fall out of my belt holster, which I then kicked across the Lowe's floor a good ways. I retrieved it and quickly put it in a pocket until I could re-holster discretely. Lesson learned... no cheap holsters, (it was)! New gun and new holster and I tried to save a buck. Bad decision.

* I had to get a shot in my hip in 2014. I thought it would be a normal shot but it turned into a more involved procedure. I had to empty my pockets because the doctor used imaging equipment to watch the exact needle placement. I had to tell the nurse I had a gun and please don't be alarmed. She took the news without batting a lash. "My brother carries" she said. Lesson learned... not everyone is gun intolerant but one needs to be careful in this regard. I've also encountered the opposite. If at all possible keep the gun hidden at all times.
 
While leaving work late one night I spotted a cigarette glow in a shadow along the wall out of the corner of my eye about 20 feet away. Within the context of several recent deadly holdups in the area, I drew the gun. Immediately a voice started shouting " it's me, it's me...don't shoot" It was the boyfriend of an employee waiting to give her a ride home.
Lesson learned... people notice and react instantly to the threat of a gun. I've been on the receiving end of this and know how true this is.

And sometimes their reaction is to get right in your face and dare you to shoot them I've been on the receiving end of this and know how true this is.
 
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