Was robbed yesterday. Time for protection.
 

Yesterday, my dad and I met a lady about a Kubota mower on craigslist here in Memphis. We were surprised by a man with a pistol. He robbed us of our cash and cell phones. I always wondered if I would possess the guts to actually shoot another human. That question has been answered.

Within the last 2 years, a remodeling contractor 2 doors down was robbed, shot and killed (he was at an investment property in South Memphis), and 5 doors down, a neighbor was accosted by males brandishing a gun. He was robbed of his cell phone and wallet, but escaped unscathed. I was so naive to believe it would never happen to me. These events are not exclusive to the bad parts of town. It's happening in the suburbs.

My cousin recommends visiting the local range and renting pistols, and casually recommends the Glock line and the 42. A month ago I met a guy at Bass Pro that recommended I give the Sig Sauer line a serious look. I am strongly leaning towards a single pistol for year-round carry. I have shot the LCP and feel it is on the small side, and it kicks too much like a mule. I am leaning towards a compact size, because it needs to be small enough to carry, but have enough weight for me to enjoy using it regularly (I live in the country and can plink in my back yard).

Anyways. I woke up early and knew I would not get back to sleep while my head was already at work. I am venting partly and seeking the advice of my Pelican friends.
If you carry, what do you carry?

Since I am a healthy sweater, should I avoid steel pistols? Regular cleaning is not a problem, but I ride a titanium-frame bicycle, because my sweat corrodes unprotected aluminum and steel. Seems like a often-carried pistol could suffer the same fate.

I plan to carry in my pocket. In summer, I wear shorts and t-shirts or button down shirts. I don't realistically see myself carrying inside waistband. I honestly feel carrying all the time is my only option. Pocket is the only way I see that happening in the summer.

Cheers,
Jurgen

Wow, that sucks. It hasn't happened to me, but I can see how it could. I have plenty of spoons and I let them eat now and then, but I haven't gotten my conceal/carry permit yet. I just can't see myself worrying about a gun in my pocket all the time, but if the same happened to me, I would be tempted.

Take at look at the Sig 938.

Your cousin is a wise person! Go and rent/shoot as many as possible to find just the right one for your tastes. For defensive purposes, most consider the 9mm the minimum caliber/round. Personally, I would not want to be shot with any size bullet, but sometimes the assailant could be hopped up on drugs, etc and require a lot of force to subdue. Consider that if you carry an auto pistol, you would need to carry in condition 1 which is a round in the chamber with the safety on. On the other hand, a small revolver like a Smith and Wesson Chiefs Special or a Colt Detective Special can be safely carried fully loaded with the hammer down, only requiring a pull of the trigger to fire. As long as you keep the weapon wiped down with a good oil, sweat should not be a major issue. Good luck!

CZ P-01

My carry spoon.

Carter

glock 42

First shooting a handgun well is difficult, and it will take practice. .22LR is not as cheap as it was and can be difficult to find, but it makes for economical practice. I wanted to shoot offhand at 25 yards, and it took me literally thousands of rounds to be shooting 6 shot groups under 4" consistently. When I started it was difficult to keep 6 on the paper at 25 yards. Decide revolver or auto, and then get a used Ruger MK II or a Single Six, a pile of .22 and teach yourself to shoot. Likely the difference in the cost of ammo will pay for the firearm.

Second, if you go the revolver route, shooting a short barreled revolver is difficult, especially double-action. Again, plan on lots of practice.

Third, you need to choose a firearm small enough that it is comfortable to carry (if you aren't comfortable carrying it, you won't have it when you need it), and one that is large enough to practice with. Beyond learning to shoot, you need to be safe, comfortable and proficient with your carry piece, and that comes with repeated and consistent practice.

Small pistols kick more than larger pistols
I carry a Glock 19 IWB or a Glock 26 AIWB. These are as small a gun I can shoot well. I have Ruger LCR in .38 Spcl that is easy to carry but harder to shoot well .
Get professional traing !
Troy

I'm sorry this happened to you. It's hard to get over being violated this way.

You said you were, "Surprised by a man with a pistol." I'm wondering how having a gun with you would have helped this situation. It sounds to me like if you were carrying a pistol in this situation you would have lost your money, your phone, and your gun.

Like others have said, I don't want to be shot with anything. I carry this AMT BACK-UP in 380 which is also called 9mm Kurtz (German for short) which is 9x17mm while a standard 9mm is 9x19mm. Loaded with Hydra-shot loads that are designed to do maximum damage to tissue. Lets face it you will be shooting at about 5' max! This is about the size of my wallet when in its holster, and it is designed to be shot while in the holster, which looks like a wallet. So if anyone demands your wallet, just pull it out and give it to him! opps my wallet went off! easy to carry, and designed to do one thing, and that is protection. If I want to shoot a lot and be accurate, I shoot the 22LR.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1422973249.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1422973285.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1422973307.jpg

While I agree with concealed carry, as one who has had to defend themselves as such several times...I would ask that you think about your encounter "We were surprised by a man with a pistol. He robbed us of our cash and cell phones"

If you were "surprised" by a man with a gun on a Craig's List buy, that might be a problem in of itself. A "surprised" man and a gun usually gets themselves (or their Dad) killed. Secondly, think about the utility of a gun in this situation. If you had a gun, would you have been able to defend yourself or would he have just taken that as well...since you were "surprised"? Surely you would not have reached for a gun when he had the "drop" on you and surely you would not have drawn and shot him in the back as he fled after not harming you....would you? If you would indeed be tempted to do so...a gun is still not a good plan. Insurance and a tax writeoff (maybe a home alarm) are better solutions to theft.

If this robbery has motivated you to get a weapon to protect your home, life, etc...that is another matter and a wise move. It is also wise to avoid situations where you might have to use a weapon. I would have preferred avoiding most folks that I have had similar situations with. Even if you successfully defend yourself, a veritable ****storm descends on you and your life. Of course that is preferable to the alternative (where you or a family member are killed or maimed).

Do you think/know if the lady with the mower was involved? Obviously the timing was excellent for the thief to catch you there with cash.

I like this gun (or similar) and much of the rationale for a CC weapon (a bigger one for home protection). That said, I personally would not be using any "special" bullets that are designed to do "maximum damage to tissue" as I believe that would put me in a very poor position with regards to the inevitable lawsuit after punching a few holes in the offending party. He or his family might end up with all of your money anyways. I would use whatever the police use in my local area (maybe the ones you named?).

IMHO, if the first bullet does not have the desired effect, pump a couple more into the same general area.

I've done a lot of parking lot and gas station deals through CL, Backpage and the local gun version of Pelican. I've never gone to a meeting unarmed and usually the other guy was open carrying or brought a large friend. Never had any problem at all. After work today I'm trading some ammo for an amp. I go to every one of these deals assuming the other guy is armed and that he assumed I'm armed. Never a problem that way.

This x 10. Was getting ready to say the same thing. Had you tried to use your gun in this case, likely someone would have been shot/killed.

Get a big dog for home...use common sense when out and about...and notify police with all details asap (if you haven't already).

Just heard from the shot show that Colt is re-issuing the 1903 hammerless auto. Pricey at $1200.00 though.

Bill Burr has some good advice starting at 1:00:00

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/spvzNmUurhc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sorry to read this. What a shame. Same here in Sweden. When I was a kid a reported robbery was a rare incident that made the headlines for Days. Now its often not reported at all. Whats happened to society?

liberal ideals.

I would be inclined to arrange a meeting with somebody at a public place like a donut shop. The chance of being robbed in front of others would be reduced as you would have witnesses. The concealed weapon would not be necessary in these circumstances. The last thing you want is for an innocent person to get hurt or killed.

Having a concealed weapon and using it against somebody with a handgun gives you odds of at the most 50% of succeeding. Not very good odds.

Guy

S&W M&P9C with a Crossbreed Supertuck IWB is my choice. No safety to fumble with and comfortable (for a compact) to shoot. Load a cocktail of ammo starting with Glaser's and progressing to HydroShok. Practice until you are GOOD.