Parrothead
Regular Member
imported post
Hey there, everyone! Parrothead checking in from Fabulous Las Vegas, NV
! I've been lurking around here for a while and decided to join to share my story after reading some of the others. Mine may not be as scary as others, but it was pretty hair-raising to me at the time. Sorry if it takes a while to tell, but I want to tell it right. This is the story of the only time I ever picked up a loaded firearm with the intent to use it on something other than inanimate targets.
Before moving to Vegas, I lived my whole life in San Diego. My first apartment was a tiny thing - 350 square feet of furnished space all to myself. It was at the top of a very steep hill in a decent communityand on the second floor, soI felt pretty safe. Dad seemed to think the place was nice enough and seeing as how he was California Highway Patrol for 31 years, I thought that was a pretty good sign.
Well, a while after moving in, I got THE INTERNET and got interested in guns again. I had received a .22 rifle (Marlin Mod 60) for Christmas on my 18th birthday and figured it would be fun to go to the range. I cleaned her up all purdy and had fun with paper targets, but aside from that she stayed in a case.
One day I came upon Oleg Volk's website (google him for somegood stuff) and started thinking that maybe it would be a decent idea to actually, ya know, keep it loaded especially as I was the only one in the apartment so nobody else could mess with it. Thereafter I kept it right next to the chair I spent most of my indoor time in (laptop on the left armrest and TV across the room) with a full magazine and one in the pipe, safety on. I knew it was there and that was pretty darn nice. I also made sure at the range that I could empty the magazine in a quick, controlled manner and that the rounds would fit neatly inside of a normal human silhouette target. I know a .22 isn't the greatest defensive weapon,but I was broke, it was what I had, and it's sure better than nothing at all!
Then came the day I actually picked it up with the possibility of using it. I was as usual watching TV and surfing the internet, kicking back and enjoying life when someone knocked on my door. This was the first of only about five times in my several years that someone knocked on my door without me expecting it - gotta love that big hill and second floor
Before I go further, I should lay out a bit of background. The front of my apartment consisted of a wall with a louvered window (yes, glass louvers that cranked open)and a woodendoor. There was a space between my building and the next which was directly across from mine with the doors facing my apartment's door. The louvered windows were open, but the blinds were closed, so there was no way to see inside my apartment.
So this guy knocks on my door and says (best of recollection from a few years ago and a stressful moment) and says he's there to check on something. I stayed put, but was on guard because I hadn't received any notice and besides, it might be true. I responded that I hadn't heard of anything and he then said that he was there to check the water meter and he needed to come inside. Funny - my utility bill was only for gas and electricity with the water included in the rent. And there was no water meter or any other meter inside my apartment.
My BS meter pegged to redline which is when I got up, picked up my rifle, put the butt to my shoulder (keeping the muzzle down) and switched off the safety. Everything about this seemed wrong and like many accounts of someone trying to gain entry for nefarious reasons. Things only got worse when the doofus started trying to ARGUE with me! Then his story changed to something else I really can't remember - all I can remember was actually raising the muzzle to the door and sighting down the sights because this could get ugly at any time!
One thing I have to note is that this entire time I made sure to KEEP MY FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER!!!
I was seriously scared and felt almost certain that some jerk I didn't know from Adam was about to break into my apartment KNOWING THAT I WAS INSIDE and that I was going to have to SHOOT HIM WITH THE FULL INTENTION OFTRYING TO KILLHIM.
Remember, Dad was CHP for all those years. Dad and the Boy Scouts taught me firearms safety and how to shoot, but Dad also taught me something the Boy Scouts never even mentioned. Dad taught me thatIF YOU EVER HAVE TO SHOOT AT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, ONLY DO IT WITH THE INTENTION OF KILLING THEM. DO NOT EVER THINK OF TRYING TO SHOOT A WEAPON OUT OF THEIR HAND OR TRYING TO SHOOT THEM IN THE LEG. SHOOT FOR CENTER MASS AND CONTINUE TO FIRE UNTIL THEY ARE NO LONGER A THREAT.
All this was spinning through my mind at a million miles an hour when the guy finally ADMITTED THAT HE WAS SELLING MAGAZINES FOR SOME KIND OF FUND RAISER:cuss:!!!
I told him that no, I didn't want any and I thought he was being a total jerk by lying in an attempt to get someone to open their door. AND YET HE STILL CONTINUED TO TRY TO SELL ME SOME!!! The rifle stayed up and at the ready with my finger off the trigger A few expletives hurled in his direction at a high volume finally convinced him to move on.
I heard him knock on the door of the apartment next to mine with no answer and lowered the muzzle, then heard him knock onanother doorfarther down before I figured it was safe to go back about my business after switching the safety back to "safe" and placing the rifle back in its place.
I figure there's several good things here. I never threatened him because he was never a specific threat, so the cops never had to be involved in any way. He never knew about what was behind the door, so he couldn't sue over emotional distress or some such BS. I was ready to defend myself, but never had to. Finally, and most importantly in my mind, I didn't have to do what I was prepared to do.
I also realize (getting back into guns again these days) that I still need something better for home defense and I intend to remedy that deficiency before too long with the purchase of a 12ga pump. I wasn't thinking about home defense when I made my most recent purchases - a Yugo AK-47 and a Steyr M95. Both have WAY TOO MUCH OVERPENETRATION!
On a home-defense related note, I just filled out the paperwork for a Hi-Point C9 pistol (9mm semi-auto) yesterday and I get to pick it up tomorrow. I know Hi-Point pistols are controversial to say the least, but I figured it this way - I want to see what's true about them and what's not, it should be fun in the desert for plinking and such, it was only $119.00 (no, that's not a typo), is made in the USA, comes with a full lifetime warranty,and if it proves reliable it can be used for home defense with the proper rounds until I get a 12ga pump
Thanks for posting all of your stories, allowing me to post here, and for taking the time to read all of this. I would truly appreciate any and all thoughts and critiques regarding my reactions to the jerk of a magazine salesguy.
Have a great day!
Hey there, everyone! Parrothead checking in from Fabulous Las Vegas, NV
! I've been lurking around here for a while and decided to join to share my story after reading some of the others. Mine may not be as scary as others, but it was pretty hair-raising to me at the time. Sorry if it takes a while to tell, but I want to tell it right. This is the story of the only time I ever picked up a loaded firearm with the intent to use it on something other than inanimate targets.Before moving to Vegas, I lived my whole life in San Diego. My first apartment was a tiny thing - 350 square feet of furnished space all to myself. It was at the top of a very steep hill in a decent communityand on the second floor, soI felt pretty safe. Dad seemed to think the place was nice enough and seeing as how he was California Highway Patrol for 31 years, I thought that was a pretty good sign.
Well, a while after moving in, I got THE INTERNET and got interested in guns again. I had received a .22 rifle (Marlin Mod 60) for Christmas on my 18th birthday and figured it would be fun to go to the range. I cleaned her up all purdy and had fun with paper targets, but aside from that she stayed in a case.
One day I came upon Oleg Volk's website (google him for somegood stuff) and started thinking that maybe it would be a decent idea to actually, ya know, keep it loaded especially as I was the only one in the apartment so nobody else could mess with it. Thereafter I kept it right next to the chair I spent most of my indoor time in (laptop on the left armrest and TV across the room) with a full magazine and one in the pipe, safety on. I knew it was there and that was pretty darn nice. I also made sure at the range that I could empty the magazine in a quick, controlled manner and that the rounds would fit neatly inside of a normal human silhouette target. I know a .22 isn't the greatest defensive weapon,but I was broke, it was what I had, and it's sure better than nothing at all!
Then came the day I actually picked it up with the possibility of using it. I was as usual watching TV and surfing the internet, kicking back and enjoying life when someone knocked on my door. This was the first of only about five times in my several years that someone knocked on my door without me expecting it - gotta love that big hill and second floor
Before I go further, I should lay out a bit of background. The front of my apartment consisted of a wall with a louvered window (yes, glass louvers that cranked open)and a woodendoor. There was a space between my building and the next which was directly across from mine with the doors facing my apartment's door. The louvered windows were open, but the blinds were closed, so there was no way to see inside my apartment.
So this guy knocks on my door and says (best of recollection from a few years ago and a stressful moment) and says he's there to check on something. I stayed put, but was on guard because I hadn't received any notice and besides, it might be true. I responded that I hadn't heard of anything and he then said that he was there to check the water meter and he needed to come inside. Funny - my utility bill was only for gas and electricity with the water included in the rent. And there was no water meter or any other meter inside my apartment.
My BS meter pegged to redline which is when I got up, picked up my rifle, put the butt to my shoulder (keeping the muzzle down) and switched off the safety. Everything about this seemed wrong and like many accounts of someone trying to gain entry for nefarious reasons. Things only got worse when the doofus started trying to ARGUE with me! Then his story changed to something else I really can't remember - all I can remember was actually raising the muzzle to the door and sighting down the sights because this could get ugly at any time!
One thing I have to note is that this entire time I made sure to KEEP MY FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER!!!
I was seriously scared and felt almost certain that some jerk I didn't know from Adam was about to break into my apartment KNOWING THAT I WAS INSIDE and that I was going to have to SHOOT HIM WITH THE FULL INTENTION OFTRYING TO KILLHIM.
Remember, Dad was CHP for all those years. Dad and the Boy Scouts taught me firearms safety and how to shoot, but Dad also taught me something the Boy Scouts never even mentioned. Dad taught me thatIF YOU EVER HAVE TO SHOOT AT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, ONLY DO IT WITH THE INTENTION OF KILLING THEM. DO NOT EVER THINK OF TRYING TO SHOOT A WEAPON OUT OF THEIR HAND OR TRYING TO SHOOT THEM IN THE LEG. SHOOT FOR CENTER MASS AND CONTINUE TO FIRE UNTIL THEY ARE NO LONGER A THREAT.
All this was spinning through my mind at a million miles an hour when the guy finally ADMITTED THAT HE WAS SELLING MAGAZINES FOR SOME KIND OF FUND RAISER:cuss:!!!
I told him that no, I didn't want any and I thought he was being a total jerk by lying in an attempt to get someone to open their door. AND YET HE STILL CONTINUED TO TRY TO SELL ME SOME!!! The rifle stayed up and at the ready with my finger off the trigger A few expletives hurled in his direction at a high volume finally convinced him to move on.
I heard him knock on the door of the apartment next to mine with no answer and lowered the muzzle, then heard him knock onanother doorfarther down before I figured it was safe to go back about my business after switching the safety back to "safe" and placing the rifle back in its place.
I figure there's several good things here. I never threatened him because he was never a specific threat, so the cops never had to be involved in any way. He never knew about what was behind the door, so he couldn't sue over emotional distress or some such BS. I was ready to defend myself, but never had to. Finally, and most importantly in my mind, I didn't have to do what I was prepared to do.
I also realize (getting back into guns again these days) that I still need something better for home defense and I intend to remedy that deficiency before too long with the purchase of a 12ga pump. I wasn't thinking about home defense when I made my most recent purchases - a Yugo AK-47 and a Steyr M95. Both have WAY TOO MUCH OVERPENETRATION!
On a home-defense related note, I just filled out the paperwork for a Hi-Point C9 pistol (9mm semi-auto) yesterday and I get to pick it up tomorrow. I know Hi-Point pistols are controversial to say the least, but I figured it this way - I want to see what's true about them and what's not, it should be fun in the desert for plinking and such, it was only $119.00 (no, that's not a typo), is made in the USA, comes with a full lifetime warranty,and if it proves reliable it can be used for home defense with the proper rounds until I get a 12ga pump
Thanks for posting all of your stories, allowing me to post here, and for taking the time to read all of this. I would truly appreciate any and all thoughts and critiques regarding my reactions to the jerk of a magazine salesguy.
Have a great day
!
