Saved by a firearm I never had to expose.

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This isn't as exciting as most posts here but I'm certain that having a firearm saved me. I was metal detecting in a park that I hadn't been to before. It was getting dark, but the park was well lighted. Also, it finally cooled off enough that it was comfortable. Even so, I planned on leaving soon.

A man on a porch, of his house, yelled: "Look at that white boy trying to find gold!" I heard him even though I had headphones covering
my ears. I decided that I should leave soon.

A few minutes later, I noticed rapid movement and I looked up to see three teenagers, who were on bicycles, rapidly approaching me from three directions. They stopped 3 feet from me and had me surrounded.
One said: "What's that medal detector worth?". His tone of voice and the fact that he asked what it was worth, not what did it cost - alarmed me even more.

I was carrying a 1911 .45, with two 10 round extra magazines in a Thunder Wear holster. I was wearing shorts and a untucked T-shirt. I told them how it cost and I hoped I could pay off the credit card since I was living on a disability income. I then asked them if they wanted to see how it worked.

I moved it to my left arm and that forced them to gather around on my left side. I would point out things with my right hand and then I would put my hand at my waistline with my thumb hooked over the waist band of my shorts, touching my pistol.

They thanked me and peddled away. I'm convinced that how I handled the incident saved me. But I would not have been so calm if I wasn't armed. I think my calmness and the position of my right hand made them think twice.

I left after I watched them ride off in the opposite direction of where my vehicle was parked. I'm absolutely convinced that they had planned to rob me, at the least.
worked
ee

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open4years wrote:

This isn't as exciting as most posts here but I'm certain that having a firearm saved me. I was metal detecting in a park that I hadn't been to before. It was getting dark, but the park was well lighted. Also, it finally cooled off enough that it was comfortable. Even so, I planned on leaving soon.

A man on a porch, of his house, yelled: "Look at that white boy trying to find gold!" I heard him even though I had headphones covering
my ears. I decided that I should leave soon.

A few minutes later, I noticed rapid movement and I looked up to see three teenagers, who were on bicycles, rapidly approaching me from three directions. They stopped 3 feet from me and had me surrounded.
One said: "What's that medal detector worth?". His tone of voice and the fact that he asked what it was worth, not what did it cost - alarmed me even more.

I was carrying a 1911 .45, with two 10 round extra magazines in a Thunder Wear holster. I was wearing shorts and a untucked T-shirt. I told them how it cost and I hoped I could pay off the credit card since I was living on a disability income. I then asked them if they wanted to see how it worked.

I moved it to my left arm and that forced them to gather around on my left side. I would point out things with my right hand and then I would put my hand at my waistline with my thumb hooked over the waist band of my shorts, touching my pistol.

They thanked me and peddled away. I'm convinced that how I handled the incident saved me. But I would not have been so calm if I wasn't armed. I think my calmness and the position of my right hand made them think twice.

I left after I watched them ride off in the opposite direction of where my vehicle was parked. I'm absolutely convinced that they had planned to rob me, at the least.
worked
ee

Click to expand...

How big were these three teenagers?

How big are you?

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They were somewhere around 15 or 16 years old and slim. I'm 6 feet, 175lbs. I assume you must be questioning why I didn't beat them up? First, they never hit me, second, I believe the best self-defense is when you use what is between your ears - as opposed to beating them up, brandishing a firearm or shooting them. Although during my body building period I won in a 5 on 1 fight, I'm disabled now as I stated.

Why do you feel I need to justify my not beating up someone? This incident ended the best way possible - everyone walked away unhurt.

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open4years wrote:

They were somewhere around 15 or 16 years old and slim. I'm 6 feet, 175lbs. I assume you must be questioning why I didn't beat them up? First, they never hit me, second, I believe the best self-defense is when you use what is between your ears - as opposed to beating them up, brandishing a firearm or shooting them. Although during my body building period I won in a 5 on 1 fight, I'm disabled now as I stated.

Why do you feel I need to justify my not beating up someone? This incident ended the best way possible - everyone walked away unhurt.

Click to expand...

Calm down a little bit. Although Hank does tend rub people the wrong way on purpose, don't jump the gun and assume that someone is giving you crap because you didn't 'beat someone up'.

I would venture a guess that he was asking how old/big they were is because you let them gather around you in a group. Typically in a sketchy confrontation like that, you would want to get the people AWAY from you, not closer. It sounds like you handled the situation quite well, and like you said, everyone walked away unhurt. Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions about the questions people ask you. Even though it is Hank...

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Well Handled!!!

Had a similar situation riding my bike on a trail in CT. Then they saw I was open carrying and didn't even wait for me to respond

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open4years wrote:

They were somewhere around 15 or 16 years old and slim. I'm 6 feet, 175lbs. I assume you must be questioning why I didn't beat them up?

Click to expand...

You assume wrong.

How tall were they? How much did they weigh? Approximately.

What is the general nature of your disability?

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open4years: It seems that you are being cross-examined. I wouldn't answer any more questions unless you are offered the courtesy of being told where this questioning is going.

Up to you though. I just hear the metal jaws of a bear trap straining to slam closed.

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Hendu024 wrote:

open4years wrote:

They were somewhere around 15 or 16 years old and slim. I'm 6 feet, 175lbs. I assume you must be questioning why I didn't beat them up? First, they never hit me, second, I believe the best self-defense is when you use what is between your ears - as opposed to beating them up, brandishing a firearm or shooting them. Although during my body building period I won in a 5 on 1 fight, I'm disabled now as I stated.

Why do you feel I need to justify my not beating up someone? This incident ended the best way possible - everyone walked away unhurt.

Click to expand...

Calm down a little bit. Although Hank does tend rub people the wrong way on purpose, don't jump the gun and assume that someone is giving you crap because you didn't 'beat someone up'.

I would venture a guess that he was asking how old/big they were is because you let them gather around you in a group. Typically in a sketchy confrontation like that, you would want to get the people AWAY from you, not closer. It sounds like you handled the situation quite well, and like you said, everyone walked away unhurt. Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions about the questions people ask you. Even though it is Hank...

Click to expand...

P


I apologize Hank. I never once feared that they were going to try and beat me up; Maybe I should have. They all had loose shirts so I couldn't tell what/if anything they were carrying - that is what worried me.

When metal detecting, one is a perfect target as you have headphones on, your looking at the display and focusing on sweeping the ground. I was aware of this and keep looking around. As for letting them that, as I said, they all approached very fast on bicycles. They left me no where to go. Since they had to have planned their approach, I knew they weren't there to chat. In this town, people steal with knives and guns, they rarely beat someone up.

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Hendu024 wrote:

open4years wrote:

They were somewhere around 15 or 16 years old and slim. I'm 6 feet, 175lbs. I assume you must be questioning why I didn't beat them up? First, they never hit me, second, I believe the best self-defense is when you use what is between your ears - as opposed to beating them up, brandishing a firearm or shooting them. Although during my body building period I won in a 5 on 1 fight, I'm disabled now as I stated.

Why do you feel I need to justify my not beating up someone? This incident ended the best way possible - everyone walked away unhurt.

Click to expand...

Calm down a little bit. Although Hank does tend rub people the wrong way on purpose, don't jump the gun and assume that someone is giving you crap because you didn't 'beat someone up'.

I would venture a guess that he was asking how old/big they were is because you let them gather around you in a group. Typically in a sketchy confrontation like that, you would want to get the people AWAY from you, not closer. It sounds like you handled the situation quite well, and like you said, everyone walked away unhurt. Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions about the questions people ask you. Even though it is Hank...

Click to expand...

P


I apologize Hank. I never once feared that they were going to try and beat me up; Maybe I should have. They all had loose shirts so I couldn't tell what/if anything they were carrying - that is what worried me.

When metal detecting, one is a perfect target as you have headphones on, your looking at the display and focusing on sweeping the ground. I was aware of this and keep looking around. As for letting them that, as I said, they all approached very fast on bicycles. They left me no where to go. Since they had to have planned their approach, I knew they weren't there to chat. In this town, people steal with knives and guns, they rarely beat someone up.

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Sorry for the double post. Hank, I posted the apology before I read your batch of second questions. Apology retracted and my medical issues are NOYDB.

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open4years wrote:

Sorry for the double post. Hank, I posted the apology before I read your batch of second questions. Apology retracted and my medical issues are NOYDB.

Click to expand...

Simple, direct succinct answer.

Yata hey

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open4years made me laugh:lol:

(not the first post, the most recent one) Good one!:celebrate

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In an unrelated story... I just made 100 posts!!!:celebrate

Figured I'd do 101 to celebrate my journey to becoming one of the greats!

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Just realized how much I like the dancing banana!!!!!!!:celebrate :celebrate :celebrate

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Congratulations. :celebrate

Now, for a favor, could you delete a bunch of those dancing bananas? They are stretching the screen, make the thread hard to read. I had to scroll:arrow::arrow: for a good 5 minutes just to get to the reply button! :cuss:

Thanks in advance!

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how were you saved?
They didnt do anything to you...

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Beerme wrote:

how were you saved?
They didnt do anything to you...

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How about having said firearm appeared to help keep a situation from escalating into something very bad? Thus it saved him from a bad situation.

I've had the same happen twice to me. Two separate muggings about to happen only to have the BG turn tail and run away upon seeing I was armed.

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First: Read how they rapidly approached me on bicycles from three directions. They then turned their bicycles such that I was penned in and had nowhere to go. Maybe you had to be there, but it was very clear they had planned this action.

Second: The first thing said, in an alarming tone, was: "What is that worth?!

Maybe I should have titled my post differently. But I'm absolutely positive these kids were out to take the metal detector, at the very least. I wouldn't shoot anyone over a metal detector, even an expensive one like that one.

My point is the gun I had on me allowed me to be calm and therefore talk my way out of the situation. I showed them how the metal detector so I could get out of the trap. I threw a coin about 6 feet away and I moved it to my left hand and told them they could see the display better if they gathered to my left.

This gave me an escape path and it made my right hand free and I turned my body so they couldn't easily see what my right hand was doing. I could pretend to "adjust" my privates and instead, I could have brought out a gun instead with the holster I was using.

I've metal defected for years and kids (usually much younger) often come to see the detector, help me, etc. This was much different. Having a gun gave me the calm I needed to avoid whatever they had planned.

I changed from a potential victim to someone who was kind to them and they changed their mind. If a potential victim gets the BG to see them as a person, then it isn't so easy for them to follow through with their original plan. Or, maybe I seemed entirely TOO calm and perhaps they sensed I might be packing.
Ed

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"You assume wrong.

How tall were they? How much did they weigh? Approximately.

What is the general nature of your disability?" -HankT

WTF is HankT getting at here? How rude. I don't see how the OP's medical condition has any bearing, or relative heights and weights. Care to explain your position HankT ?

OP, sounds like it was well handled, no one got hurt. Teenagers can be very dangerous because they have undeveloped senses of morality and responsibility as well as a lack of appreciation for the concept of consequences (this is developmental psychology, not opinion). They also probably had knives or something if they were planning foul play, glad nobody got hurt or robbed.

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open4years I think you did a great job. On a side note, maybe HankT is just curious? ^_^