Are you Willing?

[W.R.Buchanan]

When it comes to Defending your Home or Loved Ones, One issue must be considered long before the actual need "Rears it's Ugly Head." Are you "Willing" to Severely Hurt or Kill Someone to Stop them from doing the same to You or your Loved Ones.? Are you Willing to Fight to the Death to Win if it is a Life or Death Situation.?

The first time I heard this term "Willing " used in this context was in the John Wayne Movie,, "The Shootist." He told Ron Howard, who was a boy at the time, that,,, it was how he had prevailed for so long.

In Short he was Willing to Kill someone to Prevail !

In every Self Defense Class I have been to, that includes Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun and some other stuff too,,, the Subject comes up because it is the Reality of Self Defense. Are you Willing to Kill Someone to Stay Alive?

Most will say YES, and that is a reasonable Survival Attitude? Some won't under any Circumstances? And I have no use for them especially if they are Men!!!. If you are not willing to at least try to survive I see little reason to help you. However your 11 year old daughter is not likely to have the guts or know how to blow someone away with a firearm unless she has been trained how to do it and understands perfectly why she would need to. That's a lot to ask from a child, but I don't think it is too much to ask from an Adult.?

When we started at Front Sight in 2005 in our first Pistol Class, they had us write down "Under What Circumstances" would you be willing to Shoot someone? What lines had to be crossed for you to react. I felt this was a reasonable thing to do so you didn't have to think this all thru while under attack, you would just react. It was cut and dried! This happens,,, I react!

I wrote down the usual things like "Someone had invaded my Home and was assaulting my Wife or holding her Hostage, etc." Response would be, "Use whatever tool I had available to me to STOP them!"

And the most acceptable thing to say after that is "You were only trying to STOP THEM from whatever it is they are doing that threatened you or yours. This is what keeps you out of jail after all this takes place? Hopefully ? And every SD class made that exact point as they were all ran by Ex LEOS ...

I look at it this way,,, If you are not Willing to shoot someone, You don't need a gun. If you are,,, then you better know how to use it !!!

What do you think?

Randy

[Capybara]

I wouldn't own guns if I wasn't ready and willing to use them if the need arises. I pray I never have to shoot someone but if I do, it was my life against theirs and mine wins out every time.

[The Gleam]

When you have to shoot, shoot - don't talk!

(especially so much).

---

[MasterChief]

Would you be more or less likely to shoot to kill after an intruder/assailant ignores one or two warning shots? If your spouse and/or children were present?

I will apply Dirty Harry's logic:
"In the original 1971 film Dirty Harry, Inspector Harry Callahan confronts his superior and the Mayor about a previous shooting incident. He defends his actions with a famous line about an assailant with a butcher knife, though the incident itself is not depicted in the movie. The story of the butcher knife confrontation exists only in Harry's account of events.
The exchange unfolds with the Mayor warning Callahan against a repeat of past incidents, to which Harry responds by stating his policy of shooting individuals pursuing a female with intent to commit rape. When asked how intent is established, Callahan describes a scenario of a naked man chasing a woman with a butcher knife and a "hard-on," concluding he's not "collecting for the Red Cross".

[bohoki]

i am really concerned what happens after the shoot

i'm to the point now where i am considering the shoot shovel shut up method

[Batman]

OK, while a good subject, I'll ask....

Why is this in the Shotgun section, as opposed to the General section?

[OLD-skool454#3]

I'll just cross that bridge when I get to it, stating anything else can and will be used against me.

[CALI-gula]

OK, while a good subject, I'll ask....

Why is this in the Shotgun section, as opposed to the General section?

I was wondering why it wasn't in the tactical wheelbarrow section, myself.

.

[W.R.Buchanan]

It's in the Shotgun Section because I would most likely be using a Shotgun for defending my home, and the other reason is the Shotgun is the most Lethal of all Firearms in a Close up and Personal scenario.

Also I wanted it to be seen and discussed, and since I have NEVER been to the General Section and don't even know where it is, I assumed that most others hadn't either !

So do either of you have anything to contribute to the Conversation?

Randy

[oddball]

I look at it this way,,, If you are not Willing to shoot someone, You don't need a gun.

When I applied for my LTC (license to carry) in TX, you had to take a class, lasts approx. 5-6 hours, then a shooting test. The classroom stuff was very interesting, and the instructor touched on this subject for a little while, basically stating that if one is not all together willing to shoot and likely killing a person on the streets or in the home, don't get an LTC.

When my wife and I were about to buy our first gun in late 80s, this was a subject we both discussed at length, finally determining we both were willing to kill another human to protect us and ours. And we discussed the aftermath, the most concerning- retaliation, civil suits, expense of legal action, etc. Of course back then, we had far less assets, far less money, did not even own a home yet. But we both felt it was better to be alive and kicking with the aftermath than dead 6' under. And I have run across a few gun owners who were only in it for the sport, shooting paper and such, and admitted they could not kill a perp. I found their attitude disgusting and truly baffling.

[turbolarry]

... I have no use for them especially if they are Men!!!. If you are not willing to at least try to survive I see little reason to help you.
... I don't think it is too much to ask from an Adult.?

What do you think?

Of course everyone is going to say "yes" in a life or death situation, but I think the real answer is "I don't know." I like to think I'll do the right thing and respond with the appropriate level of force, but I don't think it's possible for anyone to know for sure what they are going to do when s#!t hits the fan. All I know is that I better do something.
People freeze. They get stuck in a mental loop and they are stuck. It happens. I find it disappointing you see little reason to help a man who might be stuck and struggling to survive. I like to think I'd do something and help that person survive, but that's just me.
If s#!t hits the fan, I better do something

[acaligunner]

Willing is something that most will say ( not picking on cg members ), many marathon runners are “ willing “ to run a 20 mile marathon ~ but how many drop out ~ even if they have trained for years.

We all seek to protect ourselves, but a thing that might hold you back is; actually pulling the trigger is something NO ONE can say they will do until your unfortunately faced with that decision.

Another thing that is in the back of our head ~ are you ready to face jail, give up $100,000 grand to defend yourself if the radical higher ups find something wrong ? Willing to Loose your job ( if your detained / media paints you as a gun nut ) ? Willing to go through the mental trauma?

Aside from that, “ willing “ is not the same as experience ~ what do I mean by that ~ gangsters that have grown up to be rough, street fights, stabbing and most by 25 have already shot or have killed someone ( oh yes there are killers out there that either did not get arrested or have killed and got away with it).

Ask a LE officer, they know who’s the bg’s are and what a failed justice system we have.

Willing ? OK but it’s not as easy as some may believe, will you know, not until s happens.

[acaligunner]

Of course everyone is going to say "yes" in a life or death situation, but I think the real answer is "I don't know." I like to think I'll do the right thing and respond with the appropriate level of force, but I don't think it's possible for anyone to know for sure what they are going to do when s#!t hits the fan. All I know is that I better do something.
People freeze. They get stuck in a mental loop and they are stuck. It happens. I find it disappointing you see little reason to help a man who might be stuck and struggling to survive. I like to think I'd do something and help that person survive, but that's just me.
If s#!t hits the fan, I better do something

True. My brother volunteered to go into combat in Vietnam ~ on his 1st mission he was “ ready “ or “ willing “ to save his own life and that of his brothers ~ but when he 1st made contact he was a bit scared / shocked, but then came out of it and was better.

No one knows how they will react ( good or bad ) most will do what they need to, and that’s all good , but some may stumble.

I’ve grown up shooting since I was like 8 or so ( thanks Pop 🥰 ) but I’ve been shot at 3 times, stabbed in the face , and jumped ~ it’s not the same as any training ( imo ).

So yes be ready train - but those kind of events that put us in a messed up situation are not always guaranteed. Good luck.

[W.R.Buchanan]

OK: All good Responses. What I have behind me is many years of Sport Shooting, and Endless Training over the last 20 years and an Exact Set of Circumstances that if they occur, will result in me Acting Decisively,,, Period.

Switch On, Switch Off ! NO Thinking Involved! Only Decisive Action.

If it is a Hostage Situation in my home where a person has my wife under the Knife, I will have my House Shotgun, which is an M500 with an 18" bbl and Rifle Sights and a Light Mounted. See Pic. I will approach them until I get to inside of 5 yards. At that distance I know the 00 Buckshot Pattern will be about 2" in dia. so I will be holding on his Exposed Ear. I will say ONE, TWO, and my wife will drop limp exposing more of the perp, then Three will end the threat! We have discussed this, and she knows exactly what to do if this happens. Odds are hopefully it will never happen?

If the bad guy actually slits my wife's throat I will remove his head or take him apart piece by piece as I have nothing left to live for !!!

I have had Many Scenarios Mapped Out and if any of them show up I have already formulated a Response and it will be instantaneous. I already decided to act many years before so I'm not thinking about anything other than carrying out my Response.

What this does for me is save precious seconds that may save a life. A life that I care about, versus a life I don't care about. To avoid after effects of killing someone you don't look them in the eye. They are just a Black Blob that has no more meaning than a paper target.

Please do understand,,, I am NOT Looking for a Fight, and I have not killed anyone in this Lifetime, and have no Intention of doing so unless the Switch is flipped ON!

Then it happens as soon as my Sights come to bare.

I leu of current events which are deteriorating quickly it might be a good idea for each of us to have a look at what would provoke you to an Armed Response that may involve taking a life. Better to think this stuff through in your Easy Chair, and have some idea what you would do If SHTF, than trying to figure it out in the middle of a fight?

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Just sayin'.

Randy

[stormvet]

As someone that has used less then and lethal force, inflicting great bodily harm, yeah I’m ok with it.