Who here would give a warning shot?

[babe]

First off OP, i commend you for opening up you concern to a group like this. We came be supportive and down right condesending all at the same time.

No one here can say for certain what they would or would not do in every situation like you've described. We can say for certain what we think we "will" do based on our training or our own thought process, but until the event has occued and is over, we will not truly know what we "Would do".

Like you I've often gone through scenerios in my head. Warning Shots, lights, retreat, confront, firing to kill, 13yr kids, or even an armed estranged family member. I believe I am as prepared as I can be, but i cant say for certain I know exaclty what I will do in that situation. Only after it is over will I know what I did and I pray I make the right decision if the time ever comes.

Good Luck and be safe out there.

Thst being said, mentally, have you ruled out the warning shot or would you consider it if the situation gave you the time? The scenario of the estranged family member is interesting. Most shootings involve people you know. I wonder if people consider that in their calculus. Someone coming at you with a crime of passion mentality.

[John Browning]

Thst being said, mentally, have you ruled out the warning shot or would you consider it if the situation gave you the time? The scenario of the estranged family member is interesting. Most shootings involve people you know. I wonder if people consider that in their calculus. Someone coming at you with a crime of passion mentality.

You realize that family members kill family members all the time, right? Typically in very violent, bloody and horrible ways? If anything, you're way more likely to know if someone is a threat if you know them personally.

Again, if you fire a warning shot, you fall into one of these groups:

- People who don't understand how bullets work.
- People who don't understand how the law works.
- General idiot

Which group do you fall in? Where do you think this warning shot goes? Fire into the air and you can kill some innocent person and go to prison. Fire into the ground and get a richochet and kill/wound the person you didn't think was a real threat at that point and go to prison. You're either a troll (probably the case) or really not competent to use firearms.

[JackRydden224]

I would not fire a warning shot. My condo is 945 sq/ft and there is one door in and the same door out so retreating is not an option. Knowing that I cannot beat anybody in a fist fight I would shoot to stop the threat due to my genuine fear for injury or death.

[babe]

Babe,

It seems you have some kind of agenda with this thread, but I will put my $0.02 in.

Since you like "what ifs?" and focusing on human life, let me turn your scenarios back to you for an answer.

What if that 13 year old with a knife, addict son of your friend, tweaker, or any other intruder heard your warning shot and ran off. Whew, you survived. Congrats. But, the next day you hear a person matching the same description later broke into the house of your favorite neighbor and killed her and her family. How would you feel given that instead of neutralizing the threat (which may or may not mean killing) the threat merely moved off to another, less armed, target to get what they wanted?

The use of a firearm is a serious act. If someone is not fully prepared to use a firearm against another human, and all the ramifications that may bring, than the firearms should stay locked away and an alternative form of defense should be used.

Perhaps using a firearm for personal defense is not for you. Look into something like bear spray.

How would I feel if I was able to avoid killing someone and they went on to kill others? Honestly, I guess there would be some guilt, like that of jury members who let defendants go who later killed. But I wI'll admit selfishly that it would be less because it was abstract....because I didn't pull the trigger myself. How much less? I'm not sure.

And my question back to you: what does 'fully prepared' to use a firearm mean? If someone threatened to kill my child and the police didn't do anything wouldn't fully prepared mean that I go over and blow the guy's head off? It would to some people. Or does fully prepared mean that you plan to shoot an intruder under any circumstances that are legally justified? In that cae, fully prepared can mean completely different things in states with or without castle doctrines or stand your ground laws. I honestly don't think anyone is 'fully' prepared if the definition is absolutely no mental reservations to killing another person.

[babe]

I think that point of view on the subject is pretty acceptable as far as safety and law/ethics.

I don't like when people use these phrases- like, "you never draw your weapon unless youre going to fire", or "you never fire a warning shot".

There are often different scenarios that unfold in life, regarding when a warning shot might be a good idea. Take for example a fight where 2 guys are beating up one person to the point of great bodily injury. Yes you are authorized to kill them. But if you chose to attempt to stop the threat without killing them, you might attempt a warning shot.

That's not to say that's necessarily the best option in a scenario. But definitely a thought that may occur to a person. You would have to be completely ready to apply deadly force following that shot because once you fire you're in a life and death situation.

Thank god! For awhile I thought the black and white of calguns thinking was either you don't get involved or you double tap him center mass. Glad to see at least a sliver of grey middle ground.

[MotoriousRacing]

Maybe in some sort of odd stand-off situation

[Mayor McRifle]

Thst being said, mentally, have you ruled out the warning shot or would you consider it if the situation gave you the time?

If "the situation gave you the time" to fire a warning shot, then you're not in imminent danger of death or great bodily injury. If you still think that firing warning shots is a viable option, then I'm guessing that you didn't read this when I posted it previously:

http://www.secondcalldefense.org/brandishing-and-warning-shots

If you did read it, and either don't understand the legal ramifications involved or just don't care, then you're on your own.

[bravofortysix]

If "the situation gave you the time" to fire a warning shot, then you're not in imminent danger of death or great bodily injury. If you still think that firing warning shots is a viable option, then I'm guessing that you didn't read this when I posted it previously:

http://www.secondcalldefense.org/brandishing-and-warning-shots

If you did read it, and either don't understand the legal ramifications involved or just don't care, then you're on your own.

Mayor, your claim is very easily disproven. And just because you're not in threat of death or serious bodily injury, somebody else might be. Stop trying to make statements like you're the freakin' King or something. You just sound ignorant to us with brains, and sound smart to people with less knowledge on the topic of critical thinking ability.

[bravofortysix]

If "the situation gave you the time" to fire a warning shot, then you're not in imminent danger of death or great bodily injury. If you still think that firing warning shots is a viable option, then I'm guessing that you didn't read this when I posted it previously:

http://www.secondcalldefense.org/brandishing-and-warning-shots

If you did read it, and either don't understand the legal ramifications involved or just don't care, then you're on your own.

Honestly dude, you sound like such a douche. With your demeaning tone. And you're wrong anyway. GTFO calguns.

[babe]

If you own firearms but don't feel comfortable using them to protect yourself and your family, I think you could probably store them at a gun range or something. I think they do that in Europe. It'd probably do you more good not having them around the house - less chance of them getting into the wrong hands.

What does 'comfortable' mean to you? I'm comfortable behind the wheel of my car but if someone crossed over onto incoming traffic and I had to dodge, I can't promise you I'd be comfortable with that.

Can anyone really be comfortable with killing an attacker? Forcing yourself to do it is one thing. Training yourself to do it in a mechanical fashion. But being 'comfortable' with it? I think a lot of people would have to turn in their guns under that criteria. I think a lot of soldiers would have to too.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

Honestly dude, you sound like such a douche. With your demeaning tone. And you're wrong anyway. GTFO calguns.

You're new here and I foresee great things for you if you continue on this path. Perhaps re-think your approach.

[DDM4556]

Again, if you fire a warning shot, you fall into one of these groups:

- People who don't understand how bullets work.
- People who don't understand how the law works.
- General idiot

I would tend to completely agree with you but there are exceptions:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-wwii-veteran-scares-off-burglary-suspect-20160202-story.html

[orangeusa]

Warning shot gives away your position, compromises your vision, and hearing. Seems like that may increase the odds of threat grabbing your weapon. I could be wrong.

[calif 15-22]

Thst being said, mentally, have you ruled out the warning shot or would you consider it if the situation gave you the time? The scenario of the estranged family member is interesting. Most shootings involve people you know. I wonder if people consider that in their calculus. Someone coming at you with a crime of passion mentality.

Honestly I can think of only one situation where i might concider a warning shot.

My house is nearly 5,000 sq ft. The entry way is 20x20 with a long flight of stairs to get to the living quarters. If a bad guy was standing there having just busted in my door with the alarms going off and I came to the top of the stairs and saw him there, I might fire a shot in his general direction if he took a step to come up the stairs.

I would hope the sight of my VP9 and my midnight Abs would be enough to prevent him from taking that first step.

But if he started to come up the stairs, knowing I'm there drawn on him, or after that first shot . . . then he has already decided he thinks I wont shoot or he can get to me before I shoot . . . Both of which are wrong thinking on his part.

[phdo]

I would not. If I had to use my gun, I'm going to shoot where it counts.