9 mm Carry Guns Yesterday and Today

[HayesGreener]

My first 9mm carry gun was a Model 39. I was inspired by Illinois State Police. That gun was exceptionally accurate, as were subsequent Gen 3 pistols. Unfortunately I stupidly traded the M39 off for something, wish I still had it.

 

[The Night Rider]

That's not the pro's M.O.

They strike during * periods of transition * . At the gas pump , while loading & unloading passengers or "stuff".

I've posted this video before. It's a pretty good brief synopsis of what a transitional spaces and why it's a place that you need to be on your guard. One thing I definitely do not agree with in this video is backing into a parking spot. I've had people hit the front of my car hard enough to break the radiator.

That's not the pro's M.O. Yeah , l hear the people who live in the sticks where there aren't any other moving vehicles within a mile of you at anytime.

Maybe not quite a mile but pretty close.

But in urban and dense suburban areas , at multi pump gas stations w/ attached stores , fancy restraunt zones , big box stores etc , there are always cars moving slowly around you.

Again, I don't disagree but there are things you can do to mitigate this.

I make a specific point when I park in a parking lot of parking on the edge of the parking lot or an empty part of the parking lot. So that I can see what's around me as I'm walking up to my car.

I also don't hang out in my car I get in the car, shut and lock the doors and go.

I never let my gas tank get below half. I get gas when I want to get gas not when I need to get gas.

When I worked as a security guard I made a point of getting gas out past the edge of town. I would find a gas station where I was the only customer and fill up there.

Now that I'm retired I have a couple of gas stations that I go to, I use the pump farthest out from the store closest to the entrance or the exit of the parking lot.

I do most of my shopping in the middle of the day. When we lived in the apartment we never went to Walmart we had Walmart delivered. Number one it cut down on impulse buying. And number two to quote Mr Miyagi "Best way to avoid punch no be there."

 

[ECS686]

That's not the pro's M.O.

They strike during * periods of transition * . At the gas pump , while loading & unloading passengers or "stuff" .

Yeah , l hear the people who live in the sticks where there aren't any other moving vehicles within a mile of you at anytime. But in urban and dense suburban areas , at multi pump gas stations w/ attached stores , fancy restraunt zones , big box stores etc , there are always cars moving slowly around you , and 3 or 4 guys riding together to get food on a break or whatever are common . Until they jump out with guns in hand before the getaway vehicle makes a full stop .

( And no there isn't a good response . Unless the baby is in the car seat , or grandma in the back , the goal is to back.away and get out of Dodge without a 3 way gunfight .)

I worked around and interviewed some pros”

They try and Jack cars at red lights or block them in At on ramps as well.

So any of those cases driving through proves effective a large large majority of the time.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I never let my gas tank get below half. I get gas when I want to get gas not when I need to get gas.

When I worked as a security guard I made a point of getting gas out past the edge of town. I would find a gas station where I was the only customer and fill up there.

Now that I'm retired I have a couple of gas stations that I go to, I use the pump farthest out from the store closest to the entrance or the exit of the parking lot.

No such thing as " out past the edge of town " in dense suburban areas , or in proximity to highway exits .

90% plus of stations , with 99% of actual gas pumps are mega stations, with attached convience store or store plus carry out . Old School gas stations went extinct more than 20 yrs ago , they couldn't economically survive the coming of the mega stations . A few of the legacy gas station buildings have converted into 2 or 3 bay garages with the gas pumps removed , the rest are long gone .

Pumping close to entrance/ exit will actually expose you to the Most vehicles passing in proximity to you .

During the time to pump average gas tank , there Will be at least half dozen vehicles passing close by . No way around it , no matter which pump . More people go to such places for coffee, food , snacks , than gas . Including me .

[ l might seem schizophrenic talking about where l live . I'm in the last remaining pocket of rural farmland surrounded by megalopolis sprawl.

I'm 5 miles of spotty cell reception and no high speed internet and no pizza delivery . But go to work , or go to "town" , and it's the urban / dense suburban jungle. ]

 

[Biggfoot44]

I worked around and interviewed some pros”

They try and Jack cars at red lights or block them in At on ramps as well.

So any of those cases driving through proves effective a large large majority of the time.

Yes , for those , drive thru / around / into them .

But in the Carjacking Central of the country , they rarely bother with that anymore . It's easier and more lucrative for them at the Transition Zones .

 

[The Night Rider]

Before I say anything else I would like to reiterate there's a reason that I get gas before I hit a half a tank. I have time to look around for a gas station that isn't too busy.

No such thing as " out past the edge of town " in dense suburban areas , or in proximity to highway exits .

Thanks for explaining to me how the town that I've lived in since 1992 is laid out and works.

When I had the Roving guard positions my "Beat" (for lack of a better term) covered all of El Paso County Colorado.

I knew my route well enough that I knew where there were gas stations that were some distance away from heavily traveled roads.

And, given that the proof is in the pudding, in all the time I did that I had exactly one encounter.

90% plus of stations , with 99% of actual gas pumps are mega stations, with attached convience store or store plus carry out . Old School gas stations went extinct more than 20 yrs ago , they couldn't economically survive the coming of the mega stations . A few of the legacy gas station buildings have converted into 2 or 3 bay garages with the gas pumps removed , the rest are long gone .

I'm not sure I understand the relevance of the statement. I don't care if it's an 80 pump Mega station. At around 3:00 a.m. even they get pretty empty.

Pumping close to entrance/ exit will actually expose you to the Most vehicles passing in proximity to you .

During the time to pump average gas tank , there Will be at least half dozen vehicles passing close by . No way around it , no matter which pump . More people go to such places for coffee, food , snacks , than gas . Including me .

Please allow me to clarify, when I go to get gas I go to a gas station that I'm familiar with in an area that I'm familiar with. I park at the pump that gives me the straightest shot to the entrance. The reason I do that is so that if something squirrely happens I can get in my car and drive straight out of the parking lot.

Parking lots and gas stations are transitional spaces.

This isn't my first rodeo.The two times that I worked as a security guard and had somebody try to take my gun off me both happened at a gas station. That's the main reason I quit going to gas stations in town

Going to gas stations is inescapable but when I go to a gas station I know that I'm walking into what I consider to be an extremely dangerous environment and I prepare myself to react accordingly.

l might seem schizophrenic

Little bit.

I'm in the last remaining pocket of rural farmland surrounded by megalopolis sprawl.

I'm 20 miles from the nearest town, 35 miles from the nearest traffic signal and 50 plus miles from the nearest city.

 

[The Night Rider]

Yes , for those , drive thru / around / into them .

But in the Carjacking Central of the country , they rarely bother with that anymore . It's easier and more lucrative for them at the Transition Zones .

What, exactly, are your qualifications to make these comments? What's your level of experience with this?

 

[HayesGreener]

For what it's worth, I end every training session, and train others, with a drill I call "The Carjacker". Fired at bad breath distance, from the holster, double tap center mass from the hip, one to the head, step back and re-address. Because that is the range many of these encounters occur. Of course the best anti-carjacker strategy is to be aware and avoid the situation if possible.