Have you had a gun pointed at you? What is the story?

[Boriqua]

Was rummaging through reddit and came across an interesting story.

Guy rented a car .. a Challenger I believe. When he went out to the parking lot after stopping with a friend he went to a Challenger he thought was the rental and tried to open the door. It turned out it was the wrong car and the owner of the car was seated in the drivers seat and pointed a gun at him through the window. Probably thought he was being car jacked. He commented that he never realized how large the muzzle looks when you are on the wrong side of it.

So it reminded me of the first time someone had pointed a gun at me. I told the story before but I was about 15yrs old and worked as a cashier in a supermarket in the hood. Several guys came in to rob the place and in the process one stuck a shotgun in my face no more than a foot away. It was the second time we were robbed in a week and I didnt give the bad guy the money under the drawer as instructed and they were displeased. I swore the barrel was 4 inches in diameter and would have sworn that for years until with great disappointment I bought my first gun, a wingmaster 870 and realized how much smaller the muzzle was than I remembered. Funny how being on the wrong side can change perspectives.

The bad guys sent everyone to the back of the store but then shotgun guy said "not you" to me! I figured I was going to catch a beating for not giving them all the money. The store had hired an off duty cop after the Christmas eve robbery and he was a bit of a nutball named Joel. He came running down one of the aisles gun blazing. Luckily bad guys just ran as Joel was firing over my head as I ducked behind the register. Still never forget how large I thought that damn shotgun was though. I had remembered blunderbuss.

Wish I could say that was the only time I was involved with gun play but that was the first and MOST shocking.

So not counting someone just covering you out of neglect .. have you had someone point a gun at you and what is the story and/or your recollections of the event?

 

[kenpoprofessor]

I call it "trash can syndrome". First time it happened to me I was 16, creeped up on friend in his pickup, went boo, all I saw was this huge hole of a 1911. Doesn't matter if it's a .22, that hole is huge.

Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day

Clyde

 

[Razai]

I was 20. The perp was a frightened kid who was a foot shorter than I was and weighed a third less than I did. .38 revolver. He cocked and decocked it over and over, granting me a view of each of the dull lead bullets in the cylinder. I was certain his thumb would slip and I’d be dead. I had six bucks on me and a pair of winter gloves. He took the cash and one glove. He was so scared that when I offered him the second glove he ran off. To everyone who now wants to educate me on what I could have done or what they definitely would do in such a situation, save it. He was barely avoiding killing me by accident as it was, and I wasn’t moving. I am to this moment grateful that I had the humility to stand there as I did. Funny thing now that I think back on it: The cylinder with those bullets was much more in focus than was the muzzle.

 

[blasternaz]

Yep, ex wife and the cops her mother called. Both resolved in my favor. Another reason she's been out of my life for over 40 years. I second Razai's focus on the cylinder, as it showed she had a partial load and on the wrong side of the rotation. Couldn't tell you about the cop as he was using the door frame for cover. Have no idea what the MiL told the dispatcher. Physcotic alcoholic, but we made good kids.

 

[That Guy]

Well, once upon a time…….
The first time was when I was in Korea. I was in the 2ID and had to check out some possible locations for an FTX (my CO wanted us to train in areas we might have fight in during war) just south of the DMZ. Well, towards the end of the day I told the driver to return to Camp Casey. The night fell and it turned out (much to my consternation) that my KATUSA driver who said he was acquainted with the area had significantly exaggerated his knowledge. Apparently he made made a number of wrong turns attempting to find the correct road before he informed me that we were RFL (Really F**king Lost). And of course since there was no moon it was completely dark and for OPSEC I told my KATUSA to engage the blackout lights which made our driving REALLY slow.

Sooooooo, we drove in the M-151 down this narrow road cut into the mountain forest when suddenly we were hit with a blinding search light. The KATUSA slammed on the brakes and I heard four distinct “KLA-CHING-CHING” sounds in rapid succession and I unfortunately knew exactly what it was: a pair of Ma Deuces ready to rock and roll.

I heard a voice in Korean maybe 50 meters away in the direction of the guns/searchlight yell something and my driver replied. The voice yelled again and my driver turned to me: “Sir, this is very bad. Get out slow with me hands up and walk forward.”

So I said to the KATUSA, “F**K THAT! I’m an American soldier and they can k!ss my ass!”

OK, just kidding. Not only did I not say say that I didn’t even think that. You absolutely did NOT want to screw around with ROK soldiers at night, near the DMZ. Frankly if they had opened fire on us the only reason they’d get into trouble woulda been cuz’ they used too many rounds killing us.

After we got outa the vehicle they ordered us to walk forward. The killed the spotlight and a couple ROK’s shined flashlights on us. It was then I noticed that a bunch of ROK soldiers were aiming their rifles at us from behind sand bagged parapets while another was manning a twin .50 pointed straight at us. They told us to lay face down (which of course we did) with our hands still raised while a ROK squad came out and searched us. Oh and I felt a rifle muzzle at the back of my head while they frisked us (a K1 to be precise, before then I thought they were pretty cool looking, when they’re at you they don’t look near so cool). It turned out that we’d stumbled into a ROK defensive position (DUHHHHHH!). Satisfied we were no threat they gave my driver directions and we un-assed the AO.

Of course since this is the internet, and the internet consists of 99% BS, I could’ve made this all up or appropriated some other guys war story. Hence the “once upon a time” preface……

 

[Az_Gunner]

20+ years ago I was working retail, and nightly deposits were outside the mall (Downtown Sacramento), which was a couple blocks away - me, and one of the sales associates went to make the nightly drop (Christmas Eve) with a ton of cash - as we got out to make the drop, a couple guys came around the corner from an alley, and held a gun to the back of our heads and asked for the bag - I dropped it on the ground, and although I had several thoughts going through my mind, I realized at that point it wasn’t my cash, and not worth it - they took the bag, and proceeded to run through the alley - we flagged down a police offer who had been coming down the street, and they searched the alley, found the perps clothing in a dumpster.

 

[Tenring]

Have a gun pointed at me almost every time I go to a gun store or the range.
I make sure they hear about it though. What really gets me going is the gun store sales dude wanting to tell me well its not loaded.....I give it to him with both barrels.

 

[Crippledtrigger]

I've had several shoplifters I was stopping pull a gun on me. Iirc all were stealing decongestants aka smurfs. I asked if they needed help carry the stuff to their car.

I've had 37mm fired at me, stinger and gas grenades too.

 

[SupportTheSecond]

Four times all at the same location on different days. When much younger I used to delivery Oxygen to at home patients and one area was a well known project call Hunter's Point in San Francisco. It was a complete den of drug users, dealers, you name it.

Not long after that I decided on a different career path.

 

[Limper]

Sometime in spring of 1990 when I was stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB some friends and I went to a local shooting spot (long since gone now) just east of the Pima County fairgrounds and I got to feel exhilarated like Winston Churchill described as he is quoted to say, “There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at with no result.”

Phase 1:

Multiple rounds impacted the ground 5ish yards from my car as we were getting out of the car for target practice. They came from two individuals approximately 150 yards away. I yell at them to get their attention figuring they are target shooting and don't see us. Shooting stops.

Phase 2:

Friends and I are giving them the hairy eyeball wondering if they are just clueless when rounds start impacting the same general spot. We all dive behind the car which is parked generally towards them so now we have as much cover as a 72 Monte Carlo can provide. We quickly open the trunk, I get out my Mini-14 and we start discussing whether they are actually shooting at us. I fire three quick shots at the berm (90 degrees away from them) and the shooting stops. I poke my head out to observe them still standing there calmly and we think they are target shooting, but starting to wonder otherwise. We are now discussing leaving cover so we can get the F*$k out of there.

Phase 3:

Rounds (10 or so) again start impacting the approximate same general spot. We are now suspecting they are shooting at us. We are now discussing shooting back at them when the LEO Fish and Game warden rolls up.
She probably figures something is odd since there are 4 individuals armed with long guns hunkered down behind a vehicle, all of them seemingly upset about something.

Phase 4:

We all quickly put the rifles in the trunk. She enthusiastically asks us what the hell is going on. I say there are two people over there (point) and I think they are shooting at us. Right after I say that rounds start impacting the ground about 5 -10 yards from us as I say, "LIKE THAT!!!".

Her eyes got REAL big. I see us change from likely threat to "Oh I think they have a point." in her mind. She goes over and addresses them.

Conclusion:

They were two high school kids out target shooting but not against the proper backstop.

I am very thankful she showed up as I was close to shooting two ignorant or stupid, but innocent kids who I was just concluding were likely shooting at me.

It was my least-favorite target shooting trip. But all ended well since everyone went home with the same number of holes they started with.

 

[Boriqua]

An amusing gun pointed story.

In my early 20's I was seeing Theresa. At this point I am living in the Howard beach/. ozone park area of queens which was loaded with the Mob. The gym I worked out at was across the street from the Bergen hunt and fish club which was the John Gotti clubhouse.

Theresa was delicious but her father was not pleased that she was running around with a spic and on our first meeting refused to acknowledge I was there. He was a low level mobster, union rep for white rose and always had cases of new goods that were for sale from complicit robberies of goods coming out of JFK.

Mrs Dinero was a sweetheart though. Mr. Deniro when drunk would swing on her but she had moves and was rarely hit. One day Mr. Deniro was due to come home. He had been hanging out at the Brown Jug, a local mob hang out for the lower level mobsters. She said if she goes to get him she will catch a beating so would I go fetch him. Ugh.

I go to the brown jug and some people there let me know that he and some buddies were having a BBQ near by. I head over still not loving my mission. I get to the gate of the backyard. Typical Queens ny backyard so it was tiny and there he is with a crew of other low level mobsters. Now imagine every bad mob movie you ever saw and that is what this scene looked like. Big fat guys talking to loud. Mr deniro was of average build and looked tiny in this setup.

Now its important to note that I was a DEVOTED gym rat and had been for years so was pretty built up. I am only 5'9 but was able to move a shit ton of weight. About a week earlier I had saved one of his sons from taking a bad beat down.

I enter the back yard and smile and Mr. Deniro walks up and I figure he knew I was there to get him and was coming along. Instead in an attempt to introduce me to the other mobsters he says ..

"Look at this kid (again said like a bad movie mobster with a heavy NY accent) He slaps me on the shoulder and says "Kid's built like a brick shit house." .... He then pulls a gun from his pocket and jams it against the side of my head with a fair bit of force. My head is canted to one side and everyone is now quiet.

He then says to me ... "But this makes us even dont it"

To which I replied .. "No Mr. Deniro .. that gives you a decided advantage" True story ...

Instantly everyone starts to guffaw. Big bellies shaking with loud laughter. He tells them he has to go and off we went in the car .. mission accomplished.

I didnt think he would shoot me but .. there were an awful lot of mobsters that got unceremoniously buried in Jamaica bay near by for stupid stuff and I couldn't swear he wouldnt.

Funny thing is .. after that day he took a liking to me in a big way. Can still feel the gun when I tell the story though.

 

[Boriqua]

Four times all at the same location on different days. When much younger I used to delivery Oxygen to at home patients and one area was a well known project call Hunter's Point in San Francisco. It was a complete den of drug users, dealers, you name it.

Not long after that I decided on a different career path.

Good on you for getting out. The place where they held the shotgun to my face was robbed by armed gunman on Christmas eve and then they came back on New Years eve. I quit after that one! I figured twice in about a week was a message from god.

 

[tunnug]

Hey Limper, did that happen at the Pit? off Houghton and the power line access rd, I used to shoot there and has been the only place some dumbshit started shooting while we were downrange off to the side.

 

[Limper]

Hey Limper, did that happen at the Pit? off Houghton and the power line access rd, I used to shoot there and has been the only place some dumbshit started shooting while we were downrange off to the side.

I don't think so Tunnug. My incident occurred east off Houghton road but it was due east of the fairgrounds. There is/was a water hole that we would use the berm as a backstop. I don't remember that we used a powerline road to access the spot. I can't remember if the Pit was north or south of I-10.

Edit: I just looked at Google maps and there is what looks like a powerline road just north of a dried up waterhole that is about 1/2 mile SE of the fairgrounds that I am 95% sure is my old shooting spot.

The kids that negligently shot at/near (too damn close) us were hanging targets in a tree and had no back stop. Well my 72 Monte Carlo was while we were there but otherwise, no.

 

[OMart]

Yeah, robbed at gun point in 2001. Texaco gas station on 32st and Greenway. I lived pretty close and had just cashed a mileage reimbursement check, so I stopped to buy a 6 pack of beer. I always parked in front of the store, but that night I was in a hurry and wanted to get home before Monday Nitro started. After making my purchase, came around the corner of the building and a tall guy with long hair, long black jacket and a hat is standing there and asks me if I want to buy a gun, which is pointed at me. It was a revolver, long barrel. Looking back it was probably something like a Heritage or similar SA cowboy type gun, but at that moment it might as well have been Dirty Harry's S&W Model 29. I replied, "How much?" He said, "What you have in your wallet." Cost me about $180. Needless to say the worst gun deal ever.

 

[baja]

It was a nice, warm afternoon and I was walking along heading home when a guy jumped out of the bushes and stuck a large caliber, chrome revolver in my face and yells "stick'em up or I'll shoot". I was taken by surprise but didn't want to comply.
The would be shooter starts to pull back the hammer when a voice calls out his name. He slowly lowers the Fanner 50 and yells out "I'm coming Mom!"