Intent to????

[drewoufan]

I'm once again fairly new to conceal carry so I have something that has been a large question for me that I need to ask. When faced with a situation where you have to take action with your side arm do you shoot with intentions to incapacitate or to inflict fatal injury? I've often thought it depended on the situation, but you may not know if they have a weapon. So does that take away the thought of incapacitating. Even when shot in a limb it is possible to still draw a weapon and do harm. What are your thoughts?

[dojoman]

That is a call that only you can make. My issue with just shooting to injure is you have no idea if they have a gun or what they might do. Having said that, my rule of thumb as most is....just use enough force to end the threat. Pulling ur pistol might be all you need. While another threat might require a shoot to kill, example someome high on pcp. One advice I will say is know your local and state law. If you don't have a "stand your ground" law then you better make sure that you proved that you did everything you could to run/drive away. Also wouldn't hurt to check into other statuteds like if your outnumbered, gang attack, or out sized in a sence of weight/height(i forget the name for it but someone will post it). See what they have on the books. Also, get a lawyer asap and meet with them...let the lawyer get to know your personality and history(this will help should you need to defend yourself in court...this.is so key to either a cleared record or prison time)and he/she can inform you on the laws, answer questions, ect. I hope this helps you out.

[agrippakc]

This MAY result in some heated posts. Here is the deal, in a stressful situation your groupings can increase by as much as 9". Shooting for a small target like a leg or an arm means a higher chance of missing. Shoot for center mass until the attacker stops attacking. The attacker chooses when I begin to shoot AND when I stop shooting, but I could be wrong.

[Cotillion]

I don't think there is any right answer. Obviously as responsible gun owners nobody wants to take a life, but by using your gun it means your life should be in danger. It's hard to tell what your reaction will be since that's the one thing you can't practice.

[SGB]

You shoot to incapacitate, the fastest way to achieve this is to inflict mortal injury.

[The_Outlaw]

Only shoot "to stop" an attacker and that's only if you have no other choice right?
Never shoot to 'kill' anyone. That won't fly in court will it?
Are you a 'killer'? Is that what you want them to label you as in court?
NO WAY!
You are not ever trying to kill anyone!
NEVER!
If you must utilize your sidearm as a last resort, then you will always aim at 'center mass'.
Why must you aim at center mass?
Because that is the largest target area of the assailant!
You don't want to miss the assailant and then possibly have your round hit an unintended target do you?
Always shoot to 'stop the threat', never to kill.
~Stay Safe~

[NCIC105]

Outlaw is dead on with his comments.

We were taught you shoot to eliminate the threat. (back in the 70's while in the Academy)

If the suspect is down and cannot shoot back at you, then you
eliminated the threat...

Let's say the suspect is down and the gun is 20 feet away, and you can safely take custody of the gun, so he or she cannot use it against you, then the threat has been eliminated...

Never say I intended to kill.

We were taught to say in court; I took these actions to eliminate the threat...No more, no less, just repeat this sentence every time you are asked if your needed to shoot the perp that many times or "is it true that the suspect hit you, and you wanted revenge; You wanted to kill him didn't you?"

"I took these actions to eliminate the threat" Sir!

You could also use I took these actions to stop the attack...

As others have said, "Center mass only"
Never try to be John Wayne and shoot the gun or knife out of there hand...Or knee cap them...


e·lim·i·nate   [ih-lim-uh-neyt] Show IPA
verb (used with object), -nat·ed, -nat·ing.

1. to remove or get rid of, especially as being in some way undesirable: to eliminate risks; to eliminate hunger.

[kelcarry]

This is real life and not a western movie. You are in imminent danger--there is no other reason to be drawing your weapon--you shoot to kill--want to play Marshall Dillon?--you die.

[gspgundog]

I also am of the center mass, and fire until the threat has stopped school. There is no way to know what effect a hit to an arm or Leg will have and getting multiple hits on small targets under stress may be impossible. The idea of deploying a firearm is to save YOUR life. In that case I will go for the high percentage target.

[papasan]

I am new to CC and hope I never have to draw my weapon.BUT, if I draw, it will be to aim at center mass and stop the threat