From: [s--o--a] at [oak.circa.ufl.edu]
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
Subject: The Sound of a Pump Shotgun revisited and other issues.
Date: 1 Nov 1995 19:40:14 GMT

A few months ago there was a controversy over whether the
sound of a pump shotgun was a real advantage in a confrontation.
I entered into the fray with my opinions.

I took the middle position that one would never want to rely on the
sound of a pump gun being racked but that it could very well be
helpful in a number of situations.  One reader stated that he
believed that this was just public myth and challenged anyone to
post a real life example of this happening.  All I could offer at the
time was an example from my youth of the closing of a bolt on an
autoloading rifle (less distinct than the sound of a shotgun) causing
a prowler to flee.

I choose a 12 Ga. Pump gun for my house gun for a number of reasons.
I explained that it offered an additional level of security in the
event that my girlfriend's daughter got a hold of it as it would be
difficult for a 9 year-old to rack it and chamber it yet alone handle
the weight of such a gun.  I never stated that this was my only level
of protection.  I have taken a number of other precautions with the
child including firearms safety lessons and range experiance to demistify guns
and instill respect for their potential to be misused
as well as a lock on the master bedroom door and suspending the gun
on hooks from the closet ceiling.

One individual misunderstood me and chastised and mocked my post.
We have since sorted this out in private e-mail and it turns out that
he chose an H&K squeeze-cocking gun for just that reason.  Like
myself, he has a few layers of security making it unlikely that his
children will never come in contact with the gun, but choose a gun
that would be difficult for a child to operate in the event that
everything else went wrong.

However, this issue of the effect of the noise of a pump shotgun
became very real very recently in my household.

My girlfriend was home alone one recent evening (I was working late
and her daughter was with her grandparents)  when she was startled
by some noise in the back yard.  She went to the window and
observed large white or hispanic male (muscular and well over 6
feet tall) attempting to force the lock on our storage shed.

She retrieved the shotgun, chambered it and proceded to the back yard where she
confronted the individual.

For some strange reason, he seemed totally unfazed by the sight of
a woman with a 12 gauge shotgun and proceded to ask her directions
to the house of some fictional individual although it was obvious
he was attempting to rob us and had to jump our fence to be where
he was.  She asked him to leave and shouldered the shotgun pointing
it at the center of his chest.  He began to walk towards her.  She
stepped back to keep a comfortable distance and shined the laser on
him.  He continued walking towards her.  At this point she racked the
gun again throwing a fresh shell onto the ground and the man turned
in panic and ran, jumping over the fence.

This man's actions really made no sense at all unless we assume that he was
convinced that the gun was unloaded.  Of the two ways
she could have shown him that the gun was loaded, the one she chose
definitely worked out for the best for all concerned.

She was within her rights to exhibit the gun in lawful defense of
property.  She also knows that she could have only discharged the
weapon if he had charged or cornered her.

There are some parallels to another incident in which she actually
had to shoot two intruders after they laughed at her drawing a gun
and proceeded to advance.  The only source of light was an
appartment hallway light shining throught the door they had busted
down.  One turned away but it was not to leave.
He closed the only door to the aparment behind him so that they
could do what they had come to do without interruption.  They
continuted to advance saying "the bitch doesn't have the guts to
shoot" and she let them have it.  Aiming by voice (and screams) alone
in the pitch darkness, she emptied the magazine of her .380.  Every
shot found it's mark though she was a bit low.
One lost a femoral artery, the other his knee.  One fled the
appartment, the other was bleeding to death.  She called the
police and than performed first-aid on the bleeding man, saving
his life.  (He thanked her by suing her . . but lost.)
She did not know these men and they did not know her . . . it is unlikely that
they even knew what appartment they broke into.
However, by coincidence, they were cousins of her boyfriend at that
time.  The caused a great deal of suspicion amoung the police and
she was charged in the shooting.  Fortunately, a judge threw out
the charges.

Both get around by rolling today making it unlikely that they have
persisted in their criminal ways.  She was traumatised for a while
and even questioned her moral right to defend herself, claiming that
she should have let them do what ever they wanted with her.  This is
an understandable reaction, but she is now over it.  She has faced
similar situations several times since, but they usually ended with
the simple presentation of a gun.

The most frightening incident happened  a few months ago.  I believe
that my forsight of keeping a backup gun in the van may have saved
her life.  Florida law allows an unlicenced individual to keep a loaded gun in a
car if it is:

1.     In a closed container (purse, gun case, holsters with a cover,
and others have all stood up as containers in court).

and

2.     "not as readily available to the driver as if it were on his own
person"  The courts have ruled that the glove box, center console,
and other storage compartments within close reach of the driver
to be ok.

However if every driver who has access to the vehicle has a concealed weapon
permit, this point is probably moot.

I discovered a space in the steering wheel under the horn assembly
which is held on by snaps.  My vehicle was made shortly
before airbags were available for that model which might explain
the space.  It was large enough for a .22 magnum 5-shot mini
revolver.  With the removal of a small amount of material, it may be
large enought for a .38 special Airweight.  This is definately a
closed container, it is no closer to the driver than a console between
the seats, and we both have permits anyway.

One day she was driving to visit a friend and stopped at a gas station
on a busy well-lit street in the middle of town to call her friend for
directions.  A heavy set 6'2" or so shabbily dressed man was
loitering by the phones and giving her very strange looks.  She
decited to go on instinct and returned quickly to the van to get
away from this man.  However he rushed her from behind as she was
entering the van.  He slammed the door on her body pinning her half
in the car.  Her right leg and arm were in the car and her left leg and
arm were caught outside the door.  The window was down and he put
his face to hers and wispered that "they were going for a little ride".

She was stuck and could not reach her concealed carry weapon.
At this point she panicked.  Fortunately, she rememberd the gun under
the horn cover and with her free hand pulled the cover off and
retrieved the gun.  As she pointed the gun at the man in this
cramped situtaion, the muzzle inadvertantly went up his nose.
He froze for a moment and looked crosseyed at the object in his
nose.  When he realized it was a gun he wimpered and proceded to
loudly evacuate his bowels.  This restored her confidence and she
ordered him to leave her alone in a stern voice.  Unfortunately the
sight ramp was lodged tightly in his nose and she barely managed to
hold onto the gun as he pulled away and ran off screaming.

Though she is very proficient with her carry gun, she was not familiar with the
single action operation of this gun and neglected
to cock the hammer.  The perpetrator has no idea just how lucky he
is that the gun was not cocked when he was pulling it against her
fingers.  It would not have been a pretty sight.  I since made sure that she put
in some range time with this single action gun.

Mike