I have drawn a weapon twice for self defense...

Once driving down the road in the middle of the day through a native american reservation..van full of what I presumed to be drunk locals decided to run me off the road after I went by them and they were standing along the highway draining their beer ...cans laying in the grass as I drove by...--they gave chase..I was in a little car..pulled along side of me and kept moving over closer to my lane--I hit the brakes and they went by...they pulled over and I went by--within minutes they were behind me again..at which time I grabbed the Ruger Security Six .357 under my seat and waited ..when they pulled along side..I waived the gun back and forth to make sure the passengers saw it..they picked up speed and I never saw them again..wierd..

ON another occasion during a New Years celebratin on Las Vegas, a gal and I were walking back to our hotel on one of the side streets at about 3AM..3 guys of another race saw us and started jay walking directly toward us..I pulled my handgun from by concealed holster and made sure they saw it..they did an complete about face and headed back from where they came..again wierd...

On another occassion when I was living in ND in the country, an elderly couple about an hour away were killed in their home and had their throats cut. Everyone was in a heightened state of alert..I has spent a few days riding horses with the local law enforcement people checking out abandoned farms etc..nothing..then one night while we were already sleeping..about 2AM..I had the bedroom window open.heard a voice in the trees..awoke my wife and handed her the handgun in the nightstand..I grabbed my AR-15 and walked to the kithen to look outside as the yardlight was on...saw 2 guys coming to the door..they knocked..I flipped on the outside light and told them to step back from the screen door which opened to the outside..I used my right foot to push it open and greeted them with me holding my gun in their general direction..they immediatly put up their hands and said they were drinking and hit the ditch..I had them sit back to back and called my neighbor Chuck..who is a red neck with a high lifted Ford truck..he come down and we pulled them out together just in case..had them ride in the box, not in the cab on the way to their car..I am certain they had a few stories to tell their friends..but hey, better safe than sorry..

I carry often...have taken shooting classes, self defense shooting classes and taking another this spring..BUT, Pray to GOD I never have to shoot anyone EVER...as I am certain it would ultimately be hell in court and otherwise...However if my family is ever threatened by an intruder in my home, given the choice, that POS will be carried out and not walking..had a good friend who was a retired law officer from Florida..he always said better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6..

IMHO, NO goverment has the right to tell you how to defend yourself in your home.

Ripp