This did not happen to me but i head about it made me think about what i would do.

you are sitting outside in your car after/before you gone/going the range. you do not have a concealed permit. Someone goes inside and starts a holdup then starts shooting. do you go in? Do call the police and going in? Do call and leave? Or call and stay wait?

part two if you do go in would you get charge with anything when police do get there because you don't have a concealed permit.

I certainly wouldn't go charging into a situation where there's a chance you could end up on the receiving end of a bullet and most store clerks are trained to just hand over the money without resistance. I'd doubt your life is worth risking over a few bucks.

By all means call the police and give them a description of the fella and his car or anything else that will help them, but a self defense gun is just that, not a license to charge into an armed robbery. Think about your family and loved ones.

Great advice Bob.

But on the other hand, when are you likely to have such a good opportunity to really try out that 50 round drum magazine you bought for your SKS?

;>}

>By all means call the police and give them a description of the fella and his car or >anything else that will help them, but a self defense gun is just that, not a license >to charge into an armed robbery. Think about your family and loved ones.

Amen! You are not a police officer, and even having a concealed carry license doesn't make you one. Were you still inside the establishment, it would be another matter -- you'd be shooting to protect yourself as well as others. In the scenario you posed, I'd call the police, load my gun to be sure I can protect myself if needed if and when the robber comes out, and observe so as to be able to report every possible detail to the police. If the situation were right, I might follow the robber in my car at a distance to be able to keep on relaying updated info to the police, but under no circumstances would I try to apprehend.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

I agree with the previous posters on this but will add something.
Make sure if you do get involved and have a firearm you give the dispatch your description as well. Police will not discriminate between multiple armed individuals and you are likely to get shot.
Be aware of your surroundings and keep your head about things.
By all means help out your fellow man but do so on a manner that best fits the scenario.
As far as not having a permit, just make sure you’re in the right and you will be ok.
Something else you might consider is if your state does not have a “Good Samaritan Law” you could be sued civilly for reckless endangerment by escalating the situation with your armed involvement.

Joe 217, I don't see where your post indicates what type of place the holdup is occurring in?... 'someone goes inside.' Maybe the type of premises would make a dfference in what type of action one might pursue. If I was sitting inside may car @ the range,either thru or just about to begin my range session, I would just stay in the car with a loaded gun and wait for the very kind, very capable and very armed personnel at the range/gun store to "take care of the problem." Now, if the problem comes outside in the parking lot,that's another story. But, the 1st cell phone call would be to 911 for the policia to come on down ASAP!!! Either way, the "human being" staging THAT holdup has just entered the TWILIGHT ZONE!! Curious how you never hear of holdups or illegal gunplay @ gun ranges or gun stores where there is a proliferation of guns. Malls,schools,Lubys(Texas) Cafeteria, courthouses etc...whole different scenario.

Stay out of it. Contain the robber if you can. Call the cops. Defend yourself if you have to.

If you aren't an LEO and you aren't Rambo, choose a defensive position.

Yea but wouldn't it feel great to just walk right up behind a thug and let loose on 230 grains of copper and lead in an intricately shaped hollow point and splatter his worthless brains all over the wall.

If you are asking if you would get in trouble over the firearm, its private property so it doesn't matter, the concealed carry permit doesn't apply. Depending on your state law, as long as the establishment allows a firearm there really isn't anything they can do. Its best to read up on your state laws.

>Stay out of it. Contain the robber if you can.

Not too long ago, we had a situation where a citizen outside a bank realized a robbery was going on inside. He confronted the criminal at the door -- who promptly went back inside and shot two people, killing one. Don't play cop, but do all you can to help the cops.

Hypothetical stuff here --

You're LEGAL to "keep and bear." The whole point of RKBA is self-defense or the defense of others.

Generally, and it's being reviewed by the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) right now in Heller v. Wash. DC. The right to use a firearm in defense is afforded by the Second Amendment and trumps laws which require that the firearm be locked up and unloaded.

Heller is reviewing this issue for Wash. DC. (SCOTUS 07-290) and pundits think the court will rule 6-3 in favor of "strict scrutiny" for RKBA restrictions. That should put a kink in laws in CA, Chicago, Mass. and Wash. DC.

Ruling due in June, 2008.

But think about this --

If you're at the range. Everyone else in the place has a gun. That's a bad place to decide to go "shoot up." Just like police departments never get "shot up" . . . because everyone is armed.

If you're at a convenience store and an armed robbery occurs, you're walking into the scene with a firearm is going to get you mistaken by everyone as a "threat" -- The bad guys are going to shoot at you.

ALSO, any "good guy" with a firearm is going to assume you're one of the "bad guys" coming to the party late. You're going to draw fire.

When I hear about scenarios like Virginia Tech. and he bravado to the effect, "If I had my CCW, I'd taken him out."

-- Maybe, and if everyone had their CCW, YOU might be mistaken for being with the nutzo shooter, and you'd draw fire.

The value of allowing CCW on campus rather than having a "gun free zone" is that it acts as a deterrent. Nutzos don't shoot up areas where people have the right to be armed.

What do you do?

Call the police. If the bad guy steps out of the building and gives you a clear shot, take it. But don't walk into a shooting scene thinking you're going to be a hero. You're going to be viewed as a "shooter" and a threat.

Joe 217, I don't see where your post indicates what type of place the holdup is occurring in?... 'someone goes inside.' Maybe the type of premises would make a dfference in what type of action one might pursue. If I was sitting inside may car @ the range,either thru or just about to begin my range session, I would just stay in the car with a loaded gun and wait for the very kind, very capable and very armed personnel at the range/gun store to "take care of the problem." Now, if the problem comes outside in the parking lot,that's another story. But, the 1st cell phone call would be to 911 for the policia to come on down ASAP!!! Either way, the "human being" staging THAT holdup has just entered the TWILIGHT ZONE!! Curious how you never hear of holdups or illegal gunplay @ gun ranges or gun stores where there is a proliferation of guns. Malls,schools,Lubys(Texas) Cafeteria, courthouses etc...whole different scenario.

Sorry I should have let you all know this going down outside of a fast food place.
I asked this ? because this happened to a friend of mine after we left the rang. he was siting out side eating his food (in his car)when he saw ever thing going down. he got on his phone called 911 and hit the road. now he feels like he should have done more.
I told him he did the right thing and did not need to do something dumb when he has a wife and kids at home.

If it appeared to be an armed robbery, I would call the cops and just watch. If I felt someone, or more than one, was in serious danger of being killed I would have to try to do something. To **** with the laws, the advice, and whatever. I have to live with myself. If everyone had been content to "call someone" and either take off or sit idly by, we would not have the ability to own a gun, or carry it, to even have anything to discuss.

If you are outside, its best to not interfere except to call for help. If you are inside and shooting starts you may not have any choice. Its best not to shoot if possible. It might be a police stakeout where you may be seen as a perp.

You guys watch way too much TV.

Grab pad and pen as you dial 911.

Give a good, thorough description of the bad guys, their vehicle, time, place, location, duration. Give the dispatcher your own description and your vehicle and make sure you tell them you are the GOOD GUY!
Write it all down.

Pull back to a safe distance and observe and report. The better the info the LEOs have, the better the chance that everyone stays safe and goes home to their families except for the bad guys that night.

Michael's advice is sound, as outside interference could cause a hostage situation, or even worse. The Bad Guy could end up shooting the attendant or anyone entering the store that looks like they even think of helping, and a shoot out could involve Innocent bystanders. The Police are trained to handle situations where the bag guy has a gun, and would probably negotiate a peaceful surrender.

I think your buddy made a wise decision. Number one thing you can do is get the info to the police. I would have hung around to make sure no one was hurt and to give as much info as I could to the police, maybe take a pic with my cell phone as the robbers left. If you were to play hero and lets say you get the robber but you injure a innocent bystander as well, now your lawyer bait and justly so.

I read all these responces,and no one answered it better then the first one.
It was short and easy to understand.
Ditto ,Bob
Frank