Warning shots

What would you advise about warning shots to those who are new to firearms? And why?

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Dont shoot warning shots unless you’re dealing with an animal in the woods. If you’re drawing a gun on a person, you should be drawing it to stop the threat. If you had time for a warning shot prosecutors will eat you alive.

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No! Not ever, if I am to the point I feel I have to draw my weapon then all a warning shot does, is give the bad guy a chance to get the drop on me. I am not going to fire unless I feel I have no other choice and at that point I am fearing for my life or the life of someone I am protecting. A warning shot is for the movies not in real life.

This is my opinion and not legal advice.

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Never!!! You are responsible for EVERY round that comes out of that gun. If you have time for a warning shot, was your life in imminent danger?? Besides, where did your warning shot end up??

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Never not under any circumstances. The warning is when the gun is drawn

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You can think about it, but don’t do it. Sorry, Sheriff Buford T Justice came out on me.

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Pretty much what everyone said. If you pull your gun, it has to be because you felt an imminent threat of death or severely bodily harm. Firing a warning shot would indicate that the threat wasn’t as imminent as you made it out to be, and depending on the situation could now be turned around so that the person you fired a warning shot at states that they were the ones acting in self defense.

It’s right up there with the idea of drawing on someone who already has a gun drawn on you and thinking you’d be able to realistically say “Drop it or I’ll shoot!” and they’ll comply.

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The only warning shot I’d give would be the “that stare.” If you’re wondering what stare this is, tell your wife dinner is overcooked or walk on her clean floor. Yea, that one. :angry: haha
Seriously though, don’t do it. For reasons already mentioned above.

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No warning shots. Once you have fired a gun, it is a demonstration of lethal force. Also, as already stated, we are responsible for every round that leave our gun.

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If someone was breaking into my apartment, the first warning (shot) will be my voice telling them to retreat or be shot. The second warning shot will be my handgun firing dead center (hopefully) to quell the idiot who didn’t listen to my vocal warning shot.

As far as other warning shots, they are illegal in most, if not all states, and as said above, where did your warning shot end up? Did you kill an innocent person? NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!

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LOL! I’m an expert at that stare! When I was in serious training in Tae Kwon Do, I could totally intimidate higher ranking belts and instructors with the stare… I have also been known for RBF :woman_shrugging: :smiley:

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I have a face that could be described that way as well. Idk, I just dont sit around smiling. Lolol.

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The only warning shot they will get is the one aimed at their head while I’m pulling the trigger. I always practice headshots since you never know if someone is wearing body armor since it’s easy to get and fit inside what looks like a plain old jacket, but is designed for armor.

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IMO firing a warning shot opens you up to charge a reckless discharge of a firearm. And once that round leaves the gun you don’t know where it’s gonna land either. Warning shots look good in the movies or as someone pointed scaring off wild animals on a hike…but has no real use in an urban environment.

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Warning shots, never.

Simply drawing the gun is the first and last warning. Any shot from that warning is a shot to stop the immediate threat.

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Nope. No warning shots. Still accountable for the bullet until it comes to rest. Absolutely irresponsible to do that period.

Not legal advice- just common sense.

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What goes up must come down, are you prepared to live with the fact that you injured or killed someone because you opted to shoot a warning shot.

If you don’t intend to eliminate a threat, keep your gun holstered.

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Warning shots in most states are not lawful and where they are you should be extremely cautious about firing them. Once a round leaves your barrel and strikes something what comes next is rarely predictable and you can’t stand where the round is going to deflect, determine it’s path, or where it might next strike.

Legally in most states if you fire a warning shot you have given up the qualification of “imminence”, or “immediacy” which is required in the use of deadly force.

You can easily be in a situation where you’d have a perfectly lawful use of deadly force that and by firing a warning shot find yourself instead charged with reckless discharge of a firearm or even aggravated assault because one of the key elements of making your plea of self defense is that you were in fear of incriminate threat of grave bodily harm or death.

From a civil liability standpoint the warning shot puts you on the wrong side of the 8 ball as well because of the potential for property damage or a deflection causing harm to another.

I was in a situation where I fired a warning shot because I simply didn’t want to kill anyone that day because at that time under state law I was guaranteed a trip to jail and a court hearing even though the use of deadly force in that scenario would have been perfectly lawful.

I picked a very specific target with a clear background for miles for 180 degrees and made the quick calculation in my head that the potential reward justified the risk.

In general I’d say warning shots are a bad idea.

I was lucky in that the investigating officers and DA agreed with my taking the shot and the justification for it but don’t count on luck, luck is not a plan.

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I’d stretch that a bit further. In the vast majority of DGU’s the mere knowledge that you are armed and appear to be willing to use the firearm is all it takes to eliminate the threat.

We need to always be mindful that eliminating the threat doesn’t usually require we do physical harm/damage to them, we simply need to change their mind, cease and desist.

Certainly I agree that you don’t pull it unless you are willing to use it but I’d go even further and say that if you haven’t already decided you are willing to take a human life if necessary you don’t need to be carrying in the first place. A defender that produces a weapon and shows the attacker or potential attacker they aren’t willing to use it is probably going to lose it to the criminals.

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Just a warning. Posts like these will be used if you are ever involved in a shooting and they’ll be used against you. Might want to delete.

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