Well, didn't have to use for self defense...but I guess this is close enough.....
Back in College...when I turned 19....I purchased a Colt .380 Mark IV. It is slightly larger than your hand based on the 1911 design. It was a good purchase. I will post pics here in a bit. I obtained the proper concealed carry permit. Even in those days you had to wait 3 days before taking possession...and in case you don't know getting a concealed carry permit is no automatic task either.
Ever have to fire an employee? I wouldn't recommend you seek out the experience, but sometimes you have to do what is best for the business.
About 2 years ago I hired this employee that was just coming off of a job after finishing a re-education. She was a stay at home Mom and had completed an associates degree. To make a long story short she did a good job...but during her probationary period she felt "entitled" to all the benefits the long-term employees had. She was the most disruptive employee I ever had. It didn't take long for her to throw a tantrum and get fired. It just didn't work out, and it was obvious to us why she didn't make it at the job she had after graduation. She cleaned out her desk and I escorted her from the building at 4 PM.
It was 4:30 and closing time...."click"....I had just locked the bolt on the front door for the weekend.
Her husband shows up and slams the driver side door just as I back away from the "closed" sign....puts out his cig on the office front door and starts kicking the plate glass. His intention was to enter the building...and he wasn't interested in becoming a customer or talking things out either.
Immediately we called the police.
After spending some time screaming threats and obscenities at the top of his lungs he circles around the block at a high rate of speed for the next 30 minutes....driving past a day care center each time as the kids were "going home". We are lucky he didn't hit a child as he blazed past the pick-up area circling, honking, and screaming.
The police were 30 MINUTES away when seconds could have counted mind you. That is not their fault, that is just the way it is.
By the time the police arrive and talk to us at the office the guy is gone. The police had a lengthy talk with him and no charges were filed. In retrospect this was probably foolish as nothing appears on his record from the incident.
Needless to say I carried the .380 every day for a month till they left town. Apparently they caused other trouble in the area and felt it best to start in a fresh unsuspecting community. I was glad to see them leave. Unfortunately someone else out there probably has the problem now. I suppose if I HAD filed charges he would have been on parole and unable to leave the community until parole was satisfied...so perhaps it was not so dumb to just drop it.
I was fortunate....after the police had a long talk with him he decided it best to ignore us and he didn't cause any more trouble.
Two things though....the guy was ALREADY clearly unstable and looking for vengeance.
If he decided to take a more direct action at that time....or later on when the next "thing" set him off a week later:
1. The police were not there.
2. I had an option in my .380 to protect myself.
I often wonder if he had arrived 10 seconds earlier before the front door was locked...what would have happened?
Let's just say I was glad I purchased my .380 so many years ago, and ALREADY had a concealed carry permit. I was prepared for the worst that never happened.
Whew!
I didn't have to show the pistol...just having it there gave me some options and a "calming" effect.
...so that is the story behind the FIRST pistol in my collection. A great purchase.