Yep.
It's been my experience that in cases where the armed felon is, say, surprised with a gun, his first instinct is to shoot. Mostly because I'm guessing pulling the gun on your part would've been a sudden movement, which would probably tense/scare him up and shoot.
I've had people pull guns on me, and most of the time it's guys who are very scared and jumpy to start with. The least you want to do is make them more nervous by making a sudden movement or even pulling a gun... they have little to lose to start with. The rest of the gun-packing people I've seen are guys (mostly men, so yeah, guys) who are pretty insecure to start with, and when some would buy a Porsche, lift weights, or snort cocaine to make them appear bigger (figure of speech), others would carry guns. So I tend to see guns as more of an intimitadion tool than an actual weapon.
Out of all the times I've been pulled guns, I've only had to pull mine once, and that was when the other guy wasn't watching... of course, that was in another time, another place, and probably another me... but keep in mind, I say all this on personal experience/opinion.
First off, please realize if I had a gun that day he never would've known unless the events that happened changed, and he either drew a weapon of some sort, or actually managed to gain entry to the vehicle. I'm not about to brandish, draw down on, or shoot a guy simply because he's acting a fool or making hollow threats. I'm more than adequately trained in the same, effective, and legal use of all of my firearms. With the exact events that occured that day had I pulled a gun on that guy I can promise you I would've been in jail that night. Had I shot him, I'd still be there. I would've been much more comfortable knowing I had more than a cell phone to protect myself and my daughter, though, had the situation worsened.
Also, I don't carry a gun for a coolness factor, or for any sort of intimidation factor. I carry as an absolute last resort. If my gun comes out it means someone has put my life, or someone around me's life, in jeapordy. I'm aware of what situations I would, and would not, be justified in the use of a gun. I'm not a person who would pull a gun and say, "stop, or I'll shoot,", or pull to scare people. If my gun comes out it's an absolute last resort, and someone [me or them] is going to die.
I'm not a Porsche driver, I don't lift weights or body-build, and I sure don't do drugs(military wouldn't exactly like that). I don't carry because it's cool. Only people who know I carry are my parents, my wife, and a few forum people like yourself. But, on various firearms boards I frequent I've definitely seen the folks you describe.
I might be young, but I'd like to think I'm not dumb. I'm very anal when it comes to the safety of my wife, and kid(s). I would literally do anything to protect each of them, and so far I'm doing everything I [legally] can...
