Quoted: Sounds like you did fine w/o a gun. A good lesson... but even with a gun, you done what you should have done. John

And Templar nails it in the second reply.

Good execution on your part.

You were belted in, facing multiple opponents, and you had your family with you.  That's not "gunfight time," that's "get-the-hell-out-of-dodge" time.

Effectively deploying a firearm from within a vehicle is not a trivial exercise, even with a handgun.  Most handgun carry rigs don't lend themselves to being easily brought into play, especially with how most people carry (cross-draw is probably the only holster that can be relatively practical in a vehicle).

You never want to get into a gunfight, and certainly not when the tactical scenario is as stacked against you as this one was.

Good lesson learned for yourself and everyone that you are sharing this experience with.  You are always your (and your families) first line of defense.  Always give yourself as many force options as you can afford and carry.  Your SA sounds like it was spot on and SA is probably your most valuable yet under rated tool.  Never beat yourself up if you and yours made it out of danger safely.  Many people have been lost to lesser threats.  Lastly, you and your wife may want to continue a higher level of SA for the near future.  If you hurt one of those guys, he and his friends may be looking for retribution.  If you have another car, your wife should be driving it for awhile.  You did good!  Thanks for sharing.

any pay phone will dial 911 without paying.  any cell phone, with or without service will dial 911.  get a cell phone and keep it charged, they are dirt cheap and continue not to have service if you want.  If you have CHL, carry.

-from a cop that goes through red lights

Even if you had a gun, you should of done the same thing.  

What is the point in getting into a shoot out with your family in the line of fire.  Remove yourself from the threat and retreat into safety.  A CCW does not mean you instantly become a vigilante, it just means you can protect yourself and others when you cannot escape.

One fact to keep in mind when dealing with "mexicans", including anyone who was born/lived in Mexico, has relatives or a child or spouse there; they can be pursued and prosecuted on either side of the border for (say) car-jacking.  But they can never, (jamas, nunca, nada) be extradited (thus prosecuted) for killing you or your whole family! Killing you is their best bet always if headed south!!!! It is worth their while, in the midst of a crime spree, to kill ANY American at random to absolutely guarantee their freedom from US prosecution and a long life in Mexico!!!!

Read through this  and pay attention to the parts where he talks about vehicle ops and SHTF driving, part VI about half way down the page. There's some good info to be gleaned from that article.


You chose the wise course of action, which was keeping your head focused and knowing the priorities/protecting the Primaries ..Get off the X, then fight it out if need be.
Now hopefully you can clearly see how "action beats reaction" every time, how quickly a "scenario" can escalate beyond your control, how  there might not be anyone else to help, and how situational awareness rules the day.

Weapons aren't always necessary but a sharp/trained/alert mind is.

I'm sure that there were things that you could've done differently, only you will know how to address those things in the future, chalk this one up in the "lessons learned" category and work on any weaknesses that you've identified from this encounter.
It definitely sounds like your .mil training helped you out on this one.

Take care.