Gunning your own hog...?

[Defender]

Just a couple minutes ago on (I think) server 3 on Sidewinder bfm_Zakk who was in a lone hog came under attack, jumped out of his driver's seat, got into the rocket turret seat and killed me and a teammate.  When we claimed that it was illegal, he stated it was a legal tactic and to take it to the forums if we had a problem.  Defending yourself is perfectly fine, but according to my gameplay experience and the rules (both in spirit and specifically 6.10 "Do not board or stay in the gunner's turret of a driverless hog unless a teammate is nearby and you believe that teammate is about to enter the driver's seat") that you can't defend yourself in that manner.  So, here I am asking: IS that legal?

[BFM_Booyah]

Under certain circumstances, yes it's legal.  It is not something you see very often for two reasons.  The first is that tactically it is almost always a bad move.  It takes so long to get out and into the gunner seat that you will most likely be dead before you can fire...plus it makes it easier for the attacker to shoot you now that they have the hog as a target and not just a walker.  Put simply, it just does not work.  The second reason you don't see it often is because it's so rare that even when it can be pulled off you have all these kinds of questions arise.  Players can play in our servers for years and not know it's legal simply because they have never seen it done before.  Even at times when you think you can pull it off...it's just not worth the hassle of all the accusations.  So you won't see me doing it but if a player is in a legitimate self defense situation then all weapons are available for that defense...only until the threat is gone of course.

[Defender]

So, jumping into the hog turret from the driver's seat when you're being attacked = legal, check.  I assume the 3-second/empty clip rule still applies?  Does it matter what source of the attacks are from (like enemy on foot versus in a hog)?  What about if you're not in the driver's seat, you're fighting someone for the hog itself?

[BFM_Booyah]

Indeed all the same rules apply.  The only way the source of the attack matters is as it relates to the threat level.  Taking a few random pings from a chain hog from across the map is not a real immediate threat and so would not justify hopping on a driverless gun but if the attack can reasonably be seen as an imediate threat then the source does not matter.  If you look at my response to TEX'N in THIS THREAD you'll see that the example I chose to use was one where the threat came from enemy walkers while the defender was still walking his way to a hog so yes that situation applies here too.