Evolution of the carry gun

[Adam10mm]

I started carrying when I moved to Michigan in 2005 (WI didn't have concealed carry at the time). My first carry gun was a Glock 30 in 45 ACP. Next summer I got a Taurus 85 with Crimson Trace grip. A Para Ordnance made its way into my hands and I converted it to 10mm. It was my carry gun when I thought capacity ruled the world. Safety in numbers right? 19+1rds of full power 10mm plus a full mag on the belt should take care of any problems. Then I thought if I was in a situation needing 40 rounds of ammo to live through it, I'm living in the wrong area. So out with the Para and back to the G30. Then I went through a spell of Ruger SP101 revolvers in 357 and 32, then the 327 Mag when it arrived on scene. Had a short while with a Bersa 380, a Glock 26, and a S&W 5906. Ditched them all when I decided to get an aluminum frame .40 S&W 1911 and converted it to 10mm. Power, versatility, modest capacity, light enough you almost forget about it (ie it doesn't get in your way). I had my perfect carry gun.

Lately I've been venturing out unarmed. My perfect carry gun sat in the safe at home. Never thought the day would come when that would happen. I'd like to carry, but I'm over the gun I have, which is why I'm getting rid of it for something else.

Made me think not only of what to get next but the handful of guns I have carried over the last few years. Plastic guns, short revolvers, high capacity guns, subcompact guns, and a half dozen calibers or so. I'm a "gear *****" of sorts in that I like gadgets and the like. I'm probably one of the most un-tacticool people you'll ever meet and the only gun rags I read are Handloader and Fur, Fish, and Game. It seems over the years I get closer and closer to just the basics. I like simplicity.

I'm looking seriously at a small revolver like a S&W 642/442 and a compact 4inch auto in either 9mm or .40. I have a 1050 in small primer and haven't loaded 10mm for years as I rarely shoot it. For hunting, I'm looking at a 41 Magnum and perhaps a Lee Classic turret press just for the few hundred rounds a year I may shoot of it. No sense in spending $500 for a full caliber setup for my 1050 to load on it once a year.

I've come to the realization that if I need to defend myself at close range with a firearm in public, it will be over in a few shots, whatever fate plays out. 5 or 6 rounds of 38 Special or 357 Mag should fit the bill with one reload in a moon clip just in case. For the auto a decent 7-9 will due with an extra mag. It's funny how our minds change about the guns we carry over time. I thought the Para 1911 was awesome, until I realized I had about 5lbs total strapped to my belt with gun and mags. Sheesh! Now I just want something to toss in a coat pocket while I make a quick run to the store.

[MaryB]

PK380, 8 rounds plus extra mag, weighs less than 2 pounds. Toss in a pocket or in the IWB leather holster.

[Mk42gunner]

The more I think about it, the more I like the thought of a Kel-Tec in either .32 or .380 ACP.

Robert

[Bzcraig]

Kahr CW9 and Keltec P32 covers all my needs.

[hardcase54]

LC9 and Galloway trigger kit.

[DCP]

Seecamp 32, you wont regret it

http://seecamp.com/

[bob208]

what am i doing wrong? the first 20 years i carried a ruger security-six 4". then i started carrying my browning h-p. in the last 2 years when all the no gun posters on doors. i slip a llima .32 in my pocket.

[Wayne Smith]

History, eh? For years I have carried a 1956 Colt Agent. I see no reason to change. My original reasons stand, as does my original choice.

[Petrol & Powder]

History, eh? For years I have carried a 1956 Colt Agent. I see no reason to change. My original reasons stand, as does my original choice.

My feelings exactly.

[Petrol & Powder]

The lightweight, snubby, DA revolver in 38 Special will not win "coolest" gun arguments with mall ninjas but a LOT of people have survived a LOT of encounters with the assistance of that type of gun.

[bdicki]

Seecamp 32, you wont regret it

http://seecamp.com/

This.....

[Adam10mm]

9mm or 38 special is my minimum.

[EMC45]

Out of my pistols and carry rigs I find myself slipping the Kel Tec into my waistband more than anything. 99% of the time.

[MBTcustom]

I carried a 1911 at 4:00 for years. Just like dad. Just like grandpa.
However dad always told me that your pistol is only to be used to get to your rifle.
Following that advice, I now carry a Ruger LCP in my pocket, and keep a loaded M1A in my vehicle.
As far as pistols go, having one on your person is better than not having one, and with the small gun, I just have it with me more because I don't have to change the way I dress to carry it.
I may flip back to the 1911 one of these days, but it sure is easy to roll with the LCP.

[Doc Highwall]

Kahr MK9 is what I carry now.

[Dave C.]

S&W 640 5 rounds of 357 mag.

[Jupiter7]

I carry a Kahr CM9. 6+1 of 124 gr Winchester +p bonded. Smaller to carry than j frame, easier to reload, better trigger and gun weighs about 19oz loaded. Extra mag is 7rds and a little longer than a Bic lighter. I've carried it 99% of the time last 3.5yrs, has never failed and has dispatched poisonous snakes, an armadillo, a raccoon and 2 possum. I can hit center mass out to 25yds(god forbid!). They are available in .40 and 45 too. Most important is it shoots cast well. Im a serious 1911 guy, but they don't fit well into my concealed carry routine.

[Thumbcocker]

Check out the LC 9 s.

[Rufus Krile]

Started carrying a Hi-Power in '69, along with a HiStandard .22mag derringer for more concealment. Working the brush country of South TX, I went for years with a 1911 clipped to my steering column for getting through the gates at night. Now that CCW is actually legal in TX, I carry a KelTec .380 in a pocket whenever I leave home. It's better to have a gun, ANY gun, on you than have a monster-killer back in the truck. Sometimes the m-k in the truck is hard to beat, tho... Had some road-rage moron storm up next to me to offer a critique of my driving habits, I guess, when he got a peek at the stubby little AR laying on the seat. He must have ruined that set of tires (and probably his underwear) getting his ride shut back down. Like they say.. an armed society is a polite society.

[Char-Gar]

Elmer Keith opined that one should use the biggest pistol he could shoot well. That was and is sound advice. However in these day of concealed carry, that should be modified to read: Use the biggest pistol you can shoot well and carry concealed every day.

For me that is the 9mm with a good load or the 38 Special with a good load. There are lots of good handguns chambered for both those rounds.

If you can carry a big N frame Smith or 1911 24/7/365 then go for it, but few of us are willing to do that. Thus we make compromises. Any gun you have with you is better than any gun you don't have with you.

For me these days it is a Glock 19 or a small frame 38 Special by Colt or Smith and Wesson. I also like the SIG P239 which is available in 9mm or 40 cal.

[MtGun44]

I like goodsteel's points. Rifle is for real stuff, a pistol is for short range and short term emergencies and
getting back to the rifle.

Lightweight SS Commander .45 ACP everyday, with KelTec P3AT in the pocket when the Commander can't fit
into the dress code.

Tom Givens makes the point that when he moved to Memphis he had to switch from a 1911 to a .40
Glock. He says "I was carrying a two bad guy gun in a three bad guy town."

Bill

[2wheelDuke]

What about a Sig 938 in a pocket holster?

[youngmman]

I am seriously considering a Springfield Armory EMP in 9mm. Has anyone used one and if so what is your opinion?

[John Allen]

My two favorite carries are a 380 Ruger LCP and a 9mm Kimber Solo. I find I carry them all the time do to their small size. I do have a Kimber aluminum frame 45 that I carry in winter but only sometimes.

[Adam10mm]

I carried a 1911 at 4:00 for years. Just like dad. Just like grandpa.
However dad always told me that your pistol is only to be used to get to your rifle.
Following that advice, I now carry a Ruger LCP in my pocket, and keep a loaded M1A in my vehicle.
I've heard a few use that phrase but for me, I carry a pistol because it's convenient. I much prefer to carry a lightweight carbine, but a handgun is much easier to carry than a rifle. I'm not sure I'll ever have time or opportunity to get to a rifle even if I had one in my vehicle. If I'm in a building and need to fight my way out to my rifle, I'm sure as heck not going back inside.


S&W 640 5 rounds of 357 mag.
I'm looking at two revolvers to fit my needs. I'd like a 60 (2.125") for belt carry and a 642 for pocket carry. If the M60 is comfortable enough for magnums, I figured I'd load it with full power 357 ammo and all spare ammo would be 38 Spl +P, so I can use in either gun. I might end up with a 38 Spl +P load in the 357 gun anyway.

I'd like to get a 627 4" for a general working and hunting gun. 8 shot .357 looks like a ton of fun to shoot.


What about a Sig 938 in a pocket holster?
Way too short of a grip. One rule of a carry gun is that I must be able to get a full grip on the gun. If I have to shoot it, I want control of it. A small gun is not going to be easier to handle than a larger gun. I'll have to think about different grips if I get the 642.

[762 shooter]

I've carried a wide gamut of handguns. Started with a US Property 1911, then a High Power, then a Colt detective 38, then a Commander, then for a long while a HK 45 Compact. Then a Ruger LCP. My personal and current favorite is the XDS Compact 45. Small footprint 5+1 45 ACP, dependable and accurate.

I've never heard of anyone surviving a life threatening encounter say they wished they had a smaller caliber.

That said, I would not want to be shot at by me with a 22. Beware the man that hits what he aims at.

762

[histed]

One rule of a carry gun is that I must be able to get a full grip on the gun. If I have to shoot it, I want control of it.
One of the reasons I carry a Rossi 351. Love the grips. It's either that or a SCCY 9mm when I go out. (Or it was until TLOML claimed the SCCY). At one time I did the 1911 thing, then a S&W SD9 but hate dressing around both. Next time I think it'll be a concealed hammer snubby.

[Hannibal]

S&W 642 with Hornady Critical Defense ammo. If that don't do it and I make it back to the truck, shock and awe is up next. Still a revolver. I'm a revolver guy. Pull the trigger. If you're not happy with what happens next, pull it again. If you're still in trouble 5 rounds later, then you DO have problems.

The biggest thing is practice. I shoot 5x/week on average. Sometimes more. I don't miss. I hold off.

[bugkiller]

Carry what makes you happy. Leaving a gun at home cause your not happy with it means its time for a new gun.

[MBTcustom]

I've heard a few use that phrase but for me, I carry a pistol because it's convenient. I much prefer to carry a lightweight carbine, but a handgun is much easier to carry than a rifle. I'm not sure I'll ever have time or opportunity to get to a rifle even if I had one in my vehicle. If I'm in a building and need to fight my way out to my rifle, I'm sure as heck not going back inside.


You make a good point, and I sympathize, but the way I see self defense, I want to have a path of retreat that leads to better firepower. In other words, in the interest of being prepared come what may, you need a first line of defense which is your actions and the words you say, awareness of your surroundings, etc etc etc.
second line of defense is your sidearm
third line of defense is your shotgun/rifle/etc etc etc.
My home is set up this way so that as I retreat, more and more options become available to me, and I try to maintain this situation wherever I go.
The object is to escape, but in order to do that, you must overcome the threat which is either rapidly increasing, or rapidly decreasing. If it's rapidly decreasing, then all is well. But if despite your best efforts to avoid trouble, a threat is made to your life, then being able to take it to the next level quickly and effectively is imperative. A simple 380 is more than enough to do that, and my thinking is that if that doesn't work, then having a slightly larger or more powerful sidearm really doesn't improve my chances much. If a sidearm of any kind is not enough to remove yourself from danger, then it's time to open Pandora's box and rack the M1A.
If, after evacuating the magazine of all 20 rounds, the problem still exists, then you deserve everything you've got coming to you because you are of all men, most foolish to get yourself into that much trouble on accident. The good news is, you will probably not live long enough to really regret it.

[MaryB]

Clothing kind of dictates how big of a pistol I can carry and not have it show... granted I like loose baggy clothing for comfort and being mid 50's that takes priority over fashion! But a full size 1911 is a no go, I have been looking at a Rock Island compact 1911 in 45acp though.

[shoot-n-lead]

I am in my mid 50's and my carry gun/guns have definitely evolved. I started carrying the largest gun that I could reasonably strap on my side. After too long a period of that and given my relatively low risk lifestyle, I came to conclusion that if it doesn't go in my pocket, it doesn't go with me. For the longest, this pretty much meant a 642. Now, all these years later, there is a plethora of great small guns that offer more than enough firepower...and most of them will go in my cargo pant pockets. All is good...and I still carry that 642 as much as I carry anything.

[DIRT Farmer]

I started carrying concealed when I started wrking law enforcement more than 30 years ago. Mdl 66 S&W on my hip and a Walther PPK in 380 in my boot, 870 Remington in the car. I still carry the PPK when I go to town, and it doesn't print. I use a shoulder holster in the winter. in a pocket in warmer days. I want no one to know it is there, descretion being the better part of valor and surival.
As Good steelsaid above, I have always said that a pistol is a fine thing to have when you don't have a gun.
When out on the farm or working the the wells whatever I'm in the mood for on my hip but generaly a rough, because it is going to get beat up K frame S&W in 38 spl and a rifle.

[Petrol & Powder]

These threads often turn into, "Well I carry _______" . Which is both predictable and OK. We all look at the world through our own lens and there is always some self-validation going on.
But to get back to the original - Evolution of a carry gun, I think the process for a lot of folks goes through some very predictable stages. Some people go through the stages quickly and in order, some skip a stage or two and some get caught in a constant loop between two stages and can never escape that whirlpool.

STAGE 1: The "I think I want a handgun" stage.
This stage is generally characterized by the selection of a handgun that may or may not be routinely carried. The gun is often determined more by what's in the display case at the gun store than what the buyer wants/needs. It may not be a pure impulse buy but it is very close.

STAGE 2: The "I want a gun specifically for concealed carry"
This stage is characterized by the size of the gun, often the smaller the better. This stage often comes immediately after the realization that one does not easily carry a 6" .357 magnum or 44 cal. Desert Eagle.....all the time! The buyer will often end up with something that is in fact small and light but nearly impossible to shoot.

STAGE 3: The "I'm a dedicated warrior and serious about my tools"
These are the folks that carried the mouse gun for a while, own 15 pairs of 5.11 pants, read all of the magazine articles and hang out in gun shops....a lot. In fact, Some are trust fund babies, some are 37 and still live with their parents and some I'm not sure what they actually do for a living. One day they say to themselves, If I'm going to carry a gun - I'm only going to carry an effective gun. (whatever that means) They seek out the best possible combat handgun and spend weeks debating with themselves about one more round in the mag or a cartridge that produces 7 fps more. They have leather gear that costs as much as the gun and wear a photographers vest with their 5.11 pants to the grocery store.

STAGE 4: The pragmatic realist
This stage is generally where most people eventually end up. It takes some folks longer to get here than others. Some just get stuck in arrested development along the way and never get here. These are the people that decide; yes, I think it is a good idea to have the means to defend myself. Their choice of weapon is based on practical reality. It is small enough to be routinely carried but is still an effective tool. It's not so big/heavy that it defines what they wear or what they do. It is like a wallet or key ring; always there but un-noticed and useful. The weapon was selected based on very specific criteria and the user didn't select something that was "close enough". It's not a target gun but they can always hit their target. They are proficient with that tool and they do not change that tool. They carry the exact same gun for decades and they are comfortable with it.

That, is the evolution of a carry gun.

[Beagle333]

'Definitely at STAGE 4 here. :cool:

[histed]

Thanks Petrol - nice analysis. And I'm with Beagle - Stage 4

[pjames32]

Guess I'm stage 4. LCP or concealed hammer J frame if I pocket carry.
S&W .40 compact or LW Commander .45ACP if I use a holster. My body shape does not do IWB. I used to carry a Para .45ACP w/16 rounds til it hurt. Now it resides in the truck with my hope to get to it or the rifle if needed.
I feel under gunned with the .380, but it is small enough it goes everywhere, regardless of dress. I'm old enough everything is baggy.
YMMV

[WallyM3]

I was in the carry-what-you-got league in the beginning. It was a 1918 DWM Luger in a shoulder holster. Lousy bore, but worked well with WWII production ammo (I still love that smell).

Carried it on airline flights.

The other was a Savage 32. The notion being that nobody wants to be shot with anything if it can be avoided.

Both guns were nearly free in price by today's standards.

Now I'm looking at the Model 10, 1-7/8" that I carry when I can conceal it. Otherwise a PPKS in 380, stacked with old "Super-Vels".

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

I've carried a ruger lcp daily for years, it hides easily in anything since it is the size of my wallet, and a lot of days I wear a suit so IWB isn't a great option for me. Although every year I tell myself I'll get a smith and wesson 442 or 642 for a carry weapon in the cooler months when I generally have more clothing on to conceal it.

[buckwheatpaul]

If it is hot I carry a S&W mod 60 with an extra speed strip....in cool and cold...Kimber 3" or 4" in 45 with an extra magazine....carried for over 38 years....works for me!

[Hurricane]

The discussion on carry guns has been interesting but don't leave out the weapon that never runs dry. A sturdy 4" folding knife such as the Puma or Buck make should be in everyone's pocket. A last stand weapon that is also a very useful tool for everyday use.