Spin-off Thread - Why do you carry what you carry?

[rglbegl]

I noticed in another thread that the .45 is popular, and even the .380 gets more votes than the .38 .
I can understand the love of the .45, but some of them can be a little heavy. And the .380 is too small for some to consider it a real defense round.
Everyone has different opinions on the perfect carry gun, so lets hear your thoughts.

Please tell me why you have chosen each particular gun you carry.
What is/are your carry gun(s)?
Why did you chose that/those exact guns.

[pinecone70]

I replaced my .380 with a .40, the .380 Walther PPK/S I had was junk, and during target practice I figured my life was worth much more than an unreliable .380. I wasn't happy with the lack of .380 ammo in stores either. The Springfield EMP .40 seems to be a better choice for self defense in every way except size (for me); I'll have to find a different holster for summer.

I chose Springfield's EMP because of the warranty they provide, and because they took the 1911 style and machined it the same only smaller, they didn't just cut down the 1911 frame.

[Big ugly]

We carry Beretta 32's. It is not a securiety thing or anything like that. It is small and compact and that is the only thing that matters. For me having the large caliber carry guns is defeating the purpose. In the right hands a small caliber handgun will provise as much securiety as a large caliber. It all boils down to your training with the weapon you intend to carry. My wife and I are very well versed in the use of our 32's we also carry the same gun between us. she has her 32 and I have mine. We do this for 1 reason and that is if something was to happen to me in an encounter then she already knows the weapon that I carry for it is the same as hers.

[Slabsides]

9mm. Why? It's a perfect balance between firepower and capacity. The 1911 in 45 is still my favorite all around gun/ammo but is impractical for me to carry concealed on a daily basis year-round.

I am trained to double tap center-mass on a threat and finish up with one to the head. This means 3 rounds in quick order for each threat. This is no matter what caliber I use, .22 to .50. To me the .45 must sacrifice capacity (with a gain in bulk/weight).

I have heard uneducated people say "you don't have to double tap with a .45"........I ALMOST feel sorry for those people. Almost. Education is power.

Above all, shot placement is critical and I train enough and have won enough matches to be confident in my abilities to hit vitals with speed and accuracy. A 9mm is more than up to the task. Study balistics on humans and human-sized animals you will find that a 9 is about on par with a .45. ("Handgun Stoping Power" and the "Strasbourg tests") Here is a quick snip:http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_power_chart.htm

There is no huge Earth-shattering advantage of a .40 or .45 over a 9mm+P when it comes to stopping humans. This statement will surely incite a riot, but I care not. I have done enough research over the last 20 years.

The end result is having a comparably effective gun with 15 rounds at the ready (G19) in a fairly slim, lightweight, reliable package.

I'm ready for all of the arguments and haters because I was one myself just a few years ago. I admit that I made fun of 9mm and Glocks. I thought that there was no other gun in the world that mattered besides a 1911 45. Fortunately I opened my mind and educated myself.

If someone does carry a 1911, thats great. What a wonderful defensive handgun with few drawbacks. I can't do it down here in the deep south in shorts and a t-shirt without it printing though.

[Alpo]

When I first started carrying, I carried a wide range of guns, in a wide range of carrying styles, trying to determine what worked. For years it was a stainless PPK 380 IWB behind my right hip - both holstered and Mexican carry. 1911 45 in a shoulder rig, in the winter. Made some discoveries. Wore the shoulder rig out to dinner one night, and had to sit there in a puddle of sweat, as the restaurant was heated to 70, and my coat was right for 30. Couldn't take the coat off - was wearing a gun. I've bent over and had my shirt ride up and expose the IWB. Time or three, I walked out of the house with my gun sitting on the counter - just forgot to pick it up.

But I discovered that, no matter how hot it was, I always left my pants on. So now I have a 2" J frame 38 in a pocket holster, that lives in my pocket. I don't have to think about picking up my gun - I get up, put my pants on and I'm wearing my gun. I put on clean pants and stand there with the dirty ones in my hands transferring stuff. Wallet, keys, knife, money, belt, gun. I still, occasionally, leave the house with my cell phone sitting on the counter hooked up to the charger, but I've always got my gun.

[Helix_FR]

I carry .380 b/c its what I know. Size is the only determining factor for me. Weight dosen't really bother me, but I can sometimes hardly stand walking around with a wallet in my back pocket. Its all about comfort but also I know my CZ forwards and backwards. I can shoot right and left handed, single handed, laying down, sitting up, standing on my head (OK maybe not that) but its what I know and I know that I will hit what I'm aiming at and I trust this gun. I've shot 45's I own a 38 a 357 and a 9mm also but the .380 is the one that I can control day in, day out. Yes I understand that the .380 has less knock down power, but I have a better chance of hitting you in the face with it than I would with my 38.
I never understood why some people carry this gun one day, and another another day and another a 3rd day. So when an unfortunate time that you need to use the gun your thinking, OK do I have my 45? or my 38?

[pinecone70]

Originally Posted by Helix_FR

...but I have a better chance of hitting you in the face with it than I would with my 38.

[Slabsides]

YES! That is the main thing. Carry the one you know and are comfortable with! You will be far more efficient than someone with a larger gun that is unfamiliar with it.

I carried a .380 for a while. Great gun that will punch a person's ticket with ease. I could not find ammo! Maybe one day this shortage thing will end.

[todd51]

Alpo, Is that a front pants pocket or a hip pocket? I didn't carry concealed for 70 yrs. and am becoming some what frustrated in finding a satisfactory weapon. The LCP I just sold satisfied the weight factor but my fingers are too long (I'm 6'3" & 215#) and I could just not get the trigger finger rapidly into the trigger guard after drawing from the holster. Practice, practice, peractice did not solve the problem so I got rid of the gun. I carried the LCP in a Fobus paddle which I liked or a Nemisis pocket but never got comfortable with the pocket carry but didn't do it much. Right now I am looking for the next carry weapon and looking hard at the Ruger LCR. I have a S&W 649-2 that I have carried and will probably always keep but the weight is too much for it to become that regular carry weapon I want to obtain. I agree with Hellix that switching carry guns is not such a good idea.

[old semperfi]

i carry anything from a north american arms 22 mag to a 44 s&w 629 classic hunter.inckuding 40 cal taurus,45 cal colt,38 cal taurus,9 mm taurus.there are others.my carry gun depends on what im doing,if fishing it usually stainless 38 special with snake shot,if am out mushroom hunting i carry a 44 mag,if cutting grass in shorts and tank top then north american.if its cold and i will be in the city outdoors it will be one of my 45 acps.i may carry a high capicity 9mm if i am somewhere i fear for my life from multiple threats.never think that one gun can do it all. old semperfi

[retired grunt]

I'm that guy that carries a .45 1911 with 3" barrel year round as far as the 9mm goes it's better than a 380 but not a .45. If one wishes to say a 9mm with +p then I get to say the same for a .45 +p. almost does not equate to equal to That being said The gun you can comfortably carry and is reliable that you can shoot well should be your carry gun.

[Gun Geezer]

I have read many posts on this and other forums by LEO's as to the effects of different calibers and their stopping power. My feeling is that shot placement and luck is way more important than caliber. They cite many examples of instant fatalities with .22's and survivors hit multiple times with .357 mag's. I do think that the majority of BG's will be somewhat distracted when shot and the threat will be over. A BG high on drugs is quite another story and I would keep pulling the trigger until it just goes click and hope for the best. I carry what I think I can conceal best and shoot the most comfortably and reliably. It's not always the same pistola, that's why I keep having to buy new ones.

[Slabsides]

Originally Posted by retired grunt

I'm that guy that carries a .45 1911 with 3" barrel year round as far as the 9mm goes it's better than a 380 but not a .45. If one wishes to say a 9mm with +p then I get to say the same for a .45 +p. almost does not equate to equal to That being said The gun you can comfortably carry and is reliable that you can shoot well should be your carry gun.

...and a 454 Casul would be better than that...and a 500S&W would be even better...and a.. Your last sentence is a true statement and the key to effective hangunning.

I would like to quote Delta13soultaker from another thread, for there is much wisdom in this quote and relevance to this thread:

"But how a man saves his ass is up to him. Whatever tools he uses, whether his hands, a pistol, or a wrench is his choice. Wild Bill Hickock used puny .36's and then and now people advocated the .44's to be superior etc etc. But very very few people that faced those .36's ever lived to dispute their effectiveness.

Yeah a .45 is potentially more capable of stopping/killing a person than a 9mm. But a 9mm will damn sure do the job. Both cartridges are about the same age and aren't going away.

Every soldier I train I tell them they showed up with the only weapon they will ever get; the one in their skull. Everything else they get is just a tool. If the weapon is sharp, the enemy will die regardless of the tools.

There is a lot more you can do to a 1911 to customize it. Hell, lots are built individually from the reciever up. The basic design is thoroughbred fighter no matter what you end up with. A Glock is pretty much fine the way it is. It is hard to break and launches bullets in any condition. I reckon both will have a spot in my armory. Same for .45 acp and 9mm. I can use both fine. Good tools."

[Alpo]

Todd, front.

[curulz]

I used to carry a Taurus Milennium in 40, but I've never been comfortable with double action only triggers. so i recently upgraded to springfield EMP in 40. I'm much more comfortable with 1911's and single actions, so it was good compromise for me.

[new308handloader]

Glock 23 .40 cal

Why the .40 cal?
First, the .45 is the best round for likelyhood of stopping someone quickly....but you just can't fit that many rounds in a carry size pistol, and you give up firepower.

With the smaller 9mm you have lots of firepower, but it shoots right through people, and barring a head shot, likelyhood of stopping someone is much less.

The .40 cal....you get the best of both world...lots of firepower and the "umpf" nearing that of the .45.

Why the Glock?
...Isn't it obvious? rugged, dependable, always works....and yes, ugly

Why the Model 23?
It is the smaller version of the .40 cal Model 22....the smaller size suited well for carry.

In my opinion, the Glock 23 is among the best of the best for carry.

[Dougspop]

I carry a SAXDSC 9mm.

[The_Rifleman]

Originally Posted by Slabsides

Here is a quick snip:http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_power_chart.htm

357 did the best. Well, my 357 sure did stop the deer I shot.


Now for my comment on the topic.

I carry a .22 derringer because it fits in my pocket... and it was a present. So basically, the price was right.

It is mainly a first strike item to give me enough time to get a hold of another, or to close the distance. I only carry it at home.

[Jay]

I carry a 4" 1911, and I have done so for over 30 years. The platform is flat, and stays close to me..... I'm 6'1", and 215lbs. In Indiana, I may carry openly, so I really don't care if someone sees it. It's almost always covered but it may print a bit..... no big deal. The biggest reason I carry it is because I'm proficient with it, and I"m very used to it.

That being said, it all boils down to personal preference.....

[Insulation Tim]

Does someone start insidious threads like this for the reason of sending me off to the gun store as I am now not certain on the new purchase of a month ago?

[45nut]

I carried a Taurus Millennium Pro .40 IWB winter and summer. Sometimes my full size RIA .45 in the winter. I would have bought the Taurus in .45 but they didn't have one in stock and as the .40 is a pretty hot round I went with it.

Since buying my Charles Daley Officer's ACP, I have carried it in a Galco slide through on my strong side hip. In the summer, a pocket "T" will cover the gun so I'm good to go. I also carry a Kel-Tec PF-9 as my BUG strong side front pocket.

.45 primary, 9mm back up, .40 in the vehicle.

[carver]

I carry a 1911A1 year round, with two extra mags on my left hip. The gun resides in a Yaqui style holster to reduce the amount of weight I am carring. In the winter the gun is covered by my coat. In the summer the gun is covered by my shirt. In the Fall, and early Spring, the gun is covered by the coat. If it warms up I just make a trip to the bath room, take off the coat, pull out my shirt tails, and am good to go. In the summer I am usually in shorts, T shirt, and sandles. If the shorts are blue jean type, nothing changes. If the shorts are the type with the elastic waist band then the gun is in a Smart Carry System. Don't think I need to explain the reason for the caliber. The gun has been set up by Jim Clark (before he passed away), it is reliable, and a traget shooter. It will do it's job if I do mine. For those of you that carry several different types of guns, I would like to see you get some real training. Please!

[cluznar]

Sometimes I carry a Bersa Thunder .380 IWB with Corbon Pwrball ammo.

Sometimes I carry a Ruger SR9c IWB with Hornady Critical Defense ammo.

Why? Because I trust them!