[DasFriek]

While picking out a bug that will rarely ever be carried by itself,ive been stressing over what caliber i should have bought.
But then i just thought "seriously as a non LEO whats the odds ill ever need it?".
Not that i want to down play its usefulness but if i had to make up a number of the chances ill ever even have to use my Main gun is pretty high odds.
If i thought of the odds on needing my BUG id have to say like a 98.9% chance ill never need it.
Now maybe thats a lot higher since i don't ever think about having to use it while being injured first.An injury to my right arm could make reaching my main impossible,so maybe that number is 85% chance ill not need it.

What do you think the odds are you would ever need to use a BUG?

[huckster]

turn the question around, if you do need it how badly will you you want it?


Look, carrying a gun is a gamble.... are you willing to bet your life that you won't need one, vs the weight, discomfort, and training required to carry one?


add the same question for a BUG

[Eightball]

Look at it this way: If you CAN have a BUG, in addition to a primary, why not make it a "weakside" gun? That way, if you are injured, or pinned, or otherwise unable to access your primary with your strong side, you still have defensive options.

[DasFriek]

Im not questioning carrying it due to low odds are needing it,im talking about the odds it will matter what caliber my BUG is since the odds of me ever using it is so low.
Make more sense? I see i wasn't clear in transferring brain thoughts too a keyboard again.
So basically im asking how important is a BUG's caliber to you,since its so unlikely you will need it?

BTW i bought a bug to carry it,or at least grab it when i dont have time to holster up and throw it in a pocket holster and head out the door.Oh and yes,it will be a 100% placed weakside gun,ill be practicing alot of left handed shooting also.

[mljdeckard]

Not that it's a bad idea, but what I think of is, if I have two guns, that's twice as much gear to keep accountable. Twice as many things I can drop, twice as many guns to make sure the kids can't reach, twice as many mechanical devices that can fail.

If I did carry a backup, I would make it a system that uses as many of the same parts, mags, and accessories as possible.

We live in a world where bad things happen. If you are fighting for your life, they are all happening at once. If your gun is going to fail, NOW is when it will happen. This is why we train to redundancy. I will never mock anyone for carrying a backup.

Having said that, I think that your time is better spent learning failure drills, tactical and emergency reloads, and stoppage drills than planning on having a backup gun available. I think that the bulk of the advantage comes from being armed at all. Having more than one gun offers limited advantage.

[mljdeckard]

Ok, to answer your clarification, if you are fighting for your life, your main gun has failed, and you have switched to your backup gun, is NOW the time you want to find out the hard way if those guys on THR were right about the .25 ACP after all?

[DasFriek]

Ok, to answer your clarification, if you are fighting for your life, your main gun has failed, and you have switched to your backup gun, is NOW the time you want to find out the hard way if those guys on THR were right about the .25 ACP after all?
BWWHHHAAAAhhaaaa!!! i did find that pretty funny,as i feel the .25 is useless also.
I bought a .380 but was wrestling hard over a 9mm tho,but i think i did ok.

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I've seen the time when I wished I had one or another mag for the one I had w/me.

[mljdeckard]

I'm borderline on .380. With modern loads it's 'good enough', inasmuch as any handgun is good enough, but I just don't see why I would use one if I can get a subcompact Glock in 9, .40, .45, .357 SIG, or 10mm.

[DasFriek]

Not that it's a bad idea, but what I think of is, if I have two guns, that's twice as much gear to keep accountable. Twice as many things I can drop, twice as many guns to make sure the kids can't reach, twice as many mechanical devices that can fail.

If I did carry a backup, I would make it a system that uses as many of the same parts, mags, and accessories as possible.

We live in a world where bad things happen. If you are fighting for your life, they are all happening at once. If your gun is going to fail, NOW is when it will happen. This is why we train to redundancy. I will never mock anyone for carrying a backup.

Having said that, I think that your time is better spent learning failure drills, tactical and emergency reloads, and stoppage drills than planning on having a backup gun available. I think that the bulk of the advantage comes from being armed at all. Having more than one gun offers limited advantage.
A lot of good points.
I did keep the systems similar,but not interchangeable.Both are 1911 and 1911 inspired.I no doubt need more training,like 99% of us do.Due to finances ill do good to get practice at the range in with the costs of ammo,but if im gonna carry im gonna practice.
I do wonder if i did run into a LEO if he would be concerned as to why a civilian would be so armed tho.And yes i have a legal permit.

[Deputy25]

I carry the same Glocks (31 and 33) off duty as I do on duty.

[.45&TKD]

Find a balance between size and caliber.

I haven't carried a BUG yet, but when I do, it will be my Keltec P3AT in .380.

If I had to resort to a BUG I would prefer it was my SP101 in .357, but that is too heavy to carry in a addition to a full size 1911, my primary carry piece. The P3AT fits comfortably in a front pocket. Having an extra gun on my belt is just too much for me or most people, in a addition to spare mags..

[DasFriek]

I'm borderline on .380. With modern loads it's 'good enough', inasmuch as any handgun is good enough, but I just don't see why I would use one if I can get a subcompact Glock in 9, .40, .45, .357 SIG, or 10mm.

And i wrestled with that alot,and no way would i feel good about a .380 as a main carry weapon.Im a .45acp guy.
I just couldn't find the right 9mm that was small enough with the features i wanted at the right price.The .380 fit the bill perfectly except it was a .380 and not a 9mm.That's what started all this thinking and i think im kinda worried over something that wont have much impact due to me choosing a .380 over the 9mm for this bug.

[Frizzman]

Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it:uhoh: is my motto when it comes to such things. I frequently carry a G27 with a Keltec P32 or Ruger LCP as a BUG. The trigger and general operating principles are the same with these pistols. If I carry a K or L frame revolver, the BUG is generally a J frame. I have found that it is best to have a primary and BUG that operate the same way. When I was a city cop, I had a radio and backup. As a civilian, I may well be on my own. The second gun makes sense in that situation.

[.45&TKD]

If you have to resort to a BUG, you will probably be so close, it won't matter that it is only a .380.

[DasFriek]

I carry the same Glocks (31 and 33) off duty as I do on duty. Those are so thick,and i feel it takes a more trained person to carry a Glock safely than i am.Im a 1911 guy and carry a 5" or my micro .45 at all times.

The KT is a great gun,i wanted something a bit different tho.I really was wanting the PM9 but availability and price killed that idea for now.Thats all in another thread i have around here anyhow.

[DasFriek]

I felt keeping the platforms similar kinda important,even my micro is a SA i carry in condition 1.
If you have to resort to a BUG, you will probably be so close, it won't matter that it is only a .380.And i was thinking along that line also,plus with a .380 you only loose penetration.With good ammo i shouldn't be too far off from mid range 9mm ammo results.Plus i never thought about it,but a .380 shooting in my off hand is alot better than a higher recoil caliber.
I have shot my 1911 off hand during my ccw training,unpleasant but fun.
Im the kind of guy who will carry his 5" 1911 over my micro .45 just cause i like the gun better.

[sgt127]

When I first started carrying off duty, I carried a full size 1911 and two spare mags and, occasionally a Chief Special as a back up...Then a 1911 with one mag. Then a Sig P220 (alloy frame) and two mags...then one mag...then an HKP7M8....And finally decided that I was tired of always dressing around the gun in everything I did. I had more Cammo jackets with the sleeves torn off into vests than I knew what to do with. Carrying a full sized gun, 24 hours a day is a real pain in the butt...carrying a BUG on duty and off duty seemed a bit much.

If you honestly look at the odds of getting into a shootout, they are incredibly small...How often does your primary fail on the range? What are the odds of it failing during the two or three rounds you may actually need it for?

Wearing a photographers vest, a jacket or other cover garmet when its 105, fanny packs and everything else to conceal a full sized gun AND a back up isn't worth it to me.

Realistically, I feel plenty armed with a 6 shot revolver and a speedloader or two or, a Sig P239 .357 SIG carried appendix and a spare mag is enough. Shorts, T shirt etc...I'm good to go.

Honestly, you can what if yourself into a coma. If I actually prepared for anything that might happen, I would carry my AR with an ACOG and my Ithaca Stakeout everywhere I went...but, its not worth it for me.

Not to mention, the chances of getting into a brawl is higher than a shooting, as someone else pointed out, now you have to keep track of two guns.

If you feel the need for two guns, more power to you, I can't say much as I always carry two, sometimes three on duty. But, Off duty, I'm just an average shmuck, unless somebody is about to die (me in particular), I'm not going hands on. I don't worry about someone trying to snatch my gun because its concealed.

To your original question:
Civilian Back-up gun,odds you will ever use it?

In 25 years of being a police Officer in a 250 member department, we have had numerous Police Shootings. No Officer has ever needed a BUG....If, however, you are truly playing the odds, I will take any bet that unless you really try, you will never get into a shooting, therefore negating the need for a BUG. But, I have carried a BUG for the last 25 years and will until the day I retire...:)

[Elvishead]

Do you live in Iraq, or South Dakota?:cool:

You don't need a bug against Prairie Dogs.:rolleyes:

[usp9]

What do you think the odds are you would ever need to use a BUG?

* The odds of using a main gun are astronomical...almost never happens (thank God).
* The odds you need a reload... zero. It hasn't happened yet in a civilian defensive use of a firearm.
* Therefore the odds of a civilian using a BUG are zero.

Doesn't mean it won't happen, just hasn't happened yet.

[Double Naught Spy]

* The odds you need a reload... zero. It hasn't happened yet in a civilian defensive use of a firearm.

I don't believe this is correct, but I can't find the information at the moment to support a claim otherwise. Even so, part of the reason there have been so few (if any as I can't prove it at the moment) civilian uses of reloads is because so few civilians carry any spare ammo. It becomes rather tautological because people don't carry reloads because of a lack of documentation of them being used, but if they aren't being carried then they can't be used.

There are instances of people being killed after emptying their weapons. If that isn't justification for carrying reloads or a BUG, I don't know what is.

[Mad Magyar]

What do you think the odds are you would ever need to use a BUG?
For a civilian, very low odds. However, with my day-to-day carry activities; I find that just concealing one-handgun is a job in it's self. I think one tries to find some balance with personal protection and some semblance of comfort & practicality. BTW, in NM, you cannot legally carry more than one....The only B.U.G. I use consistently is in my vehicles.
I often wonder with those that utilize a b.u.g. and carry mulitiple mags on how they manage it w/o a "screaming gun" image....:rolleyes:
If you can do it, more power to you....

[Just One Shot]

If you don't feel the need for a bug then don't carry one.

Food for thought:

It's better to have it and not need it than it is to need it and not have it!

:neener:

[chuckusaret]

I'd much rather have a spare loaded weapon than a spare magazine. I carry a XD40 and a NAA .380 or a LCP with rounds chambered.

[GRIZ22]

* The odds of using a main gun are astronomical...almost never happens (thank God).
* The odds you need a reload... zero. It hasn't happened yet in a civilian defensive use of a firearm.
* Therefore the odds of a civilian using a BUG are zero.



At the other end of the spectrum:

*The odds of using a gun to defend yourself...sure thing.
*The odds of needing a reload....absolutely.
*The odds of a civilian using a backup gun....always.

As with anything else the truth lies somewhere between the two extremes.

If you are thinking that it shouldn't matter what caliber it is as you'll never use it you are entilted to that. A far as the inconvenience, I carried either a J frame 38 or 380 in addition to my main battery for over 30 years and didn't think it was trobulesome.

i feel the .25 is useless also.


.25s are lacking in all areas but concealment. The fact is no one wants to get shot with one and see if it's reputation still stands. I tend to agree with Skeeter Skelton who once stated in regards to the usefulness of 25s with "you might be able to use it to bluff your way out".

[woodybrighton2]

then you end up with the bloke with the shoulder rig for two glocks and reloads:banghead:
But what if I run into a UN armoured column here to seize my guns on my way to work then you die:(
a gun and a reload is probably a realistic load unless the SHTF or your off to do something really risky.

[MCgunner]

I carry a NAA mini revolver in a holster grip in my weak side pocket because it's so danged easy to do, why not? I use it occasinally, too. No, I don't get into gun fights all the time but I've taken out trash marauding possums a snake, and such with it. It comes in handy now and then. :D

I always have my 9 or my .38 on me, too. That goes in the strong side pocket in a pocket holster. Carrying the NAA is like carrying a pocket knife. And, you never know, it COULD save my skin some day. Not very likely, I'll admit. I've only ever had to pull a gun once in my life many years ago and I didn't have to shoot, just drew it to trump the knife the guy had. He ran at the sight of it. It was a mighty .25. :D

[usp9]

GRIZ22 said,

*The odds of using a gun to defend yourself...sure thing.
*The odds of needing a reload....absolutely.
*The odds of a civilian using a backup gun....always.

The difference is that my statement is factually based, while yours is not, and is in fact rediculous.

If anyone can post a verifiable link to a credible story of a civilian use of either a reload or BUG I'll stand correct and reduce my "zero" chance to astronomical.

chuckusaret has the right idea IMHO, in that a BUG is better than a reload. The most often used justification for an extra mag is to correct a malfunction. A malfunctioning or broken gun can best and most quickly be fixed by grabbing a new gun.

[skoro]

I think my odds are about as close to zero as it's possible to get. Probably just a wee bit smaller than the odds that I'd ever need my primary carry piece, for that matter.

That said, my odds aren't everyone else's. In some high-risk occupations, a BUG is a very good idea.

[Madcap_Magician]

Do you live in Iraq, or South Dakota?

You don't need a bug against Prairie Dogs.

Hey, you never get attacked by just ONE prairie dog.

[GRIZ22]

GRIZ22 said,


Quote:
*The odds of using a gun to defend yourself...sure thing.
*The odds of needing a reload....absolutely.
*The odds of a civilian using a backup gun....always.

The difference is that my statement is factually based, while yours is not, and is in fact rediculous.



Yes, I agree my statement is ridiculous and it was meant to be. I qoute no facts to back up my statement and you quote no facts to back up yours.

The chance of something happening, needing something, etc are zero...until it happens. I'm not advocating twin shoulder rigs with Desert Eagles and a backup grenade for everyone. You need to assess what threat you may encounter, make your decision, and see if your assessment holds true.

One advantage of a backup gun is if you are with someone who is trained but unarmed, you can arm your companion and double the BGs problem.

[MagnumDweeb]

It's either a snub-nose .357 magnum in each pocket of my jeans(not a lawyer yet, take the bar in July), or only one .357 in the pocket and then the Glock 20 10mm or Ruger P345 .45 ACP in a IWB or shoulder rig. Sometimes I also BUG with a Bersa Sub Compact pro now (13rds of +P 9mm).

An attacker doesn't necessarily want to take on a guy with a gun in each hand, let alone one guy with only one gun.

Now minimal caliber....I'm only 5'9" but I bench more than 400lbs, shrug nearly 700lbs(grips broke at 695 and haven't gotten new ones yet), and fortunately a pretty large guy so I get to wear jeans with large pockets. Can pocket the Ruger P345 but that's a little much.

[funkychinaman]

I've always believed you really shouldn't allow yourself to be in a situation where six rounds aren't enough. LEOs don't have a choice. Civilians, for the most part, do.

[DasFriek]

I think i said for me its a 1.5% chance id ever need a bug,as i can think of many reasons my right arm would be incapacitated and cant use my main.
And after hearing everyones opinions i don't think it matters at all if my bug is a .380 or 9mm.But being smaller makes for better chances i will try and carry it when possible.
I also have to start carrying a spare mag for my main,i havent found a good place to carry it yet.

[browningguy]

Based on the number of people in America, and the number of crimes committed against people, including the number of these crimes committed among ciminals against each other, there is (very conservatively) something less than a 5% probablity you will ever need your main gun.
SOURCES: US Bureau of Justice Statistics (2004), Federal Bureau of Investigation, (2005)

Now let's make some more assumptions. What are the odds your main gun will not work? What are the odds that your primary arm/hand will be injured at just the wrong time? What are the odds that you will run your primary sidearm empty in a gun fight? Maybe 1 out of 100 for each? Well that's 3%, so 3% of 5% means the probablitity of needing a backup is approximately 15 times per 100,000. Then you have to make a guess about whether the caliber of your backup will really matter, and the probablility starts to get pretty small.

But in spite of that I always carry an off side backup when I go downtown. Sometimes a .380, sometimes a .25, depends on what I am wearing and where I am going. I don't carry a backup when I go up to the Sears hardware store or Walmart though. As far as worrying about what THR posters think about the .25, or the .380, who cares. By actual count and survey99.99875% of posters on THR have never used a firearm for self defense. I've only "almost" used mine once since I got out of the Navy in 1979, and I didn't have to pull the trigger, just cleared the gun and the BG's took off.

[03Shadowbob]

If anyone, that is not LEO or high level security detail, etc. feels like they need a BUG then by all means carry one. In the 19 years I have been carrying a firearm, I have had to pull it zero times as a civvie and can count on one hand how many times I had my hand on it in the holster just in case. I have never felt the need for a BUG (even though I carried one on my ankle for a while at work) and I worked in some very posh areas like Riviera Beach, Tamarind Ave area in WPB, A-E streets in Lake Worth, etc.

[taliv]

i mostly carry because i never know when i might feel like going to the range to shoot. sometimes i might want to shoot two guns. or three.

[ATW525]

* The odds of using a main gun are astronomical...almost never happens (thank God).
* The odds you need a reload... zero. It hasn't happened yet in a civilian defensive use of a firearm.
* Therefore the odds of a civilian using a BUG are zero.

Doesn't mean it won't happen, just hasn't happened yet.

Lance Thomas (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_156_26/ai_82533205/?tag=content;col1) used multiple handguns three separate times, so it has happened. One of those times he even shot three handguns empty.

[kd7nqb]

First of all like almost everything in the gun world its a matter of personal preference. I dont carry an BUG but have thought about it.

Another advantage might be that you could arm somebody else with your BUG in a true "active shooter" scenario. Granted that has its own issues but at least its an option.

[mljdeckard]

You can't say that the odds of it happening are zero or that it has never happened.

I wise man told me once, "Beware the man who gives you advice speaking in ABSOLUTES."

[funkychinaman]

"Beware the man who gives you advice speaking in ABSOLUTES."

Wasn't that Obi-wan Kenobi, Episode III?

The Lance Thomas scenario is crazy. I don't know what was crazier, that he stayed, or that they kept coming back.

[usp9]

ATW525 brought the Lance Thomas story, and that comes close, but the OP was asking about concealed carry situations and Thomas was not carrying. Yes, I'm splitting hairs, but it seems the original question was about carry weapons, not your personally stashed arsenal around your abode or workplace.

[oldrevolverguy]

Getting into a gunfight is a statical anomaly on its own. Determining the odds for the use of a second gun is irrelevent. First rule, bring a gun to the gun fight.

Be as prepared as possible with a good foundation of training, quality maintained equipment, and practice. When the elephant shows up at your door have as many guns as possible, preferably including a long gun. The value of a back up gun is immeasurable; so for gods sake bring one.

[Warhawk83]

ATW525, thanks for posting that link. It was a good read, might look into getting the Kirchner book.

[Deanimator]

The odds are that you probably won't need your primary gun. That's no reason not to carry ONE.

[Kevin77]

Isn't the saying " It's not about the odds, it's about the stakes."

[SharpsDressedMan]

First of all, what is wrong with a New York Reload, if you are willing to carry it? Secondly, a civilian is JUST as likely to need a backup gun as a police officer. Few cops carry them, and fewer still ever use them. That would be about the same as a civilian CCW. Quit trying to tell someone else how to protect themselves. And for the undecided, quit trying to rationalize it. Either do it, or don't. You'll be right either way! There, you have the definitive answer to most all questions. A definite maybe.

[HardShell]

Isn't the saying " It's not about the odds, it's about the stakes."

Beat me to it, just barely. ;)

Y'all can choose based on the odds, I'll continue to base my choice on the stakes. Different strokes and all that...

[DasFriek]

I set the link too the Lance Thomas story aside so i can sit down and read it without distractions.
Personally i need to start carrying a spare mag for my main gun which i don't currently do,i just haven't found a way to carry it without it being seen or uncomfortable.
I like the idea behind a bug just for the reason it allows me to justify buying more guns and expands my ccw collection from 3 too 5.
I also prefer to carry my 5" 1911 over my micro PT745 micro even tho its half the size and weight.I do it as i just love the gun and the weight seems reassuring and never lets me forget its back there.
Not very often do i run out of the house in a hurry,ive made my life as stress free as possible so that doesn't happen much.But i did want this gun "a small .380" and my next gun "a smallish 9mm" just for that reason.
Since ive been carrying ive left the house 1 time when i was trying to get to the gas station before it got dark one evening while the lawn mower ran out of gas.

I did look at a few holsters today as i pick my gun up tomorrow,ill be getting a cheap and small IWB and pocket holster so i can carry it until i can order a better one online.Or make my own,but i need to order more kydex.

[James T Thomas]

Not only are the stakes too high, but those odds vary too much with your location, the random activity of strangers, time of day, etc. so that some time, some where, the odds may be stacked against you, and you will be blissfully going about your business believing that all is well.

[Double Naught Spy]

* The odds of using a main gun are astronomical...almost never happens (thank God).

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amusing that people who are pro gun and gun carriers would still carry a gun for defense and make the argument that the odds of using it are astronomical, but then argue against BUGs?

It becomes a sort of "My astronomical odds are less than your astronomical odds and so what you are doing just doesn't make sense."

What is the level of astronomical odds that should determine our behavior? The math relative to reality conversion formula escapes me here.

[Mp7]

"I don't carry a backup when I go up to the Sears hardware store or Walmart though."


oh man... some qotes here get me laughin sooo hard!


Considering the fact, that most of us are civilians ...
... i believe more than a dozen rounds on your person
is too much - be it in one combat-handgun or split in two packages.


Again... it´s 2A - but what kind of view will the general
public have of a defendant, who carries like 2 guns and more than
40 rounds of ammo?


i share the fascination ... but as some other poster put it: "you can what-if yourself into coma".

Brain
Skill
Equpment

in that exact order.

I´ve made it through third world countries
with just a pepper-spray in my pocket.

[NMGonzo]

.357 5 shot snubby

Easy to conceal.

Today's flavor of carry: 10+1 .45 Mil Pro (main) redhawk .44 (bug)

[TheProf]

I can't believe anyone would argue that we dont need a BUG because (unlike cops) we can choose to avoid bad areas of town. The problem with that thinking is that while I can choose to avoid bad crime areas, criminals have the choice (and often do) venture into my "safe" side of the city. I can control where I go...but unfortunately, I can't control where the bad guy goes. Hence, if I am able...why not carry a BUG?

And while I often travel alone, criminals like to travel in packs. And I don't think that anyone in a middle of a fire fight have ever said that they wished they had less guns (or bullets) with them.

[Rexster]

In a non-LEO context, I don't think "back-up" is the operative term. A private citizen is not likely to shoot a weapon empty, BUT there are other areas of concern, such as access. Once one gets away from belt carry in a vertical rig, offside-hand access becomes a problem, and size-large folks, or those with shoulder problems, will often have a very difficult time reaching across the body to access a vertical rig.

Attacks usually happen fast, and unexpectedly, and the hand that is nearest the attacker is likely to be busy doing empty-hand defense. This does NOT mean a secondary weapon is a requirement, but it does mean some thought and realistic training is a very good idea.

On another forum, member Anthony coined the term "roving" gun, for a handgun that is worn/carried in a place other than one's primary handgun. It can be carried in different places, depending upon the circumstances, and in some circumstances, will become the first gun for which one will reach. It can be an equivalent, smaller, or larger gun than the primary.

I am an LEO, and due to a specific threat profile for my area at this time, tend to carry two handguns virtually always, when away from the house. Most often, this is two P229 pistols, and sometimes a P229 and an SP101. When I retire, I think I will maintain the habit of two handguns, but downgrade the daily size and capacity a bit, possibly reverting to two SP101 snubbies, which for a while, in the past, was my daily carry ensemble. It is EASY to carry two or even three snubbies, even on my skinny frame. One in a pocket, and one holstered on the "primary" hip, can cover a lot of eventualities.

[Double Naught Spy]

"Roving" is a better term than BUG? The job of the gun doesn't change just because it is worn by a LEO or non-LEO. If BUG doesn't apply, do non-LEOs need to call their primary guns something other than "primary" because they aren't cops?

[colorado_handgunner]

Having more than one gun offers limited advantage.

Agreed. However, more than one magazine has a definite advantage. I always carry a spare mag for the XD-SC or XD Full size. The LCP is the only one I don't, and I only carry the LCP when I have zero concealment options.

I have had one FE in thousands of rounds with the XD-SC (under charged round) and none with the Full size. To others' points, what are the odds of either failing in a SD situation?

Also to consider, which is faster to get into action, clearing a malfunction/reloading your primary or drawing a BUG weak side? Considering for me, a bug would be deep concealed, I would go for the clearing or reloading.

Okay, enough of my opinionated rambling.

[DasFriek]

I did run into an unseen issue with my Sig p238 i just bought as a bug.
It has the right hand only safety,not ambidextrous.I carry condition 1 so that does impose an issue.
I don't see sweeping the safety off with my left thumb and then put it back around the grip.Nor do i see it useful to draw with the left and then swap it into my right hand.
I cant believe i overlooked this.

I bought 2 holsters to cover the trigger,a Desantis pocket holster and a IWB clipped Bulldog.All are ambidextrous so thats a big help,but i don't like to have both guns on the right side of my body.And only being able to draw right handed minimizes just how far i can place this bug away from that hand.
My original goal was place my main on the right at 3:30 IWB and the BUG in my left back pocket.Or at 10 oclock appendix.
Ive carried my wallet my whole life in my right pocket,seems stupid to change now.Muscle memory will certainly be affected.

[Rexster]

Quote: " "Roving" is a better term than BUG? The job of the gun doesn't change just because it is worn by a LEO or non-LEO. If BUG doesn't apply, do non-LEOs need to call their primary guns something other than "primary" because they aren't cops?"

Call your "primary" what you want, and call your other weapons what you want. An LEO's openly-carried pistol on the "strong" side hip is almost always going to be his/her go-to weapon, unless a specialized weapon, such as a long gun, is very near at hand. As for the private citizen, or the LEO in off-the-clock mode, perhaps I should use an example. If I am walking through a parking garage or other congested space, and elect to walk with my hand(s) in my pocket(s), with one hand on a pocketed snubby, is that snubby acting as a backup at that moment in time, if the "primary" weapon is in an IWB rig?

If I get into my car, that pocketed snubby can be very difficult to access, and the IWB rig also not so easy to reach, but if that pocketed snubby is then slipped into an ankle rig, or into a temporarily attached "counter carjacking" rig, or into a holster attached to the console, then which weapon is quicker to deploy at that moment in time?

I have used the word "snubby" here, but in reality, the two weapons can be equivalent, or the second weapon could be larger than the "primary" weapon.