Do ya ever fret about which gun to carry

tallpaul said:

Based on what a few posts into the question? Some of us can handle any numberof our tools and can think and operte more than "one" - nowif yer deficient ya can carry one all ya want

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Totally agree. I have a number of EDC guns and will not always carry or want to carry the same one. I see no reason too. I can shoot them all with confidence. Certainly do not Fret over which one.

Don’t rotate but not hung up on 1 gun either.

I have a church gun (M&P9C) that’s used for all training and quals.

EDC is Shield9, my plan is to replace Shield with M&P9SC To further consolidate.

Fret? No.

Have I switched a number of times in the past, sure. Never a rotation, but every few months I used to change to something different in the past.

Since I've gotten the current EDC, switching isn't even a consideration. It's the right one.

Having a federal license, I am limited to one for travel or out of state travel. And, as it happens that one with which I qualify (for the federal license) is the one I prefer for that sort of work. So that one is what I carry most every day.

Archie said:

Having a federal license, I am limited to one for travel or out of state travel. And, as it happens that one with which I qualify (for the federal license) is the one I prefer for that sort of work. So that one is what I carry most every day.

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I am unsure what a Federal license looks like or how to obtain one. I have a LEOSA HR218 “retired-in-good-standing” card that is one part of my authorization to carry in all 50 states that does not restrict to a single weapon. My VA CCW permit says “concealed handgun” and my VA issued Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act Firearms Qualification Card says “handgun.”

P5 Guy said:

Being poor seems to settle a lot of issues.
G26 and a 17 round magazine reload.

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You aren't poor sir, with that handgun, you are handgun RICH...good on ya..

Kleanbore said:

That is but one factor.

Unless you one is constantly aware of which one one is carrying, carrying different firearms from one day to the next introduces the obvious need to identify, by tactile sense and cognition, which one is being carried, and to realize immediately what to do with that firearm, when the need to produce it arises.

The introduction of that process slows the reaction slightly at a time when that could be fatal.

It also creates a risk of error. We have discussed this subject at great length over the years, and some of our members have told us of notable lessons learned in this regard.

It is one thing that comes up in the study of human factors engineering.

Carrying a defensive firearm and reacting with it to an unexpected violent criminal attack is a lot different from "going shooting".

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I really hope you are not directing your advice to me personally but rather just stating your opinion. As far as having the knowledge of understanding the different between range time and a live shooting, All I can say is ,Really?

Nope. H&K P30 SK for city travel, Beretta .40 PX4 for hiking in the fields and forests.

Kleanbore said:

That is but one factor.

Unless you one is constantly aware of which one one is carrying, carrying different firearms from one day to the next introduces the obvious need to identify, by tactile sense and cognition, which one is being carried, and to realize immediately what to do with that firearm, when the need to produce it arises.

The introduction of that process slows the reaction slightly at a time when that could be fatal.

It also creates a risk of error. We have discussed this subject at great length over the years, and some of our members have told us of notable lessons learned in this regard.

It is one thing that comes up in the study of human factors engineering.

Carrying a defensive firearm and reacting with it to an unexpected violent criminal attack is a lot different from "going shooting".

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I think you do a good job of outlining some of the difficulties inherent in concealed carry. The problem is real though hardly unique. You can say the same about just about any tool. A person familiar with one car may have difficulty responding correctly in an emergency after transitioning to another car. A person familiar with one computer operating system may have difficulty responding to error conditions after transitioning to another operating system. A person familiar with flathead screwdrivers may have difficulty transitioning to Phillips. Et cetera. I would argue it’s a problem we face with all tools, but reality dictates that we still use more than one tool.

The question is, what’s the best solution? “Limit yourself to only one tool so you’ll never need to transition,” is not very practical. It works as long as you can also limit your world, too, but that’s not a limit everyone can or wants to accept.

Revolvers and 1911s for me, depending on where Im going....

Kleanbore said:

That can be very serious. A difference among two operating systems, or a different remote control, not so much.

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Nah, you are just saying you haven’t personally used computers in safety-critical situations. Lives have been lost due to operating system differences.

Where issues have arisen, in descriptions in prior threads on this subject, they have involved differences in safeties, if I recall correctly.

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I can’t personally remember a trip to a public shooting range where I didn’t see at least one person go through the “why won’t it fire oh the safety is on” dance.

Carrying a gun with a safety - or a single action revolver, or a pistol without a round in the chamber - involves a commitment to training and/or (perhaps unknowing) acceptance that the gun is less likely to be useful in an emergency. I would argue it’s generally not the best choice, but I’d also argue it isn’t a wrong choice. Everyone needs to make up their own mind about what is important to them.

Ed Ames said:

Nah, you are just saying you haven’t personally used computers in safety-critical situations. Lives have been lost due to operating system differences.




I can’t personally remember a trip to a public shooting range where I didn’t see at least one person go through the “why won’t it fire oh the safety is on” dance.

Carrying a gun with a safety - or a single action revolver, or a pistol without a round in the chamber - involves a commitment to training and/or (perhaps unknowing) acceptance that the gun is less likely to be useful in an emergency. I would argue it’s generally not the best choice, but I’d also argue it isn’t a wrong choice. Everyone needs to make up their own mind about what is important to them.

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I don't know I have spent years shooting USPSA with both a revolver and semi-autos. It's not uncommon to go to a club level match and shoot Limited in the morning and then that afternoon shoot the match a second time with my revolver. (or vice versa). Never has an issue with the transition. I never mixed up the manual of arms. If you practice enough with both the transition can become seamless. That applies to two different handguns, or two different program languages. It also takes at least twice as much time training.

mcb said:

I don't know I have spent years shooting USPSA with both a revolver and semi-autos. It's not uncommon to go to a club level match and shoot Limited in the morning and then that afternoon shoot the match a second time with my revolver. (or vice versa). Never has an issue with the transition. I never mixed up the manual of arms. If you practice enough with both the transition can become seamless. That applies to two different handguns, or two different program languages. It also takes at least twice as much time training.

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Yep. I think that’s the essence of it. Train on both, have a means of context switching so you’ll apply the right training when you need it, and the results are going to be OK. I won’t quibble about hypotheticals about how good you might be if you trained exclusively with one because that’s impossible to test. Don’t train as much and you won’t be as proficient in using the tools, which may or may prevent a successful outcome.

In other words, there isn’t an argument against carrying different weapons depending on circumstances. There is room for debate regarding whether you can train enough with them...and, given that “good enough” is very difficult to assess before an incident happens, those debates are likely to boil down to strong statements of preference rather than well reasoned arguments.

Since moving to Fl., my CCW pistol is my S&W shield 9. I do have a Glock 19 with holster and 2 extra mags in a pouch that lives in my jeep in the unusual event that I need "more".

I carry a Kimber k6s AIWB when I can, and when I can't an LCP in the pocket. I have other options, but like many on here I think the idea of a "rotation" isn't wise and limit myself to those two 99.99% of the time.

Now, just yesterday I did fret a little over what to carry. I went wet wade fishing, where whatever I carried was going to be subjected to continuous dunks and out of river water. I tossed out a revolver because of the difficulty in cleaning the internals that surly would get a coating of silt. I probably should have went with the LCP, but I was somewhat concerned about reliability when dirty as I've seen how quickly pocket lint can stop one. So I went with my P938 and made a note that I should consider a polymer framed striker gun like the G43 my buddy was carrying.

TonyAngel said:

Nope. I have one carry gun and know it intimately.

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Exactly!
I chose the one I could shoot well, found to me most effective and reliable, worked with it until I became so familiar with it that I could field strip it and resemble in the dark and will stick with it.
My backup gun is a twin, but in a different caliber.

I have a number of EDC guns. I choose one depending on dress, location and mood. My only real rotation is what I am taking to the range.
I know many here think this is unwise, but I like a little variety.

Some seem to fret more of what others carry. One problem is the constant use of "Most People". Most people I know in the gun world of EDC seldom even go to the range There is no active plan to train, they do not want to spend the money, the time necessary for training etc. Most cannot even shoot the one gun they do have worth a darn.
I have never desired to be "Most People" in the world of EDC. Yes, I have multiple firearms and know each one like the back of my hand. And if someone does not like that, then well go have a melt down on your own time.
And personally could care less what anyone chooses for EDC or how they train or the quality of their training. So to get back to the Original question by the OP. Do you fret over which gun to carry? Well my answer is, not no, but Hell no.

Never really what I'm going to carry as much as what rig I was gonna wear. That was before I found a carry system that became my absolute favorite. Bianchi B9 belt, open top bandaid holster for a kimber ultra carry, and a single mag pouch by Mernickle.
* My answer is no never fretted over what gun I was going to carry.

I tried rotating for fun, then realized fast that I can't be dealing with any surprises or changes with what's in my holster. It has to be the same thing, that works the same way, every day. My assumption is that in a self-defense situation, I will lose 90 percent of my competence, so I need to keep it very simple.

I carry a backup, and even that has to be the exact same gun as the primary.

From now on, I'll limit any switching around to maybe once a year.

IMO it's a mistak to rotate carry guns. When the pressure is on can you remember what you are carrying. Stay with the same carry gun all the time . No guessing or forgetting. Also practice or train as much as you can with your carry gun. Your life or someone in your family may depend on it.