Is your most carried a handgun you would prefer to defend yourself with?

It's an interesting question, and not as crazy as some may present it to be.

In my case I generally carry a 5 shot wheelgun, but I do own a handful of semis and (large-ish) 6 shot revolvers that on paper would bring more to the table. I choose to make that compromise, and I have my reasons.


I may invest in a more comfortable and convenient 6 shot revolver carry at some point. Or I may not. Most days I don't feel that one extra round is going to make or break anything, and I generally don't believe a reload is going to come into play if things actually get as far as a gun battle (my personal opinion).

CZ 75 Compact is my primary carry and the handgun I shoot the best ever with. The second best ever shooter for me is the full size Arex Rex Zero 1 in my dresser, and that is the one that goes in a holster on my belt right before I don my plate carrier if ever S should HTF.

In the winter months I carry a Kimber Pro Carry 2 in 45. This is my preferred CCW, but in the summer it prints way to much for my liking. The summer months I carry a Sig 938 in 9mm. Although it’s a good gun and really doesn’t print, my biggest holdback with it is the size. I am a bigger guy with large hands. The 938 is a compact and it just doesn’t feel like I have the best grip with it.

AmmoMan757 said:

In the winter months I carry a Kimber Pro Carry 2 in 45. This is my preferred CCW, but in the summer it prints way to much for my liking. The summer months I carry a Sig 938 in 9mm. Although it’s a good gun and really doesn’t print, my biggest holdback with it is the size. I am a bigger guy with large hands. The 938 is a compact and it just doesn’t feel like I have the best grip with it.

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As another guy with big hands, I was really surprised at how well the Sig P365XL fit my hand. It’s a natural pointer and a smooth shooter. I switched from an M&P 9 Compact (1.0 x with its “beefy” grip) to the Sig and I don’t regret it a bit!

I voted "YES", but my "most carried gun" is NOT my CCW. I'm out in public rarely, by comparison to the time I spend on the property.
So I carry my full sized sidearm (not gonna get into specifics) most of the time, and I absolutely would prefer to defend myself with it, on the off chance, that, somehow, the situation could not be de-escalated, and I absolutely needed to defend myself. My CCW is a much smaller single stack, but when you carry concealed, you make compromises.

jag1954 said:

I wouldn't carry it if I didn't feel that I could defend myself with it.

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This.

Different situations may require different firearms, But, if I was not comfortable with the performance of the firearm or ammunition, I’d look for something else.

Carry gun is a convenient gun. Preferable defensive gun is a belt fed and crew served weapon sat in a reinforced position with open field of fire and in an elevated position with heavy cover. Better yet I would prefer not to ever use a gun against a human.

To take it more seriously, my most carried is probably a Glock 42. I don’t like the gun and would greatly prefer a revolver. Luckily I have a couple revolvers to carry and TN just passed permitless carry even if it’s not technically constitutional carry.

A 1911 or an N Frame for me, so I voted yes.

I carry full size Glocks, sometimes even with mag extensions. I’m lucky to be built in such a way I can conceal almost anything.

My mindset is to prepare beforehand by deciding to carry a Glock 17 or 22. But if ever needed, treat the situation as if I’m carrying a 22LR. Obviously the most important job is working to never need a gun for self defense by avoiding trouble.

Nope, as already mentioned, work and clothing is a limiting factor. I'd prefer to carry my Xd40 or M9A3, but it's not feasible most of the time. So most days it's one of my .380s.

I find it unusual that anyone would carry a gun they would not be comfortable defending their own life with. Than, why carry at all? I feel comfortable defending myself with any gun I carry. Normally, it used to be a full size 1911, and now the last few years a .357 686. I even have a gun for my pajamas , that I carry in the house all the time a .380 with 8 rounds in it in case of a home invasion. It is enough to help me fight to the other guns hidden around the house.

ms6852 said:

I find it unusual that anyone would carry a gun they would not be comfortable defending their own life with. Than, why carry at all? I feel comfortable defending myself with any gun I carry. Normally, it used to be a full size 1911, and now the last few years a .357 686. I even have a gun for my pajamas , that I carry in the house all the time a .380 with 8 rounds in it in case of a home invasion. It is enough to help me fight to the other guns hidden around the house.

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I didn't say I wasn't comfortable defending myself with my .380. The OP asked if we carried what we prefer.

In some sort of extended gunfight, anyone would want a high-capacity, full-sized, steel-framed service pistol. However, I don't expect to be in some sort of extended gunfight.

I cc on the off chance that some loser might suddenly try to mug me from up close and personal. I think that something smaller, lighter, and faster to draw is a better choice for that sort of thing.

Yes, 1911 full size or officers model depending on dress.
45 cal, - big hole going in, bigger hole coming out.

I have previously carried pistols I was not very happy to have to carry... an AMT DAO .380 (because of it's size,) and a Colt's Government .380 (which was a nice pistol, but had a weak thumb safety, which left me carrying it hammer down on a loaded chamber.)

I typically carry 1 of 2 pistols now... a Kahr CW9 or a Kahr CM9, it's smaller brother. Having trained quite a bit with both of them... I have taken to carrying the CW9 more and more, vs the better concealability of the smaller CM9. The smaller pistol is more difficult to draw and present, and does not necessarily have as natural point of aim as the CW9 does.

Very often, at least for many of us, a carry pistol is a compromise between firearms; for me, the CW9 is the best of everything while still providing a concealable firearm that I can shoot well. It has better terminal ballistics than the .380 I was carrying, is easier to control than a snappy compact .40, and with good ammos is a reasonable substitution to the .45ACP.

A 1911 Commander is my ultimate fighting pistol.

I admit that my most carried is my LCP. I have confidence in it, but it isn't my choice for making a difficult shot.

We like to argue over handgun cartridges online, but there really isn't THAT much of a difference between a .380 acp and a .45 acp. All handgun rounds (with exceptions of the large caliber hunting rounds) are poor options for self defense compared to a rifle or shotgun. So sure, I'm OK relying on my lcp that's in my pocket semi-regularly. Or the j-frame that I rarely carry. Most often I carry a 3" k6s, which again I'm fine relying on if need be. I'm not anticipating needing to defend against 15 attackers from 50 yards, if I was I'd probably carry something different and it wouldn't be a handgun.

Spats McGee said:

I voted "yes," but my answer would be more accurately stated as "mostly." I carry a Shield 9 the overwhelming majority of the time. I have a Shield 45. I'd like to carry that, because I like the .45 acp round. But dangitall, that Shield 9 sure is easy to carry.

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Seems like that shield + will make the 9mm even more tempting if they really are only a hint thicker.

If I have to defend myself or loved ones against a deadly threat, I'd really want to do it with a 105MM howitzer firing beehive rounds. That ought to take the fight out of everything including a tyranasarus Rex

bassjam said:

We like to argue over handgun cartridges online, but there really isn't THAT much of a difference between a .380 acp and a .45 acp.

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Not to jump too deep into the caliber war but that argument doesn't really work as well with .380. 9mm with modern ammo, like HST, sure you're getting the 14-18 inches and 0.6-0.8" expansion regularly with both.

But .380 struggles to do both acceptably, and usually only does penetration well.

So, if you're just looking for a CNS hit with a .3-.5" projectile, sure, but there's certainly a bigger gap when we bring .380 into the "big 3" service caliber argument (although .38 spc +P seems just fine as well).

JR24 said:

Not to jump too deep into the caliber war but that argument doesn't really work as well with .380. 9mm with modern ammo, like HST, sure you're getting the 14-18 inches and 0.6-0.8" expansion regularly with both.

But .380 struggles to do both acceptably, and usually only does penetration well.

So, if you're just looking for a CNS hit with a .3-.5" projectile, sure, but there's certainly a bigger gap when we bring .380 into the "big 3" service caliber argument (although .38 spc +P seems just fine as well).

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Just remember that gelatin and expansion tests are just that, ways to compare and contrast certain attributes but they aren't really giving you a real world concrete answer to anything. When you look at the available data out there from actual shootings and the cartridge used, .380 doesn't fare any worse in the real world than larger calibers.

https://www.buckeyefirearms.org/alternate-look-handgun-stopping-power

Arguing over handguns rounds for self defense is kind of like arguing if a 10 speed road bicycle or 18 speed mountain bike is better to drag race against a Mustang GT.

No. I am of the camp that a handgun is to be used till I can get to a rifle. Even with that aside I would prefer a full size 9mm (Beretta or Hi-Power) if I had to defend myself with a handgun. I have (and do) carry those some but it is not my most carried option now and will likely be less carried as I slow down more.

Carried a S&W 66 for a decade plus (but not the most common now) and I would have been fine with that so long as I wasn't facing a platoon of home invaders.