Carry habits....same or "gun of the day?"

At least for me no not generally but, sometimes when I go to the range I'll shelve my EDC Beretta 96D and carry something else to the range to keep the bag from getting heavier than it needs to be.

Other than that, I've switched out / rotated a few times but it's not often. My Beretta has a great track record and I trust it.

If / when my S&W M&P 2.0 in .40 gets the nod, I may replace the 96D or at least add it into a permanent rotation.

It's not lipstick, it's a tool. Change when the mission changes, not to match your handbag, and only after you've proven it reliable and effective in your hands.

For me, that's a 642 when my belt is showing, and a 4.25" 1911 when my belt is not.

Same gun, same place, every day.

Don't need to be that guy patting himself down in a panic looking like he lost his wallet when you need your gun, and if you find it, trying to remember what it is and how it works.

Father Goose said:

"the gun of the day."

Click to expand...

I recall doing that during my first coupla years of licensed carry. Generally, in those days, I had 3 handguns, only two of which were really suitable for under-suit/sport coat carry. I would carry whichever one fit my mood at the moment. Often, that was simply What am I doing today? and/or Do I feel like carrying Heavy or Light (literally or figuratively) today? Light was a 9x17 handgun and Heavy, .357 or .45.

Selection process for "gun of the day" ...
Of the concealable handguns owned, if I had to defend myself what would I prefer in hand?
Location nor "anticipated threat" are part of that simple question.
A 380 or 38 snub does not meet my simple criteria of "preferred in hand".
How about Glock 19 does that qualify for "preferred in hand"? Yes.
"Gun of the day" is Glock 19 - everyday, everywhere (nowhere would I prefer less )

Yes.

Walther P99 (AS), S&W 6904 or the CZ PCR.

This equates to “Ja”, “Can I See some ID”, or “ Czech it out”.

Nearly always a S&W 642 in a pocket unless I'm traveling; then it goes in an ankle holster. (A gun in a pocket holster while seated in a vehicle is virtually useless).
Depending on where I'm traveling it may be accompanied by a CZ P01 in a strong side belt holster.

Same gun every day. Except if I don't have time to clean my G17 after a range trip, I'll carry my G22. That's the most switching around I'll do is carry almost identical guns depending on what's clean. Kind of like underwear.

I understand some might change what tool they need on the job. A hammer vs a ratchet vs a cake knife, for instance. Hammers don't cut cakes well.

Handguns, however, are barrels with a bullet. The "tool" is the bullet. Changing the barrel means having different ways to activate the bullet, and under stress I don't see changing how to activate it as a positive. Muscle memory and attempting different activation methods seem to be in conflict under pressure.

An extreme might be carrying a .44 Mag in a vertical shoulder holster one day, and a pocket .22 the next. Since we cannot foresee which is the best bullet to use for the situation that may become reality, what purpose is served by choosing a "tool" that could very well be the worst least choice?

We would be better off assessing our overall risk, then choosing the bullet which does the overall job, and evaluating the barrel carrier's qualities for daily protection as a launching device for any situation. Getting specific with one threat means losing some ability to address others. We may think we need the fastest transportation to get to work, but driving a Lambo in bumper to bumper traffic may not be the best answer. A Yugo will do it. Hauling the soccer team after work, a van. Picking up 20 bags of cement at the lumberyard, a half ton truck. What vehicle do you pick for ALL of that? It won't be as fast, or have that one extra bench seat, or have as good mileage, and lumber might stick out the tailgate, but the best answer isn't all four. Not even.

Having all four gehicles is moving beyond simple daily transportation and into something else. It's certainly not proficiency with every one of them, with guns it would take a training regimen 4X more expensive and time consuming. What really results is bare familiarity with any one of them and a degradation of skill, plus introduces hesitancy about which gun you have and how it's going to apply to this specific tactical situation. It's claimed to not be a problem by some, I'm thinking I would look pretty silly patting myself down trying to remember which gun and where it's holstered. Bad enough with winter vs summer carry - which I don't Same gun same holster no matter what works better as there is no options menu to sort thru - same gun same holster every time. Less options means less errors and tactical mistakes.

"Well it must suck being you" is a common refrain and one more based on masculinity comparison, I'm not elevating my cartrdge expense, holster selections, and which set of operating controls I need to remember this day. Rotations become a negative - the expensive watch forums are full of "I had to wind my watch and set it again this morning!" first world problems, the opposite is combat where you only have the one and you sleep with it loaded. Nobody in combat gets to choose if they want the M4, SAW, an M17, or operate the turret gun. You get the one for your job, and saying Oh but I'm an operator I get to choose anyway is only justified when you actually do 4X the training and are shooting 10k of ammo yearly. You also work with other teammates and you understand that the limited number of operators who do this are reduced by one, permanently, every year due to a fatal error in training that much.

Most of us have limited resources and time - and I see threads on "what gun from my extensive collection do I carry today?" as more social status garnering than actual tactical proficiency. Have I got more than one, sure. Of late for every one I acquire I see two being redundant and they need to go. Too many differences and too many calibers to justify them. I literally cannot carry them all at the same time, why then even pretend some are necessary?

I understand having a fork, knife, and spoon makes eating easier, so a knife, a handgun, and a rifle should cover most of the bases. It's all our forefathers had for the most part, same as having a hoe, a shovel and a plow. Not dozens. Just because we can have more doesn't mean we should.

First world problem. Kep that in mind.

Gun of the day, to a point.

But all of my pistols operate the same way, some are just bigger than others and in different cartridges. I'm down to one 1911 and it isn't one of my carry guns. The rest are various Glocks, a Sig 365 and M17, along with Smith M&P's. Cartridges are 9mm, 45ACP and 10mm. All of the Sigs and Smiths have the same 1911 style safety so when the gun comes out of the holster I reach for the safety regardless. Even on the Glocks, the fact that there isn't one there isn't a problem.

The Sig 365 gets carried the most IWB, but depending on what I'm wearing I do find the G43 a little easier to conceal and it gets the nod occasionally. But if OWB is practical then I move up to a bigger gun that I shoot better and that holds more rounds. Otherwise the bigger guns are for HD and range use rather than carried.

The 10mm is my outdoors hiking/camping pistol. A little bigger, and more powerful for the extremely unlikely possibility of large predator defense while still being a viable SD pistol for 2 legged predators.

Father Goose said:

When I was younger I had a habit of switching up what I carried with no real rhyme or reason. I heard that was called "the gun of the day."

Do members here do that?

Click to expand...

Sure, but it was called pocket size of the day. I had four* different pocket guns that all had long trigger pulls with no manual safety lever. The sizes ranged from a NAA Guardian to a snubnose 5-shot revolver. Now I've narrowed that down to two pocket guns, one thinner than the other and sized between the Guardian and the snubnose.

Of course, if clothing permits I can step up to carrying non-pocket guns. But they still operate the same as the pocket guns, meaning no manual safety levers.

*My old Beretta 21A is not included in this as that choice was from decades ago.

No, for fighting I train with one pistol and it is with me on duty and off. Muscle memory can save your life when your mind is shocked by a horrendous act it just witnessed and when it struggles with the fact that you are about to be murdered aforethought.

I do carry other handguns but in a sporting/hunting context, not for serious work.

Everyday carry the same gun in the same location. G48 15+1 9mm

About the only time I carry something different is hunting/hiking/backpacking carry G40 15+1 10mm

I'm with the crowd that doesn't want to be unsure of what I'm pulling out in the heat of the moment due to a habit of "showing off" new SD guns on my belt. It's a tool not a trophy.

No. Shield 9 daily. Same knife in the pocket, same casio G shock, etc.

Yep, Smith Bodyguard.380 or Sig P365 SAS depending on what I’m wearing.

I typically carry one of three DA guns with no safety levers on any of them. And two of them, a S&W Model 649 and a Model 638, both operate the same way with pretty much the same DA trigger pull. The other one is a Kahr CM9.

Same gun and holster unless I’m jogging. Then I’ll use a belly band. But generally the same gun though.

Glock 26 for me.

It's seasonal (from the GWN) or as large as I can get away with. But yes, I have a few options.

Same. Holster may change depending on dress requirements.

I carry my Security 9 Compact almost every day. When I must employ deep concealment pocket carry my LCP Ii. I also have a LC9S that was my EDC before I went to the Security 9m Compact, but now it is an extra. I do use the 10 round flat base, 10 round pinky base, and the 15 round magazines selecting which based upon the clothing/printing situation.

When under a big load of pressure I don't like the idea of trying to remember what gun I have and how to use it, too much else to think about. Same one every day in the same location so it comes to me automatically without having to think about it. Have you ever forgotten what you are carrying?
I hope not.

You need to be competent with the gun under stress. Forgetting the manual of arms, the safety utilization, the sight picture, the trigger pull etc. suggests that changing out guns for a whim is COS play.

I've trained with and practiced with my carry guns. Life and death is the reason to carry and not fun.

Jack B. said:

Have you ever forgotten what you are carrying?
I hope not.

Click to expand...

No, but I have forgotten that I was carrying, and on pretty much a daily basis. Luckily, my hand gets constant reinforcement in daily practice as to where it is, and has no problem accessing it even if my focus is on something else.