Carry "odd balls"

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Godsgunman

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Afternoon everyone. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and will be safe out there tonight ringing in the new year! I've recently picked up some "odd balls" for my carry rotation. What's considered an odd ball? Something unique and different in caliber or just a different gun design or model from the run of the mill "wonder-nine" or "fantastic plastic" 90% of people carry or come across on a typical run to any big box sporting goods place. My two are a FEG PA 63 and a Charter Arms bulldog 44 special. I love both of these new additions and both for a niche in my carry rotation. The FEG is so skinny and lightweight that I can easily forget it's there. The 9x18 Makarov round is an interesting round which I personally am happy with for summer carry as it performs right in between the 380 and 9mm. It's "poppy" in the lightweight FEG but not punishing, you know you're shooting a gun, that's for sure. The Charter bulldog is also very lightweight. With the small wood grips it fits in my pocket nicely. I'm going to start developing a good carry load for it here soon. Right now it's shooting some factory 200 grain loads. Here's a pic of my new found friends IMG_20211231_095921895.jpg
Do you occasionally carry an "odd ball", if so, what and why? Pics are always fun also! Thanks and have a happy and safe New Year y'all!
 
Godsgunman said:
Do you occasionally carry an "odd ball", if so, what and why?
Click to expand...
Sort of, I guess. I carry a little snub-nosed Taurus 32 H&R loaded with my own cast bullet loads when I'm working outside around the house, or out on the back part of our property. I like it because it's small, and because I have it tucked behind my right hip, it doesn't get in the way. Besides, it was fairly inexpensive when I bought it, so I don't mind if it gets scuffed up and/or dirty - as long as I know it's going to work (I do) if I get a chance to take a shot at a coyote, or I have to shoot a ran-over cat to put it out of it's misery. Sometimes my little 32 is concealed (like when I'm wearing a long shirt or jacket), usually it's not.
My "go to town" carry gun used to be a Smith 38 snubby. Now it's a Glock 19. Nothing "odd ball" about either of those, I guess.;)
 
Walther PPK, .380. Ruger LCR 9mm.
I'm alone in a rural area at least 1/2 mile from a neighbor. Additionally, I always have a five shot NAA 22 revolver in my front pocket. In the summertime, it always has a couple of rat shot loaded in it for copperheads.

If I have to go to a populated area, the G26 or Beretta 92 ride with me.

The dreaded trip to Houston requires an additional upgrade .
 
Hey Godsgunman,

You want little grips? Try a pair of the grips from the standard Charter Arms Undercover .38 Special… not something you can shoot a box of ammo from in one session. Maybe be not a 20 round box.

Compact though.

of course I have…. But when younger and dumer.

When the Bull Dog was relatively new folks shot rediculous hand loads in them and literally shot them to pieces.

they also hurt their hands, being guys rather than backing off the loads they just got bigger and ready French rubber grips.

this meant there were a lot of Bull Dog grips floating about. People who liked to shoot rather than just carry the little under covers would put these Bull Dog grips on the little .38 Specials and shoot .38-44 loads out in of them! Until the shot the Under Covers shot loose…..

any how most Under Covers I have carried have had the Bull Dog wood grips on them and carry just fine.

as long as you do not get silly with the loads the Bull Dog itself is quite shootable with those wood grips.

-kBob
 
I don’t consider the Bulldog an oddball. I like mine a lot. One that might be more rare is a 3-inch GP100. GPs are not rare, but they probably don’t get much use for CCW.
 
I used to carry the PA 63 too. Replaced it with a Shield 9, but I’ll still take it on a walk if I want something with a traditional safety. I don’t like to carry the Shield with a chambered round with the 3 year old around.
 
Depending on the situation, I carry a Glock 19, Glock 26, Glock 42, Glock 43, or Glock 48. I stick with Glocks to keep the same manual of arms for OODA Loop reasons.

The oddball is a Seecamp LWS32. It has a similar manual of arms.
 
Beretta M71 in .22LR as oddball carry
At start it was just gun for fun, few bucks, good condition and cheap ammo... but that ergo is so good that after testing i started to carry it. No malfunctions with S&B HV HP (that ammo is really good) and reliable .22LR is reasonable (not best ofcourse) calibre for this area.
Also on this gun i started to like hammer and safety, on other hand - as much im confident its good and reliable gun, im not exactly sure for how long since i shoot it quite a lot and dont know how its rated with HV ammo. Didnt even try stingers or some other "hyper" ammo
 
No, I don't occasionally carry a oddball. (I've got a oddball - Glock 38 in 45 GAP)

The guiding criteria for my carry pistol is: "Would I prefer this in my hand if I had to defend myself?"
Note that location, nor anticipated threat is part of that simple question, because they don't factor in preferred in hand.
For example, nowhere would I prefer a pocket 380 in hand to defend myself rather than a Glock 19, so a Glock 19 is always carried over a 380.
Am I saying that I carry a Glock 19 rather than a pocket 380 for walking the dogs, quick trip to the store, ... in a "good area"? Yes, absolutely.

Carry rotation?
Glock 19 used as an example above is my minimum, but typically a Glock 22 or 20SF is preferred, ... Yes, even in a "good area" in the heat.
So, If I've been carrying a 20SF but for some reason need easier to conceal then I would "rotate" to the Glock 19.
 
I like the oddballs as much as anyone, but not for carry, or at least primary carry.

My criteria is the same as CDW4ME. The gun I shoot best with, and shoot on a weekly basis in practice, is the gun I carry every day, year round.

The only "rotation" I do, is on the rare occasions I cant carry my 17, and/or with a second gun choice.
 
I’ve definitely got an oddball caliber but in a run of the mill gun. Glock 37 in 45GAP. I can draw and shoot speed drills in almost identical times as a G17, holsters are plentiful and cheap and it’s a 45 caliber with a 9mm sized grip. I’ve carried it 3 or 4 times but I don’t like the 10 round capacity when the same size package can hold 15 or 17. I bought it cheap before the world freaked out so I keep it to have options.
 
Well, I believe in bigger is generally better and I dress around the gun accordingly. We live in KY and at 75, I'm not in the flip flops, beach jams and wife-beater undershirt mode of dress. But, not far from the preceding, cargo shorts and a long t-shirt with a pocket, is my usual humid wx ensemble, where a close fitting OWB is entirely appropriate.

As such, I consider any gun below a 9mm as an "odd ball" though I've never used that term. Rarely, like once a year, I do carry a .380 S&W Bodyguard...Example: the last time was a black tie affair, full tuxedo with wife in a ball room dress. But by the end of the evening, I'd come to realize that a 3" M-60 Smith, .357 or my Sig P365 9mm would have hidden, OWB, just as well under the tails of my tux, and undoubtably would have been more useful had the balloon gone up....YMMv,

Happy New Year, keep your powder dry and shoot straight. Rod Sig P365 in OWB.

IMG-6049.jpg ​
 
While I have admittedly "thought about it" and considered carrying my .45 Colt SAA snub (profile pic), I have to say the only real oddball I carry is a .22 WMR LCR DAO revolver in a winter coat or vest pocket. particularly when going shopping on a cold day or I need to be outside where the bulk of the coat may prevent me from getting to my primary carry quickly.

d
 
My "oddball" gun was an Astra Model 600 in a U.S. M7 shoulder holster! The Astra was all that I had at the time. Use to wear it under an M65 field jacket during the colder weather months while out hiking.

Nowadays the closest I get to an oddball set-up would be my Colt Commander in .38 Super, carried in a Bianchi Minimalist holster.
bOteIAM.jpg
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