Two Carries For Two Months

I'm currently living the dream with a long-term vacation which started the end of March. So since then I have had two handguns for EDC my LCPII 380 and Taurus 415 41mag.
I contacted a couple of THR Friends in deciding these carry choices.
In the middle of June I will be home for two weeks and have an opportunity to switch my carry handguns.
So: I thought that it may be a good time to have a poll on two EDCs for my travels. I will be traveling from July until September. My travel will include being in TN and VA hiking the mountains and SC and FL walking the beach.
My EDCs should include a wilderness carry and a small front pocket carry for summer shorts. So when making your selections please consider those parameters.

Thanks in advance for choices and opinions. My current choices have worked great, but this is an opportunity to switch.

WrongHanded said:

Do you have a weapons light for the XDM?

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No I don't! It may be a good idea to add one. I carry a small light in my pack, but not a bright tactical light.

I would like to thank everyone for their responses and votes.
I was a little bit disappointed that the Taurus options didn't receive more votes
With a week to go the poll hasn't had any activity, so I have made my decision.
Starting the end of June - I will continue to carry my LCPII and switch out the 415 41mag for my XDM 45acp. The LCPII was the high vote winner in the pocket carry and the XDM placed 2nd in the larger carry handguns.

I think the combination of semiautomatic carry pistols make sense. The LCPII will continue to have 95 grain xtp loads from Persision One. The 45acp will have a magazine of 255 gr +p coated hardcast from Underwood for woods carry and a magazine of 185 grain hollow points from PMC for the nightstand. The combination makes good sense considering the time of year and the clothing I will wear.

Revolver voters after hunting season in December we will be snowbirds leave Wisconsin for warmer weather. At that time I will switch to my revolvers the pocket carry will be my 442 loaded with 125 grain xtp and my 686+ will be loaded with 180 grain hardcast loads. Speed strips will have 38 special 125 xtp as both pistols shoot them well!

I am one of those guys that like to switch my carry based on situations and seasons, that said I think these are good combinations. Thank you again for your help in making my decision.

WrongHanded said:

Part of that might have been because there's some negative vibes online about Taurus guns. Whether true, not true, or a mixture, people tend to believe that type of thing more often than not. Especially with a brand coming from outside the US and competing with American brands.

I personally have almost no experience with Taurus revolvers, but I discounted them for other reasons. Based on previous statements you've made about preferring short barrels, and also on what a quick Google image search produced, I got the impression both of those guns have 3" barrels. I'm not a big fan of barrels shorter than 4" on magnum revolvers because I don't like the loss in velocity. Sometimes it's an acceptable compromise, but when it comes to woods defense, I don't believe it's a good trade.

So the .41 just seems a little neutered, and without chronograph data I do wonder how much benefit you get from it over a stout .45acp. Where As the .45 certainly has capacity going for it, though that's more beneficial on the street than the woods. As for the .357, you've got a 7 shot 686 with presumably the same barrel length. So I favored the higher capacity there too.

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You make an interesting point so I did a little estimating based on the manufacturers data. Along with Buffalo Bore data as they do a good job testing their ammo in different firearms. (Like many of us I wish I had a chronograph.)

686+ 3" .357MAG HSM 180gr
1100 fps/484#s/10.1 TKOF

XDM 3.8" .45ACP UW 255gr +P
850 fps/410#s/14 TKOF

415 2.5" 41MAG HSM 230gr
1100 fps/618#s/14.9 TKOF

I like using the Taylor Knock Out Factor as it helps in a calculation of HAMMER EFFECT!

Remember these are calculated estimates. Any of the listed firearms have advantages and disadvantages. If they didn't serve a purpose I wouldn't own them.

bigmike45 said:

I have and regularly carry my Taurus 415, in a pocket holster, in my baggy cargo shorts without any problems. Being stainless I have no worries about it getting wet and becoming rusty. I like the XDM Compact shooting a fat slow moving .45acp for defense out to 15 yards. Had I had a third choice it would have been the S&W 686 as I have a similar gun, a Ruger 3" GP100 in .357mag that I also carry regularly, but usually in an IWB Holster.

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It is neat to throw the 415 in a front pocket of cargo pants! It is a little thinner and lighter than the 686.