How long do you carry your CCW before replacing it

How long have you been carrying your current carry gun?

  • 1-2 years

    Votes: 13 13.3%
  • 3-5 years

    Votes: 26 26.5%
  • 6-10 years

    Votes: 20 20.4%
  • 11-15 years

    Votes: 19 19.4%
  • 16-20 years

    Votes: 7 7.1%
  • 20-30 years

    Votes: 7 7.1%
  • 30+ years

    Votes: 6 6.1%

  • Total voters
    98
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I'm not sure why I'd change something if it works.

For a while, when knife and gun jihad was a thing here, I switched from an S&W Model 36 to a Glock 19, to a 3 1/2" M1911.

Now that that's somewhat calmed down, I'm back to the Model 36 or the Glock 19. Of course that seems to be ramping up again. I might have to go back to the .45.
 
The real hang-up? It’s nothing to do with how long they are carried. It’s summer humidity.

I have four 9mm handguns, and don’t want to have what is an overprotective attitude.

But they are never carried on our hotter summer days (if much over 55 percent humidity), even on just a few errands. Too much sweat through my inner t-shirts could seep into the guns’ slides or the rear areas of the frames (three have all-metal frames)?

I’ve never understood whether keeping a bit of Ballistol (or any brand of CLP category) can prevent sweat from slowly corroding the more inaccessible areas- despite the normal advice to wipe guns after carry, or use.
 
I sold my Walther P5c to a club member that kept offering more and more cash for it, I could not resist his tempting offers.
That was 2010, with half that cash I bought a G26 and have carried it since.
 
Carried the same Glock 30 for years. Got into 1911s a few years back and switched just because. Commander size 1911 in .45 for me and officer size 1911 in 9mm for the wife.
 
P938 is just fine—I’ll carry it until it gives me a reason to change.
 
I like to try new things. So I think my time line falls with firearm invention(s) / advancement more so than structured time periods.

The Kimber K6 was a watershed combination, for me. Stainless, six rounds, 357, snag-free, good sights, solid trigger. I didn't check my calendar, and say "Snap, woot! It's 2 years to the DAY! Time to change EDCs..."
 
I change holsters when my clothing changes. Three different holsters, three different mag pouches. All for the same 2 pistols. Both are 5" 1911's.

What holsters/pouches?

I routinely carry mine in a Milt Sparks Criterion. The spare mag pouch is a nylon pouch I use because it looks so much like a knife pouch and draws less attention.
 
Lots of diversity here which isn’t surprising. I notice a majority aren’t carrying the same one over the 10 year mark. Though I’m a bit surprised how many are in the +10 years.

Just solely based on the people I know I’d have guess probably half would have been around the 5 year mark. Most of the people I know change whenever the next big popular thing comes out, they all had an LCP, now a Shield. Come to think of it marketing and what’s popular probably does more to influence their carry guns than anything, but most of these guy aren’t big gun guys they carry and buy guns, not a lot of actual research and thought goes into any purchases, they generally don’t do a lot of shooting either.
 
The real hang-up? It’s nothing to do with how long they are carried. It’s summer humidity.

I have four 9mm handguns, and don’t want to have what is an overprotective attitude.

But they are never carried on our hotter summer days (if much over 55 percent humidity), even on just a few errands. Too much sweat through my inner t-shirts could seep into the guns’ slides or the rear areas of the frames (three have all-metal frames)?

I’ve never understood whether keeping a bit of Ballistol (or any brand of CLP category) can prevent sweat from slowly corroding the more inaccessible areas- despite the normal advice to wipe guns after carry, or use.

This pretty much sums up my circumstances. I wear a suit 5 days a week and I’m in the courthouse (pre-pandemic) two-three days a week, so actually carrying a weapon on my body is/was unrealistic. Beyond that, the humidity here on the Gulf Coast is year-round, meaning anything I attempted to carry for more than a few hours was going to get wet. And forget IWB. So for me, year after year I just dropped the 640 (38) into a pocket holster if I felt I had the need. Frankly I just avoid places all together and therefore have little reason to carry anymore. When I was a young avid prosecutor, it was a G22 OWB because I was rubbing shoulders all day, every day with LEOs. Never felt the need to change up. YMMV.

Lots of good points here. Enjoy reading others POVs and experiences. Keep ‘em coming.
 
I have always been of the opinion that you should choose one carry gun that you can shoot well, become intimately familiar with every aspect of it, and stick with it.

The last thing I want is to actually need to defend myself with my CC handgun for the first time and 20 + years and have a jam that I can't clear quickly because I have to think about how to do so on the gun I just switched to.

I get the concept of trying a few guns when concealed carry is new to you. I did the same before I settled on what I now carry every day regardless of season or outside temperature.
 
Changed from Glock 19 to HK VP9 about four years ago and added the long slide one year ago. When I get the tall sights installed the VP9L with RMR red dot will be my winter carry. For summer I went from SW642 snubby to Walther PPS about five years back.
 
How long have you been carrying your current carry gun?


.....since it became legal in my state to do so.
 
I've been carrying a Taurus TCP for about 8yrs, the latest one for about 5. I keep trying to replace it with something, I'm on my 3rd one. The gol-blessed thing is like a Plymouth Volare...ugly as sin, not known for being reliable, susceptible to rust, but one that works just keeps working 20210411_105543.jpg
 
Been carrying a stainless Springfield milspec 1911 for 10 years or so now.

Occasionally I'll carry the gp100 or SBH for a few days, but rarely. Just to try a holster or a reload option, or if my 1911 needs a repair.

I carry daily in a desantis dual carry II IWB that I converted to open top.


I want a small revolver, a j frame or maybe a K frame for places I don't want to get caught.

I have an naa mini revolver for pocket carry in doctors offices that might poke on me and discover my 45 automatic.

I'm more of a wheel gun man and once I figure out the gp100 holster I want I'll likely carry that more.


As far as guns rusting from sweat, pick one, carry it, let or rust if it must. Detail strip it once a year. My 1911 is a bit worn as I'm fat and it's humid here in summer. It don't look new anymore, scratched up from whatever, rust on the non stainless parts and filthy. If it's been a few months,I shoot it right out of the holster when it's dirty to make sure it will function.
 
I have never considered taking a CCW out of rotation on a permanent basis. I don't know anybody that shoots theirs enough to have to "retire" it. Sure you might have to replace a RSA or extractor, maybe a barrel if you're really putting the rounds to it but I imagine my guns will be in good serviceable condition for the remainder of my life and I plan to maintain them as such.

Once I find something I like and trust, I tend to stick with it.
 
For those in humid environments, I suggest a good quality lube. Not knocking Hoppes #9 or Ballistol because it works OK, but there is better stuff such as BreakFree and Superlube. If, during the humid months you made it a point to break your gun down once a week or so to apply a thin coat of Superlube to the surfaces and internals, I imagine it would help.


It gets exceptionally humid in VT in the summer, as stated above I made it a point of coating my LCP in superlube with more frequency and I have no rust, even when my pants are soaked and it feels like I dunked in bathwater, my LCP gets wiped down and coated with good lube and I'm good to go. It's a pita, sorta, but you gotta maintain your weapon. Also, some holsters are good at repelling moisture. I know uncle Mike's are about as low on the pole as you can go but the material used is pretty good at wicking away moisture. I've been carrying an LCP in an uncle Mike's for 10+ years.
 
I e only been carrying my current one for about 6 years, but only because I sold the previous one to a friend that offered me enough to replace it with some left over and I saw one listed locally that had night sights and a 20 round mag for $100 less than I was expecting. I’ve been carrying a Glock 17 or 17L for close to 20 years but lately I’ve been carrying a Springfield Range Officer 5” 9mm more often as I shoot it better and I carry 2 extra 10 round mags with it.

I like the Glock better for the capacity and the rail, it if the Range Officer had a rail for a light I would be 100% into it.
 
I've been carrying my current 686 for over 2 or 3 years don't really remember. Reason I replaced my full size 1911 after 30+ years was I loved the look of the 686+ with the 3" barrel.
 
One of my regularly-carried SP101 revolvers has been with me since about 1997. One of my occasionally-carried GP100 revolvers has been with me since the very early Nineties, so, about 30 years, but, was not a regular carry gun until June 1993, when it became my duty handgun, as well as my usual personal-time carry gun, for a while.
 
I have over 11K rounds on my glock 26 that's my EDC. I'll prob replace it soon with the same model and leave the high round count gun for practice at the range.
 
Since I retired three years ago, Glock 23 has been the most carried, nothing smaller; otherwise, I've carried a Glock 35 or 1911 quite a bit.

I voted 3-5 but that doesn't mean the 23 will get replaced.
 
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