Anyone else uses vastly different guns for carry?
- Thread starter Rival
- Start date
Jim Watson
Member
I do not have a "rotation". I have different CCW but I don't flip flop daily or weekly, I want to know what I am drawing.
bangswitch
Member
The only "vast" difference in my two most carried guns is one is a revolver, the other a semiauto. No big deal to me, they're both plenty sufficient for defense in the human jungle (.40S&W or .357M). If I'm out in the wild on a hike or camping, I move up a little, to 10mm or .41M, still a semiauto or a revolver as the choices.
fastbolt
Member
Anyone else uses vastly different guns for carry?
"Vastly different" meaning make, model and caliber? Yes.
"Vastly different" from what I spent many years training to use? No.
I started out as a young cop carrying a DA revolver on & off-duty, as well as my Commander on my own time.
By the time I decided to train as a firearms instructor, traditional DA pistols (DA/SA) had been added to the mix, since we'd just transitioned to them from revolvers.
Over the course of the next couple of decades I also (understandably) added striker-fired pistols to the mix, but kept the DA (incl DAO) revolvers and SA pistols going. The software has been kept going for both the old and new hardware for a long time, so why change?
Maybe some day, if I decide to substantially thin the herd, so to speak. In the meantime, since my training/practice experience has the ingrained 'pattern recognition' needed to run the gear, it's a comfortable and reassuring thing to have going.
Admittedly, if I'd not have ordered and bought so many different guns during the course of attending so many armorer classes over the years, I'd probably have a lot fewer different guns involved.
Well, it also helps that I have the same thing going with the different types of holsters I've used for many, many years (meaning using them for both training, practice drills & quals, as well as carrying using them on my own time).
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When I pick up the item am programmed.
Even so.........
Why I ditched my CZ455 even as a plinker/small game rifle.
Never had an issue with the backwards safety but that annoyed me.
Just an easy " fix" to avoid a possible error.
457 has the safety going right way.
Why I dont have handguns w flip up or slide mounted safeties. No safety or thumb down type is my choice.
Even so.........
Why I ditched my CZ455 even as a plinker/small game rifle.
Never had an issue with the backwards safety but that annoyed me.
Just an easy " fix" to avoid a possible error.
457 has the safety going right way.
Why I dont have handguns w flip up or slide mounted safeties. No safety or thumb down type is my choice.
Note: changed grip panels on my HK to replicate size and point ability of a 1911. On 1911s run an arched MS housing and slab Hogues.
I do like to keep grip feel common across platforms.
However, that silly little P365 w short grip just works amazingly, as is.
Dont really think about it. Just accept it.
LOL
I do like to keep grip feel common across platforms.
However, that silly little P365 w short grip just works amazingly, as is.
Dont really think about it. Just accept it.
LOL
OP
OP
Rival
Member
Without a doubt I shoot 357 better. But up to about 7 yards I shoot with the 40 good enough. I prefer to have the 357, but 40 can often be more convenient to carry discreetly.
jar
Contributing Member
A couple days ago my carry was a 1911 IWB in a Kramer Thomas Perfectionist holster and a Colt 2½" Pocket Positive in 32 Police CTG (Aka 32S&W Long) in a Mika pocket holster.
Other than both using smokeless powder cartridges there are few similarities.
Other than both using smokeless powder cartridges there are few similarities.
Yes, I have a few different carry guns I switch between. All are semiautos, but very different. My choices depend on weather as in the cold winter months with heavy clothing I can carry a larger handgun and still conceal it easily. I carry either my 1964 Colt Commercial .45ACP, or my S&W 59 9mm in cold weather. In hot weather I carry my compact 9mm Kahr E9, as it's small enough to conceal even with shorts and a T shirt.
The Night Rider
Member
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- 2,133
Short answer, I don't.
Slightly longer answer, I don't have a "Carry Rotation". I carry a Glock 19 or a Glock 26 depending on my concealment needs.
If nothing else it simplifies my logistics and supply chain. When I bought the 26 I bought 5 OEM 12 round magazines for it. The rest of my carry magazines are Glock 19 magazines which will work in either gun. I also only have one caliber of ammunition to buy.
I've used both in a couple of classes and have occasionally forgotten which I had in my hand.
Zerodefect
member
Sure.
My taste changes with the weather. In the quiver: Glock 23.3, 23.4, 22.5, 41, 43x, DW Valor 1911, Kahr p380, S&W Jframe chiefs special.
My taste changes with the weather. In the quiver: Glock 23.3, 23.4, 22.5, 41, 43x, DW Valor 1911, Kahr p380, S&W Jframe chiefs special.
One of my favorite guitar players, Joe Bonamassa, was asked if it was difficult adjusting to different guitars on stage. He replied after a few measures he was good to go. This is someone who spends the greater portion of every day with his tools. The Jerry Miculek of guitar players.
In a stressful situation, it's harder to adjust. A timer is a poor substitute for real stress.
And you don't have the luxury of "a few measures."
Personal feelings. As always, YMMV.
In a stressful situation, it's harder to adjust. A timer is a poor substitute for real stress.
And you don't have the luxury of "a few measures."
Personal feelings. As always, YMMV.
fastbolt
Member
Good question anyone carrying a handgun for a dedicated defensive weapon ought to ask themselves.
Reminds me of some CCW licensees I saw come through classes who had brought both a revolver and a pistol to use for qualification.
One person in particular always comes to mind. The shooter had a new .40 compact pistol (double stack magazine) and a K-frame revolver, but chambered in .38SPL. After having successfully completed the course-of-fire with each of the guns, she asked my partner (another instructor) and I which one we thought she ought to carry. Rather than discuss the caliber, capacity or the TDA pistol vs. DA revolver influences, my partner and I looked at each other, and asked her to consider each of her targets, meaning the accuracy and her exhibited manner/ease of making the shot strings at the different distances within the time constraints. She thought about it a moment, and said she thought she did better with the DA revolver. We couldn't gainsay her conclusion.
Not the first time I'd seen long time revolver shooters do better, in many important practical respects, using their DA revolvers than when using their pistols of various sizes. Hey, since it's going to be their lives possibly on the line (and/or the lives of their loved ones), it's their call.
Omaha-BeenGlockin
Member
Yes. I do.
sgt127
Member
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- Apr 29, 2003
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- 2,113
I generally prefer DA. Sig P239 in 9mm and 357 Sig. Sig P229. All with DAK triggers. A Ruger SP101. A Kahr K9.
My only outlier is an Sig P365 with a manual safety. But. I carried a 1911 for 20 years. Shot thousands of rounds in IPSC.
When I pick up Glock. And often other autos…My thumb still sweeps off the imaginary safety. The fact that it doesn’t have one, is no big deal. But, I have yet to miss the safety on the P365.
The more I stick with the P365, he more reinforced it is.
My only outlier is an Sig P365 with a manual safety. But. I carried a 1911 for 20 years. Shot thousands of rounds in IPSC.
When I pick up Glock. And often other autos…My thumb still sweeps off the imaginary safety. The fact that it doesn’t have one, is no big deal. But, I have yet to miss the safety on the P365.
The more I stick with the P365, he more reinforced it is.
Agree 1000%
I've spent years sweeping a 1911 style safety on my draw stroke, my thumb is gonna sweep so if there's no safety no foul. Up to fire is dumb lol.
DustyGmt
Member
Nicely put.
I do. For the most part they are nearly identical:
A slight warning
I got to the point where for me my shooting was pretty good, with controlled pairs at 7 yards being about an inch apart consistently*. That was with a 9mm 1911, but when I shot with a 45ACP my performance wasn't measurably different, which was great.
Then I discovered that my revolvers point the same as my 1911s, and are sometimes more pleasant to carry. And my shooting was more revolver based because it was more fun and a bit of a new experience. After mixing things up I went back to my drills and those nice tight controlled pairs are now just an absolute mess.
So from now on while I may occasionally throw on a revolver, and I'll shoot them for fun, for training I'm going to focus on 1911s only.
* By "consistently" I mean "when I can see my sights well," which seems to be determined by a mix of how well I've slept, the lighting outside, whether I've had caffeine or not, and so on. So now I'm moving to optics to correct that, and I'll likely still have a carry rotation. But now it'll be steel 1911 commander in 45ACP, double-stack 1911 commander in 9mm, and very concealable double-stack in 9mm.
- All are Commander sized 1911s.
- All have Bobtails.
- Some are lightweight, and some are steel
- Some are 9mm, and some are 45ACP.
A slight warning
I got to the point where for me my shooting was pretty good, with controlled pairs at 7 yards being about an inch apart consistently*. That was with a 9mm 1911, but when I shot with a 45ACP my performance wasn't measurably different, which was great.
Then I discovered that my revolvers point the same as my 1911s, and are sometimes more pleasant to carry. And my shooting was more revolver based because it was more fun and a bit of a new experience. After mixing things up I went back to my drills and those nice tight controlled pairs are now just an absolute mess.
So from now on while I may occasionally throw on a revolver, and I'll shoot them for fun, for training I'm going to focus on 1911s only.
* By "consistently" I mean "when I can see my sights well," which seems to be determined by a mix of how well I've slept, the lighting outside, whether I've had caffeine or not, and so on. So now I'm moving to optics to correct that, and I'll likely still have a carry rotation. But now it'll be steel 1911 commander in 45ACP, double-stack 1911 commander in 9mm, and very concealable double-stack in 9mm.
bannockburn
Member
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- Apr 24, 2007
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- 26,299
I use to have a concealed carry rotation of a Kahr CM9, S&W 649, and a S&W 638 year round. On occasion (like a backwoods hike) I might take along a .357, namely a S&W 686 (shoulder holster or OWB with a jacket or a coat for concealment; primarily during cooler weather months.
Nowadays I have three semi-autos to choose for concealed carry: SIG P365X, Glock G43X, and a S&W Shield Plus, usually with the P365 being my primary and a Ruger LCP MAX for a BUG. The only time I might open carry would be if I was shooting on someone's private range.
The "Good Old Days" rotation: Kahr CM9, S&W 638 and a KelTec P3AT, along with the S&W 686:
The current CCW team:
Nowadays I have three semi-autos to choose for concealed carry: SIG P365X, Glock G43X, and a S&W Shield Plus, usually with the P365 being my primary and a Ruger LCP MAX for a BUG. The only time I might open carry would be if I was shooting on someone's private range.
The "Good Old Days" rotation: Kahr CM9, S&W 638 and a KelTec P3AT, along with the S&W 686:
The current CCW team:
bannockburn
Member
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This would be my rig if I ever do get an invite to do some shooting on a privately owned range:
Old Dog
Member
Yes, of course.
Waiting for the inevitable disparaging of those who admit to a "carry rotation."
And the finish of my handgun must match the finish of my belt buckle and watch/watchband, while the holster must match my belt, boots, mag pouch and leather jacket.
Waiting for the inevitable disparaging of those who admit to a "carry rotation."And the finish of my handgun must match the finish of my belt buckle and watch/watchband, while the holster must match my belt, boots, mag pouch and leather jacket.
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