BUG... really?

[PT1911]

I am sitting here... reading post after post that speak of back up guns... I only use my Kel Tec, Ruger, MDE, or whatever other pocket gun as a back up gun... I am baffled by this... I guess I could understand if your primary gun jammed and you absolutely positively needed another gun, but then again, it is said with a bit of a negative tone... that gun is JUST a back up gun... seems to me your BUG, should you choose to carry one, would be more dependable than your primary, which begs the question, why are you carrying a gun that you cannot trust to fire every time you pull the trigger?

I hate the idea of a back up gun... I just dont see much of a use... I carry according to what I am wearing.. i may carry a full size 1911, mid sized steyr or a P3at if that is all I can conceal at the time and i would feel more than comfortable carrying any one of them... I dont know.. time and time again i see the phrase...only a back up gun.

depending on your specific situation, I can possibly see carrying more than one gun but designating one as primary and one as Back up? I just dont get it.. if I carried multiple guns they would all have my unconditional trust to work every time and to do so equally. The only factor that woud determine which I drew first would be proximity.. fastes draw wins.

I dont own anything that is "only a back up gun" and never will. If it is not fit to be a primary carry weapon, it is not fit to be carried.

 

[2RCO]

PT I only carry my P3AT in the heat of the summer. I agree that a tiny .380 is better than a fullsize .45 if it's the only thing you are going to carry.

I see no problem with having a backup gun and think it's not a bad idea if clothing permits.

 

[Dr. Fresh]

When people say "only a BUG" they are usually referring to the smaller caliber, not reliability.

Most people who carry BUGs also have reliable primary sidearms. It's about preparing for the worst. Guns are mechanical objects and can break, even good ones.

 

[PTK]

I carry in a way either hand can reach my guns - I don't like the idea of my right side being pinned and now I can't draw my "one gun".

 

[AK103K]

I carry according to what I am wearing..

I'm just the opposite, I wear according to what I'm carrying, which is usually the same two guns each day, plus the P229's reload.

The BUG has other purposes too, and while the possibility of a problem with my main gun exists, its not the main reason I carry one. I expect both to be reliable and work accordingly. A second gun can be given to someone else when needed, and can also be quickly accessed by you at those times your main gun isnt readily accessible. Its also an alternative option for a faster reload.

 

[possum]

A second gun can be given to someone else when needed, and can also be quickly accessed by you at those times your main gun isnt readily accessible. Its also an alternative option for a faster reload.

exactly the 2 points that i was gonna make, but AK beat me too it.

if there is someone with me and they know what they are doing with a handgun you better believe that i am gonna square them away if things go bad.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Sorry, but if you need to carry TWO guns on you, you're somewhere you don't belong in the first place.

The only people I can see needing a back up gun are police/military.

 

[PTK]

Sorry, but if you need to carry one gun on you, you're somewhere you don't belong in the first place.

The only people I can see needing a gun are police/military.

I just barely changed your argument. See the problem?

 

[GojuBrian]

How many knives should we carry? Flashlights? OC Sprays? Etc....

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

One gun makes perfect sense. Stuff happens. Even a regular visit to the corner store on a sunday afternoon could potentialy turn into something bad. But think about it, if you're in a situation where you're going to pump out 8-15 rounds, reload and still need more, come on. Situational Awareness? Target Practice? Common Sense?

I mean by all means, if you need two guns to feel safe, go for it. But one gun suits me just fine anywhere outside of a war zone.

 

[Lew]

How many knives should we carry? Flashlights? OC Sprays? Etc....

As many as you feel like, I would think. Personal choice.

 

[mcdonl]

I ride a motorcycle without a helmet, I drink scotch and smoke the occasional cigar, I hunt without hearing protection and I only cary one gun. I must be danger dan.

These are all calculated risks... not knowing the math, I would say that in MY PERSONAL SITUATION living in Southern Maine, one gun should cover all of my needs.

 

[CoRoMo]

Gun components fail and break. When it happens, it is most always unexpected.
If that happens when you are defending your life, you'll instantly see all the wisdom in a backup gun.

 

[KenWP]

If I needed a back up gun it would need to be bigger then what I used before becasue if I was in a situation where it would be needed it was becasue the other one wasn't big enough.

 

[TheProf]

Sorry, but if you need to carry TWO guns on you, you're somewhere you don't belong in the first place.

The only people I can see needing a back up gun are police/military.

What???? It makes perfect sense to carry TWO guns...if possible!!!

Before I digress...to answer the OP...

1. BUG usually refer to a second gun that is of smaller size (not necessarily smaller caliber) than the primary gun. This is usually done for the sake of concealment. Since a bigger size gun (longer barrel) generally has better performance than the smaller gun (all things being equal)...the person calls the bigger gun his "primary", that is, he would reach for that one first.


2. Some carry guns that are small to begin with. In that case, their primary and BUG may be two of the same guns. (Ex. A person carrying TWO Ruger LCPs....one of each front pocket.)

3. A BUG should be just as reliable as the primary gun. My friend carries a revolver as his BUG to his primary semi-auto. (I would argue, since I am biased for revolvers, that his BUG is more reliable than his primary in theory that is. But in practice they are probably the same.)

4. Now to answer the comment on why carry two guns...and that only cops should ever need a second gun... Two guns allow faster reload..."New York Reload" = simply pull the other gun out when you run out of ammo with the first gun. Second, you have the option of having a spare gun, should your primary malfunction. Third, you can arm another person should the need arise.

And finally, no one knows when danger will strike. The same criminal that crosses the paths of police officers also cross paths with the general public. You just never know...

5. Finally, guns to men are like purses to women. (Just ask any woman if she really needs another purse!) The difference is, men can carry two guns without attracting attention (if concealed). Women in all 50 states are allowed to open carry their purses. And it just doesn't look right to carry two purses. So...twice the fun for men.

(For any women who carry guns...the above was intended as a joke...bless your hearts ...you really have it better than men... You can carry two guns AND your purse!!!!)

 

[MagnumDweeb]

I know to some this might seem paranoid, but when the nearby Walmart(I was at it earlier in day) has a gunmen shoot it out with the police, and the general atmosphere of gun violence has traversed into whack jobs going off and shooting into masses of people I carry two guns.

I sometimes only carry a snub .357 in each pocket when that is all my wardrobe for the day allows. But when I'm wearing a heavy shirt or denim shirt I carry a snub .357 for easy concealed carry in my pocket that sits behind my wallet "yes mister mugger let me get my wallet for you" and I come up shooting, and then I carry either a Ruger P345 .45 ACP 8+1 and one extra mag reload, or a Glock 20 10mm with an extra magazine(I like shooting the Glock 20 more but I enjoy carry the P345 more for some odd reason) in a shoulder holster.

The Ruger or Glock are what I deem to be the SHTF firearm where there is a whack job running about shooting at people, there is a knife wielding whacko bouncing about swinging his blade, or I'm in a self-defense situation that allows me to draw from my shoulder holster more easily than my pocket.

Yeah it's a bit off, but nowadays you never know. If the SHTF and then you got two gangbanger scum who have decided to turn local mall into a shootout, I want the Glock 20 or P345 over just having snub. The snub .357 Rossi 462 is great for up close and personal (point pressed against the body out to seven yards) but if you ever have to reach out and touch somebody(twenty or more yards) I would think you want something more substantial. But that's me and maybe I'm just a tad paranoid in a healthy fashion.

 

[Avenger29]

Sorry, but if you need to carry TWO guns on you, you're somewhere you don't belong in the first place.

The only people I can see needing a back up gun are police/military.

Because Lord Knows, a mere civilian doesn't need something else should his primary catastrophically fail, he can't get to it, or it snags bad in the draw...


I'll carry as many guns as I want, and I'll carry them wherever legal, no matter how "safe" I feel or not. I don't decide how many heaters I'm going to need based on where I'm going.

 

[jackstinson]

If the SHTF and then you got two gangbanger scum who have decided to turn local mall into a shootout, I want the Glock 20 or P345 over just having snub.

I'd want to make my way to and through the nearest exit. I seriously doubt it would take three guns for me to get there.
I don't carry a firearm to play policeman, nor mall ninja.

but if you ever have to reach out and touch somebody(twenty or more yards) I would think you want something more substantial

Twenty or more yards? If I have twenty or more yards between me and my attacker, I'm not hanging around to shoot it out. Especially with a hand gun.
By law I have a duty to at least try making a strategic retreat beyond 21 FEET (not 21 yards). "Discretion is the better part of valor" and all that.

 

[HarleyFixer]

I didn't even carry a B/U gun in COMBAT much less in real life.

 

[scottishclaymore]

Twenty or more yards? If I have twenty or more yards between me and my attacker, I'm not hanging around to shoot it out. Especially with a hand gun.
By law I have a duty to at least try making a strategic retreat beyond 21 FEET (not 21 yards). "Discretion is the better part of valor" and all that.

The possible exception to this would be if someone else's life is at risk and you are intervening to save them. In the state where I live, that is legal, though not necessary. While I can understand others who feel differently, one of the reasons I carry a gun is to help look after my neighbors, friends, and anybody else who needs assistance. I'm not a vigilante or looking to make myself a hero, but I also know I'd feel awfully bad if I ran for it to save my own hide instead of taking a risk to help somebody else. But that is just the person that I am and the way I was raised.

Back on-topic, I really don't see any reason you shouldn't carry two guns -- even three or four if you want (my Dad routinely carries three). None of us will be at your gunfight. Carry what you want.

To the OP, my understanding of the backup gun is that it is not so much a reliability thing as it is an accessibility thing. For instance, carrying a J-frame in each pocket. If your strong hand is injured when hostilities commence, you can still get to something with your other hand. That sort of thing.

 

[Avenger29]

The possible exception to this would be if someone else's life is at risk and you are intervening to save them. In the state where I live, that is legal, though not necessary. While I can understand others who feel differently, one of the reasons I carry a gun is to help look after my neighbors, friends, and anybody else who needs assistance. I'm not a vigilante or looking to make myself a hero, but I also know I'd feel awfully bad if I ran for it to save my own hide instead of taking a risk to help somebody else. But that is just the person that I am and the way I was raised.

I'm the exact same way.

 

[B yond]

I only carry a BUG when I know I may have trouble accessing my primary. I'lll carry a small BUG crossdraw when carrying my primary in a versipack (someone may try to grab it, preventing me from accessing my primary) or when carrying my primary OWB at 4:00 and driving for long periods (if I need a gun NOW it's faster to get to than the primary pinned between my right butt cheek, seatbelt buckle, seat, and console.

Other than that I carry a spare mag instead of a BUG and don't feel undergunned at all.

 

[lions]

But think about it, if you're in a situation where you're going to pump out 8-15 rounds, reload and still need more, come on.

Who says you are going to get to shoot all 8-15 rounds before something breaks? One of the many valid reasons for a BUG presented here is in case your primary fails. What if you fire one round and then your primary has a catastrophic failure? In the end you may have only fired 2-3 rounds but you had to use 2 guns to do it.

I know it sounds unlikely but it is also unlikely that most of us will ever even need 1 gun. It isn't about the odds, it is about the stakes.

I don't carry a BUG but I can see the possible benefits in doing so.

 

[Avenger29]

I know it sounds unlikely but it is also unlikely that most of us will ever even need 1 gun. It isn't about the odds, it is about the stakes.

Another word about odds. If you are in situation where you need your gun, then the odds are shot anyway and Murphy is likely going to have you on his supper plate. It's the perfect time for a gun to fail or for any other number of situations to occur where you'd really, really, really like to have a good BUG.

 

[Girodin]

Sorry, but if you need to carry TWO guns on you, you're somewhere you don't belong in the first place.

Because nothing bad has ever happened in normally safe and peaceful areas right? I think of the some of the shooting rampages or robberies that have happened in areas that one would not consider unsafe normally. And no gun has ever failed at the most inopportune time either.

As the saying goes two is one, one is none.

It may be unlikely that one will ever need a BUG. That said it is very very unlikely that one will ever need their primary, particularly if you are aware of your surroundings and try to avoid trouble. Many people make the claim that if you need to carry a gun you are somewhere you don't belong in the first place. I think that is BS too.

I doubt I'll ever need a BUG, or even my primary for that reason. A second pistol has many tactical advantages and it is easy enough to carry a small pocket gun that I don't consider it a burden to carry a BUG either.