Explain The Rationale Behind Rotating Carry Guns Please

[Treo]

I'm very firmly in the carry the same gun , the same way every day camp. I carry one gun for familiarity and simplicity.

Ok now that I've made my bias crystal clear, and let me add I'm not asking you to convince me to change. I'd like the guys that do rotate to explain the reasoning that goes with it.

Is there a principal behind it or do you just get bored?

 

[springmom]

I change with the seasons. When it is 95 degrees in Houston I'm more likely to be in a light tee shirt and capris, and it's easier to conceal a J frame than a Kimber Ultra Carry II. I do have a Jagwear belt pouch-style holster for the Kimber, but it just looks odd with summer clothes, IMO. Sort of like Daisy Dukes and a shooting vest....

So I change to fit my wardrobe change.

Springmom

 

[fastbolt]

Depends.

Nothing 'wrong' with being a '1-gun' fellow if that suits you and your perceived needs. I started out that way, myself.

Did essentially the same thing in the martial arts, at first, too.

Nowadays I choose an off-duty weapon for a number of reasons ...

Planned activities while being armed, anticipated potential circumstances, clothing choice (mine or dictated by the circumstances, such as weather) preferred carry methods for given situations, destination & method of travel, time planned away from home and support, personal comfort ... and yes, sometimes simply because of a personal inclination to choose a particular weapon.

Over the years my common choices have become smaller & lighter. I grew tired of always carrying a full-size weapon, especially a heavy one, as the years marched on in my LE career.

I'm sure I could 'make do' with owning just one type of hammer, or one pocket knife, but some seem to offer advantages over others depending on the circumstances.

When I retire and my 'easy' access to a non-public range ... including targets and an ammunition inventory ... changes, I can see this affecting my continued training and the overall frequency of my practice to some extent. I'll probably choose to cut back on the amount of my practice and the number of weapons with which I practice. This will likely influence how I choose my commonly carried retirement weapon(s) to a reasonable degree.

I imagine I'll always have a few J-frames on hand, being a long-time revolver shooter, and I've developed a practiced familiarity and reasonable skill level with some semiauto pistols over the years, as well.

Based upon my perceived needs and personal experience I see no 'need' to limit myself beyond a reasonable balance of common sense, skills maintenance and the luxury of individual choice ... and any restrictions I may encounter elsewhere once I retire and have to qualify under another agency's requirements, of course.

It doesn't cause me a second's worth of thought whenever I encounter someone who prefers to limit themselves to either one specific handgun or even one specific platform. If it works for them, it works for them. Their business.

I don't expect them to bother themselves with my personal choices and philosophies, either.

I might even decide I once again want to own and ride more than one type of motorcycle, too.

Matter of fact, I'm seriously thinking about cutting back on the cigars and trying a pipe.

 

[Mandirigma]

Because my guns start acting up if I favor one and leave the others at home.

But honestly, I cycle between Tupperware and Steel (Glocks and 1911s). Like springmom, it mainly has to do with the weather. Sometimes it depends on where I'm going, or how I'm dressed. Rainy down pouring day, its probably a glock day. Chilly day that requires a windbreaker or jacket, its a 1911 day. Going out on my parents property just to see whats over that ridge, it'll be the gun that I brought with me

Sometimes its just because "You know I haven't carried THAT gun in a while."

I also vary where I carry my gun. Ankle (ok not with the 1911's) 2 o'clock, 4 o clock, sob, 10 o'clock, pocket, you get the picture.

As for "...the carry the same gun , the same way every day camp. I carry one gun for familiarity and simplicity." I carried over a training precept from my MA training, don't get caught up in doing things a certain way. Its not about the tools, or the technique (granted they help out immensely) its about flexibility. "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail."

I've spent extensive time with my guns. You get familiar with them. I started out carrying a Glock, but eventually started cycling the 1911's. I find that when I draw one of my glocks I swipe the safety off as if it were a 1911. I also have a hard time with gun's safetys that are swiped up instead of down. Just because of this habit.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I carry a compact 9mm X 19 in the summer and a .357 magnum in the winter. Much prefer the higher power of the .357 magnum, but I can't hide the bigger gun in the summer around here...

 

[woad_yurt]

In the cold weather, with cold weather clothing, I'd prefer my Makarov. In our Tennessee heat & humidity misery season (summer,) I'll use my little P3AT. Less gun is good for less clothing.

 

[Corporal K]

Lots of reasons. If I'm hiking or backpacking in the back country - Glock 45. If I'm hiking in a more suburban area or carrying around town, S&W .38.

Weather, what I'm wearing, etc.

 

[-v-]

Mainly rotate based on season. During the summer I carry a PF9 in a pocket or an IWB holster under a T-shirt, when it cools down I grab a .40 in a pancake under a long sleeve shirt. Rationale being whatever is easier to conceal. Plus my view is as long as I have the fundamentals of good shooting down, it shouldn't matter what I draw and fire, all should display acceptable SD accuracy.

 

[RyanM]

Different guns for different circumstances, mainly. Glock 23 for when I can carry on the belt, Kahr MK40 for when I can't.

On the other hand, people that genuinely rotate firearms, just using whatever one strikes their fancy with no rhyme or reason, have more handguns than sense.

 

[AK103K]

I'm very firmly in the carry the same gun , the same way every day camp.

I am to for the most part, but I do rotate guns every other week or so nowadays. The P229 in the holster comes out to shoot while a duplicate P229 and the next mag in the carrier goes into the holster when I'm done. That way both guns get shot on a regular basis and my ammo also gets rotated regularly.

Same goes for my Seecamp.

I've had this "two is one, one is none" thing going on for awhile now. I have duplicate's of pretty much everything.

 

[Technosavant]

I don't so much rotate carry guns as pick one based on my wardrobe for the day. I'll carry my 642, 1911, or P-01, depending on what happens to be going on. The 1911 and P-01 get more carry in the winter due to sweaters covering up IWB guns well in the office.

 

[Ed Ames]

The simple answer is easy... distribution of wear. If a gun will last 10 years of continuous use, two guns will last 20. You can buy the second one when the first wears out or buy them both at once. Either way you get twice the lifespan.

The more correct, and complex, answer is that two is fundamentally better than one. Two means that, should one fail, you have a backup already in hand and you aren't left with nothing while the first is in for repairs (or aren't stuck with a double financial burden... buying a new gun AND paying to have the old one fixed). Two also means you can have different guns so that you are more likely to be able to match the gun to your dress instead of dressing around the gun. That's optional of course but in areas with seasons it can make a lot of sense to have summer and winter clothes and accessories... including firearms. There are other advantages as well. If something happens in your house while a trusted house guest is present you can give one to them and so on.

Once you have two, you need to practice with them. You need to get used to how they carry and how they shoot. You also need to keep them maintained and ready. A spare gun in a drawer for years while you carry your one and only can become a door stop without you knowing... so, if you have two carry guns you should be carrying each at least part of the time. That way if the holster doesn't quite hold or the grip frame sticks out and prints using your chosen IWB holster you can make adjustments before you are forced to carry the gun.

As with most redundancy, you reach the point of diminishing returns very quickly. Three is only marginally better than two and four is a tiny fraction better than three. At some point there is no more gain and the cost, training, and maintenance burden outweighs the benefit. For most people of standard income and IQ that point is probably somewhere around half a dozen. Anything beyond that is either fashion (like the guys with 50 pairs of shoes) or obsessive compulsive behavior (like the guys with 50 pairs of shoes).

 

[glockman19]

For me it depends on three factors...Weather & Dress & Location.

I'll regularly carry a S&W 442 or 642 depending on color or a Glock 26. I'll rarely carry my Kimber Ultra.

 

[Geno]

Kudos all. Insightful answers. I too change out my carry piece based on what I am wearing, where I am going and the season.

 

[DawgFvr]

Very simple In work clothes I can carry certain weapons I am unable to carry when I go to church in my suit on Sunday...or when I go out on the town in my tuxedo...etc. I dress around the many weapons in my arsenal because I wear different clothes on any given day, week, month IAW the season.

 

[Stinger]

I carry whatever I feel like so long as the gun is reliable and I can conceal it.

 

[wally]

I carry the largest gun I can conceal, which usually is one of Kahr PM40, S&W SC360 .357Magnum J-frame, or KelTec P3AT. In our short not summer season, I can sometimes carry my Kimber Ultra Carry.

If I had reason to think one of these wouldn't be enough gun for where I was going, I'd not be going there!!!

--wally.

 

[ravencon]

What I carry depends on how I plan to carry, what I'm wearing, the perceived threat level of the area I'll be in. Sometimes my choice is dictated by sheer whimsy.

 

[Treo]

You guys are all giving good rationales. I had the immpression that people rotate just because, and I'm sure some do that's the part that made no sense to me.

 

[The_Shootist]

Not Exactly...but...

...I also modify my carry pieces due to seasons here on the Gulf Coast (ie either warmish ot tropical). In the more"winter" months in whcih i' wearing pants and a sweater its my G19 or my 686. In the summer, its my Taurus M85 in the pocket of my shorts (or course nowadays economic reasons dictate the guns carried - 9mm / .38 spl being cheaper to practice with than .45).

If anything, my carry choices are now being driven more by guns that don't have safeties (ie revolvers or Glocks). As .50 Cent once opined ...."guys have been killed by failing to quickly disengage their safeties..."

Well, ok, maybe what he said was somewhat more colorful than that, but it was alomg those lines.

 

[chris in va]

I just get bored, pure and simple. Sometimes it's the P11, the Sig 220, or the SP101. Whichever I feel like carrying that day.

Now all my carry guns are similar...no safeties. I wouldn't want to switch a 1911 with a revolver, for instance.

 

[-terry]

When I carry, I always carry a Walther P99c summer, winter, spring, day, night, left, right, up, down, tux, jeans. No confusion about manual of arms, familiar, fits me like an old shoe. Carrying anything else would feel strange and awkward...kinda like how it felt when I first started carrying.

-terry

 

[sm]

Me?
I am just a dumb Southern Boy and my idea of dressing up is clean jeans and tucking my shirt tail in. So I just carry the same old boring stuff.

Ladies now, have these "reasons" guys don't have.
This is also why ladies have more stuff than guys and live longer than guys...

Let me see if remember what the last re-fresher course was about:

Model 19 is for jeans and when wearing the blue sapphire earrings.
Model 66 is for when the diamond earrings are worn.
Gov't model of 1911 is when gold ball earrings are worn
BHP when the Gold hoop earrings are worn.

I remember the earring part, I need to go find about the jeans, pants, dresses and necklace stuff again. I am a guy, we are dumb and don't pay attention real well...


I think the single action revolver is no earrings, frump clothes, eating chocolate and reading a book day...

 

[mmay1]

I have several pistols that I carry, depending on the conditions, dress etc., or sometimes just because I want to change. I am familiar with them and can shoot them, have good holsters, etc.

In RyanM's opinion, I guess I have more handguns than sense. Of course, it's good to have choices.

 

[Old Dog]

mmay1, looks as though I'm also in the "more handguns than sense" camp. If one is not familiar enough using different handgun platforms, and comfortable with one's own shooting ability, perhaps more practice is in order. I'm confidant in my awareness that if I'm carrying a Condition 1 1911 instead of a revolver or decocked SIG, I'm gonna have to swipe the safety off in order to fire.

However, while I may change platforms for concealed carry (e.g., 1911 to SIG to revolver), I generally carry in the same place with same type of holster (OWB, 4 o'clock strongside pancake, no strap/thumbreak).

Of course, it's good to have choices.

Indeed.