How Confident Are You With Your EDC?

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Good Ol' Boy

Good Ol' Boy

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If this needs to go in ST&T feel free to move it there mods.

This might seem like a silly question, "If I wasn't confident with it I wouldn't carry it". And this isn't meant to start a argument or pissing contest.

What it is that makes you feel confident about your EDC load out? How often do you practice/train with it? Are you confident you could realistically defend yourself with it?

Now the majority of us have thankfully never had to test this question but IMHO that doesn't mean the question is unwarranted.

I'll go first. In my quest for a EDC load out that worked for me I started with a micro .380 and then moved to micro 9's. While they were super convenient to carry I quickly realized they were not as easy to get at or shoot.

Fast forward a couple years and I got into competition shooting, specifically IDPA. After the initial honeymoon stage of shooting service weapons and getting familiar with everything I started shooting with my carry gear. It was an eye opening experience.

Fast forward several years to now and I carry a G26 with a 15rd mag with X-Grip spacer and another mag the same way weak side. Its basically a smaller more compact version of a G45.

I train with it, shoot comps with it and am 100% confident carrying it.


What about you folks?
 
I’m fairly confident. I carry a Blackhawk in 44 special currently. I’ve been shooting Ruger new model single actions for twenty years and they are as natural to me as breathing. I shoot both my 44 and my single six 22 often, more than any other guns. And I have shot Ruger new models more than anything else in my 20 years.

I’m not confident I could fend off multiple determined attackers using any handgun. I’m of the camp that thinks a bad guy will most likely desist if presented with deadly force. So I might as well carry what I’m most comfortable using.
 
Confident in my ccw and holster. Glock 26 with 12 round mag and a 15 round reload. Carried AIWB in a Trex arms sidecar.

It’s almost like a bobtailed G19. The rig is tuckable (necessary for my job), and I can shoot it well.
 
I start by choosing a brand and model that has been proven by large agencies. Then I test the chosen gun under numerous conditions like clean, dirty, REAL dirty, weak hand only, several types of hollow points, etc. After I test it over several range trips with probably near 1000 rounds, I call it trust worthy. Then I buy a police trade-in which is identical to what I carry for 95% of future range use.
 
I’ll play.
I’m a retired educator and I’m new to owning a handgun.
I dry fire almost everyday and have been to the range a few times for live fire.
I would love to take a class or two, but at this time my funds are somewhat limited. Hopefully near future.
I want and feel that I need more training. Living in the restricted state of NY it’s hard to find the training I’m looking for so I’ll most likely have to travel which adds cost to the class.
So I’ll continue to practice my concealment, my draws, reholstering, trigger control, and shooting drills on my own and hopefully I’m not making too many bad habits.
What I am confident in is that, I feel, that I’m more able to defend myself/loved ones with my everyday carry than I am without it. I understand my limitations, but I’m less limited than I would be if I were not carrying.
Hopefully I never have to find out just how well I can do that, or that I’m able to be aware of a bad situation and remove myself/loved ones from that before I have to be tested.
 
Firearm selected, I developed a system around that pistol that includes person, home, vehicles and air travel.

It would be time consuming, expensive and involve hours of training to switch.

Same gun. All the time.

It is supplemented at home by larger but similar frames, as well as long guns.

I would not be confident with an assortment of carry pistols.
 
Proficiency with EDC is something that I think a lot of people take for granted. They get a gun, they shoot it pretty well, and they start carrying it. The end.

I carry an H&K P30SK. I chose it because I shoot it well, I love the ergonomics, and the manual of arms is something I know by heart. I’ve practiced handling it, drawing from concealment, reloading, etc. so I’m confident there. The one thing I don’t do (enough) is shoot it. I do put rounds down range periodically, but probably not as much as I should.

That said, since I’m very comfortable with small, hammer fired guns I don’t feel like I’m creating a disadvantage. But it’s a good reminder not to get complacent!
 
I'm confident; I carry a Glock 19 minimum, which is easy to shoot quick & accurate.
Does that mean at least a Glock 19 in a "good area"? Yup.
Does that mean at least a Glock 19 for a "quick trip to the store"? Yup.
Why? Because the goal of SD is to stop threat(s) hopefully before they can inflict serious or lethal injury and that applies everywhere.
 
I took the OP as asking about confidence in the mechanics of the gun itself. As far as confidence in my ability with my carry gun, that's complicated.

My mindset will not allow me to be overly confident. Really my mindset won't allow me to be just plain confident. I've had some training and LOTS of regular practice. I'm confident that I practice and have the mindset to be able to perform in real life situations. I watch self defense videos online and critique all the participants. I put myself in the situation and think about how I would perform in all the bad situations. I've talked to ex LEOs about numerous shootings and self defense situations. I practice around real life possibilities. I also practice around my abilities. (no more back flips or round house kicks for me)

I'm confident I can move and shoot, draw quickly, get the first shot or multiple shots on target quickly and shoot weak handed. I'm confident I have a good self defense mindset and will never even draw unless it's the last resort, much less pull the trigger. But with all of that, I know anything can happen so I pray I'll never be tested and that I perform as needed if I am tested.
 
Navy87Guy said:
Proficiency with EDC is something that I think a lot of people take for granted. They get a gun, they shoot it pretty well, and they start carrying it. The end.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, I think this is probably the most accurate assessment.

The gun is really just a small part of things here, and for a lot of people, that seems to be a literal thing too. What you can do with the gun, and repeatedly, on-demand, is more important than what the gun actually is, to a point anyway.

That said, when was the last time you saw people most people you know who carry, practicing "realistically" with the gun they carry, from how they carry it? How often do you do that?

Ive always tried my best to carry the guns I shoot the best with, and will give me the best shot at dealing with whatever should pop up, not just one or two scenarios. For me, that's always been a full size handgun, things like 1911's, SIG P220/226, etc. For the past decade or so, its been a Glock 17 on a daily basis.

I carry all day, every day, as we dont get to choose when we might need it. We get to react, and you either have something that will give you the best shot at solving things, or you dont. And that goes for guns "and" skill. Its a package deal.
 
I'm as confident as I can be with my shield 9. That doesn't mean I can't lose a gunfight. Lately I have given some thought to obtaining a 380- something like a Ruger LCP, which is a gun/caliber I normally recommend against. Why? as a "gym" gun. When I go to the dojo 3 nights a week (as well as travel to/from) I am wearing my "workout clothes"- MMA shorts with a velcro side pocket (designed for storage of a mouth guard) and a sleeveless shirt. So I am basically in my underwear. The small 380 in the side pocket- while inferior to my shield 9- (I also discourage pocket carry) is more practical to have on me if I need to stop at a store enroute, or for some unforeseeable situation, such as last week when I stopped on a little-travelled road on the way home to check on a couple having some vehicle problems.
 
Confident to make shots at 100 yards.

Confident to draw from under cover in a kneeling hands over head position to double tap at 3 yards in under two seconds.
 
I recently had a complete overhaul of my ccw practices.
My purchase of a SA Hellcat has changed everything. It is now my normal edc.
Better sights
Higher cap (13+1)
Slimmer profile
Manual safety
20220402_093823.jpg


I am satisfied with everything about it.
I shoot it about twice per month I think, maybe three times.
I have my oil filter shooting gallery set up in the field behind the shop. I shoot enough that I quit carrying my HST ammo and just carry fmj so I don't bother with swapping mags when I practice. I dont even carry a spare mag anymore. I do keep spare mags in all our vehicles and one in the house.
 
FL-NC said:
I'm as confident as I can be with my shield 9. That doesn't mean I can't lose a gunfight. Lately I have given some thought to obtaining a 380- something like a Ruger LCP, which is a gun/caliber I normally recommend against. Why? as a "gym" gun. When I go to the dojo 3 nights a week (as well as travel to/from) I am wearing my "workout clothes"- MMA shorts with a velcro side pocket (designed for storage of a mouth guard) and a sleeveless shirt. So I am basically in my underwear. The small 380 in the side pocket- while inferior to my shield 9- (I also discourage pocket carry) is more practical to have on me if I need to stop at a store enroute, or for some unforeseeable situation, such as last week when I stopped on a little-travelled road on the way home to check on a couple having some vehicle problems.
Click to expand...
Techni-cllip solves the 'carry in the waistband if your Hanes' problem. I highly recommend it and the extended mag.
20220325_195400.jpg
 
I'm confident. I range between 2 J Frames (Model 31 and Model 36-both 1 7/8in), a Glock 36 and a KelTec P3AT. Soon it will get a G48 in the mix too. I shoot all of them frequently - just put 100rds through the G48 and 50rds through the G36 on Saturday all at 7-15yds. I would definitely feel scummy carrying something I either 1. never shot or 2. couldn't shoot well (accurately, safely, proficiently) All my guns get a work out.

I have stepped back to 50 and shot certain handguns on target and am confident.
 
For me, the confidence comes with having used - and trained regularly with - the same equipment for the last thirty years -- same handgun platforms, same brands/styles of holsters, always worn in the same position. While there may be occasions where I vary a bit (shoulder holster for long drives, IWB -- rarely anymore --for slightly improved concealment, smaller pistol, even a 1911 or a revolver) I keep a handgun in the same location, strong-side, 4 o'clock.
A EDC.jpg
 
With the handguns I own now that I might utilize for carry, I'm confident they will go bang. I've bought new guns in the past that were sent down the road because of issues right out of the box.

The rest is up to me, but I don't want any lingering doubts on the equipment.
 
Navy87Guy said:
Proficiency with EDC is something that I think a lot of people take for granted. They get a gun, they shoot it pretty well, and they start carrying it. The end.
Click to expand...
Therein lies the rub.

Shooting proficiency is but part of effective self preservation.

First comes the immediate detection of a threat. That'a followed by good fast decision-making. That's followed by immediate, effective action--movement to enable clear shots and a backstop--and the draw. Then we have the all important shoot/no-shoot decision, again with great rapidity. Shooting comes last, with rapidity of fire that few try at the range, and with combat accuracy.

I can handle the gun, and I have trained for all the rest, but I cannot really assess how confident I am.
 
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