I Do Not Rotate My Carry Guns

[wally]

IMHO knowing which gun and where it is, is situational awareness. Learning a MOA so that it's reflex is a good thing, wanting it to be reflex because you plan to panic isn't

Duh, I know which gun and were it is because I put it there, same as I have to sometimes carry my car keys in different locations depending on what I'm wearing.

What is an MOA?

Planning to panic is not plan, if you are prone to panic, I doubt carrying a gun will do any good.

 

[short barrel]

If you have to use your c/c, the situation will not be "high stress." You will simply do what you need to do. The emotional strain comes later, after it's over. This is not opinion.

Concerning rotation of guns I carry, nope, I don't do that. I carry one all the time, any season, any location. It's always the same gun. Not because I would forget how to use another, but because it's the gun I like to carry. If it works for self defense today, it will still work for that any other day.

 

[Bobson]

What is an MOA?

Manual of Arms. It refers to the collective "controls" and functions on/of a pistol. EG, manual safety versus no manual safety, and SAO versus SA/DA, etc. A standard P226 has a different manual of arms than a Glock 17, for example.

 

[mavracer]

Wally sorry if I came off as disagreeing with you, I really thought you were spot on, I was just adding to it. My panic comment wasn't directed at you either it was more to the OP.
Training builds confidence, If somebody lacks confidence in their ability to sweep a safety it's a training issue not a design issue.
And as Bobson said MOA = manual of arms

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

I'll carry anything Ive deemed reliable. I spend a LOT of money on holsters... lol whatever... Lately my preference is wheel guns. Currently I've got an sp101, but I've carried everything from a NAA mini, all the way up to one of my gp100s... All kinds of semi's from as small as the p3at (err... not THAT reliable) to a sig p220... I like carrying different guns, so I guess you could say I'm rotating. I cant wait for open carry to come to texas.

 

[wally]

And as Bobson said MOA = manual of arms

Thanks I just didn't recognize the acronym. In an attempt to "standardize" my MOA I'm in the habit of wiping off a thumb safety on the draw even if its not there. Only thing that really messes me up are things like the Beretta Neos where the safety rotates the wrong way, but this will never be a carry gun anyway. Guns like the S&W Bodyguard .380 where the safety is really hard to work I just don't use it, it not like it has trigger lighter than a Glock

I definitely see the advantage to a single gun always carried the same way but it'll never work for me unless we get open carry, but that in itself is a whole 'nother can of worms

 

[farm23]

BSA is right, practice if everything but so is muscle memory and I carry the same way with only 2 gun options.

 

[Bobson]

practice is everything but so is muscle memory

This is very contradictory.

Either you can practice muscle memory out, or practice builds muscle memory. Which do you believe is true? Saying it's both is like saying water is wet and also dry.

 

[Atonal]

It's all personal preference. Shield 9 IWB @ 4:30 every day for me. I like consistency.

 

[TMann]

It seems to me that the folks who should be most wary about training with lots of different guns are those who mainly carry SAO semi-autos with manual thumb safeties (i.e. 1911, Hipower, etc.) There are two features of these handguns that may cause problems for those who cross-train with other handguns:

1. The manual safety must be clicked OFF before firing; neglecting to do this may lead to a gun that doesn't fire when you're expecting it to.
2. The trigger has minimal travel before firing (this is mainly a feature of 1911s.) If you're used to a Glock trigger with its long take-up, you may find yourself accidentally firing before you mean to.

I realize that with enough training, one can be comfortable carrying a variety of weapons and using them effectively. However, I would guess that most of us don't have the time or money to train as much as we'd like; furthermore, those of us who aren't in the military won't ever get experience in battle situations, so there's no way to "train" for the stress-level of an armed conflict.

Given that, I've decided to stay with one type of handgun for all of my shooting.

 

[PRM]

Oddly enough the most notable advantage I’ve seen so far is the time I no longer waste deciding which gun I’m going to carry.

That is an honest and valid positive. I like my semi-autos and my revolvers. I usually carry the same gun for a month or two before swapping it out. It's kind of like getting a new gun every few months without the cost.

 

[TMann]

I usually carry the same gun for a month or two before swapping it out. It's kind of like getting a new gun every few months without the cost.

I like it. I may try this. 1911 for a month...CZ for a month...Glock for a month...something else the next month...

 

[tomrkba]

It's your call. Do what you need to do.

 

[Sauer Grapes]

I carry 1 of 3 guns. All basically the same trigger and controls. I don't carry anything that requires a safety.

 

[Mr.510]

I carry the same gun in the same holster in the same place every day. I'm "proficient" with all handguns and could carry anything. Proficient isn't enough, this is my life I'm talking about defending. If I ever need to use it I don't want to be merely proficient with my carry gun, I want to be a grand master wizard super ninja with it! Practice makes perfect. Eliminating variables makes anything a human does more consistent and reliable. It's my belief that the more I practice with my carry gun the better I'm going to be with it under stress. The less variables in my equipment the faster I'm going to draw, the less chance of a mistake or hesitation, and the better my chances of survival. I have completely eliminated the variable of what I'm carrying, where, or how. It's always exactly the same. I'm better prepared to defend myself as a result.

 

[Hangingrock]

That's funny for "MOA" I always think "Minute Of Angle" as opposed to "Manual Of Arms". The varying differences of MOA in my opinion under stress has the potential to be problematic but then that's dependent on the individual. For myself KISS-aka-(Keep It Simple Stupid) applies.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I carry the same gun in the same holster in the same place every day. I'm "proficient" with all handguns and could carry anything. Proficient isn't enough, this is my life I'm talking about defending. If I ever need to use it I don't want to be merely proficient with my carry gun, I want to be a grand master wizard super ninja with it! Practice makes perfect. Eliminating variables makes anything a human does more consistent and reliable. It's my belief that the more I practice with my carry gun the better I'm going to be with it under stress. The less variables in my equipment the faster I'm going to draw, the less chance of a mistake or hesitation, and the better my chances of survival. I have completely eliminated the variable of what I'm carrying, where, or how. It's always exactly the same. I'm better prepared to defend myself as a result.

Thank you. THIS is what I was trying to say

 

[Kleanbore]

Yes, 510, that it very all said indeed.

 

[RJTravel]

Mr.510 said it well. Always same mode of carry - always same exact place - always same handgun. I can't explain the exact psychology, but while you may be consciously aware of your carry when you leave the house you will not function under extreme stress. You will react. Consider a boxer - it is easy for me to determine who will most likely win. If after a punch he snaps his hands back every time into position to protect the angle of his jaw and his ribs he will likely never be cold cocked. If he drops his hands he will, sooner or later, get caught after he gets tagged - and everyone gets tagged. For a second or two he is an easy target. This is a result of consistent training and cannot be corrected while under fire. I had the best training, and therefore still have my teeth. The principle is exactly the same for conceal training - you cannot override it.

 

[phil dirt]

Carry "rotation" has always seemed to me like a good way to get killed in a stressful situation. But, that's just me.

 

[dfariswheel]

"I do not rotate my carry guns"

A wise decision.
I go by John Bianchi's "One gun, one holster, one carry" rule.
That way under stress you don't have to think about where the gun is, how is it released from the holster, what kind of gun it is, and what you have to do to prepare it for firing.

When you've been carrying the same gun in the same holster in the same way for years you don't fumble it when you really, really NEED not to fumble it.

It takes 5,000 repetitions to commit a movement to muscle memory.
After wearing the same gun and holster and practicing with them for years you should have it committed to muscle memory, so you won't fumble it when you need it.

 

[CajunBass]

I carry the same Smith & Wesson Model 12 that I've carried for a number of years now.

I doubt I'll ever carry anything else. I'm just too lazy to change.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I don't have a lot of the problems I see in this thread. I practice a lot and I practice well. I shoot all my guns but I'm sure to always shoot my usual carry. Most times I carry one of four guns but since all are revolvers and all are carried in the same place on my body I see no problem there.

The only time I carry a semi-auto, when I need something very small and it's a Kel-Tec P-32. I carry that pistol in the same place as the revolver and it's a lot like a revolver because you draw and squeeze the trigger just like a revolver. Again, I see no problem there. (yes, I practice failure drills with the semi-auto)

IMO do what works for you and don't worry what's good for others.

 

[harrygunner]

Say you could win a lot of money playing a single hole of golf. Just had to play that one hole to win. To practice, would you use clubs by different manufacturers with shafts of different lengths and composition along with balls with different surfaces and cores? Probably not. You'd perfect yourself with the set you'll use to win a lot of money.

Replace "lot of money" with "your life". I don't rotate.

 

[Khromo]

I spent most of the "working" part of my life in federal law enforcement, in a very active agency in a very active district. I worked extensively with other agencies, so I have a professional perspective on concealed carry.

The vast number of professionals I know carried the same gun in the same place every day, with little or no variation once they settled on their favored system. Many, and I was one of them, had a "little" gun for everyday concealed carry (Mine was a P239.) and a "big" gun for more interesting circumstances (P226), but that was it for handguns. One operating system, almost no single action semis.

When you know the difference between life or death, and you understand that your choices impact your own life or death, the fascination with fashion and hardware falls away, and you experience what alcoholics call a moment of clarity.

This is what works best for me, and nothing else will do. It's not a purse or a little black dress!