I want to be "that guy" with one CCW weapon...

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Trey Veston

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I wholeheartedly endorse the concept of having one pistol for CCW. No matter if it's in the woods, in town, during the summer, or middle of winter. One pistol, one load, and complete familiarity and mastery of that weapon platform.

But... I love guns! I love shooting everything from my P365 to my G29. I usually rock a G23 or my P365 for CCW. Two completely different platforms and feels. G23 has no safety and is huge compared to the P365, which has a safety.

I KNOW I need to settle on one weapon in order to be the most competent and effective I can be, but it is truly hard to decide.

Love my G29, but it is just a bit too thick. Thinking about trying the SA new compact 10mm and seeing if I could adopt it as my ultimate CCW platform.

Anyone else struggling with the concept of one pistol to master and carry?
 
Nope. No problems here.

Not for lack of handguns, mind you.

I carry a Colt 1991A1, and have since I bought it three decades ago.

It suits my needs.

I'm sure there are "better", but then the search for "better" or "best" is an endless pursuit.

Pick something and go with it.

And I'm not really all that convinced one need stick with a single CCW forever. I just don't buy into changing them out all the time like dress accessories.
 
Nope, don't agree, at least not for my life style. But I do realize I'm probably not the typical CCW person.
I have four main carry weapons and they each fit a purpose. If I could conceal it under any clothing, my XD 40 or G19 would be my "out in public" CCW. These are with me in the winter. But since I can't conceal those with most of my summer attire, I carry an LCP or Diamondback .380. There's really not much difference in them functionally, I can present and hit well with either.
When I'm bush hogging or other outdoor work, I usually have my
CZ52. I can and have hit snakes, rats, and Coyotes with it.
When I'm hunting or fishing I usually have one of my .357 revolvers with 3 or four Hp's and 2 or three rounds of rat shot.. That way I'm prepared for two legged or no legged snakes.
 
Anyone else struggling with the concept of one pistol to master and carry?
Nope. I have given in to the notion that variety is the spice of life. Besides, I have to carry one handgun for my job, so when I'm on my own, I do change it up a bit. I do find myself carrying a SIG P-228 or 229 much of the time, but were I going to settle on a single gun, it just might be the P-365 XL, which, in spite of being a striker-fired pistol, just hits the sweet spot where concealability meets a superb trigger meets balance/feel in the hand meets great sights meets weight meets capacity meets accuracy...

Truly, though, I believe it possible for one to have complete familiarity with, and master, more than one weapon platform.
 
I wholeheartedly endorse the concept of having one pistol for CCW. No matter if it's in the woods, in town, during the summer, or middle of winter. One pistol, one load, and complete familiarity and mastery of that weapon platform.

But... I love guns! I love shooting everything from my P365 to my G29. I usually rock a G23 or my P365 for CCW. Two completely different platforms and feels. G23 has no safety and is huge compared to the P365, which has a safety.

I KNOW I need to settle on one weapon in order to be the most competent and effective I can be, but it is truly hard to decide.

Love my G29, but it is just a bit too thick. Thinking about trying the SA new compact 10mm and seeing if I could adopt it as my ultimate CCW platform.

Anyone else struggling with the concept of one pistol to master and carry?

NO.

Instead, I focus upon:

1) Meta elements of shooting that apply to all handguns starting with grip.
2) Understand, experiment with, and train on the major action types: single action, DA/SA, striker fired, DAO, revolver
3) Dry fire each type
4) Live fire confirmation with each type

It would be very easy for me to choose a gun. The Glock platform is quite good in its consistency; 9, 40, 45, 10mm all work exactly the same with no real difference except recoil. The real problem is that no one caliber does everything. 44 Magnum is excellent for most threats, with 44 Special for personal defense against criminals, but is terrible where 9mm shines (with tiny framed guns). Then there's the reload and capacity problem with revolvers in general. Back to semi-autos, the 1911 gets you into 9mm, 45 ACP, and 10mm all on the same platform (same as Glock). Large, small, skinny vs thick; trigger this or that, sight this or that--it all doesn't matter as much as gun forums make it out to be.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with just choosing a small compact auto and not worrying about it. The Glock 43 or SIG P365, P365X or P365XL would do just fine for 95% of carry. Using a Glock 29 or S&W Model 29 for hiking would work well. But, since you love guns, you're never going to really settle down into "the one". I just did that with the P229 and am back to carrying Glock 19's and 30's. The love affair lasted a day or two and I was off onto HK and 1911's before coming around to Glock. If you can shoot them all at speed to a reasonable distance, then the 0.000005% improvement you get from "the one" is inconsequential.

As you can see the problem cannot be solved, focusing upon shooting expertise removes the necessity of doing so. I choose a group of guns to cover all my needs:

1) Ultracompact in 380 ACP such as the Ruger LCP or Glock 42
2) Subcompact in 9mm such as the Glock 43, SIG P365, SIG 938
3) Compact Glock 19, Glock 30, 1911 Officers with 3.5"-4" barrel
4) Full size: S&W Model 29 4", Glock 17, Glock 21, 1911 Government or Commander, etc.

These four guns should cover every concealment requirement with the rule of going as large as possible given clothing, activity and environment.
 
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I am growing increasingly fond of my Glock 43X. I swapped the polymer mag release for a Shield steel release and use Shield 2.0 15-rd mags. With one spare in a mag pocket in my 5.11s, I've got 30 rounds in an eminently controllable handgun. I have two holsters for it...an IWB Blade-Tech for warm weather and a OWB Bladetech for when I'm wearing a sweatshirt or jacket.

I really like .40 S&W, 10mm, and .45ACP and the guns for them but the idea of a single gun for all seasons appeals to me. While I'm still deciding, I'm leaning to the 43X.

Harry
 
1) Ultracompact in 380 ACP such as the Ruger LCP or Glock 42
2) Subcompact in 9mm such as the Glock 43, SIG P365, SIG 938
3) Compact Glock 19, Glock 30, 1911 Officers with 3.5"-4" barrel
4) Full size: S&W Model 29 4", Glock 17, Glock 21, 1911 Government or Commander, etc.

These four guns should cover every concealment requirement with the rule of going as large as possible given clothing, activity and environment.
I like the way you think, but I'm wondering about the inclusion of the 42 and the LCP in the same class. The LCP is easy to pocket carry, but the 42 is on the edge of too large, IMO -- it's closer in size to the SIG P365.

(Scroll down each one to see the size comparisons. The pictures up top aren't to scale.)

https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/ruger-lcp-vs-glock-g42

https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/sig-sauer-p365-vs-glock-g42
 
Anyone else struggling with the concept of one pistol to master and carry?
No struggle whatsoever. I carried a full size 1911 for 40 years, and than fell in love with the 686+ with 3" barrel. I now carry the 686. I get your concept of a one gun carry but realistically if you are smart you train to be flexible. Just a rhetorical question but how many here actually ever shoot with their weak hand?

Flexibility is key because scenarios and events are different. I also carry a .380 acp but only on two occasions, one in the house with my pajamas and the other time with warm ups when I walk. If I carried my .357 in my warm ups with no belt I would be like those real cool guys with their pants behind their knees and walk like I am ready to drop a log or have something inserted in an area I don't want to talk about.:rofl:
 
Training and practice are more potent than simply maintaining a single firearm or manual of arms.

I personally only have one EDC and I don't have a collection of interesting guns. I do 'love' guns and find them fascinating. I just don't feel that I need to own an example of everything I find appealing. I admire all kinds of guns, though certainly not all guns. I own only a few that I have practical uses for. I have only one EDC piece for the practical reason that I don't need another rather than because I think its exclusive use fosters more mastery than I could attain if I diversified.

If I carried diverse guns, I might want to practice more, using each of them. I could possibly practice more efficiently and certainly more cost effectively with only one gun, but I don't believe it would inherently result in greater mastery. On the contrary, I think practicing with different guns might build greater overall competency. Besides, we're not assured that it will be our gun that we get to fight with. However improbable a gun fight with someone else's gun is, or any gunfight for that matter, being competent with the gamut of action types isn't a skill that somehow damages our mastery.

Do you drive only one car? I drive several regularly and feel immediately fluent in any of them. If I get into an unfamiliar car (like a rental) I am not immediately fluent but I'm far from incompetent. It doesn't take many days of driving to become fluent with it.
 
One pistol, one load, and complete familiarity and mastery of that weapon platform.

But... I love guns! I love shooting everything from my P365 to my G29. I usually rock a G23 or my P365 for CCW. Two completely different platforms and feels. G23 has no safety and is huge compared to the P365, which has a safety.

I KNOW I need to settle on one weapon in order to be the most competent and effective I can be, but it is truly hard to decide.

Love my G29, but it is just a bit too thick. Thinking about trying the SA new compact 10mm and seeing if I could adopt it as my ultimate CCW platform.

Anyone else struggling with the concept of one pistol to master and carry?
I think you're basically there.

Every gun you're choosing among is polymer framed, and striker fired. They may feel a little different, and the calibers are different, but they are all the same action.

It's not like you're choosing between a Glock G23, an S&W 686, a SIG P229, a 1911, and a Ruger Super Black Hawk.
 
I have several options to choose from, but I'd be fine if all I had was a Glock 19 (provided not a 10 round mag limit, then Glock 30SF).
Glock 19 is easily concealed in summer clothes, which is all year. (Glock 23 or 32 just as satisfactory)
 
It would have to be something that fits "regular" EDC, "deep conceal" situations, and can handle both defensive and recreational purposes on the trail.

I could easily come up with "just one for all", but I sure wouldn't enjoy it. There would be compromises.
 
It gets very hot and very cold where I live.

I carry a few different-sized snub revolvers, or an LCPII, depending on weather and clothing.

Accessibility is one of my biggest concerns. I like to be able to get to my carry piece quickly and easily at all times, sitting or standing, with no excess clothing in the way.

They are all DAO or functionally equivalent: draw. aim, squeeze, bang. No safeties or anything to consider. I can empty all of them onto a small paper plate at seven yards, easily, one right after the other.

That's what works for me. YMMV.

Body shape, types of clothing, climate, work situation, activity level, shooting experience... there are a lot of reasons that our needs and solutions are so varied.
 
You'd be surprised just how viable having one carry gun for all seasons/ areas/ "perceived threat levels" (whatever that is)/ etc. is when you can't afford to keep buying new guns all the time.

True. I went through some really rough times. But when things get a bit better it’s nice to get a new gun. Especially one you’ll love and carry often.

My journey started getting a PF9 way back when. It was the smallest 9mm at the time and I didn’t know better. It’s an awful gun in fit and finish and it’s horrible to shoot. But it helped me a ton learning not to limp wrist and how to shoot well. After it almost anything is nice. But it’s tiny and I carry it when I want something super small.

When things got a bit better I saved up for a Springfield XDs45. I wanted a palm safety as I was still fairly new to conceal carry and it just made me feel safer. I still carry this gun often.

When the M&P 2.0 Compact came out I found a gun I love. The Goldilocks of not too big, not too small and lots of rounds.
This is my go to when I want to be sure I have lots of fire power. 3 17 round mags and one in the chamber should be ok for most situations that don’t require a rifle.

So the later are my main two with the PF9 for dress clothes and when I need super small. So I guess I disagree with OP that having just one carry gun is right for me. That said, I agree with you that spending money on new guns can be rough. And right now I’d rather get more ammo to replace when I practice.
 
I've carried two guns. I started pocket carrying when back issues prevented any kind of belt carry. Now that my back was mended I've gone back to my compact in a belt holster. I didn't go back and forth.
Having said all that, I do feel I've logged enough time with both that either would now feel natural. I remain convinced, however, that extended periods with only one gun gets you to that point. At least, it's what works for me.
Both guns are from the same manufacturer, very similar controls, and have a lot of practice rounds through them.
 
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I wholeheartedly endorse the concept of having one pistol for CCW. No matter if it's in the woods, in town, during the summer, or middle of winter. One pistol, one load, and complete familiarity and mastery of that weapon platform.

This is simply not practical from my perspective. There must be at least two guns with two different loads, to meet the extremes of these variables.

One gun and one load is too much of a compromise, imo. Different hammers, and all that.
 
As Old Dog said, “Truly, though, I believe it possible for one to have complete familiarity with, and master, more than one weapon platform.”

I am glad that I mastered more than one platform, well before the panic-demic, while ammo was less expensive!

I am, however, very much against the idea that one should “rotate” a number of weapons, with which one has significantly varying levels of skill, for the sake of rotation, itself, or that each gun “deserves” its equitable share of carry time. Collecting is good, and carrying is good, but one need not try to carry everything in one’s collection.
 
I mix it up at times. I've got different guns that I truly enjoy, and I get pleasure out of carrying them. I've never had to fire one yet in self defense, so the odds of me botching it up because I am carrying a different gun than a month ago, in my opinion, is pretty remote.

You may feel differently.
 
Do you drive only one car? I drive several regularly and feel immediately fluent in any of them. If I get into an unfamiliar car (like a rental) I am not immediately fluent but I'm far from incompetent. It doesn't take many days
I like all of your post, but the rental car analogy reminds me of a time when I needed a horn but couldn't find one.

However, guns aren't cars. Grip, trigger and sights. Not many variables there.
And when living or dying means being perfect, I don't wanna draw a gun with a safety thinking it ain't there from another recent carry.
All my carry guns have safeties and I ritually practice with them. If I ever carry one without, I'll retire the ones with.

Edit to add: For the love of Alice, please don't start a safety debate. Go dig up one of the hundreds already 50 pages deep.
 
I’m at the point where any of my carry guns could be “the one”

But if S&W comes out with a Shield40 plus my quest for Excalibur continues.

The true sign of the One is I sell all others and buy mags and ammo for the chosen One.
 
I hate to be snarky but I always post this in the 'what gun' debates:

A thought for today from John Holschen:
Amateurs think (or talk) equipment,
Students think techniques,
Masters think tactics!

Holschen is a respected trainer at: https://www.insightstraining.com/

He sat on my head, if that makes a difference, in a H2H class.

Look, by now it's pretty much filtered down to this:

1. For a belt mounted gun - a 9mm like a Glock 19, M&P or similar is the standard. It has a reasonable capacity, easy to shoot and the round is efficacious. The discussion of 10mm, 40 SW, etc. is just silly nowadays. There is no functional difference that real professionals see. Energy dump is just dump. You can conceal them even in the hottest weather. Lived in it, so no arguments.

Now, in ban limited states, the argument could be made for the G48 style guns. However, a 10 round gun is seen as a good lower limit.

2. For dress circumstance limits - be it social, NPE, weather - a pocket gun like J frame, LCR or one of the compact 9mms or G42 like 380s will serve. However, you accept their limited capacity and hope the odds are with you that day. The average doesn't always happen.

Next, as mentioned by some - you need to train with and practice with the gun in circumstances similar to your SD usage. Square range groups are nice and dandy but BS as an indication of competency. No square range practice gives you the experience to ingrain the motor skills, perceptual paradigms, stress reduction, etc. of more realistic training. Competition in something like USPSA or IDPA, while clearly not training, gives skills and stress experiences. Thus, I think the OP is misguided if this aspect of gun usage is not a serious part of the OP's planning. Running a hard kicking, limited capacity gun in a more realistic scenario can be an eye opener.

Anecdotally, I recall a new shooter bringing a 357 Glock to an Intensive handgun class. Way out of the shooter's depth in speeded exercises with movements. Slow recovery, movement, etc. - all for a stopping power gun rag mythology. The shooter was lent a 9mm Glock and did much better.

Gun rotations are stupid within the two gun parameters I cited. I have lots of fun guns and shoot them but I certainly practice up to speed with the two gun types I carry. Have you trained with them? I'd carry a 10 mm Glock if I were a Norwegian forest ranger in bear country as a back up to my rifle. Otherwise, train with a quality 9mm and cut out the equipment chase for grins and attaboys.
 
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