people are to overly obsessed with the size and wieght of guns today.

[MUSICALGUNNUT45]

Way overly obsessed. I hate it when people think a gun has to be less than 10 ounces and fit in the palm of thier hand to be considered for carry/ pd use. weight and size dosn't really bother me ( to a practical point of course) what matters to me is slimness and good ergonomics ( i like 1911s by the way) And when I see people like nutnfancy on youtube weighing every gun to the last quarter ounce it gets on my nerves a little. People have been concealing guns of moderate weight for hundreds of years before polymer came along and now its considered to impractical to be considered. I actually prefer heavier guns I don't like airweight smiths, and guns like the LCP just feel like toys to me. I think a little weight is a good thing it makes follow up shots much easier and personally I don't like shooting a 38 plus p and having the recoil of a 44 magnum becuase my gun weighs 12 ounces. I think to little weight is almost as impractical as to much weight and people still seem to be obsessed with the concept. What do you guys think.

 

[Skyshot]

To each thier own, the older I get the more I like the lightweight stuff in handguns and in rifles. Never liked snubbies, I always carried a full size 1911 or .357, But now at 57 I have a ruger LCR and the big heavy stuff stays in the safe and in the truck.

 

[j2crows]

A little different here. When I was much younger and could walk miles I used lighter rifles. Now as a senior citizen I don't give much thought (if any) to the weight of my coyote rifle. Doesn't matter when I walk less than 200-400 yds to any calling spot.

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

Well maybe if there weren't so many politicians and law enforcement officers overly obsessed with banning and restricting firearms, we wouldn't have to worry so much about them not being seen.

 

[Fir Fer]

I prefer light, up to a point, but I'm old and beat up.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

At 5"10", 200+ muscular pounds (more or less), I am not weight or recoil sensitive (hey, I am a member of SNM-Sons of Neanderthal Man). But for those not built as ruggedly as I am, lightweight firearms are just the thing for them to enjoy the shooting sports. My main objection to lightweight anything is that it is often not as rugged and durable as its steel counterpart. I have read a number of instances where shooters used lightweight revolvers that did not hold up during a sustained course of fire.
Complaing about weight is nothing new, in WWII many GIs complained about the weight of the M-1 Garand and much preferred the M-1 Carbine-until they took into battle.

 

[oneounceload]

For those of us who prefer pocket carry, size, shape, and weight IS everything. That isn't as critical if using an IWB or OWB

 

[420Stainless]

Suit yourself. I prefer small enough and light enough to go in a pants pocket. I'm not ready to jump to the 12 oz. .357 Mag. just yet, but am quite happy with my cute little PM45.

 

[killchain]

Way overly obsessed. I hate it when people think a gun has to be less than 10 ounces and fit in the palm of thier hand to be considered for carry/ pd use. weight and size dosn't really bother me ( to a practical point of course) what matters to me is slimness and good ergonomics ( i like 1911s by the way) And when I see people like nutnfancy on youtube weighing every gun to the last quarter ounce it gets on my nerves a little. People have been concealing guns of moderate weight for hundreds of years before polymer came along and now its considered to impractical to be considered. I actually prefer heavier guns I don't like airweight smiths, and guns like the LCP just feel like toys to me. I think a little weight is a good thing it makes follow up shots much easier and personally I don't like shooting a 38 plus p and having the recoil of a 44 magnum becuase my gun weighs 12 ounces. I think to little weight is almost as impractical as to much weight and people still seem to be obsessed with the concept. What do you guys think.

Weight and size are a HUGE issue.

I work as a delivery man who comes into people's homes and as a floor manager in a high-profile sales outlet. I can't pack a 3lb 1911 when I'm hefting a washing machine or standing in plain view of customers!

I CAN, however, pocket carry with a .380 in a good retention holster. Have been doing it for three years.

I also do the Army thing, have been doing it for a long time. If you think weight is fun, join the Army! We'll see how much you love that extra gun weight when you have two duffel bags, a 70lb rucksack, armor and a helmet to lug around.

Give me my P3AT, it'll work until I find a bigger gun or a cop, or maybe both!

 

[Nushif]

I really do not like discrediting the source, but I will maintain my stance on this before ... At age 15 I did not have a fleshed out opinion on what is practical, handy or even a good idea.
At almost 30 My mind changes once a month about and I find myself drifting a lot.

The same goes for guns. I do not "get" a lot of things in guns, but it rarely really bugs me.

 

[bigfatdave]

I think it is a side-effect of the pocket gun trend. and lazy holster making/shopping.
For those of us who actually buy decent belts/holsters, weight is a concern, but not the #1 concern.

If I got my holsters and belts from Wal-Mart, then weight would be a much larger concern. If I got my holsters from the local gun shops, weight would be a concern.
I buy my holsters from CrossBreed* and my belts from BeltMan ... dropping an all-steel pistol into the holster is not a concern, although dropping a light polymer pistol into a CBST hanging from a BM belt makes for easy carry just about anywhere for any length of time.

*(whenever possible, at least)

 

[oldfool]

not people (obsession) .. manufacturers/marketing obsession
trendy, you know, imitation as a substitute for innovation
it runs in cycles

magnum magic
bigger badder magnum magic
hi-cap/ higher cap magic
plastic fantastic/alloy magic
bigger badder mega-magnum magic
looks like SWAT magic
smaller lighter magic
smaller lighter magnum magic
bigger badder magnum in smaller lighter magic
watermelon magic

all good
no magic
and we (most all of us) buy pretty much whatever they tell us to buy
just try to think of it as good for the economy (and the used gun market)

 

[Aaron Baker]

Yeah, I'm sorry to say that I think experience plays a big role here. No offense, OP, but you're 15 years old. If you're concealed carrying in public, it would be illegal. I bet your opinion after you're old enough to concealed carry will change. I own a Glock 17, a RIA 1911 (in 9mm) and a Keltec P3AT. The 1911 is a great gun, but it almost never leaves the house. If I conceal carry it all day, the weight is noticeable and annoying. The Glock is better because of its lighter weight. The P3AT slips into the right front pocket of everything I own, and so I never leave the house without it.

The fact of the matter is that it doesn't matter how much recoil the gun has because of its light weight. I'm only going to fire it enough to make sure I can make self defense distance shots accurately (7 yards or so), and to make sure that it is still functioning well. Beyond that, its purpose is to sit in my pocket every day. The lighter, the better. If I ever have to shoot someone with it, I won't care about the snappy recoil, the muzzle flash, the long gritty trigger pull or anything else.

What I'll care about is that it worked reliably and that it was there, sitting in my pocket when I needed it because it was light enough that it wasn't a pain for me to carry every day.

For me, the same goes for hunting and rifles. I have a SBR'd .458 SOCOM AR15. The lighter it is, the better, because I can carry it farther more comfortably. When I shoot it, I don't care about the recoil--I'm too busy making sure I'm on target to drop the deer (or whatever I'm hunting).

Being a traditionalist who likes big, heavy 1911s is great. I like them too, as well as all manner of other guns made of wood and blued metal. I also like modern plastic guns. Everything has its place, in my book.

Aaron

 

[oldfool]

I think OP being 15 doesn't have squat to do with it
I own and like some of that widdle/light stuff myself, not knocking it, it has it's place
I am only well over 4 times his age, and we are not alone on that
(you do not have to CCW one to shoot one, you know, nor even to 'carry' one within appropriate & legal limits)

but the mania for more-in-less is severely overplayed by marketing, and despite it's good attributes, it's not too short/too light on poor attributes either
fast, accurate, and shootable under stress and all that
it is what it is, and it ain't what it ain't
the magic is limited to saleable, same as watermelons

PS
some young folks have had the mentoring of some old farts, for better or worse
OP said nothing that some senile seniors would not agree with
(no, I do not know OP, but have seen other young folks here, and ladies here, and I disagree or agree with them based on neither gender nor age, that's all)

 

[Strykervet]

Whatever. OP, there are so many different choices that is what makes it great. Don't worry about what other people do, change the channel, etc. And if you are carrying now, you need to STOP. If you have that overwhelming desire to shoot and blow things up, wait a year or two and get your parents signature and join the infantry. You'll have a blast and learn to appreciate lighter weapons. Get on a gun team and they'll give you an FN 240B AND an M9 pistol. That'll tide you over until you turn 21.

I like my scandium 340PD when I want something light to drop in my pocket. Yeah the recoil is brutal with the 140gr. Corbon loads in it, but hey, it is conceal carry piece for close range and I don't plan on shooting anyone anyway. When I shoot it at the range, I mostly use 158gr. .38spcl., non+P. Very soft shooting for a 12oz. handgun. I "qualify" with the heavy stuff now and again.

Also, having a big pistol on your hip gets old. I have a G29 in a good rig and it is about the heaviest and biggest I want, but I find myself carrying the G27 in an identical rig more --weight. A 1911 isn't too bad because it is flat and thin, but I don't currently own one and won't until I can get the Ed Brown I want.

To each his own.

 

[1911Tuner]

Small, lightweight handguns are the ones least likely to be left behind. That's their forte'.
Me? I like somethin' with a little more heft. That way, if I'm up to my crotch in Caymans and I run outta ammo...I want somethin' that I can use to beat the pea green soup out of the bad guys with.

 

[oldfool]

appreciate your perspective Strykervet
(not real different than my own, BTW)
but there are a whole lot of choices at 2X the weight of ~12oz that easily conceal in any dress mode, though not as conveniently as my LCP, no

"overwhelming desire to shoot and blow things up"
did I miss something elsewhere (?), because I saw nothing here that suggests any such.. would we see the same responses to this thread here, if OP's post read identical from someone 2X his age ?

"I don't like airweight smiths"
"I think a little weight is a good thing it makes follow up shots much easier"
"I think too little weight is almost as impractical as to much weight"
"What do you guys think."

don't sound like CoD to me ???

 

[Jonah71]

I like a little weight to my carry guns. Helps me keep them on target. Although I would not want to lug around my CZ 75B in a IWB with a shirt over it all day.

 

[mgmorden]

I like lightweight guns not because it's exhausting to tote around an extra few ounces, but rather because my pants and BELT hold up better with lighter guns. I'm not buying a "good gun belt" and a million other accessories. I'm throwing on what I want to wear (which is usually a regular old leather belt) and grabbing the gun before I walk out the door. A heavy, all steel gun is going to tug a lot more.

A *big* gun is also going to print much worse than a little gun.

As Strykervet mentions though, it's all about choice. They haven't quit making the heavy, steel framed guns. Buy the ones you want and don't worry about what others buy. To many in the gun world seem to be all about defending whatever choice THEY make as the correct one and explaining to everyone else just why they're wrong for thinking different.

 

[Rail Driver]

I never had much of a thing for the biggest or smallest or whatever... I routinely carry either a G26 or a Colt 1911 Commander. Neither print too badly, neither are uncomfortable, and I would trust the lives of my family and myself to either.

I'm not a big guy (5'7", 150 lbs), and I'm not particularly strong, but I prefer a pistol with a little weight to it. The ultralight pistols kick too much to be fun.

 

[Hossfly68]

Way overly obsessed. I hate it when people think a gun has to be less than 10 ounces and fit in the palm of thier hand to be considered for carry/ pd use. weight and size dosn't really bother me ( to a practical point of course) what matters to me is slimness and good ergonomics ( i like 1911s by the way) And when I see people like nutnfancy on youtube weighing every gun to the last quarter ounce it gets on my nerves a little. People have been concealing guns of moderate weight for hundreds of years before polymer came along and now its considered to impractical to be considered. I actually prefer heavier guns I don't like airweight smiths, and guns like the LCP just feel like toys to me. I think a little weight is a good thing it makes follow up shots much easier and personally I don't like shooting a 38 plus p and having the recoil of a 44 magnum becuase my gun weighs 12 ounces. I think to little weight is almost as impractical as to much weight and people still seem to be obsessed with the concept. What do you guys think.

It's a good thing you still live in America and have a choice. I carry a full sized steel Witness in .45 caliber. I did carry a snub nosed .38 when fashion dictated or when I really wasn't worried about one shot , one kill. I'm looking for a nice, small, accurate 9mm for CCW also. My wife won't even try to shoot my .45. She prefers her little .380.
It all depends on what you like and find that you can work with. I carried a 1911 for a while and had o trouble at all concealing it. I traded it to my buddy for that .38 because he wanted a larger gun for driving all night. There's room for every choice you can think of, although I probably wouldn't carry a flintlock, but if somebody wanted to carry one I wouldn't rage out against him.

 

[FROGO207]

There are as many choices as there are firearms available for CC. So I don't think that I will change anybodies mind here but my choice is a S&W 457 cause that is what I got at a fair price and it works flawlessly for me. Not plastic and not cold steel either. The old saw about if it is comfortable to carry you will take it every time you leave the house, this has a lot of merit. YMMV

 

[Loosedhorse]

If some folks had only the choice of a "heavier" gun or nothing, they choose nothing.

If those people, rather than carry nothing, choose to carry--actually carry--something light or small, that's better for them than no gun.

Better for me, too. Better for all of us, I think.

 

[chhodge69]

I'm glad to have a lightweight gun when I need one. I must admit I think it's pretty cool to pack so much power in a small package, but I'm not stuck on tiny guns and I don't know anyone who is.

 

[Zundfolge]

For the last century our society has been reversing millinia of going about armed. In the last 2-3 decades we've been turning that back but we still have several generations not used to carrying weapons so when folk return to packing its something that they aren't used to and its something that now carries some social stigma. That's a lot to overcome. So they want to carry guns that aren't as heavy and bulky and conceal better.

Another thought is that we've become accustomed to carrying cell phones (and other devices) that used to be big and bulky and now are smaller and more powerful. So it stands to reason that people want to carry smaller, lighter and more powerful guns too.