Summer Is Coming, Getting Hot, I Need a Pistol ...

[Blue Feather]

Disclaimer: This is my opinion only. Whatever you decide is fine with me.

I carry with a round in the chamber.

I am leery of any pistol carried in anything other than Kydex or leather.

I won’t carry a loaded pistol in my pocket.

I won’t carry a striker fired pistol IWB with a round in the chamber (I love Glocks FYI.).

I only carry hammer fired handguns with a long DA pull or 1911’s IWB with a round in the chamber.

The smallest category of pistol I will carry is compact ergo Glock 19.

I would suggest a polymer frame compact pistol. You get a full size grip, full size capacity and you odds of surviving a modern confrontation are better. Your biggest threat in urban America is gang violence and gang means multiple perps.

At the end of the day having any well designed pistol carried as safely as possible in a manner where it can be quickly deployed is better than nothing.

Modern style allows for untucked shirts and khakis in a business climate. It’s amazing what you can conceal with the right technique.

 

[CDW4ME]

Not for mowing the yard, bicycling, jogging, for those a pocket gun (Kahr PM9) has to suffice.
I need something for when I'm running errands, shopping, church, going in & out of air conditioned buildings dressed in summer attire.
Something that fits my hand, is easy to shoot, in a caliber that offers ASAP incapacitation potential.
That describes the pistol I've been carrying; I'll keep carrying a full size pistol, plus a pocket gun.

View attachment 789195

The thread is about how I'm carrying the same pistols I already carry, all year.

Disclaimer: This is my opinion only. Whatever you decide is fine with me..

"Decision" revealed in 4th sentence of original post, subsequently expounded.

 

[Blue Feather]

.........And the free exchange of ideas for those firearms neophytes lurking here in search of knowledge.

 

[CDW4ME]

View attachment 792531

.........And the free exchange of ideas for those firearms neophytes lurking here in search of knowledge.

Right.

I frequently see threads on summer carry, as if the gun(s) has (have) to be something different (read less); that is not the case.
I easily conceal a 1911 IWB plus Glock 43 in weak hand front pocket wearing loose untucked shirt and cargo shorts (not going in public wearing less).

25 years ago I incorrectly thought a snub 38 or Mustang 380 the biggest I could effectively conceal. (wrong)
20 years ago I incorrectly thought a Glock 26/27 the biggest I could effectively conceal. (wrong)

Concealment is not as much about the amount of clothing as it is type, fit, and how you wear it.

 

[wickedsprint]

Glock 19 OWB/IWB depending on errand length under a t shirt.

 

[Blue Feather]

I prefer shooting full and compact size handguns ergo Glock 17/19 type frames. If I don’t shoot it a lot, I won’t carry it. I will work around the pistol regardless of the weather as the OP has stated.

 

[Elkins45]

Kahr makes a 45.

 

[Al-jim19]

For convenience any of the single stack 9mm are good choices. I have a shield and it works well for me and there are a lot of holster, sight, and accessory choices. A G43 would be nice too, or a P365, xds, or even an LC9s.

The shield feels almost like a full sized pistol with the 8 round magazine and is actually just a hair shorter than a G19.

 

[JR24]

In terms of your BUG in the pocket. I've never been able to get pocket guns to work for me because a) apparently my pockets are always too small (even cargo) and b) I carru too much other crap in them. Tried with an LCR and LCP.

I have debated a backup either 5 or 7 o'clock or ankle (not the best, I know) but haven't wanted to spend the $ on a new holster yet. Be nice to find a way to bring the LCR along.

 

[CDW4ME]

Kahr makes a 45.

My primary carry (all year) is a 1911 in either 45 acp or 10mm

For convenience any of the single stack 9mm are good choices. I have a shield and it works well for me and there are a lot of holster, sight, and accessory choices. A G43 would be nice too, or a P365, xds, or even an LC9s.

The shield feels almost like a full sized pistol with the 8 round magazine and is actually just a hair shorter than a G19.

Glock 43 in weak hand front pocket as a 2nd option to the 1911 that is IWB (all year)

In terms of your BUG in the pocket. I've never been able to get pocket guns to work for me because a) apparently my pockets are always too small (even cargo) and b) I carru too much other crap in them. Tried with an LCR and LCP.

I have debated a backup either 5 or 7 o'clock or ankle (not the best, I know) but haven't wanted to spend the $ on a new holster yet. Be nice to find a way to bring the LCR along.

Cabela's 7 pocket hiker pants, Wrangler Cargo type pants, Wrangler cargo shorts. I don't wear jeans anymore and most certainly aint wearing jorts.
IME one hand weak hand the Ruger LCP 380 was more punishing than a Kahr PM9 or Glock 43 loaded with +P
Kahr is a little more concealable, but the Glock 43 is easier for me to shoot quickly & accurately one hand weak hand.

 

[Al-jim19]

In terms of your BUG in the pocket. I've never been able to get pocket guns to work for me because a) apparently my pockets are always too small (even cargo) and b) I carru too much other crap in them. Tried with an LCR and LCP.

I have debated a backup either 5 or 7 o'clock or ankle (not the best, I know) but haven't wanted to spend the $ on a new holster yet. Be nice to find a way to bring the LCR along.

I wear khaki pants in colder weather which have 4 pockets. The only way I could possibly carry a BUG would be on the ankle or weak side iwb. The former is semi reasonable the latter impossible for me.

In the summer I wear cargo shorts and a BUG is feasible under specific circumstances, such as going into the nearest **** city. I have done it weakside front pocket, but for my purposes as a daily routine, it doesn’t fit into my life. During those few times I’ve carried a BUG my primary was at 3:00 owb.

It’s hard enough to carry one gun concealed, adding a second gets difficult quickly.

 

[CDW4ME]

I wear khaki pants in colder weather which have 4 pockets. The only way I could possibly carry a BUG would be on the ankle or weak side iwb. The former is semi reasonable the latter impossible for me.

In the summer I wear cargo shorts and a BUG is feasible under specific circumstances, such as going into the nearest **** city. I have done it weakside front pocket, but for my purposes as a daily routine, it doesn’t fit into my life. During those few times I’ve carried a BUG my primary was at 3:00 owb.

It’s hard enough to carry one gun concealed, adding a second gets difficult quickly.

I started carrying in 1992, only started carrying the 2nd option a few years ago.
I started with a LCP/P3AT 380 in dominant hand front pocket and that pistol can be carried in any pocket including jeans.
I'd been approached a couple times in parking lots by people asking for money, the third time was "straw on camels back" cause guy kept walking toward me despite me shaking my head "NO"; I decided that in the future I would be able to put my hand on a pistol in case asking ever turned into "demanding" or "threatening". Eventually I thought how it might be advantageous to have the 2nd option accessible to my non-dominant hand, which led to testing to see which pistol was best in my non-dominant (left) hand. LCP 380 is no problem in my dominant hand but notably abusive to my left, plus accuracy and speed of shots was not what I wanted. It requires a bigger pocket, but Kahr PM9 and especially Glock 43 offer acceptable result in left hand.

My thinking is that the people in the nearest **** city (area of town) are mobile and not completely nocturnal and may show up in otherwise "good" areas whenever, strive to carry what you would in the "bad" part of town in case it comes to you.
Also, my primary pistol should be the one that I would prefer to defend myself with of the options I have, if not why am I carrying it.
(Limited by work is an acceptable reason, wanting to wear "skinny jeans" ect... would not be).