Who carries more than 1 handgun?

[scaatylobo]

My reasoning

I was an LEO and got into the habit as I saw ANY and all firearms are a simple mechanical device that is prone to FAIL at the worst time = saving my life.

I was a firearms instructor and I saw perfectly good firearms go awry at the range,they are only fired at the range = AND in the use of saving your butt.

Most of us call it a NYC reload,meaning draw the second gun.

It came from the days of carrying a wheel gun that only held 6,but it has a real world purpose as I see.

Its not "comfortable" to carry any gun,let alone a real defensive firearm,BUT its is Clint Smith that brings us the point "do you want to be comfortable ,or alive".To paraphrase him.

I carry NOT because its 'cool' or comfortable = its COMFORTING,if you have ever been in one of "those" moments.

I have,and once had a snub as my only helper.

I vowed to not be in that situation again.

I am 66 years and not in the condition I was as a martial artist weight lifter = a few years back.

But I carry at the very least 2.belt & pocket.Sometimes ankle also.

 

[1John1:9]

You can read many true stories of the following:

• Primary gun malfunctions
• Primary gun / hand gets shot by bad guy (Get one of those poster targets of bad guys aiming a gun at you, and draw and fire at it, without conscious thought of bullet placement). It is amazing how many times you hit the guys weapon or hand. My back up gun goes in my off hand front pocket.
• New York reload (grabbing your 2nd gun) is faster and easier than a mag change.
• You can hand your 2nd gun to another "good guy" (such as my wife who can shoot well, but seldom carries.

I am sure there are some other good ones. I pulled these off the top of my head.

 

[TRX]

I carry a small automatic in an ankle holster. It goes on with my socks, and stays there until I get undressed in the evening.

Now that the weather is cool enough to allow an overshirt or jacket, I wear a revolver in a shoulder rig... but the other gun still goes on with my socks. There's no reason *not* to wear it, and if it's not there - like the days I spent with my wife at the hospital, which has "NO FIREARMS" signs up - I get fretful; it's sort of like reaching back for your wallet and finding an empty pocket. Yes, it was empty five minutes ago, and five minutes before that, and...

 

[JTMcC]

Quite a few people do, the second gun is usually, in my small circle, very small tho.

J

 

[.455_Hunter]

I usually pocket carry, but if I am carrying OWB, then I usually keep a BUG in the same pocket.

 

[The Handgunner]

Although i can't carry on a day to day basis.... Illinois. I do when I'm in any other state. Staring next year, everything changes for me.

I have a gun shop, and yeah, i plan on carrying a second gun on me. Anticipating this, that is why we are selling Derringers for so cheap on our website.

This is the one I got myself. http://www.reddotarms.com/black-friday-sale/cobra-ent-9mm-red-cerk.html

Got the pink one for the the wife.

 

[stressed]

Only one, and I'm confident in it. If I was in an area or job placement that required more, it might be a different story.

Most I guess I've "carried" was once while deployed where I had my M4, M9, Mossberg 12ga pistol grip over back and an acquired AKM underfolder also slung on back.

 

[armoredman]

Sometimes I do. Made an ad poster of it once, for grins and giggles.

 

[Coyote3855]

I always carry a pocket gun, either a KelTec P3AT if it's likely to get wet/dirty or a Kahr
.380 for desk work and dress up. I'll add a KelTec PMR 30 for messing around on the property (DRT on feral cats) and a Kahr P9 IWB if I plan to be out at night. Glock 23 when traveling by car. A beater Ruger P94 in my old pickup.

 

[Warp]

I do not.

I just don't have a reasonably practical way to carry a second. My front pockets and cargo pockets are already claimed. Once in a blue moon I'll put a S&W 642 on my ankle or in my front pocket (which requires jamming my keys into a cargo pocket), and I used to sometimes carry a P3AT in a back pocket as a BUG from time to time but I sold it due to typical KelTec problems, but I don't really like either of those options. And I think I am extraordinarily unlikely to ever need a BUG.

I do carry a spare magazine now, which solves a lot of the problems that a BUG solves. It solves some of them even better, since anything I could carry as a BUG would be smaller/weaker/harder to shoot. Though of course the BUG does some things a spare mag doesn't. Decisions decisions.

 

[Rexster]

Those of you who answer that you carry more than one handgun, please give some background info on why. I'm all for carrying but to me the pro/con list of a second concealed handgun is really heavy on the con-side.

Does anyone ever complement their main self defense concealed carry handgun with a larger, concealed weapon (like a full size pistol), for example in a backpack, messenger bag or toolbox?

Two is normal; more than two is situational.

Why multiple guns? One is simple accessibility options, coupled with the fact I am fairly ambidextrous. The other big reason is because if one gun fails, I probably need another one right quickly! The third reason is because the best reload can be the one pre-packaged inside another gun.

With double-column magazines, especially, I have noticed that a second gun may be little bulkier than a magazine in a belt pouch.

A new, more recent reason for me to pack two guns is because my formerly stronger right hand, wrist, and arm are developing issues related to age, over-use, and outright trauma. When carrying concealed, my larger weapon is now likely to be on my left hip. Because I have been conditioned, over 30 years, to reach for a weapon on my right hip, I think it wise to continue to wear a weapon there, at least until I complete the transition.

To answer axxxel, well, I wear a badge for living. The taxpayers have paid me to make a segment of the population dislike me. This raises my personal threat profile a few notches. I live in a small, relatively safe city, but in the larger city in this area, there are two large neighborhoods, partially surrounding us, with some of the worst characters in the USA, including New Orleans refugees who fled Katrina, and Latin American folks who have seen the worst of the drug wars and other insurgencies, where life is cheap.

A doctor, who was a dear friend of my wife's family for decades, and lived a block east of us, was murdered on his ranch near Bellville, Texas by some of the characters from the Latin American neighborhood I mentioned, above. He fought a group of them with his revolver, and hit at least one of them. I do not know if a second gun might have enabled him to save his life, but his battle was his battle, and mine, if it happens, will be mine.

As for toting the second gun in a bag, case, or toolbox, well, yes, if there is available space, why not? I would caution against leaving an off-body weapon unattended for any amount of time, unless secured very, very well.

It may be wiser to keep all weapons on the body, and peripherals in the bag, case, etc. I happen to like the Patagonia Atom for this purpose; it may look a bit un-manly, but I met Laci Szabo at a Blade Show in Atlanta, and we each had a Patagonia Atom. I may be rather meek and mild, but I don't hink anyone can accuse Laci Szabo of being unmanly!

 

[phonesysphonesys]

Yes. I did not have enough bullets for everyone once.

 

[otasan56]

Just One

My Glock Model 17 with 17 rounds of WW 9mm 115gr JHP +p+ ammo. I carry a spare mag with 16 rounds. That is a load to carry, so a second gun is a real burden.

 

[bigfatdave]

I had six .32acp guns on my person last weekend. Two of 'em were 100 years old.
More of a giggle moment than a strategic decision.
My favorite .45 was on my hip as my normal carry gun, for that matter.

7 at once might be a record for me, I can do better though, I promise!

Of course, I was doing a side-by-side comparison on the range, and didn't have pocket room for ANYTHING else.

 

[1John1:9]

BFD,

Did you have your Guardian on you?? I ended up getting a Sig P232 in .380, but still have a desire for a .32 at some point.

 

[bigfatdave]

It was one of the six, in fact. Rear left pocket.
Still runs relaibly and shoots to POA.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Primary 3" 1911, .45ACP at 3:30 OWB, and P32 BUG, back pocket.

 

[Claude Clay]

i always carry a primary (Sig C-3 or P239/40) and a secondary (642 or 332) cause life comes at you from many directions and why should i limit my range of responses to just from one side/hand?

further, by having the off side gun in a vest or coat pocket i can have my hand on piece of mind as a situation develops. and if nothing comes of it, they know nothing of why i was so calm speaking with them. no brandishing, no call to authorities.

 

[george29]

Regular carry: 640 right front pocket, NAA left front pocket with wallet. Truck has my 13-3 (3") and sometimes on my belt when on my motorcycle my 65-3 (4"). For long drives my Marlin 1894C goes along as well.
The NAA for continuing the fight whilst reloading the 640 or as a last ditch