Why Don't People?

[BullfrogKen]

And I was specifically addressing the notion that you'd have a really good gun, and intentionally leave it at home for an inferior one.


It's not limited to guns.


I saw Marines buy Danner boots costing several hundred dollars, but only wear them in garrison because they were "too expensive" to wear in the field or on a 20 mile hump. So they'd wear crappy footwear on a march and have their feet look like a hunk of bloody swiss cheese. But those boots sure looked nice. They couldn't walk well for a week, but those boots . . . they stayed in perfect shape.



Cost doesn't even figure into it for me. I want what carries well, works well, and if it's the most expensive gun I have . . . and I got it for that purpose . . . I'd be silly not to carry it.

 

[EmbarkChief]

I saw Marines buy Danner boots costing several hundred dollars, but only wear them in garrison because they were "too expensive" to wear in the field or on a 20 mile hump. So they'd wear crappy footwear on a march and have their feet look like a hunk of bloody swiss cheese. But those boots sure looked nice. They couldn't walk well for a week, but those boots . . . they stayed in perfect shape.

I don't think that analogy sticks in this case.

Every Marine has at least 2 pairs of boots. You always save one set for ceremonies and/or drill formations. Otherwise, you spend 2+ hours with a can of boot polish, skivie shirt, and some rubbing alcohol trying to make your field boots into drill boots. It can be done, i've used boot polish like bondo before! If a Marine's life depended on which pair of boots he wore I garantee you it would be the best pair.

 

[JohnBT]

Why don't people? Beats me. I don't have plans to carry the $2500 Swiss Army pistol I just bought, but I bet it would work well being a single stack. I'll just keep on using my cheap everyday gun, a Rohrbaugh R9.

The R9 was used and so was the 40-year-old P210, but only barely. I don't know where Top Gun Supply found a small pallet of the things in excellent or better condition; something about a museum order and a misdirected shipment, but that's it. Maybe I should carry it, after I break it in and work the stiffness out of the controls. If it's good enough for the Swiss Army it should work for me.

John

 

[buck460XVR]

Why don't people? Beats me. I don't have plans to carry the $2500 Swiss Army pistol I just bought, but I bet it would work well being a single stack. I'll just keep on using my cheap everyday gun, a Rohrbaugh R9.


John

John....I don't think anyone here was saying use your most expensive gun for SD, I believe they were saying why don't folks use the best gun for SD, even if it's more expensive to replace than the not so good alternative. Reliability and accuracy are paramount for SD..........if your cheapest gun has that over your most expensive, I say go for it.

 

[BullfrogKen]

Chief,

We all had at least 2 pairs of boots. Many of us had three or more. Point is sometimes a fella would buy a really nice, comfortable, expensive pair of boots and not wear them in the field or on humps because they didn't want their expensive pair of boots getting scuffed up. And for no other reason than "they were expensive" and they didn't want their expensive pair of boots getting any wear and tear.

We all had a set we only wore back in garrison. Most of the time it was a set that wasn't as expensive. And many of us spent extra for premium quality footwear to wear on road marches and such.


But some fellas got that concept backwards, wore a cheap pair for those activities you'd want good footwear, and sported those premium boots back in garrison.


Like I said, those expensive boots stayed looking really nice, but they couldn't walk well for a week because their feet looked awful.

 

[HammerheadSSN663]

"Why don't people" ....finish a thread title?

I don't know either.

 

[shiftyer1]

Bullfrog....your posts may have hammered in a couple problems I have when I buy truck guns and am scared to tear them up.

Buy what you can afford for this use and shoot it enough to be confident in it for carry. if it's consistent and performs for you.....USE IT!!! If you bought it for a purpose use it for that purpose.....if it satisfies that purpose!

It's just sometimes hard to get past that first new car scratch!!

 

[MachIVshooter]

My take:

My carry guns are absolutely reliable and combat accurate. They are also not the pride of my collection.

I have a S&W 629 3" and a Charter Bulldog .44 Spl. Weight/bulk aside (the 629 is much bigger), I would still carry the Charter. Why? Because carry guns get beat to #%*&. I'm not worried about what'll happen in the evidence room in the unlikely event that I have to use it. It's what happens to them every single day in your holster. My Charter is 100% reliable and plenty accurate, but it was also only a $350 gun that wasn't especially pretty to begin with, so I don't care that it'll be all scratched and holster worn in a couple years. The 629, OTOH, is a very pretty $900 gun that I'd rather not trash.

 

[JohnBT]

"John....I don't think anyone here was saying use your most expensive gun for SD, I believe they were saying why don't folks use the best gun for SD"

My Swiss Army P210 is my best gun when it comes to accuracy and reliability (okay, maybe a tie with the BHP and CZ-75B.) It holds more rounds of 9mm than the R9, has a longer barrel than the R9, and it even has the European mag release I'm used to on the R9. I really should carry it.

Dang it, I knew I should have bought 2 while Top Gun Supply had some left. :banghead:

John

P.S. - I think my Sig X-5 TAC TB is a little large, especially with the threaded barrel.

 

[brnmuenchow]

In some cases it may be an economical limitation decision. In my case awhile back I really wanted either an STI, Colt, or Sig Sauer for a small defensive carry gun. But my job was going away and I ended up getting a Taurus M85UL for around $280. It has never had a failure, but I still which it was one of the previous mentioned brands.

 

[tbutera2112]

My point was I think it's silly to not use the best tool possible for saving your life.

ok but define best? what makes one "better" than the other? as long as both guns are reliable and will do their job, there should be no difference - assuming the shooter can shoot them both well

if i have a fancy brand new chrome plated hammer, and regular black painted metal hammer - both of them are going to pound nails just the same

 

[stonecutter2]

I can't carry in any manner because I live in Illinois, but I had this "problem" when choosing a home defense firearm. First I purchased an S&W Model 19 snubby in 357 magnum. I put some .38 special +P Speer Gold Dots in it, and slept well at night. It was a fine, reliable, dependable firearm - ready to go when I needed it. But it was also made in 1980, pinned & recessed, and it's possible it can turn into a collector's item (some might say it already has).

Then, I got to thinking - if I used this in a self defense situation, it very well might end up in an evidence locker for who knows how long. I'm sure at that point, the last thing I'd worry about was how my Model 19 was doing, but then again I'd want to have the firearm back that saved my life or my family's lives. And it'd probably come back rusty, and nothing like it was (it's in beautiful shape, bluing 95%+).

So, I decided to get another 19 - a Glock 19. Because Glocks seem to be pretty good at being neglected without much consequence (if it gets an extended stay in an evidence locker), and the one I purchased has been problem free. And, if I have to defend myself with it and it gets taken away, I can go buy another just like it. Not as easy with the S&W snubby.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if both firearms are reliable, function perfectly, and you trust them, either one will do. For me, the deciding factor was how upset I'd be with parting with my firearm for a long time (maybe years) and having it be neglected in an evidence bag.

The Glock 19 also got a set of Trijicon night sights installed on it (wouldn't ever do that to the S&W), and I still sleep well at night with it by my side.

 

[buck460XVR]

if i have a fancy brand new chrome plated hammer, and regular black painted metal hammer - both of them are going to pound nails just the same

Apparently, you ain't swung many hammers. I have and I can tell you that there's a 'ell of a lot of difference between a good hammer and a POS. Cost isn't the biggest factor, balance, head shape and how they fit an individuals hand is. Use a POS hammer and all you'll do is hit your thumb, bend a bunch of nails or mess up your project with hammer tracks. Use a POS gun thinkin' you won't miss it while it's impounded could cost you your life. Big difference. Again, no one is saying to use your most vaulable collector grade gun for SD, most are just saying to use the best tool for the job you have........regardless of price, cause your life or the lives of your loved ones is worth it.

 

[Rodentman]

I have a couple of expensive guns that I rarely carry: Nighthawk .45 and Freedom Arms .44 mag. I have others that are easier to conceal, just as reliable, and carry more rounds. I have stuff that's for everyday, and stuff that is for special occasions. So be it.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Smitty

My nicest gun sits on the shelf in lockup, but not because its a safe queen or heirloom.

I have a blue+walnut S&W 586-7, in absolutely mint, NIB condition.

The fact that it's never been used has nothing to do with a desire to keep it minty. It has everything to do with personal logistics and being chronically time & money broke.

However, if open carry were suddenly all the rage, I'd have a shiny new holster for it and be looking to put scuffs and dings on it. It's a gorgeous gun, and really ought to be a fashion statement.


Now, for everyday carry, the pick of the litter just happens to be the most expensive one I own. It's a cute little P9 that I got on sale, but even on sale it cost more than my other pistols. Yes, even more than the Smith (which, frankly, was a freakin' steal at under $500). More than the XD-40 (though not by much).

Why? Because it's the one with which I can hit consistently at 20+ yards.

And, on the day that I buy something that costs even more (pray that I find such a windfall), it will be carried -- or not -- based entirely on whether I can cover a group at 20 yards with my hand, every time, all the time.


It would be fun to be able to afford a safe queen. That way I could be three users instead.

 

[exavid]

I've been riding bikes since 1959 when I got my '50 TR6. I've heard the bit about having a $10 helmet on a $10 head. I still buy inexpensive helmets. Been down a few times over the last 52 years but never had a problem with a helmet.
My guns are like my tools, serviceable but not museum pieces. I've always owned decent quality but not expensive firearms, Savage, Ruger, S&W, Browning, Mossberg, and such. I don't see any need for keeping all Proto tools in my toolbox when Craftsman works as well. So my guns are are eminently functional and I'm competent with all of them. I carry whichever one happens to go with what I'm wearing at the time and about half the time that means the little LCP. I can hit a 9" plate at 50' with it and can do it pretty quickly at closer distances. Ditto for my .45. I never could see the need for a lot of super high priced stuff, I just like good honest functional equipment that works well and won't make me cry if it gets scratched.

 

[ZCORR Jay]

I could see if a person just spent the big bucks on a nice high end pistol they may want to keep in near perfect condition and make it a range gun as to avoid the wear and tear of everyday carry. This may lead them to pick a grunt/ utility version to subject to everyday carry.

I'm too broke to be able to have options like that so when I'm evaluating a daily carrier I'm looking for a pistol that is reliable, durable, and yeah looks pretty cool.

 

[justice06rr]

What another person carries for SD is their business.

My personal standards when it comes to carry pistols is that they have to be reliable and 100% functional out of the box. Sure some guns need break-in periods i.e. Keltecs, but frankly I don't believe in break-in period. If a gun doesn't work reliably from the factory then I wont depend my life on it..

A few examples are the Smith n Wesson M&P pistols that I used to own and carry. I had both a 9mm and a 40cal that both worked reliably out of the box. the M&P9 I shot right after i bought it new at the gunshop without cleaning it first and it had absolutely no issues til the day I sold it.

Now I bought a brand new Keltec Pf9 last month as I've heard this are great CC pocket guns. Cleaned and lubed that little pistol as I normally do, but the 2 times I took it to the range for testing, both times it had major feeding and ejecting issues. In short, I sold the Keltec after 2weeks.