Would you carry a less than reliable auto-loader?

[Effigy]

Challenging your opinion doesn't mean I'm taking anything personally. My own firearm is reliable. I'm taking issue with the doomsayers in this thread that claim your days are numbered if your carry gun isn't 100% reliable, which frankly isn't true.

 

[GLOOB]

I repeat -- we're about to go up for a jump. Pick your parachute. Do you want the one with the 2% failure rate, or the one with the 0.0001% failure rate?

No one is "about to go for a jump." If any of us thought it was going to be dangerous to leave the house, we would stay at home. Or at least bring the shotgun.

In the real world, people die because they chose unreliable weapons, parachutes, or other vitally important items of equipment.

In most of our "real worlds" a gun will never save our lives. Statistically, we're more likely to be saved by a candy bar and a bottle of water.

Vern:
Packing a CCW is a choice. Most people don't carry. So here's the real parachute analogy:

You're the guy who brings a top of the line parachute with you on every commercial flight (along with a tinfoil hat, no doubt). And you're sneering at the one other guy who's packing, because his parachute isn't as good as yours. Mind you, there are 200 other people on the plane, and no one else thought to bring a parachute, at all. So why is the second best prepared guy on the flight the object of your contempt?

 

[almherdfan]

In logic, that's called "the fallacy of false dilemma."

There is more than one gun in the world, so your choice isn't between "going unarmed vs. being armed (albeit 2% chance of malfunction)." Your choice is between carrying a gun with 2% chance of malfunction versus carrying a better gun.

If the only gun you have has a high malfunction rate, start saving to get a better gun now.

As I have pointed out many times, most disasters happen because people plan to have disasters. If you wind up in a life-or-death situation with an unreliable gun, it's because you planned to carry that gun.

Hardly false. Many folks have to make hard choices regarding buying fuel, insurance, food, health care, etc. and may not be able to make a good trade or upgrade their only CCW for several weeks or even months.

We can choose to not go parachuting.

If you live in the real world, you need to leave your home almost daily, for hours at a time. Is it better to travel armed or unarmed?

 

[Ankeny]

After six pages maybe it's time to look back to the beginning. The original question was,

Is it better to have something that isn't perfect, or not carry anything at all? Remember, replacing it with another firearm isn't a choice at this point.

 

[GLOOB]

Ankeny, that's obviously a fallacy of false dilemna, and you're just trying to troll. Try not to take this so personally, will ya?

 

[Ankeny]

I was shooting my carry gun a couple of days ago and I had the strangest malfunction that I won't go into here. Anyhow, it was the only handgun I had with me and I was heading to a neighboring town to do some shopping. My choice was to take off my holster and put the gun in a safe place in my vehicle or stab it back into the holster and carry it for the day. I chose to carry my less than reliable pistol for the remainder of the day rather than to go unarmed. The situation reminded me of this thread.

 

[Gig 'em]

For me, it truly depends on more information than has been given. Is it a ftf, a fte, clearable, requires disassembly to clear, better/worse with certain ammo, etc.

If it failed randomly and was not readily clearable, I would not carry it. My reasoning is that my having a gun, albiet non-functioning, escalates situation. I have been robbed at gunpoint. Not fun, but, I was not armed, and it cost me a watch and my wallet. Small price to pay. If I would have been armed, and it failed, I likely would not be typing this now.

If I could rapidly and safely clear the malfunction, I would carry it and get it fixed/replaced asap. I would NOT carry a gun that would ftf on the first round, ever. Too much is on the line. I spent the first 29 years of my life unarmed. I can still run, and if it costs me a wallet, I'll give it up to keep my life and be able to go home to my family. Thanks.
-Gig 'em-

 

[GLOOB]

OP's gun jams. He didn't mention light strikes. So I assume the first round is good to go.

You will have to exercise judgment before you draw, no matter how well your gun functions. If you don't think it will increase your odds of survival, then you can leave it in the holster.

I don't think I'd draw a CCW while being robbed at gunpoint, unless things got weirder than "gimme your wallet." Yes, I'd be in fear for my life, but in this case the other guy already has the drop on you. Now, if he slipped up I might try something, and it might or might not involve my own gun.