Kinda like me:
Carry Diversity!
(I'll point out that I am even more diverse than Unc, as I have wheelguns as well as polymer and steel pistols...)
The Colt and the L-frame Smith & Wesson ride on the belt when a good cover garment can be worn. Oversized chamois shirt, fleece pullover, etc. - basically whenever I can get away with something to cover an OWB holster. Could I drop this to one firearm? Certainly. The Glock is my go-to gun for IWB carry - while it is sizable, the Crossbreed carries it well and there's 10 rounds of .45 ACP goodness with 13 backing it up. Might change this over to the S&W M&P9 compact after the reviewing is done, though - same capacity, much smaller and lighter package.
The pocket guns boil down to either a J-frame Smith & Wesson revolver or the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380. Again, could this be one single firearm? Certainly. But again, much like the Colt vs. the 242, somedays I feel like a revolver, others I feel like the semi-auto. I shoot both about the same (again, same as the Colt/ S&W 242); often it boils down to which fits best in the wardrobe of the day - pants with looser pockets will get the J-frame whereas the Bodyguard gets the nod in more restrictive wear.
Realistically, once you make the decision to go > 1 firearm for self-defense, the field is wide open. Those that have one gun for CCW only and practice with it religiously will have an edge over those of us that rotate firearms - there's just no getting around that fact. If you're not comfortable carrying a full-sized handgun, whether because of concealment options, physical constraints, or whatever reason, then logic would dictate that you only ever carry a small gun in a moderate caliber. We're capable of multi-tasking; as long as we plan and prepare and train with different platforms, we'll be fine.
As a wise man once wrote: "Specialization is for insects"...
That is all.
4 comments:
Yeah, while there is a folly in going TOO diverse (I sometimes find myself fumbling with the controls on my pocket knife because I tend to carry a huge assortment depending on my mood for the day) I think that everybody should have at LEAST two carry guns, and maybe a third.
Primary carry: Something as close to a full-size gun as you can comfortably carry and/or Conceal, that holds as many bullets as you can manage.
Backup/Light Carry: A smaller lighter gun that can be carried when you simply cannot carry the primary, or as a backup to the primary.
Errand Gun: Could also be the backup, but any gun that can be quickly loaded up and holstered in a huge range of clothing options just in case you need to leave the house unexpectedly, or for a VERY short time period and don't want to be bothered threading a holster to a belt, or getting a cover garment situation etc ect. (A small pocket gun is ideal for this)
^^^ This!
The question boils down to, do you carry a gun to save your life, or do you carry a gun as a fashion accessory? Changing guns for concealment reasons can fit in to carrying to save your life. Changing guns because you feel like it, is gun as fashion accessory.
I've had the same primary carry gun (M&P9c) for 3 years now and don't foresee changing it. I do have a pocket gun (442) for clothing where I can't carry IWB.
I think ToddG summed it up well: http://pistol-training.com/archives/5586
I'm with Brother Beard, but with the Duplication Factor thrown in.
Example: Glock 17/19 in the OWB, Baby Glock in the Pocket, both having Full Size Magazines as spares.
Or a K/L Frame size Snubbie, with a J-Frame in a pocket holster, both stuffed with .38+P JHP with spare ammo on Speed Strips.
I really don't like having 2 or more Handguns on me with different Systems and Ammo (i.e., 1911 and a J-Frame as Backup), but if that's all you have, go for it.
YMMV, of course.
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