Ill do that very thing on occasion, but with a second gun, and not the one Im carrying.
To much to go wrong, and the gun isnt on you.
Self limited concealed carry
- Thread starter CDW4ME
- Start date
To much to go wrong, and the gun isnt on you.
This clip-on Kydex holster is no trouble at all AIWB and is always there, unless I decide to carry strong side IWB (then that is always there).
I've carried nothing smaller than a Glock 19 (23) in over 3 years, including moving houses, walking dogs, trip to the store, washing vehicle, .... no trouble.
Whether its the clip-on (K1) or the one strong side (K10) its a Fist kydex.
http://www.fist-holsters.com/storage-prod/kydex.html
For years (couple decades) the best I could do on work days was a pocket 380.
On non- work days, Glock 26/27 moved up to 19/23 eventually.
I took early retirement about 3 years ago, the smallest I've carried since is a Glock 19/23.
I've had concealed carry for over 25 years and never "needed" it.
I'd say (hope) that my chances of "needing" it are slim.
That said, the point of carrying is "just in case" I unfortunately "need" it, somebody(s) is trying to kill me.
Defending my life, I'd strongly prefer a Glock 19 (23) or full size 1911 in my hand than a pocket 380/38 snub.
I don't feel I'm sacrificing comfort or convenience to carry a "decent" pistol.
Bill DeShivs
New member
I never said that I only have/carry one gun. Pete has it figured out!
Carry what you want. Learn to shoot it well.
Carry what you want. Learn to shoot it well.
I currently carry a "pocket" 380, but I'm not a fan of pocket carry. I have too much other stuff that has homes in my pockets. I don't carry a fanny pack, man purse, satchel, and, as much as I like cargos, don't like loading up all the pockets. Also, for me and my attire, pocket carry has accessibility challenges. I wear my pocket pistol on my waste. It is comfortable and conceals very well. I am less concerned about printing than I am about my shirt hanging up on the pistol grip and exposing it to the masses. I don't have that problem with my small 380.
(Edit)
In my personal situation, I am the sole gun advocate in my household. While my spouse and children know that I am a gun advocate and that I carry, they are not on the same page as me. It is just as important to me that they are in the dark about my carry habits as the general public.
(Edit+)
"Don't ask, don't tell" comes to mind, but they(family) get closer to me than the general public. Not everything(in reality, nothing) is simple and black and white. Everyone has their own personal reasons for what and why they carry. It is a very personal decision with no right or wrong answer.
(Edit)
In my personal situation, I am the sole gun advocate in my household. While my spouse and children know that I am a gun advocate and that I carry, they are not on the same page as me. It is just as important to me that they are in the dark about my carry habits as the general public.
(Edit+)
"Don't ask, don't tell" comes to mind, but they(family) get closer to me than the general public. Not everything(in reality, nothing) is simple and black and white. Everyone has their own personal reasons for what and why they carry. It is a very personal decision with no right or wrong answer.
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Carl the Floor Walker
Moderator
Pocket gun's all the way. Love them. And shoot them well. My hobby for over a decade. Sometimes carry one in a small sleet OWB holster. Really feel totally uncomfortable with anything larger and especially IWB. Which drives me nuts. If you can carry a compact or larger than that is great. Just will not work for me and never has. I most likely would not carry if I had to. I do like the Micro 9'mm in the winter, in a OWB, but still prefer a pocket gun.
Heck, even a Pocket gun can feel cumbersome on some days.
Heck, even a Pocket gun can feel cumbersome on some days.
Agree totally.
Hopefully, actually needing it is slim. Reality is though, when you do need it, you REALLY need it, and you only have what youve brought. You dont get to pick and choose how things go down either, so you also get what you get and have to deal with it.
Look at it this way, if you have to go through the judicial system, do you hire the best attorney you possibly can? Or do you take the state appointed attorney youre entitled and hope for the best?
Really no difference here. Do you want the gun youre most likely to shoot and do best with, across the board, have practiced with regularly and realistically, and have the best chance at making things work?
Or do you pick a second or third line gun, that you shoot here and there, and take your chances?
Its not at all hard to carry pretty much anything you want (if you want to), so why would you choose to limit yourself?
I get the impression a lot of people dont really think this through all that much. Seems they figure they have a gun, its "convenient", and they are good to go. What else do you need?
And out of curiosity, when you say you "shoot it well", what are you referring to? Do you practice with it for a full gamut of things, shooting quickly and accurately, moving and shooting, sights/no sights, close range, longer ranges, multiple targets, starting from how you carry it, etc?
Or do you shoot at your leisure at a bullseye target or cans, whatever in the yard at close range, where you know you can hit and base your skills on that?
What you carry, has to give you the best chance to get through "anything" you might get, and not just that one gunfight you always win in your mind. You have to be up to the task of letting it do that for you.
Bill DeShivs
New member
No handgun is a death ray.
For instant PHYSICAL incapacitation, you need a central nervous system hit. There are many other ways of incapacitation- fear of getting shot, pain from getting shot, fear of getting shot again, shock, etc.
But the only way you are going to instantly stop the mythical zombie, is to have a CNS hit. Someone intent on doing you physical harm can do so for minutes after a fatal, non CNS shot.
For instant PHYSICAL incapacitation, you need a central nervous system hit. There are many other ways of incapacitation- fear of getting shot, pain from getting shot, fear of getting shot again, shock, etc.
But the only way you are going to instantly stop the mythical zombie, is to have a CNS hit. Someone intent on doing you physical harm can do so for minutes after a fatal, non CNS shot.
Agree 110%.
And all the more reason, if you plan on carrying a gun, to carry one that will allow you the best chance at making the hits you need to make, quickly and repetitively, until you can get some sort of resolution.
That, and having a good understanding of the human anatomy, and know what and why you want to target certain things, and from a 3d perspective, not just whats presented, flat on paper, like some random face on COM, that is more often than not, not even correct anatomically (other than maybe for "score") on many targets.
Personally, I think targeting anything but the head from about 10-7 yards and in, is a waste of time and ammo. And that becomes even more critical with those smaller guns.
And regardless what it is your using, you "shoot them to the ground" and dont stop shooting, until they are no longer a threat.
That is absolutely true. But MAKING that hit is easier with a full-size handgun. I have yet to see a student that shoots a micro 380 or J frame 38 as well as a bigger gun.
Even the “Shield” size guns are hard to shoot as fast and accurately as their bigger cousins.
My EDC is a M&P 2.0 compact (Glock 19 sized). I shoot that gun extremely well. I dont want my equipment to be harder to use in the event i need to fight under stress then it needs to be.
I think it was Clint Smith (might have been Col Copper) that said “Guns are meant to be comforting, not comfortable”.
And good shot placement under duress is not guaranteed.
And someone(s) taking action which would justify lethal force against them likely mental, psychotic, psychopathic, drugged or maybe some combination of those.
One should assume it may take repeat hits to chest of attacker(s) in order to stop them.
Lets compare some options for trying to stop attacker(s) ASAP.
I had a 32 and 380 in the past, so I have chrono data for them.
Kel-Tec 32 Federal Hydra-Shok 65 gr. @ 804 fps / 93# KE
Kel-Tec 380 Federal Hydra Shok 90 gr. @ 845 fps / 143# KE
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Glock 19 Federal HST 147 gr +P @ 1,044 fps / 356# KE
Glock 23 Federal HST 180 gr. @ 1,003 fps / 402# KE
Glock 32 Federal HST 125 gr. @ 1,358 fps / 512# KE
The only advantage of the 32 and 380 is one can carry it in their pocket with tucked in shirt and access to something "better than nothing".
"Better than nothing" is not a criteria I use to select a pistol to bet my life on.
Glock 19/23/32 > pocket gun.
Bill DeShivs
New member
So, you just told us that bigger cartridges are more powerful. Of course they are.
Bill DeShivs
New member
Yep, I do. For me.
If I knew I was going to have to shoot somebody, I would carry a .44 magnum.
Odds are i'm NOT going to have to shoot anyone.
Odds also are if I produce a GUN, it will diffuse the situation. If it doesn't, then shooting someone with it likely will. Odds are I can shoot more than once if necessary.
So, I can carry a gun comfortably- and THE ODDS ARE I'm better prepared than 95% of the people walking around in public.
Your 9mm would be a better choice IF you have to shoot someone. But how much better for the inconvenience of carrying it? 5 hundredths of an inch in diameter is certainly not a lot.
Please don't mistake- I have more guns than most gun shops. I have carried .22 short to .45 auto. I have many tools at my disposal, but sort of like the maintenance man who carries a 4" crescent wrench, channel locks and a 4 way screwdriver- I always have something to work with.
If I knew I was going to have to shoot somebody, I would carry a .44 magnum.
Odds are i'm NOT going to have to shoot anyone.
Odds also are if I produce a GUN, it will diffuse the situation. If it doesn't, then shooting someone with it likely will. Odds are I can shoot more than once if necessary.
So, I can carry a gun comfortably- and THE ODDS ARE I'm better prepared than 95% of the people walking around in public.
Your 9mm would be a better choice IF you have to shoot someone. But how much better for the inconvenience of carrying it? 5 hundredths of an inch in diameter is certainly not a lot.
Please don't mistake- I have more guns than most gun shops. I have carried .22 short to .45 auto. I have many tools at my disposal, but sort of like the maintenance man who carries a 4" crescent wrench, channel locks and a 4 way screwdriver- I always have something to work with.
When motorcyclists discuss protective gear, some folks will say, "What would you wear if you KNEW you were going to crash today?"
Well, I'm not sure, but I doubt I could actually ride a motorcycle in it; I'm thinking multiple mattresses strapped around my body, with bubble wrap over that.
In the end, you compromise with what you can be reasonably comfortable riding with vs. what you want to be wearing when you get off unexpectedly. For most, it's not as comfortable as no gear, and not as comforting as the mattresses.
It's exactly the same with a carry gun, for me at least. I need to do stuff, sometimes I need to dress a certain way. I carry the biggest gun I can that will allow me to do what I need to do, and it's different each day.
Going out to dinner at a casual place? I'm going to find room for a 1911 somewhere on my sloppy self.
Going to a nice restaurant where I'm expected to, "Just for once, for God's sake, make an effort" in how I dress? It's going to be a much smaller pistol.
But unless I'm swimming, there WILL be a pistol.
Larry
Well, I'm not sure, but I doubt I could actually ride a motorcycle in it; I'm thinking multiple mattresses strapped around my body, with bubble wrap over that.
In the end, you compromise with what you can be reasonably comfortable riding with vs. what you want to be wearing when you get off unexpectedly. For most, it's not as comfortable as no gear, and not as comforting as the mattresses.
It's exactly the same with a carry gun, for me at least. I need to do stuff, sometimes I need to dress a certain way. I carry the biggest gun I can that will allow me to do what I need to do, and it's different each day.
Going out to dinner at a casual place? I'm going to find room for a 1911 somewhere on my sloppy self.
Going to a nice restaurant where I'm expected to, "Just for once, for God's sake, make an effort" in how I dress? It's going to be a much smaller pistol.
But unless I'm swimming, there WILL be a pistol.
Larry