Where do you draw the line?

[Kirk Freeman]

Where do you draw the line?

I used the weak hand test: if I cannot run the weapon with my weak hand only then I wouldn't carry it.

Carried a Gummit 1911 for many decades now. I will not be changing, now matter how cool it is to carry some other pistol.

 

[churchmouse]

Can I be in your Gang? I can bully with the best of'em, just have to brush up on my interwebz bullying!

Brush up.....come take the test.
Pas and you are in.

 

[cedartop]

I used the weak hand test: if I cannot run the weapon with my weak hand only then I wouldn't carry it.

Carried a Gummit 1911 for many decades now. I will not be changing, now matter how cool it is to carry some other pistol.

Interesting. I will have to ruminate on that some.

 

[LP1]

If I knew I was going to "need" a firearm, I'd make different plans for that day.

It's like any other form of insurance - assess your risk, your tolerance for risk, the cost of "insurance", and your financial situation; mitigate risk as much as possible, and act accordingly. You have to make some assumptions and live with your choices, and you can't cover every contingency.

You can't drive to work in a tank and carry an AK47 all the time.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Imagine what almost 3,000 innocent people were thinking on the morning of September 11th, 2001 as they headed to work. In fact, what happened that morning was SO unfathomable that I'll bet NOT ONE of them thought, "What're the chances of me getting killed by a jetliner flying into my office in the World Trade Center?" Not one.

See, it's not the 'statisical probabilities' that'll get ya. It's the 'impossible'; that errant, oddball 'one in a million'.

Now... guess how I know that?

So what gun should one of those 3000 people killed been carrying to protect them from that event?

That's what -I- mean by the probabilities. No matter what choice you make, someone will always pull the "well, it won't protect you from X" card. The same thing goes on in the prepping world. 6 months worth of food isn't good enough to protect you from TEOTWAWKI so you'd better have 2 years supply, seeds, and an underground self supporting greenhouse... blah blah blah.

Meanwhile, the professional trainers will continue to make money exploiting those people who want to train to the nth degree (and there is nothing wrong with wanting to train to that level, the fallacy is expecting everyone to do so), while looking down upon the people who "don't go far enough."

More people will die in a car accident this year than will die in a mass gunfight. Yet few of those carrying three guns (yeah, I often am carrying three guns...), and several spare reloads for each will ever continuously train in defensive and evasive driving.

Far more will die of disease and lifestyle related heart failure, yet few will take care of their bodies to prevent it. But they'll spend a lot of time thinking about how to win a gunfight while they are at the mall.

As usual, I'm done with this discussion. I know this post will draw flack from those who disagree, that's fine.

 

[pwoller]

I have a very concealable Sig P938 but I find myself worried I wont have enough rounds to defend myself and family. That said 6 is better then nothing and the size really makes it easy to carry.

 

[Bfish]

I have a very concealable Sig P938 but I find myself worried I wont have enough rounds to defend myself and family. That said 6 is better then nothing and the size really makes it easy to carry.

Why don't you carry an extra mag?

 

[oldpink]

My opinion is that many people resort to smaller and less capable guns largely because they haven't invested in a top quality holster that will allow them to concealed carry a much more capable gun.
The only way I could comfortably concealed carry my full sized third generation S&W was to let it ride in my Bianchi shoulder holster, but that's only usable in winter.
I finally forked over what to me is big bucks ($145) by getting a horsehide Kramer IWB#2 for it, and now, I can effortlessly carry the same gun whenever I want, with only a shirt (t-shirt is sufficient) over the part outside the waistband.
Yes, you can get several lesser holsters for that price, but the quality and comfort of such a rig will convince just about anyone to make the investment.
It's also nice having the piece of mind that in the extremely unlikely event that something bad happens, I have a sidearm that is more than adequate for the job.

 

[Glock10MM]

I think you should carry what you are comfortable with, while being able to hit your target.(with the firearm that you have in your holster) Don't just carry something that is comfortable to carry, and leave the one(s) that you shoot well in the safe.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Currently, the smallest thing I carry as a primary is 6+1 in .45 ACP. From the civilian shootings I've seen, that covers the vast vast majority of what people run into randomly. I carry that while jogging or bicycling for convenience and while on vaation for ease of carry and because I believe my threat level is lower while traveling. (No one is going to recognize me as a cop for retribution, I'm not going to get a page about a nearby active shooter, etc.)

The vast majority of the time I carry an 8+1 in .45. I am considering switching to a 12+1 in .40, but haven't made my mind up yet.

My absolute floor is .38+P in a revolver and 9mm in a semi-auto. I currently don't own anything smaller than a .40 in semi and .357 in revolvers, although I keep my LCR loaded with .38+P. My absolute floor is 5 shots. If I can't get a torso hit in under a second from the holster with no cover garment, I won't carry it period. If the sights suck, or the grip is too small to get a consistent grip on at that speed, then its not for me. With options like the Shield, P938 etc, I see no reason to carry anything in a smaller caliber barring some physical disability.

 

[VERT]

As always BBI swoops in with logic and good advice.

 

[Birds Away]

I think a lot of people on here don't really believe, in their heart of hearts, that they will ever be forced to use their gun to defend their life. How else would you explain some of their choices? I have seen some variation of "I carry for comfort because otherwise I might just leave it at home" comments a number of times. This thought process doesn't really make sense any other way. The bare minimum requirement for me is that I have to be able to shoot the gun well. I have to be confident I can put 3-4 rounds in a man size target at ten yards in very short order. With that in mind I prefer to have a double stack. Comfort to me is relative. I am comfortable knowing the gun I carry is one I am capable of using effectively, not whether I can "forget I have it". Col. Cooper's words are just as true today as ever. Carrying a gun is supposed to be comforting not comfortable.

 

[VERT]

I think a lot of people on here don't really believe, in their heart of hearts, that they will ever be forced to use their gun to defend their life. How else would you explain some of their choices? I have seen some variation of "I carry for comfort because otherwise I might just leave it at home" comments a number of times. This thought process doesn't really make sense any other way. The bare minimum requirement for me is that I have to be able to shoot the gun well. I have to be confident I can put 3-4 rounds in a man size target at ten yards in very short order. With that in mind I prefer to have a double stack. Comfort to me is relative. I am comfortable knowing the gun I carry is one I am capable of using effectively, not whether I can "forget I have it". Col. Cooper's words are just as true today as ever. Carrying a gun is supposed to be comforting not comfortable.

Completely agree. But inevitably we all find ourselves in non-permissive enviroements. Not illegal but not allowed. I find a Jframe is sometimes an option that I like to keep around. So my limit is a 38 spl +P snub.

 

[Cemetery-man]

After much trial and error, I chose my EDC based on the largest I could comfortably CC. Which is the reason I carry a larger 9mm in a OWB holster in the colder months when you are likely to have a jacket or larger shirt and a smaller 9mm in an IWB holster in the summer that can easily be concealed under a t-shirt.

 

[ATM]

Small guns just don't warrant the level of attention I crave, too easy for them to go unnoticed.

 

[VERT]

Small guns just don't warrant the level of attention I crave, too easy for them to go unnoticed.

Not all of us are attention whores trying to compensate.

You Trying to imply that my (insert small plastic 9mm) in an Uncle Mikes floppy is not really making me look like a ........

 

[lovemachine]

This morning, instead of carrying my Glock 26, I brought my Glock 19 back into action. It was like coming home to an old friend

 

[SMiller]

I thought I wanted a small gun, I tried a Walther PPS and hated it, could not get a good grip, not enough mag capacity, just hated everything about it. Went back to a Glock 19 and never looked back!

I might someday add a G27 for a boot gun but I have learned to hate small guns.

 

[mannus]

At work, I carry a PT111 G2(Hornady AG 124gr XTP +P) in a tuckable IWB holster under my work shirt. On weekends, its a CZ P07(Hornady Critical Duty) in an alien gear OWB rig w/ an extra mag for each. For you PT111 G2 owners out there, the Mecgar Sig P226 18 and 20-round mags work flawlessly in the PT111 G2. I have one and have range tested it.

 

[10mmMarc]

If I knew I was going to be in a gun fight, I would not have a handgun in my hand, I'd have my AR-10 , but if I had to have a handgun, I would choose one with enough power to take down a really big guy, nothing smaller than a 9mm , (I prefer 10mm) I have no problem with a .45acp , even single stack mags, I can always carry spares, I prefer to conceal carry so being able to conceal it is priority number one.