I've never carried a "back-up" gun, but now I'm beginning to wonder if I should.

Hi:
Yes I carry a second (backup) weapon. Many reasons to and few not to.
Jimmy

Yes. I also have a spare tire for each of my vehicles. Same principle.

No; never...even whilst a cop.

Be safe.

Note:

Did "carry" an 870 in the g-ride.

Only one concealed firearm at a time, I have no idea why.

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Big bang, much smash'em.

If what I am carrying don't get the job done I want something bigger to back it up. So for a .357 I can use a .44 for a back up. Shooting a .44 I can use a .500 for a backup. I only carry one gun. A backup is too much weight. Larry

Sure do. Quicker than reloading if needed!

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V/R
Roger / SG

I know why: Because one weaselly little politician got his way when your CHL bill was passed. Pisses me off every time I cross over into NM!

Generally, I only carry a BUG when I'm working.

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!

No.

If I didn't trust my first CCW with my life, I should buy a new CCW, not a second one.

I wear a belt, or suspenders, but not a both together. One gets the job done.

I wear a seatbelt while driving a car, but I don't also wear a helmet.

If I find myself in a situation so messy that one fully loaded CCW can't extricate me...it may just be I'm getting called upstairs.

All that said, I support your constitutional right to carry 5 CCWs if that's your bag.

Sure do.

Heck, just the other day, I had three. 642 IWB, 681 in shoulder holster under left arm, Glock 27 in shoulder holster under right arm. That's unusual though... generally no more than 2.

Usually when I carry two it's either the 642 or one of my compact .40s IWB and a larger gun in a shoulder holster.

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- The Federalist #46 -

Yes. I prefer to carry a big gun, but those don't fit in a pants pocket and sometimes pocket draw is the way to go.

Last September my beautiful bride and I were walking downtown for dinner (not a great area, but not bad either and in broad daylight) when a would be mugger was trying to get close to us unnoticed for the second time (I first saw him watching us from the back of a nearly deserted strip mall like a cat watches a mouse. That's not an exageration, he outweighed me by a good seventy pounds) . I dropped both hands into my front pockets and wrapped my weak hand around a Taurus 605 2 1/4" .357. Then I turned and gave him "that look". He reacted almost like he had been struck by lightning and did a fast disappearing act.

"I'm going this way"! he said as he changed directions.

I could almost hear the **** coming out. His future was as bright as the flash of R357M1 from a snub, and he knew it.

I don't believe in idle threats and the IWB 4" S&W 586 would have been slower on the draw.

If you study the 1986 Miami shootout, at least four of the ten belligerants lost use of their gun arm. A second gun available to the weak hand only makes sense in that light.

As is the case with my New Mexican friends, your milage may vary.

Not as many as this guy.

Yup, a NY reload beats a regular reload every time. I always carry two.

Used to work part time at an indoor range. I have seen MOST major gun brands break or malfunction unexpectedly.

A bug can quickly become the primary in some situations. My wife who doesn't carry but does shoot can instantly be armed with my BUG. There are many other reasons.

IMHO, I don't think it makes sense NOT to carry a BUG.

Heck, I don't even carry a spare mag!

Not that I would presume to tell you what to do, but you should at least cary a spare mag.

I have to admit that I've been carrying for about 20 years and have never carried a BUG, but I've been thinking seriously about it lately ever since I saw the Desbiens Badger Reload. It's a great idea and would make carrying a BUG very convenient for me. Now I just have to buy a small gun...

Always armed with my BUG (can you still call it a BUG if it's the only one on you?), and carry an M&P40c strong side IWB when out and about. I have complete faith in my 40c, but things don't always go right. I might need that P3AT in addition one day. It's great for deep concealment, and with the right loading I have just as much faith in it, but it's nice to have more power. In that thinking, I hope to throw a .357 J-frame into the mix, possibly as a weak side backup or replacement for the 40c when I need deeper concealment AND more firepower than .380. As usual, YMMV.

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Fast is fine;accurate is final

Yes, daily, on and off duty.

As has been said before, your gun or gun hand has a good chance of being shot in a fight, you may not be able to get to your primary, or it may have broken on you.

Another reason I carry an extra is the ability to arm someone who doesn't have their own gun. I know some will say that this person should have been carrying, but they don't always have a choice.

Example; I was at lunch with two guys who were military spec ops vets, more qualified to carry a gun than anyone else I know of, including me, but they didn't qualify for a carry permit where we were, and I was the cop in the group so I was the only person with handguns. If something had happened I would have been in pretty good shape handing off my BUG to one of them to assist me.

I also trust my daughters enough to arm one of them if things are really bad, but they aren't yet old enough to get a CCH license.

Absolutely, usually. Isn't that why they make J frames? I do carry them (442 & a Kel-Tec .32) in a strong side pocket, but train to draw, shoot, and reload my primary weapon weak-handed. I like the BUG on the strong side so I can have that hands in pockets 'element of surprise'. Also, my BUGs often become 'primary' so-to-speak when I get home and remove my bigger piece to relax (there are other guns nearby at that point).

sometimes BUG is a KTP-11 if my primary CCW is a 9mm; other times, KTP-32, maybe NAA .22mag. I want a M12, 2" RB and then I'll probably BU w/my 638.

I usually carry just one but it can vary from day to day. I make the decision on a day to day basis depending on what I am doing and what areas of town I am going to. If my travels take me on the road or thru a bad area of town I will carry my Glock 19 or 22 and my Ruger SP101. Most of the time I carry just the Ruger.


snakeman

Yes, Carry a G26 on my ankle.

Actually, a committee chairman who wouldn't let the bill out otherwise but what I meant was I don't see that a pair of J-frame .38's is any more dangerous than a Glock with 17 rounds in the magazine.

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Big bang, much smash'em.

44: Yeah, and tell me the last time a gun control measure proposed by a politician stood up to common-sense scrutiny.

Only one,if more than one gun is needed you better hope the calvary is on the way. No substitute for a well placed first shot. I focus more on that approach than more lead.

Even though I've fired about 2000 rounds with my 9mm without an ftf problem....it could happen. So I have an 8 shot .22 mag. 2" barrel for a bug. I'm more accurate at 10-15 ft. with it than I am the 9mm anyway. I've put a lot more rounds through it. Was cheap to shoot at one time. Now the .22 mag hp's are over $10 for a box of 50. Guess I'm getting cheap in my old age.

Yes, you should.

I wear both. I have no ***...I suffer from white man syndrome - a back with a crack.

If you've taken on the HUGE responsiblity of carrying a firearm for self defense, totin' a spare mag shouldn't be any more of a burden.

I REALLY like that rig!


Probably 99% of the time, I carry two - a Glock 22 on the hip in a Galco "Combat Master" OWB holster along with a spare mag and a Surefire G2 in a Galco "MFP" pouch and a J frame model 38 Airweight Bodyguard in a Milt Sparks "PCH" pocket holster and a speed strip in my other pocket.

While on duty, I carry the exact same setup along with a Colt "Cobra" snubbie in my duty bag and my Mossberg 590 on the front seat with me.

Of course, there is that 1% of the time where I'm just making a quick trip to the store for a bag of ice or something. If that is the occasion, I just grab the Bodyguard and stick it in my pocket. I've also got another gun in the truck - a K frame model 65-2 with a 3 inch snout.

I guess you could say that there is basically 7 items that are in my pockets each and every time I walk out the door. No exceptions.

Smith & Wesson J frame model 38 Airweight Bodyguard.
Loaded (5 rounds) Bianchi Speed Strip.
Uncle Henry (Schrade model 55UH) folding knife.
Surefire L4 "Digital Lumamax" flashlight.
Looper Leather wallet/badge case.
LG Titanium cell phone.
Cotton hankie.

These 7 items are in my pockets each and every time I am vertical. They are my constant companions and I carry them...

Every. Single. Day.

I could not carry more than one. I figure between my purse at 6-8 pounds and another 2+ pounds of gun and ammunition, I'm pretty much maxed out on my tonnage.

Right, but I still call "Weasel" on committee chairmen, just like any other politician.

More unsolicited commentary: I am a CHL Instructor, and have been since 1995. I've taught defensive shooting since 1983. Here's what I tell my students: Comments like, "If I need more than (fill in the blank) shots, I'm not going to make it anyway," represent preparation to die, not to survive. If that's your attitude, why carry even one gun? Mindset is as important as shot placement, and might help avoid the necessity of placing a shot.

Carrying two guns, or even just a spare magazine or speedloader is not a "belt and suspenders" approach, but rather simple recognition that firearms are mechanical devices, mechanical devices fail, and we can't always predict when they will fail. For instance, several years ago, I reached in my vest pocket for a spare .45 mag. It was a high-quality magazine from a reputable manufacturer. Unnoticed by me, at some point the welds on the baseplate had failed, so I had a mag body, baseplate, follower, spring and loose .45 rounds in my pocket when I reached. The first big IPSC match I ever shot, I was using a 1911 that had never malfunctioned in over 3000 rounds fired. It jammed on a time-limited standard exercise. Mr. Murphy, welcome to the match!

Additionally, as Flop has pointed out, there are often tactical reasons for a spare gun that have nothing to do with having "enough" ammo or gun failure. And it's not that the concept of "enough ammo" should be ignored. Sometimes, even with well-placed shots, it takes a lot to stop an assailant. But, you guys do what you want; it's your lives, not mine.

38-44HD45: Respectfully, I don't think it's accurate or honest to say that a mentality that one gun is enough is tantamount to "preparation to die, not survive." I carry one gun, because one gun (and the limited rounds it contains along with the training I've put in to become proficient in its use), should be enough to extricate me and my loved ones from 99.99% of situations I could encounter by accident. If it isn't by accident, I should have brought a rifle.

You are right to say that even the most well-manufactured firearm can malfunction. I carry either an HK or a S&W--both quality firearms that I trust with my life to work when needed. But things can go wrong.

Along those same lines, I drive a quality dependable vehicle, and carry a spare tire. But my storage space isn't clogged with spare belts and hoses or cans of transmission fluid. I could, but I do not. I wear my seatbelt and trust my airbags to work, but I don't also wear a helmet. One can only be so prepared, but one can never be 100% prepared.

My decision to carry one firearm reflects my conviction to stay alive. I support your right to carry as many firearms as you feel necessary to reflect your conviction to do the same.

Be safe out there.

The rule of two:
1 is none
2 is one

I've been known to carry five or six, but that's just when unloading the truck after a range visit.

My 642 is so light that there's little reason not to keep it on my ankle, so yes, I carry a spare.

Yeah, I call the Airweight J frames the "no excuses" gun, because of their super lightweight, there shouldn't be any excuse to ever go unarmed.

the "no excuses" gun, Perfect!

No, one beats none, to be sure (sorry Clint, I know, I know, "One is none..."), and I'll heartily second your opinion that if it is planned, I shoulda' brought a rifle. (And friends with rifles, and maybe shotguns, and if possible, crew-served weapons.) If you'll go back and read my post, I didn't say that carrying only one gun is the problem. The mindset problem becomes evident when I hear platitudes like, "If I can't solve the problem with 5 shots, I'm not going to make it, anyway." The correct mindset, if you personally feel comfortable with carrying only one gun, is, "If 5 (or 6, or 7 or 17) shots won't get it done, I'll run, or transition to my knife, or do whatever it takes to survive." That shows both will to survive and recognition that one firearm, with one cylinder or mag-full, may not be a sufficient tool to solve Problem 1, whether or not the gun, ammunition or a component part fails.

I choose, as do many others, to carry a backup firearm most of the time. I can do so comfortably, without "clogging up my storage space." At the age of 55 going on 70, I've had Mr. Murphy ride unnoticed on my shoulder, making himself known by unpleasant surprise, enough times that I'm not at my maximum comfort level carrying only one. If you are, then I'm happy for you.

I have carried at least two since I became a LEO in the 70's. I have never found it to be a problem to carry another compact, lightweight handgun in addition to the primary. When I was a LEO, I liked that I could keep my hand in the pocket of my coat with a snub in it when someone I didn't know approached me. I also always carry extra ammo for both. I certainly never found that in a shooting situation I wished I had LESS ammo.

I carry two pretty much all the time on duty and off. Exception being the occasional assignment where I can only carry one and at those times it is the 37-2.
You never know when your primary will lay down. You may not be able to access your primary due to injury or it may be trapped during a fight.
If you are comfortable carrying one weapon and have a plan for when it doesn't work then at least you are thinking about your options. For those of you that believe that if you can't solve the problem with x number rounds and it is "your time" then I would submit that you have lost the fight before it ever began and offer this quote from Dr. Alexis Artwohl for your consideration "You need to train hard to prevail, not just survive. Even then if you can't prevail you should do everything you can to survive, if you can't survive you need to take the ************ with you. Don't put your family through a trial"

It's not about lead. It's about being prepared for a mechanical failure that can happen at any time.

Respectfully, I think some folks are kidding themselves. Mechanical failures and/or user error can and will happen at the worst possible time.

So, why don't we make a list of reasons why some of us think it's a good idea to carry two or more guns?

Those that disagree can list thier reasons.

But let's leave out responses like "because I can" or "I'm too lazy".

Just goes to show that there are 3 kinds of people on earth: those that can do math and those that can't. (o;

Maybe they all need to read "The Rules."

Rules for a Gunfight

I carry either 2 or 3 on me whenever possible.
.44 snubby in my pocket, fullsize and/or compact 1911s in .45 acp on my hip and/or shoulder holster.
2 full size mags for the 1911 and 1-2 speedloaders for the .44.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

Think about the origins of the concept. Ever wonder why you often see Samurai swords in sets of 2 or 3? A big one and some smaller ones. Why did cavalry riders carry 2 pistols. In combat, you fight with everything you've got - you are only limited by what you brought (and you never know when you are going to a fight). How much you bring must be balanced with what is expedient and practical - you don't want to limit your mobility by wearing too much body armor or by having to tote that M60, plus the ammo belts. Sure we can't all be 100% prepared for every contingency, but the BUG concept exists for a reason (several reasons, many very valid ones listed in this thread): because cops got their guns taken away, or ran out of ammo, or their gun jammed up, or got shot, or got knocked down and dropped their gun, or were faced with a situation where they needed to arm someone else, etc. The practice has merit and has been proven on the street, with the evidence too often written in blood.

Depending on were I'm going, I'll carry a BUG with me. Most of the time when I'm around my area I just carry my M&P9c or my 5 shot.

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

It may make sense to have a BUG on another body location because if somehow you drop your primary gun, or it gets knocked out of your hand, and it goes spinning across the floor, at least you won't have to go running after it (if you could).

Being prepared with a second gun in case your first fails is probably a good idea,but sometimes due to concealment issues it`s not possible. Also carrying the best available handgun should circumvent all but the most serious issue regarding reliability.I drive the best possible vehicle I can afford so I don`t have a breakdown going through Detroit,I don`t tow a spare vehicle behind it.Regarding CC and the things that happen,they happen so fast all but the most highly trained may never get to that 2nd backup.It would be beneficial to hear from people who have been in and survived an encounter as to their feelings on this matter.

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. When I was in Iraq, we raided a house that had a nice weapons cache in it. When we went in the house a small firefight broke out. My M4 jammed due to a magazine issue. I tried to get it back up and running with the whole sports (slap, pull, observe, release, tap, squeeze) thing we are taught. When it failed to fix the problem, I let the M4 go and hang at my side and transitioned over to my M9. It isn't exactly having a handgun fail but it is an example of a primary weapon failing at a very bad time and having to go to a back up.


snakeman

You do however have a spare tire, possibly jumper cables, and/or AAA tho... correct?
How many posts on this forum have been for revolvers that need a new/longer firing pin to fire reliably?
Its nothing for the most reliable auto in the world, lets say glock, to have a magazine issue... or a an ammo issue?
I go the the range quite often... I have seen most "reliable" weapons have issues.

The chances of a person actually needing their carry weapon is very slim, however when and if the time comes that they need it... they REALLY need it.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

You carry a .44 snubby in your pocket?!

^^^ THIS!!! ^^^

What do you consider the very "best available" handgun? No matter what it is, I'll guarantee ya it's gonna fart and belch when you least expect it to. It's a mechanical device. It's gonna happen regardless of what the critter is. Some guys think that because a gun costs a coupla thousand bucks, that it's the very best. I think that's a crock. IMHO, the most dead-nuts reliable handgun is the good ol' S&W revolver, but you shoot one long enough, you're gonna experience some kind of malf. It just happens.

Besides, like bubbajoe and several others have pointed out, it's not just about a weapon malfunctioning. There are several, several other issues that can and will go wrong. If you are only packin' one gun, I sure hope you improvise a plan.

Mr. Murphy absolutely L-O-V-E-S guys like you! Like I said before...many here (including yourself) need to read the Rules for a Gunfight and pay very close attention to Rules 9 and 13.

Also...

Go back to page 4 and read post #34.

ANYBODY can conceal a J frame.

No excuses.