Carry Rotation?

[Grayfox]

I've seen the term "Carry Rotation" used many times over the years, But I just don't get it.
I have several different guns that I carry depending on my needs at that particular time. Sometimes I even carry something completely different just for the hell of it or just a whim.
I can see different guns for summer and winter. But that falls into the current need category to me.
But I've this term used in the context that some folks actually change carry guns on some sort of schedule. Does anybody actually do this? Why?
So just exactly what is a "carry rotation" and why would anybody do that?

[CH4]

I believe you aptly described what most of us consider our “carry rotation”. For those of us who ccw more than one gun we have a group of guns we informally refer to as our carry rotation, they’re not in a particular order. For me choosing what I carry on a particular day depends on location, weather, daily mission, and most importantly, my mood.

[ContinentalOp]

Originally Posted by Grayfox

I have several different guns that I carry depending on my needs at that particular time. Sometimes I even carry something completely different just for the hell of it or just a whim.
I can see different guns for summer and winter. But that falls into the current need category to me.

You just described "carry rotation."

It's not about a specific schedule. I've never seen it referred to in that way.

[bigwheelzip]

Originally Posted by Grayfox

So just exactly what is a "carry rotation"....

The subset of my firearms that I prefer to carry, and cycle through as need or preference arise.

[Donn]

Due respect to all advocates of "rotation," I've never looked at the contents of my safe like the buffet at the local Golden Corral. MHO? Find the gun you shoot best, practice till it's operation becomes second nature, that's the one you trust your life with. Obviously, YMMV.

[ken158]

Beware of the man with one gun who knows how to use it... has always been a saying I have heard over the years. If you CCW and end up in condition RED where you need to draw and fire, then your mind better be tuned to your CCW piece and not the piece of the day... a fraction of a second could be a big difference in the outcome. Summer and winter carry has always been my rotation with practice prior to putting each into action. As far as current civil unrest conditions, my winter carry lasted longer this year and extra ammo has been the norm because my and mine life matters the most.

[ContinentalOp]

Originally Posted by Donn

Find the gun you shoot best, practice till it's operation becomes second nature, that's the one you trust your life with.

For the most part, I think that's the best approach. But sometimes, the gun one shoots best isn't always feasible to carry all the time. The gun I shoot best is my Beretta 92FS, but it is a large, relatively heavy pistol compared to my PX4 Compact, so I carry the PX4. Sometimes I carry a 642. Most of the time, I carry both my 642 and my PX4. Fortunately, I've practiced enough with both guns that I can switch between them fairly easily, and they're both DA guns (first shot with the PX4) with no manual safeties, so that simplifies things a bit. And both my 92 and PX4 have essentially the same manual-of-arms (one of the reasons I went with the PX4 when I was shopping for a compact 9mm), so my 92 fills a home defense role (at least until I can get some carry gear for it).

So I think it can be helpful to have different options for different circumstances, but ideally their operation should be as similar as possible. For example, carry a 3" 65 when you can, but use a 642 for pocket carry when that's the best approach (which is something I've done before). The more dissimilar they are, the more time and effort one has to invest in order to maintain competence with them.

Just my opinion.

[bigwheelzip]

Originally Posted by Donn

.....that's the one you trust your life with.......

That's my EDC choice.
Increased activity gets a smaller and lighter choice.
Woods walks in bear country get a more powerful choice.
Wardrobe requirements that limit concealment are a smaller sized choice.
I CC every time I leave the house, with the selection appropriate for the day ahead.



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[Smoke]

I've decided not to care what other people do

[ContinentalOp]

Originally Posted by Smoke

I've decided not to care what other people do

Then why bother posting here, or using these forums at all?

[LPD256]

One of my buddies at the range carries a revolver on Wednesday every week. We started kind of joking about “Wheelgun Wednesday” a couple years ago. That’s about as close as I have to a schedule.

[blues7]

I keep it simple.

If I'm home, or walking around the home area, I carry my S&W 642-1.

Once I set foot in my vehicle to go to town or further, I carry a Glock 26 with 12 rounds aboard and a spare magazine.

[RobzGuns]

I keep it even more simple than blues7...
My EDC is my Shield. I can carry it all 4 Seasons, in anything I wear.
If, for some reason my Shield needs service/repair, my next carry pistol would be my G26, or G19.

I practice with all three, so if I need to change, I'm good to go.

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Unfortunately, at my age I occasionally get aches and pains from carrying a heavier gun constantly. Also, really hot summer weather sometimes dictates pocket or ankle (secondary only) carry. Other than that, I carry a "real gun" as much as possible.

I share the OP's reaction to "carry rotation." I believe that it is dictated by the meaning of the word "rotation." Obviously, some folks mean something a little different, with a few examples above. That's not the OP's fault.

[stansdds]

I have only two handguns for my "carry rotation", a S&W 640-1 and a S&W 6946. They are both DAO and the trigger pull weight, length and reset are very near identical. The 6946 is my normal carry, the 640-1 when concealment of the 6946 is not possible. All the rest of my handguns are for fun, not for EDC rotation.

[Miami_JBT]

I swap out carry guns like my wife swaps shoes and purses. One day I carry a 4566, then a Colt Commander, then a 342Ti, then a HK USP Compact, then a Makarov, then a 3" 65, then a G43, then a P239, etc, etc, etc.

I've trained with so many guns over such a long period of time that it it all second nature to me. There can only be so many different action types to master.

[Old cop]

I was trained to carry the same kind of weapon (revolver or auto loader) the same way all the time. Muscle memory is what’s important when/if the ballon goes up.

[blues7]

Originally Posted by RobzGuns

I keep it even more simple than blues7...
My EDC is my Shield. I can carry it all 4 Seasons, in anything I wear.
If, for some reason my Shield needs service/repair, my next carry pistol would be my G26, or G19.

I practice with all three, so if I need to change, I'm good to go.

I bought a second G26 so if one needed service or repair, I had a backup.

In truth, the primary reason for this was LEOSA and carrying in a state which might not recognize / reciprocate my state license and limit capacity to ten rounds. The G26 answers all those issues and more.

(My G19 and G17 are reserved for backup and nightstand duty, respectively.)

[Miami_JBT]

Originally Posted by blues7

I bought a second G26 so if one needed service or repair, I had a backup.

In truth, the primary reason for this was LEOSA and carrying in a state which might not recognize / reciprocate my state license and limit capacity to ten rounds. The G26 answers all those issues and more.

(My G19 and G17 are reserved for backup and nightstand duty, respectively.)

My LEOSA Fifty State Legal gun is usually my G26, G27, G43, Shield .40, or 342Ti.

[Univibe]

Monday, ugh, I think I'll grab my Glock.

Tuesday, yeah, let's try the new Canick.

Wednesday, hump day, gotta have the 1911.

Thursday, time for a revolver, maybe the Smith 642.

Friday, yippee! Celebrate with the VP9. Paddle release and all.


And one day, the Jackboyz show up. You reach for a gun . . . . What am I carrying today? What do I do? Maybe you die.



Bad idea. Rotating girlfriends, fine. But stick with the one gun that you are so familiar with, you don't waste even a half second thinking about it.

[blues7]

Originally Posted by Miami_JBT

My LEOSA Fifty State Legal gun is usually my G26, G27, G43, Shield .40, or 342Ti.

That's just too much complexity for me.

I get everything I want with the G26 and I can save on ammo on my LEOSA qual. (We have to list each gun by Make / Model, but not serial number. So one G26 is the same as any other for that purpose.)

And I don't take a revolver as a primary carry on road trips anymore. At least not since the mid 80's.

[loknload]

There are four handguns that I carry depending on circumstances.
My main carry now days is my LCP next to that is my Smith 36. When I want bigger I go to my Beretta Cougar 8040 and as a last carry is my Glock 27.
The Glock 27 is mostly nightstand dedicated!
Over the years it changed as I acquired others and changed due to likings.
But now these days these are what I stick with!

[OLDSTER]

I carry the same two rigs year around; a Seecamp pocket carry every day, unless I'm driving, then it's either a Chiefs Special or Charter Arms cross draw in an old Hunter holster.

[Krogen]

Originally Posted by Donn

Due respect to all advocates of "rotation," I've never looked at the contents of my safe like the buffet at the local Golden Corral. MHO? Find the gun you shoot best, practice till it's operation becomes second nature, that's the one you trust your life with. Obviously, YMMV.

I'm with Donn on this one. Should the time come (perish the thought) that one needs to use a carry gun, it needs to be same type always used for carry and practice. At that critical moment, muscle memory and training take over. It's a bad time to sort out which pistol you're drawing. Is it the cocked and locked 1911 with a crisp short trigger? Or a Glock? One could forget to swipe the safety on a 1911. Or apply 1911 trigger control to the Glock. Maybe this sounds silly to some, but I'd defer to those who've been in this situation - Thankfully, I have not.

I can see carrying full-size or compact versions of the same firearm at different times; perhaps dictated by weather/clothing. The drill would be the same, only on a different sized pistol.

[Smoke]

Originally Posted by ContinentalOp

Then why bother posting here, or using these forums at all?

Amusement.

[Miami_JBT]

Originally Posted by blues7

That's just too much complexity for me.

I get everything I want with the G26 and I can save on ammo on my LEOSA qual. (We have to list each gun by Make / Model, but not serial number. So one G26 is the same as any other for that purpose.)

And I don't take a revolver as a primary carry on road trips anymore. At least not since the mid 80's.

In FL, it is simply type. Qual with a semiautomatic and a revolver and you're good for all.

[grover99]

I have three guns that I carry in my pocket at different times depending on where I am going that day. The thing is each gun requires only that I pull it out of a pocket holster and pull the trigger. Two of them have no safety and the third the safety is left off. The third is double action hammer fired so no light trigger pull. Works for me.

[Grayfox]

I share the OP's reaction to "carry rotation." I believe that it is dictated by the meaning of the word "rotation."

I guess that's always been the hangup for me. That word "rotation". To me that word suggests a regularly scheduled change of equipment. I think a better term would be "carry battery".

I have three guns that I normally carry depending on the day's needs. A Colt Lightweight Commander .45acp, a S&W 642 and a Colt Mustang XSP. This is my normal "carry battery".

However, as I said, that's not written in stone. Not real often, but just on the rare occasion, I might decide to carry anything from a .25 auto to a .45 Colt for a special need or maybe just for S&G.

[uncleted327]

Summer and Winter seem to come on a pretty regular schedule. Seems like semantics are more the problem here than what's actually being discussed. Worry more about what you do than what other people are doing for their EDC routine...

[delcrossv]

Originally Posted by Univibe

..........

And one day, the Jackboyz show up. You reach for a gun . . . . What am I carrying today? What do I do? Maybe you die.

Bad idea. Rotating girlfriends, fine. But stick with the one gun that you are so familiar with, you don't waste even a half second thinking about it.

If you're not dealing with safeties, it doesn't make much difference.Allow me to demonstrate:

Remove gun from holster

Point at target

Squeeze trigger

No difference with a 342, a 66-4, a Model 29 or a DA/SA semiauto.

[ISCS Yoda]

I've trained with so many guns over such a long period of time that it it all second nature to me. There can only be so many different action types to master.

THAT is my favorite item in this thread.

First, I always know which gun I am carrying. It's pretty hard to be unable to distinguish between a M649 in my pocket, a Walther CCP on my belt, or maybe in my pocket, or a 2" K frame on my belt. They all carry differently, feel different, and while I am thoroughly used to carrying them I remain aware of them at all times. Shooting any of them is "second nature" to me.

Once I decide to take some other carry guns to the range and if I then decide to carry them I will be acutely aware of the change. But I will also be acutely aware of how they shoot and how I handle them considering I will have just done it. Again, "second nature". I don't carry guns that I have never shot - that's just dumb.

I do have several carry pistols not currently in use because it has been too long but, still, after the many times I have used some of them I could probably carry one right now and be comfortable with the choice. Again, "second nature".

I never argue with the choice of one gun for everything - that is actually how I operated back when I was hunting routinely.

But if you're going to buy guns that you plan to shoot AND CARRY, as opposed to just collect or accumulate, then you just "do it" and make them second nature guns. And I simply have quite a few of those.

[sigp220.45]

I pick my daily companion based on whim and fancy. I have a safe full of guns that I couldn’t carry on the job, but could carry upon retirement. So now I carry them.

Muscles don’t have memory. If they did people with spinal injuries would be walking around on muscle memories. Your brain does everything. There is something to be said for repetition, though.

I try to keep a short list of things to worry about. I’ve been in enough jams that forgetting how my gun works doesn’t make the list.

[rockquarry]

Except for unforeseen rare instances, carry the same gun all the time. You'll be way ahead of the rotators and the obsessive.

[LCC]

shirt weather = LCP gen 2 (not LCP 2) in the pocket with 8 rounds.
jacket weather = 365 in one of several belt holsters with 13 rounds.
woods walk any time of year = 3" .357 with magnums

nice to have choices

[Murdock]

I always carry the same type of operating mechanisn, although it can be in service pistol, compact or subcompact variation depending upon how I have have to dress for the day.

I practice with my EDC the most, but own and practice with other types as well, because what makes you think that when the dance starts that you will be using your own gun?

[SMSgt]

Beware the man with multiple guns and knows how to use them all. One is so limiting.

[ladder13]

I rotate food stock.

[peterGun]

I don’t rotate, EDC is Shield40 with Shield9 as backup.

Church gun M&P9c, woods gun M&P40


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[Miami_JBT]

Originally Posted by Univibe

Monday, ugh, I think I'll grab my Glock.

Tuesday, yeah, let's try the new Canick.

Wednesday, hump day, gotta have the 1911.

Thursday, time for a revolver, maybe the Smith 642.

Friday, yippee! Celebrate with the VP9. Paddle release and all.


And one day, the Jackboyz show up. You reach for a gun . . . . What am I carrying today? What do I do? Maybe you die.



Bad idea. Rotating girlfriends, fine. But stick with the one gun that you are so familiar with, you don't waste even a half second thinking about it.

Amazingly as a cop I was able to work a GLOCK, a S&W J-Frame, a AR-15, a Remington 870, a M26 and X26 Taser, along with a Milkor MAR 37mm gas launcher. All have different safeties, systems, loading procedures, etc....

Never tripped up on transition from one to another.

As a competitive shooter I've done multiple day matches where one day it is a Mini-14 and a Daewoo K2 with a Colt Python and the next day it was a Browning Auto 5 and a Walther P38. Never got tripped up or confused.

I can handle my M1 Garands just as well as a Arisaka Type 99 or a FN PS90 just as well as a Kel-Tec P32.

Again, there are only so many operating principles on firearms. Once you master them, you master them.

I'm confident in my abilities.

Want to see a true master at work? Look at Jerry. He's a demon with anything that goes bang.

[Miami_JBT]

Originally Posted by SMSgt

Beware the man with multiple guns and knows how to use them all. One is so limiting.

"Specialization is for Insects."

[xray97]

Originally Posted by bigwheelzip

The subset of my firearms that I prefer to carry, and cycle through as need or preference arise.

Can’t get much clearer than that!

[ISCS Yoda]

Originally Posted by rockquarry

Except for unforeseen rare instances, carry the same gun all the time. You'll be way ahead of the rotators and the obsessive.

That's not exactly true. I routinely carry a M649 but when I head out to places that COULD become targets of opportunity for Tangos, Antifa, or just any bad dudes I switch to a pistol with more firepower. I think I can get by with 5 rounds as a routine thing but I don't just stay home and hibernate and I go to places lots more attractive to the worst among us than the grocery store so I add the extra rounds.

IF I carried a higher capacity pistol all of the time then the argument rockquarry posted above would be true. But I don't, and neither do many others.

[Smoke]

..Tangos..

[Smoke]

I carry a Glock 19 or a Glock 26 depending on my concealment needs and my activity. Once in a very great while my concealment needs dictate a Ruger LC9.

It's been my experience that Tangos(which I assume is a tacticool way to say Street Rats) can move and they can show up in the Damnedest places so I don't change what I carry based on percieved risk.

[bmcgilvray]

I've observed that the man with one gun seldom is a true expert and doesn't know how to use it well so I think the hoary old saying: "Beware the man with one gun ..." is not valid.

[Miami_JBT]

Originally Posted by bmcgilvray

I've observed that the man with one gun seldom is a true expert and doesn't know how to use it well so I think the hoary old saying: "Beware the man with one gun ..." is not valid.

It is a feel good myth. Look at the best shooters in the world. They can handle multiple platforms with different operating principles and systems. The honest truth is that handling a firearm requires practice. If you practice with multiple types regularly. You can master them all.

[ladder13]

Originally Posted by Smoke

I've decided not to care what other people do

Best advice.

[KSDeputy]

I have carried the same pistol for over 20 years. I know it front and back. I can't imagine having your life dependent upon numerous guns which you perhaps could get confused when the moment you need it comes. No rotation carry for me, I look upon the practice as being dangerous.

[delcrossv]

Originally Posted by KSDeputy

I have carried the same pistol for over 20 years. I know it front and back. I can't imagine having your life dependent upon numerous guns which you perhaps could get confused when the moment you need it comes. No rotation carry for me, I look upon the practice as being dangerous.

YouTube

[Doc1500]

When the "SHTF" and your heart and adrenaline are all cranked up, that means your brain is scrambled, you better know that you know what gun you're carrying and whether you even grabbed the right magazines for the day.
Being proficient with one pistol for self-defense is Paramount. Carrying the same pistol all the time there is no question in your mind when the stuff hits the fan, as to how that particular pistol operates.
A moment of hesitation can cost you your life.
A self defense weapon It's not a fashion accessory. I don't decide on what to carry according to what I wear,where I'm going, or what time of year it is. I carry what I shoot the best and " I dress around it" and carry it all the time.
Having knowledge of all other weapons and how they work is also very Paramount.
JMHO