Is There Others Growing Tired of Packing?

[forrestinmathews]

When I get tired of carrying so much ammunition and gun, I pack a single action revolver in.45LC behind the belt buckle for a day. I know how to use it well enough right and left handed thanks to SASS and I have taken the time to become proficient out to 15 yards or so. By proficient I mean four inch groups with most touching the three inch bull. This takes me back in time and allows me to reflect on modern weapons while still maintaining the protection level I am comfortable with. I'm limited to one per customer in this situation, but I think the hammer coming back is a sound that will be taken very seriously. If it isn't, the bite is worse than the bark and sorry to be him.

 

[M&P Freak]

I own several handguns for carrying and select the one to use that is most appropriate for where I am and what I'm doing. If I'm hiking is the woods I'll wear my 45. However, I find that 95% of the time a model 642 is more than adequate. I love that little gun.

 

[srings]

I have not tired one bit from carry my Shield near every day for almost 10 months. Though I can't carry at work, I carry just about everywhere else that is legally possible. I can see why pocket carry a Shield would be tiresome. I couldn't imagine and I'm tall at 6'4" and all of 210lbs. I'd get weary of that in my pocket in a hurry! Good luck if you decide to switch for weight. You gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[Venenoindy]

Are there anyone growing tired of packing their Shield?

Before I get a bunch of hate mail I want to qualify my question.

My Shield 9mm has been a pleasure to shoot and has never failed in 1,500 rounds.

I have pocket concealed my Shield at work 10 hours per day for the last 17 months. I will not consider another means of concealment, pocket is a quick method to arm yourself and present the weapon. IWB, belly band nor ankle can not match the shear speed pocket provides presenting your weapon or arming yourself for the day.

I am not knocking folks who use IWB but let's be honest it takes time to tuck a shirt in with IWB and the bathroom breaks reconfirm why I choose pocket over IWB.

I may do what I would have considered unthinkable 17 months ago, trade caliber for weight. The Ruger LCP feels awkward in my big hand and I much prefer my Shield 9 mm for quality, accuracy and recoil but the fact is when you drop a Ruger LCP in your pocket and jump up and down a couple times you have to second guess the 9 mm advantage. Is it worth packing a 9mm when it is twice as heavy for 10 hours per day?

I have read all the ballistic reports and I know the 9mm is superior to 380 that is why I purchased a Shield 9mm, but I don't feel a daily threat to my life and that is why I may trade caliber for comfort because a mouse gun in my pocket is worth more than a rocket launcher in the safe.

Are there others beginning to question if the added weight and size of the 9mm single stack a better choice over a mouse gun considering most self defense situations occur within 3 ft with 3 rounds and ending in 3 seconds.

Russ

If you are tired of carrying that particular gun all you have to do is have two or three options and sizes that way is not always the same.

 

[buskerpcr]

Carry at the office

#234 DeepConcealment Shoulder Holsters

Shield fits under the arm very comfortable and mag holders
on the opposite side
If you don't have a concealed carry shirt with magnets for buttons
Just remove a button on a regular shirt re-sew it on the left - looks buttoned but hand will fit in easily for access to the firearm.
If you wear a tie just leave a button un-buttoned .
For me 5 days a week at the office and no one has ever detected me carrying .
Do spend the extra money for a snap thumb break .

 

[forrestinmathews]

If you are tired of carrying that particular gun all you have to do is have two or three options and sizes that way is not always the same.

Well said. I think very few citizens carry the same way all the time. Most folks that I know have somewhere in the neighborhood of three weapons and probably six holsters in use.

 

[RussC]

I changed my mind I will continue pocket packing my Shield and I may carry an extra magazine after reading lead story on ksl website. A man plotted to purchase semi auto handguns, 5 extra magazines and silencers. He cased out a Salt Lake City shopping mall. Public bus and train and a movie theater. He was per story going to carryout the sick act of killing as many people as possible Sept 25 the day his mother died.

Russ

 

[M29since14]

Why is it illegal for lawyers to carry a gun in the courthouse? That place is just full of criminals!

A heck of an opportunity for wisecracks about lawyers... and no one took the bait!

 

[George9]

I own several handguns for carrying and select the one to use that is most appropriate for where I am and what I'm doing. If I'm hiking is the woods I'll wear my 45. However, I find that 95% of the time a model 642 is more than adequate. I love that little gun.

Yes I agree one needs more then one gun depending on what's going on or where one is going.. Years ago, many years go I use to carry 100% of the time always.. My gun was limited to a Beretta model 1935 in .32 cal with a extra 8 round mag.. It worked as the gun was small and I was good with it. Carry was in my boot mostly, was very easy to get too or pocket carry. I got my share of cheap zinc cast chrome nickel guns that did work 100% of the time for me at the range but never felt safe with cheap guns.. Up to date my carry guns are officers colt .45 1911 " for in the wood also!! Because I don't have anything bigger. a S&W 6906 for conceal ability and capacity on open hiking trails and a Ruger LC9 for in the city in town shopping kind of places.. I always carry at least 1 extra mag. The short of it! I may carry something else depending.. George

 

[Trooper Joe]

Tired of carrying?

When I was a Detective with a state LE agency, many of us carried the issued back up gun, an airweight S&W bodyguard. Once in a while we would get a neat confiscated gun (1911 Commander, Walther PPK/S in stainless, Browning High Power, to name a few) and submit a request to carry them.

Usually, after a week of trying to hide these larger guns (all except the Walther), you would find us back to our airweight S&W. The movies are B.S., you just can't hide a big gun as well as Clint Eastwood.

Being retired, I occasionally carry a medium sized gun (Sig 239, Glock 19, CZ RAMI/fantastic gun, Commander sized 1911's, and others). Usually in less than a week, my 6 oz, Kel Tec P-32 shows up in my pocket. This even happened with a 10 oz Sea Camp which is absolutely a beautiful gun.

I agree with the comment on a Sig 238 as a pocket gun. My SAS two tone, stayed in my pocket the longest before I went back to my P-32.

I also agree with the comment on the fact that you can always have your hand on your pocket gun. This is exactly what we used to do when working the road in uniform (our main gun was at that time, carried on the left side so you always had access to the S&W airweight in your right pocket).

Presently, I started to carry my Shield in a very compact off body "day planner" type of case. It is in my truck all the time and the P-32 in my pocket. If I am in a weird neighborhood, I sometimes take out my Shield and slip into my belt under my shirt (we carried that way a lot when I was a detective.)

There are no free rides with carrying a gun. I do support the comment that a gun should be comforting not necessarily comfortable.

Great thread on this topic.

Trooper Joe

 

[TSOL@FL]

I too was in a very similar situation, the company I was working for at the time required that I wore business casual (dress pants, dress shirt or polo) which didn't leave much room for a firearm. I tried IWB but no matter how I tried I always had a funny looking bulge. So I went without carrying at work.

As FL allows carry within you vehicle and I drove my own car for work I figured I was covered for the majority of what I may encounter plus I would normally carry another firearm in my briefcase. That all changed one day when my car was in the shop and I was driving a rental car (this is the reason I suspect I was targeted) I was at a fairly large 7-11 gas station in a decent part of town in the middle of the day I didn't have a firearm on me, I did have one in my briefcase in the car when I was approached by this guy who appeared to be hopped up on some type of drug. He was asking me all sorts of weird questions, changing his subjects and kept trying to get closer to me, I did have a knife on me but it wasn't a good feeling as I was recovering from leg surgery and wasn't up to a fight.

Luckily some one pulled up to the pump next to me and the thug fled. But ever since that day I've carried. I was never a fan of the 380 but I first tried a Kahr CM9 but putting it in my pocket wasn't going to work in dress pants it was big, bulky and heavy. I bought a Ruger LCP and carried everyday at work. While not the ideal carry gun I felt it was better than nothing. I now have a little more freedom in what I wear to work and can dress more CCW friendly and normally carry my Kahr, the Shield, Springfield XD SC in 9mm or a CZ PCR.

If I could have worn something other than dress clothes I would not have picked the LCP as my CCW gun.

 

[Old cop]

As others have posted my EDC continues to be a J frame. Having tried the subcompact .380s I always come back to the tried and true .38 for ccw. I too have "been there" during my LEO career and the .38 did its job. My daily travels in retirement are very tame, and while my comfort level might be higher w/a larger semi auto, the reality of my age and physical challenges dictates the 642/442 for self protection.

 

[Trooper Joe]

Old Cop,

I know what you mean about the comfort of a J frame. I really like all of these new compact autos, but just for old times sake, I bought a S&W 442 a few years ago. It really is a much better gun than the original "Body Guard" models of the 50's and 60's.

When I carry it, I use Critical Defense, non-+P, even though it is rated for +P.

There is nothing to snag (no external hammer), it has great rubber grips, and rides well in my jeans pockets (a little to bulky and heavy for dress pants though, at least for me). I seem to shoot this better than when I was on the job. Maybe some of the range officer's instructions are finally sinking in .

Great thread with a lot of good ideas.

Trooper Joe

 

[George9]

Old Cop,Me too my wife has her dads Mod.36 Chiefs special. Unfortunately it had a odd trigger job done to it.. DA pull is about as heavy as I ever felt in any gun and the SA pull scary light. I don't have a trigger pull gage but it's not safe.. I wanted to fix it for the wife she said no being her dad did the work and it was just the way he liked it.. I also wanted to bob the hammer for her too. Ya I was going to buy a replacement to do the work with .. I think it's a great carry gun .. My wife has bad arthritis in their wrists.. We opted for the LC9 I decided to get one too.. But I'm still really thinking about doing up her old J frame mod.36 to get it safe for a CCW for her.. She has yet to shoot the LC9! But has shot the 36 even with +P ammo she was ok with it and she shot it well too!! I think you made a good choice! George

 

[Old cop]

All of the subcompact .380 models choked on me and just lately my Keltec P32 had a firing pin failure (see "Last Straw" Post here). The little Js just keep on shooting (I practice monthly).

 

[Roger S&W]

Get a Kahr CM9.

 

[forrestinmathews]

Seems to be a trend from those in the know: revolvers. Jim Cirillo, the most notable gunfighter of the twentieth century and the two former policemen seem to think that they work well. Hmm...
My carry choices:

 

[Nitrous SSC]

I carry at work and often wear suit/tie. I carry a M&P40c. King Tuk holster. I like it a lot.

Pocket carry prints like a MOFO, I don't understand how people do it? Even with a holster you go from having a gun in your pocket to a huge blob.

 

[Nitrous SSC]

I changed my mind I will continue pocket packing my Shield and I may carry an extra magazine after reading lead story on ksl website. A man plotted to purchase semi auto handguns, 5 extra magazines and silencers. He cased out a Salt Lake City shopping mall. Public bus and train and a movie theater. He was per story going to carryout the sick act of killing as many people as possible Sept 25 the day his mother died.

Russ

Exactly why we need to stay prepared. Our state has incredible freedom from gun laws/restrictions. We should utilize them to protect ourselves.

 

[RussC]

Exactly why we need to stay prepared. Our state has incredible freedom from gun laws/restrictions. We should utilize them to protect ourselves.

Thanks neighbor. I agree Utah's laws are very favorable to the 2nd amendment. Where else can you pack while volunteering at your child's elementary school?

I am a numbers guy and at the time I started this thread I questioned if pocket packing my 24 oz Shield over a 12 oz mouse gun made sense when the odds you would need it is very low and if you did use it from my reading the distance would most likely be point blank making a mouse gun statistically a reasonable option.


I am thankful we live in a relatively safe area of our Country in comparison to some inner cities, but I will admit it did cause me to pause when I read about the nut case in Salt Lake City plotting to inflict death on our mass transit system which I use daily to travel to work.

Thanks again for reminding me how blessed I am to live in a gun friendly state.

Russ