carry expensive gun?
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Not a consideration whatsoever…
…for me. It is simply a tool..
Moreover, having your gun seized as evidence is likely the least of your worries if involved in a shooting incident.
That said, I would still carry my rather pricey H&K P7 M8 if only it was more easily concealable.
Be safe.
…for me. It is simply a tool..
Moreover, having your gun seized as evidence is likely the least of your worries if involved in a shooting incident.
That said, I would still carry my rather pricey H&K P7 M8 if only it was more easily concealable.
Be safe.
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Consider:
Should the law roll-up on you with your assailant at gunpoint.
They shout for YOU to DROP THE GUN! Can you? Will you? Without hesitation of scarring up
your pricey-piece? Let's say you do comply .
What if the LEO flat kicks your piece out of your reach,
Hollywood-style. Can you stomach THAT happening?
Ok, so you've holstered your piece when the Law rolls-up. It ends-up bagged and tagged into evidence as a matter of routine. If it's got blood, or bodily matter on it (bio), it goes into a sealed paper-bag. IF nothing on it, other than your perspiration, it goes into a sealed plastic pouch. Either way, the gun is going to sit for DAYs, if not weeks, if you're not charged.
The finish will likely be jacked-up. Can you stomach that result?
IF so....rock-on.
Should the law roll-up on you with your assailant at gunpoint.
They shout for YOU to DROP THE GUN! Can you? Will you? Without hesitation of scarring up
your pricey-piece? Let's say you do comply .
What if the LEO flat kicks your piece out of your reach,
Hollywood-style. Can you stomach THAT happening?
Ok, so you've holstered your piece when the Law rolls-up. It ends-up bagged and tagged into evidence as a matter of routine. If it's got blood, or bodily matter on it (bio), it goes into a sealed paper-bag. IF nothing on it, other than your perspiration, it goes into a sealed plastic pouch. Either way, the gun is going to sit for DAYs, if not weeks, if you're not charged.
The finish will likely be jacked-up. Can you stomach that result?
IF so....rock-on.
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To paraphrase JG Wentworth; It's your money use it how you want.
I do not consider the remote risk that law enforcement might confiscate my carry gun after self-defense shooting. I carry guns that I like and shoot well. It is a remote risk. In that setting, the relative risk/impact of $400 firearm confiscation versus a $4000 firearm is immaterial. It does not matter when considering the big picture.
I also expect the court will return the firearm, assuming a favorable result from investigation, hearings, etc. I have bigger problems if there is an unfavorable result. I have several pistols that spent time in the evidence locker (not my cases) and I helped a few others recover firearms from evidence upon closing a case.
I view carry guns as consumable. Can happen slowly or all at once. It is a tool.
I also expect the court will return the firearm, assuming a favorable result from investigation, hearings, etc. I have bigger problems if there is an unfavorable result. I have several pistols that spent time in the evidence locker (not my cases) and I helped a few others recover firearms from evidence upon closing a case.
I view carry guns as consumable. Can happen slowly or all at once. It is a tool.
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Rpg
Member
The Colt Commander I usually carry has significant customization, making it a fairly pricey pistol.
It's old enough that some features now routinely found on factory models such as two tone frame and slide, extended thumb safety or great sights were features available only from a gunsmith. Some of the custom features such as aggressive checkering and accurizing are still available only as custom work as are the mastodon ivory stocks. Having my gunsmith reproduce the Commander would cost around $3,000.
The reason I carry a pretty expensive pistol is because I've been carrying it since 1980 and shoot it pretty well. Its purpose is self defense. I'm not concerned with what happens to it AFTER a successful self defense event. Id prefer not losing it to a law enforcement agency while an investigation proceeds but if that's what it takes to save my life, so be it. It's cheap at the price.
I could use a Tupperware 45 that retails for about $500, but those guns don't work as well as the Commander for me. I've tried them occasionally.
I've never understood folks who worry about what happens to their gun after a SD event. I can replace my pistol. All it takes is money. I can't replace my life.
It's old enough that some features now routinely found on factory models such as two tone frame and slide, extended thumb safety or great sights were features available only from a gunsmith. Some of the custom features such as aggressive checkering and accurizing are still available only as custom work as are the mastodon ivory stocks. Having my gunsmith reproduce the Commander would cost around $3,000.
The reason I carry a pretty expensive pistol is because I've been carrying it since 1980 and shoot it pretty well. Its purpose is self defense. I'm not concerned with what happens to it AFTER a successful self defense event. Id prefer not losing it to a law enforcement agency while an investigation proceeds but if that's what it takes to save my life, so be it. It's cheap at the price.
I could use a Tupperware 45 that retails for about $500, but those guns don't work as well as the Commander for me. I've tried them occasionally.
I've never understood folks who worry about what happens to their gun after a SD event. I can replace my pistol. All it takes is money. I can't replace my life.
I don't consider value with my carry guns. All that matters is reliability, and the ability shoot them well without having to think about it, ie muscle memory. I won't carry anything that I can't easily replace but I do carry mostly PC revolvers. I have back ups for them so if one is confiscated there is one ready to take its place immediately.
I don't even think about it. As a matter of fact, it has NEVER occurred to me. Even at this very moment as I think about the various guns that I carry I can't even guess at their current price tags and I do not care.
Confiscated in a righteous shoot? Yawn.
I'd be carrying a different gun later that same day or the next day.
Confiscated in a righteous shoot? Yawn.
I'd be carrying a different gun later that same day or the next day.Shrek Of The Arctic
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I might step on some toes here, but...here I go anyways....
I make my living in the public sector dealing with the criminal element. I'm not a person known to be sympathetic to them.
Having said that, the old "carry a cheap gun in case the cops confiscate it" yarn is a pet peeve of mine.
First of all, I've been taught by Troopers in classes that in a textbook perfect clean shootnin my state, you're very unlikely to get out of it for less than six figures. They actually said in the area of $150K. That Lethal Force class was...a good ten years ago.
By the time you get through that, your finest Wilson Combat, ED Brown, Staccato, Manhurin, Korth revolver or whatever is a drop in the bucket.
Additionally, if cops want said gun as evidence, you have just taken a human life or horrifically wounded a person. That does not typically come to good people easily. Even the most awful people often have someone who loves them that didn't do a darn thing to harm us. Granted, this is not logic and reason, but my personal sensibilities. I think it to fret about your gun in such an instance is reflective of a darn cold person or someone who really has not thought this matter all the way through. I've seen published articles where the Author was concerned about his walls, carpet, and artwork if he shot someone with too much of a gun. I find that sequence of priority as offensive, but again...I acknowledge that's my problem to digest and nobody else's.
But...having said that...If that day ever comes, you can bet any DA with half a brain will be combing the internet and gun forums researching the heck outta you. I wouldn't want them seeing the post where I was wringing my hands worrying about my precious carry gun more than perhaps de-escalating a conflict and not killing the family member of their client.
In summary, I believe in carrying whatever will best help you to survive a violent conflict, regardless of the price tag. I find the idea of carrying a cheap gun for police to confiscate as ill considered at best.
Each of us walks a different path through life. I'm sure many will have a different view. That's just the view from my own path.
I make my living in the public sector dealing with the criminal element. I'm not a person known to be sympathetic to them.
Having said that, the old "carry a cheap gun in case the cops confiscate it" yarn is a pet peeve of mine.
First of all, I've been taught by Troopers in classes that in a textbook perfect clean shootnin my state, you're very unlikely to get out of it for less than six figures. They actually said in the area of $150K. That Lethal Force class was...a good ten years ago.
By the time you get through that, your finest Wilson Combat, ED Brown, Staccato, Manhurin, Korth revolver or whatever is a drop in the bucket.
Additionally, if cops want said gun as evidence, you have just taken a human life or horrifically wounded a person. That does not typically come to good people easily. Even the most awful people often have someone who loves them that didn't do a darn thing to harm us. Granted, this is not logic and reason, but my personal sensibilities. I think it to fret about your gun in such an instance is reflective of a darn cold person or someone who really has not thought this matter all the way through. I've seen published articles where the Author was concerned about his walls, carpet, and artwork if he shot someone with too much of a gun. I find that sequence of priority as offensive, but again...I acknowledge that's my problem to digest and nobody else's.
But...having said that...If that day ever comes, you can bet any DA with half a brain will be combing the internet and gun forums researching the heck outta you. I wouldn't want them seeing the post where I was wringing my hands worrying about my precious carry gun more than perhaps de-escalating a conflict and not killing the family member of their client.
In summary, I believe in carrying whatever will best help you to survive a violent conflict, regardless of the price tag. I find the idea of carrying a cheap gun for police to confiscate as ill considered at best.
Each of us walks a different path through life. I'm sure many will have a different view. That's just the view from my own path.
That is the mentality of those with nothing better to do than obsess over trivial matters. These guys don't need guns, they can talk the bad guy to death and keep the Safe Queen in the safe.
smoothshooter
Member
Even a justified good shooting will cause you to rack up thousands of dollars in attorney fees.
A civil suit by the family of the shootee will cost even more.
Could be tens or hundreds of thousands.
Losing the gun will be the least of your worries.
A civil suit by the family of the shootee will cost even more.
Could be tens or hundreds of thousands.
Losing the gun will be the least of your worries.
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A firearm is a tool. Nothing more. However it is a tool you may stake your life or the lives of those you love on. Different strokes for different folks I guess but I want the best tool reliability and function wise that I can get. In the big picture, if you ever need to actually use it the cost you paid for the tool is of small importance. Do I carry a $4k piece? Nope. Do I carry a $199 piece? Also nope. I require and only use a piece that is rock solid reliable AND that I can consistently hit with. $500 or $1500 doesn't matter if it meets those requirements. Back "in the day" Bell motorcycle helmets were selling lids for around $100. There ad says " if you've got a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet". Kinda says it all…
BKLooney
Member
What my carry weapons cost is meaningless to me, I will carry an excellent quality reliable weapon. If it saves my life or those of my family members it has done its job and was money very well spent.
There's a big difference between carrying a rare, expensive piece and an expensive, replaceable one. For example a Browning BDA (Sig P220) vs. a plain jane P220. The latter is an equal in every way (and better in at least one way), is certainly not inexpensive, but is easily replaced.
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I will probably sound like the cheap person folks are identifying, that they feel haven't thought things out.
I have always been frugal, and I look to preserve my investments. I like wheel guns. My earliest revolver is a 14-1 (?) that dates to about 1958 and is a shooter that looks like it just came out of the blue box. I have newer revolvers that I also shoot, and shudder at the thought of their being abused in a post self-defense encounter.
I also like semi-auto pistols (metal) which are shooters that were acquired through a significant amount of work and scrimping. I don't want to throw my money away. Also, most of my handguns have a degree of sentimental value.
Up until maybe 6 years ago, I would never have willfully picked up a polymer pistol, but I have and found that I can shoot them sufficiently. It is getting to the point that the number of polymer is almost equalling the steel guns. I am also finding that they are somewhat more versatile for the "shoot for speed and accuracy" games. Plus, I am confident in them.
When I am in a position to lawfully carry, I have chosen to carry polymer framed semi-autos: either one of my smaller Glocks or Sigs. I will not carry cheap (ie: Saturday night specials), but will carry affordable handguns that have proven themselves on the range. The polymer pistols (for me) don't have the character of my steel handguns.
Currently, when I carry, it is either a G42, G43, a P365, or potentially a G26. The GSSF member discount makes the purchase of a potential replacement handgun palatable ... usually no more than $425 plus tax and NICS check. I buy my 365s with student discounts when I participate in the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit. For me, these polymer pistols are my working guns.
I have always been frugal, and I look to preserve my investments. I like wheel guns. My earliest revolver is a 14-1 (?) that dates to about 1958 and is a shooter that looks like it just came out of the blue box. I have newer revolvers that I also shoot, and shudder at the thought of their being abused in a post self-defense encounter.
I also like semi-auto pistols (metal) which are shooters that were acquired through a significant amount of work and scrimping. I don't want to throw my money away. Also, most of my handguns have a degree of sentimental value.
Up until maybe 6 years ago, I would never have willfully picked up a polymer pistol, but I have and found that I can shoot them sufficiently. It is getting to the point that the number of polymer is almost equalling the steel guns. I am also finding that they are somewhat more versatile for the "shoot for speed and accuracy" games. Plus, I am confident in them.
When I am in a position to lawfully carry, I have chosen to carry polymer framed semi-autos: either one of my smaller Glocks or Sigs. I will not carry cheap (ie: Saturday night specials), but will carry affordable handguns that have proven themselves on the range. The polymer pistols (for me) don't have the character of my steel handguns.
Currently, when I carry, it is either a G42, G43, a P365, or potentially a G26. The GSSF member discount makes the purchase of a potential replacement handgun palatable ... usually no more than $425 plus tax and NICS check. I buy my 365s with student discounts when I participate in the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit. For me, these polymer pistols are my working guns.
As stated previously, the price of the gun is inconsequential compared to looming legal fees.
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
If you are dead, it does not matter does it?
Just my LEO opinion but do you know why a handgun is check for ballistics?
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
I found a spare of my EDC, tested it for function and accuracy, cleaned up and put in safe.
Rosewood
I always have a matching pair. Even for a cop they will take your handgun for ballistics.
