Carry Gun Evolution

[BlackAgnes]

Strange, when I look back at my historical rationales for carry guns! This seems to have evolved over the years and may not yet be resolved:

Many years ago, I carried a High Standard Sentinel Snub .22--it was all I could afford.

Fairly soon, I scraped together the dough for a 2" Model 15 Combat Masterpiece. That seemed OK.

Then, I saw "Bullitt"--how would I ever be able to afford that 2 1/2" Python ??(OK, I now think it might have been a Diamondback, no matter) but somehow I did. I fired six rounds from the elegant snake and the empty cases would not extract!

Zut alors! I promptly traded the Python for a 2 1/2" Model 19 and carried it happily for several years. I used an upside-down Safariland holster--liked it a lot.

Well, if the .357 was good, a 4" Model 29 ought to be better, right? I put the M19 i a drawer and had Mike Taurisano make me an IWB holster for the 29. It was a little heavy, but I felt well-armed!

Sometime after I quit the local PD, I sold the 29 because it wouldn't shoot through an old small-block Chevy motor (My Ithaca with slugs had no problem) and I downsized--Walther PPK. I never could figure out how to carry the little bastard, so away that went, sharp edges and all.

Aha! I discovered the Centennial! So cool, I bought two of them and still have 'em. Another Tauris holster and I was set for another couple of years.
...but how to carry spare ammo? The cartridges kept falling out of the SpeedStrips. Merde!

A buddy had a pre-Model 24 that somebody had whacked off to 4", so I bought it and-----back to the N frames!! Luckily, it fit the old M29 holster.

A Combat Commander in .45 lived with me for a while, but I never felt comfortable carrying a C&L gun, and since I was left-handed anyway--down the road it went.

Then:

A nice Remington Model 51
A Thomas .45 (remember them?)
A COP derringer
A Detonics Combat Master
A round-butt M19
A Model 51 in .22 Magnum
A Model 650 in the same caliber
A Model 3914--really nice, reliable carry gun
A HK USPc in .45 (now I was really getting sophisticated!)

...and many others I cannot remember.

Finally, I think I've got it figured out. I have for a while now been very happy with my SIG P228--not too heavy, points well, adequate magazine capacity, "cool factor", and shoots great.

Is this the ultimate?

Qien sabe??!!??

Tim

 

[dbarale]

Vous avez a tendency for mixing idiomas que es muy entertaining!

As for carry guns, I find myself going back to some flavor of hammerless or bobbed hammer .38 small frame. Just works for me...

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Damn! I thought that this was going to be one of those old jokes about growing up, then old, and ending up pretty much where you started. Surely you must see that the 2" Model 15 was about the zenith of your trajectory. Some arguments could be made for fixed sights and light weight, so a 12 is also a supportable argument.

A fun trip, and we all enjoy playing with different guns. But carry? A 228 is a fine gun, but does it fit in your pocket? What do you carry when you don't feel like wearing a jacket? Do you really like the 228's DA pull?

Of course, de gustibus non disputandum est, which is Latin for "Different strokes for different folks," or, as the young folks say on the 'net, YMMV.

 

[BlackAgnes]

Well, now, if I wuz to carry somethin' small an' lite--it generalement is my Kel-Tec P3AT.

I also have a M629-2 Mountain Revolver for serious work, cuz the hammer is the right size for poppin' the tops offa cervezas.

;-)

Tim

 

[SmithSwede]

My evolution has been from the tiny and ineffective guns to the bigger, more effective ones. I would not have predicted this.

When I started concealed carry, I just assumed that certain guns were too big and too heavy, and that only a paranoid person would put up with carrying some big, heavy bulky gun. So I limited myself to guns I just assumed were "appropriate" for sane, discreet, non-paranoid CHL carry.

Based on that logic, I fooled around with derringers and NAA mini-revolvers. But I couldn't hit anything with them, and I worried about the lack of power.

Then I got a Walther THP in .22 LR. That thing was pretty accurate when it worked, but it was amazingly unreliable. Getting through a magazine or two without a jam was a cause for celebration.

Then a Beretta 21A, also in .22LR. Same issue--I never could get it to function reliably. With both the Walther and the Beretta, even if I could have gotten them to work 100%, I would still be relying on a .22LR.

OK, so how about a J-frame S&W? I got a Model 36, then a Model 340PD too. OK, this is good--they always work, and they have real power. But still some issues.

For starters, I carried them IWB at 11:00, and they were really uncomfortable there, and always felt like they were falling down or falling out. They printed more than I would have liked. And I was not happy with accuracy and speed at anything past ten feet or so. I never could pocket-carry them with comfort, so I was forced to use some kind of holster with them.

Then I got an I-frame Regulation Police in .38 S&W with a 4" barrel. Not that one I could shoot pretty well, and with my reloads I didn't think I was giving up too power much compared to a 2" .38. My wife modified a cheap 2" J-frame holster to hold the little gun at 4:00.

And I realized there was a very important advantage to having a longer barrel, since it stablized the gun against your body and prevented it from feeling that it was on the verge of falling out. A 4" gun at 4:00 hides in the natural cavity of your body, and it more comfortable than the snubby near my belt-buckle.

The guns I shoot all the time, and really prefer, are 4 to 6 inch K frames. One day it occurred to me to get a good, sturdy belt and a good IWB holster for a 4" Model 19 to see just "how bad" it would be for concealed carry.

Revelation!!

Turns out, it was a dream to carry. The weight is not an issue with a good belt, and I as described above, I find the longer barrel to makes the gun more "carry-able," despite common-sense intuitions to the contrary. It actually printed less on my body at 4:00 than the supposedly more "concealable" J-frames.

That's what I've settled on--a 4" Model 19, IWB, horsehide holster at 4:00. Now I've got it all--reasonable comfort, 100% reliability, superb accuracy, and plenty of power. I'm carrying the same gun I typically shoot for fun at the range over the weekend.

I don't think I can do better than this.

I've fooled around with a Glock 19 in a Minotaur holster, but I don't find it comfortable long term, in a car, doing chores, etc. Just too thick, and something about the square shape of the grip doesn't work for me.

I've tried to IWB a Browning .40, but find the cocked hammer always digs into my side, and it interferes with my access of the grip on the draw.

Everyone is different. But my advice to new CHL carriers is to take a serious look at a 3 to 4" K-frame Smith, in a high quality IWB holster held up by a sturdy gun belt.

You just might find that the range gun you like and trust, and shoot so well at the range, is also one one of the best CHL guns for everyday purposes. Don't just assume that the gun with the lightest weight, and with the shortest barrel, is automatically the easiest gun to actually carry on a day-to-day basis.

It is not necessary so.

And in my opinion, there is a HUGE advantage to carrying the gun you actually shoot all the time at the range for fun. What difference does it make that you can shoot that bigger, heavier gun at the range pretty well, if what you are actually carrying is smaller gun you never shoot and cannot hit with?

 

[flop-shank]

SmithSwede, I carried my 4" nickel 586 to church today at 4:00 IWB. You're right the midsize 4" .357s are about the best mix of everything.

Is this the ultimate?

Just wait five minutes.

 

[Gary Slider]

I went from a 380 to a 9 to a 45 then to a 40 and now carry either a 3914 9mm or Kimber CDP 45. Depends on the time of year which. But what I like to tell every anti gun person I meet is this.

"Thank you so much for the 10 round limit on magazines. That made all the gun makers finally make compact firearms that were so much easier to hide. Thank you so much.

Though it might be a little white lie It drives them nuts. HA HA.

 

[devildog66]

Truly interesting how each poster has evolved, and continue to, in what we carry. I started out not knowing how or what to carry and had a very tight budget to boot. Thus I went through a 4" M19 and a Beretta M96 amongst other revolvers and pistols. I think one of the biggest factors that goes unmentioned all too often is how our individual build affects what we find comfortable. I also believe that the holster and belt make as much difference as the weapon itself. To my way of thinking one should have a CCW system as opposed to a CCW weapon with the holster and belt as an afterthought.

I finally discovered the Milt Sparks VM II and got a police turn-in NIB Sig P239 in .357 Sig for about half its retail value. Farted around with different belts and found that a 1.5" gun belt was the ticket. Carried that for a couple of years until I found out that the 1911 gave me a platform that offered full power in a relatively narrow fit. I typically carry a Commander size 1911 as a primary and I have a 642 in a pocket holster as well.

 

[G-Mac]

My first carry gun, 23 years ago, was a Jennings J-22. Today I carried my 649 Bodyguard. Lately, it's been either the 649, a 36-1, or if I feel that more than that is needed, my Glock 19.

Over the years I've also carried a 4" GP-100, 19 and 66 snubbies, a 696, a Combat Commander .45, SIG P-220, and a 4" Model 13. That's all I can remember right now...

 

[panamajack310]

Well, I guess I feel really bad. My first gun was a S&W 2.5" 19. I still have it. I started out carrying a 4" 66 as a cop and used the 19 as a back up/off duty gun. I have carried it since 1995. Now I carry a 3" 625 and a S&W model 15...I just purchased a 44 mag to use as a back-up/off duty gun....So I guess my progression has been limited. The biggest move I made was for 2 years I carried a 45LC 25-5 as a back-up/off duty gun. But I needed the money and sold her.....I guess the revolver has always been good enough to keep me going. I have never needed the hi cap semiautos for protection. The revolver rounds are more powerful and the shooting platform has less of a chance to jam when I need it.

 

[rchance]

The new style of carry, put on your hunting gear and just carry your riffle or shotgun. I guess you might look out of place at the mall.