Changing Carry Gun - Paris etc.

[SpecRacer]

Since I moved to FL 13 years ago I have pocket carried a .38 S&W 337-2. Now that it has been decided to let felons out of jail, import criminals from below the border, invite ISIS members to come on over, in addition to the home grown "Bad Boys" we already have in Florida, I have been thinking of upgrading my carry gun.

I intend to go from pocket carry to IWB.

I already have a S&W Shorty .45, which I have never fired, that I could use. Or, I am thinking about an M&P Shield in 9mm. I like the idea of a .45, but I am now 70 years old and think the recoil may be a bit much (I haven't fired any .45 in 10 years). And, I also like the extra ammo of the Shield. Then there is also the M&P 9mm Compact, but I think it may be to large for IWB. Oh, and I guess I could buy 4 Shield's for the value of the Shorty. LOL. A Shield for every member of the Family.

I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Old cop]

I believe lots of people are thinking along similar lines, I know I am. Carry what you shoot and handle best, and one you are sure to have with you 24/7. My EDC is the M&P .380 but due to physical limitations and age (69) carrying anything larger is not an option, at least for me.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Yesterday went to get the 3913 out of the "ready safe"..... paused a moment and grabbed the 6906 and spare 15rd mag.

At 70 and your description ...... I'd go 9mm over the Shorty 45

 

[Narrowback]

I carry my 40c IWB on the hip and it's the same frame size as a 9c. A lot will depend on where you want to carry it. AIWB for me, I'd want the shield I think. I'd go check them out and see what suits you best.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

This morning I put my Ruger LC9s in the safe and brought out my M&P9c. I thought about the M&P45c, but the 9 carries more rounds. And I always carry a spare mag, so now I have 24 rounds available instead of 16. My wife is now also carrying her 9c in place of her Sig 238, so that brings the round count up to 48.

I carry mine in a IWB Crossbreed ST, my wife carries either in her purse or a Galco OWB. My magazine is carried in a horizontal mag holder that makes it almost invisible on my black belt.

MagHolder for Smith & Wesson M&P Pistols

MagHolder for Smith & Wesson Shield

 

[PirateJim]

I pocket carried a J-frame for years and then switched to a 40 Shield a year or so ago. Great carry gun, in my opinion. The 9c is nice too, but I'm willing to swap the extra capacity and more comfy grip for the thinner profile of the Shield which makes it easy to conceal for me. I'm in Florida too and the Shield disappears under a shirt tail, even OWB which I find more comfortable, or in the pocket of cargo shorts which is my favorite way to carry it.

 

[SpecRacer]

A PS to my previous post. I was thinking that the Glock 42, .380, would have less recoil for my wife. However, I see the 9mm Shield is heavier than the Glock 42. Does anyone know how their recoil compares. Maybe I should be looking for a Shield for my wife also.

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

Most of the smaller pistols only carry 2-3 rounds more. Why not just carry speedloaders and get a nice leather belt pouch.

 

[Will Carry]

I have started carrying 9mm pistols. The M&P Shield is a fine example. The Glock 19 is what I carry most.

 

[CQB27]

A PS to my previous post. I was thinking that the Glock 42, .380, would have less recoil for my wife. However, I see the 9mm Shield is heavier than the Glock 42. Does anyone know how their recoil compares. Maybe I should be looking for a Shield for my wife also.

The recoil of the G42 is as pretty mild IMHO, BUT the trigger on the little Glocks is horrible compared to every double stack Glock, and I am a Glock Man! I bought my wife a G42, then dumped it for a Kahr CW9. The CW9 has a much better trigger at about the same cost as the G42. I would shoot the G42 before buying. By the way, the G43 has the same trigger as the G42.

When off duty I carry a G17, inside the waist band, appendix carry.

 

[nyeti]

And not one response about seeking out some serious training.....a hardware change is not going to solve a software problem. You are talking about winning a rifle fight with a handgun. This means you better be working at a high level of marksmanship, mindset, and having exceptional gun handling and tactics. Just a change of guns does little, especially going to an unfamiliar pistol.

 

[mauser9]

Throw a CS-9 in your pocket and be done with it.

 

[gmiller0737]

Take that Shorty .45 to the Range you may be pleasantly suprised,I also Have a Shorty .45 Recoil is very manageable & it's quite accurate & reliable,Is yours a MK2 Model?

 

[tops]

Many moons ago when the Browning HP was THE high capacity 9 m/m one of my mentors that carried a Colt .45 said a person that carried a 9 m/m needed all those bullets but 8 in a .45 was enough. I have found him to be knowledgeable and truthful. Larry

 

[djw]

a rifle fight should be fought with a rifle. preferably a .30 cal. handguns are great but no match for a vested psycho.............

 

[Florida J Frame]

I recently switched from an LCP to the G42 as an every day deep cover gun due to the reduced recoil and some early arthritis. I find it to be a very comfortable gun to shoot and the trigger is very close to the the trigger on my Shield. The Shield has a bit more recoil and is harder to carry due to the added weight. Depending on the way I am dressed they both make excellent carry guns. I carry the Shield when I can and the Glock when I need the lighter gun.

 

[les.b]

There's a lot of good advice above, and I'll just add one more item... Always have something with you. Remember that the 38 that you have in your pocket at all times is better than the supergun that is home in the safe, because it is too big, or heavy or whatever. Also very good points made about training, familiarity, inadequacy of handguns in general compared to long guns.

 

[SpecRacer]

Take that Shorty .45 to the Range you may be pleasantly suprised,I also Have a Shorty .45 Recoil is very manageable & it's quite accurate & reliable,Is yours a MK2 Model?

Yes. And, I have tons of reloading supplies for it. I have thought about using it, but it is like new and unfired. I should probably give it a try. I love its feel and the size is great for IWB.

 

[SpecRacer]

And not one response about seeking out some serious training.....a hardware change is not going to solve a software problem. You are talking about winning a rifle fight with a handgun. This means you better be working at a high level of marksmanship, mindset, and having exceptional gun handling and tactics. Just a change of guns does little, especially going to an unfamiliar pistol.

Good point, but I get a lot of training and shooting in at my club range.

From your prospective, exactly how long do you think it will take for me to become proficient firing a 6 lb pull, striker fired, 5 inch sight radius pistol vs. a 15 lb pull, 11 oz, snubby, double action revolver with virtually no sights.

 

[SpecRacer]

Many moons ago when the Browning HP was THE high capacity 9 m/m one of my mentors that carried a Colt .45 said a person that carried a 9 m/m needed all those bullets but 8 in a .45 was enough. I have found him to be knowledgeable and truthful. Larry

Had a 1911 XS. It is for sale now on Gunbroker. I can't find a place to hide it on my body that is comfortable. Plus, carrying it around cocked and locked scared the **** out of me. I know. I know. But, some of us react badly to nails on the black board.