How much is too much?

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How many reloads are too many? How many BUGs are too many? How Big of gun is too big? How many guns are too many? How big of stockpile is too big?

I know that having one or more less than you need is too few!

I had a Desert Eagle 50 AE for over 20 years and two holsters, but never CC or open carried it once. I had a total of 4 magazines and never thought that was too many! I had 500 rounds of factory ammo, plus reloads. And never thought that was too many!

However, I always thought it was too heavy!

I was having a CCW discussion with a friend, and his comment was: 45's are too big for CCW! I said I would carry a 45 to church next week, and he could see if he still thought that way when I was done. After church was over, we walked to a classroom to see if he could see my CCW. I had on jeans and a pull over sweater. He said he couldn't locate my gun, so I pulled my sweater up and showed him my belly band around my waste with TWO Sig 220's, my Small of the Back Holster with a Colt Commander, and my strongside IWB with a Para-Ordinance. 3.25" very compact LDA 45. I had a spare 7 or 8 shot magazine for each! From that experience I can tell you, It was too heavy and too hot, but it wasn't too bulky, but I didn't have a free range of motion. (I also feel that way in a suit and tie too!)

Was that TOO MUCH? Just because you can, doesn't mean you should! And if you really need it, then you really should!!

Ivan
 
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I am 5 foot 5 and for years and years carried a Colt Gold Cup. In the 80's we had all read about guys like Swenson and Chow, but nobody I knew had a custom 1911. So you put a solid bushing in a Gold Cup, because it had sights you could see and was throated for target semi-wadcutters. That made it reliable with hollowpoints of the day. Ruined a lot of suits with those sights, just part of it. It can be done, and with crime being what it is today I am afraid it should be done as well.
 
If you dress for it you”can” conceal a pretty hefty piece. That said, this requires dressing around the gun. If you don’t mind that, and if YOU are comfortable with it carry what suits YOU. The important thing is to carry something. That NAA .22 in your pocket beats the 29 or 1911 you leave at home. Today there are so many small, light weapons that fire a decent round that there is no excuse for not having one with you all the time. Remember you’re not (at least I hope your not) arming for war-you’re carrying to protect you and yours and extricate that which is precious to you from a dangerous situation. Folks like police and military who deliberately go into harms way need the firepower to deal with that. A civilian should not be “hunting” trouble. My sainted father told me many decades ago “Son, if you go looking for trouble you will find it”. Sound advice.
 
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I am 5 foot 5 and for years and years carried a Colt Gold Cup. In the 80's we had all read about guys like Swenson and Chow, but nobody I knew had a custom 1911. So you put a solid bushing in a Gold Cup, because it had sights you could see and was throated for target semi-wadcutters. That made it reliable with hollowpoints of the day. Ruined a lot of suits with those sights, just part of it. It can be done, and with crime being what it is today I am afraid it should be done as well.

I’m a little over 6’2” 225 lbs. I can conceal most anything. I carry a P365 or 2” Jframe in front pocket. No reloads. I think YES, it can be to much
 
I carry this guy.


Right here.


Sometimes with a coupla loaded quick strips in my front pocket.

Honestly though, if someone was stupid enough to try to cause some trouble in small town West Virginia, I'd probably be trying to find somewhere to stay clear of the crossfire.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1_RKu-ESCY[/ame]
 
Whatever someone is comfortable with.

I use to have a Desert Eagle. One of the funnist guns I've ever shot. I even bought a holster for it. But it wasn't very reliable and the ability for me to dis-engage the safety & get into action was slow. So I never carried it.

I've posted some of my loadouts in the past, and some people just can't imagine that I can carry that much gear. I've been doing it for 30+ years, and it doesn't bother me at all.

Essentials are usually a hi-cap auto, 1 extra mag, a back-up (J frame, 380, or small 9mm), a knife, small light, wallet, & keys. Sometimes it's 2 small back-ups. Or a 1911 with 2 spare mags.

I'm 6'4" 215. And prefer most of my loadout on my belt.

But some feel like a J with a speed strip is all they need or can handle. "You do you", as they say. It's not my place to judge what anyone wants or feels comfortable carrying.

One thing that may or may not come-up in an SD shooting is how much ammo or gear you're carry. During a trial, a prosecutor or civil litigator could try to make you look like a Rambo who's out looking for trouble.

I don't know how likely that is, but I was harassed by a Game & Fish Warden recently and he made a comment about me carrying 2 guns.
 
Whatever someone is comfortable with.

I use to have a Desert Eagle. One of the funnist guns I've ever shot. I even bought a holster for it. But it wasn't very reliable and the ability for me to dis-engage the safety & get into action was slow. So I never carried it.

I've posted some of my loadouts in the past, and some people just can't imagine that I can carry that much gear. I've been doing it for 30+ years, and it doesn't bother me at all.

Essentials are usually a hi-cap auto, 1 extra mag, a back-up (J frame, 380, or small 9mm), a knife, small light, wallet, & keys. Sometimes it's 2 small back-ups. Or a 1911 with 2 spare mags.

I'm 6'4" 215. And prefer most of my loadout on my belt.

But some feel like a J with a speed strip is all they need or can handle. "You do you", as they say. It's not my place to judge what anyone wants or feels comfortable carrying.

One thing that may or may not come-up in an SD shooting is how much ammo or gear you're carry. During a trial, a prosecutor or civil litigator could try to make you look like a Rambo who's out looking for trouble.

I don't know how likely that is, but I was harassed by a Game & Fish Warden recently and he made a comment about me carrying 2 guns.



Until that game warden, or anyone else, walks in your shoes I wouldn’t care what they said or thought. As has been said; you do you.
 
I pride myself on my low risk lifestyle. Crime has been climbing in my area, driven by liberal policies. But it is centered around drugs and easy to avoid, at least for now. But I am 58 now. I am not going to be able to go hands on as easily as I could in my youth. So the Glock 19 with a Trijicon gets the vote these days. More than I need? I certainly hope so! But I would hate to only have a five shot revolver when the bad guys travel in packs.
 
How may guns do you need? Maybe only one. Or maybe just a couple. A couple of handguns - one for bear and one for PP. A few rifles - one for varmints and one for PP and one for bear. Or, you can have as many as you want or as many as you can afford.

However, ammo is another story. With the world going the way it is, my belief is that you need a near lifetime supply to feed each and every gun you have. There may come a time when you can't get any more.
 
As many reloading components as you can afford to maintain your match schedule with extra for when the draught hits. You can never have too much .22 ammo. At least 3 similar firearms that use the same ammo. Spare parts are a must too but if you have duplicates you can always cannibalize. And at 72 I’m not bugging out.
 
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