What to carry

[doddg]

Interesting thread: always love to read the process others go through and the same comments that are always going to come up from others reflecting their points of view based on their experience: all valid and worthy of reflection.
I started out a "micro" gun type of person (Beretta tip-up barrel in .25 & .32) and ended up with a Shield 9 after a few months, to be replaced by a Sig 365 last Fall.
Even had the Shield 45 for awhile since it was only a "tad" bigger than the 9, but it did make a difference in CC for me so I sold it.

I have a 9mm 1911 that I love, but I am sticking with the Sig 365 for CC for it blends so many of the key factors of concealability which is primary for me.
My primary CC is a Ruger LCR .357, however, so I do adhere to your 3 shots, 3 seconds and 3 yards statistical observation, which the high-capacity adherents will reason why that is not real-life and you need more capacity: be prepared, b/c there are always 2 sides of logic/facts/stats to anything.

Choice. Enjoy your journey.
If it is anything like mine, after you decide, time and experience and education will kick in and like anything else: you will change and choose another path.

 

[crewchief888]

i dont CC every day currently. there was a time when i did, depending on the weather, i'd carry either a full size 1911 or a glock 27.

ive shot 1911's in USPSA, bowling pin and steel competition for 25 years, so i have a "feel" for them. it's a mostly stock norinco, changed grips, beavertail and manual safety for a familar "feel" to my USPSA open gun. i purchased the glock for a summertime CC gun to replace a charter arms undercover 38 i'd been carrying.
for me the 1911 conceals better than the glock.

 

[ashby koss]

After a few pages of input, it seems that it all comes down to this:

During an extreme situation of adrenaline and panic, does the human body resort to A) training and muscle memory or B) natural muscle memory

* IF Training will be the same between the two platforms, (obviously differing for the platform, but the training time the same), Wouldn't the natural muscle memory + training be better?

 

[Dean C.]

First a comment about the pistol choices you mentioned up thread between the Glock 23 and the Ruger SR1911 Commander, I assume you are looking at the lightweight commander as it will be lighter and easier to carry. Prices I found for the Lightweight Ruger SR1911 Commander were averaging about $750~ or so, I would STRONGLY suggest you look at the Dan Wesson Vigil which can be had for around $1,050 same lightweight aluminum frame as the Ruger would have but its a Dan Wesson and it has no MIM parts (critical especially in the fire control group for a proper 1911 trigger break IMHO) and to be blunt Ruger is not physically capable of making a gun as nice as Dan Wesson does full stop end of story.


With that being said, I personally carry a 1911 most days and have never once felt under-gunned (at the same time how many civilians actually ever have to use their EDC?) if ammo capacity is a concern then carry a spare magazine thats the nice thing about a 1911 the single stack magazines are very easy to carry on a belt or in a pocket. I am pretty skinny so for me guns like a Glock 19, Sig P229 and the like print like crazy on me (I am 24 and will not wear baggy clothes I workout way to much to intentionally not dress well lol).

I also shoot USPSA with a 1911 as well, and even when the buzzer goes off swiping the thumb saftey or even the grip safety have never once been an issue, with that being said I have spent A LOT of time training and practicing with the 1911 platform in order to be proficient with it. Something like a Glock might be as "easy" to shoot well as a 1911 but the overall learning curve is not nearly as steep either.

 

[Lt Scott 14]

Just wanted to share a reminder that all readers of this thread should carry! I was taking my son to a class, and at a traffic signal, the left turn light turned red. A driver behind me skids to a stop, and i hear his engine racing, slow, racing again. Light changes, he blows his horn, but left turn is delayed. I have a signal on, and he decides to pull through the intersection hugging my bumper. i turned on my lights, he accelerarates around me in the turn. Punk kid, throws middle finger salute.
I broke off and carefully turned. Note: my trunk had 5 firearms on way to range. Now i'm also going to carry a BUG too. Christmas must be soon. Wackos are out in force!

 

[Lilboog82]

Interesting thread: always love to read the process others go through and the same comments that are always going to come up from others reflecting their points of view based on their experience: all valid and worthy of reflection.
I started out a "micro" gun type of person (Beretta tip-up barrel in .25 & .32) and ended up with a Shield 9 after a few months, to be replaced by a Sig 365 last Fall.
Even had the Shield 45 for awhile since it was only a "tad" bigger than the 9, but it did make a difference in CC for me so I sold it.

I have a 9mm 1911 that I love, but I am sticking with the Sig 365 for CC for it blends so many of the key factors of concealability which is primary for me.
My primary CC is a Ruger LCR .357, however, so I do adhere to your 3 shots, 3 seconds and 3 yards statistical observation, which the high-capacity adherents will reason why that is not real-life and you need more capacity: be prepared, b/c there are always 2 sides of logic/facts/stats to anything.

Choice. Enjoy your journey.
If it is anything like mine, after you decide, time and experience and education will kick in and like anything else: you will change and choose another path.

has your P365 stopped working yet? (See MAC you tube review on it) or has sig fixed that problem? Was looking into the p235 but not since hearing of all the problems people have been having. Think I’ll stay with the shield and carry extra extended mag. If carring with ext. mag in it prints to much for my liking. I’m on the smaller frame build, 5’ 5” 140lbs.

 

[Coach]

Are you wanting the gun to be comforting or comfortable. Most of the time folks get all worked up about comfortable. The desire by many is for a small, light and easy to carry gun. The purpose of carry is for the carrying of a handgun to be comforting. I am comforted because the gun goes bang every time I press the trigger and the rounds I fire go where I intend because the gun is accurate and my skill is what it needs to be. If the gun is not pleasant to shoot it is very unlikely that I will practice with it, and that fact will detract from the comforting aspect that is the goal.

The odds are that you will never have to use a gun to defend you or your family. But if that day comes the stakes will be life and death. If it is the stakes that make you carry a gun then carry a gun that will suffice. Every one has a different view of what suffice or suitable means. If there are three shots fired in a typical gunfight as is often quoted. That means some of those gun fights had more shots fired and some less. The five shot revolver has plenty of rounds for the typical gunfight. What if your gunfight is not typical? Do you want to lose because of a capacity issue? Do you want to cut it close when your life is at stake?

Pick a suitable gun: Reliable is not negotiable
1) 9mm or larger
2) Four in barrel or longer
3) A gun that fits the hand (three fingers of the strong hand are on the gun, trigger finger reaches the trigger with the proper amount of clearance)
4) The gun is accurate.

Stay away from Jenning, Jeminezm Hi Points, SCCY and other cheap junk guns.

 

[doddg]

has your P365 stopped working yet? (See MAC you tube review on it) or has sig fixed that problem? Was looking into the p235 but not since hearing of all the problems people have been having. Think I’ll stay with the shield and carry extra extended mag. If carring with ext. mag in it prints to much for my liking. I’m on the smaller frame build, 5’ 5” 140lbs.

1. Put about 3-400 rounds through it when I bought it.
2. I had an issue with it when I just took it to the range w/o lubing it up and since oiling it: OK.
3. I couldn't find my post about it.
4. It's manufacture date was fairly recent, in summer of 2018, (bought in August, I think): I carefully checked that.

 

[Sigblitz]

1. Put about 3-400 rounds through it when I bought it.
2. I had an issue with it when I just took it to the range w/o lubing it up and since oiling it: OK.
3. I couldn't find my post about it.
4. It's manufacture date was fairly recent, in summer of 2018, (bought in August, I think): I carefully checked that.

What kind of issue? I thought the 365 would be the perfect carry but....

 

[doddg]

What kind of issue? I thought the 365 would be the perfect carry but....

1. I have a friend that put 950ish rounds through his 365 and he had it FTE, but he thinks it was b/c he drug his thumb on the slide; it never has never happened again.
2. I'd have to check my records, but it was either a failure to load or eject, but I had not lubed the gun before shooting it and it has not done it since I oiled it.
3. It hasn't done it in so long I can't remember exactly what the issue was.
4. I have heard people here comment of the remarkable number of rounds that they have put through their 365 and not had an issue. (don't remember the number).

 

[Route 45]

Ok. So I know this has been done to death and there is no straight answer. But I'm trying to decide what to EDC carry. I want to practice and train what I carry. So... Without caliber wars, brand wars, etc. I have boiled my choice down to this. (and I am not looking to buy another handgun to it some kind of hybrid)


Carry a 1911 that naturally points for me, and I am naturally more accurate with

OR

Carry Striker style that doesn't point as naturally (and currently not as accurate for me) but has higher capacity

Note that in most situations my EDC is only an emergency use, and to only get me back to car where i have long arm and B.O.B.

I know you say you've boiled your choices down, but I don't see why you are limiting yourself to either a gun that points naturally or a gun with higher capacity, when you could easily have both.

 

[Route 45]

has your P365 stopped working yet? (See MAC you tube review on it) or has sig fixed that problem? Was looking into the p235 but not since hearing of all the problems people have been having. Think I’ll stay with the shield and carry extra extended mag. If carring with ext. mag in it prints to much for my liking. I’m on the smaller frame build, 5’ 5” 140lbs.

What about Hi-Point? YouTube seems to think that they are just dandy.

 

[Dead Duck]

What about Hi-Point? YouTube seems to think that they are just dandy.

.....in that case.....

 

[Dean C.]

1,500 currently , March 2018 manufactur with my P365, I am supremely confident they are reliable guns at this point

 

[Route 45]

.....in that case.....

 

[ashby koss]

I know you say you've boiled your choices down, but I don't see why you are limiting yourself to either a gun that points naturally or a gun with higher capacity, when you could easily have both.

As as I stated I’m not looking at a hybrid option but at what I have already available.

 

[wtburnette]

As as I stated I’m not looking at a hybrid option but at what I have already available.

If your choice is only between the two guns you have, have you trained with and run both guns hard to verify reliability? Any gun can have issues, even the vaunted Glock "perfection". I've actually had more problems with the Glocks I've owned than guns from any other manufacturer. Just lucky I guess. Anyway, I'd go with the gun that's the most reliable. If they're both reliable after having run hard in training and with many hundreds or thousands of rounds, then you should be able to pick the one you thought you did the best with in training. I trained with my CCO sized 1911 and that made me realize that for me, while I love 1911's, striker fired guns were the better option. Training with my P10c since that time has made me realize I made the right choice. What you like best standing still in a stall at the range punching holes in paper may completely different than what you like best when training. To me, nothing beats training with a gun for this type of decision.

 

[Mongo59]

Buy yourself a hand grenade and a tee shirt that says, "Too old to run, too tired to care..."

 

[Route 45]

As as I stated I’m not looking at a hybrid option but at what I have already available.

Why? You seem to desire 2 qualities that neither of your handguns alone possess...high capacity and natural pointability.

 

[NHT3]

Are you wanting the gun to be comforting or comfortable. Most of the time folks get all worked up about comfortable. The desire by many is for a small, light and easy to carry gun. The purpose of carry is for the carrying of a handgun to be comforting. I am comforted because the gun goes bang every time I press the trigger and the rounds I fire go where I intend because the gun is accurate and my skill is what it needs to be. If the gun is not pleasant to shoot it is very unlikely that I will practice with it, and that fact will detract from the comforting aspect that is the goal.

The odds are that you will never have to use a gun to defend you or your family. But if that day comes the stakes will be life and death. If it is the stakes that make you carry a gun then carry a gun that will suffice. Every one has a different view of what suffice or suitable means. If there are three shots fired in a typical gunfight as is often quoted. That means some of those gun fights had more shots fired and some less. The five shot revolver has plenty of rounds for the typical gunfight. What if your gunfight is not typical? Do you want to lose because of a capacity issue? Do you want to cut it close when your life is at stake?

Pick a suitable gun: Reliable is not negotiable
1) 9mm or larger
2) Four in barrel or longer
3) A gun that fits the hand (three fingers of the strong hand are on the gun, trigger finger reaches the trigger with the proper amount of clearance)
4) The gun is accurate.

Stay away from Jenning, Jeminezm Hi Points, SCCY and other cheap junk guns.

I believe Coach would agree, training is NOT punching paper at the range once a month. Training is testing yourself and your gear. The best training I've engaged in that tested me, my competence and my gear is the concealed carry match Coach hosts at Parabellum. The only pressure there is 20 other shooters watching and a timer running but I've seen people fold like a cheap lawn chair under that slight amount of pressure. If you are convinced you are prepared I would suggest coming out to one of the concealed carry matches and show the rest of us how it's done. You can never have enough realistic training.
One more thing.. I often hear people say they have never had a malfunction. If you've never had a malfunction you haven't participated in nearly enough training. I have a couple thousand rounds through two different Glocks, one I compete regularly with and one I carry. I have never had a malfunction with either that I can attribute to the pistol. I have had malfunctions but every one I can attribute to a magazine or the ammo. If you do any significant amount of training you will have malfunctions. Knowing the procedure to clear a malfunction should be something you do without thinking.

Realizing what you don't know is the beginning of wisdom. Realistic training will teach you what you don't know.

[FONT=&amp]NRA Life Member / [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] / RSO[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

[/FONT][FONT=&amp]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT][FONT=&amp]
[/FONT][FONT=&amp]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

[/FONT][FONT=&amp]“Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public” [/FONT][FONT=&amp]
[/FONT][FONT=&amp]
[/FONT][FONT=&amp]Aron Bright[/FONT]