Have you switched your concealed carry gun? Why?

I got tired of the constant and ongoing 1911 drama and looked for something that offered what I needed.

I switched to the SIG's because they offered what I was looking for, for about the same money (actually less in the long run), right out of the box, and no fiddling or break in was needed.

I kept three of my old Colts, and sold all the rest off, including 1911's of other brands. I still like them, and still shoot them, I just dont have the time, money, or energy to waste on getting what I need out of them these days.


As far as wear and tear goes, a lot depends on what you have, how its used or carried, and how you take care of it, or try to. They are tools and like any other tool, show wear and tear when used, especially over time. The more you use them in a real world environment, the more you get.
 
Yes I have.I used to carry a full-size 1911 daily and in my recent years switched to a 642 revolver or a small/light weight auto in the pocket.Age takes it's toll on people differently.Mine in the form of muscle fatigue and joint pain.Every ounce counts.So old Bastage that I am , I go with the flow.YMMV.tom.:o
 
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and that's what I carry now
 
Doc 540,

Nice looking pistols.

Some very common sense posts on what and why we carry.

And a few that state it is wrong to want to carry hi capacity pistols. Not to start a war, but to state a point, I have carried a Glock 19 since moving to the land of the free Florida, USA.

As an old chap, I carry a pistol for the same reason I have House and Vehicle Insurance, just in case I need it.

Having studied the results of handgun injury's for many years, I taught for 23 of those years, calibre is really a mute point, bullet placement first, the ability for your calibre to hit vitals over say 10" of penetration? My 9mm will do that, P+P 127g WW Ranger, for quite a few years.
Now that is not to say anything is wrong with .38Spl/.40S&W/.45ACP, or even the baby 9mm, the .380, the 9X19 is just what I prefer.

Now a hot wee topic, capacity! I am 210 lbs of bone and muscle, same weight as when I finished my two years military stint in the UK in 1956 (forgot the comfort material round the waist, oops!)

So my somewhat chubby shape hides the Glock19 no problem, and it holds 16 rounds, I can not see any reason to not have lots of rounds in a gun!
They don't eat anything do they, shoot only 3 to end a shooting you got into (one of a thousand readers here, who actually might get into a shooting) the other 13 just sit there. And it just feels good in the hand, and the pistol works first time all the time.

A Glock 17 magazine as a malfunction device, and a small bright flashlight, that is all that is on the belt.

A Colt 1911 weighs about what all that weighs, on its own. But if that is what you like, fill your boots.
 
I started with a PPK/s long before there were CCW permits in Texas.
Now I rotate, a PPS, a PM9 ,a Colt Defender, a CZ RAMi. a J frame alloy, a ruger sp101, an FNP 40, a Combat Commander. All IWB holsters. Depends on dress and weather. In the field it is likely to be a SS DW 357 OWB. Or not. :D
 
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I used to carry a Glock G19, but these days I prefer a S&W 637 5-shot snubbie.
17 oz loaded is no problem to carry, even on the beach in shorts and t-shirt.
 
Switched guns? Sure:

Started with a Keltec P11, and found that it broke once a month (first the firing pin, then the slide stop, then the ejector, then the firing pin again, and then the ejector again...).

I sold it and went with a Taurus 905. Found that it broke, too--firing pin, then the transfer bar (when the manual says "do not dryfire", they mean it). The barrel ended up backing out and threw off the POI/POA, so I sent it back to get fixed, and then sold it.

While the 905 was back at Taurus, I carried a S&W Model 10-6. A little big for concealed carry, sure, but it got the job done.

Now that it's getting close to Summer, I've picked up a S&W 642-2. Back to snubby-land. I think someday I'll end up getting a 438, 638, or 649--I like having the option of single-action. But for now, I'm set with this 642.
 
As others have said, it depends on weather and clothing, as well as what I am going to be doing.

P232 .380 in a VMII
P99cAS 9mm in a WS1
P239 .40 in a VMII
P245 .45 in a VMII
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I switch due to the clothing I wear. Carry XD45S almost all the time but on sometime a PT145. Both with spare mag in IWB holsters. The key for me was that I had to become comfortable with either so if the need ever presents itself I don't have to think about which one I am carrying and the operating procedure of that pistol. After many rounds at the range and hours of dry practice I can feel at ease no matter which one I put on that day.
 
I live in Texas. The heat is bad.

My plans are to carry my XD-40 in the winter and my Taurus Mod. 85 in summer.

I am not going to dedicate myself to carry on the hip every second of my life but will keep it in reach and change to season. It is common sense that you would use different guns on your body to match the weather and environment. It is called adaptation.
 
I couldn't agree more. It's real hot and humid here in Kentucky as well. It's nothing to have temps in the upper 90's plus humidity in the summer. Then be under 6 inches of ice and a foot and a half of snow in the winter. Adaptation - pretty much sums it up.
 
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Have you switched your concealed carry gun, why?

I see all the input to this question and for the most part the one thing that I think Is missing Is, When you switch your guns around as It seems most of you that wrote In are doing, It just gives you more to think about If or when that bad time comes which we don't need! You can watch all the videos and tv you like, go to all the training camps, I.D.P.A and such, but when the chips are down, muscle memory and training kick in!! And my dear friends you just changed over to you summer time carry gun, Is it a 45ACP or a 32ACP? does it have a safty that has to come off before I can shoot? do I have to turn on my brandy new laser sight?, Is this gun single action, double action, double action only?, Do I carry empty chamber?
If you carry the same gun with the same holster/rig and you you put a lot of the same ammo down range with that gun all that extra think time stuff goes away!!!
Now also let me say that I'm not standing on the rock that I used to carry on my back. I have been shooting for well over 50 years, and I have been there and done that! Any 15 year old kid can do the same with 30 years of experience. Thank you, and remember the life you save may be mine! Hank D.
 
Because of my usual attire, I can't carry a very large gun. Started with Jennings .22 (yeah, I know), which I soon stopped doing as soon as I got my j-frame M60. Then switched to a Kahr K9, but because it was just not reliable, I switched back to the j-frame. Been carrying this same gun for over 15 years now.
 
Started with a Firestar 45,[40 oz all steel] which after a month, I developed a limp.Switched to a Kel-tec P-11 which I carried in my pocket, I'm 6'3" so it only printed slightly, the carjacker who tried to carjack me didn't notice until it was too late!Note to carjacker: If you are going to use a pistol to carjack someone, at least remove the pistol from your waistband!Now I carry a NAA 22m 1 5/8" revolver. Even if I miss at point blank range,[not likely] the flash and fire will burn off your eyelashes and eyebrows, and the noise factor will have you believing you were shot with a 44 mag.It's more of a boom than the sharp crack of a 357 mag.
 
I see all the input to this question and for the most part the one thing that I think Is missing Is, When you switch your guns around as It seems most of you that wrote In are doing, It just gives you more to think about If or when that bad time comes which we don't need! You can watch all the videos and tv you like, go to all the training camps, I.D.P.A and such, but when the chips are down, muscle memory and training kick in!! And my dear friends you just changed over to you summer time carry gun, Is it a 45ACP or a 32ACP? does it have a safty that has to come off before I can shoot? do I have to turn on my brandy new laser sight?, Is this gun single action, double action, double action only?, Do I carry empty chamber?
If you carry the same gun with the same holster/rig and you you put a lot of the same ammo down range with that gun all that extra think time stuff goes away!!!
Now also let me say that I'm not standing on the rock that I used to carry on my back. I have been shooting for well over 50 years, and I have been there and done that! Any 15 year old kid can do the same with 30 years of experience. Thank you, and remember the life you save may be mine! Hank D.
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Excellent point!
My transition from the Kahr MK9 to the PM9 was relatively easy, given they are the same gun with one being all metal and the other, polymer. Still, they handle rather differently. I think it is fair to say "Practice what you use and use what you practice with."
Personal defense training has shown that I think too much when presented with a threat. I don't need to add to that an issue of thinking about which gun I am using at the time.

If you are going to use a pistol to carjack someone, at least remove the pistol from your waistband!Now I carry a NAA 22m 1 5/8" revolver. Even if I miss at point blank range,[not likely] the flash and fire will burn off your eyelashes and eyebrows, and the noise factor will have you believing you were shot with a 44 mag.It's more of a boom than the sharp crack of a 357 mag.
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A friend in South Africa used his NAA 22 mag in a shootout with Goblins in his driveway. The first shot hit the gang leader in the chest (and resulted in his ultimate demise), the second hit one in the groin. During the third shot, the NAA blew up and spread metal shards into the face of the third bad guy. Problem: my friend no longer had a working firearm at his disposal. By the way, last October I saw the 12 bullet craters in the concrete wall around my friend's house and the wounds he suffered in each arm.

Ron
 
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Many carry gun changes for me in the past thirty years or so.

Let's see if I can remember most of them.

Colt Officer's ACP - compact, but heavy
Kimber Combat Carry - Nice and light, but even though I tried, I'm just not a 1911 type guy
Beretta Tomcat - not nearly enough horsepower
Walther PPKS - the slide bit the web of my hand
S&W 642 - OUCH! and one of the few guns I could NOT shoot accurately
Ruger SP101 - I really miss this one...losing it was a mistake
S&W 696 - this one too, but it was a little heavy and a little large for carrying
Keltec PF9 - ALMOST dependable enough for every day, but not quite
S&W 3913 - I never got completely happy with the DA to SA transition

A pretty eclectic group....

I finally settled on a Glock 26 for everyday carry, though I keep the PF9 as an occasional pocket gun. I really think I'm done with the search now.
 
S&W .357 Model 66-3 when untucked shirt tail is possible and printing isn't the end of the world (IWB, 6 o'clock).

Bersa .380 CC in UM pocket holster with tucked shirts.
 
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