New to CCW , have a few questions

M

Metal god

New member
What do you do when the grandkids want to play . I’ve always been a hands on ruff and tumbly kind of grampa . With a weapon on my hip its a bit different because they don’t know its there so for now I’ve just been a lot less active with them and they notice and by there looks are wondering why .

How often do you clear your EDC to reset everything? Not even sure thats the way to ask the question . I’m carrying a semiautomatic and have a holster I can take off with gun still securely in it when I then place in a small lock box by my keys wallet etc for the next day . It occurred to me I could go days , weeks maybe months never needing to really mess with the firearm . Holster off the belt into the lock box then out of lock box onto the hip never really messing with the firearm . So right now I don’t go more then a couple days with out unloading the firearm and change the order of the first few rounds because I don’t want to cycle the same round into the chamber every couple days . That would be quite a bit of abuse one round to take over lets say a years time . Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome on that stuff .

I carry IWB and have some skin irritation from the leather that’s uncomfortable. If i wear an under shirt tucked in it’s very comfortable but two shirts in my area/climate is not always going to be something I’ll want to do . I was thinking about attaching cloth to the area of the holster that contacts my skin ? Don’t know what type of cloth or what would be best to secure it with ???

Thanks in advance for any responses, feel free to add anything you feel relevant.

MG
 
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Metal god said:
How often do you clear your EDC to reset everything? Not even sure thats the way to ask the question . I’m carrying a semiautomatic and have a holster I can take off with gun still securely in it when I then place in a small lock box by my keys wallet etc for the next day . It occurred to me I could go days , weeks maybe months never needing to really mess with the firearm . Holster off the belt into the lock box then out of lock box onto the hip never really messing with the firearm . So right now I don’t go more then a couple days with out unloading the firearm and change the order of the first few rounds because I don’t want to cycle the same round into the chamber every couple days .
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Repeated cycling of the same round often leads to bullet setback. If you don't need to unload the firearm every few days -- why do you unload the firearm every few days? If you don't unload it, you don't have to reload it.
 
First of all, good for you for thinking about the grandkids. We've all seen the horror stories, and nobody here wants you to have one of your own.

Second, I agree with AB. In addition to the bullet setback issue, the more you handle your firearm, the more opportunities you have for a mishap. My carry gun goes in my nightstand, loaded and ready to go, every night. If there were small children in the house, I'd make sure it was either on my hip, or safely locked away whenever they were around. I generally only unload it for range trips and cleaning and (I shouldn't admit this part) sometimes, my gun sits loaded for several months at a time.

As for the IWB, what kind of holster do you use? I carry IWB quite a bit, but my life allows for a t-shirt pretty much full time. That said, I use a Stealth Gear Revolution, which appears to have been reworked and renamed the SG-Ultralite. It's similar in design to the Crossbreed Supertuck in that it's a hybrid holster, but I find that the ventilated backing is far more comfortable than the CBST. I used a CBST for about 4 years, so I'm well-acquainted with them.

ETA: I just looked at SG's website. The guns for which the Ultralite is available is pretty limited, but I don't know what you carry, so that may or may not be an option. I haven't tried a SG Revolution, so I can't speak to them.
 
I carry a M&P Shield . I’m using an urban carry lock leather right now but also have a Alien gear holster as well . I used the Alien first for awhile . It had a tad less irritation and was comfortable enough . However its a pain to put on at my 3:30 4 o-clock. I like the comfort of the urban carry with under shirt and love the extra retention it offers . It’s also really easy to put on so its the one if I can solve the irritation issue .
 
Repeated cycling of the same round often leads to bullet setback.
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It does. It shouldn't, but it does. I think today's ammo is simply not made "as well" as ammo once was, and people accept setback as "just one of those things that happens" and I don't think they should. I don't.

If you're going to wrestle with the grandkids, take your gun off, and secure it, then go play. Put it back on after you're finished.

Also, remove the gun before breakdancing....and if you don't, and the gun comes loose, DON'T grab at it! people get shot in the foot that way! :eek::rolleyes:
 
"I think today's ammo is simply not made "as well" as ammo once was, and people accept setback as "just one of those things that happens" and I don't think they should."

I agree 100%. I was just looking at my self defense ammo for my .38 Spl. back up and .45 ACP basic carry piece. Both guns use the Federal Hydroshoks. The .38 Spl. bullet has a cannelure to help keep the bullet in place. The ACP rounds do not. Interesting. Could be there is one but kind of hidden under the taper crimp. I see the same thing on some 9MM ammo I have. If there is a cannelure it too has it hidden under the crimp. As both the 9MM and .45 ACP headspace on the edge of the cartridge case, a roll crimp would comprise the ammo's ability to fire.
Paul B.
 
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44 AMP said:
Also, remove the gun before breakdancing....and if you don't, and the gun comes loose, DON'T grab at it! people get shot in the foot that way!
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Based on empirical evidence this applies only to break-dancing FBI agents. Any other attribution is unfounded speculation with no supporting evidence.

[Plaxico Burress was not break-danncing.]
 
If you look at OLD ACP brass (particularly GI and Winchester) you can see many of them have a cannelure in the case body, to prevent bullet setback even if the crimp doesn't. And, I just took a look at some of my Winchester .45Win Mag ammo..and the stuff made by Winchester has a case cannelure, where the base of the bullet is.

I got some Federal 185gr JHP .45ACP ammo in 1980. Great stuff! Kept one mag full for "home defense use" (so there were be no possible issue as it was factory ammo). Kept that stuff for decades. Every round got cycled into and out of the chamber so much that the nickel cases got brass stripes on them. No case cannelure on those rounds only the factory bullet fit and taper crimp.

I measured them, repeatedly, over the years. Not one bullet budged at all. Not even .001"! That ammo finally got shot up in 2003. Every round performed exactly the way it was supposed to. Feeding was flawless and accuracy was the same as it had been 23 years prior, perfect point of aim at 25yds.

Bullet setback from repeated chambering DOES NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN!
 
After reading the last few posts I realized I had not addressed the unloading/resetting of my EDC . If it were a hammer fired weapon I think I'd have less concerns but being it's a striker fired weapon it means it's always "cocked" . It just seems odd to me to keep a striker fired weapon cocked for weeks or months at a time . Do those of you that carry a 1911 cocked and locked just leave it that way for months at a time ?

Although I don't plan to carry often at work . I recently was in a situation I felt it more necessary then not to carry while working . My work results in me getting dirtier then the average person at work I would think with out actually knowing those averages haha . After about 3 days the firearm was a bit dusty and had some lint or furballs built up between the back of the trigger and trigger guard/frame . Nothing a quick blow didn't get the majority removed but I did choose to unload the firearm and brush it out with a tooth brush which made the tooth brush taste funny the next morning :D OMG I crack me up !

Anyways how dirty does your guys EDC get over time ? I will add I have a HD gun I keep in a quick access lock box that is also a striker fired type that is always cocked for months at a time , hell maybe even a full year at times but that's in a sealed-ish box that never moves or gets jostled to get dirty or upset anything internal . Although now that I EDC I may no longer need that HD gun because I'll have my EDC in a box as well in the same basic location .

To sume up my clearing and resetting idea . Seems odd to keep a gun cocked that long but honestly never really thought about it until I started carrying . also the idea my EDC may be getting dirty over time . I did not notice how dirty it was that first time until I actually pulled it from the holster to unload/reset it . Had I not , who knows how much build up would have accured over a few weeks .

Those in the first post are just a few of the more important things I'm addressing now that I EDC for the first time . Some others are -

Where I like my holster makes it hard to clip my keys on the beltloop I've used my entire life . If anything that's the one that bothers me the most . Right now switched to carrying them on the left side and over time I'm sure I'll get used to it but right now I don't like it at all .

I'm a bigger guy both tall and wide :o and I seem to print more then I'd like although some shirts are better then others . If there is one draw back to the Urban carry holster is that it holds the firearm straight up and down where my Alien Gear allowed me to cant the firearm as well as have it sit lower in the belt line . With the Urban carry being straight up and down and just a tad higher then optimal for me . It prints a tad more then the Alien Gear does . :(
 
Metal god said:
Do those of you that carry a 1911 cocked and locked just leave it that way for months at a time ?
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Yes. There's no reason not to. My carry pistol gets unloaded and uncocked when I clean it, after which it gets loaded and put back in the holster -- cocked and locked.

Unless I run a few magazines through it at a range session. Then it gets cleaned, reloaded with fresh ammo, and put back in the holster -- cocked and locked.
 
Replying to the same question. 1911’s have a camming action to their hammer spring. Force actually reduces going to full cock. So, hammer to sear surface force is relatively low. Not an issue to leave cocked for months.

Actually, I leave everything cocked and loaded when it my be carried this month.

Every time I dry fire practice, I unload and confirm all safety functions. Then I load the Mag and Gun to confirm no change to springs, functions, etc.
 
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So I have been carrying a firearm for about 16 years now. For what its worth here's what I do and why I do it.

Clearing EDC to "reset" everything
I don't. If the gun was properly designed, and is using proper quality springs you don't need to do anything. I expect you should have no issues with your Shield. Springs wear from being cycled, not from being compressed. The exceptions to that rule are poor quality springs, or springs that are being compressed or extended past their design limitations, which I highly double S&W would do.

As you noted, regularly cycling the same round into he chamber is a bad idea. it can result in bullet getting pushed back into the case causing excess pressure.

One other note, while ammo stored in a cool dry place can last a very long time, ammo carried in a gun is subject to less pleasnt conditions. My agency changes out our issued duty ammo every 2 years. I do the same the ammo for my personal weapons.

Cleaning\maintenance
I fully clean my gun after every range session, if I shot it, I clean it when I get home. I do regular maintenance on my guns once a month. Field strip, brush out any dust, re-apply oil where needed. You will be surprised the amount of dust, lint, and debris you gun will pick up while being carried. Doing maintenance more frequently wont hurt, but in my experience going longer than a month can leave you with lots of dust and some pretty large dust bunnies in places you probably don't want them.

Holsters
Holsters are a personal thing, especially when it comes to comfort. Leather takes time to break in. I generally apply some Obenauf's leather preservative to my leather holsters. softens them a little and helps them last a lot longer. Will darken the leather a touch. https://www.amazon.com/Obenaufs-Leather-Conditioner-Natural-Beeswax/dp/B003SKCARK/ref=asc_df_B003SKCARK/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312153125665&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10766721671394999439&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016148&hvtargid=pla-492878143624&th=1

For inside the waist band holsters I have found leather to be far more comfortable than synthetics like the alien gear, or Kydex/plastic.

I would recommend against adding cloth to the holster if its up against your body. Leather will be far more resistant to sweat and the oils from your body, and easier to clean off. Cloth can get funky fast.
 
Metal god said: "I carry IWB and have some skin irritation from the leather that’s uncomfortable. If i wear an under shirt tucked in it’s very comfortable but two shirts in my area/climate is not always going to be something I’ll want to do . I was thinking about attaching cloth to the area of the holster that contacts my skin ? Don’t know what type of cloth or what would be best to secure it with ???"

You can add cloth or felt to the holster that comes in contact with applying contact cement to both pieces after cleaning the leather with alcohol to remove any oils.
 
WheelGunMan said:
Metal god said: "I carry IWB and have some skin irritation from the leather that’s uncomfortable. If i wear an under shirt tucked in it’s very comfortable but two shirts in my area/climate is not always going to be something I’ll want to do . I was thinking about attaching cloth to the area of the holster that contacts my skin ? Don’t know what type of cloth or what would be best to secure it with ???"

You can add cloth or felt to the holster that comes in contact with applying contact cement to both pieces after cleaning the leather with alcohol to remove any oils.
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...or add one of these (for $20) to his favorite holster: https://clingerholsters.com/product/clinger-cushion/


Frank
 
ghbucky , I just bought that same holster for my xd about a week ago . I have an older Alien gear 2.0 which is all leather backed and is pretty nice but cumbersome to put on . I literally have to sit down with my pants down to get that one on correctly. I believe that has to do with how wide/far apart the belt clip are apart . The new one has them closer together which I’m hoping will be easier to put on + it seems to have the extra retention clip .

Its not here yet but I’ll where it for awhile and if I like it I’ll buy another one for my shield . I like the Urban Carry lock leather Im using now . The irritation has become less now that I’m done with that job I was wearing it on . I was doing A LOT of bending and twisting while at work which I believe caused most of the irritation. When I wear it as a general carry holster with less movement throughout the day , it’s less irritating.
 
I think that you will try a few different holsters until you finally settle on one that works for you.

Having carried for a long time now, I can tell you that it is sometimes uncomfortable and burdensome to carry concealed.

You must find some balance that offers some comfort without sacrificing safety or employment of the weapon.

Make sure your holster covers the trigger and has some type of retention.

A stiff leather belt will help, and suspenders on your trousers will be a huge help.
 
Yep definitely a process . I carried my full size PX4 Storm for a few days . Pretty heavy and prints big time because of the type of holster I have for it . . My shield holds 7+1 and the Storm is 17+1 so not just the extra size of the Storm but the extra 10 rounds makes a big difference in weight . My XD is about the same size as the storm but the Alien holster that is coming can be configured to set the gun lower in the belt line and can be canted . I should be able to conceal that better . I ill try it out with a standard size mag but if to heavy I’ll switch to a 10rd mag and carry an extra not sure , it’s a work in progress. Haha

If the CA roster stays unconstitutional as it was just ruled . I’ll pick me up a Sig P-365x . My buddy has one , it’s very nice and I shoot it well … really well actually .,
 
rickyrick raises a great point, that the belt can make or break a carry setup. I have a leather belt with a Kydex core to provide extra stiffness.

It really seems to make a difference for me.
 
Fortunately in Texas now, I don’t have worry about printing so much. I just use a nice leather OWB and pull a shirt over it. (Oh boy we’ve come a long ways!)

Most normal people aren’t going to study your waistline for long enough to pick out a gun printing.
 
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