Transition from Service pistol to backup..

C

CAU

Inactive
Over the past few years I have heard alot of gun writers as well as other respected trainers advocating the practice of carrying a smaller version of your service pistol that will accept your full size mags should you need to use them. For example: A Glock 26 as a backup to the Glock 17. I am researching this idea and would appreciate any personal knowlede that anyone can share.

Do you know of anyone who has ever had to use their full size mags in their backup gun or do you have even second-hand knowledge of someone forced to do this? I cannot cite one single incident where this has happened but thought maybe someone else could.

I personally think that all the hype has been a clever marketing ploy to sell these new models of subcompact pistols. Not that the idea itself doesn't make tactical sense, just that I think this may be a totally unnecessary practice.

Thanks for your time to read and post.

Chris A. Umfress
Chief of Police, Tremont, MS
 
Unfortunately I don't really know what to tell you. I can't think of anything I've read other than the types of stories you yourself have read.
However I'll bump this to the top for you.

Also I noticed this is your 2nd post - if nobody else has already I'd just like to welcome you to our corner of the internet. I think you will like and benefit the information and friendship here. Stay safe!

Tom
 
I always got the impression the logic behind similar service & backup was for familiarity with operation, sights, etc. - not mag sharing.
 
I don't know anyone having to actually use the backup with full size magazines, but the concept has been around for quite a while. Back when wondernines first took off, there was a fad of carrying a Marlin 9mm carbine (I believe, if memory is working today) because it would accept the S&W 9mm magazines and the S&W 59, 659, 5906 were the gun of choice for duty sidearms at the time.

I wonder if the DOJ statistics sourcebook has a category dealing with use of backups by LEO's.

JAM, the concept is that if your primary weapon fails or is lost and you have to revert to the backup, the ammo and magazines your carrying will work in the backup.
 
Thanks for the posts and thanks to Tom for the warm welcome. I am enjoying this forum. (It is addictive.)

Chris
 
I am not in law enforcement. And I know of no incidents wherein somebody reloaded a back up gun using primary magazines.

However I do think that the idea (matching guns) has merit for the reasons Sam pointed out.

Currently my primary carry gun is a 1911, and my backup gun (Makarov) has a DA/SA trigger, slide mounted safety, and heel clip magazine release. World of difference.

I find that when I switch from one gun to another, the totally different action types throw me off.

I'm eventually planning on finding a cut down 1911 type gun. Just for the commonality of controls, trigger, etc.. Any spare magazines will hang out of the bottom of the gun, and I wouldn't be able to reload from slide lock (full size 1911 mags will travel to far up when the slide is locked back in a gun with a shorter grip). But it has to be better than nothing.

And welcome to TFL Chief.
 
To me, the backup has a very limited role. I don't think of it in terms of keeping up the offensive in an active shooter situation. I think of it as a last ditch defensive tool, such as in a wrestling match or to get back to the car when the primary goes down and it's time to grab the shotgun. If I thought I needed ammo for my backup, I would carry some speed strips. I agree that mag/ammo compatiblity is a bunch of hype. The incidents I am familiar with did not require reloads of backups.
 
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