Two gun carry no more....

T

TheNocturnus

New member
Well I did it, I sold my Taurus Model 85. After months of trying to find the perfect BUG, I found it just to realize that I dont really need it.

I took comfort in knowing I had 2 guns to protect me. Now I realize that situational awareness is much more helpful than a second firearm.

Also, I have gained weight and it was hard to keep IWB without printing!:D
So now I carry one gun, the Glock 22 and 2 spare magazines. I have also been working on staying in condition yellow when out of my house.
 
Been there.

I have always carried a backup on the job and still might have a primary and a pocketfull if the places I plan on going into seem to beg for it. I usually carry a Smith 669 with one spare mag now and will probably continue to do so in the silly season.
I am encouraged to see you mention "situational awareness". I use the phrase and reccomend it to anyone I discuss carry with but have seen few others use it.
An alternate to the 9mm is a Para P10.45 with a spare mag. 21 rounds of acp vs 25 rounds of 9mm seems about useful.
 
To me, situational awareness is the biggest part of the equation when keeping my family and I out of "harm's way" when going out. I carry one handgun conceiled to be prepared if I happen to find myself in that .1% of situations that I hope I never find myself in.
 
although only a small percentage of my CCW SD carry is in urban areas, I have never felt the need to carry a BUG or a "mouse gun". I carry either a Ruger Speed-six .38spl revolver or a S&W 4006 .40cal autoloader. Although I carry extra ammunition for both, I imagine that by the time either is empty the outcome will already have been decided. When my currently on lay-a-way RIA 1911A1 .45acp match comes home I expect it to take it's place in the line-up. Just MHO.
 
I hear you Nocturnus... I DO, however, carry a small pepper-spray because I like to have an alternative somewhere between fist and bullet.
 
What I like about this...

Is that we can share so many different ideas about carry and use. The best gunfight is the one you safely avoid.
One thing I always have taken to heart is what a cop who was already "old on the job" when I started in 1971 told me when I called for backup to pry an idiot of of a house trailer where he had holed up after stabbing a couple of folks. I had one spare 6 round speed strip for my Colt and he told me that I needed to start carrying more since backup wasn't always close by. I asked him how much I should carry. He told me, "nobody ever walked away from a gunfight saying, 'gee, I brought too much ammo' ". It's a fine line to walk.
 
Sometimes I carry a second gun, but that's usually so that on occasions where I actually think it would be a good idea, it doesn't feel weird.

For instance, in winter weather, with a buttoned or zipped heavy coat, the 442 in my coat pocket is much easier to access than the M&P on my belt. That's an instance where I consider the second gun to be a pretty good idea.

But sometimes I just carry one, and call it good.
 
I worry about pepper spray.

I had occasions to use it on the job and it never once worked as advertised. We had to be sprayed with it in order to use it and it worked just fine on me. Not the other way around. I psrayed a nasty drunk with it one night on the side of the raod an he just grinned at me and fought harder.
 
I rarely carry more then one gun. Typically my 226 is all I feel I need. If I'm going into a "bad" neighborhood or I'm wearing something that might make getting to the 226 difficult then I'll stick the LCP in my pocket. It's just easy to get too. I can have it in my hand in my pocket and no one is any wiser.
 
The G22 with two reloads is more than enough for CCW, IMO. This is coming from someone who's carried single stacks and j-frames his whole life. I've never felt I've needed more than 5 shots (maybe a reload) to feel sufficiently armed.
 
I had occasions to use it on the job and it never once worked as advertised. We had to be sprayed with it in order to use it and it worked just fine on me. Not the other way around. I psrayed a nasty drunk with it one night on the side of the raod an he just grinned at me and fought harder.
Click to expand...

Well, at least if the pepper spray doesn't stop the threat and you have to shoot them, it looks better in court because you've attempted to end the threat by using non-lethal force first and it clearly wasn't effective. ;)
 
I do not think of a 380 in my pocket as a "main gun".
I don't really think I'll need it as a 2nd gun either.
It's a "situational" gun, if I see someone approaching in a parking lot as I load groceries, as if they are going to ask me something, (situation) I can put my hand in my pocket for reassurance.
 
Situational Awareness is required before you can perceive a threat and respond.

Since attending API (Gunsite) a few decades ago, I always seek to maintain condition yellow when "out and about".

On many occasions I have perceived indications of conditions which might have turned into "situations" that I chose to avoid.
 
To the OP; I agree with your assessment 100%.

Good SA, relevant training, a reliable weapon and a spare mag is a solid SD program.
 
I took comfort in knowing I had 2 guns to protect me. Now I realize that situational awareness is much more helpful than a second firearm.
Click to expand...

Well put. Situational awareness is the most vital part of self defense.
 
I've recently begun doing reps on something I've been lacking. Laugh if you will, but my plan is to do as many as one thousand mag changes (tactical reloads) over the coming weeks and months. Sometimes I just do it while I'm sitting in my easy chair.
 
Ankle holster for the 2nd gun. Doesn't matter how big you are. Ankles don't grow very much, and nobody looks down there, unless you are wearing shorts.........
 
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