What's Your CCW Weight?
- Thread starter madmag
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Glenn Dee said:
I can only answer for myself.
First, it confirms to me my personal feel that my three carry guns are very close in weight.
Second I find it interesting that some pistols are different than the advertised factory weight data.
So, useful data? Yes for me. Since I have measured what is a limit for comfortable carry weight it gives me a bench mark for any future pistol purchases.
Dont know, it is lite tho, a colt new agent lightweight 1911. Just got it, it is way liter than my full size 1911 winter carry. Both fit the yaqui slide tho.
I see kimber ultra carry is 25 oz and the colt is supposed to be close or better than the kimber as far as weight goes.
I see kimber ultra carry is 25 oz and the colt is supposed to be close or better than the kimber as far as weight goes.
Too light
I carry a 340pd, at about 11.5oz, I think. Throw in five .357 cases with about 7gr. of powder each and five 125gr. Gold Dots. that adds up to about a pound or so. But, having said that, I will be looking to upgrade one of these days to something a little more substantial, The Solo Nine looks like an interesting prospect, as I have grown to trust Kimber from back in my competition days. I do trust the 340pd, but would rather have something a little heavier, if for nothing else, so it does not sting
as much to practice with.
I am a firm believer in practicing, and practicing with my carry load.
I would like an extra round or two without a reload also.
JMHO, and as always, YMMV.
Willy
I carry a 340pd, at about 11.5oz, I think. Throw in five .357 cases with about 7gr. of powder each and five 125gr. Gold Dots. that adds up to about a pound or so. But, having said that, I will be looking to upgrade one of these days to something a little more substantial, The Solo Nine looks like an interesting prospect, as I have grown to trust Kimber from back in my competition days. I do trust the 340pd, but would rather have something a little heavier, if for nothing else, so it does not sting
as much to practice with.I am a firm believer in practicing, and practicing with my carry load.
I would like an extra round or two without a reload also.
JMHO, and as always, YMMV.
Willy
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youngunz4life
New member
16.9 oz unloaded(I carry loaded of course but dont know weight).
less if have the derringer and more if I have the S&W
less if have the derringer and more if I have the S&W
Tommy Vercetti
No need to get snippy sir. I stand by my question. What difference does it really make? I can understand that someone may want the lightest that can be had... personal comfort... thats another reason.
Perhaps I'm not understanding things... I tend to not look at a firearm as a fashion statement, or a point for bragging rights. Maybe thats because I do, and have for many years carried as a matter of business, as well as personal protection.
Maybe I'm too much the Clint Smith fan... and believe that a gun should be comforting... not comfortable...
OK now I have a question...(if thats OK) How many people here carry service sized handguns as opposed to small lightweight concielables?
Glenn D.
No need to get snippy sir. I stand by my question. What difference does it really make? I can understand that someone may want the lightest that can be had... personal comfort... thats another reason.
Perhaps I'm not understanding things... I tend to not look at a firearm as a fashion statement, or a point for bragging rights. Maybe thats because I do, and have for many years carried as a matter of business, as well as personal protection.
Maybe I'm too much the Clint Smith fan... and believe that a gun should be comforting... not comfortable...
OK now I have a question...(if thats OK) How many people here carry service sized handguns as opposed to small lightweight concielables?
Glenn D.
I've always carried a full size. I also usually carry a smaller gun as well as a couple of reloads.
I think youre dead on about the "fashion statement" thing. Seems that way to me too. Then again, I suppose those of us who have been around since before all the "little" fashion statements showed up, just carried full size guns cause we didnt know any better.
I think youre dead on about the "fashion statement" thing. Seems that way to me too. Then again, I suppose those of us who have been around since before all the "little" fashion statements showed up, just carried full size guns cause we didnt know any better.
What I don't get is the trend towards micro-blasters.
I know some guys, and have seen some strangers at various shooting ranges, who could actually shoot well (IE hit the target at a reasonable rate of fire) with Scandium magnums. However, I don't shoot high-power rounds from uber-light guns very well, and the majority of guys I see shooting those things shoot them even worse.
Mostly, I see those guys flinch their way through a few cylinders or magazines, congratulate themselves for hitting the paper somewhere, and then move on to a more comfortable shooting platform.
So my minimum carry weight is predicated on still being able to reliably hit the target, with a round of adequate power. I don't want anything heavier than .38+P in a J-frame; I don't want anything more than 9mm in a PM9 sized pistol. Why not? Because I don't do well with heavier loads in those small guns in practice; I don't like practicing with them; and that combination means I can never trust myself to shoot as well as I'd like to under pressure.
So, I don't go lighter than, or more powerful than, I am willing to practice with enough to ensure I can not only hit the target COM with my first round, but also with second and subsequent rounds.
To those who can do this with Scandium magnums or pocket .45's, more power to you, and I'm not being sarcastic. There are people who can do it, and that's great.
But I have not seen very many of them.
I know some guys, and have seen some strangers at various shooting ranges, who could actually shoot well (IE hit the target at a reasonable rate of fire) with Scandium magnums. However, I don't shoot high-power rounds from uber-light guns very well, and the majority of guys I see shooting those things shoot them even worse.
Mostly, I see those guys flinch their way through a few cylinders or magazines, congratulate themselves for hitting the paper somewhere, and then move on to a more comfortable shooting platform.
So my minimum carry weight is predicated on still being able to reliably hit the target, with a round of adequate power. I don't want anything heavier than .38+P in a J-frame; I don't want anything more than 9mm in a PM9 sized pistol. Why not? Because I don't do well with heavier loads in those small guns in practice; I don't like practicing with them; and that combination means I can never trust myself to shoot as well as I'd like to under pressure.
So, I don't go lighter than, or more powerful than, I am willing to practice with enough to ensure I can not only hit the target COM with my first round, but also with second and subsequent rounds.
To those who can do this with Scandium magnums or pocket .45's, more power to you, and I'm not being sarcastic. There are people who can do it, and that's great.
But I have not seen very many of them.
SauerGrapes
New member
Depending which one I grab, it's either 19oz or 40.
About 175lbs, maybe 185 after the holidays.
Lol, but seriously I live in the south, and for about 8 months a year i carry an LCR .357 at about 19 oz loaded. When its cooler i step up to a 1911 at about 43 oz loaded. With the right carry rig the weight is generally unimportant to me, but concealability can be an issue when wearing shorts and a t-shirt 8 months a year.
Lol, but seriously I live in the south, and for about 8 months a year i carry an LCR .357 at about 19 oz loaded. When its cooler i step up to a 1911 at about 43 oz loaded. With the right carry rig the weight is generally unimportant to me, but concealability can be an issue when wearing shorts and a t-shirt 8 months a year.
I'm actually with Glenn on this, why the big fuss? Get a good holster and belt combination and just about anything can be carried pretty comfortably. I'm a 1911 guy through and through, as much a 48 ounces if I'm carrying a loaded government model, but easily carried IWB thanks to a good sturdy GUN belt and quality holster. Don't skimp out on quality gear and weight is a non-issue.
That being said, I've come to appreciate my Kimber CDP Pro as pretty ideal for daily carry purposes. It's right at 34 ounces loaded, which is indeed lighter than a government model, but it's still a full-sized frame and 4" barrel. That's about as small as I'll go unless I absolutely have to resort to pocket carry, in which case I will do a 642 with a boat load of speed strips strewn about my person.
I will take the opportunity, since we're on the subject, to encourage you all to shoot lots with whatever you carry. I'm seeing too many of the aforementioned micro-blasters that are getting carried a lot but shot hardly at all. Just talked to a friend at church this weekend about getting out to shoot when he said, "Yeah, I've had this one here [pointing to waistband] since August and haven't shot it yet." Please don't be one of those guys...
spacecoast
New member
My S&W 637-2 airweight with self-bobbed hammer and five rounds of 125 gr. .38 sp. +P JHP weighs just under 17 oz. Empty weight is 14.5 oz.
According to the same scale, my loaded (6+1 rounds of 95 gr. JHP) Ruger LCP is just under 12 oz. Empty weight with magazine is 9.3 oz.
According to the same scale, my loaded (6+1 rounds of 95 gr. JHP) Ruger LCP is just under 12 oz. Empty weight with magazine is 9.3 oz.
I had to have the lightweight latest and greatest carry gun to try. It stays in my safe, and I carry a Full Size Auto. I can hit what I shoot at with it, and its a pleasure to shoot. I have a good belt, and IWB leather holster, and I've carried it so long, that most of the time, I'm not even aware of having it on.
P97: said:
I carry a Glock 27 in a Don Hume leather holster that cants inward towards my body. With a good stiff belt to support it I don't even know it's there. An untucked polo shirt hides it because the handle is tucked into my body. It isn't so much the weight of the pistol, it's how you are carrying it. If I really need a stealth setup I stick my TCP in my IWB holster & it totally disappears under anything I choose to wear. I'd spit out the weights if I was home, but my postal scales are not with me & I'm on the road again. I've found that the same gun/holster set up with a wimpy belt feels 2 lbs. heavier because it feels like it's pulling my pants down.
ET. said:
Good point. This is another aspect of carry weight. I use a good gun belt and agree that any gun will feel heavier using a "wimpy" belt compared to a good gun belt.
Yet another way to look at this is, if I know the weight of a certain gun, then with a good gun belt and depending on weight, I can predict if a certain gun will feel comfortable for carry.
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