How often, and why, do you change up your primary pistol generally

[YVK]

When I started to carry regularly in 2006, I used to stay with one for a couple years. Did so all till Sept of last year, from where I went with same pistol till April '14. Generally, reason for switch is looking for a new challenge, although going to hammer pistols was due to changing to AIWB.
Since April I use a pool of three, flipping between two of them while third gets something done. Admittedly, all of them are DA/SA or LEM.

Comparative performance eval doesn't really work if one stays with one gun.

[JustOneGun]

Seems the big disconnect is how serious each person takes this carry thing.

On one end, there's the gun hipster who is just in it for the fun of having the neatest thing in the room. It's opposed by the super cereal tactical ninja operator who considers 'what if I switch guns and get in a gunfight that day' which for most of us is as likely as getting struck by lightning while winning the lottery.

There's a lot of middle between them, but not much middle ground. Personally, I only change when I find something better, and I'm always looking for better. But finding better, truly and actually better after a few cycles is really difficult. It's far easier to end up with something and claim it's the best, or bounce from one injection molded stamped metal cheap as possible gun to another.

I think you might be using the laws of probability in two different ways all in the same post? And then trying to cover it up by degrading those that disagree with you.
You say that the idea of, you MIGHT get into a gunfight the day of the switch is being a cereal box ninja operator because, the odds are like getting struck by lightning. You then go on to mention that you don't switch MUCH, so I am assuming you carry your pistol around with you? I find it strange because using YOUR odds, what are the odds that you would even need a pistol? Like getting struck by lightning? So why do you even carry any gun? The truth is it MIGHT be a problem and you don't get to decide what day that is, someone else does. Some people have found it IS a problem for them to switch so they take that into account. Others find they can switch and their performance at the range doesn't change one bit. They switch sometimes daily. If I switched daily I would be at a mess IF I got into a gunfight that day. Or as I'm hearing what you are saying, if it changes for the negative then so what, I'll be all right, what are the odds. Well, the odds are the SAME every day. That's just how that nasty math works.

[JDM]

Historically, I changed every year or so until the summertime of 2012 when I bought my first SIG. Since then, it's been all TDA SIG all the time, and 99% of the time it's a 228.

I am tempted by other guns once in a while. That temptation lasts until I think about the many thousands of dollars it would take to replicate what I've got put into SIGs, and that's not even taking into account the time and ammo I'd spend learning a new gun.

I like shooting SIGs, they are still appealing and interesting to me.

I don't imagine I'll be changing anytime soon.

[KeeFus]

Since getting serious about firearms about 9 years ago I have tried to stay with what I carry on-duty. At one point I changed agencies and I had to switch from a G-21 to a HK USP 45c. I stayed with the Glock off duty until I could get a change in duty weapons...which finally occurred about 3-4 years ago. Since then it's been all M&P (M&P 45 duty; M&P 9fs off-duty; Shield 9mm in NPE's; occasionally a 442 but that's very infrequent).

[Mr_White]

I am tempted by other guns once in a while. That temptation lasts until I think about the many thousands of dollars it would take to replicate what I've got put into SIGs, and that's not even taking into account the time and ammo I'd spend learning a new gun.

I like shooting SIGs, they are still appealing and interesting to me.

I don't imagine I'll be changing anytime soon.

That is exactly how I feel about Glocks. Well said.

Years ago I used to switch guns around some. I quit doing that when I started working hard on deepening my technical skills. I know there can be some refocusing benefits in shooting something else. But I also feel sure that for myself, if I want to be as sharp as possible, that will only be had with one gun. Dilution of practice is going to dilute the results a little too.

[JHC]

That is exactly how I feel about Glocks. Well said.

Years ago I used to switch guns around some. I quit doing that when I started working hard on deepening my technical skills. I know there can be some refocusing benefits in shooting something else. But I also feel sure that for myself, if I want to be as sharp as possible, that will only be had with one gun. Dilution of practice is going to dilute the results a little too.

The discovery of PF, new drills and the amazing 3x5 card a few years ago really sharpened up my measurable performance for me. I was already primarily shooting and carrying Glocks but I liked to dabble and go to range and blast away. But my skills are perishable and at my age, you don't buy your bananas too green, know what I mean? I now have this OCD complex about not losing any ground but gaining anything I can. I can hear others talk about the benefits of changing to an entirely different system for awhile but I think for some of them, that might mean four or five months and 8-10K rounds. But resourcing just 100-150 rounds a week now, I'm shooting it pretty efficiently and pretty focused on my primary system and I don't want to find out what it's like to try and regain ground lost (if any is) from shooting a better trigger for 6 months.

I say better trigger because as much as I like them; Glock triggers are kinda funky for shooting one's best.

[Chuck Haggard]

You want to clean up your trigger control, sight focus and follow through? Go shoot a J frame for awhile. Your service pistol will seem to be a laser weapon afterwards.

[JHC]

You want to clean up your trigger control, sight focus and follow through? Go shoot a J frame for awhile. Your service pistol will seem to be a laser weapon afterwards.

I need a .22 jframe. Good reminder!

[Tamara]

Personally, I only change when I find something better, and I'm always looking for better. But finding better, truly and actually better...

"Too many mind. Mind the gun. Mind the people watching. Mind the caliber. Too many mind. No mind."

[Tamara]

The reason I ditched the hyper-expensive multi-kilobuck bespoke 1911s for carry and practice is because I was getting to the point where I was entirely too obsessed with the gun. My backup 1911 was a Pro that I'd carried for years; I'd switched to a bespoke gun whose build I'd specced out from the bare frame. I'd picked out the pins in that gun; they were the best 1911 pins...

And then I got to see real shooting. I watched Todd Jarrett shooting like a demigod in a class at Blackwater with a flippin' Painted Ordnance LDA Commander, guys at local bowling pin matches smoking pins with Glocks and DA Smiths, went to AFHF and watched Todd and the best shooter in the class crushing it with junky plastic LEM Kraut guns...

And here I was worrying about improving my performance by whether I had a curved or straight trigger in my special snowflake custom 1911? The variable here was obviously not the gun.

I decided to worry more about shooting than whose sear and disconnector I had in the gun. When I bought the used M&P, it was completely and solely because it was a better deal than the used Gen 2 Glock 19 at the same gun show. Would I prefer the Glock? Probably, but I've made my commitment to shoot the Smith. Maybe once I can shoot, then I'll switch.

It's not so much that I wanna be some tacticool Ninjette who's afraid she's gonna get into a gunfight, but because I was heartily sick of sucking at shooting due to obsessing too much over the less important half of the equation.