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

[Jared]

I'm thinking about this a lot right now, mostly because I'm contemplating a switch. I've mostly been using the same thing since spring of 2011, but lately I've just been stuck on this shooting plateau that I can't seem to bust through. The frustration of banging my head against the same wall over and over again has really been sucking the fun out of shooting.

So yesterday I tried a different gun and experienced almost instant performance gains. I've read enough threads where this has happened to believe that the "honeymoon period" with a new gun is a very real phenomenon, but the big thing that I noticed is that I really wanted to practice more again. I'm seriously considering doing a full on switch, even if it's just for a couple months, in order to see how this all shakes out.

I figure if I get tired of my new fling, my old gun will still be right there waiting for me, and I may get over this hump for good.

FWIW, old guns are Beretta 92's, new fling is a G34 with a set of Dawson sights and KKM barrel that I bought lightly used from a friend.

[Kyle Reese]

I generally swap platforms when I've hit a performance plateau. This was very evident in November 2013 when I put my Glock 17 back in the safe and shot a stable of SIGs (226 and 2022s) for six months. Shooting a DA/SA gun has paid dividends for me in terms of trigger control, and I'm a better Glock shooter as a result.

I'll admit that I've been toying about with a CGW CZ P-09 as well, and it's simply a guilty pleasure. Probably not the "right" answer, but life is short, and if shooting sessions become tedious and joyless experiences, what's the point?

[JHC]

I moved to the Glocks in the mid to late '90's and apart from a 2400 round test drive of an M&P Pro in 2010, I haven't seriously considered changing platforms. I've put a few hundreds rounds through Sigs and a 92FS in that period. Keep up familiarity with a 1911. But no serious work. What plateaus I've noticed I addressed with a change in types of skills practiced or a change in mentality.

Cases in point - a few years ago, the discovery of PF (with it's drills) and the magical 3x5 card changed my ability to make low prob shots faster. This year, greater emphasis on SHO, 15 and 25 yard low prob targets and the mental change to trust my trigger finger and let shots rip before my focus settles on my front sight perfectly seems to have improved my shooting quickly.

With multiple copies of various Glock models with associated magazines and holsters etc, I'm loathe to changing platforms.

[Chuck Haggard]

Well, I carried a 3rg gen S&W 9mm for about 20 years before going to Glocks, so about every 20 years it would seem.

[1slow]

I do not change often. There has to be some perceived benefit.

1970s-late 1980s 1911 .45.
1 year in the late 1980s Sig 220 .45.
Back to 1911 .45.
1990-1998 GL 21. Based on the timer and targets GL21 matched my 1911 work.
1998-2008 roughly GL30.
2008-2013 GL17,19. Paul Gomez made me look at the ammo improvements in 9mm.
2013-now HK P30 9mm, LEM and occasional HK45 LEM. I shoot HK with better accuracy at 25 yards than GL17/19. 7 yard head shots are as fast as GL17/19.
I shoot the HK45 LEM very slightly better than the P30/P30L 9mm LEM but like the 5 more rounds in the P30.

[Blayglock]

When they design a gun with the concealability and capacity of a G19 with a better trigger and ergonomics I will switch. Not until then.


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[Malamute]

It varies with the day. Up in the mountains, a heavy caliber and heavy loaded revolver, off the mountain and out of town, the same or lighter loads in same guns. In a town, (maybe one or two days/wk) a J, g-19 or 1911 depending on the clothes I'm wearing and the weather.

[Trooper224]

On duty I change weapons whenever my agency tells me to. Off duty, for the last twenty years I carried a five-inch 1911 until recently switching to a Beretta 92FS primarily for health reasons. I don't subscribe to the flavor of the month mindset for carry weapons.

[RevolverRob]

For about 8 years, double action revolvers with 2-4" barrels in .38 special or .357 magnum have been my choice. Any day it could be a Smith and Wesson, Colt, or Ruger as the brand. They are all so close in size that I can run essentially the same holster for all of them and I carry reloads in the same type of speedloader (HKS) in the exact same spot all the time. Just some days...I feel like a 3" K-Frame or L-Frame, instead a D-Frame or GP100. I view them all as essentially the exact same gun, all of them have ramped front sights with white and orange nail polish on them, all of them slide into my hands the exact same way.

Over the years I have maintained a love for TDA guns and I did spend about 6 months carrying a Smith 3913 and when I first started carrying all I had was a Ruger P95, so I carried that for about 3 months until I bought a Smith M64, I have been playing with a platform change to the Beretta 92FS. I bought one and have been shooting it and I am planning to send it to Wilson. I feel like I should have a quality double-stack 9mm gun around, but I'm not sure it's going to supplant DA revolvers as my carry platform, at least not yet. I'm still considerably faster with the wheel guns and haven't quite gotten to the point where I feel comfortable with the Beretta nor have I quite gotten to the "zen" with it yet.

-Rob

[JAD]

I flirt with other stuff and will carry it occasionally, but I switched from Glock to 1911 in 1997. The occasional dalliances always bring me back.

[JAD]

I flirt with other stuff and will carry it occasionally, but I switched from Glock to 1911 in 1997. The occasional dalliances always bring me back. Which means little except to say, don't divest yourself of your original platform.

[DocGKR]

As infrequently as possible.

[Tamara]

In '04 I went from a melange of guns, but mostly a Glock 29, to carrying a 5" steel 1911 every day. I switched to the M&P9 in the summer of '11 and have carried it since.

I have gotten more relaxed about shooting other guns for fun, though. Towards the end of my M1911-carrying years I wouldn't shoot anything but a 1911 or DA Smith wheelgun because I was all serious and stuff.

[Stengun]

Howdy,

Not counting handguns that I was assigned to carry on the job, I carried a 5" steel framed 1911A1 from Jan. 1982 until Aug. 2005.

August 2005 to present time: Glock 23

I first started carrying in Jan. '82 and since then I have carried everything from an suppressed Ruger MKII, suppressed Walther P22,
AMT .380 Backup, Dan Wesson .357Mag, a Devel customized S&W 39 9mm, S&W Model 15, 36, 60, and 1006 and many others. Heck, I've even carried a scoped, Mag-na-ported Ruger Super Blackhawk .44Mag w/ 10 1/2" barrel.

Currently my EDC is a Glock 23 but I sometimes carry a G20, G35, a steel framed 5" 1911A1, Kel-Tec PF-9, a comped Bulgy 9mm Makarov, or a Taurus PT-845 45acp. Just depends on my mood.

I never understood the "1 gun, 1 carry" line of thinking.

Paul

[JodyH]

I've changed my primary carry platform twice since I started taking my shooting/carry seriously 14 years ago.
Started with a Walther P99 in 2000.
Switched to a Glock 17 (and Glock 26) around 2003.
Went to the P2000 (and P2000SK) in 2008.
I've used many other pistols in training, competition and for fun but those are the pistols that have lived on my headboard and spent the most time in my holster.
I also have secondary carry guns for NPE like my PM9, PPS and 442 j-frame, but all three of these "feel" like my LEM H&K's while shooting.

There's no way I'd have a "rotation" of guns with completely different manuals of arms like a DA/SA Sig, thumb safety 1911 and a paddle mag release LEM H&K for carry.
I want my carry gun to be consistently simple.

[JustOneGun]

Howdy,

Not counting handguns that I was assigned to carry on the job, I carried a 5" steel framed 1911A1 from Jan. 1982 until Aug. 2005.

August 2005 to present time: Glock 23

I first started carrying in Jan. '82 and since then I have carried everything from an suppressed Ruger MKII, suppressed Walther P22,
AMT .380 Backup, Dan Wesson .357Mag, a Devel customized S&W 39 9mm, S&W Model 15, 36, 60, and 1006 and many others. Heck, I've even carried a scoped, Mag-na-ported Ruger Super Blackhawk .44Mag w/ 10 1/2" barrel.

Currently my EDC is a Glock 23 but I sometimes carry a G20, G35, a steel framed 5" 1911A1, Kel-Tec PF-9, a comped Bulgy 9mm Makarov, or a Taurus PT-845 45acp. Just depends on my mood.

I never understood the "1 gun, 1 carry" line of thinking.

Paul

Many new shooters switch from pistol to pistol and never really learn the fundamentals. I think common sense says IF you are training with the pistol for self defense them perhaps that's a bad idea. If you have been shooting all your life it is easy to switch from one gun to the next without too much lose of skill. Plus that skill you do have is quick to learn the new system.
Many shooters believe that sort of skill lose is unacceptable and don't do it. Will switching from a Glock to a 1911 kill you if you get in a gunfight the day of the switch? I don't know but forgetting to take off the safety might not be good? It just depends on the shooter and how you react to switching.
I am one who forgets even during timed drills to take that safety off. I figure that had a good chance of happening in a gunfight too. So I don't switch. I try to stay with one gun. Obviously if you don't think that could happen to you then it might not be a worry for you. Just because you can do it doesn't mean I should do it. What doesn't kill you might kill me. I'm just saying.

[xmanhockey7]

I like to think I don't switch often, but I do. Started OCing at 18 because I wasn't old enough to CC. OCed the only handgun I owned a Glock 22. By the time I was 20 I lived in a freer state for about 7 months where I could CC. At that time I usually carried an XDm 3.8c 40 or if that was too big a Sig 238. Once I turned 21 I finally got my CC permit. Started by carrying a Glock 27 and occasionally the XDm. Then a couple months later I got a G23, because I wanted something bigger than my 27, but smaller than the 22. I still used my Sig 238 for when the other guns were just too big. Now a little over a year later my G23 was my go to gun until I had to send it back to Glock due to reliability issues. I now own a G19 and just before sending the gun off to Glock I bought a Smith J-frame. It's amazing to me how many guns I've done through. Now that I have the 19 it's my go to with my 27 being used for when that's too big and my J frame for when both are too big.

[Haraise]

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.

Super cereal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0rLfkvl8BI

[Chuck Haggard]

I quit switching when we started carrying 3rd gen S&Ws at work after having been carrying a wheelgun for awhile. The safety going up for bang had me giving up on 1911s because I didn't want to be at work, have to draw my duty gun, and have a confused thumb.

[JHC]

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.



Sig line! Nice.

[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.

[s0nspark]

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.

Good thoughts. I have been on a similar path.

I got interested in shooting later in life and brought to it the same gearhead mentality I'd developed in other areas. It took me a few years of cycling through THE gun to have at the moment to realize that the gun matters... but not THAT much :)

I spent another year or so settling on a platform that was a good fit for me physically and mentally and now all I focus on is developing my skills - the gun itself practically disappears.

[mizer67]

I seriously started shooting in 2009, but didn't pick up on pistols until 2010 sometime. Prior to that, my only experience was the odd BB gun when I was a wee one, the Boy Scouts and a S&W Model 41 that I shot for about 6 months in a league in 2000 before I moved away from that area.

I bought an M&P 40 to start, mainly because it was ambidextrous, I liked my Model 41 and it had relatively good reviews at that time in .40 caliber. As I quickly started to shoot more and more volume, I switched to M&P 9mm and found that I couldn't group reliably with mine at distance. Embarrassingly, I hadn't really shot it beyond 50 ft. prior to taking a training class, and we spent a fair amount of time at 25 yards. Even the instructor couldn't group with it at that distance and it was all geeked out with APEX parts and decent sights, so I was reasonably certain it was the M&P that was FUBAR'ed, not just my sorry shooting.

I put it in the safe and switched to a Glock just in time to experience the "perfection" that was the early Gen4 9mm difficulties. I've pretty much stuck it out with Glock since with a few interludes for a little variety.

[ReverendMeat]

When they design a gun with the concealability and capacity of a G19 with a better trigger and ergonomics I will switch. Not until then.


Have you tried a Walther PPQ? It certainly fits your criteria. I ended up buying a PPQ and G19 at the same time because I couldn't decide between the two (haven't owned any Glocks before that) and ended up selling the G19 about a year later.

[1slow]

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.

I agree completely. Custom 1911s were, for me, too much range toys/mechanical OCD. I need to do the work and become better.

[NETim]

There's an old saying in the trapshooting game: You can't buy targets.

If the gun goes "BANG!" reliably and has a consistent POI, we can adapt to it. The weakest link in the system is naturally the human element.

Beware the "new gun" syndrome.

[warpedcamshaft]

If I personally frame it within a realistic scope of what my need for a handgun is: concealed carry... It would be silly to change what I carry very often.

That said, if shooting is your passion... It can be fun to try new things and expand your horizons. I enjoy comparing things and trying to improve and experiment, but I try to keep myself grounded in the reality of a civilian...

At the end of the day, a seat belt and defensive driving course is more likely to save my life than a firearm. (If you want to hear me go off... talk about how you carry a gun everyday, but don't wear your seat belt if you drive a automobile.)

[Mr_White]

(If you want to hear me go off... talk about how you carry a gun everyday, but don't wear your seat belt if you drive a automobile.)

What if someone told you they don't wear a seatbelt because it interferes with gun access while driving?

I'm not saying that. I'm just asking, what if someone did?

;)

[warpedcamshaft]

What if someone told you they don't wear a seatbelt because it interferes with gun access while driving?

I'm not saying that. I'm just asking, what if someone did?

;)

I'd throw on my Kittens and Lasers hat and pistol whip them with a Glock 34!

[Mr_White]

I'd throw on my Kittens and Lasers hat and pistol whip them with a Glock 34!

Now that would be a good Youtube video!

[45dotACP]

Hmmm, well for me, I started on a Smitty 64 because when I turned 21, I had little money and a desire for a good pistol...Then I got a Glock 21 and became enamored of the plastic wonderguns...then I got a G34, which has been my go to gun since.

But I also built a 1911 from parts, because I couldn't buy ammo and decided "Well f@#$ it then, I'll spend ammo money on gun stuff!"

I got a Beretta 92FS compact because...well because McClane and Riggs.

They're all fun guns really. Shooting is a fun thing to do. No lie, one time a friend wanted to shoot a Tannerite target at his farm...so I set it next to a cow pie and created what would later be described as "The worst smelling pun in the history of shooting." when I started laughing myself to death while trying to gasp out "You blew sh!t up!" between breaths. I think there is still a foul smelling cloud hanging over that pasture...

So yeah, shooting a bad guy is an important thing to know how to do, and I probably wouldn't be laughing about it, but I really just switch whenever I feel like it and trust that focusing on the front sight and pressing the trigger will carry the fight in my favor. Probably not smart, but then you are talking to somebody who blew up a pile of cow poop just for..."sh!ts and giggles"

Okay, I'm done.

[Keltyke]

I never change my carry weapon unless my primary is down for repair. If I carry the same piece day in-day out, week after week, I become VERY familiar with it. Being familiar with it brings accuracy and speed. I never have to think about which gun I have strapped on and how it operates. Is there a manual safety to disengage? How many rounds does it hold? Is it second strike capable? Etc.

If your "plateau" doesn't meet your speed/accuracy needs, you may need to consider changing weapons permanently.

The "best" gun is the one YOU like, not anyone else. It will be a compromise of:

1. Fit - It should fit in your hand like you were born with it there.
2. Reliability - It should go BANG about 99.8% of the time you pull the trigger.
3. Accuracy - In YOUR hand. It's how well YOU shoot it.
4. Concealability - It should be comfortable enough to wear and easy enough to conceal so you won't leave it laying on the dresser at home.
5. Cost - You don't want to scrimp on your "life protector" weapon, but you probably don't need a $1,000 Kimber, either.
6. Enjoyment - The caliber and gun should be fun to shoot. If it isn't, you won't practice with it like you should.

[Kranq]

1983 - 1992 Colt series 70 1911 .45 ACP
1992-2014 Sig P220 .45 ACP
2014 - Glock 26 9mm

Since about 1984, my "out in the woods gun" has always been my blue, 6" colt python .357, and probably will be till I die and my kid gets it. As I get older, I'm less interested in working to dress around a heavy, full size auto.

[JustOneGun]

I never change my carry weapon unless my primary is down for repair. If I carry the same piece day in-day out, week after week, I become VERY familiar with it. Being familiar with it brings accuracy and speed. I never have to think about which gun I have strapped on and how it operates. Is there a manual safety to disengage? How many rounds does it hold? Is it second strike capable? Etc.

If your "plateau" doesn't meet your speed/accuracy needs, you may need to consider changing weapons permanently.

The "best" gun is the one YOU like, not anyone else. It will be a compromise of:

1. Fit - It should fit in your hand like you were born with it there.
2. Reliability - It should go BANG about 99.8% of the time you pull the trigger.
3. Accuracy - In YOUR hand. It's how well YOU shoot it.
4. Concealability - It should be comfortable enough to wear and easy enough to conceal so you won't leave it laying on the dresser at home.
5. Cost - You don't want to scrimp on your "life protector" weapon, but you probably don't need a $1,000 Kimber, either.
6. Enjoyment - The caliber and gun should be fun to shoot. If it isn't, you won't practice with it like you should.

While I agree that only the person with the pistol can decide what they want, it is worthwhile to discuss what they might want to consider depending on what they need from the pistol. I am assuming a self defense pistol here but the answers might change with a different requirement.
Looking at your list, many people confuse #1 Fit as how does it FEEL in my hand. I hate the way a Glock feels in my hand, but I shoot them great. The majority of humans can fit a typical handgun. Some with very small or large hands might have problems that would cause them to switch pistols. Advanced users can make gains as you suggest with a switch to a different pistol. Many newer shooters never gain the necessary skill to begin with. Often they go from pistol to pistol in search of that fix. IMHO if the plateau you have is never learning to shoot then changing the pistol won't help that much unless there was a fit problem. Then you learn to shoot and might change again for a real reason. It's no big deal if they still want to choose a pistol for that reason, but it is all about making an informed choice. We all do our best and take our chances in life.

[NH Shooter]

The "best" gun is the one YOU like, not anyone else. It will be a compromise of...


This.

I began shooting handguns regularly over 30 years ago when I joined a NRA bullseye league. I spent way too much time in poorly ventilated indoor ranges shooting a High Standard .22 and .38 Special S&W k-frames. I lived in a part of NY where even at that time, a "pistol license" was merely for owning them with the county's blessing, not for carrying concealed.

I also shot IPSC, a civilian PPC league and IDPA, which I still do on occasion. I owned a Colt 1911 at one time but could never get the hang of it, either with one hand for bullseye or two hands for everything else. What I really thrived with was S&W k-frames shooting them double action, with which I became very proficient earning Master Class in PPC.

As much as I found synergy with the k-frames, I never gave up trying to find a pistol that fit my small mitts and that I could shoot well. I picked up a S&W 5906 which I could shoot reasonably well, but still not as well as the wheel gun. Then one day for grins and giggles I rented a G17 at the local range and gave it a whirl. For the first time, I felt truly comfortable with something other than a revolver. After the range session, I went back into the gun shop and purchased a Gen3 G17C on the spot and have been very happy with it ever since. I've shot many IDPA matches with it (with an unvented barrel installed as per the rules) but living in Suffolk County, NY, concealed carry was still something I was not legally allowed to do.

In 2007, we moved to New Hampshire where I could finally carry concealed. At 5'7" I struggle to conceal a full size pistol, so in 2008 I purchased a Walther PPS in 9mm. The PPS fits my little girly hands very well and I shoot it nearly as well as the Glock, especially at 10 yards or closer. I carry it in a Comp-Tac Minotaur MTAC where it conceals well and is very comfortable.

So in response to the OP, I have only changed when I did not feel proficient with what I had, or what I had did not work well for CC. I now have a couple of pistols that are reliable, that I can shoot well and that I have gained a level of proficiency and comfort with. Until I that is no longer the case, I have no plans on changing.

But after all of these years, I still have a soft spot for a S&W k-frames, if not so much for CC.


http://www.canonshooter.com/photos2/66-1.jpg

[Up1911Fan]

Every few years I generally gravitate away from Glocks for a year or so, then go back. After spending some time shooting/training with something else I generally shoot Glocks pretty well rather quickly. 2 years ago I shot Sig's for about 6 months, never really warmed up to them but the DA work seemed to help my trigger control when I switched back. I plan on picking up a CZ P-07 and P-09 and dedicating 6 months or so to them next year.