Seriously considering limiting myself to one gun.

[Cypher]

I've said before that I've limited myself to two guns, a Glock 19 and a Glock 26. The OVERWHELMING majority of the time I carry the 26. In fact the only time I carry the 19 is when my wife and I go to church or when I go out with my wife during the day.

My rationale is first that I should carry the biggest gun circumstances permit and second because the 19 is the easier of the two for me to shoot well. Having said that I don't think I really shoot that much better with the 19 than the 26 and of course with a 19 reload I'm not giving up any capacity. I don't base what I carry on any threat assessments or anything like that, if things are so sketchy that I feel the need for a bigger gun I don't go.

My primary reason for considering this is simplification. I don't have to decide, I don't have to lock up the one and get out the other, I don't have to switch holsters. The only time there might be a minor hassle is if the holster for the 26 is already on my work pants. But none of those are performance issues.

Any input is appreciated.

[HCM]

I've said before that I've limited myself to two guns, a Glock 19 and a Glock 26. The OVERWHELMING majority of the time I carry the 26. In fact the only time I carry the 19 is when my wife and I go to church or when I go out with my wife during the day.

My rationale is first that I should carry the biggest gun circumstances permit and second because the 19 is the easier of the two for me to shoot well. Having said that I don't think I really shoot that much better with the 19 than the 26 and of course with a 19 reload I'm not giving up any capacity. I don't base what I carry on any threat assessments or anything like that, if things are so sketchy that I feel the need for a bigger gun I don't go.

My primary reason for considering this is simplification. I don't have to decide, I don't have to lock up the one and get out the other, I don't have to switch holsters. The only time there might be a minor hassle is if the holster for the 26 is already on my work pants. But none of those are performance issues.

Any input is appreciated.

Redundancy is a thing, even nature recognizes it. You have two eyes, two kidneys etc for a reason.

[Darth_Uno]

You don't want to "limit" yourself - you're overthinking this. If you want to carry the 26 everywhere, do that and just leave the 19 at home, or by the bed. No reason to get rid of it. You're not going to get too many people here suggesting you abandon the 19 either.

[Darth_Uno]

The only time there might be a minor hassle is if the holster for the 26 is already on my work pants. That's hardly a "hassle". Just swap 'em out.

[Clusterfrack]

Use your G19 holster, or get a new one. Then it's easy for you to carry a 19 or a 26.

[Cypher]

You don't want to "limit" yourself - you're overthinking this. If you want to carry the 26 everywhere, do that and just leave the 19 at home, or by the bed. No reason to get rid of it. You're not going to get too many people here suggesting you abandon the 19 either.

Redundancy is a thing, even nature recognizes it. You have two eyes, two kidneys etc for a reason.

I never said I was getting rid of the 19.


Use your G19 holster, or get a new one. Then it's easy for you to carry a 19 or a 26.

It's a very rare occasion that I go anywhere but work during the week. I've decided that [if the 26 holster is already on the work pants I'll just take the 19.

[pangloss]

If turning the G19 into a permanent house pistol and exclusively carrying and shooting the G26 seems like a good idea, I don't see any big downside. Any gains you make with the G26 will help you shoot the G19 better too. I carry a factory +2 mag in my G26, which gives me 13 rounds in the pistol and a nice place for my pinky finger. It still conceals a little better than a G19. (I usually carry a G19 though, and I shoot my 19s much much more than my 26.)

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[fly out]

If I was in your shoes, I'd carry the G19 at work for a few weeks and see if I even noticed the difference after a while.

[Totem Polar]

So carry the 26. Put the 19 in a safe. No worries.

[Cypher]

If I was in your shoes, I'd carry the G19 at work for a few weeks and see if I even noticed the difference after a while.

I carry the 26 because concealment is the limiting factor.


If turning the G19 into a permanent house pistol and exclusively carrying and shooting the G26 seems like a good idea, I don't see any big downside. Any gains you make with the G26 will help you shoot the G19 better too. I carry a factory +2 mag in my G26, which gives me 13 rounds in the pistol and a nice place for my pinky finger.

So do I and a 19 magazine and as a reload.

[Guerrero]

Wait... other people have more than one gun?

;)

[Cypher]

Wait... other people have more than one gun?

;)

I have four

[Darth_Uno]

Wait... other people have more than one gun?

;)

Damn 1%er’s.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Darth_Uno]

I never said I was getting rid of the 19.


Well...it sounded like you want us to convince you to keep the 19.

If you want to carry a 26 more often than not, go for it. Can’t knock that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cypher]

Well...it sounded like you want us to convince you to keep the 19.

My bad, I can see how I gave that impression but no.


If you want to carry a 26 more often than not, go for it. Can’t knock that.

I do carry the 26 more often than not as it is.

Simplification is part of the reason I'm thinking about this but a lot of people here have advised me not to switch out guns frequently. Not even between guns as similar as a 19 and a 26. So it occurs to me that since I'm carrying the 26 99.9999999999999999999% of the time anyway maybe I should just go ahead and quit switching at all.

I have no intention of selling my 19.

[pangloss]

Wait... other people have more than one gun?

;)You need to check your settings and find out why you aren't getting the memos. Such a tragedy to have endured that level of deprivation!

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[Alpha Sierra]

You don't want to "limit" yourself - you're overthinking this. If you want to carry the 26 everywhere, do that and just leave the 19 at home, or by the bed. No reason to get rid of it. You're not going to get too many people here suggesting you abandon the 19 either.

I am completely puzzled by this "one gun" fetish around here.

I have more than a few handguns and I never have any trouble deciding which one I grab in the morning. 99.9% it's the same P-01 I've been carrying for years.

But some days I feel like carrying something else and you know what? I don't think about it for a freaking second. I grab a different one and go.

[Cypher]

I am completely puzzled by this "one gun" fetish around here.

Unless I completely misunderstood what I've been told it leads to consistently better performance.


But some days I feel like carrying something else

I try to remove that word completely from the equation.

[Alpha Sierra]

Unless I completely misunderstood what I've been told it leads to consistently better performance.
You misunderstood. Consistent work leads to consistent performance.


I try to remove that word completely from the equation.
Whatever

[Cypher]

You misunderstood. Consistent work leads to consistent performance.


Whatever

Thanks for your input.

[Alpha Sierra]

Thanks for your input.

Sorry it didn't add to the confirmation bias

[camsdaddy]

I think you could do a lot worse. A Glock 26 is a great option for a one gun battery. I understand the desire to simplify and focus. Most of the time I am comfortable with a j frame and a speed strip and a 26 carries the same ammo minus having to reload. I shoot the 26 better than I hoot the j frame. I shoot my 26 as well as I do my 19.

[Cypher]

Sorry it didn't add to the confirmation bias

It's OK I don't listen to you anyway

[blues]

It's OK I don't listen to you anyway

You win the internet today, Cypher. :cool:

[Cypher]

You win the internet today, Cypher. :cool:

Thank you.

Can I have your hat?

[blues]

Thank you.

Can I have your hat?

That's (the late) Smoky's helmet. He decided he liked it after it was gifted to me by a pair of detectives from the Met.

You can have my friendship and respect, though. ;)

[vcdgrips]

If you are want to go to the one gun route I would ask the following: which one do you shoot better cold and how do you know that?

If you can satisfactorily answer those questions, I would pick that gun.

PS-I would buy another one just like it, set it up like the first one, shoot it 500 ish rounds so I know it worked. The new one would be my carry gun, the old one would be my trainer.

[11B10]

You don't want to "limit" yourself - you're overthinking this. If you want to carry the 26 everywhere, do that and just leave the 19 at home, or by the bed. No reason to get rid of it. You're not going to get too many people here suggesting you abandon the 19 either.



This ^^^^^ is what I did, sorta. My not quite a year old G19.5 is now my dedicated nightstand gun. I'm carrying an H&K P30SK as my EDC. Then there's this recently purchased M&P340 wearing VZ grips that's just itching to go places. To date, I only have a Nemesis pocket holster (on the brink of ordering an AIWB holster for it, though). What, exactly, is it about wheelies that makes them so irresistible? It's in my pocket as I type this! I mean, immediately after I live fired one, the saving began.

[Ed L]

Do you mean only having one gun that you own?

I think you should own at least 2, even if it is the same model or similar models. There is always the risk of a gun being stolen, becoming inoperable, needing to go back to the factory, or get confiscated in the wake of a shooting.

[Cypher]

Do you mean only having one gun that you own?

No.

I think "limit" was the wrong word to use. I've said it in a couple other posts but I carry the 26 everyday and the 19 MAYBE once a week. So I thought I might be better off just making the 19 my house gun and only carrying the 26.


I think you should own at least 2, even if it is the same model or similar models. There is always the risk of a gun being stolen, becoming inoperable, needing to go back to the factory, or get confiscated in the wake of a shooting.

I agree even if I can't actually afford to own two identical models of the same gun. I will NOT be selling my 19.

[pooty]

Do you use a weapon mounted light ? I think theres only like two choices of WML for G26s and both of them have puny light output.

[Cypher]

Do you use a weapon mounted light ?

No. It's not something I've been trained on or have experience with.

[David S.]

With regard to the performance aspect: Claude Werner, Tom Givens, Karl Rehn, HiTS, Handgun Combatives, CSAT (just to name a few) all have standards they believe are representative of the marksmanship required for armed defense. Can you meet or exceed those standards cold with your chosen gear?

If you can't meet certain components of those standards, like say, shots at 25 yards, are you consciously pre-making the decision to not engage under those circumstances?

[Cypher]

With regard to the performance aspect: Claude Werner, Tom Givens, Karl Rehn, HiTS, Handgun Combatives, CSAT (just to name a few) all have standards they believe are representative of the marksmanship required for armed defense. Can you meet or exceed those standards cold with your chosen gear?

If you can't meet certain components of those standards, like say, shots at 25 yards, are you consciously pre-making the decision to not engage under those circumstances?

I don't know because I don't know what this standards are but probably not. So I have work to do

[muzzleblast]

Seriously considering limiting myself to one gun.

Personally, I'd opt for limiting myself to just one testicle. :( Just sayin'. YMMV.

[Cypher]

Personally, I'd opt for limiting myself to just one testicle. :( Just sayin'. YMMV.

Thanks for your input

[SiriusBlunder]

You mentioned switching holsters is an issue. Have you tried your 26 in your 19 holster? I carry my 19 in a 17 holster and the rare times I carry my 26 IWB, I use a 19 holster.

With iron sights, I want the longest sight radius as possible on my primary so something else to consider is chopping the 19's grip to take 26 mags. You keep the increased sight radius of the 19 and support for WML, if ever needed, and get the concealability of the 26 grip.

[GJM]

Akin to Tom Given’s analogy about a “one, two or three bad gun,” these days we live in a minimum of a five or ten gun world. Given that draconian laws are one bad election away, don’t assume you can use the supply of guns available in the retail channels as your personal inventory. High quality firearms are unlikely to ever be as available as they are now. Plan for a lifetime of firearms use.

[Cypher]

You mentioned switching holsters is an issue. Have you tried your 26 in your 19 holster? I carry my 19 in a 17 holster and the rare times I carry my 26 IWB, I use a 19 holster.

I keep my 26 holster on my work pants. In order to get it off I'd have to pull all the crap off my belt and then put all the crap back on my belt when it's time to go back to work.

(And, because I know somebody is going to ask the only way I can get away with carrying on my belt at work now is because the freight company moved out six months ago. I'm guarding an empty warehouse on third shift and there's nobody here but me. It's also winter so I get to wear a coat that hides the gun.)

In my opinion that's enough of a pain in the ass that if it comes up I'll just grab the 19 and carry it

[Hambo]

Personally, I'd opt for limiting myself to just one testicle. :( Just sayin'. YMMV.

Hambo has no limits, testicular or otherwise. :cool:

Cypher, I think there aren't enough apex predators in the USA, so we obsess about stuff that just isn't that big a deal. If you only want to carry one gun, or one type of gun, fuck, just do it. You do you and all that.

[Yung]

Some sample standards for you to try with your 26, as vcdgrips has posted a couple times for others:



Can you present from your preferred concealed carry system with your preferred platform and hit an 8 inch circle at 3 yards in under 2 seconds, COLD, every time?

Can you present from your preferred concealed carry system with your preferred platform, and do a FAST Test in under 10 seconds, COLD, every time with no points down?

Can you present from your preferred concealed carry system with your preferred platform, taking a big step off line and hit an 8 inch circle at 5 yards, with 5 rounds, in under 4 secs., COLD, every time?

Can you present from your preferred concealed carry system with your preferred platform and hit an 8 inch plate at 10 yrds, at will, COLD, every time with no time constraints?( bang, tink, bang, tink, bang, tink etc.)

Can you present from your preferred concealed carry system with your preferred platform and shoot a 5 shoot group at 5 yrds that you can cover with a credit card, COLD, every time?

Have you taken any formal training beyond a CCW class in the last 24 months?

[David S.]

I don't know because I don't know what this standards are but probably not. So I have work to do

Some quals and drills. Many are featured here as Drill of the Week.

Casino Drill (Tom Givens)
5 yard Round up (Week 324)
LAPD SWAT Qual (Week 47)
Dot Torture (Week 328)
The Test and Super Test (Week 225 and 249)


There's obviously a bunch of others you could do too. Tom Givens is adding a drill of the month to the Rangemaster newsletters in 2020. That might be worth checking out too.

[0ddl0t]

I'm a fan of mastering 1 gun and all, but...


I keep my 26 holster on my work pants. In order to get it off I'd have to pull all the crap off my belt and then put all the crap back on my belt when it's time to go back to work.

...it sounds like pull the dot holster loops would alleviate much of your inconvenience.

[NH Shooter]

...it sounds like pull the dot holster loops would alleviate much of your inconvenience.

Or just buy a second holster for the 26.

FWIW (probably not much), my EDC is one gun (a Walther PPS M1) 100% of the time. I also have a 5-inch PPQ M1 that is actually not much more difficult to carry in my preferred EDC holster (JMCK #3 IWB), but for anything other than heading out to the range for an extended pistol session or a match, it's the PPS that gets packed. Luckily for me I find the PPS very capable for self-protection purposes, as well as being comfortable and really easy to conceal do to its thinner single-stack design.

In your case with a choice between two double-stacks, I might be more inclined to carry the 19 not knowing how much a carry/concealment advantage the 26 provides. In any case, the purchase of a second holster for the preferred carry gun would be my first consideration if I were faced with this choice.

[Cypher]

I'm not planning out some huge lifestyle change here. I usually only carry the 19 one day a week as it is so I was/am thinking about eliminating that one day and just carrying the 26

This is just an idea at this point and I'm not prepared to put any money into it yet

[JustOneGun]

Do you have a training gun? If money is an issue I could see swapping the 19 for another 26 as a training gun. When I retired that was my plan.

My wife told me to just get another 26 and keep the 19. I knew there was a reason I married her.

The 19 just sits in the safe doing nothing. Never use it.

[Cypher]

Do you have a training gun?

No. I'm considering it but if I do it I'll just save up for a 26

[Deaf Smith]

I have to main carry guns.

Glock 26 and S&W J Centennial .38.

BUT, since I grew up with Colt "O" and Smith "K" I know those systems well.

I also, for years, used SIG DA/SA and 3ed Gen S&W autos.

I can use them all well and have carry setups for them all!! Yes ALL.

But 99 percent of the time ... Glock 26 and/or S&W Centennial. I even have 'practice' versions of these two for the range sessions!!!

[TGS]

1) When talking about concentrating on 1 gun type, people are most often advocating that you not casually switch between multiple different platforms with wildly different manual of arms/shooter interface. Example being a person who shoots a Glock at the range and keeps it as his night stand gun, but carries a PPK. When talking about the shooter's interface/manual of arms, the difference between a Glock 26 and Glock 19 is relatively minor. The single most common gun pair recommendation is actually a Glock 19 and Glock 26 for the very reason of commonality/redundancy while still offering different sizes for different purposes.

Switching throughout the week between a Glock 26 and Glock 19 should not (in my opinion) be viewed as an issue for a carry gun. If you were switching between an HK P30LS and a Glock 26, then I'd say that would be a situation to think about concentrating on a single platform. Switching between guns of a common platform shouldn't be viewed as an issue unless you're talking about switching between those two guns for shooting competitions, or being on a high end hostage rescue team.

2) If you think you don't shoot any better with the Glock 19 vs the Glock 26, but you haven't shot any of the realistic, repeatable, measurable standards being mentioned here, then you probably don't have a validated opinion on how well you're shooting either gun.

3) Given 1 and 2, I don't think you're going to gain anything by relegating the Glock 19 to "reserve" status and simply carrying just the Glock 26. Getting better with one gun demands that someone be pushing their training and challenging their skills, which is probably the route to take in this situation for the most immediate, high-reward impact. You already have a common platform...eschewing guns inside that platform without first pursuing any type of rigorous training is putting the cart before the horse.

[daved20319]

Good discussion, people. Awhile back, I standardized on DA/SA's with decockers, and narrowed it down even more by choosing CZ metal framed pistols. But somehow, a Sig P220R joined the arsenal, and I've been focusing on the Sig exclusively for the last month or so. Quite certain I have a long way to go to meet the standards above, but I can say my performance with this pistol has improved a great deal even in a fairly short time of focused practice, I've set the CZ's aside in favor of the Sig. If time and money allow, I'm hoping to take some classes this spring and summer with this pistol. In the meantime, I intend to stay with the Sig as my primary, to the extent I'm considering getting another one for all the reasons folks do such things. So OP, go for it, personally I think you're on the right track, especially if you incorporate some of the suggestions mentioned here. Later.

Dave