Change seems to be the one constant in life and I'm flirting with it regarding my carry gun. Since I turned 21 15 years ago I have carried some version of a "duty handgun" concealed IWB Strongside. For years it was a Glock 19 in a Sparks Summer Special II, then for a brief stint an M&P 9 in a Comp-Tac Minotaur, and since 2014 it's been a Gen 4 Glock 17 in a JM V3.
While there's nothing wrong with the G17 in the V3, I find my general trend of dress (more tucked-in shirts) + 3 small kids (bending over, them hanging on me, etc) + perhaps just some laziness finding me with my J-frame in my front strongside pocket 90% of the time.
I'm not sure which came first (chicken and egg scenario), but my mindset is beginning to shift as well. I'm just a regular dude trying to live my life, stay safe, and keep my family safe. I'm not a cop and don't have off-duty requirements. I'm generally not a target for any reason and keep a good frame of mind about situational awareness (call it the Eagle Scout, or hunter, or whatever). Therefore, I'm finding myself of the mind that I'm very unlikely to get into any shooting situation at all, and that if I do, I can probably solve it with a J-frame.
Anyone else been down this road?
Now to the hardware side, I enjoy the J-frame, and it seems to have a good reputation. Mine is a no-lock 642 with a dab of orange paint on the front sight and a pair of CT Lasergrips.
Questions:
1. Am I gonna get kilt in da skreetz and I 100% need to go back to the G17?
2. If I'm on the right track, is the J-frame the way to go, or should I look for something with a flatter profile like a G43 (or something else).
3. If #2 = yes, then what else?
Thanks!