Do you truly carry one gun all year?

[Le Français]

@TGS
@Le Français

I used to race cars. On ice, in mud, on asphalt, in parking lots, on F1 hosting racetracks and everything in between. Different rules and different cars.

My purpose was to broadly train so I could be competent in a broad spectrum of situations and scenarios.

If you gave me any car at this point, I'm pretty sure I could do better than 99% of the population.

I currently race guns. Same philosophy. I train with everything from revolvers to PCC.

Objectively you could consider me a very good competition shooter.

If you gave me any gun at this point (except a Taurus Curve), I'm pretty sure I could do better than 99% of the population.

So what's the deal?

The deal seems to be that your desire to publicize the love affair you have with yourself continues unabated. I'm almost joking.

Beyond that, you are making a good point against which I have not argued. Practicing with a variety of guns does seem to increase skill across the board. For example, I believe (but cannot prove) that I am a better Glock shooter for my time shooting J frames. Note that this does not mean that I carry the J frames.

Do people need to carry larger guns? Or do they need to practice? Or both? Or neither?

There's the philosophy of "carry what you shoot the best."

But those that support that philosophy usually aren't the best shooters which is a mental disconnect.

Why is that a mental disconnect? You aren't the best shooter, and yet you prefer to carry something you shoot very well, vs something you shoot less well (within the implied parameters of something you can reasonably conceal). The argument against an arbitrary, whim-based carry rotation is that it needlessly hurts your performance if the music stops when you are carrying a gun you don't shoot as well as others.

@Clusterfrack posted him doing Turbo Pin GW runs with a pocket Kahr 380 that most people would be hard pressed to do with a G34.

That's outstanding, and I'll note that while he isn't long on self-promotion, in terms of hard skills, @Clusterfrack is easily one of the most dangerous people on this forum. Notice that he tends to carry a service-sized pistol.

Because it's not random.

Plucking from a pile of very different pistols because of how you feel like accessorizing yourself that day is not functionally different from a random selection in this context.

I don't wear a Nomex suit, HANS and full face helmet to the grocery store. There's always a trade off.

This is very true, of course. We (mostly) don't EDC rifles with optics, since our EDC guns need to fit into our lifestyles. Having to defend yourself (at all or again, depending on the person) with a pistol is very unlikely, after all.

The fact remains that if you own two pistols of similar concealability, reliability, and safety, and you shoot one of them markedly better than the other, it is simply a bad idea to pick the other one because it more closely matches the color of your pocket square.

[MD7305]

I don't necessarily carry just one gun but I do follow the concept of one system meaning the guns I carry are of the same manufacturer and family. In my case for the last 5-ish years that's been three from the M&P family; M&P9 fullsize, compact, and shield. I find that although there's an obvious size difference and they all have different shooting characteristics the controls and manipulations are similar if not the identical.

My biggest struggle is I'm mandated an iron sighted pistol on duty but I'm deeply interested in optics. I actually feel guilty when I'm shooting my RDS equipped guns, like I should be focusing that effort toward iron sights.

[4RNR]

Anyone who is truly serious about carrying a gun all the time, and who does not get paid to do so, is going to have to switch guns to accommodate different circumstances.

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Sure but that rare. My job didn't have a dress code and my boss didn't care if I carried so tshirts and jeans and a full size gun was never an issue. I dressed at work how I would going out of the house so my every day gun was full size. When I have to go to a formal dinner or wedding or anywhere where I have to wear a suit then I would pocket carry an LCP, but that would happen maybe 3 times a year.....if that. The only other time I would carry the LCP was running out to get something at the supermarket, which is also pretty rare. But to be honest in my area you have better chance of getting hit by a distracted soccer mom in a Mercedes AMG G-wagon then actually running into unsavory looking people. It would be more practical and realistic to step outside wearing reflective jacket and something that makes a laud noise so that drivers know you're there from a distance, instead of a gun


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[Joe S]

Anyone who is truly serious about carrying a gun all the time, and who does not get paid to do so, is going to have to switch guns to accommodate different circumstances.

Even though I normally carry a P365, much of my training for the past couple of years has been a Glock 44 or S&W k-frame .22 lr. My teenage daughter accompanies me to the range more often than not, and she is very sensitive to noise. If keeping the noise limited to .22 makes the trip enjoyable for her, and gives her the chance to view shooting as fun as well as to develop some skill, then I will take the chance that it will get me killed in the streets.

Both good points. The first reminds me of the discussion way back when on TPI about true NPEs, which I'm sure you also recall.

The second means you're a great dad. And sometimes that means making a sacrifice, however small and theoretical, for the greater benefit of your family.

[TGS]

Anyone who is truly serious about carrying a gun all the time, and who does not get paid to do so, is going to have to switch guns to accommodate different circumstances.

Generally not terribly often, and an argument can still be made to stay within a "family" of pistols that share similar manual of arms, triggers, etc.

I carry my Glock 19M the vast majority of the time off-duty. If I'm at an event where I can't, I carry the issued Glock 26 or my personal Glock 42.

Not something completely different, with an entirely different manual of arms or substantially different trigger....regardless of the fact that I still own and shoot for fun a variety of S&W Combat Magnums, a Colt M45A1, and Beretta 92s.

Relevant article written by our late founder back in 2011: https://pistol-training.com/the-rotation/

and, part deux: https://pistol-training.com/rotation-part-ii/

[Clusterfrack]

Generally not terribly often, and an argument can still be made to stay within a "family" of pistols that share similar manual of arms, triggers, etc.

I carry my Glock 19M the vast majority of the time off-duty. If I'm at an event where I can't, I carry the issued Glock 26 or my personal Glock 42.

Not something completely different, with an entirely different manual of arms or substantially different trigger....regardless of the fact that I still own and shoot for fun a variety of S&W Combat Magnums, a Colt M45A1, and Beretta 92s.

Relevant article written by our late founder back in 2011: https://pistol-training.com/the-rotation/

and, part deux: https://pistol-training.com/rotation-part-ii/

That’s my approach. I don’t carry a gun for a living, but I totally embrace the idea of a common platform—in my case for CCW, backcountry defense, and competition.

[GearFondler]

That’s my approach. I don’t carry a gun for a living, but I totally embrace the idea of a common platform—in my case for CCW, backcountry defense, and competition.

I also agree... I've been shooting Glocks for a while now and before that it was mostly revolvers and an XD45. I'm very curious to try a Langdon Beretta and I love how easy it is to shoot a 1911 but I don't trust myself enough in a high-pressure situation to remember to de-cock or to release and engage a thumb safety. Hell, I usually forget a few times at the range with a 1911 so no, I don't see myself carrying a DA/SA or SAO any time soon. I'm mentally attuned to the striker-fired system so that's the lane I'll stay in.

[beenalongtime]

At this point in my life I also offloaded a lot of my handguns and ended up with several sigs.

Why did you buy them to begin with?
And then why did you offload them?

I ask because when I turned 21, I had already been at gunpoint several times in my life (along with a bunch of other stuff)........

Some of us are poor.

G19 all the time.

.....I was poor then too and it came down to a gun, or my house, so I choose my house. A few years later, a friend was getting ready to go through a divorce and he expected his wife to pull some stuff, which she did. I bought his gun from a firearms dealer, mutual friend we had, and we made sure we all had dated stuff. (she tried to pull the "he threatened me with his gun, months after the sales")
Years later, after another time at gunpoint, I was tired of being at gunpoint and wanted something carry able. I tried one (based on several others recommendations) and didn't like it. I ended up with the PX4 subcompact. Shortly after that, I ended up with the compact as well, which I prefer, but there are some times, the SC is more carry able.
When I paid off that house, I decided I could/would buy more guns, to:
1. Have fun at the range, to keep me interested and going
2. Always be evaluating if I made the correct choice or if I shoot something much better.

Until I got into the whole LTT 92 things (which at least have similar controls to the PX4's), my "test toys" were generally around $400 (some were more because of other items, such as holsters and multiple magazines). I keep wondering if and when I should sell the toys?

And thanks!

[JCN]

Hahaha. Regarding the love affair with myself, it’s true. I’m awesome.

But seriously, BBI told me earlier on that on PF one of the things is:

“Show me how you know what you know.”

Or

“This is how I know what I know.”

So when you bring up car racing to support your point and I disagree with it from a racing cars and racing gun standpoint, I should mention that I know about both and disagree.

My point to put it succinctly is:

As long as you’re better than a (rigorous) standard with what you carry, who cares if you match it to your pubic hair color.

The deal seems to be that your desire to publicize the love affair you have with yourself continues unabated. I'm almost joking.

Beyond that, you are making a good point against which I have not argued. Practicing with a variety of guns does seem to increase skill across the board. For example, I believe (but cannot prove) that I am a better Glock shooter for my time shooting J frames. Note that this does not mean that I carry the J frames.

Why is that a mental disconnect? You aren't the best shooter, and yet you prefer to carry something you shoot very well, vs something you shoot less well (within the implied parameters of something you can reasonably conceal). The argument against an arbitrary, whim-based carry rotation is that it needlessly hurts your performance if the music stops when you are carrying a gun you don't shoot as well as others.

That's outstanding, and I'll note that while he isn't long on self-promotion, in terms of hard skills, @Clusterfrack is easily one of the most dangerous people on this forum. Notice that he tends to carry a service-sized pistol.

Plucking from a pile of very different pistols because of how you feel like accessorizing yourself that day is not functionally different from a random selection in this context.

This is very true, of course. We (mostly) don't EDC rifles with optics, since our EDC guns need to fit into our lifestyles. Having to defend yourself (at all or again, depending on the person) with a pistol is very unlikely, after all.

The fact remains that if you own two pistols of similar concealability, reliability, and safety, and you shoot one of them markedly better than the other, it is simply a bad idea to pick the other one because it more closely matches the color of your pocket square.

[JCN]

That’s my approach. I don’t carry a gun for a living, but I totally embrace the idea of a common platform—in my case for CCW, backcountry defense, and competition.

If I carried a gun for a living I would carry a common platform / brand (probably Glocks).

For me currently, I find that I’m most sensitive to grip angle on index over trigger type / action / weight or even type of sights.

So P365s, CZs and revolvers all tend to index similarly and I usually keep Glocks and 1911s in the safe.