Do you carry a different gun off-duty?

[Casey]

For those mandated by agency policy to carry a specific handgun, when off duty or training on your own time, do you carry/shoot the same gun? If not, are you carrying...

• Something very similar (e.g. G17 on duty and G19 off duty, or stock G17 on duty and G17 with minor mods like stippling off duty)?
• Something moderately similar (e.g. stock G17 on duty and worked over G17 off duty with grip reduction, trigger work, comp, red dot, etc.)?
• Something substantially different (e.g. G17 on duty and Sig 365 off duty, or guns with different manuals of arms, etc.)?

If you're not carrying the same gun off duty, I'm very curious as to why you made that decision.

For context, I'm starting the hiring process with an agency that issues the G45 and does not allow any modifications to the pistol. While I've devoted nearly all my practice time to my VP9s over the past six or seven years, I do have a stock G17 in the safe and my intent is to transition to shooting that exclusively over the next few months before I would potentially start the academy. I'm not about to go dumping a bunch of money into replacing all my VP9s with Glocks just yet, as there's no guarantee I'll get picked up by this agency, but I am thinking long term about how my carry gun and practice regimen would change if I do get hired on.

On the one hand, I see the merits of keeping the carry gun as close to the duty gun as possible. That would force me to work toward mastering a single gun, dedicating all my practice time to that gun, and learning how to work around whatever challenges it presents, like a lack of grip texture, spongy trigger, etc. On the other hand, for a personal carry or practice gun, I'm loath to give up some minor enhancements like a stipple job that makes an extended range session so much more tolerable without changing something critical like the trigger feel.

(Did a bit of searching and found some discussion of carry gun vs. competition gun, but didn't see anything specific to duty guns. If I'm asking something that's already been discussed to death before, please point me in the right direction! Also, yes, I realize the shooting stuff is a very small part of the academy and the job itself.)

[El Cid]

I carry the same off duty. I want the same capacity, sight radius, and shootability as on duty. Off duty I won’t have anyone with me to help most likely. I won’t have access to a car with a rifle and extra ammo. I won’t have a radio to call for help. Carrying a subcompact off duty feels to me like a terrible idea. Why would I want to have fewer options and be less effective when protecting my loved ones? Many of the LEO’s I know who carry tiny guns off duty would do so on duty if allowed. They are also usually the lazier members of the agency and usually are struggling shooters. Lots of cognitive dissonance IMO.

Also I find it’s easy to conceal an appropriate sized pistol if you really want to do so. Now I admit as a large framed person that may be easier for me. But my duty weapon was for years a G21 with X300. I was able to carry it concealed on and off duty. Now that it’s a G19 with TLR-7A it’s even easier.

When I attend a class or match I shoot the same or similar. Any Glock I shoot/own has a factory trigger. I treat matches like training and shoot from concealment when allowed. I use concealable style holsters or the exact same holster as on duty. Maybe there are LEO’s who can easily make the switch between a factory pistol on duty and a gamer gun for matches. I’m not one of them. I want all my reps to count towards saving my ass.

[jnc36rcpd]

When I worked for the city, I almost always carried the duty gun off duty. (9mm SIG 226,.40 SIG 226, and .40 SIG 226R). I do have a 228 and 229, but usually carried the 226. Exceptions would be using the 226 in a training course or of it were down for maintenance. I even carried the FNS-9 off duty during those that failed experiment.

I trained on and off duty with the service pistol. If the moment of truth occurred when off duty, I wanted as much consistency between my service pistol and what I was carrying. I did remove the TLR-1 from the pistol off duty as I usually carry IWB.

[blues]

When I carried a revolver, I carried a smaller revolver off-duty...most days.

When we went to semi-autos, I generally carried the same firearm off-duty...right up until retirement and after. Only switched to the J frame lifestyle in the past few years (when at home, not in town or further away from home base).

[AMC]

For years it was the department gun....on and off duty. I had the most trigger time on it, and was most comfortable with it. For 15 years that was the Sig 226R .40. Didnt have much trouble concealing it, even with 1 or 2 spare mags.

Since I am literally weeks away from retirement, and in an Admin/Training Division role, lately that has become a Sig 320 RXP Carry. Been getting comfy with the dot with it. It'll be one of the retirement guns.

[kwb377]

I carry an RDS/WML Walther PDP on-duty, and frankly I can't stuff that much gun comfortably inside my pants. I carry either a P365XL or a P10C off-duty with iron sights.

[BobM]

I was issued an M&P40 in 2006 and I either carried that or my Pistol Training.com M&P9. I carried a compact M&P40 as a second gun in uniform and occasionally as a primary off duty. I bought the 2.0 compact when they came out and most frequently carried one of those ( I have them in 9 and 40). Now retired, I’m lately most often carrying a Shield Plus. I like the similarities in function, and the simplification of my holster collection. I’ve also been through the M&P armorer school so I can work on them as needed.

[cmbarny2]

My old agency had a very wide open policy on what we could carry. I was issued a G17 carrying my personal G19 with milled RMR/x300u for most of the last 5 years on duty with my S&W 642 running backup on my ankle. I didn't use the issued gun because I couldn't get it milled. Off duty it was probably 90% of the time with my second G19/RMR and sometimes with the light too. I could do either pretty easily but without was usually a little comfier. For times when I wanted slimmer, less profile, and still considered the "Threat" level lower I'd carry a G43 with a pinky length mag and a +2 mag for a reload or no reload. I just recognized my limitations were less with that gun than with my regular and accepted it.

With my new agency I bought a G17 MOS and will eventually roll with an RMR or Holosun (Only approved optics) back on it on duty. Off duty I've moved mostly to my Staccato C2 or my G43. I've interchanged my 642 in sometimes to see if making a change from the 43 is worth it for me for low profile and I don't see the benefit to be worth the squeeze and may just end up selling it or it will go back to sole ankle gun carry.

I by far have the most time on my G19/RMR though, and honestly may end up just going full switch back to it for duty and off duty again. Its hard to beat what it does for me. Most guys on my old agency would carry the smallest gun they could find and rarely shot if they carried anything off duty at all.

[Screwball]

Only time I carry my duty gun (Glock 19 MOS) off duty is if I have to fly armed… because the agency only allows us to carry their gun on a plane. Like I have to go to Vegas in a few weeks, will have it. When I go on days off… I lock it in the safe until the night before I go back to work.

All other times, I carry my 9mm S&W 642-1. I do have an LCP (original one, post recall) that I can shove in my pocket if need be… but the J-frame is on me most of the time I’m not working.

I have a 17, which I would like to put into rotation once I can get back out to the range (northern ME… snow is starting to melt away, so after it starts to dry out). I do like the larger grip. Once I trust it, will be a cooler weather gun.

Now, the biggest reason I don’t carry my duty gun is because our Field Office (Boston) does not allow us to carry a weapon light on the gun while on duty. Lights are approved by the agency, and I have two light holsters (one for my nylon gear, one for my leather gear) on order from our uniform company. There has been some back/forth on approving them with the head of the FO, but it is becoming a s***show. Until it changes, I won’t be carrying it… being I actually prefer a light on my guns (yep… my J-frame has a LaserMax weapon light on it, in addition to the Streamlight handheld on my truck bag and SureFire handheld that is usually on me).

[Utm]

Off duty is usually a g17 with rmr or g19 with rmr. G17 95% of the time. Duty gun is a g45 mos with rmr and wml. Competition gun is a direct milled g45 with rmr and wml.

When I go to the range on my own, I will typically use the pd gun.