Anybody that carries fewer guns / ammo / reloads than I do is woefully unprepared. Anybody that carries more is a is a paranoid weirdo.
Anybody that carries fewer guns / ammo / reloads than I do is woefully unprepared. Anybody that carries more is a is a paranoid weirdo.
You are wise in the ways of the internet!Originally Posted by Motor-T
Anybody that carries fewer guns / ammo / reloads than I do is woefully unprepared. Anybody that carries more is a is a paranoid weirdo.
And anyone who carries a different gun than mine (or my instructor) is a hobbyist.Anybody that carries fewer guns / ammo / reloads than I do is woefully unprepared. Anybody that carries more is a is a paranoid weirdo.
Ignore Alien Orders
A little bit of a necropost.
That being said, in regards to the subject of carrying a spare mag and/or BUG when carrying a modern plastic wonder UberPistol such as a P30 or G19 (I carry the latter). My thought process has been that a pistol is a mechanical device, therefore it is subject to failure.
I often take that same thought process: A _____ is a mechanical device, therefore subject to failure, and apply such words as magazine, thumb safety, etc.
My primary G19 that I carry off duty is an early 2000s Gen 3 and has been a very reliable pistol. I do however still carry a spare mag for it quite often.
On duty I carry an issued full size M&P.40 plus one spare mag. I have zero choice or input in the matter of firearms selection. I carry a personally owned Crimson Trace equipped 442 as a BUG. Most often it rides in the left front pocket of my pants or jacket, depending on the temps and season(I am right handed and work plain clothed).This way when I am talking to someone I have not assessed is a threat or not, I have my gun already in my hand, but appear to have a casual demeanor to them.
Just another way.
THUG LIFE!
In all seriousness, I can't imagine carrying a second full-size backup. I can understand a backup, but we're talking small.
IMO carrying a second magazine is a no brainer, if anything it evens out the weight. The cost of size and weight is worth it! If your carrying a blade over a spare magazine, your delusional.. and should consult a Doctor immediately
The win/failure (double-edged sword?) of the semi-automatic IS the magazine.
my2cents/
With an ECQC per year since 2007, I've seen the usefulness & applications of small blades increase every year. The guys that have them are continually impressed with the ability to employ them when entangled. Especially small fixed blades like the Clinch Pick or TDI. You still have to follow the timing rules laid out by Craig, but to say that choosing a blade over a reload is a sign of mental defect, while humorous, is simply misguided in a wide range of scenarios.
As for the dueling AIWB setup, I see that being more suitable for some of the thin compact pistols like the Shield or PPS. It would still be a slim package and offer 7-9 rounds each. There are more retention issues, but I think that compared to other backup gun methods, having one area to worry about would be easier to manage than trying to deal with paying attention to what's going on at points A & B.
I'm not convinced that's the case, though. While it's true that having guns in separate locations means you have to be able to defend both locations, the odds of both locations being attacked simultaneously are probably slim... especially if, unlike most training environments, the attacker(s) cannot immediately key in on locations because they already know where all your guns are.
With the dual aiwb rig, you have one location with multiple weapons to protect. That means you have to do a lot of work to protect everything at once, while the other guy just needs to get his hands on one of the guns. It gives him a big advantage and eliminates one of the retention benefits aiwb brings in the first place.
This is all an evolution, but this is my current thinking (doesn’t mean it’s right):
Weapon retention isn’t just about your own weapons’ specific locations, but also very much about controlling the other person’s hands - there are only two of them - and in achieving positions of advantage that negate his ability to use his hands effectively.
There is a lot of idiosyncrasy in retention and access advantage and disadvantage, depending on the body positions of the people involved, in combination with the specific locations of the guns and knives.
More guns and knives means both more to defend and more flexible access from different relative positions. But the other guy still only has two hands. Multiple attackers sucks.
A problem can occur if there is over-reliance on very flexible weapon access to the neglect and detriment of achieving positions of advantage.
Exploration of these issues has led me down an evolution that started years and years ago, as I progressed through conventional strong side pistol and support side folding knife carry, to mirror image strong and support side pistols, to those plus an AIWB fixed blade, now to strong side AIWB pistol and support side AIWB fixed blade and a lot more emphasis on hand control and achievement of dominant positions (certainly not claiming a high level of skill in that…)
But I believe now that just adding more weapons so I can reach something from any position won’t overcome the problems posed by being in a bad position. Having more than one option is good. Having a lot of options can bring another set of problems but can also end up being an advantage. It’s important to train to exploit the advantages and manage the disadvantages that any given carry setup will inherently have.
When Craig sets a solid elbow pin I can pick him off the ground & sling him around like a hate-filled rag doll & my hand won't come loose. The gun grabbing arm is pretty much useless to me at that point. Couple that with a good tie on my other, available, arm & I'm SOL.
I don't think this is for everyone, and I haven't had a chance test it out, but I think dismissing the dual AIWB method out of hand over retention concerns is a little premature.
Out of hand? I'm not sure where that came from.
It's something that other folks have played with and found flawed. SLG and I have been having this discussion -- and spent some time during a cross country trip experimenting with it -- for quite a while. That doesn't mean the conclusion I came to is universal or correct, but being able to lock down and protect one gun is a lot easier than being able to do it to two.
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