DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Concealed Carry

That's impressive (if I'm reading this right-- sometimes carrying both at the same time)

I did experiment with 1:00 'appendix' carry for a while but never could get comfortable with it, physically or mentally. I always thought it required a smaller gun, like a J-frame or one of the smaller 9mms. It's interesting to read that you carry a full size Beretta there. Does that poke you in the leg or ribs when you sit down?

No offence to anyone, but I'm glad I live in a part of the world where I don't feel the need to carry a gun.

None taken.

I imagine that many of the liberals on here just assume that anybody who would write as extensively I did about various guns, who carries a gun sometimes, is probably a nutcase. At the same time, some of the pro-gun people on here probably think that I should carry more than I do. Of the two, I would concede that I probably should carry more often. It takes very little effort, and there's a chance that it may save my life or an innocent person's life someday.

Where do you live? Is there any chance you could make it to a Cavs game one of these days? Maybe you can take a walk outside the arena, preferably on a night when the Cavs are not playing. If that is impractical for you, use your imagination.

I too would like to live somewhere where I didn't have the desire (I wouldn't use the word 'need') to carry a gun, but here I am, trying to make the best of my situation.

I'm always downtown Cleveland at night.

never felt the need to have a piece. probably not the best example.

i support CCW, but to be fair, some people just look like targets. walking around already looking scared, EXPECTING something to happen. all nervous.

yea, those kinds of guys should walk around with a piece.

I travel alot for work, sometimes to some shady parts of the country, usually a P938 or Nano for me. Haven't really ever felt unsafe anywhere, more just force protection. Usually takes alot for me to act on my spidey sense, but I will say parts of St. louis were enough to make this 230lb army ranger lock his doors driving... BTW love this thread, like seeing what other people carry

I am a wheel gun man. 38 Special +P or 357 mag snubbies.
38 has a laser. 357 mag straight up.

The 38 Special weighs next to nothing and is an easy carry.

fair enough, and yeah, there are better examples.

I also know the kind of people you are talking about. The only thing I would say is that people should think deeply about whether they want to carry (or even own) a gun. It is a big responsibility and opens you up to a great deal of liability if you do something wrong.

For those who understand this, who have a good temperament and some self-control, and that want to get their license, I'd recommend it. It's a good thing to have even if you don't intend to regularly carry. Those who are always nervous and expecting something to happen, eh, I guess it depends on the specifics. Being nervous is different than being jumpy, that kind of thing.

For those who already carry on a daily basis, that's awesome! I admire the dedication, especially for those who carry a full size gun and sometimes more. I never consistently got into the habit but I do think it is a good idea. Call it a "do as I say, not as I do" kind of thing

Let me guess... the .357 on the belt and the .38 in the pocket?

I used to sometimes carry one of the centennial (enclosed hammer) J-frames. It's a good gun. You get some unique advantages with a wheel gun and also some drawbacks.

(+) reliability, rounded profile, light weight (depends)
(-) capacity, shootability (for me anyway), thickness of cylinder, slow to reload

or something like that.

I could never get into revolvers, I prefer the extra ammmo and reload times, plus the shootability and accuracy for me has has been better with the autoloaders. Not to mention I carried an M9 for 10 years as my secondary. Kinda torn on the news that Sig will be replacing it. M9 was crazy reliable, but I carry Sig now so i guess i won't feel too bad

j/c

It seems those who stand up for states rights tend to pick and choose when they believe in them.

I agree Haus, trade offs.

I never carry both though. Just one at a time depending on what I am up to.

The 38 special +P Ruger LCR weighs next to nothing. Very easy for carry. With the Laser, I can easily shoot from the hip, bullet goes to the dot.

The SP101 357 mag is heavy but will take out tanks.

As far as capacity, well, it only takes one bullet to git er done.

yeah it's all personal preference for sure, but while it may only take one bullet to get it done, from experience thats not always the case and having more capacity to send rounds down range can be the diff in surviving, especially at range...close up yeah you even the odds, but with the .357 and 9 having the basically the same stopping power with the .357 with the edge with only 10 more grains or so...but again personal preference. not the arrow, its the indian..lol can i say that?

They made 2 generations of the P250; the 2nd generation shortened up the trigger pull a bit and fixed the FTE issues, and it kept it's smoothness throughout. The P320 is a different beast all together; it's somewhat akin to shooting a Glock if that's your thing.

In my experience I would have to compare the 9 to the 38 or 38+P.

The 357 will take down a Bear. Not sure the 9 would.

My need is to drop the hairball at the 7-11 so one or two will do. Sending a lot of bullets downrange in a 7-11 will kill the people over at the WAWA too. If the threat is farther away, I be running.

What you think?

I carry a speed loader for quick reloads.

i think if they are at a wawa they deserve it..lol, I guess its just the way i've ingrained in combat, if i'm at close quarters i'm not just shooting once, i'm sending several follow up shots as long as i'm still hitting the target. You'd be suprised the damage a 124grain +P round will do, usually pokes a .45 sized hole..obviously a 45 with proper rounds can do more damage, but i like the control of the 9.

If you're shooting a charging bear with a .357, or a 9, good luck.

For the most part, "caliber" is over rated.

Stopping power gets talked about all the time. But, what IS stopping power? And we're not talking about bears.

Anything .380 or above has "stopping power". If it hits a person in the right spot.

A .50 isn't stopping someone if you hit them in the arm, or leg.

A guy hopped up on drugs isn't going down with even a .45.....at least not right away, unless you deliver a head shot.

I use Man stopper hollow points in both 38S+P and 357 mag.

I have no doubt my needs are met.

With the laser, a head shot is a pretty easy shot at close range for hairballs. I can place all rounds in a paper plate at 25 feet, from the hip no need to aim. Just connect the dot.

Ever done it with a bear charging you?

Ever done it with a person charging you?

Adrenaline?

Shooting a paper plate at 25 ft. is pretty easy. Paper plates don't charge. Paper plated don't have a knife. Paper plates don't shoot back.

I'm glad you practice. I'm glad you're a good shot.

If you can stop a person with 1 or 2 shots, within a second or so, good for you.

If you think it's like Dirty Harry in the movies, you're wrong, though.

Hey! You said we weren't discussing Bears so I deleted a whole section from my post about Bears!

You may toss Swish around like a dog with a rag in its mouth as he whimpers for mercy but I am not him!

Now, when it comes to shooting practice, I run almost 100 yards to my targets and begin shooting. Heart rate is up and hands are shaking. Put the stinking dot on what you want the bullet to hit and you are there.

You understand what the laser is, right? Its not a Phaser!
This ain't Star Trek!
Those are the Bear facts!

I doubt it, but, whatever.

I shoot wood chucks at 30 to 320 yards. They don't charge, and they aren't shooting back. I have time to focus, and adjust, based on the distance.

Deer. Be it a 20 ft. bow shot, or a 165 yard shot with a shotgun. The pulse rate is up to about 200 beats per minute - and deer don't shoot back.

I'm a decent shot with a handgun. No expert by any stretch. That's shooting targets that don't shoot back.

I'm glad you have a laser sight. It makes it easier, no doubt. What distance do you have it sighted in for?

25 feet.

yeah thats exactly why i load out the way I do and the weapon of choice i go with as I've used several different weapons in all different scenarios where they were shooting back, as with any weapon, just being comfortable with it so you can operate with eyes closed and not have a moments hesitation as to what you have to do. Of course I'd love to roam the streets with an M4 with SOPMOD 2 but that might draw some looks. Shooting when they shoot back is totally different...laser sight or not..lol, like Mike Tyson said, everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face

When they are shooting at you, you have to hit them first. If by chance you do get hit, a feeling of losing touch with the real world comes over you. That is shock. You must breath and stay conscious, fighting it. You have to keep firing until the threat is ended.

lol I've been hit 3 times, I'm aware of how it affects me personally. But everyone is different

Agree.

Yep. Same gun. I juxtapated some #s and letters.
The actual model is a "Baretta FS92 Centurion".

Large gun? I dunno. Being 6'5 1/2", big hands, etc I actually wish it was bigger. But I do like it quite a bit so.....

I know I should, but I don't carry that often. Once a week, give or take. And that is only so the feel of carrying/dbl carrying isn't a strange thing. Don't really go anywhere often. Work is 2 miles away, etc, etc.

Don't tell Arch but if you are attacked by a Griz, shooting it in the head is a waste of time with a 357 or a 9mm.

Shoot once in the head if it is charging for that may make it break off the charge. If not, a Griz will usually rear up before it eats you. That is your chance to unload the rest of your led.

Otherwise you must let it knock you down to get a shot at its vitals.

Well, being taller than avg at 6'5+, at 1 o'clock there is a bit more distance from end of barrel to leg than someone who is shorter. I always wear baggier pants plus I wear my pants high so to speak. With my pants worn higher plus extra distance from barrel to leg it's not as bad as one would envision.
What always happens is that the one clip on the holster closest to 12 o'clock does ride up and generally off the belt which is fine w/me. Just a quick easy fix when exiting the car.

At 6-5+ you should consider carrying a 12 gauge down your pant leg.

It's a magazine. A mag. Damn, I hate saying that.

No, read it again. He's talking about a belt clip on the holster.

How would you compare the Ruger LCR to one of the S&W J-frames (say the 642/442)? The J-frames are hard guns to shoot well but I've read the LCRs are more pleasant. I've never fired one though.

The Ruger LCR 38special+P is made up of Plastic with all the working parts in metal. Very lightweight with all the power needed for self defense. The laser is excellent for hitting the target and also has an intimidation factor which I didn't think of until I bought it. A laser dot on your chest is one heck of a warning. I can light something up as far as I can see with a dot, even with no chance of hitting it.

My SP101 357 mag has a good feel and is very accurate. Heavy though. Both have 2 inch barrels so long range shooting is out of the question. 38sp+P has a hidden hammer.

My SW 357 mag Model 586 has a 6 in barrel and is good for hunting as I can shoot the eye out of a Neut at 75 yards using the Quell stance. With Blue Dot bullets, it is good for home defense as Blue Dots do not easily penetrate walls, thus killing your neighbors.

Oh yea, I have no experience with the SW J frames.

Oops. Thank you.

My apologies TTT

My J-frame did have a crimson trace laser on it. It is helpful especially for point and shooting but I still was not very good at it. The issues I had were that most revolvers naturally point high for me, the stock trigger on the S&W is very heavy and is easy to jerk, and the recoil is harsh with +p ammo. That affects practice time, follow up shots, and all that.

The gun that replaced that, for me, was the Kahr PM9. If it was available at the time, I probably would have gotten the CM9 (costs less money as there there is a different barrel and some differences in cosmetics, nothing that would affect reliability.) That is a sweet shooter-- I was better with it the first time I shot it. It has a similar length trigger pull but it's smoother and medium weight. The felt recoil is drastically less than the J-frame, which is amazing because we can say that 9mm +P is similar enough in power (a bit better actually) compared to .38sp +P, and the guns are similar in size and weight.

Auto-loaders are always going to have less recoil than comparable revolvers as cycling the slide dissipates some of the energy, but Kahr does some magic with their guns that makes it even more profound (low bore axis, stiff recoil springs, good ergonomics.... can you tell I like the Kahrs?) Add in the extra rounds and easier reloads and it was kind of a no-brainer to me.

That said, there are two things that draw me to the revolver and maybe giving the LCR a try in the future. One is that for front pocket carry specifically, a revolver with an enclosed hammer has an awesome form factor. As long as the pocket is big enough, all you have to do is draw and that gun is going to come out cleanly. It doesn't matter if it's a vertical slit pocket like with dress pants or cargo shorts, a diagonal cut pocket like some jeans, there is just nothing to get caught up on. The angle of the grip also makes it a bit easier to find a grip for that mode of carry.

The Kahr has the extra mass in the rear of the slide and it is a bit blocky. It's usually not an issue but it's not automatic either. I can think of few things worse than actually needing the gun in self-defense and then fumbling the draw.

One of those things might be having a malfunction. My PM9 has been flawless but I think it's fair to say the revolver has an inherent advantage and is more forgiving in that category. I semi-regularly clean and lube any carry gun but those not willing to do that would be better with a revolver (don't use that as an endorsement to ignore basic upkeep of your guns though.)

Good conversation!

I am a wheelgunner because when my life is on the line, the revolver will never, never fail me. It will not jam. There is no safety to fumble with. I carry it with an empty chamber at the hammer so you can drop it off a cliff and it won't go off.

Also, with no exposed hammer, you can pocket fire that thang without drawing, just like in the movies!

I am enjoying the conversation! Actually I'm enjoying the thread and am a bit floored at how much interest people have shown in it as well as all the good information that has been shared.

I get your point about reliability. That is such a crucial thing. Also most modern handguns have internal safeties that prevent a discharge even when dropped so you'd probably be ok with using a full cylinder. You might want to double check on that though.

How bout that pocket fire? You gotta admit that having your hand on the weapon during danger then having the option to point your coat pocket and fire is a cool option at very close range, like in line at the WAWA.

It's an interesting idea but I'm not really interested in carrying in a jacket. When I talk about pocket carry, I mean specifically pants pocket carry. That can be back pocket or front pocket, they both have their own sets of considerations but there's no situation I'd ever fire from inside a pants pocket. That's a non-factor for me.

http://mikaspocketholsters.com/

This is what I use for pocket carry. I think Arch may have bought one from him also.