Concealed carry?

Semi-auto Vs. Revolver, Hammer Vs. Hammerless. Differnt holsters? Any thoughts? Couldn't find a thread Dedicated to these here arguments. Figured I'd throw a bone out for my good friends here to gnaw on, along with searching some questions of my own. Your floor go.

Different situations mean i carry different guns.  Main carry is a CZ PO7 Duty in 9mm.  Rides in a nice Knull IWB holster.  I carry it with the decocker lever installed vs the SA safety installed.  When I'm in dress clothes I carry a S&W wheelgun on my ankle in a nice holster.  The only other gun i sometimes carry is my colt 1903 pocket hammerless, this one will fit nicely under a belt but with the muzzle in the "5th" pocket of a pair of jeans.  When i'm just running out to the store to grab something or walking the dog thats normally what I do.

Depends on where i'm going, what season it is, etc, similar to what SVT said above. I've started to open carry some. With places like Starbucks and other limp wristed liberal groups pushing their agenda on carry laws, i'll make sure i excersice my right as i see fit. I know some completely disagree with the open carry concept, but at the end of the day it is a right and it shall not be infringed upon...at least in PA....and many other states for that matter.

Glock 33 (.357Sig)  mean and easy to conceal.  With Georgia Arms "canned heat" ammo, it is quite a barn burner...

Whatever you carry, spend the time and money to get a holster that fits the gun and you.

shooter07 wrote: Depends on where i'm going, what season it is, etc, similar to what SVT said above. I've started to open carry some. With places like Starbucks and other limp wristed liberal groups pushing their agenda on carry laws, i'll make sure i excersice my right as i see fit. I know some completely disagree with the open carry concept, but at the end of the day it is a right and it shall not be infringed upon...at least in PA....and many other states for that matter. I've not once, to this point been asked to leave a place of business. Hell, i've had a couple of older folks ask me why i was carrying a gun that looked like something out of star trek  (my .40 XDM). Hardly anyone has said anything and the few that have, are curious and thank me for being responsible.   If people don't like it, i personally don't care. That might come off as prickish, but it's my stance and i believe firmly in my rights and take the responsibility of carrying very seriously.

Comp Tac straight paddle holster and a Glock 19. Formerly carried a G17 and Comp Tac paddle holster. 

Kickboxer wrote: shooter07 wrote: Depends on where i'm going, what season it is, etc, similar to what SVT said above. I've started to open carry some. With places like Starbucks and other limp wristed liberal groups pushing their agenda on carry laws, i'll make sure i excersice my right as i see fit. I know some completely disagree with the open carry concept, but at the end of the day it is a right and it shall not be infringed upon...at least in PA....and many other states for that matter. I've not once, to this point been asked to leave a place of business. Hell, i've had a couple of older folks ask me why i was carrying a gun that looked like something out of star trek  (my .40 XDM). Hardly anyone has said anything and the few that have, are curious and thank me for being responsible.   If people don't like it, i personally don't care. That might come off as prickish, but it's my stance and i believe firmly in my rights and take the responsibility of carrying very seriously.     When I "open carry" and people ask about/comment about it, I merely tell them I am there for their protection and safety...  never had anyone follow up after that.

Rancid Coolaid wrote: Whatever you carry, spend the time and money to get a holster that fits the gun and you.

And a proper gun belt.


Do you guys use some kind of retention holster when you open carry?
I have seen a few guys with their gun's carried open in holsters/positions that appeared extremely vulnerable to a gun grab.

I prefer to carry concealed as I get plenty of open carry on duty at work.  To me its not about the right to open carry its that I do not wish to give myself away until I need to pull it. I have carried many different pistols as I started in law enforcement when revolvers were the duty gun and automatics were thought of as somewhat un-reliable or not suited to police work. The semi autos of that era were Colt 1911, Browning Hi Power 9mm and S&W  39 &59  9mm. Typically revolvers use more powerful cartridges than semi auto pistols.  While placing the cold steel of a 38 J frame against someones neck will get their attention; pistols in general do not get the respect that a shotgun does.  While all calibers are capable of killing I prefer large powerful cartridges that are more likely to stop an armed agressor. The old sayin that if it does not have a 4 or a 5 in the name of the cartridge it is not adequate has only one exception - 10mm which is a fine cartridge that has not gained wide acceptance.  I think the best holsters are inside the pants holsters and prefer Milt Sparks since Bruce Nelson is dead and am grateful that a few of his designs live on. I believe in the old saying that real cops learned from the SLA - they carry an extra box of bullets in their briefcase. Most of you younger than I will have to google that to understand fully. I also believe that there is little substitute for having a rifle or shotgun no further away than your car.  While I currently carry a Glock 35 (40S&W) I am quite comfortable with most high quality handguns. I believe in carrying enough ammo to have some left when the bad guys run out. Practice shooting as often as possible but realize that undere extreme stress everything just turns bad and your training will kick in so both hands on the pistol out at arms lenght use the sights and shoot true. There is nothing quite as irresponsible as shooting someone you did not intend to shoot so try to realize what is behind the bad guy. Avoid confrontations if possible.

Urimaginaryfrnd wrote: I prefer to carry concealed as I get plenty of open carry on duty at work.  To me its not about the right to open carry its that I do not wish to give myself away until I need to pull it.

My thoughts have always been if I pull it out. I'm gonna use it. 

You guys are toooo vicious for me...

Kickboxer wrote: You guys are toooo vicious for me...

HA!  if you'll do this to a poor defensless tree what will you do to a bad guy? or the first guy your daughter brings home from college

The first thing is to decide what you are able to conceal and carry at "all" times. If it isn't comfortable chances are you will eventually just leave it in the car. Where you live and how you dress as well as your body size will all factor into that decision.

Urimaginaryfrnd wrote:   To me its not about the right to open carry its that I do not wish to give myself away until I need to pull it.

The notion about "giving yourself away" is a bit overblown in my opinion. Just about every crook that goes in to rob a place or cause trouble, etc, doesn't have the intent to shoot or kill. Does it happen? Absolutely, but it's rare based on the number of crimes that happen every day in this country.

Ya, there are those that are obsessed with trying to conceal and do so without regard to....you know...actually being able to get to the damn firearm quickly and firing, in the regrettable event that they ever have to.   

Rancid Coolaid wrote: Carry what you know well and are confident in and comfortable with.  When it is needed, training is all you get, brain shuts everything else off.

It was defective and the wind was blowing, Graham...

I primarily carry my 1911 Compact 45 ACP.  I have carried SoB, IWB and just a regular high ride inside the jacket.  Not a huge fan of IWB.

Another place to go that has some good info is the Sig Forum. I have both semi autos and revolvers. Depends on what and where I am going to be.

http://sigforum.com

I never carry a gun

key word there "a"

What were we talkin about?

I'm not going to talk about what or how I carry (if I did). I'm not going to talk about revolver vs auto, or caliber x vs caliber y. I might talk about times past and experience, but mainly, I'll talk theory (and we've done this before). I carried concealed at a time when it was illegal in my state to do so except for certain occupations, and I was required to do so in my occupation. The only times I didn't carry was when I was at home, or I wasn't wearing underware; at least thats what I'd tell my friends when they asked me if I was carrying. I've had some bad experiences while carrying, but none bad enough to prevent me from being here today, but they were educational. I've also heard from others in my occupation and their experiences. I can't cover everyting in one post, so I'm not going to try. I'll just post when I can.