Changing EDC based on time of year?

[Elliottsdad]

For those of you who live in climates that change drastically throughout the year (Midwesterners, Northeasterners, Mountaineers, etc.): Do you change what you carry or what you load it with based on the time of year/weather?

I got to thinking about this while reading about (insert single stack 9 here) being great for "t-shirt" weather. But what about when it's -2 F, with -15 windchill in mid January? Do you feel like you need more "umph" to pierce things the bad guys might be wearing (thick winter coats made of leather/heavy denim/tons of padding). I'm not trying to say armor, or car door piercing. I'm just talking about the heavy clothing we all wear when it's frigid.

I'm talking about carrying that single stack or subcompact 9mm in the summer while most are wearing a tshirt and shorts, and switching to 9mm +p, or even jumping up in cartridge (.40, .45) for the winter months. Or with your clothing becoming more concealing, do you switch to higher capacity autos because you can more easily carry larger pistols without issue?

I'm quite aware that I'm overthinking this, but I get curious about these things, and whether or not there are people that think/train this way. Or do you just carry the same thing year round because if it works in Summer, it'll work in Winter, too?

[DM357]

I wouldn't say you're overthinking things, but that's just my opinion. Heavier clothing does make some difference in bullet performance, and the caliber seems to decide how much of a difference it makes. If I'm going to carry anything from 9mm on down, I'll typically go for the heavier bullet. From .357 SIG on up, from the little real world testing I've seen, it's not as much of a worry.

As for changing guns, not really. You'll see me sometimes with a model 69 .44 during July and then again in January. I don't do a lot that requires constant change in how I dress, so tossing a light cover shirt over me in the heat is no different than a coat in the cold. I'm also wheelchair-bound, so that helps a whole lot with carrying most any gun I can tolerate for long periods.

[scottycoyote]

yep in the winter I will put some guns in my carry rotation that i normally dont carry the rest of the year because they are easier to hide with all the extra clothes

[HistoryJunky]

The physically largest pistol I own is my CZ-85B. I carry it once and awhile, no matter the weather.

90 percent of the time I'm carrying my CZ P-07 with Streamlight TLR-3 IWB.

I live in the midwest and most of the time I do not find it difficult to conceal this combination. In the warmer months I usually just wear a slightly baggy T-shirt.

As for loading, I pretty much always carry 124gr JHPs. Usually Federal HST.

Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk

[muzzleblast...]

yep in the winter I will put some guns in my carry rotation that i normally dont carry the rest of the year because they are easier to hide with all the extra clothes

^^^This, and since I expect bad guys to be wearing heavier clothes I generally move up the caliber scale also.

[SauerGrapes]

Once in a while I will carry something different. Not often though. I do switch ammo though. A heavier bullet in the winter.

[Brian48]

I carry a 9mm during the summer months, a .45acp during the colder months.

[MandolinMan]

I sometimes carry a larger pistol over the winter months, though not necessarily a larger caliber.

[FITASC]

But what about when it's -2 F, with -15 windchill in mid January?

I stay inside! As someone who spent a few winters in North Dakota with the HIGHS for day warming up to -10, staying inside was the smarter thing to do!
I know there are folks who talk about using something like a pocket revolver or LCR size in the summer and then big gun when wearing a coat, I guess if the gun type is the same, it shouldn't pose too much of an issue. IMO, going from a revolver to a semi or something drastically different is not a good idea for a EDC gun. The ability to react with it without thinking about anything is paramount.

[Kreyzhorse]

My carry varies by weather and or dress. Summer typically equals smaller and winter larger. A Ruger LCP is my gun when I'm dressed more formally.

[Nanuk]

I live in North Dakota and carry the same gun(s), same ammo summer or winter. Did the same in Texas.

[JC57]

No change for me.

[Danoobie]

There's two seasons in Florida- Christmas and the rest of the year.
While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, wearing an EDC in a long
hot season will change your perspective. Why change EDC for a couple
of cold months?

[Gary Gill]

I carry a S&W M&P 9mm full size IWB regardless of weather. I have spent way to much time and money trying to find the perfect setup. Located in Indiana.

[Cosmodragoon]

My carry changes because my clothing changes with the seasons. Concealed carry is always a compromise and wardrobe can be a major factor in deciding the point of compromise. If it's comfortable and convenient to CC a double-stack semi, go for it. If all you can manage is a little pocket gun, then that'll have to do.

Just be sure to get out and practice with whatever it is you are carrying that season. Some people get heated about dealing with the differences between guns. If you've got a few guns in regular rotation, and you shoot those guns in regular rotation over time, you should be okay. I actually like the idea of building general skill on top of specific mastery.

[Spats McGee]

It makes sense to me to move up in caliber when folks start wearing heavier clothing. In the past, I have changed both pistol and caliber, going from a G19 in 9mm to a 1911 in .45 when cold weather hit. However, I no longer do that, having settled on "point and shoot" pistols in 9mm for carry. I'm more concerned about my performance than bullet performance. If I had a .45 with no thumb safety, I'd likely carry it.

[Don P]

If I had a .45 with no thumb safety, I'd likely carry it
If you get the itch for another gun G-36, about the size of a officers model 1911

[CDW4ME]

I've carried a Glock 22/35 or full size 1911 for the past year, we get everything from zero to 110 heat index.
A few years ago I decided that a Glock 19/23/30SF was as small as I'd go.
Increased carry over time and prefer the best I can do all year.

[FITASC]

If I had a .45 with no thumb safety, I'd likely carry it

S&W makes some nice revolvers that fit that criteria ;)

[ranchito457]

Yes I do-Last winter up until spring I carried a SW MP9C and when the summer heat hit I switched out to a G43. But by the end of September I switched back to the MP9C.. I mostly switch out to the G43 because its easier to conceal when I'm wearing shorts..

[Shadi Khalil]

Makes sense but not something I do. I might pocket carry more in the winter but for the most part, M&P 9c IWB.

[rpseraph]

My EDC does vary. Sometimes an LCP II, sometimes a full size XDM with 20 rounds in it, sometimes a SW 642, etc! I practice with all of them, I practice my draw with all of them. I have favorites, sometimes I carry a full size just because I CAN and it makes me happy. If I am wearing shorts and I'm coaching my kids soccer team, I carry what I can!

[peterg7]

I use two CC guns, LCP and G23. Sometimes I carry a single sometimes two but weather or clothing has nothing to do with it. I can conceal the G23 just as well with shorts and oxford as jeans and flannel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tallball]

I like big calibers and I do not lie...

Well, that statement is 50% true. :)

If it's cold and I'm wearing a coat, there will be a 44 caliber revolver in my coat pocket.

If it's hot outside (North Central Texas), I carry something smaller.

[Elliottsdad]

Thanks for all the responses. I like seeing the carry experience through other people's eyes!

I'm considering a few models for a "winter pistol." I'm having the age-old argument with myself about power vs. capacity. Do I want to carry something bigger that holds more (15-17) rounds of 9mm, maybe in +P, or do I want to get not only a larger/full grip doublestack pistol, but one that fires a completely different, more powerful round (.40, .45, 10mm). I would stick with the same manual of arms either way (polymer, striker fired, no safety, etc.). This still leaves dozens of options.

The other way of looking at it (in my limited view) is carrying the same pistol year round, and using standard 9mm for 6 mos., and switching to 9mm+P for the colder 6. I've already decided to do at least this.

But I like guns, and I want to buy a new one. So there's that. :)

[Bill DeShivs]

I wouldn't worry about my gun penetrating a few layers of cloth.
Anyone who does, doesn't know much about guns.
BTW- traditionally, crime goes up when it gets hot, and down when it gets cold.

[9ballbilly]

Although I live in the Sunshine state now, I was born and raised in upstate NY's cold, snowy winters. Aside from hunting season I didn't change my carry gun. I did change my carry method. Belt carry when it was warm switching to a shoulder holster when the temperature dropped. Wearing layers of long johns, sweatshirts, and coat I felt it was easier to access the firearm from a shoulder rig.
YMMV

[tony pasley]

I carry a 1911a1 year round my method of carry does change when it get very cold I use a shoulder holster when it is not OWB.

[Viper225]

I have Snake Season, and the rest of the year.
When snakes come out, we have Copperheads, CottonMouths, and Timber Rattlers where I live. I carry revolvers most of the time with a couple shot shells up front unless I am going to town. My revolvers normally carried would be a 2" Model 64, a 3" Model 66, and the Snake Destroyer my 480 Ruger Alaskan.
It is December, and I am carrying my Glock 23 Gen 4 most of the time. I will carry my 1911 Colt once in a while just because I like it.

Bob

[Cosmodragoon]

I'm having the age-old argument with myself about power vs. capacity. Do I want to carry something bigger that holds more (15-17) rounds of 9mm, maybe in +P, or do I want to get not only a larger/full grip doublestack pistol, but one that fires a completely different, more powerful round (.40, .45, 10mm).

I think this is a fun argument to have. Bill DeShivs is right that heavy clothing won't do much to impede penetration. (Neither will most of the things people hide behind in movies and TV.) However, heavy clothing can interfere with the expansion of hollowpoints. You can always increase mass or speed within your personal recoil tolerances. Some people actually advocate switching to solids for winter carry. FMJ is certainly cheaper but there are premium defensive solids on the market now. Just search YouTube for gel tests of Lehigh "Xtreme Penetrators" in your favorite caliber. In 10mm or .357 Sig, those could easily serve double-duty as an outdoors load.

[rodfac]

Ah yes, it's long jacket weather here in KY...and I'm back toting my Sig .45 1911 RCS...alternating with a new acquisition; a Browning Hi Power Practical in .40 S&W. Rod

[FairWarning]

Yes, for the simple fact that I wear coats/heavier clothing during winter, which means it's easier to carry a larger gun with a longer barrel. Sometimes a 1911 or 92FS in a shoulder holster with 2 extra mag holders in winter (that's 55 rounds of mayhem in the Beretta! :eek: ).

But most of the year, it's what is now called a "mid-sized" 9mm with a 4" barrel IWB or OWB.

Ammo for each gun is always the same.

[Cheapshooter]

Yes.
Not as much because of the clothing a possible attacker might be wearing, but because of the clothing I will be wearing. I prefer having the most firepower that I can reasonably conceal. In the hottest summer weather that may be just an LCP.
But with more coverage from heavier clothing I can easily move up to a Kahr CM9, or Springfield XD40 Sub Compact.
In the coldest weather, requiring a heavy Winter coat that could hinder access to my IWB holstered gun, I also coat pocket carry a Ruger LCR 38 Spcl. loaded with Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 gr. +P ammo.

[jr24]

Yes, but not because of clothing. I tend to go with a lighter gun in the hottest months as the weight of my 1911s only bothers me in the high heat.

Else I tend to stick with a full/duty size carry the rest of the year.

[jmr40]

Yea, more clothing makes it easier to carry bigger guns. But bigger calibers don't penetrate heavy clothing any better. A 9mm will penetrate heavy clothing at least as well as a 40 or 45. It's about the bullet, not the caliber.

[Terminatorret]

During temperatures requiring a heavy coat, I can conceal/carry my .357 Ruger Blackhawk or my Service Six. I'm very comfortable with either.
During warm seasons, it's Wranglers pocket carry .38/.380, or maybe shoulder holster carry .380/9mm mak over a tee shirt but under a Hawaiian shirt.
If all else fails, it's an NAA .22LR mini or NAA .22mini-mag.
I always want to carry something, regardless of what I'm wearing.

[Kilibreaux]

My carry piece is the FNH FiveseveN all year long, every year. With 21 rounds of "personal loads" making around 2,000 fps/40 grain FMJ, I'm satisfied.

[bassJAM1]

I don’t change my carry guns or loads depending on the seasons. Most of the time I’ll just have a S&W 442 on me, year round, and occasionally a P938.

The only exception is there are times in the summer when I can only carry an LCP, but those times are pretty rare. I think I got my LCP out twice this past summer to carry.

[JN01]

Yes.
Not as much because of the clothing a possible attacker might be wearing, but because of the clothing I will be wearing.
In the coldest weather, requiring a heavy Winter coat that could hinder access to my IWB holstered gun, I also coat pocket carry a Ruger LCR 38 Spcl. loaded with Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 gr. +P ammo.

This is where I'm at. Yes you can conceal a larger weapon under a heavy coat, but if you go indoors and take it off, it may also print more easily. If I'm wearing my usual flannel shirt under a zipped up heavy coat when it is really cold, it is impossible to draw a belt holstered pistol with any speed. The hand warmer pockets on most coats allow quick access to a gun, but generally only smaller ones will fit. If weather allows, I will leave my coat unzipped for better access to my primary gun, otherwise, I add a second gun (something like an LCP) to the outer coat pocket.

[Lohman446]

I get the argument one the why. It's easier to conceal a larger handgun with more clothing and more clothing MAY impact bullet performance.

However the counter argument is that it is much easier to maintain proficiency with a single firearm than two. I don't see switching from a 9MM in one platform to a .40 in the same platform gaining much. Maybe a .357 SIG? but I doubt that gains you enough to matter.... Personally I would not do it.

Pick your firearm, gain and maintain proficiency with it, and carry good defensive ammo. Then quit worrying about it.

[Brit]

The Same gun same place always. Glock 19 Gen 4 147g Ranger T. Spare G17 magazine, 17 rounds of NATO Hard-ball, around 1200fps. Expecting cover taking, maybe.

[Cheapshooter]

it is much easier to maintain proficiency with a single firearm than two.
Or three, or four?
Not really when all my carry guns pretty much fire the same way regardless of size, or caliber.
Auto, or wheel gun, point, pull, bang, and pretty much hit what I was pointing at.
But then I am not planning on being a world saving Rambo in extended, long range gun battles. Just a my behind saving guy defending against an assailant feet, not yards away.

[Lohman446]

Cheapshooter while it is surely possible to maintain proficiency with multiple firearms my statement was that it was easier to maintain proficiency with a single firearm. Is that premise up for debate?

[Tactical Jackalope]

What's this weather change you all speak of?

Mine stays the same all year.

[Cheapshooter]

What's this weather change you all speak of?

Mine stays the same all year.
Ours is a change in temperature from -0 to +100. Rain to sleet or snow.
Yours is a chang from hot to hoter. With wind from 0 to 200mph!:D

[Nanuk]

BTW- traditionally, crime goes up when it gets hot, and down when it gets cold.

Except armed robbery which spikes during the holiday's.

[Mike1]

Yep. My summer carry gun is normally a S&W Shield, 9mm, while my cold weather carry is usually a commander sized 1911, 45 auto.

Mike

[Fjblair]

What I carry depends on my clothing, not the bad guys. I carry smaller and lighter in the warmer months. In the colder months when I wear more and bulkier clothing, I can more easily conceal larger guns.