Do you carry a smaller gun for convenience or necessity

mrt949 · February 19, 2012, 11:03 AM

Most of the time it's a mouse gun of some size. But a full size is close buy .For Me it is convenience. How about you do you feel safe.

great scot · February 19, 2012, 11:21 AM

For me it's a necessity. I live in a urban environment with lots of folks that are uncomfortable around guns (putting it mildly). I have a ccw and that means the gun has to stay concealed. I'd love to carry a bigger gun, but doing so increases the chances of someone seeing me carrying. My Smith 637 or Guardian .380 disappears on me and no one is the wiser. I'm about to buy a Kahr K9 and it might prove to be the bridge between a mouse gun and a duty gun. We'll see.

gnarSKYLER · February 19, 2012, 11:47 AM

It's a mixture of both. My PX4 subcompact holds the rounds of a full size, but in a small size. It's easier to conceal, but still useful. And I feel plenty safe.

grandpajoe · February 19, 2012, 05:09 PM

I normally carry a Colt Officers Model .45 in a IWB holster every season but summer, I can wear a sweatshirt and it's concealed. In the summer I carry a Ruger LCP but don't like it as much as my OACP. I don't feel "unsafe" but prefer the 1911.

scottycoyote · February 19, 2012, 06:08 PM

i pocket carry a keltec32 most days because i work in an office setting and its just too much trouble to carry anything more (i do have larger guns nearby however).

Stealth01 · February 19, 2012, 07:19 PM

Getting old, have two Wilson Combats, 45 & 9mm... rather carry my Sig P238 or Ruger LCP...

WV_gunner · February 19, 2012, 07:32 PM

I don't have my license yet, but I'd rather carry a smaller gun. For the simple reason I don't want people knowing I have a gun on me. A bigger gun gets the cool factor I guess, but that's it. I don't want to advertise to theives I have a gun and Im sure it makes people uneasy being around someone who has a gun.

12GaugeShuggoth · February 19, 2012, 07:38 PM

I feel no less safe if I only have the LCP with me, but most of the time I also have a larger, more powerful gun with me as well.......namely my XD40. Many times I just have the XD and leave the LCP at home, mainly just because I don't like the feeling of having stuff in my pockets.

For the most part I take the LCP in order to have something accessible while driving. Get in the car, take it out of pocket and put it in center console. Put it back in pocket when at destination. My car has those wrap-around supportive bucket seats and it's pretty hard to get to the XD while driving.

WV Gunner, if you conceal it properly no one will know you have a larger gun unless you tell them

It takes a little while to get comfortable with carrying a larger gun, but it's absolutely possible.

Rat Robb · February 19, 2012, 07:40 PM

I would have to say convenience.

I carry a S&W 442 with CT grips and I can have it on me no matter what clothes I'm wearing or where I'm heading to. I don't feel the need for a full size but don't knock carrying one either, I have a IWB holster for my G17.

I have practiced with my 442, can shoot it just as good as my other guns and therefore feel confident with my shot placement capabilities and what some would say is a lack of enough firepower (it only has 5 shots of .38 +P).

-Robb

Guybo · February 19, 2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

I would have to say convenience.

Same here. When im at home and in the house the XD45 is on the night stand and is my main handgun for home protection. My CCW is a DB9 and thats what i carry everywhere i go because it disappears on me and is so much easier to carry and conceal than the much bigger XD.

hoytinak · February 19, 2012, 07:56 PM

convenience --- I don't like having to dress around my gun. It's just easier to put the LCP in the pocket. I feel perfectly safe with the LCP, I even felt safe wit the P32 when I had it.

heyjoe · February 19, 2012, 08:41 PM

convenience. a seecamp .380 disappears in a front pocket. i forget its there. plenty of power in my opinion.

Jeremiah/Az · February 20, 2012, 12:48 AM

I guess I would have to say both. I carry a PM9 always where legal, covered by my shirt. It is small, but as big as I care to carry.

vincent 71 · February 20, 2012, 01:32 AM

Necessity...as a BUG there is an LCR on my ankle...one gun is none, two guns is one, etc.

TheNocturnus · February 20, 2012, 02:24 AM

Yep. When I first got my CCW I knew then I wanted a primary and a BUG. A few months ago I decided that I did not need a BUG and just needed better situational awareness. The more I went about my daily routines the more I felt uneasy about not having my BUG so I got another one.

So long story short, I carry a Glock 27 as my BUG or when I need deep concealment and my primary is just too large to conceal in a particular outfit.

BloodyBucket03 · February 20, 2012, 03:02 AM

I carry for both reasons. I usally mix it up, sometimes I carry my full size Colt 1911 or sometimes I carry the Sig 229.

Daryl · February 20, 2012, 08:29 AM

For me it's convenience. A full size gun gets heavy when carried every day, day after day. A lightweight snub is adequate for most social issues I might encounter, and yes, I feel fairly safe with it.

Daryl

mrt949 · February 20, 2012, 09:57 AM

It's a little of both living in FL. Shorts tank tops & flip flops .SEECAMP 32 .in the pocket or a RUGER SP101 close by.

EdInk · February 20, 2012, 10:08 AM

I don't feel less safe with a smaller gun.

lawnboy · February 20, 2012, 07:17 PM

I carry a surplus Sig P6 (9mm) which is supposed to be a compact.

It was holster worn when I got it and who knows how many rounds have been thru it but I carry it in preference to my other larger and smaller handguns (both in actual size and in caliber) because despite the fact that it is old and ugly I shoot it better than any other gun I own. I discovered this by accident when shooting popup steel targets at the range.

I don't feel undergunned with a compact 9mm.

9mm · February 20, 2012, 07:31 PM

When my CCW comes in another 3 months I will be carrying a lcp in front pocket and a full sized M9 or G19 on me in another spot. The lcp is my backup and easy to get to in different spots. Two guns are a must, one could jam or break or get taken/lost etc..... Yes the M9 conceals well on me at 5'7 130, it just hard to bend down (it pokes at me)

Dragline45 · February 20, 2012, 07:49 PM

A little bit of both but mostly necessity. The state I live in is not very gun friendly and not many people conceal carry so carrying a large handgun and printing is not really an option for me.

dalegribble · February 20, 2012, 08:29 PM

what do you mean by small? size or caliber?

.380 amt backup- my most carried gun
9mm taurus 709 slim-carried regularly
9mm s&w mod 669-12+1 capacity
.45 taurus pt 145

those are my choices. i like them number 1 for size and number 2 for capacity.

gyvel · February 20, 2012, 08:34 PM

Bit of both. I live in small town and the crime rate is relatively low. I carry a small .380 that slips into my pocket which is convenient, but I feel adequately protected in case of necessity.

skoro · February 20, 2012, 11:50 PM

I only pocket carry, for convenience. So I have small 380, 3spl, 9mm compacts that I feel very confident with.

February 19, 2012, 11:03 AM	#1
mrt949 Senior Member Join Date: November 16, 2008 Posts: 1,692	Do you carry a smaller gun for convenience or necessity Most of the time it's a mouse gun of some size. But a full size is close buy .For Me it is convenience. How about you do you feel safe. __________________ No Gun Big Or Small Does It All

February 19, 2012, 07:19 PM	#6
Stealth01 Senior Member Join Date: November 16, 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 240	Getting old, have two Wilson Combats, 45 & 9mm... rather carry my Sig P238 or Ruger LCP... __________________ Ken

February 20, 2012, 09:57 AM	#18
mrt949 Senior Member Join Date: November 16, 2008 Posts: 1,692	It's a little of both living in FL. Shorts tank tops & flip flops .SEECAMP 32 .in the pocket or a RUGER SP101 close by. __________________ No Gun Big Or Small Does It All

February 20, 2012, 11:50 PM	#25
skoro Senior Member Join Date: April 30, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 1,971	Do you carry a smaller gun for convenience or necessity I only pocket carry, for convenience. So I have small 380, 3spl, 9mm compacts that I feel very confident with.

February 19, 2012, 11:21 AM	#2
great scot Senior Member Join Date: July 17, 2006 Posts: 104	For me it's a necessity. I live in a urban environment with lots of folks that are uncomfortable around guns (putting it mildly). I have a ccw and that means the gun has to stay concealed. I'd love to carry a bigger gun, but doing so increases the chances of someone seeing me carrying. My Smith 637 or Guardian .380 disappears on me and no one is the wiser. I'm about to buy a Kahr K9 and it might prove to be the bridge between a mouse gun and a duty gun. We'll see.

February 19, 2012, 11:47 AM	#3
gnarSKYLER Member Join Date: October 30, 2011 Posts: 32	It's a mixture of both. My PX4 subcompact holds the rounds of a full size, but in a small size. It's easier to conceal, but still useful. And I feel plenty safe.

February 19, 2012, 05:09 PM	#4
grandpajoe Member Join Date: June 10, 2011 Posts: 53	I normally carry a Colt Officers Model .45 in a IWB holster every season but summer, I can wear a sweatshirt and it's concealed. In the summer I carry a Ruger LCP but don't like it as much as my OACP. I don't feel "unsafe" but prefer the 1911.

February 19, 2012, 06:08 PM	#5
scottycoyote Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2005 Location: southwestern va Posts: 830	i pocket carry a keltec32 most days because i work in an office setting and its just too much trouble to carry anything more (i do have larger guns nearby however).

February 19, 2012, 07:32 PM	#7
WV_gunner Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2011 Location: WV Posts: 938	I don't have my license yet, but I'd rather carry a smaller gun. For the simple reason I don't want people knowing I have a gun on me. A bigger gun gets the cool factor I guess, but that's it. I don't want to advertise to theives I have a gun and Im sure it makes people uneasy being around someone who has a gun.

February 19, 2012, 07:38 PM	#8
12GaugeShuggoth Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2008 Location: Virginia Posts: 534	I feel no less safe if I only have the LCP with me, but most of the time I also have a larger, more powerful gun with me as well.......namely my XD40. Many times I just have the XD and leave the LCP at home, mainly just because I don't like the feeling of having stuff in my pockets. For the most part I take the LCP in order to have something accessible while driving. Get in the car, take it out of pocket and put it in center console. Put it back in pocket when at destination. My car has those wrap-around supportive bucket seats and it's pretty hard to get to the XD while driving. WV Gunner, if you conceal it properly no one will know you have a larger gun unless you tell them It takes a little while to get comfortable with carrying a larger gun, but it's absolutely possible.

February 19, 2012, 07:40 PM	#9
Rat Robb Member Join Date: June 5, 2011 Posts: 30	I would have to say convenience. I carry a S&W 442 with CT grips and I can have it on me no matter what clothes I'm wearing or where I'm heading to. I don't feel the need for a full size but don't knock carrying one either, I have a IWB holster for my G17. I have practiced with my 442, can shoot it just as good as my other guns and therefore feel confident with my shot placement capabilities and what some would say is a lack of enough firepower (it only has 5 shots of .38 +P). -Robb

February 19, 2012, 07:56 PM	#11
hoytinak Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 5,721	convenience --- I don't like having to dress around my gun. It's just easier to put the LCP in the pocket. I feel perfectly safe with the LCP, I even felt safe wit the P32 when I had it.

February 19, 2012, 08:41 PM	#12
heyjoe Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Posts: 448	convenience. a seecamp .380 disappears in a front pocket. i forget its there. plenty of power in my opinion.

February 20, 2012, 12:48 AM	#13
Jeremiah/Az Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Location: Az. Posts: 509	I guess I would have to say both. I carry a PM9 always where legal, covered by my shirt. It is small, but as big as I care to carry.

February 20, 2012, 01:32 AM	#14
vincent 71 Junior Member Join Date: February 10, 2012 Posts: 9	Necessity...as a BUG there is an LCR on my ankle...one gun is none, two guns is one, etc.

February 20, 2012, 02:24 AM	#15
TheNocturnus Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2011 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,097	Yep. When I first got my CCW I knew then I wanted a primary and a BUG. A few months ago I decided that I did not need a BUG and just needed better situational awareness. The more I went about my daily routines the more I felt uneasy about not having my BUG so I got another one. So long story short, I carry a Glock 27 as my BUG or when I need deep concealment and my primary is just too large to conceal in a particular outfit.

February 20, 2012, 03:02 AM	#16
BloodyBucket03 Senior Member Join Date: August 24, 2005 Location: Wake Forest, North Carolina Posts: 188	I carry for both reasons. I usally mix it up, sometimes I carry my full size Colt 1911 or sometimes I carry the Sig 229.

February 20, 2012, 08:29 AM	#17
Daryl Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2008 Posts: 2,350	For me it's convenience. A full size gun gets heavy when carried every day, day after day. A lightweight snub is adequate for most social issues I might encounter, and yes, I feel fairly safe with it. Daryl

February 20, 2012, 10:08 AM	#19
EdInk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2009 Posts: 3,968	I don't feel less safe with a smaller gun.

February 20, 2012, 07:17 PM	#20
lawnboy Senior Member Join Date: April 5, 2011 Location: here Posts: 551	I carry a surplus Sig P6 (9mm) which is supposed to be a compact. It was holster worn when I got it and who knows how many rounds have been thru it but I carry it in preference to my other larger and smaller handguns (both in actual size and in caliber) because despite the fact that it is old and ugly I shoot it better than any other gun I own. I discovered this by accident when shooting popup steel targets at the range. I don't feel undergunned with a compact 9mm.

February 20, 2012, 07:31 PM	#21
9mm Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2011 Location: Land of the Free Posts: 2,834	When my CCW comes in another 3 months I will be carrying a lcp in front pocket and a full sized M9 or G19 on me in another spot. The lcp is my backup and easy to get to in different spots. Two guns are a must, one could jam or break or get taken/lost etc..... Yes the M9 conceals well on me at 5'7 130, it just hard to bend down (it pokes at me)

February 20, 2012, 07:49 PM	#22
Dragline45 Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2010 Posts: 3,513	A little bit of both but mostly necessity. The state I live in is not very gun friendly and not many people conceal carry so carrying a large handgun and printing is not really an option for me.

February 20, 2012, 08:29 PM	#23
dalegribble Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2007 Posts: 861	what do you mean by small? size or caliber? .380 amt backup- my most carried gun 9mm taurus 709 slim-carried regularly 9mm s&w mod 669-12+1 capacity .45 taurus pt 145 those are my choices. i like them number 1 for size and number 2 for capacity.

February 20, 2012, 08:34 PM	#24
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	Bit of both. I live in small town and the crime rate is relatively low. I carry a small .380 that slips into my pocket which is convenient, but I feel adequately protected in case of necessity.