Can someone explain the difference in between the various "role" guns?

[Pond, James Pond]

OK, I get carry guns and I can imagine that a bedside gun can afford to be bigger, and heavier with a better capacity, but after that I get confused.

How might either of those two differ from what people call "truck guns", "shower guns", and a recent thread about "motel guns" and the like.

Are the specific needs of these environments so different that they warrant a different gun? And how is one going to become proficient with all these different pistols, if one might rely on them in an emergency?

I know a thing or two about the human condition, so is it just a self-deceiving ploy to legitimise the purchase of another gun, or it there actually a logic behind each of these and others that I might have overlooked.

Looking forward to some clarity whilst I await the "BBQ gun" thread!

[Marty8613]

The holsters I prefer are quite light and much maligned, so I have different CCW guns even. That being said, the real answer is "I need more excuses to collect guns." It is great that I can find more excuses.

Bersa Thunder .380 - work CCW
Bersa Mini FireStorm .40 - normal CCW, is 'home gun' when I feel like carrying the .45
EAA Witness Polymer Full .45 4.5" - normal 'home gun' - but will carry occassionally. More comfortable to wear on a long drive for example

I still need:
Car gun -
pocket gun - for when the Thunder is too big
Wife's CCW - likely same as above - just discovered she wants this yesterday
trail gun - for camping trips, hunting trips
Lefty range gun - since I have one left handed child and I am ambidextrous
Striker fired training gun - since I have never had a striker fired and can't reasonably argue against without experience.
revolver - just cause I need options
closet gun - everyone 'needs' a shotgun don't they?

I'll find other excuses as they arise.

I do make sure to practice with any gun that I intend to carry. My wife and I went out and put about 100 rounds each through the 3 we currently have this weekend, but plan to practice with our carry guns, on steel targets on a 'point and shoot' basis, since that is more similar to the skills required for defense than paper targets and time to aim. We will not use our other guns on this very fun practice, until proficient with the primary CCW. And the practice should always end, with the primary CCW, no matter what you shoot otherwise.

As far as training, have a plan. As far as specific purpose guns, get what you need and understand how they will be used and if they are really justified. It is perfectly okay to play the 'excuse game' to justify some gun collecting. IMO if you seriously have something like a 'shower gun' or a 'motel gun', maybe you are taking things a bit too far. 'BBQ gun', what a GREAT idea.

[Mobuck]

Simple "tactic" to justify owning MORE GUNS.
I have a carry pistol, a backup carry pistol, a carry revolver, a house carry pistol, a chore pistol(22lr), a "bigger stuff" chore revolver, and several "hunting" revolvers plus numerous versions of the above(blue/stainless, safety/decocker). Then there's the "just for play" or just because I like the way they look handguns.
Just the "perks" of living in a (semi)free country and deciding to spend money on guns rather than new cars, houses, or high maintenance wives.

[Cheapshooter]

Simple "tactic" to justify owning MORE GUNS.

Where's the "like" button, and the thumbs up smiley?

[Jim243]

Hi James,

A truck gun is usually a rifle, but I can see someone using a pistol for that purpose. A cheap inexpensive one in case it gets stolen.

Each one I have purchased is for a specific purpose (or so I tell myself.)

Carry Gun - compact large or small caliber easily concealable. (Both Bersa's - 45 Compact Pro, Series 95 in 380)

Nightstand Gun - CZ 75 P-01 equipped with rail light (I like 14 rounds for things that go bump in the night.)

IDPA competition Gun - Taurus PT-92 (Better sight radius 5 inch, and faster recovery times for followup shots.)

Hunting Revolver - Taurus Tracker 357 Mag (required here for hunting sidearm in Illinois (must be a magnum caliber.)

Target Pistol - Beretta Neos (22 LR for pratice.)

And these are just handguns for shooting and does not cover the ones that are collector items. For rifles I have many that are specific purpose weapons also.

Jim

[TailGator]

The "tactic to own more guns" line cracks me up, mostly because it is so true.

I had a perfectly good 9 mm carry pistol when I decided to get a Beretta 92FS as a home defense pistol. It is a good choice for home defense, but a home defense pistol didn't need to be an Inox with walnut grips. I met a significant weight loss goal to further justify myself. Truth is, it is a "pride of ownership" pistol.

My .22LR, though, has legitimately paid for itself in ammo savings. That was back when ammo could be purchased.

I can understand a truck gun being a knock-around that you don't worry about the finish, but I don't worry a whole heap about the finish on my carry pistol, either, and it is always on me, so I don't have a truck gun. Might have to talk to my wife about that, but I am not sure she is going to buy it.

Another category is keepsakes - there are pistols that were owned by family members and friends that are kept as mementos and shot seldom. I think that is legit, and I am sticking with it.

[Madcap_Magician]

I do find that there are several categories of guns without which I would be inconvenienced.

I would like to have three carry guns- one for when concealment is absolutely important (M&P Shield), one for most other times (Glock 19), but also a small revolver I can just drop in my pocket when I want to run the trash cans out to the curb or something without getting dressed with my belt and holster.

That's really about all I need, the Glock 19 being a suitable home defense gun and all three sufficing at the range for fun.

I can do without long arms entirely, since I do not hunt. It would be nice to have a carbine or shotgun for home defense as well, but I can get by without it.

The only other category that might be nice to have is a .22 pistol for plinking.

[Dragline45]

It's simple, because no single gun can fill all the roles you need it to. I have several guns that all serve specific roles.

Pocket gun for work where I cant carry IWB

Small concealed carry gun yet in a suitable caliber for lighter clothing

Mid size concealed carry gun for when I am dressed in heavier clothing

Full size pistol for nightstand/home defense

Full size big bore pistol/revolver as a woods gun

Shotgun as a home defense/woods gun

Rifle in a suitable caliber as a long range option

And of course a .22 rifle and pistol for the range.

And how is one going to become proficient with all these different pistols, if one might rely on them in an emergency?

Call me blessed, but I have fired a large enough variety of guns, and had enough trigger time with them where I can pick up just about any gun and be proficient with it.

I know a thing or two about the human condition, so is it just a self-deceiving ploy to legitimise the purchase of another gun, or it there actually a logic behind each of these and others that I might have overlooked.

As much as I love guns, if I have no use for a particular gun and it just sits in the safe collecting dust I will sell it and put it towards something I can use. That goes for anything really, I don't collect much of anything, I accumulate what I need instead.

[Powdersmoke]

My handguns fall into one of three categories, primary carry, backup, and hunting/recreational. Backup guns have to be small enough to be carried in a pocket or on my ankle and a .380 is the absoulute lower limit, with a .38 loaded with 158g LSWCHP sometimes refered to as the FBI load being prefered. For a primary carry gun, it's semiauto, 9mm minimum, and anything up to a full size XDM works for me as long as holster and wardrobe are chosen accordingly. Hunting, recreation handguns will be revolvers from .22 to .45 cal. and concealment isn't an issue.

[lee n. field]

OK, I get carry guns and I can imagine that a bedside gun can afford to be bigger, and heavier with a better capacity, but after that I get confused.

How might either of those two differ from what people call "truck guns", "shower guns", and a recent thread about "motel guns" and the like.

Are the specific needs of these environments so different that they warrant a different gun? And how is one going to become proficient with all these different pistols, if one might rely on them in an emergency?

A truck gun would be one you might keep in a vehicle, all the time, in case of need. It would be of low value, so you're not heart/wallet-broken if it gets stolen.

I confess I don't know about shower guns and motel guns.

[jimbob86]

I agree with the "tactic to justify more guns" idea.

Do you really "NEED" a gun for each situation? Not really.

...

.... and I see a problem with having 10 different guns for 10 different uses: you have to divide your practice time and ammo 10 different ways.

I'd rather have one rifle, one pistol and one shotgun that I am 100% familiar with.
..... even though I do have more than one of each..... I primarily shoot just the pistol I carry and the rifle I hunt with.... I have not had the chance to hunt much with the shotgun lately.

[Auto5]

I'm working on my various categories of restaurant guns. You obviously can't carry your pizza gun to a fine french restaurant. I haven't even begun to consider what ccw goes best with sushi.

[SIGSHR]

I thought it referred to various phases of reenacting or historical shooting. A single shot muzzleloader, flintlock for the Revolution and War of 1812, a percussion one for the Mexican War, Cap and Ball for the Civil War, a Colt SAA for the Indian Wars and Old West, etc..

[JohnKSa]

I have carry handguns. They tend to be small and relatively easy to conceal. I do shoot them at the range for practice but they aren't as much fun at the range as some guns. I wouldn't use them for hunting, and they're not a great choice for home defense since there's not the same size/weight constraint.

I have home defense handguns. They are usually too large to be easily concealed so it's rare for me to carry them. Sometimes, if I can wear a coat as a cover garment and I don't need to be out of the house long, I might carry one. They are full-sized guns so they tend to be easy to shoot, and in reasonable calibers so they tend to be comfortable to shoot. I sometimes take them to the range just for fun--not just for practice.

I have a couple of hunting handguns. They are too large for me to practically conceal so I don't carry them at all for self-defense. They can be fun at the range, but they are in heavy calibers so shooting them all day can be tiring and maybe even eventually painful.

I have some competition handguns. They are usually not suitable for hunting or self-defense but are particularly well suited to (or modified for) a particular type of competition. The line between this role and the next is somewhat blurred...

I have recreational handguns. They are handguns I wouldn't use for any of the other purposes, for one reason or another, but handguns that are fun to shoot. These don't get used for self-defense, they might get accessorized or modified, they probably won't ever get taken hunting, but they do get to the range pretty regularly just because they're a lot of fun at the range.

And then, there are a very few guns that could fit into more than one of the categories. I have a Glock 20 that some would consider to be suitable for hunting but that is also still within the realm of reasonable for a home-defense handgun. It's also attended a competition or two, and I do shoot it for fun. It's probably as close to a general purpose handgun as one can manage in the semi-automatic realm.

[rburch]

Role guns fill a role.

The most common would be Home Defense, and Concealed Carry. Pocket guns, woods or trail gun are some other roles.

Truck guns are generally some type of long gun, but I've also heard of people using larger more powerful handguns. One common trend seems to be a reliable robust gun that will still function after it's been bouncing around behind the seat or in the toolbox in your pickup. It also needs to be cheap enough that you don't worry about the finish being damaged, and you aren't out a huge amount if it ever gets stolen.

Cheap pump shotguns and Mosin Nagants are good examples, but I've also seen cheap AKs used.

I've never actually heard of shower and hotel guns...

Shower guns are guns you stash in the bathroom? If so I'm guessing a stainless finish would be good for the humidity.

Hotel guns, cheaper guns you won't be out as much if they are stolen from the less secure hotel room.

And of course BBQ Guns are just fancy guns you can show off to your buddies at social events.

[Koda94]

Can someone explain the difference in between the various "role" guns?

guns are like golf clubs, there is no such thing as the "one" gun that does it all.

If you truly don't really want to own many guns it is possible to come close with maybe 2 or 3 at the most, but if like me I didn't get it right from the beginning and eventually gave up and just bought more guns as an excuse that I "need" them. Now I have a spare gun, a truck gun, a shower gun, a summer gun, and so forth whatever I want to call them and so no longer worry about it and enjoy them all. What I did do right was at one point not buy into that 'other' caliber just because I didn't have it, more than one gun in the same caliber to fill a different role suits my ammo budget just fine.

[Pond, James Pond]

Time to come clean. I have a .44Mag woods gun. I have a CZ SP-01 race/HD/range gun. I have my Astra 680 carry gun and I have my Ruger MkIII fun-race and cheap practice gun.

However, beyond that, if I got anymore I could not justifiably call them anything other than another of the above or just some I want.

When I consider bedside/shower/backup/hotel guns there is not one of these roles that could not already be covered by what I already have. However, people often will have a fresh role that somehow necessitates a totally new gun.

I do think this may frequently be NGJS.

New Gun Justification Syndrome!!
I think a help group should be organised!

[Bezoar]

simply put the "role gun" debate hinges upon the fact that alot of people have money, and like to show it off. It also hinges upon the fact that people dont want to settle on one gun.

Heres an example. well use jake an joe.

Joe likes to buy guns, so when his wife asks why he wants to spend 500 on a new pocket semi auto, he can say "but honey you know my kimber ultra is tooo big to carry in my suit..."

Jake has to buy a second gun when he realizes that although a little .380 can be fine in summer, but reality is that in fargo north dakota in december it most likely isnt going to go through a normal persons winter clothing he gets something better.

[Tactical Jackalope]

For defense, it's an excuse to have multiple guns. And a damn good one too. However, for offense "tactical" reasons. Different guns for different missions.

[Dragline45]

Originally Posted by Bezoar

simply put the "role gun" debate hinges upon the fact that alot of people have money, and like to show it off. It also hinges upon the fact that people dont want to settle on one gun.

You couldn't be further from the truth, and what a ridiculous generalization‎. The role gun exists because no one gun can fill every role. It has nothing to do with people wanting to show off their money or cant settle on one gun.

I carry a pocket .380 at work because I cant carry IWB
I carry a small compact 9mm when out of work
In the winter when I dress heavy and can afford a larger gun I carry a mid size
As a home defense/nightstand gun I use a full size high capacity 9mm
As a woods gun I use a full size .45 or a 12g shotgun

Seeing as these pistols are either concealed or sitting in my nightstand, the fact that you would imply that a reason I own them is to show them off is ridiculous. Also it has nothing to do with cant settle on one gun, that's like implying that people with a garage full of tools cant settle on one tool so they are foolish to have them all.

[Claude Clay]

you going to drive with a putter?

putt with a 7 iron?

-------------

PGA rules how many clubs you can take onto the course
you decide which ones based on the particulars of the course and the elements;
as weather affects your decision, so does fast greens or tall rough

some have $$$ and buy top shelf
others play the game on a budget and have what works but may lack some bells & whistles

------------

to carry in New England your going to dress for different seasons (3) than a Fl person (2 -- hot and hot with bugs).

so the gun(s) need to fit you, your life style, your perceived needs and how you dress regards where you are going & the weather

[Dragline45]

to carry in New England your going to dress for different seasons (3) than a Fl person (2 -- hot and hot with bugs).

so the gun(s) need to fit you, your life style, your perceived needs and how you dress regards where you are going & the weather

Good point. I also live in New England where we have all four seasons, where it can range from -0 to 100+ degrees.

[Pond, James Pond]

The role gun exists because no one gun can fill every role.

My initial question could be condensed down using your comment.

Is it or is it not true that some roles are just invented to justify another buy? Could we not say that there are no guns that are somehow specifically suited to "shower" duty?
As such saying one wants to buy a "shower gun" is really just a case of I want to buy a gun?

For example any of my existing guns could fill that gap without needed a new one.
Make sense?

[44 AMP]

Every gun has a role it is intended to fill, and that's usually the one it is best at. However there is a huge amount of overlap, and often guns that are the best in one role can serve acceptably well in another.

Some roles are virtually mutually exclusive. A gun intended for concealed carry isn't a good choice to take on an elk. Likewise, you're going to have a tough time concealing a long barrel S&W or Ruger wearing a Hawaiian shirt and polo shorts...

Shower guns and motel guns are just modern labels for long existing categories. How about a boat gun? Like a shower gun, the object is one that is essentially impervious to moisture. One gun will work for both, its just a matter of what the person calls it.

[SIGSHR]

Perhaps instead of "role" we should say "tool" or "application". A Ruger Super Blackhawk or Virginian Dragoon is just right for bear country but really doesn't cut it for CCW or even bedside use, a Colt Detective Special is just right for CCW or bedside but in bear country....nor is it that good on the target range or teaching a new shooter (or yourself).