Defensive Carry banner

Carry enough gun?

9K views 94 replies 64 participants last post by  BkCo1 
#1 ·
In the thread titled "Criminals and the Guns They Carry" there was some discussion of "carry enough gun" and pocket guns not being a good idea.

Sometimes when I am making a quick trip to the store I will slip a S&W model 638 38spl in my pocket because I don't want to bother with my concealed holster the the .45 I normally carry. Am I making a mistake?

(yes the .38 is in a pocket holster, not just loose in my pocket)
 
#77 ·
If I feel a little more firepower is needed I throw in my 45 Vaquero. She can knock down any BG I throw down on. Just finished loading a box of 250 gn flat nosed w/ 5 gn of Clays. That'll leave a mark.
 
#78 ·
Well, I'm either in the minority or others are afraid to speak up, But I'm perfectly comfortable carrying a 32, 380, or 38. I carried the smallest gun I could shoot well. At that time it was a See Camp in 32acp, and a J frame in 32 long. These days I cant shoot the smaller guns well so Ill be carrying a 32 in a Walther pp copy, and a 380 in a Bersa thunder. Both have 10 round mags [max allowed here in CA], both have nearly 4"barrels, both have decent sights, and both have similar controls. Most importantly with the 32 I can keep all 10 shots inside of 4" at 10 yds. That's unsupported with either hand.
The reason for the smallest gun I can shoot well is with a larger gun I would be tempted to take it off often, and may not be with me when I need it most. the smaller guns are so easy to keep on me. DR
 
#79 ·
While (of course) any gun is better than no gun, how much longer does it really take to throw on the .45? Also, shot placement and yada yada.. :rolleyes:

-- I don't always post from my mobile but when I do, I prefer Tapatalk.
 
#80 ·
Well, I'm going to be REALLY radical. I make lots of trips...unarmed.

Oh golly! Guess I'm just a sheep.

I spent 25 years in the military. I wasn't allowed to carry on base. I wasn't allowed to take a gun with me to carry around on my overseas tours, which were about 1/3 of my career. About half of my trips into town involve a swing past the military base, where I'm not allowed to carry a gun with me - even in the car. How did I get old without carrying a gun with me 24/7?

For starters, I assess risk. There may be more murders than lightening strikes, but those murders are highly concentrated in specific urban areas. Thankfully, I don't spend much time in those areas. I have no desire to go bar hopping downtown on Friday & Saturday night. If I DO need to go into higher risk areas, I carry. I carry when I go hiking, thanks to the US government's total failure to control the border. If you live in a hell-hole, be prepared to meet the devil. Happily, I'm old enough to choose to NOT live in a hell-hole.

Is a 38 enough bullet? Well, you can shoot the BG in the heart with a 44 magnum, but he'll have enough blood left in his head to shoot back for 10-20 seconds. I like 44 mags, but they aren't a shield against BG weapons. You have no guarantee of a 1 shot stop with your handgun. Ever. That said, a well placed 38 bullet will do about as much as you can hope for. So assuming you shoot it well, and don't lose your nerve, you'll do about as well as you can. If you stand there trading shots with your mega-9mms, maybe he will die, but you aren't going to be in great shape either.

Every thinking person plays the odds. You would be safer driving a monster vehicle than a motorcycle, but lots of folks choose to ride motorcycles. I ride horses, which statistically is more dangerous than riding a motorcycle. Look at your odds, and then decide what risk you are willing to accept - because life doesn't have a no risk option. And at my age, I don't go a lot of places where a 5-shot 38 wouldn't suffice. If I'm worried, I'll step up to a 7 shot 357. If the odds are worse than that, I won't go. YMMV.
 
#81 ·
Well, I'm going to be REALLY radical. I make lots of trips...unarmed.

Oh golly! Guess I'm just a sheep.
I was also career military. I didn't get my CHP until after I retired. The main reason why I started to carry was the occasional late night I.T. maintenance trips to outlying offices where I had some scary close calls. After having the permit for a while and only occasionally carrying, I thought about how tragic and stupid it would be to lose my life when I could have carried and lived. We don't know when or if we will be attacked, but if that day ever comes (again for me) it would be really tragic to have decided I didn't need to carry that day. I don't feel I need it very often, but then again, we never know when we will need it. I would rather carry always and not need it than to need it and not carry. It has nothing to do really with fear or need or being a sheep. Do you only wear your seatbelt when in heavy rush hour traffic and forget it when driving a block away to the 7-eleven?
 
#82 ·
I have more justification for wearing a seatbelt during rush hour traffic than when driving down an empty road to the nearest store. I've taken to wearing a helmet when riding horses, but I don't feel the need to wear a body protector while riding - although my worst injury while riding was to the soft tissue in my back. I carry a gun sometimes, but don't bother taking my 44 mag around as a carry gun, and have never taken my rifle with me - although if I was in a fight, I'd LOVE to have a 10 shot 44 mag rifle instead of a 357.

Seat belts are a habit for me. Carrying is a habit for some - and that is fine. But I make perhaps 2 trips in to town a week. Perhaps half of my trips take me on the base, where I cannot legally carry. Nor do I feel a need to walk around my house with a big gun strapped to my waist. Carrying a gun will never be a habit for me.

My point is that life always carries risk, and we all accept some risk for convenience. I use a small car to save gas, but I would be safer driving a bigger car. And after all, I never know when I'm going to be in an accident. My brother-in-law won't ride a horse because it is too risky, but he thinks nothing of riding a motorcycle thru rush hour freeway traffic in Phoenix. We all assess various risks in our lives differently, and respond accordingly. If I think a 686+ isn't an adequate defense for some place, I won't go there. I don't let my gas tank go past 1/3 full so I don't have to stop at some questionable place for gas. I keep my eyes open and think about my surroundings when getting gas or in a store. And sometimes I take a J-frame 38 with me, just in case.
 
#85 ·
Suck it up and simply take the gun handgun you'd choose to start a fight with.(Notice I specified handgun.)
Not the comfy, light, cute one that you like to stick in your pocket.

If you'd start a fight with a .32/.380/ect. pocket gun Or if thats all you have. Then by all means carry that gun. (serious...not sarcasm)
But if not, you are doing yourself a great diservice.
 
#87 ·
I never worry about whether I "have enough gun." Most of the time I have my 642 or 640, but not always. Five rounds will do. If not, I have life insurance.

Do you "have enough car?" Do you drive a Humvee or a Civic? Which would you rather be in an accident with?

Oh, by the way, do you have enough life insurance?

Do you excercise enough? What are your HDL and LDL levels? Do you wear sunscreen when outdoors? (These latter three concerns deal with issues that are far more likely to affect your life than a common thug, by the way).

Do you order mostly on line so you can avoid going out, or do you shop in bricks an mortar stores? If you order on line and stay at home, you are at a greater risk of home invasion violence. If you go outside, you are at a greater risk of a store robbery (provided you aren't killed in an accident on the way to the store).

There seems to be a disproportionate amount of concern for random violence. It is prudent to be prepared, to practice, and take preventative measures. But some seem to fret to an obsessive degree.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bsms
#94 ·
I carry a Glock 26 (which everyone knows is 9mm) and fell that it is more then capable for a SD round. Some would say that a .45 or .357 would be a better choice but 9mm with JHP ammo will stop anything I would need be.
 
#95 ·
Some of us have been in situations that they had to draw or felt like they needed to get ready to draw. These people have drawn from their situation and carry at all times. They also are more likely to be carrying heavier large capacity weapons. From my personal experince in the CA I found my 6 shot revolver did not have enough rounds to go around. When I got back home I bought a "wonder nine" 15 shot. I only carry autos with reloads for self defense. Nothing like a real life experince to make a believer out of you.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top