[Bad Bob]

We have had some pretty heated discussions about EDC's lately. With the change in tactics by our adversary I have just changed my carry as well. My reasoning is, I shoot my 3 main EDC gun about equally, Glock 31C 357 Sig, Ruger LW Commander 45 ACP and S&W Model 69 44 magnum. ISIS is calling for lone attacks by knife wielding "soldiers". In my LE career, when I was younger and dumber I was stabbed/cut three times and vowed never again.

With that being said I have started carrying my Model 69 S&W loaded with PMC 180 grain JHP's. Rated @ 1750 FPS it is a great load, however, the testing I found indicates that is from a 7.5" BBL. I still believe it will be in the neighborhood of 1500 FPS from the 69. For me it is a very controllable, accurate load. Considering that If I need to shoot someone I want them stopped NOW. The absolute last thing I am worried about if I need to shoot Johnny Jihad is what some liberal thinks about my selection. If I could not find the PMC ammo which uses the Remington HP bullet I would be perfectly happy using my handloads with the 200 grain Speer GD.

Nothing personal I just have more faith in a big bore magnum than any service pistol cartridge.

 

[G26Raven]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but do you carry a 31C at night? I've shot compensated Glocks and they are incredibly soft shooters. However, why would anyone shoot a pistol that would pretty much destroy your night vision after dark, especially since many self defense shootings occur during the evening hours?

 

[AZ Desertrat]

Im all in on carrying a .44 mag....I have done it quite a lot in the past....and with the current state of affairs, I may
start doing it again. And I also like the 180gr JHP in .44. Real screamers out of my Redhawk 5.5 inch.

 

[OD*]

Can't blame you a bit Bob. :hand2:

In my case, it's as the old saying goes, "Dance with the one that brung ya." :wink:

 

[bmcgilvray]

Me too, Dan only I have gotten entirely too far into a rut. I'm like a phonograph needle stuck in a groove.

 

[OD*]

Me too, Dan only I have gotten entirely too far into a rut. I'm like a phonograph needle stuck in a groove.

It's hell turning into an "old timer" ain't it? :wink:

 

[Kenny53]

Big bullets males big holes and I like them, the biggest I carry is a 45 acp. However most the time I carry two 9mm's with an extra mag. I like lots of bullets.

 

[Ianthin]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but do you carry a 31C at night? I've shot compensated Glocks and they are incredibly soft shooters. However, why would anyone shoot a pistol that would pretty much destroy your night vision after dark, especially since many self defense shootings occur during the evening hours?

I had a 32C for a time, and this is one reason I got rid of it. 357Sig can make a pretty decent fireball to begin with depending on the powder, but that thing was like a fire breathing dragon.

 

[Bad Bob]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but do you carry a 31C at night? I've shot compensated Glocks and they are incredibly soft shooters. However, why would anyone shoot a pistol that would pretty much destroy your night vision after dark, especially since many self defense shootings occur during the evening hours?

Yes. Having been involved to LE for decades and working most of it at night I can tell you that the night vision myth is just that. I have worked places where it was important but most places there is enough ambient light that your night vision never really develops.

If it is that dark, without a light source to ID your target you have no business shooting. Then your night vision is ruined anyway. When I used to patrol with NVG's I always kept my right eye closed to preserve the night vision but it was DARK.

Having shot hundreds of different rounds in the dark I am not concerned.

 

[rammerjammer]

That's a lot of gun there Bob! I've got some of those PMC 180gr HP for my Ruger Alaskan and they are screamers.

I do carry my Alaskan at times with 44 Mag 200gr Speer Gold Dot short barrel but would probably prefer a plastic fantastic with high capacity for multiple hits (possible misses too).

But in reality I will probably keep carrying my 38 LCR as my primary.

 

[Bad Bob]

That's a lot of gun there Bob! I've got some of those PMC 180gr HP for my Ruger Alaskan and they are screamers.

I do carry my Alaskan at times with 44 Mag 200gr Speer Gold Dot short barrel but would probably prefer a plastic fantastic with high capacity for multiple hits (possible misses too).

But in reality I will probably keep carrying my 38 LCR as my primary.

Having been around a lot of shootings I do not count on having the opportunity for multiple shots. I have to carry a Glock 23 at work.

 

[ghost tracker]

BBob, all three of your carry guns are (both historically, statistically & ballistically) notoriously effective "Right NOW" stoppers. Some of the "fire-breathing" special-effects of your G32C is easily negated by dropping-in a non-ported factory barrel. While your .44 mag is inarguably a powerhouse of controlled lightening, IMHO, you're putting a lot of stock into the "lone wolf" part of the ISIS directive. Wolves sometime hunt in packs. And if I weigh that part into my EDC choice, I'd much rather have a mag-fed autoloader. Mostly because I can't reload a revolver as fast as...Jerry Miculek :yup:

(...but who can?) :blink:

 

[Bad Bob]

I carried it before as well. I actally shoot it in IDPA with my magnum reloads. I do not reload neary as fast as JM but I figure that after 5 I will have created an opportunity to perform a reload. I also want to create a memorable experience........

My short term plan is to pick up a 44 bulldog for a BUG.

 

[ghost tracker]

My short term plan is to pick up a 44 bulldog for a BUG.

Funny, I've been considering the same thing myself. Sure wish Ruger or Smith would build a DAO, small-frame, 5 shot, .44 spl. Charter Arms durability seems to be (IMHO) a tad hit-or-miss. With it's intended purpose, I can't afford...a miss.

 

[SouthernBoyVA]

Having been around a lot of shootings I do not count on having the opportunity for multiple shots. I have to carry a Glock 23 at work.

What do you carry in your G23?. For "normal" commercial loads, I like either the Speer 165gr JHP "hot load" or the Federal 165gr HST. Then there are the specialty loaders such as Double Tap, Buffalo Bore, and Underwood who push handgun loads to the limit. The .40S&W from one of these companies is quite formidable.

 

[Mike1956]

I have been carrying this one most of the time since I got it back from Bowie Tactical this past spring:



It's a Glock 21 chopped to Glock 19 grip length when using a Glock 30 mag with 21 base plate. It has a stainless steel recoil spring buffer, and a beefy recoil spring, allowing me to carry Underwood 230 grain .45 Supers, which have a listed muzzle velocity of 1100 fps. Perceived recoil is about half again that of CorBon +P's.

 

[Bad Bob]

What do you carry in your G23?. For "normal" commercial loads, I like either the Speer 165gr JHP "hot load" or the Federal 165gr HST. Then there are the specialty loaders such as Double Tap, Buffalo Bore, and Underwood who push handgun loads to the limit. The .40S&W from one of these companies is quite formidable.

Issue gun with issued ammo no choice in the matter. 180 grain SXT.

 

[bmcgilvray]

It's hell turning into an "old timer" ain't it? :wink:

It is Dan! What's with the sudden onset of the physical limitations of age and seemingly less effective ability to stave them off even with more time to spend with the effort?! It seems to have begun only this year, in 2016!

On the other hand, there's something to be said for long familiarity. Lots of handguns live here and lots of ammo's fired and been fired down through the years. There's something to be said for having at least a few handguns (and importantly - loads) with which one is thoroughly familiar.

There are several handguns here that would be considered to be better than the most favored side arm. They may chamber newer or more powerful cartridges with superior terminal ballistics, may have a much larger ammunition capacity, may feature better sights, or may be more popularly compact. Yet for me, if I need to quickly get on target or place bullets precisely either at muzzle contact distance or make an effort from 100 yards away, and expect to accomplish these tasks reliably, the 4-inch Smith & Wesson K-Frame is most comforting, especially the Model 10 Heavy Barrel. I can do .357 Magnum, but the .38 Special with chosen loads, has been a very lucky cartridge for me for all my life, doing a fine job on anything and everything that required shooting. Never had to gunfight and shoot a person, thankfully, but for reactive target discs, rocks, cactus, tin cans, tree stumps from here to yon and for game and varmints large and small I've had perfect satisfaction with it. There's nothing like good hits to make one's day bright. The only automatic that comes close to the 4-inch K-Frame Smith & Wesson for me is the 1911 gun with .45 caliber 230 grain ammunition. While it's great fun to dabble with, and actually use other handguns for personal defense there's no reason for me to reinvent the wheel (pun intended). I'm not a Jerry Miculek or a champion combat competitor, but when my hand closes around the grip frame of the above two guns there is a distinct feeling of confident familiarity that things will be accomplished properly.

See! I'm like a broken record. And, Bad Bob will thoroughly disagree with my choice and he's a guy worth listening to.

 

[bustoff]

After reading this thread I'm going to experiment with factory 357, 110 grain jhp's in my Taurus 605.

I like fireworks.:yup:

 

[bmcgilvray]

Yes. Having been involved to LE for decades and working most of it at night I can tell you that the night vision myth is just that. I have worked places where it was important but most places there is enough ambient light that your night vision never really develops.

If it is that dark, without a light source to ID your target you have no business shooting. Then your night vision is ruined anyway. When I used to patrol with NVG's I always kept my right eye closed to preserve the night vision but it was DARK.

Having shot hundreds of different rounds in the dark I am not concerned.

Hey Bad Bob;

I did my own testing of this night vision thing many years ago with a .357 Magnum and some high-flash handloads. I didn't find the flash to be such a problem then. Some 30 years later though, I wonder if one's eyes would be more affected. I've intended to repeat the same test, same place, same gun, same handload to see if it dazzled my eyes. Heh! To see if I could still see well enough to even do the test. Haven't gotten around to it.

Your assertion about darkness and light source is dead on.