[SSKC]

Ladies and Gents -

Here's your scenario: you have your carry permit. You own one pistol, a quality model used in several variations by the military and numerous law enforcement agencies, with an excellent reliablility reputation. You have bought a high quality belt and holster. You have taken a week-long training course and been certified competent with your gun. You get to the range on a weekly basis, and dry fire at home. You have adopted the sheepdog lifestyle.

You recognize that you need another gun, because the one you have may need maintenance work, or be otherwise unavailable for a period of time. Also, you recognize that down the road you'll probably want some other guns, but for now we are just satisfying basic self-defense needs. Further, I'd like to limit responses strictly to carry guns, and not get into knives, canes, shotguns, etc.

What do you buy next? One more of the same gun? Or, same model, different caliber (requires another holster since the size is slightly different)? Something altogether different? What do you think?

SSKC

 

[Euclidean]

Short answer:

I'd buy a backup, or an "always", or a BUG, whatever you want to call it.

I personally am doing this in reverse. I bought the BUG first and am still debating what to get as a primary carry.

 

[The Tourist]

I think Euc nailed it.

As a long time collector, most serious people have all of the 'must haves.' They own a large magnum, a 1911, a few 22s in both pistol and rifle.

What they need is something to lug around. Something to bump and drop. Something that uses ammo from any hardware store in America. And something small enough to actually carry, not leave on the night stand.

For me, it's a gun I have never had. That would be a stainless Smith/Walther
PPK/S in .380 ACP.

While I'm not a Bond fan, Smith got the feed bugs out and the Q/C up, and stainless speaks for itself. If I need heavier, I have heavier. What I need is 'having a gun.'

This little D/A might be the one.

 

[F350]

Here's your scenario: you have your carry permit. You own one pistol, a quality model used in several variations by the military and numerous law enforcement agencies, with an excellent reliablility reputation.

OK, so I already have my Glock; what else do I need :3schild40


Seriously..I would also go for a BUG that could also be the light threat carry piece.

 

[KarlPMann]

I kinda did that too. But the first concealment gun I bought was a good "main" carry gun when I bought it. Now, there are better. I'm gonna be lucky though, my new gun will use all the same holsters even though it's a 'bigger' caliber. My current carry gun is a S&W Model 38 Airweight Bodyguard J Frame 5 shot snubbie in .38Spec. The new gun will be the 340 J Frame 5 shot snubbie in .357. The cylinder is still the same size though so holsters wont need to change. This will also allow me to carry my newer main gun IWB and the older gun on the ankle as a 'BUG'. Karl.

 

[Obiwan]

Actually, since you have a service size main gun that you may (or may not) carry at all times, you might want to get a BUG or similar sized gun to carry when your main gun is "just not appropriate". I call it a "5%er". You carry the main gun 95% of the time. All other times you carry the "5%er". You may want to look at the J-frame Smiths, a KelTec (I prefer the P11 in 9mm) or a Kahr (any flavor- they are all in serious calibers). For these think about IWB, smartcarry, or my favorite, pocket carry. Actually, one of my (very attractive and STACKED) female co-workers was joking with me about her Kahr in her bra......

 

[ramtough47]

My main carry gun is a Glock 19 in a blade-tech IWB holster that i carry strong side 4:00 position plus every day that i put on long pants i carry a Glock 26 in a galco ankle glove holster.These two guns are my everyday carry, period end of story. Now i like guns i hope to one day have a 1911 style .45. I want a Sig, a H&K, i can go on and on, but for personnel defense as of now my glock's are hard to beat.

 

[Deke45]

You might consider one of the 6 + 1 NAA stainless Guardian series of BUG's, either in .32 ACP or .380 ACP carried like a wallet in something like a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster. Even though the .32 also comes in the more powerful .32NAA, the high performance cartridge manufactured by Cor-Bon may be a little harder to find "everywhere".

These are quality made little guns....and unless you're running around in your sciveys with no pockets, there is little excuse to be anywhere under almost in circumstance and not have a gun!

 

[Gideon]

Hey Deke45, do you own a guardian? If so, which caliber? I really do want a reliable pocket gun but I emphasize reliable. I know the Kahr PM9 just about does this but it's still a tad big for true all around pocket carry and the price is high. I've tried the KelTec and loved how it carried but I think they're generably unreliable. I've heard mixed on the Guardian and also heard many consider them to be heavy. At this point, I'm thinking of getting a KelTec .32 because they were/are supposed to be quite reliable. The one I have is a .380. I've thought about the NA Arms .22 mag mini revolver but wonder what that's really like....

So what do you think?

As for my next gun, I'd like to get something in a .40 S&W. I've tried alot of different Glocks but never found one that fit me right. Sigs are nice but don't really get me. I did hold a Kahr K40 which is their all steel model and that's nice. But I've got my gun for war, carry, and bug so I guess I ought to just cool it....

 

[armoredman]

A second gun is a must, for the first, if ever used in defense, will be taken by LE for evidence, leaving you defensless against your assailants' buddies/family/etc. I say this, and don't yet own a backup. It should be as consealable as the first, and as powerful. I would love to have another CZ 75 PO1 as a backup, and a CZ70 32 as a BUG, which is differant....spares are nice.

 

[ExSoldier]

My BUG is one of my former primary carry guns, my Glock M27. If I were going to BUY a new BUG, I still might go with a M27 assuming I didn't already have one, or I might go with a .38 snubnose in Scandium. But, all in all I think that if I have to get into a gunfight, I'd rather not go into it with any caliber not starting with a "4."

 

[Deke45]

Hey Deke45, do you own a guardian? If so, which caliber?

Hi Gideon! Yes...the .32ACP pictured in the post is mine. It is a little heavy compared to the plastic guns cause it's solid stainless and weighs about 13.5 oz empty. It in IMO has been a very reliable little gun and and I've never had a problem feeding...I carry Federal HydroShocks in it. Been thinking about picking up the Guardian .380ACP...it wasn't on the market when I bought this in '98.

 

[Scott]

BTDT. Started with a Sig P228 as my primary CCW gun. Interestingly enough a Sig P226 and Sig P220 will ride in the same carry rig as a P228. So that made my decision for the next step fairly simple. I bought a Sig P220. That way I could use the same CCW gear as the P228.

I later went to revolvers and since January a 1911. My fist true BUG wasn't purchased until 2004, a S&W 642. Until then I carried a 44 revolver on one side and the P228/220 on the other.

-Scott-

 

[rocky]

I would suggest something the same or similar to your main pistol as far as safety and operation. Easier to use in a crisis. If you have a 1911 , I guess a shorter barreled would be it. Or maybe a Colt Mustang or similar.

 

[Zach S]

I'd buy the chopped or ful-size version of whatever I had. For example a good addtion to a 5" Kimber would be the 4" with the shorter grip.

I'm kinda backwards though, I carry the 4" as my primary and a 5" as a secondary, for those times like now, when brownells is backordered on recoil springs...

 

[CLASS3NH]

I saw a Taurus 415T 41 Mag at my Fav Dealer in Maine. Titainuim 2 1/2 in BBl stainless frame round butt for 410.00 used.with all the goodies with it.. It's a 5 shot, and kinda looks like a K Frame Smith heavy lug BBL I think it's work looking at

 

[rfurtkamp]

If you're genuinely afraid your primary will be down for maintenance, held as evidence, etc., I'd buy a second one of those first. If I have to leave the house intending to use it, I can always pop my second or third Sig in my pockets.

For BUG, I started with a Beretta Tomcat in .32. It's one of the few tiny autos that has a trigger guard big enough for me to use with huge hands. I put it in the safe as a 5% gun along with some other toys when I got my S&W 296 .44. I was willing to trade three shots for a much bigger blast and something that doubles as a contact-range weapon. Without something equivalent, I'd look at a smaller BUG if you have a backup for your primary - both to carry as backup and to get you through those tuxedo days when they arrive.