"When I first started carrying, I . . . . ."

[Bushido Devil Dog]

"When I first started carrying, I . . . . ."

...lived in a world where I could safely play with toy guns that had no Nanny-state mandated orange-tip and I didn't need to worry about the police murdering me as I played Cops & Robbers/Cowboys & Indians, or fought the legendary battles of the U.S. Marines in my yard and around my neighborhood, nor about having some politically-connected horse-toothed hoplophobic harpy that can't mind her own damn business have my father arrested for showing me how to safely shoot a BB gun...



(not me...just a representative pic of the time before the rise of our current political correctness (sic) driven stuck-on-Stupid Idiocracy...)

 

[aaron580]

I decided my first carry gun would be an RTF2 glock for CC under a shirt against my skin.

 

[traderdan]

I started carrying a real short (2 inch or so) Ruger Security 6...I shot a lot of .357,practicing without hearing protection. Huh?? is one of the most common words that I use these days...

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

Bought a Glock 22 because I got a good deal on it and carried it for close to a month before ever firing it to see how it performed.

 

[Turf Doctor]

20 years ago I carried a revolver in a shoulder holster. Did not have any idea what I was doing or know much of the laws.

 

[warthog]

I used to carry a Kel-Tec P3AT. Much to my shame I thought there really were inexpensive firearms that weren't cheap. My bad.

 

[cedartop]

.carried it for close to a month before ever firing it to see how it performed.

I'll bet that is far more common than anyone will admit.

 

[BravoMike]

Carried a gun that was too big and heavy for me to comfortably CC daily and it stayed home more than I liked. It was a HK USP Compact .40. It might have had something to do with the holster and lack of a good belt as well. Holster was a Don Hume 715 that was IWB with a single metal clip and I never felt that it held the gun steady at all.

Because I didn't carry it daily, I developed the stupid mentality of thinking where I was going and if I "needed" to bring my gun with. I know that I cannot predict where violence will happen and if I felt I needed my gun to where I was going, then I probably shouldn't be going there in the first place.

 

[DMND1]

I Used to carry a glock g19 in my pocket now i carry a kimber solo ya gota like that safety on the kimber . only barney fife carry's without bullets in his gun . cause there not made for throwing LOL.....

 

[VERT]

I'll bet that is far more common than anyone will admit.

I am surprised by the number of people who show up with guns they have never fired or shot very little. It is very common for a husband/wife to come to an introductory course with their two guns. Not uncommon that these are a small revolver or itty bitty pistol for the wife and a service sized gun for hubby. The revolver or itty bitty gun always end up back in the bag and they both end up shooting the auto. (Exception was my father who is 60 years old and stubborn. He manned up and shot that revolver all day!)

I have not been involved with nearly as many classes as others on this board. In my short tenure I have seen a Sccy physically break after less then 100 rounds, a gentleman with a PF9 that could not hit a paper plate at 15 feet who when switched to an M&P and he shot the 1" dot out of the middle, a new LC380 magazine lock up after being loaded twice, Walther PK380 break the ejector after 8 rounds, a Beretta .25acp lock up on the third round, I am sure I am forgetting a bunch more examples. Starting to see a trend here?

Just this weekend I decided to try my 9mm 1911 out in a little USPSA. Took me two stages to figure out the gun won't run with 10 rounds in the magazine. So 10+1 is a no go. I know I should have already had this figured out. I have owned this gun for a year and half and it is a range toy only, so no reason for me to ever load it to capacity. Plus I had never really run the gun very hard. Point is it took me really going out and using the equipment to figure out the short comings. I also figured out that the safety is a bit larger and not smoothed like my other 1911. The result was my accidently swiping it upward and on during a tap, rack. Oops. Again probably something good to know if you are going to carry a gun.

 

[sharkey]

.45 ACP Megastar + Uncle Mike's + Boy Scout web belt

Hitchin' my pants up all day long.

 

[IrishSon of Liberty]

Biggest mistake thus far, and it still happens from time to time, carrying IWB and going out to eat. Ouch! Talk about uncomfortable! I've since switched to a very nice leather OWB holster, but by the time everything is cinched up, it's still tough to gorge myself the way that I'd like.

 

[Double T]

I took an arrow to the knee...

 

[MikeDVB]

I took an arrow to the knee...

What is it... Dragons?!?!

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Something compelled us to buy a gun, and then we decided to carry it.

Ummm, no.

1. It was given to me.

2. I was told to carry it.

3. My uncle would have beat me to death if I carried it in nylon sausage sack with a plastic clip.

 

[Excalibur]

...I thought about carrying in condition 3...until I realized it was stupid and chambered a round.

...bought a cheap Uncle Mike's holster before I realized that the kydex my xdm came with was better and from then I bought a custom holster from Raven

 

[gregkl]

This thread is making me think maybe I should opt for something smaller than a FS S&W 9. Maybe a Walther PPK/S? I guess I need to think about whether I would carry more if the gun was lighter and easier to carry or not.

Feedback, opinions appreciated.

 

[cbhausen]

This thread is making me think maybe I should opt for something smaller than a FS S&W 9. Maybe a Walther PPK/S? I guess I need to think about whether I would carry more if the gun was lighter and easier to carry or not.

Feedback, opinions appreciated.

This one's easy... Get something you will carry all the time if you can't adapt to what you have now. Keep the FS 9 if you can and put a light on it for nightstand duty.

 

[VERT]

This thread is making me think maybe I should opt for something smaller than a FS S&W 9. Maybe a Walther PPK/S? I guess I need to think about whether I would carry more if the gun was lighter and easier to carry or not.

Feedback, opinions appreciated.

Buy a good belt and holster and carry the M&P. Sometimes a smaller gun is appropriate so not a bad idea to own one of those as well.

 

[GNRPowdeR]

This thread is making me think maybe I should opt for something smaller than a FS S&W 9. Maybe a Walther PPK/S? I guess I need to think about whether I would carry more if the gun was lighter and easier to carry or not.

Full size isn't an issue with a Good Belt & Holster. If you like the firearm and are able to hit with the FS version, check if there's a Compact version that uses the same mags. I'm a big fan of having at least two pistols that share a common mag. For instance, a 5" and a 4" 1911 typically use the same mags.