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What do you carry and how did you select it?

21K views 150 replies 127 participants last post by  ArchangelGT 
#1 ·
My evaluation required about three months and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. I began with 27 years of handgun shooting experience and applied a specific set of criteria. At the time I had limited experience with semi-autos. The majority of my shooting experience was with DA/SA Smith revolvers. Trigger pull and overall gun weight was not a factor for me. I actually prefer heavy iron and stout triggers.

My criteria were, reliability, accuracy, simple operation, safe to carry, capacity, proper size and ergonomics. I evaluated 9mm, 40 & 45 caliber guns. I started at a local gun shop just handling dozens of guns. Then shot several borrowed and rented guns. The winner for me was the SIG P226 9mm.

Extremely reliable…
Very accurate…
Very simple to operate…
DA/SA trigger safe to carry with chambered round…
High capacity (19 on-board, 18 in spare magazine) …
Perfect fit and ergonomics for my hand and shooting style…

I am on my third 226, over 50,000 rounds without a single failure. I do change recoil springs every 2500 rounds, all springs at 5000 and takedown lever at 10,000. Note: There was one failure to fire, was not the gun, it was a dud Remington UMC round. I carry IWB, 3 o’clock, 20-degree forward cant.

Over the last year I have experimented carrying the P365 locally (very safe area), would not consider carrying same into North St. Louis County or City.
 
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#2 ·
At the time of this post there have been 30 views of the OP.

SIG Talk is an interesting forum. Why would anyone click on a question they have no intent of answering?

Is it they do not carry?

If they carry they do not know the model they carry?

Or, they do not know why they selected the model?


Is a puzzlement for sure.
 
#5 ·
At the time of this post there have been 30 views of the OP.



SIG Talk is an interesting forum. Why would anyone click on a question they have no intent of answering?



Is it they do not carry?



If they carry they do not know the model they carry?



Or, they do not know why they selected the model?





Is a puzzlement for sure.


Well you do have to click it in order to read it to see if you are interested in responding to it. Just because it is clicked and read does not mean they have a response at this time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
#4 ·
I'll take a stab...my immediate gut reaction is that many won't want to open their process, or lack of it, to public scrutiny.

My only other thought is that there are some folks who just aren't interested in the "academics" of process, by that I mean, they just "do" instead of talking.

Neither one is really wrong in my opinion.

My own process was very rudimentary...a new shooter, first ccw, rented all the big names in both striker and TDA, finally settled in the P320 in 9mm. Have since transitioned to SP2022 in .40.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
#6 · (Edited)
I carry AIWB (or 2 o’clock at times when doing some work or driving). Started out at 4:00 with a hybrid holster but quickly found out full Kydex minimalist holsters are the way to go for me. So yes, I have many holsters and have found three brands/companies that suit me and my carry style very, very well.
Now here is what some would consider “not the best”. But I alternate carry guns depending on what I’m doing that day, where I’m going and the weather, clothing I will be wearing that day. I have several single stacks that you would think be the best option but I’ve found short grip double stack models fit me the best! My go to EDC’s are the G27, G26, HK p2000sk, HK Vp9sk. All of these I carry with the traditional flush mag and my spare is their larger brothers magazines with x-grip sleeves. So G19,G23,P2000 extra full mags. That gives me plenty of ammo. If not, gosh knows I won’t be traveling to North STL either. I’ll stay out toward the commons or Chesterfield and Manchester areas.
BTW. I gave the P365 an honest try. Sorry Sig..hated that gun. Way to small and could not drop and mag to save my life. Sold it to fund another HK. Just me though.
 
#7 ·
Unfortunately I am not carrying currently but in the process of doing so.

That said, my process is not nearly as robust as yours though I wish I could do that.

For me first thing I decided was caliber. I picked .40S&W. Main reason being I wanted something hard hitting, good barrier penetration and still able to effect a target. I wanted a round that I could depend on to bust through glass/heavy clothing and other "small" things that you typically run into trashcans or whatever.

Given the nature of some attacks being in malls/theaters or outdoors that is my mentality.

I live in an urban area, lots of malls,shopping complexes as well as outdoor areas. Which is why I went through the thinking process I did.

Also an added bonus was everyone's "hate" for .40 now. Making it way cheaper in my area and very plentiful for training.

After picking a caliber, now came picking the firearm. First I picked a Glock 23...Loved it, recoil was tame and I shot it well. Really did love the G23. I then tried a G27....WAY snappier. Wasn't as easy to hit my target and I just wasn't a fan.

Next I tried one of my favorite firearms, a Sig P229 in .40. Gun is a dream to shoot, I love the DA/SA trigger (original trigger not SRT, don't like SRT). I can hit just about anything with it and I just love the looks/feel of it.

I recently picked up a S&W M&P 40C that was a Brinks trade in, guns looks like it was never fired but does have some holster wear which to me adds class to the gun. I plan on firing it and seeing how it compares.

I would like something a big smaller than the P229 and am open to other options if I find one that is as good/better.

I dont have nearly as many rounds fired through any gun as you do but I have fired them enough to be comfortable in their ability to function and my abilities to hit my target.

So in the end, when the time comes the P229 in .40 will be my carry gun.


If anyone has any advice, any thoughts on my process Id love to hear it. I understand we all have different ways of thinking and reasons for picking this or that. Maybe my reason for the .40 is "crazy" to you or maybe I just seem paranoid but I like to think I am level headed.
 
#8 ·
For summer, I have swapped back to my PPS because it is the easiest to conceal for me in light attire. A few years ago I decided that I wanted a single stack 9 for this very reason. Over the course of 2 months, I handled and shot all of the main options...Shields, 43, LC9, XDS, CM9, 938 and the PPS. Of all of them, I like the Walther the best. It felt great, it concealed easily, it was easy to shoot and extremely accurate. Plus I love the added safety benefit of the rear plunger that extends outward when the trigger is pulled. It allows you to ride it into a holster safely.

After purchasing, I wore it around the house (unloaded) and practiced draws from concealment for about a month. During this same time frame, I ran somewhere north of 500 rounds through it, practicing my draw and shoot at my local club. Once I felt comfortable, I started carrying.

Over the years, I have added a few other guns to my carry rotation. I go through the same process with each of them.

And sorry I clicked earlier and didn’t respond right away. I had to make dinner. Hope you can forgive me!
 
#10 · (Edited)
I carry the safest, no decockers, no safety pistol made. P220 SAS Compact DAK. Little practice with the DAK and you got. Very accurate. Runs with out faults. The kinda gun you can trust with your life. It was built at the custom shop. Sweet pistol.

“Ne plus ultra”.

I carry it IWB or shoulder holster.
 

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#13 ·
Hmmm. Training, basically. My Grandfather, a WWII Navy Minesweeper taught me to shoot when I was 8 or 9. I shot a lot as a kid once I hit 18 I didn't pick up a gun again until I was 30. I still liked them, but I had other stuff going on and guns were the last thing I wanted to spend money on.

When I hit 30, I got back into guns in a big way. I live din NY at the time, so there was no way to get a pistol without a permit, and you can't get a permit without training. So I took the required class and got a permit. I purchased an XD 40 based on the recommendation of the trainer. Then I took more training to get my permit unrestricted so I could carry. Then I took more training.

I used to carry the XD 40, but it was a pain in the summertime. I went through a couple of smaller guns until I found the Walther PPS in .40. Those two guns were my daily carry guns for quite a while until I received a P229 in trade during Obama's first term. I loved that 229. Still have it. From the 229 came the desire for a small Sig for carry. That was the P238. Then Sig made a 9mm version. Even betterer! The P938 was my most carried gun until just recently when it got traded for a P365.

Why the P365? 9mm. More rounds. Also, the P938 magazine were always popping out rounds unless they were in a magazine carrier. Very annoying to empty out 7 rounds of 9mm from your pocket at the end of the day. My P365 magazines do not do that. The grip angle matches everything else I own, so I can draw and push out and the sights are always lined up. (Which is why I do not own a single Glock. I like them, but that grip angle is wrong.) I can carry it a pocket or my AIWB holster and it disappears. I can draw, aim, and fire the entire magazine into a paper plate size area faster than I can shout "Drop your weapon!" What's not to love?
 
#14 · (Edited)
Either my former duty P229R DAK .357 Sig in OWB holster under shirt tails.

Or a Ruger LC9 9mm in my rt frt jean pocket. It's flat with a decent round still.

I have carried Charter Arms, Colt 2" Det Spec in '38, a P226 9mm, and or Ruger SP101 2.25" in .357 Mag.

At times, one of those small revolvers was my BUG. Always had one late evening and on midnight shift. A

I guess a .25 Auto would have worked as well but I just didn't want to spend $ for one of them too. Many guys used to keep one tucked in the seat.
 
#15 ·
I’ll play. I’m a SIG guy from CA, so 10 round mags was a limiting factor. We also have a handgun roster to deal with. The P239 and P229 are both on our roster. The P229 with 10-rounders is kind of a waste because of its size. I settled on the P239/9 because of its smaller size, and one more round over the .40/.357 version. A few years later I added a P229/.357 as a winter carry gun–I was only losing 2 rounds with my neutered mags.

There’s been some court rulings recently that have allowed me to purchase full capacity magazines, so I now carry 12-rounders in the P229. I have a P229/9 with 15-rounders, but don’t feel the need to add it to my permit.

I still like to carry the P239/9 because if its smaller size, and ease of concealment—six years now carrying the same gun. :)
 
#17 ·
Similar process. First pistol ever, after much reading and study, didn't even know at the time to actually go shoot some.........duh..........was a standard P226 nitron. Great gun, still have it, put Hogue pirranha grips on it. At the time........CCW wasn't even an option in Illinois. (idiots!)

Then.....yes.....CCW. The walther PPSm2 was the winner for me. First purchase intended for carry.

Right now.......AIWB either or the walther or the Sig P320 X Compact. Liking the Sig a lot.
 
#18 ·
I guess I am lazy and like to be comfortable when carrying. Having said that, I almost always pocket carry my LCP 2 because I can simply slip it in my pocket and go. Most of the time I also carry my P365 with the 12 rd. magazine. In the winter, I sometimes carry my CZ P01 or Glock 19.

For me, I believe the P365 is just about the perfect carry handgun. Mine has proven reliable and with the 12 rd. magazine in 9mm, whats not to love?
 
#20 ·
I carry either a P220 Compact, or P320 X-Compact, always IWB at 4:00. For me that's the most comfortable and concealable position.

I chose the particular guns I carry because I just happen to like them. They're both roughly the same size (except the grip is shorter on the P220 Compact), both are just at the large end of what I would consider concealable, for me. I'm considering something smaller like a P365 for summer attire.

I like flat triggers as well, the one on the X-Compact is perfect. I installed a GG dual-adjustable flat trigger on the 220. In DA it's still a bit of a reach for my stubby fingers, but still perfectly doable.

I favor the X-Compact for carry most of the time, but sometimes I have a hankerin' to pack some .45. It's nice to have options and to be proficient with different manuals of arms.
 

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#22 ·
My first carry pistol was a P320sc in 9mm. I read a number of reviews and checked one out at my LGS and bought one. Some time later I bought an SP2022 in 9mm and found I liked the feel better than the P320. Recently I transitioned to a Taurus TX22. Yeah, Yeah, I know. NOBODY carries a .22LR. Well I do and can shoot it accurately enough to make it very deadly. With a 16 round magazine and only about 20 ounces fully loaded, it's very easy to carry.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I carry a .45 1911 cocked and loaded and if you ask if that’s dangerous I say “ hell yes, that’s why I have it.” On an easy day I Carry a 365 with safety on ;)
 
#25 ·
I carry either my P320 Compact RX in 9mm (sometimes with the subcompact grip mod) or converted P320 Compact .40 with a subcompact grip module (mostly depends on what I am wearing, its hot and humid in NVA a good part of the year). I recently am tending to lean more towards the .40 for the same reasons FMFlorida stated.

I tested a number of firearms, my range has a really wide selection. I shot S&W M&P, Beretta, CZ, Colt and of course Sig. I tested different calibers and frame sizes. In the end, I shot the Sig the best and liked the flexibility of the modular design. I will admit I was a bit enamored with the Romeo 1 site on the RX upper, but practically, it can dig into your back. Another reason I lean towards the .40 is the upper has standard iron night sights.

An added bonus, since I practice with it a lot with it, is being able to pull the FCU for cleaning and the ease of take down and reassembly.

I did find a very comfortable IWB holster made by stealthgearusa.com

My two cents.
H
 
#28 ·
I carry what seems to fit the situation.

Much of the time the easiest thing to carry is my PPK in a pocket holster, with an extra mag in the other pocket. Not optimal for big threats but adequate for where I live. When I go farther, potentially in greater harm, I carry a P229 DA/SA in .357 Sig - because I have seen the results of street shootings in that calibre and they are sobering. Extra mag on off side. I always carry an extra mag, both for better round count and for possible mag malfxn. Nothing mechanical is immune to malfxn.

I have tried to make my P239 in .357 Sig carriable but it keeps glitching. I sent it to Robert Burke and he fixed the trigger with his proprietary SRT, but I still had one FTF in the first box of ammo I shot through it. Wasn’t a BIG FTF - I needed to tap the slide - but I consider that not adequate in a weapon I may have to fight for my life with. I have an early Shield, which I put an Apex kit and a 10-8 rear sight, making it a great shooter, but it suffers from one flaw; when attempting to load a fully loaded magazine into the pistol. with the slide closed you have to push it in while shifting your grip to over the top of the weapon to push the magazine against. Also not acceptable so I stopped carrying that. Probably ought to sell that puppy.
 
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