Moving Away From The Slim 9mm Fad

[HMM]

The probability is so low that I'll ever need to use mine that I don't think it matters. I carried a little Sig P238 for years with no spare mag. I got tired of lugging around a 1911 and switched to that. As soon as the browning 1911-380 came out I upgraded to that, still no spare mag. Earlier this year I bought a G19 only because I had built a 9mm AR that used glock mags. I just happened to luck up on a holster that concealed my G19 better than anything else that I have carried so now I'm carrying it. And I finally started carrying a spare mag too (yay me)...lol

I fought the glock craziness for a lot of years but I finally gave in. I've been eyeing a wilson combat 9mm 1911 so I may pick one up and carry it if I can find a holster that works as good as the raven concealment one for my glock.

[MegademiC]

Its not a fad(shouldnt be) its a niche. I carry a g19 w/19rd reload 90% of the time.
I drop the reliad on occassion and go with a shield 9 when i wear tucked in dress shirts.

Like anything else, situation dictates the gear.

[AKDoug]

Frank Proctor told me "bullets are opportunities"... every time I strap on a single stack 9 I keep hearing his Alabama country boy voice in the back of my head. Back to the G19 with the G17 reload.

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

A Shield (or whatever) and a spare mag will do for almost any realistic civilian CCW situation. Might you need more? Sure. But I feel like the more you tailor you carry around the most extreme situation the less likely you will actually carry. For me, a G17 with an X400 or a FNX-Tactical or whatever would be great, but I'm not really going to carry all that crap over the long term. It all comes down to, are you really going to carry a G19 or whatever as much as you would a G43? I doubt it. But if I'm wrong, by all means, go big or go home.

I carry a 5 shot J-frame, usually with no reload. But I always have it.

[Vegas]

Recent life events made me reconsider what I carry and had me seriously looking at double stack guns for daily carry. In the end, for summer at least, the shield stays and I carry an extra mag on my weak side. I started training more dynamically and have been working on my reload smoothness and speed.

As far as threat assessment, I can say this from experience, once you assess a threat stay with it all the way. Don't let your guard drop. Seems obvious enough but people get complacent.

[YVK]

My estimate that I can make out roughly 2/3 of concealed carriers, unless they are concealing under a large jacket or shoot me first idpa vest. People put some garment on, stand statically in front of a mirror and call it good. Sure.
I've carried all kind of guns, 1911s of different sizes, G19, G17, full sized metal Berettas, small sized polymer Berettas, CZ, and a whole lot of HKs. All kind of ways. Mostly AIWB but also IWB, OWB, ankle, smart carry and fanny pack. I know exactly what conceals and how it conceals and what clothing is required. There is only one thing that I found that conceals all year around, no matter weather, clothes, social engagement types etc, and that is a G43 or like. Everything else is a marriage of concealment and just a cover, and for some of us just a cover is a no go.

[usmcvet]

I don’t know man. The whole reason for carrying concealed in the first place is that “you never know”. To go along with that sentiment: “ Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”

Well, suppose I’m in a situation where 2-3 armed robbers are working as a team? Suppose I have no choice but to engage an active shooter who’s loaded for war? “You never know”. Is my G43 with 8 rounds sufficient for that? Maybe, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it. Im starting to think the “Let’s get as small and thin as possible” fad in carry pistols isn’t the right mindset. Would my G43 be enough to stop 1 attacker? Likely, yes. But am I also failing to prepare and violating both “you never know” and “Better to have it and not need it . . . “? Likely, yes. I will never have advance notice that I’m about to be in a gunfight for my life. I won’t know if it’s one attacker or four. I won’t know how many rounds of HST it’s going to take to end a threat. I won’t know if I will successfully and quickly perform a reload under intense amounts of adrenaline.

All this to say: Is it ever a good idea to carry a tiny low capacity pistol? Will it be sufficient? What is their proper role in a gun collection? Should I carry my G19 by default and only dust off the G43 for those deep-concealment-is-necessary type of outings?

I carried a 5 shot JFrame Centennial for >15 years. I carried three spare speed strips. I stopped carrying the 5 shooter for this reason. I went to a G27 for years then fell in love with the Shield. I have the Magguts 8 round mag in the gun and two 10 round spares. My car has three extra mags.




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[vaglocker]

For me it isn't so much size/capacity as it is shootability. I've since moved on from a Shield to Glock 17 or 19 for daily carry. I just can't get a good grip on the skinny nines which is reinforced by my drill times and scores.

[Arik]

For me it isn't so much size/capacity as it is shootability. I've since moved on from a Shield to Glock 17 or 19 for daily carry. I just can't get a good grip on the skinny nines which is reinforced by my drill times and scores.

I have the same problem. Sold the Shield because I wasn't as accurate with it as I was with the G43 and now use the 43 when nothing else would work. Usually for formal dress in a ankle holster.

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[HeruMew]

I must be a unique soul.

I carried a G26 for quite awhile with a 12+1 Primary and a 17 Reload.

I now Carry a CZ P-07 with a 17 reload EDC.

It doesn't matter how hot/cold it is, it's what I am carrying. Shorts, Jeans, Dress Pants. They all get the 1.75" Daltech belt, and they all get loaded out the same for my own sake of sanity and muscle memory.

My holster back has gotten soaked in sweat. It's bulky sometimes, but never truly gets in the way.

I would go back to a G26, if deeper concealment is needed, but I refuse to go to Single Stack Nines. Just not my thang.

Capacity is only a portion of it. My G26 has no rail, it's a sub-compact, so, why bother with a rail? So, I lose my light ability. I also prefer the shootability I have out to 50 yards with the full size P-07, versus the sub compact G26.

Know the limitations, know our ability. In Minnesnowta, I wear a button-up pretty much everyday. But, if I am yard workin, or what not? I just take it off and Open Carry. If I can't do that, I sweat. So what?

This might be a slightly offending opine, but I am sure many will agree: I started out with the: Ow, kydex hurts meh (tried a TP9 in Kydex for awhile), I should use the hybrid holsters with smaller guns. The sued backings sucks up sweat well.

Than I carried for a good amount of time, took some classes, talked with some instructors, and realized that carrying a firearm for my own safety is the main point. More power to you for being "comfy", or what have you. But, I don't even notice the full size Kydex anymore. It's lighter than any of my hybrids, and the whole package (including the flashlight) is less than 10 ounces heavier with a 17+1 than the G26 10+1 in the hybrid holster.

When I threw comfort out the window, I got used to it quickly. I might get a pinch every now and then getting in the car, but it's just a pinch. No blood, no foul. It was a very good trade off in my eyes.

-Don't worry about printing as much (unless you're wearing skin tight clothing).
-Don't be afraid of a pinch or poke in a holster; a solid holster does a solid job.
-Don't be afraid of sweat. It's a natural bodily action. Your guns should be getting used and cleaned every week or two anyways. If rust is building up that quickly, clean and lube it sooner, or get a firearm that won't rust as much.
------Don't be afraid of sweat. It's just sweat. If it makes you uncomfortable, than you need to rethink your carry mentality.