The ultimate carry gun? Whatever you want...

Since 10-13-06

http://jwilson09.tripod.com/carrygun.htm

Carrying a gun in public is a big responsibility, but this article is not about that responsibility but more about the practical side of carrying a gun on your person and what works and doesn't work. There are things you need to know about carrying a gun, there are a lot of informative books and tapes on the subject, as well as articles like this on the internet, but in the end you need to find out what works (and doesn't work) for you, and I believe that ultimately this can only be done by actually trying and using it in the real world.

My first experience carrying a gun in public was with a Colt model 1908 (.25 auto). The is not the best place in the world to start, the little Colt "mouse gun" would work as a back-up but as a primary carry weapon it was lacking. I did use it for a while, like a lot of people I used the gun available at the time and it sure was easy to carry. Shortly it became apparent that the little Colt just wasn't up to the task I had in mind, the Colt was old and striker fired so I didn't feel it was safe to carry with a round chambered in the barrel, this meant that if trouble came up I would be required to chamber a round with both hands while under stress or even under attack! This is not a plan for self-defense this is a plan to get hurt or maybe even get shot with your own gun.

My next gun was a Beretta model 950, also a .25 auto but a much newer design, safer to carry and even lighter than the Colt. Small autos like the Colt and the Beretta are very small and easy to carry, no doubt why they are so popular, but the small autos carry friendly size and weight still can't overcome the lackluster performance of their cartridges (at least as a primary weapon). Shortly I started hearing horror tales about the performance of the .25 automatic in street shootings (including someone I actually knew that was shot in the head with a .25 and was hardly effected). After that I decided that it was time to move up the firepower scale and I haven't used a small gun as a primary gun since. If the gun companies could only make a gun with the size and weight of a .25 but the punch of a .45 everyone's carry problems would be over.

My next step up was a Smith & Wesson model 649, all stainless steel, 5 shot .38 special. This was my first carry gun that was up to the power levels a person needs to defend themselves. With this gun you could fire .38 and even .38+P, and because of the heavy all steel construction and good grips you could still control the gun even while firing rapidly. After the S&W model 649 I moved up to the full size Colt Government model .45 and then a little later a Para Ordnance C6.45. Currently I carry the Colt Government model .45 or for very short trips the S&W 649.

The handguns above were the guns I carried most often, over the years I have also carried several other guns on occasion including various .45 automatics, Smith & Wesson "N" frame .357, several various S&W .38s, Colt Detective special .38, Kahr MK40 and a Kel-Tec .32 (as a back-up).