Sandhiller
03-09-2008, 01:26 PM
I've been interested in carry-rigs and hardware all my life. In addition to a safe full of shootin' arns I have several cabinets chock-a-block with carry-rigs and assorted leather goods. I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the actual weights of what we tote around all day. Just something useless to do on a lazy Sunday morning!
I have several different all-day CCW carry outfits, depending on what I will be doing that day or where I will be going. Here's the tonnage data on several of them.
S&W 686 3" U. S. Customs .357 in Galco shoulder rig with two speedloaders. 58.3 ounces. Heavy but comfortable and have no trouble with it. It's great for vehicle carry, whether truck or UV. The gun isn't digging into the seat and is readily available from a sitting position. The trick to ultimate concealibility with a big shoulder rig like this is to keep the butt angled down and barrel up.
Colt Gold Cup (de-horned) .45ACP in Galco shoulder rig with two spare magazines. 72.2 ounces. Definitely a heavy-weight outfit, going almost a pound over the 686. Nothing is quite so comforting (as opposed to comfortable?) as a 1911 with spares.
Ruger Speed Six 2-3/4" .357 with bobbed hammer in Don Hume JIT-slide. On a good belt (I usually wear a Mernickle) this is an exceptionally comfy outfit. I wear it strong-side at 3 o'clock. 37.6 ounces. Speedloaders add 3.4 ounces each. Overall I probably carry this combo more often than anything else. I believe that Hume's JIT slides are just about the best (and lightest at about 2 ounces each) belt holsters for all-day carry that can be had. JMO. They are also cheap!
Kahr CW9 9mm in Hume JIT-slide with spare mag in Hume carrier. 30 ounces. Very comfy but I find the 9mm not nearly as reassuring as the .357 or .45. Adequate and almost forgettable as far as extra weight goes. Worn sometimes on town trips or supply runs. The no-cant JIT slide allows it to be carried cross-draw--not great but better than strong-side in a vehicle.
S&W M-342 Ti-Lite .38 Special. This little popper weighs 10-ounces dry and loaded and in a JIT-slide the outfit weighs 15 ounces. Slightly heavier in a Galco pouch-style rig. Two speedloaders only add 5 ounces. Just about the lightest possible carry outfit. This one is absolutely negligible in terms of carry weight. Due to its lightness and configuration I am about half as proficient with it as the larger revolvers and WAY less competent than with the Gold Cup, but it's a so-so little popper and occasionally tags along.
OK, that's a run-down on some actually toted outfits. I left out the less "practical" all-day carry pieces like .44s and .45 revolvers, although they get a lot of use here they are usually toted in non-CCW configs on nice heavy cartridge belts that make for much less of a discomfort factor.
Isn't it interesting, and maybe a bit shocking, just how much weight we DO carry when we go heeled?
I have several different all-day CCW carry outfits, depending on what I will be doing that day or where I will be going. Here's the tonnage data on several of them.
S&W 686 3" U. S. Customs .357 in Galco shoulder rig with two speedloaders. 58.3 ounces. Heavy but comfortable and have no trouble with it. It's great for vehicle carry, whether truck or UV. The gun isn't digging into the seat and is readily available from a sitting position. The trick to ultimate concealibility with a big shoulder rig like this is to keep the butt angled down and barrel up.
Colt Gold Cup (de-horned) .45ACP in Galco shoulder rig with two spare magazines. 72.2 ounces. Definitely a heavy-weight outfit, going almost a pound over the 686. Nothing is quite so comforting (as opposed to comfortable?) as a 1911 with spares.
Ruger Speed Six 2-3/4" .357 with bobbed hammer in Don Hume JIT-slide. On a good belt (I usually wear a Mernickle) this is an exceptionally comfy outfit. I wear it strong-side at 3 o'clock. 37.6 ounces. Speedloaders add 3.4 ounces each. Overall I probably carry this combo more often than anything else. I believe that Hume's JIT slides are just about the best (and lightest at about 2 ounces each) belt holsters for all-day carry that can be had. JMO. They are also cheap!
Kahr CW9 9mm in Hume JIT-slide with spare mag in Hume carrier. 30 ounces. Very comfy but I find the 9mm not nearly as reassuring as the .357 or .45. Adequate and almost forgettable as far as extra weight goes. Worn sometimes on town trips or supply runs. The no-cant JIT slide allows it to be carried cross-draw--not great but better than strong-side in a vehicle.
S&W M-342 Ti-Lite .38 Special. This little popper weighs 10-ounces dry and loaded and in a JIT-slide the outfit weighs 15 ounces. Slightly heavier in a Galco pouch-style rig. Two speedloaders only add 5 ounces. Just about the lightest possible carry outfit. This one is absolutely negligible in terms of carry weight. Due to its lightness and configuration I am about half as proficient with it as the larger revolvers and WAY less competent than with the Gold Cup, but it's a so-so little popper and occasionally tags along.
OK, that's a run-down on some actually toted outfits. I left out the less "practical" all-day carry pieces like .44s and .45 revolvers, although they get a lot of use here they are usually toted in non-CCW configs on nice heavy cartridge belts that make for much less of a discomfort factor.
Isn't it interesting, and maybe a bit shocking, just how much weight we DO carry when we go heeled?