bug as a primary?

[HDSam]

I'm looking for thoughts and opinions on this. If you think it's bass ackwards, please say so... I can handle criticism.

During the summer, I most frequently carry a S&W 642 with Gold Dots and speed strips. My other less frequent options are a Beretta PX4 and Taurus PT140.

It occurred to me that using the 642 as a primary and a larger, less accessible auto for a bug might be sensible for two reasons:
One, I can pocket carry the snubby and have my hand on it while appearing to be in a non-aggressive stance.
Two, the military has pushed the 'force escalation/minimum force necessary' mantra for years. This might go over well with a jury, and still leaves me with the larger auto if necessary.

Any thoughts or advice? I know that I'm ultimately the 'decider' but I'd like other opinions.

BTW, I typically wear T-shirts and jeans during most activities, making concealment of either auto a challenge. When I do carry one, it's in a Smartcarry, which is less accessible than the 642 in my vest or pocket, particularly while riding.

[BiblicalFirst]

We haven’t handled many handguns yet, but my sister might go with a backup gun for concealability reasons. Her permit is in the works right now. While she’s fairly small, I’m encouraging her to carry it on her person (as opposed to in a purse) for security. Of course that makes it a little more difficult to conceal. I’m also encouraging her to go with something in 9mm or larger. Concerning handgun choice, I’m thinking that she’ll be happier with a sub compact handgun rather than a mouse gun. Really small guns like a AMT Backup or the S&W 360 J frame can be very difficult to handle. We’d like to shoot a handful of options.

Really she must be comfortable with her choice, not me, :lol: but do any of you have some advice? Do you have any thoughts on my recommendations thus far?

Thanks and God bless.

[tuna]

BiblicalFirst (can I call you Adam? :lol: ) you're on the right track with wanting something concealable for your sister. As you've heard before, you can conceal just about anything, depending on how much effort you want to put into doing so. A subcompact should be okay, you don't really want to go too small for several reasons, one being that the smaller the gun, the less pleasant it is to shoot, and the worse the accuracy.

For female specific information (actually good general info, but really good for females) - check out corneredcat.com for carry info geared toward females.

Being able to try out a bunch of different firearms will be a great step in order to find the right gun. Depending on where you are in CT, you may be able to make a quick trip to Springfield, MA and go to the S&W academy and shooting range. You can rent a pretty good selection of their catalog at the range for short money, and the range fees are dirt cheap - even if you're not a member there.

After that, the next step is adjusting your dress mode to conceal it. The next step after that, naturally, is to buy another gun.

Good luck!

[Sandhiller]

BF, I'd suggest you take a close look at the Kahr line.

In cooler weather, when I often wear a pair of heavy-duty Carhartt bibs, I tote my S&W 342 (Ti-Lite) in a front pocket. At just under 12 ounces loaded I hardly know it's there. I guess in that sense it's my "primary" at certain times of the year.

[BiblicalFirst]

:lol: Tuna, I hadn’t made that connection between Adam and my username. :lol: Sounds great.

As you've heard before, you can conceal just about anything, depending on how much effort you want to put into doing so. For a while we thought that a tiny gun was the only option, but we’ve since found that there are some very creative and practical concealment methods out there. :) While I’m willing to put up with a bit of discomfort if necessary, I don’t want my holster to restrict my movement too much. My sister is pretty active too. (Actually, she doesn’t carry a purse because it gets in the way.)

Now if we could only find a range where we could try a dozen different size handguns, in several calibers, with a dozen types of concealment holsters, and several different types of concealment clothing, then practice drawing with each combination, and …;) … well, ok, back to reality here. That S&W facility sounds great. It’s a bit more than an hour drive, but thanks for sharing that. I’ll look into it.

CorneredCat.com is excellent! I’ll point my sister over there. She isn’t real big on guns, however, the ability to defend oneself is a pretty basic need - Thus the interest. She’ll put in a bit of effort to conceal it, but she still might not carry all the time. There is a trade off between small guns, which are carried more often, and larger guns, with which we’ll practice more. I am trying to be careful about recommending a specific handgun, because she usually just takes my advice on guns and moves on. :D I want her to find something which really fits her.

Thanks for the input.

“If you have to fight
…Fight like a cornered cat.”

[BiblicalFirst]

Thanks Sandhiller. I have a friend whose sisters carry a XD 40 sub compact and a Kahr 40. Sadly, they are in Oregon, which is a bit of a drive to say the least.

[tuna]

[quote="BiblicalFirst While I’m willing to put up with a bit of discomfort if necessary, I don’t want my holster to restrict my movement too much. My sister is pretty active too. (Actually, she doesn’t carry a purse because it gets in the way.) [/quote]


With the amount of different guns and holsters out there, you really should not need to put up with discomfort at all. You will, though - unless you get extremely lucky first time out of the box. If you're uncomfortable, you'll rationalize not carrying all the time. Deal with the discomfort (as you've said you would) and start looking for a better solution. In time, you'll have a box full of holsters that don't quite work - don't worry, we've all got a box like that.


Since you're from New England - you may also want to check out northeastshooters.com - a lot of NE specific info, though the majority are from MA, you may be able to find a range in your area.

[BiblicalFirst]

Hey Tuna, thanks for the reply. I looked over at www.NorthEastShooters.com (http://northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=1261) and found a link to a whole bunch of ranges in CT. www.NRAHQ.org (http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/findlocal.asp) has 42 CT ranges listed. :)

[pioneer461]

I prefer to carry a .45acp, but during summer weather it's sometimes difficult to conceal even a compact model. In those cases, I carry my back-up S&W 642 Air Weight J-frame with Gold Dot 135 gr. Short Barrel +P ammo, and do not feel outgunned. I always have a reload in either speed strip, or speed loader.

My most common carry method in jeans and "T" is a DeSantis pocket holster. Since this only occurs off duty and my wife carries a similar revolver, I know that I have well trained back-up nearby.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/pioneer461/Guns%20-%20Pistols/Pistols08003.jpg

[BiblicalFirst]

BF, I'd suggest you take a close look at the Kahr line. Sandhiller, I was thinking that the Kahrs were a bit pricey, but I've just run into the Kahr CW9. That gun is much closer to my sister's budget. :D I definataly want to handle one of those with her.

God bless.

[Sandhiller]

BF, I'd suggest you take a close look at the Kahr line. Sandhiller, I was thinking that the Kahrs were a bit pricey, but I've just run into the Kahr CW9. That gun is much closer to my sister's budget. :D I definataly want to handle one of those with her.

God bless.

I have a CW9. It's a great little gat. Coupled with a Don Hume JIT Slide (now available through Oklahoma leather at about $25) you have a great CCW combo that cuts no corners except for price.

BTW, my CW9 is very accurate and has NEVER failed to feed, even when it was brand new.