First off, let me say that I should have titled this Carry "Weapon" instead of "Pistol". Let me explain why - In the military, it is a weapon. In NRA instruction, I use the word Pistol or Revolver. In teaching kids in 4H, it is NEVER a weapon, but is supposed to be referred to as a "gun". Revolver people will get upset if I call a revolver a pistol, and I certainly wouldn't refer to a 1911 as a revolver. Anyone that worked with a Drill Sargent in the past will know better than to use the word gun! In all honesty, I've taught myself to not call it a weapon, which is hard to do when Uncle Sam has brainwashed me to say weapon!
The pistol is whatever you want to call it. In fact, it is simply a tool. A tool to do a job. A tool that one must LEARN to use safely, efficiently, and accurately. This applies to all scenarios - hunting, target practice, and self defense. Learn safety, efficiency, and accuracy and you will succeed in any scenario, with any tool.
On my side right now, is one of my favorite tools. A Sig Sauer P238. (I can hear the sighs and complaints from my 45ACP loving friends now - I'll explain later). No, this wouldn't be my choice if I were in a gun fight, but is what I have - on my side - right now. It's still t-shirt weather around here, and I just can't find a way to conceal my 1911. I would much rather be carrying my old faithful, but I just can't do it comfortably and keep it concealed.
Here is my criteria for a carry weapon:
Must be well practiced with and familiar.
Must be reliable.
Must be easy to conceal.
Must be effective.
Lets start with well practiced and familiar. What I'm saying here is that if you're going to carry it, you better know it - and well. I have trained for years with a 1911 platform. It would be ridiculous of me to grab a revolver out of the safe and carry it. Probably the same with a Glock. Even though the revolver or Glock would work well, I am not so practiced with them to be able to use them without "thinking". If the need ever arises, you will always revert back to your training. Your training should develop muscle memory and be completely automatic. I know from shooting the Glock that I want to reach with my thumb to wipe off the safety that is non-existent, an act that could take precious seconds away from my advantage. My grip on a revolver would not be correct because I practice so much with a semi-auto. I also practice a lot with my little Sig. More rounds downrange means more hits on target. I am familiar with it's controls because they are the same as a 1911, and I carry cocked and locked (which is just as safe as a Glock or revolver).
Must be reliable. This should be very obvious, but what exactly does reliable mean? Reliable to me is little or no failures. Anything mechanical can - and will - fail. All I can do is pick a firearm that works best, and maintain it. This little Sig has over 1,000 rounds through it with NO malfunctions. I consider that reliable enough. Will it jam the next time I shoot it? Maybe. Which is why practice comes into play again. Practice clearing a malfunction is required practice for anyone carrying any type of handgun. Even revolvers can and will fail.
Must be easy to conceal. Ok, this is where I can say I carry a .380 (and justify it). According to Jeff Cooper, and any other decent instructor, a pistol is nothing more than a tool to get you to your rifle. A pistol is NOT a combat weapon, and was never intended to be one. I carry the .380 simply because I have found no good way to carry my 1911. I have purchased way too many holsters - belt slides, inside the pants, small of back, ankle, and on, and on. I have tried the Crossbreeds and they are really nice, but they just don't work for me. My body type (fat) just won't work for an inside the pants holster, even with the little Sig. It is just too uncomfortable, and I don't like the bulge in my side. Plus, I drive a lot, and I just can't get comfortable in the truck with a seatbelt and gun digging into me. I loved wearing an ankle holster and found it very comfortable, but I just don't think I can draw fast enough. What has happened is I've had to change the way I dress. In the warmer months, I find I can comfortably carry the Sig on a High Noon belt holster with only a t-shirt covering it. Can't do that with the 1911. In the winter, I'm back to the 1911, again on a belt holster, with a sweatshirt or light jacket covering it. I have no good advice for anyone wanting a holster, other than do like everyone else and keep trying until you find what works best for you. I've decided to keep it simple - the old fashioned belt slide works for me, and I have a whole bunch of used holsters that didn't work for me if anyone is interested!
I do not believe in open carry for a number of reasons, and advertising that you have a weapon is making you the first target to a bad guy. Better advice is to keep it hidden. Think about this scenario: You are standing in line at the bank, when four guys carrying full auto MP5's come walking in to rob the place. You are carrying your super-duper-high-power-super-fast-super gun. What do you do? I can guarantee in most cases, pulling your super-duper pistol will get you and possibly others killed. Do you really think you could win that gun fight? Not likely. My course of action would be really simple - do what I'm told and try my damnedest not to reveal that I have a gun. I'll be very happy to give you my wallet and whatever else you want. (Now if you are threatening my family, and they are in imminent danger, I might be willing to dance - even though I would lose - but that's a different scenario). Having your weapon exposed only makes you a target. Worse, having an open carried weapon may give a bad guy a reason to try to take your weapon, and let's be honest about it - could you really fight off an attacker trying to get your weapon? I have done the training, and let me tell you that it is not easy. Weapon retention is taught to law enforcement, and it still happens to them more often than it should. Do you really want to trust your life or someone else's to YOUR ability to retain your handgun? Not me.
Must be effective. As mentioned above, a pistol is a tool to get you back to your rifle. I have my HD shotgun stashed and ready at home. I also carry an M4 (copy) in my truck. If SHTF, my pistol is to get me to cover, and my rifle/shotgun/whatever. Would the 1911 in .45 be better than my tiny little .380? Of course it would. Even a 9mm would be better in most cases. The problem is, I just can't carry the 1911 comfortably in the summer, and before I purchased the baby Sig, I left my 1911 at home or in the truck. Obviously it was worthless unless I had it all the time. Is the .380 sufficient for self defense? My answer is yes - very effective. The eskimos use .22LR for taking big game animals. I've seen Alaskan natives take caribou with an AR15 in 5.56. It's all about bullet placement, which again means PRACTICE! Would I feel comfortable carrying a .22LR? Probably not, but it would certainly be better than my pocket knife.
If we look at effectiveness, we also have to look at ammo selection. I carry only Buffalo Bore 100 gr. hard cast lead in my baby Sig. I want as much power and penetration as possible in this tiny little gun. I feel just as comfortable with this .380 as I would with a 9mm, even though the 9mm is considered minimum defense caliber to most "experts". A well placed bullet will stop any attacker, but remember that it must be well placed. The Buffalo Bore +P is at 1200 fps and 300 ft/lbs muzzle energy. This is close to the performance of Federal's 9mm 115gr JHP at 1180fps/356ft/lbs, but with a hard cast bullet. No, it's not 9mm +P, but again, it's better than my pocket knife. I know there are more potent loads out there for 9mm, but I'm just comparing to show that the little .380 can come "close" to 9mm performance with the right ammo.
In summary, I have found that having a pistol is better than not having a pistol. Being comfortable carrying is absolutely necessary. A pistol is a way for me to get back to my rifle/shotgun. Practice is paramount to any success. And, having a good quality, reliable pistol with good quality reliable ammo is absolutely required.
Maybe a LAW rocket would be great for self defense, but if you can't conceal it and carry it comfortably, and use it effectively, it is useless.
So, if you want to make fun of me for carrying my little mouse gun in the summer, go ahead.
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