backup - another 380? or a diff cal?

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
For civilian carry I myself prefer to just carry a quality gun, a spare magazine and a nice folding knife. If there is a jam, the gun be fixed with the spare magazine. Catastrophic failures requiring a second firearm are so rare I wouldn't even plan for them, myself. Just my opinion.

The Glock 42 and a spare magazine should be enough.


+1

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: stockrex
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
For civilian carry I myself prefer to just carry a quality gun, a spare magazine and a nice folding knife. If there is a jam, the gun be fixed with the spare magazine. Catastrophic failures requiring a second firearm are so rare I wouldn't even plan for them, myself. Just my opinion.

The Glock 42 and a spare magazine should be enough.


I have 7 rounds in my glock 42, another mag will give me 6 more rounds.
13 rounds total and I should call it a day then?


I think you would be well armed for 98% of possible scenarios you could find yourself in with a G42 and a spare mag.

I don't buy the .380 is too weak argument. The Glock 42 has light recoil that is conducive to fast follow up shots. I can put 4 Speer Gold Dot rounds into a bad guys chest in one second from a Glock 42 and I doubt he will be standing for long. Gold Dots are penetrating 10-12 inches, which is acceptable. It's not as powerful as a 9mm obviously, but it offers a good compromise with how compact and light most .380 pocket pistols are compared to their larger 9mm cousins.

 

[KCJeep]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime

I don't buy the .380 is too weak argument.


Me either. Shot placement is king.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep
Originally Posted By: bubbatime

I don't buy the .380 is too weak argument.


Me either. Shot placement is king.


This all falls into the, "It's better to hit with a .22, than miss with a .45", argument. It still is all a moot point, because it will ALWAYS be better to hit with the .45.

 

[LoneRanger]

Shot placement. Not a problem on the range. Big problem when you're in Fight or Flight mode, sight narrowed to tunnel vision, heart slamming at 120bpm+, and your fine motor skills have gone to [censored]. Once again, study police shootings and take note of shot placement by the guys and gals that train train train for such encounters. It's not always optimal.

Without getting into the 40s&w/45acp vs 9mm debacle, I am a firm believer that you want *what hits you do place on the target* in that high pucker adrenalin flushed encounter, to be as devastating as practical for your "carry size tolerance", i.e. the most ballistically optimal caliber you've chosen that you can still carry comfortably.

There was police dash cam footage I saw once. It was very hard to watch because the deputy was killed by the motorist he stopped. The deputy was known for his range marksmanship but they had mainly trained target shooting style and not combat style. He didn't put effective hits on the suspect. It underscored not only the necessity of training with combat handgun methodology but also how marksmanship, i.e. shot placement, goes to [censored] in a defensive shooting encounter.

 

[LoneRanger]

Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
Lone Ranger
What 40 S&W model do you suggest for front pocket use?


I recommend a proper carry holster, perhaps an inside the waistband appendix carry type which would be close to the same body region as a front pocket. Drawing from a pocket is not safe.

I carry a Walther PPS in .40s&w. It is the slimmest compact pistol out there, 9/10 of an inch wide. They're also on sale lately, $350 - $380 range w/ two mags included. Remington Golden Saber 165gr bjhp as the carry load.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
Shot placement. Not a problem on the range. Big problem when you're in Fight or Flight mode, sight narrowed to tunnel vision, heart slamming at 120bpm+, and your fine motor skills have gone to [censored]. Once again, study police shootings and take note of shot placement by the guys and gals that train train train for such encounters. It's not always optimal.


Very good point. Just look at the recent police shootings that have these guys discharging upwards and over 30 rounds at a single perp. It's foolish to think a citizen would do any better under the same circumstances.

 

[KCJeep]

Originally Posted By: billt460
Originally Posted By: KCJeep
Originally Posted By: bubbatime

I don't buy the .380 is too weak argument.


Me either. Shot placement is king.


This all falls into the, "It's better to hit with a .22, than miss with a .45", argument. It still is all a moot point, because it will ALWAYS be better to hit with the .45.


I've heard that line of thinking you reference, but that is not what I mean at all. Proper shot placement is king. A couple good hits center mass with a .380 or a .45 will most likely have the desired effect. Poor shots elsewhere probably won't, again regardless of caliber.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: bradepb
Originally Posted By: stockrex
I have asked folks here in the MI forums and they said no limit on # you can carry, but I will check with local PD.

You can carry as many as you want in Michigan and any pistol you want. Some states require the exact gun to be listed on your permit, silly. The G42 has had a lot of issues since its release however the G43 has already proven quite reliable.


I just checked north carolina law, and there now is no limit on how many one can carry with a permit.

 

[KCJeep]

The G43 definitely benefited from the growing pains of the G42 IMO. Both are typical Glock now though.

 

[stockrex]

Originally Posted By: bradepb
Originally Posted By: stockrex
I have asked folks here in the MI forums and they said no limit on # you can carry, but I will check with local PD.

You can carry as many as you want in Michigan and any pistol you want. Some states require the exact gun to be listed on your permit, silly. The G42 has had a lot of issues since its release however the G43 has already proven quite reliable.

Thanks,
G42 issues I have read where feeding issues with the 1st gen, I think glock made updates and cured them.
Anyway, I will find out this weekend, I am thinking of running some hornady American gunner through them.

I wanted the g43, just missed the sale at MC sports a day after I bought the g42 from gander (arrrrrgh).

I have a XDM compact 40, sig 9 compact, but just too heavy/big to carry while I am out fishing or concealed wearing dress shirt/pants. cant keep a jacket on all the time, to hot to wear jacket.

I have to look into the walther ppx 9 mm, I have a bunch of walthers and love how they are.

Carrying in pocket: carry it in a sleeve? how are you guys doing it?

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep
Proper shot placement is king. A couple good hits center mass with a .380 or a .45 will most likely have the desired effect. Poor shots elsewhere probably won't, again regardless of caliber.


So assuming you're a good enough shot, why would you choose a lesser caliber? It makes no sense.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: otis24
I'm a revolver man myself. Just picked up a S&W Model 638 Airweight. If you go with two different calibers, use the larger of the two for primary. Were it me, I would use the same caliber. Since you already own a .380, I would opt for something different. If you already had a 9mm, it would make sense to stick with a 9mm for backup. No having to buy different ammo. Many who carry a J frame for SD, will carry a second for backup. Its called a "New York reload".
If you aren't afraid of reliability in your current pistol, you might opt to just purchase additional magazines for your pistol to increase the amount of ammo available without adding too much additional weight.


I prefer a revolver myself as well. I've got a Ruger LCR in .357. Obvious drawback is a lower amount of available rounds vs. a large capacity auto. I've got my mindset to 100% focus on center mass and NOT to fire unless I know I will hit the target. Seems to me from watching lots of recorded shootouts, that most people just flail the firearm around, firing wildly....while they are trying to duck for cover. Hard to hit anything doing that.

With an auto, especially one that has a decent capacity, I would see no reason to carry more than one weapon and instead opt for extra mags...as you've said.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: stockrex
Carrying in pocket: carry it in a sleeve? how are you guys doing it?


Best pocket carry holster on the market, in my opinion, is from AHolster. Thin, durable, stays in the pocket when you draw. Highly recommended.

Their website is lefthandholster.com

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: billt460
So assuming you're a good enough shot, why would you choose a lesser caliber? It makes no sense.


Maybe some folks prefer pocket carry? Maybe most .380's are 25% or more smaller and lighter than their 9MM counterparts? Maybe .380 pistols fit in most pockets while many 9MM pistols won't.

It is better to have a .380 everyday, than a 9MM some days.

 

[otis24]

First rule of a gunfight is 'have a gun". Any gun beats none. From there, find the one that best fits you. By fit, I mean size, a caliber you are comfortable shooting, and a caliber you are confident will stop (not necessarily kill) your attacker. Beyond that, situational awareness and make good choices. I am comfortable and confident carrying my S&W Model 638 in the normal environs in which I travel. I would not, however, go into certain areas of big cities. I would either choose not to travel to those areas or be properly armed with the right weapon (full size auto, 9mm or larger).

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: otis24
First rule of a gunfight is 'have a gun". Any gun beats none. From there, find the one that best fits you. By fit, I mean size, a caliber you are comfortable shooting, and a caliber you are confident will stop (not necessarily kill) your attacker. Beyond that, situational awareness and make good choices. I am comfortable and confident carrying my S&W Model 638 in the normal environs in which I travel. I would not, however, go into certain areas of big cities. I would either choose not to travel to those areas or be properly armed with the right weapon (full size auto, 9mm or larger).


This is pretty much how I feel. I have 4 carry guns, from tiny easy to conceal to larger more powerful, one for every mode of dress I may find myself wearing. For grocery store/ gas station trips, I don't mind carrying the smaller .380's. If I'm going to where a lot of people might be (IE, soft targets) like the mall or movie theater, than a Glock 26 with a spare 15 rd magazine gets the nod.

Even a .22 derringer will be enough gun for 98% of the encounters you will find yourself in. Criminals usually start to boogie when bullets are flying their way. The attacker that offensively attacks violently until you are dead and doesn't care if they get shot or injured are extremely rare.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime

Maybe some folks prefer pocket carry? Maybe most .380's are 25% or more smaller and lighter than their 9MM counterparts? Maybe .380 pistols fit in most pockets while many 9MM pistols won't.
It is better to have a .380 everyday, than a 9MM some days.

I have a DeSantis V5 Pocket Holster. I used it for Many years with my Sigma .380. When that had some Fail-to-Fires I started carrying my S&W 442 in the same holster. I have put 3 boxes through the Sigma .380 with no misfires after getting it repaired. If it does another 3 boxes I will have a choice again.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
It is better to have a .380 everyday, than a 9MM some days.


That's foolish. You're going to tell me you judge the effectiveness of your personal safety on your pocket size? Here's a suggestion. Stay safe all the time, and buy pants with bigger pockets.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: billt460
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
It is better to have a .380 everyday, than a 9MM some days.


That's foolish. You're going to tell me you judge the effectiveness of your personal safety on your pocket size? Here's a suggestion. Stay safe all the time, and buy pants with bigger pockets.

Isn't safe every day the same as safe all the time?