Posted: 8/2/2013 6:51:22 AM EDT
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Hello all
I thought I would start a thread that may be kinda interesting. It's about how your life carrying a gun haas evolved over the yrs. I started to carry back in the seventies with revolvers and then went 1911's ( springfield/colts and a few others) then to glock semi auto several different glocks and the last one was the glock 30. I tend to be a 45 Acp person. I tried a few others like the xd. XDM and S&W M&P and settled on a Sig sauer P220 and I have carried that now for oh maybe the last 6 yrs. Well just recently I decided to go back to a glock and have now started to carry a glock 30 again. Don't know how long that will be because I the glock 23 is starting to grow on me. However after so many yrs of using 45 Acp the 40 S&W might be awhile in coming. So I thought I would start a thread to see if any one would care to reply with their carry Evolution. Be it just a short carry history or a very long one. I do feel I may get the 1911 itch again also. 
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| I turned 21 in '04 and started carrying immediately. My first carry gun was a Kimber...whatever the pre-production version of the CDP was with a 4" barrel and Officer's frame. It wore out recoil springs every 500 rounds or so, so I sold it. Next was a Glock 19 which led to a lot of different "EDC" Glocks. In order: 20, 29, 20, 23, 27, 23, 26, and back around to the 19 about 8 years later. I carry others from time to time, but the 19 is in the holster more than anything else. |
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2005: Glock 30. First "real" handgun. Not bad to shoot, just a little big for me. Ended up selling it to.buy something else.
2007ish: Glock 27, occasionally Glock 22. Wanted something a bit smaller, and I could get. 40 ammo cheaper. 2013: Glock 19. Wanted to carry 16 rounds without a reload (or 33 with). Been reloading and shooting a lot more 9mm and realized I was faster and more accurate with it. |
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2007: HK P2000 in a Comp-tac MTAC no spare mag
2011?: HK P30 in Comp-tac MTAC no spare mag 2013: HK P30 in a Cane and Derby Pardus AIWB with spare mag 2013: HK P30 in Shaggy AIWB with spare mag Soon it'll be my P30L once I have enough rounds through it and different sights on it. |
| If you are talking concealed it is hard to beat the XDS in 45ACP or the M&P Shield in .40. They are both single stack so super slim in grip size I think the Shield has the edge on the XDS by a hair but you could remedy that with a grip extension like a Pearce that does not extend the grip to a full size. |
| 4" 1911->P99->4" 1911->XD45->LCR, all were pretty much carried exclusively in order of aquisition for a year or so, now I mostly just rotate between the last three depending on attire and circumstance, I've carried a few others but none really impressed me enough to make the rotation. |
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Been carrying for 4 years now
- Kel-Tec P11 with belt clip for less than a year - switched to G17, in Supertuck, primarily because I was more confident in my shooting with the G17 - switched to a G19, in same Supertuck, because it was a little easier to conceal in the VA summers. Dan may have been on to something. I think the G19 is the answer
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Been carrying since March. We've had CCW for almost 10 years now. Don't know why I waited until now.
Got a G23 and I really like it. So my evolution has been the quest to find the holy grail of holsters. Started with the RCS Vanguard 2. I use it quite a bit but during warm weather I've stopped using it now. I prefer having a tshirt between the gun and my skin and it's too hot for 2 shirts some days. I love the minimalist aspect of it, but I'm not 100% set on it as the right holster if I'm planning for moving around aggressively. Next up was the WhiteHat Max Tuck. I was pretty stoked about this holster and the style given how everyone loves their Crossbreeds. Well made, nice looking holster. But it didn't work out for me. I've got a narrow frame front-to-back so for me to conceal a G23 with minimal printing, it needs to be at the 3:15-3:30 position pretty consistently. The leather below the front clip would dig into my thigh whenever I bent over or squatted down. I trimmed some of the leather upward thinking it would give me some clearance but it actually made it worse. I suppose there was less leather for my hip to deflect so when it did dig in, it was pretty sharp. Sold it on Craigslist a few weeks back. Then I ordered a Comp-Tac Infidel Ultra with the clip. I'm really liking this. Well made of course. Leather is flexible. Retension is easily adjustable and physically I feel like I can be a little more active with my gun in this holster. Worked well when doing some casual bike riding with my kids. Only downside for me is that the clip is wider than the single loop of the VG2. A little harder to get exactly at 3:15-3:30 because the clip has to be free from the belt loops of your pants and the position of my belt loops vary slightly from one pair of jeans to another. GL |
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Been carrying for *many* years, ever since Idaho became a "shall issue" state.
Started w/a Beretta 21A .22 in my back pocket in a DeSantis "Trickster" holster. Moved up to a Beretta 3032 .32 Tomcat (same holster). S&W 6906 for a short while OWB (great concept but too large for my available carry options/wardrobe at the time). Then a Colt Mustang .380 but it was a bit too large for true pocket carry like the Tomcat. Went back to an INOX Tomcat for several years (same holster). M&P9c for about 3 years, AIWB and shoulder holster. Now a SIG P250 subcompact 9mm slide on a bobbed compact grip module, AIWB or shoulder holster plus a Kahr CM9 when I simply cannot carry the SIG. Tomac |
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I started carrying at an age earlier than most but none of us bothered to concern ourselves with laws or whatever. Having a gun at all times was just something that you did. My nearly 60 year old mom carries a gun everywhere and she works in high rise offices. I think I was around 15 or so when I started carrying all the time. It was a PPK/S that I wish I still had. Obviously that wouldn't fly these days but then again I also flew my prom date to dinner 200 miles away.
I got my first carry license at 21 and started legally carrying a G19 in a generic Summer Special knock off that I still have. I carried that gun for a couple of years. I grew up on Hi Powers and 1911s so I decided to switch to a 5 inch Government model. I carried that gun for several years in a VMII until I decided to try out a Beretta 92. I carried it in a VMII for a year or so. My dad gave me a Glock 22 that was an extra from an order that his agency had bought (he was allowed to buy it from the department brand new.) It was my first personally owned .40 caliber so I decided to start carrying it. I carried it for years in the same Summer Special knock off that I had started carrying ten years prior. Throughout all of that I carried a Walther PPK/S or S&W 442 or M60 on my ankle as a backup. Over the last year or so I have carried both the Smiths and Walther as backup but also a G19 in a Glock 'Sport/Combat" OWB holster when I can get away with not having my shirt tucked in. RC |
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Started carrying legally (in another country) in 1998. Started with a CZ100 in 9mm.
Then went to CZ75, Vector SP, Griffon 1911, Glock. Now it's either a G19, LCP or P32. Have had others in between, but these are the ones that stand out. Have a NAA .22lr as well - but I seldom carry it anymore. Almost always carry OWB in kydex (leather before the kydex craze) or in a pocket holster. Not a big fan of IWB. |
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I was hesitant to get my CCW because I knew my leather No-name clip on holster wasn't concealing my Beretta 85BB when worn on my hip. It did conceal decently at the small-of-back position. I couldn't bend naturally w/o printing and it didn't lend well to wrastling around with the kids or playing golf.
I finally decided to get my CCW after an undercover cop told me how he carried his gun and I discovered a holster that worked better than his method. He just dropped it in his underwear... I found the smartcarry on line from somewhere and proceeded to wear two of them out before I gave in to the temptation of a traditional IWB and stiff belt combo. CompTac Spartan Slide and a 5:11 leather belt w/ a stiffener of some sort for my M&P 9 and 9c. Worn during the winter so I was able to get away with the bulge. The belt wore out at the buckling hole in no time and since I was tired of taking the holster off and on just to change pants... I looked to the smartcarry style again. I ordered a 3Speedholsters.com and loved its durability over the smartcarry.com. The downside was that it was made with way too much padding and material. You could clearly see something was abnormal about my crotch area- tucked or untucked. 3Speeds owner worked with me on a custom design that works perfect for when I want a low riding solution. For times when I can get away with a higher riding appendix carry, I ordered CompTacs Infadel but the clips showing drew people's attention when I tucked so I had to come up with something different. ( I would look away for a second at my phone during a conversation and then quickly look back... Yep. I caught more than one person eyeing the clips. ) I also did not like how my penis would get pinched on the hard kydex. That never happened with the smartcarry or 3Speed. On a whim, I installed the Spartan on a flimsy belt right over my underwear and then put on loose fitting shorts. Then jeans. Then pants. Worked like a charm even though the cant was wrong. So I bought a scrap piece of holster leather from a cobbler for $10,and cut my own pattern with belt slots and zero cant. Awesome results! The draw was fast and smooth, the reholster was easy, and the leather didn't pinch Mr. Happy. The gun didn't sag and was every bit as comfortable as my smartcarry and custom 3Speed. I searched the web for nylon belts. The thinner the better. I found the loopbelt.com with the square rubber buckle and place that buckle behind my hip. Just about a month ago, I rode dirt-bikes up at Rampart ( CO ) with this set up. Two 26 mile rides and a few 6 mile rides over the course of four days. Walked around camp with the set up the whole time... No one knew a thing. When we got back to Denver, I switched to the 3Speed and played 36 holes of golf. No one ever knew. A couple nights ago, while at an ARFCOM get-together, I put the Sheild in the 3Speed & pocked carried my 9c in the front pocket of my shorts using a #3 UncleMikes pocket holster. I tucked my polo style shirt in and when asked by one of the guys, he showed considerable surprise that I had two guns, three extra mags, a knife, and a flashlight at the ready. I used to carry the Airweight in the 3Speed holster when I needed to go slim and tucked. ETA: oh yea... Forgot about the two belly bands in there somewhere. I think the first one was before the smartcarry. About $15 and the Velcro was starting to rip off the material. Too uncomfortable anyway after a few hours. |
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9 years carrying pretty much full time.
Taurus PT111 9mm in Don Hume OWB with thumbstrap Sig Sauer 239 40cal in Don Hume IWB Keltec P32 in 32cal in Uncle Mikes pocket holster RIA 1911 Gov 45acp in Don Hume IWB Keltec p32a in 380cal in Uncle Mikes pocket holster Sig Sauer 229 in 40 cal in Don Hume OWB Springfield XD Subcompact in Done Hume IWB Glock 19 9mm Gen3 in Don Hume IWB Smith and Wesson Gunsite Edition 1911 with Bobtail in Don Hume IWB Springfield XD Service in 9mm Comptac Infidel Springfield XD SC in 9mm Comptac Infidel Glock 19 Gen 4 in Comptac Infidel Glock 26 Gen 4 in Comptac Infidel Smith MP 9mm in Comptac Infidel Smith MPc 9mm in Comptac Infidel Keltec PF9 in 9mm in Uncle Mikes pocket holster Springfield Custom Commander bobtail 1911 in Comptac Infidel Smith and Wesson PD Edition railed 1911 in Comptac Infidel |
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I've only been CCW'ing for ~5 years (started @ 19), so I don't have much experience, but I do know that I have gone from flimsy belts and IWB holsters with single clips and carrying a large and heavy 1911 to a proper tuck-able holster, reinforced belt and a proper CCW pistol (G19) for my size.
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The first day I carried in 2005, I was packing a Glock 19. I still pack a Glock 19 most of the time, but I've also got a S&W 638 that I carry some days. During that 8 years, I've also tried carrying other Glocks(specifically a 22, 34, 26, 27, 36, 23, 21, and a 21SF), 1911s, a Browning Hi-Power, a Springfield XD compact 9mm, S&W 642s and a 442, M&P45s(compact and full-sized), a Ruger LC9, HK USPs, Beretta 92s, and probably some others that I've forgotten about.
I've still got a few of the guns listed above, but I don't seem to get around to carrying them for various reasons. |
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I started carrying in 1996.
Have carried quite a variety of guns since. Revolvers I've carried: S&W M60 .38 S&W M642 .38 S&W M66 both 2-1/2" and 4" .357 Magnum S&W M625 .45 ACP Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum Semi autos: SIG P220 .45 ACP SIG P225 9mm SIG P229 .40 S&W Browning Hi-Power 9mm Mauser HSc .380 ACP Colt Lightweight Commander .45 ACP Springfield Mil-Spec 1911 .45 ACP Beretta 3032 Tomcat .32 ACP Ruger LCP .380 ACP Glock 17 9mm Glock 19 9mm Glock 20 10mm Glock 21 .45 ACP Glock 26 9mm S&W M&P Shield 9mm Now I've pretty much settled on the Glocks, and the M&P Shield most of the time. I still occasionally carry one of the .38 snubbies for quick trips because they are just so easy to stuff in a pocket and go. Got rid of the .32 and .380 guns though. I've come to the decision that even though they were better than nothing, I just didn't have any confidence in them. The .38's loaded with the classic 158gr. LSWCHP+P load is the minimum I'm comfortable with. |
| 2000 to 2012 G23 in various holsters. Late 2013 to present G30 in a crossbreed supertuck. I only switched due to the change in my duty issued Glock. We went from the G23 to the G21. I liked the G23, but when you can get ammo for next to nothing that can sway your opinion a lot. |
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