Carry gun Nirvana; now what??

[HaveGun]

After decades of trying various carry pistols and doing endless research and trades and spending thousands of dollars in pursuit of the right balance of capacity, size, accuracy, reliability, and power, I have achieved carry pistol Nirvana with the acquisition of my Sig P365.

I started with a Ruger P90 in .45 acp in the mid 90's, then a S&W 686, then went to the dark side with various Glocks, Beretta's, Walthers, M&Ps, and then more Glocks.

I now have a pistol that is the smallest I've owned, nearly as accurate as the largest I've owned, has low recoil, holds 12 rounds, a safety, night sights, great trigger, 100% reliability, good looking, and points naturally. Absolutely love this little pistol!

But I've been going through withdrawal. For the first couple of months, it was nice not going online every day and reading posts and articles about various platforms and pistols and engaging in endless debates regarding the best carry gun. It was quietly amusing seeing posts from folks frustrated in their choice of carry gun that wasn't living up to expectations. I would just smile and simply post to get a P365 and be done with the drama. I'd found Nirvana and it was peaceful.

But lately, I've been missing going over all of the pros and cons of each candidate for carry. I've missed hunting for the best deal on a subcompact carry gun.

I think I'll be OK, though. I started turning my attention to range toys and bucket list guns and just bought my first 1911.

Anyone else find their perfect carry gun and ended the seemingly endless pursuit of carry pistol Nirvana?

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[Medic!]

Ohhhhhhhh your not done yet.

I can hear it in your voice.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

My perfect carry gun is my Colt Series '70 Government ( original , not a Colt reissue ) in .45ACP.
It was my dad's pistol and the first pistol I ever shot.
Been my carry gun for what seems forever now.
its the top one in the picture below.

Are newer pistols out there ...sure...but I know this one and can shoot it well.
As for the "now what??"...easy...buy ammo and shoot...
Andy

 

[DB is Here]

I get what you're saying but that's an itch that'll always need to be scratched...enjoy.

 

[PaulB47]

"Anyone else find their perfect carry gun and ended the seemingly endless pursuit of carry pistol Nirvana?"

Ruger LC9S. The perfect compromise (as all carry guns must be). Cheap and ugly, but it does what I need it to do better than almost any handgun I have had (get rounds properly and quickly on target) - I'd have to go back to my big heavy CZ-75 to do that better. It's amazing what an excellent trigger can do for a little gun. And I don't care if it gets scratched or the bluing goes away or some rust shows up.

I have drooled some over the P365XL, but why? The little Ruger is good enough. Honestly, I'm more interested in rifles. Handguns are tools, like a hammer or screwdriver.

 

[HaveGun]

Ohhhhhhhh your not done yet.

I can hear it in your voice.

Nope. My last carry gun was a S&W M&P40c that held 10 rounds. It is a pig compared to the P365, doesn't feel nearly as good in the hand, and is not nearly as accurate. Before that was a Gen 5 G19 that was more accurate, held 15 rounds, felt great, but was even bigger. The choice before that was an XDS 40 that was super accurate, but harsh recoil and only held 6 rounds. And it was still slightly bigger and heavier than the P365.

Nope, the P365 checks all of the boxes and is perfect.

 

[Makers Mark]

My current carry gun is the P365. Before that I carried a gen 1 Shield which was purchased shortly after they came out.
Last week my family went to the range and as I was selecting which guns to take, for some reason I picked the old Shield as one. (in addition to the 365 and others)

Turns out I still shoot the Shield very well, better than the 365 even. Need more practice with the 365.

 

[thorborg]

I used a 380 Remington 51 till the 80's or so then a 357 revolver up till the late 90's, then bounced around between sigs, glocks, CZ and Berettas all in 9mm, plus a few plastic mouse guns in 32 which I will sometimes still carry in my pocket. While I liked carrying and concealability of the little glock 26 I couldn't shoot it very well and did not like the trigger. I finally got my first 1911, it shot great, felt good, except for the weight, but had difficulties with summer carry. I then ordered and waited six months for the sig 365 when it first came out ignoring all the flack it was receiving. It fit me well, I could shoot it well, concealed very well and best of all it was over a pound and a half lighter (24 ounces)(FULLY LOADED) than my 1911. it even works well in an ankle holster with no discomfort when I must. I have never had any return to battery, stove pipe, or feed issues. The night sights are easy to acquire, fast to align, and comforting to see in the dark next to my bed.
I still carry the 1911 in the winter and out in the woods but I too feel my search for the perfect (for me) carry gun, is over with the P365.

 

[TTSX]

If only they made it in a man's caliber

 

[BillyJean]

This is the first write up that's made me really want to try a 365. Thanks for sharing your experience.

I too have found my perfect carry gun. My problem is, I keep finding them

 

[sobo]

If only they made it in a man's caliber

And the endless caliber debate begins in 3... 2... 1...

 

[sobo]

This is the first write up that's made me really want to try a 365.

You really should try one. I have one and it's part of my "summer carry" wardrobe. I revert to the P320 in .40 for my "winter" wardrobe...

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Well if we want to play the caliber game...
Then..
40 grains of 2F a greased felt wad and a .454 round ball for the Colt Dragoon...
Or
40 grains of 2F a .15 patch and a .530 round ball for my belt pistol...
Ifin' y'all wanta to go all Old West...
Andy

 

[sobo]

Well if we want to play the caliber game...

It wasn't meant to be an invitation...

 

[Andy54Hawken]

It wasn't meant to be an invitation...

Oh...
Yeahbut....where is the fun in that....
Andy

 

[sobo]

Andy... Andy... Andy... You, of all people, should know better.

And to think that we look to you for guidance in these matters...

 

[Kruel J]

I carry a G45 or a G48 depending on how I'm dressed. Lately its been the G48 with a 15 round Shield Arms magazine. Same capacity as a G19 yet thinner and lighter. What's not to like.

But yes, I think many of us are kinda always on the prowl for the "perfect" EDC.

 

[Lesliet]

I dunno, Andy, I sure liked my .44 Colt Walker . ~ 500 ft-lb energy, what does the Dragoon do in .454?

 

[OldTengu]

Favorite: G30s
Current carry: shield 9
I change my carry relatively often based on dress and surroundings. Helps keep the brain sharp. Disappointed in myself for not keeping the first shield I had, as I have discovered how easy it is to shoot.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I dunno, Andy, I sure liked my .44 Colt Walker . ~ 500 ft-lb energy, what does the Dragoon do in .454?

My Dragoon gets around 300-330 ft-lb energy with 40 grains and a .454 round ball
Andy