For those who carry all the time. Got a question.

[beranimus]

I conceal carry all day, every day. My firearm of choice is an M&P 9c in a Theis IWB holster. The setup works pretty good but I kind of have a problem. I've been carrying it for about 6 months and have shot it a lot and I've just never really "fallen in love" with the gun. It's always worked flawlessly and shoots great but it seems like there's something missing I guess. I'm always looking for something to replace it.

So my question to you is:
What do you carry and why did you choose it?
Do you prefer single stack or a double stack for better capacity?

I have a somewhat active job so I can't carry anything much, if at all, bigger than my m&p.

Thanks for the input.

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[RedneckRampage]

I carry a Glock 23, and get the same kinda feeling. It bores me, BAD! But, it shoots amazing, is tuff, cheap, and easy to carry. Today I bought a new 1911. I've carried them in the past and really like them, and shoot them pretty well too. I plan to go back to carrying one as soon as my holster gets here.

 

[simon99]

Man, talk about opening a can of worms with this thread.....ha,ha

I carry every single day. I actually rotate about 4 or 5 pistols depending on weather, what I'm wearing and what I'm doing that particular day. I might carry anything from a Beretta 92, 1911, Glock 19/26 or a small pocket pistol. Just depends.

 

[MarkAd]

1911 a 3 inch barrel. That is my ccw

 

[BAMCIS]

Oh boy this thread is sure to get some interest.

For me this all depends.

Summertime I generally carry a Ruger LCP. (The first rule of a gunfight is to HAVE A GUN)
Wintertime I like to carry my Kobra Carry just because I want to. I do not see the need to have 15+ rounds as I do not prescribe to the "spray and pray" philosophy.

However, on the other hand, if I'm going to be salmon fishing all day I generally carry my Glock 19. It stands up to the marine environment.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Carry a three pound 1911.. you'll either fall in love with it, or find that you "loved" your present pistol all along.

 

[Nutty4Guns]

I recently went back to a compact 1911 (Dan Wesson ECO). I like the thought of a higher capacity double stack, but the single stack 45 feels so much better in my preferred method of carry (IWB). Since getting my ECO, my poor HK just sits in the safe most of the time.

 

[Dunerunner]

Winter - Colt 1991A1 .45 ACP, 7+1 in a Galco Miami Jackass shoulder rig with a dual mag pouch, 8 round.
Summer - Taurus 24/7 PRO, 9MM, 2 - 17 round mags, IWB Galco Summer Comfort.

I'd like a Kahr 9 for summer carry, it just feels so small in my hand. The Taurus is a full size piece and gets a little edgy when I'm seated. Seems it finds a place in my rib cage to poke at me no matter how I am seated.

 

[gaijinsamurai]

Glock 19 in a Galco outside the pants or Bianchi inside the pants holster, or a Maxpedition bag.

On occasion I carry a Glock 30.

 

[simon99]

I rotate my Desert Eagle with my Taurus Raging Bull....haha...

 

[Fast Eddie]

It's a tool, it has a job, being a BBQ gun or your favorite range pistol is not what it does. It is inconspicuous, handy, and able to turn spines yellow and if necessary put bullets in bad guys.

 

[mancat]

your carry gun frankly SHOULD be boring to you. you shouldn't be playing with it all the time.

 

[Nutty4Guns]

your carry gun frankly SHOULD be boring to you. you shouldn't be playing with it all the time.

I disagree. I would argue that you should be very familiar with your weapon. We're still talking about guns right?

 

[Certaindeaf]

If you put tinsel and pinwheels on your tactical wheelbarrow, you'll not only be not bored, but you'll be able to carry all the necessary bandaids for the slings and arrows you'll be dodging. good talk

 

[oknow]

your carry gun frankly SHOULD be boring to you. you shouldn't be playing with it all the time.

I agree

I disagree. I would argue that you should be very familiar with your weapon. We're still talking about guns right?

how often do you mess with your wallet? it's there you know how it works why play with it, your carry gun should be the same.

 

[Nutty4Guns]

how often do you mess with your wallet? it's there you know how it works why play with it, your carry gun should be the same.

I mess with my wallet quite a bit. It's made from shiny leather.

On a serious note, I agree that you shouldn't play with your carry gun all the time. Aside from range play that is. There is no reason that it has to be boring to look at though. Maybe you guys have been married too long?

 

[nastybynature]

The pistol you feel most confident to put the holes where you want them, yet are comfortable concealing is the one you should carry. Have a .380 bodyguard IWB with a DTOM holster for shorts with a tank top kind of weather. It is just so concealable and sometimes that is what matters most to me. Otherwise I have a large carry 1991A1 IWB with winthrop leather holster. Have yet to find a holster that can beat the comfort for the price. or even twice the price. I also use a winthrop IWB holster for my XDs .45. But even though after the recall it has a much nicer trigger, the pistol I think I will end up carrying is the xd9 sub compact. I picked one up when my XDs was in for the recall and it is the best concealable pistol i have ever shot for re-acquisition of target and intuitive grip angle. It is just so accurate and everyone that I have handed it to wants it or one for themselves. Put it this way, the wife has been carrying it with the smaller 13+1 magazine and won't give it back. I will have to buy my own I guess.

Update 12/22/13 - As stated i was not happy with the fit and feel of my XDs .45. Yesterday I traded it for an XDm9 3.8" and after shooting it today, I am much happier with the fit and feel. So I am still on the quest for the best CCW .45 compact for ME.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Summer time- Ruger LCP w/ LazerMax in a SHTF IWB holster. It's a hybrid.

Cooler months- Sig Sauer P-250 compact .45ACP in a Galco COP3 belt holster, 2 mag carrier.
Colt Officers model .45 in a Galco paddle holster or, rarely, a Galco Miami Classic shoulder holster w/ 2 mag carrier. I like them all but I have become a fan of polymer frames in the last couple of years. They are just more comfortable to me and I have gained faith that they won't fall apart in my hand! LOL!!!

PS: Redneck, I'm not sure just what you mean by boring. To me a handgun that did not fit my hands perfectly or that I couldn't get into action quickly would be a little boring. All about fit and function to me. Cosmetics would mean very little. I do get a little thrill when practicing with my P-250 and LCP With snap caps when I make a particularly smooth or quick draw and when the lazer is dead center when the hammer drops. All the more with live fire! BTW I haven't practiced a draw with live ammo for years. I enjoy holding them because their ergonomics fit my dinky little hands perfectly. Not fondling folks. I guess that I'm agreeing with richardlpalmer, below. Find the gun that fits all your carry criteria and is a joy to hold/shoot!

PPS: Redneck, after thinking about it longer I get it. It's a Glock! Now it's a 1911! Step up all around! LOL!

 

[SomeDude]

"Something missing" is a rabbit hole to be fallen down in. Ask me how I know. I'm constantly going back and forth on carry guns, as well as other guns. I've settled on my LCP as being the "one that's always with me". I've tried the Shield, LCR, P238, P938, and the LCP is the only one I can conceal comfortably no matter what. I wear business attire for work and am a fairly skinny guy. I have a Glock 19 that stays in my Maxpedition bag always within reach at home and when I'm in the car, but unfortunately I can't carry it effectively in work clothes.

Took me a while to arrive at the LCP and bought and sold several guns to reach that conclusion. The good news is guns hold value unlike cars or electronics so you won't lose your shirt if it takes a few purchases to find what you like. It's funny, I had a M&P9c, and was probably my favorite pistol to shoot. It felt like it had way more character than my Glock. If you're like me it may always seem like something is missing. The grass is always greener. It took me a while to realize there will always be something missing, because it's just an object. It has no soul. Find what works best for you to carry, which may not always be the one you like best or want to show off to your friends. I worry about all that with all my other guns that I don't carry every day.

 

[richardlpalmer]

While some may have multiple weapons that suit different attire/weather/needs, some don't -- they're one-gun-only carry peeps. If you're in this boat there might be some other guns you could try. But honestly, I'd just suggest going to a range that has a bunch of guns you can try and go through them. Maybe you're an XDm or an FN guy. Maybe you're interested in a single/staggered sub-compact like the M&P Shield or XDS?

Do you want to stick with 9mm or go to a high compression round like the .40? Do you want a .45ACP? Something smaller, like a PPK in .32 or an LCP, Sig P238, etc.

Glock's 36 is really cool -- it's their only single stack gun and it's a .45ACP. But there are also compact 1911s out there, like the Detonics Combat Master I love so much, keeping you squarely in the single-stack market.

Also, where do you like to conceal? Are you a 1 o'clock, 3 o'clock or 6 o'clock carrier? If at the 12/1 o'clock position is it deep conceal?