Alright, it's been awhile for this thread, but I've just added something

I got a Glock 43. It's for summer carry and for times I needed to just get a gun to go. Smaller and more manageable than the larger G19 I've been carrying.

I've added night sights and Taran Tactical +2 and +3 base plates for carrying and so far, it's been awesome.

Been carrying it in an IWB holster made by On Your 6 Design.

I'm not a Glock guy mind you but sounds pretty good.

As for me, I might soon be finally getting my first piece (of my very own). Will be scoping out all the places around here over the next week or so. Leaning to a shotgun right now, but if I see a decent handgun for the right price, well.. Would have liked to wait for the next gun show here but that's not 'til August. Bah.

I'll certainly let ya guys know in due course. Will finally be nice to 'join the club', heh.

Congrats on that one. I've got a similar setup, running Truglo tritiums and a Bladetech iwb. Hides regardless of what I'm wearing, and I sit around 140.

Seems to love 124 grain defense ammo, I've put some solid groups down with Hornady custom.

Hit the range with it yet?

I carry mine in an IWB holster made by On Your 6 Design. Really nice holster. I got Trijicon HD sights on. I carry with Winchester PDX-1 +P.

I carry mine at around the 4 o clock position.

It works well at the range with no problems so far. The extended base plates had no malfunctions after 100 rounds. I had a box of surplus ammo which 1 having a light primary strike, but it could be just the round because the second time, it worked.

With the +2 extension I carry with, it really feels like a G26 sliced in half. With the +3 extension as my spare, it feels like a G19 sliced in half and I could still hide it pretty well under a shirt. With my G19, I've always practiced making sure all my shots hit dead center to put a threat down fast, but now with significantly less rounds, I needed to practice even more so. There cannot be a single miss or ineffective hit on a body when you shoot a small gun like this. Thankfully, this thing shoots with the uncontrollablity of a bigger gun and it is awesome.

Just picked up a RIA 1911 GI for $400.

It might not be a top of the line pistol but it looks like it will get the job done.

I think I am finally saving up money so I can have my dream collector gun. An M1 Garand

A dream collector gun that is also a good "Get off my lawn" gun. In the movies anyhow.

That's one of 'em I consider a piece of real history as well as a quite viable firearm. Very good, man.

I got a Winchester 1300 Defender to replace the one I traded for that broke-dick Redhawk (that Ruger broke MORE then refused to fix, by the way) to help out a family friend. Good thing is, it's in very good shape; bad thing is, I'm a bit tall for basically everything that doesn't have a pistol grip so I'm going to have to figure something out

I'm looking around for good prices. If anybody has ideas, drop a link for me.

Just ordered some Pachmayr Signature grips for my 39-2, considering getting more mags; loving this gun so far, is better in every way than I expected. Wondering if it'd also be worth it to track down a set of new sights for it, some that aren't plain black, because I can't pick them up quickly

EDIT: never mind, no one makes replacement rear sights for the 39 series

I have gotten a mountain of stuff since I last posted and I have some other doodads in the pipeline, but I wanted to share one purchase I'm particularly happy to have obtained, a 1991 Beretta 92FS.

http://i.imgur.com/G2hTjPB.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4XFEcHY.jpg

The pictures make the marks on the finish look worse than they are. It's in fantastic overall shape for being as old as me. It came with the original box, original cleaning brush, and an original alloy base 15 round magazine. No warning labels, straight dust cover, made in Italy. I've found that Bruniton Italian preban 92FS's have also become particularly rare, even more rare than Inox models. Aside from an American F (the Beretta used in Die Hard and Lethal Weapon which secured the gun's status in popular culture), this is the quintessential Beretta 92, as it is the pinnacle of the gun's development, and cleaner and cooler than post ban and current production models with cost cutting design compromises and excessive markings.

For me in particular, this gun is also a reclaimed birthright. My dad was in the Army in the 1980's, and from what my family has told me, he purchased a Beretta 92 of some sort when he was discharged. At some point, though, he pawned the gun off and I have no idea where it is now. If he still had it, it'd be in my collection by now I'm sure, but it's lost forever. So, being an ideal model, and being a gun manufactured in my birth year of 1991, this 92FS will serve as an appropriate surrogate. I'm never selling this one.

I forgot pictures of the 39-2!


https://i.gyazo.com/58a4163905ee530d...ec8f1b4f84.png

https://i.gyazo.com/29e1f2da120ec765...3501672352.png

Just put on the Pachmayrs, they add a ton of thickness to the 39's grip and the backstap cover doesn't fit. Having huge hands, I think they're perfectly fine, but the grip is seriously about the same as my 4506 now

I used to think I didn't like Glocks. Now I already have three of them: Gen 3 Glock 34, Gen 2 Glock 17, and Gen 3 Glock 26.

I started my gun collection not carrying for Glocks either, but they are simple, fairly reasonable price and reliable.

I'd buy a police trade in Glock whatever if they were available at a good price at the same time I was looking for something. Then I could tape it under my bathroom sink, or stash it with a friend just in case

I'd like a used Glock 19 to use in the action pistol competitions at my range and winter carry, but if I have to move back to the People's Republic of New Jersey, I have to give up my CC permit.

I've just recently test fire my G43 and it runs like a champ. Doesn't feel too small to handle and the recoil of the 9mm in a small frame isn't overwhelming to make good shots at close range, which is the intended purpose of this gun.

But does it shoot as well as an all metal double stack compact?

http://i.imgur.com/4wECNqL.jpg

Yes. In a world where micro carry guns are proliferating and everyone is shifting to smaller guns for carry, I stuff a P228 into my pocket every day. The gun is a 1991 P228 with a K-Kote slide and an SRT installed. It was worn when I got it so I won't mind it getting carry wear, and the coating makes it more rust proof than a standard old school SIG slide. It's been about two months and I see no reason to switch back to pocket carrying my Model 60. The P228 barely fits in my pocket with a Remora holster, but it does fit, and the holster breaks up the print enough to where it doesn't look like a gun at all.

Finding a way to carry 2 mags was the harder part of the ordeal really. I ended up just using my oldest mag pouch, a Bianchi Accumold 7302. It looks so generic and boring that it could pass for a tool pouch of some sort. My shirt has come up countless times to where it's visible and no one has acknowledged it or said anything, and I deal with people up close all the time at my current job. People are really too preoccupied with their own lives to notice your gear, not to mention they would have to know what it is in the first place. I really like knowing that I have a far more capable setup than my previous one, and one better than probably 99 percent of CCers in this harsh unforgiving Florida swamp climate.

I think you did the opposite of what you wanted there, made a pretty good case against carrying what is arguably (regardless of what SIG calls it) full sized handgun in your pocket. Go full autism and get a hawaiian shirt and a shoulder holster

People really don't pay attention, though, but the ONE person that does is going to fuck up everything for you

Ok, my Glock 19 is just shy of being full size and I don't even carry it IWB. I carry it OWB with a decent size shirt covering it. The idea of IWB a smaller gun, a P228 is NOT a small gun no matter what you call it. If guys at my local PD carry P229s as well as the Secret Service...it isn't really a compact gun, much less a gun for pocket carry...unless you meant the pockets of a cargo pants.

I carry 1 spare mag on me for the G19 and it's the full size G17 mag with a +2 extension. To me, that's just enough spare rounds in a first response situation. If I am near my car, I got 2 more spare full size G17s mags in the glove box and a "get home" bag full of other goodies and I plan on carrying some kind of "get home carbine" in there. Deciding on the Kel-tec Sub2000 or something else. Only for trips where I am out of the house all day, not if I'm going grocery shopping around the corner.


I carry my G19 in a Safariland GLS holster and it fits pretty snug OWB, but I wanted the nice smaller, SMALLER gun of the G43 and I can finally IWB carry it and just slap on a plain T-shirt for summer wear. It barely shows up in the tightest shirt I got. I have only like 2 shirts that can really hide my G19 when I carry it. They are button short sleeve 5.11 style shirts. I feel like I'm doing PMC work every time I put them on or go "adventuring" in some 3rd world country (on top of the fact that I wear cargo pants a lot). In fact, the brand name of my button shirts even advertise "for the adventurer in you". On the other hand, I got tons of t-shirts and other casual shirts that don't stand out.

And as to comparing the shooting of the single stack micro carry pistol to a much larger double stack SIG...seriously? A single stack SIG P series is still too big for conceal carry (SIG is trying to advertise the rebirth of the P225 as a conceal carry gun). My G43 shoots and handles bigger than it is. In contrast, if I put my "carry mag", which is fitted with a +2 Taran Tactical baseplate, the feel of the gun is like a G26 sliced perfectly in half and about the same height. If I put the +3, which is my spare, into the gun, it feels almost like a G19 sliced in half and I can still hide it IWB. So yeah, it's a small gun, but not TOO small and shoots like it's a big gun at close quarters range without any severe recoil that makes your shots go off target if you rapid fire. Which I did. I unloaded 9 rounds in rapid fire at a target 10 feet away and all within reasonable placement center mass hits with no "wild" shot that I accidentally threw somewhere because of how fast I was shooting. I've done that before with other small guns with smaller calibers like the bodyguard .380. It's double action trigger was a bit hard on my finer and don't get me started on the Kel-tec TCP.

It's not full sized because the P226 is full sized and the P228 is slightly smaller than the P226. It's in the compact classification. Regardless of whether or not it is objectively smaller than whatever gun one wants to cherry pick, it is a "compact" that is smaller than it's "full sized" counterpart, and comparable in size to other "compact" guns on the market. Additionally, my goal in detailing the effort I went through with my current setup is just to detail that I've stretched the limits of concealibility to carry a larger gun with the same effectiveness and consistency as I would with a smaller one. Moreover, I'm well over worrying about someone making me since the gun itself is concealed well enough, and someone making the jump from "nylon pouch" to "mag pouch" to "he has a gun" to "he has a gun and is dangerous" to calling the cops and my arrest is wildly farfetched. There are so many ways to de-escalate that at every step of the scenario that it's a non-issue in my eyes. Short of actually brandishing or using the gun where it's totally visible, I'm not worried in the least about getting in trouble with it. The cops around here are pretty cool anyway too.

I think you mean that "The idea of IWB carry is built around smaller sized guns" so I will respond with that in mind.

"Compact" is a mainstream classification under which the P228 falls, nevermind what specifications we actually attribute to the classification. It's just the terminology used to describe the gun's size in a general sense relative to standard "full size" service guns. Also, I never said it was small, just small enough for my purposes, which is perfect. And I do carry the gun in the front right pocket of my 5.11 Taclite Pros, not a cargo pocket, with ease.

Just as well, I've IWB'd my P228 quite a bit with just a T shirt, and it's not ideal for comfort or concealment, but it works well enough from a functional standpoint, given the limitations of my current gear and clothing. The only reason I don't IWB the gun now is because I can't for the life of me find a holster with the proper combo of belt mounting, ride height, cant and sweat protection that I like.

Except it's not, because I carry a double stack just as consistently as I do a micro gun. It takes marginally more effort, but it's far from impossible. I'm just trying to highlight how I've personally inverted the paradigm of CCers making compromises in what they carry, and therefore, their capabilities with their gun, for super highly concealability. I've gone with the minimum amount of concealability for a larger gun, and therefore, a higher degree of shooting performance. You can carry pretty much anything if you gear up and dress accordingly. The only question is whether or not you are willing or able to make the concessions to do so. I think it's interesting, to say the least, that it has become so normal for people to carry smaller guns because of market saturation, aggressive marketing, and the acceptance of carry limitations that are more perceived than real. Just something worth thinking about, I feel.

Alright, fine, it's all about body size and your right, a good holster. Might I recommend Raven, or Bravo Concealment. For cheap, there's a newish company I got mine at "On Your 6 Design". For kinda more expensive HTC makes some pretty good holsters where you CAN fully IWB a full size gun.

I think for those fully committed, it's about how much you are willing to spend and what you are willing to wear. For IWB of a double stack gun, you might have to get a pants size 1 bigger to fit the gun inside your pants.

For concealment, it's about how the holster gun functions while being hidden. If it isn't hidden well, it's not really concealment. That's kind of the point of hiding your gun.

Realistically, 99% of people don't actually look at a bulge in the shirt and think gun. I've seen holsters for phones now that have shirts over it and yeah, they are pretty big underneath a shirt. The one time I know the guy has a gun and not a phone was because he's actually using his phone and he wasn't even trying to hide his Glock 17 underneath a t-shirt. He was still pretty new to carrying guns.

I've tried a Raven Phantom with IWB loops and don't like it overall, but I do use them for OWB holsters. I actually got a Phantom XC1 holster for my P229R and it's literally perfect in every way for OWB. They redesigned the sweat guard so it covers the slide and controls in their entirety, though I don't know if they've done this with their standard Phantoms. If they have, I might buy a new one for my P228.

I've been considering the HTC holsters for a while because they make a dedicated IWB for an XC1 equipped gun, their sweat guard is excellent from what I can see in their pictures, and they have a belt loop option instead of a plastic clip.

My current IWB is an RDR Holster which is phenomenal for the 35 bucks I paid for it, and it works just fine, but it has a plastic clip and a meh sweat guard, and I've been looking for something better to replace it.

Oh yeah, P229R with XC1:

http://i.imgur.com/JRi2wZF.jpg

Me personally, I've never been a fan of DA/SA guns. For beginners, I've always advocate a gun with 1 type of trigger pull, not 2. Be with DAO, SA or Striker fire.

I've always personally liked calling ones like the SIG P228/P229 'intermediate' pistols as 'compact' just seems a bit misleading and exhaustive for me (anything not as big as a full-size is a compact? Bah, tell that to car companies). That said, I'm personally not into Glocks, not because I think they are bad (on the contrary) but because every one I've tried, NONE have felt good in my hand, just can't get confident with drawing and wielding them. Of course I have stubby fingers so any hi-cap is going to be a problem. As Excalibur said, physical attributes come into play for sure.

Some of the single-stack Glocks caught my eye but I still don't prefer that aesthetic or striker fire. I actually like the rebooted P225, but I do agree the overall size might be a tad large still, even if it is a bit flatter. I agree generally that an IWB and/or pocket gun is likely going to have to be something more on the smaller side. Not everyone can hide a larger gun so well, no matter how much they try.

I do think you make a fair point about not limiting yourself YNH and personally like your choice (beautiful SIGs by the way) but I think Excalibur said it mostly. It's all about what concessions you want to make where. And of course, mindset, your evaluation of things. Me, I'm not looking to be any hero, so I'm not looking for a larger piece with 15 rounds at the ready. I'm the guy that would happily carry a snub at this point. As I go forward that might change, but not the mindset I have right now nor going into the near future.

Carrying a gun for me and a lot of people is never about "being a hero" or being a cowboy. It's plain and simple. I carry because it is my right. To be able to defend myself. It doesn't matter what I carry because I have a right to choose.

I don't wake up in the morning, put my gun on and pray for a gun fight. It's just part of my everyday attire and has become second nature. Sometimes I forget I am even carrying a gun, but whenever I feel in danger, I know it is there ready to go.

No, I got ya. I would think all of us on here are like that, because we're not mall ninjas and armchair warriors - Which I have to say I've been around too many of those in the past and still see that type from time to time. Can't stand that shit. Anyway, not meaning anything by that statement, just that I like keeping things simple, and that weighs in to most things, this included. Here, as you said, just looking to defend myself should the need arise. That's it.

Back to business then.. I like your recommendations and tips. I've checked your holster suggestions for the IWB stuff and they mostly look good - Admittedly I lean a bit toward to OWB, though. I often wear two shirts (undershirt and a button down short sleeve - Dickies work shirt or similar) so I think concealment on an OWB isn't too hard, while IWB I might have trouble with effectively deploying when the need arises. That and again, I might go for a not-so-small carry piece. Been looking/thinking about it a bit more seriously in recent months.

While I admire Yournamehere's method, I don't think I'd be able to pull it off. And people carrying full-sizes IWB? I've seen it done, but.. Bah.

OWB is the most comfortable because you don't change your pants size. You can OWB carry pretty much ANY handgun. Hell, if open carry wasn't so much of a social problem, I'd be cool with open carrying from a drop leg holster (the holster will still need to be a kydex type because I hate the old school pouch type with a belt strap.)

Concealing OWB depends largely on the holster, what kind of gun and your shirt. I said it before, I wear a button shit when I OWB my G19 and it hides pretty well and I have a large body. But a button shirt lacks variety in your everyday attire if you care about fashion. I kinda like to change my literal tone every time I go outside instead of the same types of shirts I rely on.


The popular holsters of the "tactical crowd" seemed to be :

Raven -
Bravo Concealment
High Threat Concealment

The store bought every man type:

Blackhawk Serpa - Had a Serpa for a while
Safariland - I really like it's GLS holster
Fobus

Com-tac seemed to be nice

With a bunch of minor ones like:

On Your Six Design (I mentioned this as my G43 holster)
Contact Concealment


Some guys want to carry ALL the spare mags with them. I'm just happy with 1 spare mag, a full size G17 mag with a +2 extension. I'm going to try out other brands like Taran Tactical but they are expensive at 30 bucks a baseplate.

I don't carry my gun with a weapon light attached. I prefer a hand light in my other pocket. Also holster choices and clothing are limited even more with a weapon light attached.

Agree about the light, myself. Also I don't care about fashion in most of everyday life so that's not a worry so much with me. But a good point to bring up still.

I had forgotten about Safariland.. I guess I had thought they went away or something. Silly me. Definitely will wanna hit them up.

I'm a tad divided on open carry. I don't share the ostrich mentality most people do, particularly when it comes to firearms. Seeing a guy with a holstered gun doesn't give me disgust or disquiet - If anything when I know the guy/gal's armed that helps - I like to know things so there ya go. And being an honest and generally open dude I don't mind letting others know either. No ambiguity. That said, the inherent tactical advantage to concealed is always a valid point. Not that any of it matters though since not many places allow it for handguns if at all (including where I live now). Bah.

Safariland is hardly an everyman holster. It's definitely not on the same level as Fobus (rivets) or Blackhawk (shoot yourself in the leg). They are THE brand for active retention duty holsters and overt carry rigs. You'd be hard pressed to find a cop that doesn't have a Level II or III holster that they make, or a drop leg that isn't a 6004/6005 or variant thereof. They have their quirks like the suede lining coming loose and the fact that they aren't made in America, but their manually activated hood design and their ALS button combined with their overall build quality is better than any competing designs on the market in my opinion.

I also wouldn't necessarily put HTC in the highest bracket simply because they don't have the notoriety or brand recognition like Raven (MD/Costa bump) and Bravo (we ripped off Raven's designs, marketed with youtubers and charge half the price with half the lead time). Their stuff seems to be just as well made, though, but I won't know until I buy their products.

That's the great thing about the XC1. It doesn't make the gun that much bigger or bulkier, so having a good WML for a concealed gun becomes really feasible, which is not the case with the X300U or TLR-1 or lights like them. If you can OWB a Glock 19 or P229R or something similarly sized or bigger, you can carry it with the XC1 and not worry about additional printing or sticking beneath a shirt line or something. I don't think it would adversely affect IWB either but I can't say for certain.

There's a lot of controversy about using WMLs at all, but regardless of the drawbacks, they are the easiest, most effective way to illuminate a target while maintaining a good two handed grip on a gun. I used to just carry a Surefire 6PX Tactical with a Thyrm Switchback for a tactical light to use with a gun out, but I still don't find it to be 100 percent effective, although it's pretty close. Now with the XC1, I can use that for gun applications, and the 6PX Tactical for searching without muzzling people or something like that. Plus, I have a dedicated lower lumen EDC light for everyday stuff. I realize I'm the exception to the norm when it comes to EDC, carrying 2-3 lights and a compact gun which may or may not have a WML, but it's easier than you'd think, and worth it because of the capabilities at your disposal.

Well I am really loving the Safariland's GLS holster, which is pretty much designed for conceal carry, but they don't make one for lights of any kind yet. I'd have to go over to those custom kydex companies to make a holster for that and that's extra money and wait time.

Ok, when I mentioned Safariland. I mean it as I've been seeing their products in local gun stores more and more. It used to be this higher level company that I'd have to go to a cop store or online to get them.

I always carry a light on me anyway and I believe I'm pretty well practiced in using a hand light with my gun. At home, I got an Inforce (awesome light for a good price...but not as durable as Surefire which are built like tanks). My hand light is a Surefire.

I subscribe to using more whatever works. Some guys will only use weapon lights, so use just hand light, but I like to learn as many different techniques for different situations.

Glock isn't for everyone, but it works. Some people's hands have problems with it. Mine don't and I got big hands. Holding the single stack G43 was amazing because of how thin it is, but not too thin.

At this point, I'm just getting holsters made if I need them; I have odd guns, and I'm left handed, so it's just the way it is

Seems like the gun groups I am apart of are gearing up for another panic buy after this attack in Orlando.

Indeed. I saw a couple articles/posts fro a pro-gun LGBT group warning their fellow LGBTs not to get swept up in the emotionally charged gun-ban hysteria and instead go about squaring their-selves away more than ever in regards to arming and protecting themselves.

That said, my little sister now more than ever is wanting to save up and get an AR. She's considered it since San Bernardino, was still a bit on the fence, though. Now however, I think it'll be her next big purchase after getting new tires. Was inquiring about it a bit with my old man and I yesterday.

Get body armor as well. I'm looking at AR500. They got good prices

As a Floridian, I am very wary of potential regulations being passed here in the wake of this shooting. I was talking with my friend in Colorado about the BS 15 round magazine restriction put in place after Sandy Hook that halted the circulation of AR mags in his state, even displacing Magpul as a company. I don't know if the post-shooting anti-gun political action will cause something like that here.

Just as well, I'm wondering if I should buy the ammo I was planning on getting earlier than expected, even though I've already bought so much other stuff that needs to be paid down. I'm also on the fence about stocking up on AR and SIG mags early too.

For home defence? For a mass shooting like San Bernardino I personally don't think an AR is much help. Unless you have it on you a gun is useless, and if it is in your car then if you have gotten to your car you should be getting the fuck out of there.