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Why carry the gun you do?

What is your top factor in choosing to carry the gun you do? You can choose only one.

  • Accesories Available

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Brand

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bullet Capacity

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Ease of Use

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Look

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Reliability

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Weight

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    2

AbNo

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
3,805
Location
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
imported post

No multiple choice?

I like mine because

A> It's .45

B> There's a good Serpa holster for it (I can be lifted off the ground when it's locked!)

C> It's reliable as all get-out.

D> It's steel framed, so it's well balanced.

E> It's a 1911.

Note: These reasons are not necessarily in order. :D
 

Gordie

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
716
Location
, Nevada, USA
imported post

SlackwareRobert wrote:
marshaul wrote:
If I had to give one reason I carry the gun I do, it would be "because it's a 1911".

Problem is, that begs the question, and there are dozens of reasons why a 1911 is a good gun to carry. ;)
Ther are only dozens of reasons if you have your spare mag on you.:celebrate
If you get the Para you can start with 15 rounds, thatis only 4 or 5behind most other double stacks in 9mm.
 

Ram Rod

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2008
Messages
15
Location
Crawford county, Arkansas, , USA
imported post

I simply had to choose ease of use in the poll. I've been shooting Glocks for ten + years. They work best for me. I carry three different calibers and choice of caliber is not that important when you practice. It's shot placement that counts. Weight should'nt be much of a factor either IMO. I've carried a SIG P220 OWB occasionally. Size relates to conceal-ability only depending on the person and a bit of engineering. And no matter what you have, you've got to be willing to work with it, practice with it, and learn it before venturing into the real world and relying and depending on it no matter what ammo you choose to carry with it.
 

Hadley

New member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
21
Location
NE POCONOS, Pennsylvania, USA
imported post

:)Everything mentioned in the poll are important factors but on security guard salaries my wife & I needed to consider cost. A really good friend with alot of pistols sold me a glock22 with laser max guide rod for $300 and my wife got a glock17 gen 2 for $200.
 

bugly

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Messages
310
Location
Taco-Ma, Washington, USA
imported post

I carry a heavily modified (read accurized and reliable) 1911A1 .45 ACP
My reason for doing so is; I was made familiar with it in the Army over 25 years ago, and I have never had one fail me, either in combat situations or for personal protection.
IMHO, most of the 1911's on the market are fairly good, but I also have a penchant for modifying everything I own to make it work the way I want it to.
The fact that all of my 1911's go bang EVERY TIME I squeeze the noise button makes it a reliable enough choice to make me feel safe.
The other side of this equation is: Carry what makes YOU safe, whether its a .22 Derringer or a Desert Eagle, or, if you don't like guns in the first place, carry a sharpened Popsicle stick if that's what does the job. That's what makes this country great, choices.
 

Whatgives?

New member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
9
Location
Western Washington, ,
imported post

Reliability is obviously paramount to the choice of any weapon you're planning on defending yourself with but second in my mind is ease of use. What good are looks, caliber or anything else if you don't have confidence in your ability to use a firearm safely and accurately? This obviously will vary from person to person but reasoning along the lines of, "Its a 1911/glock/etc!" doesn't translate into very responsible carry doctrines on their own.
 

Dustin

Regular Member
Joined
May 28, 2008
Messages
1,723
Location
Lake Charles Area, Louisiana, USA
imported post

Loneviking wrote:
Reliability and accuracy. If I can't hit with what I'm carrying, and trust the gun to function 100% of the time, I'm not using it! The gun will be traded or sold.

That's a real good point.

IF "YOU" can't hit with it, it's worthless.

Doesn't matter who makes it, how much it cost, or who won how many competitions with it.

If YOU can't hit with it, it's worhtless.
 

Liko81

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2007
Messages
496
Location
Dallas, TX, ,
imported post

tripledipper wrote:
Think you should allow more than one factor. Brand, reliability and weight are equally important to me. Just my 2 cents.

+1. Not so much brand, but the most important factors for me, and they're really all equally important, are size/weight (concealability), caliber, capacity, and reliability. Cost is a secondary but limiting factor; you pick the best gun in those fiorst four categories that agrees with your budget.

I carry a Ruger P95. It's a bit bulky, but not too heavy, it is absolutely rock-solid, factory capacity is 15+1 9mm (I will take 15 9mm HPs over 7 of any .45), and they'rerelatively inexpensive as handguns go.
 

BJA

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
503
Location
SOuth Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
imported post

Glock 22 main reason RELIABILITY!!!! now gotta get out to the range more!got it in may and put about 600 rounds which aint much. Thinking about taking a tactical weapons course, once I get some dammed money.
 

YllwFvr

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
270
Location
Scranton, Pa, ,
imported post

I didnt care about caliber or brand or reliability at all. I went in there and handled about 20 pistols from .38 revolvers to 45 1911s and went by feel. Whatever felt the most comfortable in my hand was going to be the winner. From there I could worry about caliber. I figured if it felt awkward then I'd be less inclined to carry it. Walked out with a glock 22C .40 and a few months laterl picked up a Taurus Millenium Pro 9mm compact. Dont remember the # specifications maybe a PT111??? I carried the Glock more tho unless it was blistering hot out then I toted the taurus for its small imprint.

REALLY looking for my new one though!
 

OldManMontgomery

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
31
Location
Hastings, Nebraska; the Heartland!
imported post

I cannot limit my choice to one factor. Sorry if that doesn't fit into your sampling mechanism.

I carry a sidearm that will strike a serious blow, reliably and accurately. Perhaps I should word it that I select on the basis of a a reliable, accurate, serious hit. Those three items are paramount and no single issue takes precedence.

For that reason, my carry guns of choice are either a S&W revolver (pinned barrel) in .357 Magnum or higher caliber, or a Colt 1911 in .45 ACP or Super .38 with good sights. trigger and a feed ramp job.

Those are the handguns with which I am familiar and comfortable.
 

SlackwareRobert

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
1,338
Location
Alabama, ,
imported post

Alas the only draw back of the XD is not on the list. I love the weapon
but it is not a government takeover / anarchy gun.

I also need something that can be field stripped in the dark, and the numerous
little pins makes it a no go when the black helicopters are flying.
The 1911, blindfolded no problem. On the street 24/7 the XD is great,
but when the world ends, it has issues that require other guns.
So a second purchase definately. Or first choice if you have time for another.
 

CrossFire

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2007
Messages
407
Location
Irving, Texas, USA
imported post

SlackwareRobert wrote:
Alas the only draw back of the XD is not on the list. I love the weapon
but it is not a government takeover / anarchy gun.

I also need something that can be field stripped in the dark, and the numerous
little pins makes it a no go when the black helicopters are flying.
The 1911, blindfolded no problem. On the street 24/7 the XD is great,
but when the world ends, it has issues that require other guns.
So a second purchase definately. Or first choice if you have time for another.
XD is not the only gun I own, it is just the only one I carry daily.
 

grimstar

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2006
Messages
56
Location
North Carolina, ,
imported post

Hmmmm....there doesn't seem to be an option for " all of the above ".

:lol:

I guess if I have to choose one, it would be reliability. If it doesn't go bang every time, nothing else matters.

The Bersa Firestorm that I carry now seems to be utterly reliable, and that seems to be the case with everyone who owns one. Everyone on the Bersatalk forum raves about them, and with good reason, it seems.

It also fills the bill in all the other categories except accessory availability, and weight.
It is a bit heavy for it's size, but as a compact pistol, that just makes it a bit more controllable.

Grimstar
 
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