Posted on 08/04/2019 2:40:57 PM PDT by Allen In Texas Hill Country
While doing some work outside I got to thinking. I've had a S&W 40 (since '93) for a long long time. Got my CCP a few months after moving here (Texas) back on '06. So I'm thinking, I walk the mall 5 days a week. Got to do something physical so I can watch all the TV I want. Maybe, maybe I might think about carrying considering current events. First of all, how would one carry an S&W 40 concealed??? Some kind of a fanny pack or what? Thought I might ask here.
But then I thought,,,,,,,,,,,,, I may have been born at night,,, but not last night. In spite of intentions, if one were to pull out a weapon and head for the sound of shots guess who authorities would shoot/kill first? In spite of the best intentions. Think I'll think a bit longer on the thought!!!!
There is nothing wrong with the .40 S&W. It really became popular after the infamous FBI Miami shootout.
As often happens with government agencies everyone over reacted. They thought the 9mm was at fault. Police agencies all over the country went to .40 caliber mostly the Glock.
Some knowledgeable people such as Ayoob studied the shootout carefully. It turned out the 9mm performed just like it was supposed to. The problem was the bad guys were using Ruger Mini 14’s and were just plain tough.
One continued fighting for nearly a minute with his aorta torn off by a 9mm.
Recently police dept.s all over the country have gone back to the 9mm. You are seeing a near flood of police trade in .40s. Mostly Glocks and Sigs.
And we appreciate your sentiment Allen and know you are a great fellow. Didn’t mean to sound too harsh.
This.
I see that as the true daily value of the Second Amendment. Yeah, we may yet have to overthrow our government, but living in a place where it is a known fact that many people are armed, makes it intrinsically safer than places where the reverse is true. The best example of that is our big RAT and Black RAT-run cities, where the only guns in civilian hands are with the criminals and gang bangers.
“There is nothing wrong with the .40 S&W. It really became popular after the infamous FBI Miami shootout.”
And although it’s a little pricey, the .357 Sig is a dandy round. And at least it’s the case with Sig Sauer .40 S&W pistols, all you need is a .357 Sig Barrel. Everything else is the same.
As for going back to 9mm, I think the reason there is firepower. Lots of “double-stack” 9mm pistols now. My 229 carries 12, my Walther PPQ 9.mm has 17.
That is a full sized monster. You might want to get a M&P.40c which is a ten round concealable pistol.
I agree that capacity is one of the main reasons they are going back to the 9mm. That is the reason my main gun is a 9mm.
However capacity would not be as important if the 9 was not effective. It is.
The odds of being involved in a shooting is extremely rare. 99% of police and military never will raise a weapon outside of the range. That being said,to be armed is very good insurance and security.
Run away.
If possible, the best course for an armed civilian is to run away from the sound of gunfire. If the cops show up and see you with your gun out you will be in deep kim chee. You are armed for personal protection. Not to be a hero. Use your gun only if you are unable to flee.
But
When it comes to going armed, this is the advice I was given many years ago: "Carry always or carry never". Don't leave it behind because it's inconvenient or uncomfortable. Get the right belt and holster combo and buy clothes that work with them so you will be comfortable and discrete while carrying always. I have carried a Colt's .45acp Combat Commander in an aloha shirt and walking shorts, discretely and comfortably. I'm not a big guy either at 5'10" and 170lbs. It's just a matter of having the right gear and mindset.
That's a good pistol, though it's large and heavy. It would take a large dose of commitment to carry something that big regularly. If CCW is something you want to do, I would highly recommend taking some classes.
Ruger LCR .357 in a Simply Rugged holster - you’ll almost forget it’s there!
Strong side iwb or owb, t shirt, light button down flat cut untucked , shorts or whatever, dedicated reinforced gun belt, one extra mag minimum, pocket knife, flashlight, gi pressure dressing. That’s my daily manner of dress. 5’11”, 175, I carry either. G27 or a 1911govt model, or a Ruger gp100.
Now, as to running to the guns, ...how much tactical training do you have? If none, then seek cover, maintain situational awareness and look for egress. Keep Roscoe in the bag and covered unless and until you need it.
That said, if you go to the classes and get the permit, my advice is: carry the gun at all times. I know several people (my wife included) who have the permits and yet do not carry the weapon. My wife carries hers with her in her car, but she does not carry in her purse into stores. I carry mine everywhere except where they are forbidden by law (schools, hospitals, etc).
My gun is on me all the time. The only time I don't have it on my person is when I am in bed and when I shower. Even then, it is nearby. I am typing this in my pajamas with my .38 revolver in my pocket.
I carry a .38 J-frame S & W Airweight revolver. It fits into a holster in my pocket. I like this pistol because it is easy to hide, and it is a point and shoot gun, and does not require me to chamber a round. I can carry it in my pocket with my shirttail in. I always wear pleated pants to provide more room in the front of my pockets so the gun does not print. On th weekends, I may carry it in jeans with my shirt tail out to over it. Even if it prints, you cannot see the gun shape.I only use my front pockets, so with my wallet and keys in my other pocket, the one with the gun does not stand out.
I carried the same 40 ounces of sw4006 for a decade, concealed easily, but would’ve drowned me if I fell in the pond... Shot approx. 39k rounds w/o incident even after the ejector broke. After it did I could find my brass... 4003 has an alloy frame and half the weight.
Carry a snubby in a pocket holster
If you like a 4-ish caliber, there is a .44 special snubby.
I could be wrong, so correction is welcomed.
The open carry in TX you mentioned applies to long guns and I don’t believe many folks will be walking in a mall with their long guns.
Open carry also is allowed on one’s own property. If I’m mowing my yard I can open carry.
Otherwise, I believe only CC is allowed with a permit.
Governor Abbott passed open carry of handguns with a permit either last year or the year before.
So if a pit bull is chewing your leg off you would not want a cop to shoot it!!!
I fully understand your post. We all like to think we would be a hero in a situation like this....most of us probably are not!!!!
I carry for self-defense...not to go looking for troublemakers...if that’s your gig, do the Bernard Goetz thing in Chicago or maybe the NYC Subway system...will be scanning for the next nut job White guy with a gun story.
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