cb51
Active Member
Okay, it's been a few years now since the better half and I fled the peoples republik of Maryland for freedom in Texas. In that time, I've rejoiced in having all my rights, to include the second. Not long after settling on a house. the better half and I both took the class and got our license to carry. It's been a trip.
Carrying a gun full time, every single day, day in day out has been an education. I've definitely found out how much BS the gun industry puts out, and what carries well and what doesn't.
I've sworn off revolvers. I used to be a revolver guy, but sold off my J frames before I left Maryland. Just too chunky. For a while last year I tried to carry a Ruger LCR, but it was bulky. Not really a pocket gun. And that was the problem. Carrying a gun everywhere, every day, in a place where it gets damm hot, is hard. I abhor IWB holsters. Gun and holster gets sweat soaked and even stainless guns get grungy by the end of the day. Not to mention at 95 to 100 degrees it gets dammed uncomfortable. In this Texas climate, I've fond that carrying a gun means right hand pants pocket and pocket holster. If a gun needs a real holster that needs a belt, that gets to be a PITA quick. Anything over a pound needs a heavy duty belt and good pancake holster. This means another PITA when wearing light nylon cargo shorts and fishing shirt.
So, for hot/warm weather pocket carry I've been using a Ruger LCP2 and loving it. Light and easy you can actually forget about it for short time now and then. The carry of one or two spare mags is way easier than a sped loaded for a revolver and you have more rounds on hand. Same for the little Beretta .32 tomcat. I've found light weight is a good thing for morning to night. These guns are almost as easy to carry as my little NAA mini revolvers in .22.
A gun is no good if you start to leave it home. I made the decision when I got my license that if I was going to carry, I was going to commit to really FULL time carry. Hiking, fishing, going out to dinner at a nice restaurant, a day trip to San Antonio zoo with the granddaughter, anything. This means a smaller gun than you wold think. Yeah, yeah, theres guys claiming they carry carry a full size 1911 or .44 magnum everywhere they go. Bull hockey! In the two years we've had open carry here, I've seen just two people carrying openly. Just not done a lot. When it gets hot here, the uniform of the day is shorts, T-shirt, and sandals. So far, almost all of June was upper 90's to 100 degrees. Yeah, it's a drier heat than Maryland, but it's still damm hot.
So, here I am after two years of every day carry, and what seems to work is my .22 mini revolvers and a flat little semi auto in a pocket. Everything else just gets too uncomfortable in hot weather. And if you're really going to commit to full time carry, comfort makes a bigger difference than you'd think. Not being a very big guy, I have a limit now that I won't look at a carry gun over a pound, and no revolvers, except for my NAA mini's. A few CCI stingers in the bread basket will ruin a low life's day, or night.
But I've become a very enthusiastic fan of the Ruger LCP2. It seems to feed any ammo I shove in it as long as it's FMJ, and with that light a round I'm not sure it's worth going to a hollow point. And the Beretta seems to be very reliable little beast. Easy to keep on target with very quick second and Third shots. Easier to shoot than the short barrel J fame .38's that I used to think the world revolved around.
Carrying every single day, getting dressed in the morning and putting gun in pocket, has been an eye opener.
Carrying a gun full time, every single day, day in day out has been an education. I've definitely found out how much BS the gun industry puts out, and what carries well and what doesn't.
I've sworn off revolvers. I used to be a revolver guy, but sold off my J frames before I left Maryland. Just too chunky. For a while last year I tried to carry a Ruger LCR, but it was bulky. Not really a pocket gun. And that was the problem. Carrying a gun everywhere, every day, in a place where it gets damm hot, is hard. I abhor IWB holsters. Gun and holster gets sweat soaked and even stainless guns get grungy by the end of the day. Not to mention at 95 to 100 degrees it gets dammed uncomfortable. In this Texas climate, I've fond that carrying a gun means right hand pants pocket and pocket holster. If a gun needs a real holster that needs a belt, that gets to be a PITA quick. Anything over a pound needs a heavy duty belt and good pancake holster. This means another PITA when wearing light nylon cargo shorts and fishing shirt.
So, for hot/warm weather pocket carry I've been using a Ruger LCP2 and loving it. Light and easy you can actually forget about it for short time now and then. The carry of one or two spare mags is way easier than a sped loaded for a revolver and you have more rounds on hand. Same for the little Beretta .32 tomcat. I've found light weight is a good thing for morning to night. These guns are almost as easy to carry as my little NAA mini revolvers in .22.
A gun is no good if you start to leave it home. I made the decision when I got my license that if I was going to carry, I was going to commit to really FULL time carry. Hiking, fishing, going out to dinner at a nice restaurant, a day trip to San Antonio zoo with the granddaughter, anything. This means a smaller gun than you wold think. Yeah, yeah, theres guys claiming they carry carry a full size 1911 or .44 magnum everywhere they go. Bull hockey! In the two years we've had open carry here, I've seen just two people carrying openly. Just not done a lot. When it gets hot here, the uniform of the day is shorts, T-shirt, and sandals. So far, almost all of June was upper 90's to 100 degrees. Yeah, it's a drier heat than Maryland, but it's still damm hot.
So, here I am after two years of every day carry, and what seems to work is my .22 mini revolvers and a flat little semi auto in a pocket. Everything else just gets too uncomfortable in hot weather. And if you're really going to commit to full time carry, comfort makes a bigger difference than you'd think. Not being a very big guy, I have a limit now that I won't look at a carry gun over a pound, and no revolvers, except for my NAA mini's. A few CCI stingers in the bread basket will ruin a low life's day, or night.
But I've become a very enthusiastic fan of the Ruger LCP2. It seems to feed any ammo I shove in it as long as it's FMJ, and with that light a round I'm not sure it's worth going to a hollow point. And the Beretta seems to be very reliable little beast. Easy to keep on target with very quick second and Third shots. Easier to shoot than the short barrel J fame .38's that I used to think the world revolved around.
Carrying every single day, getting dressed in the morning and putting gun in pocket, has been an eye opener.