Why I, and you, should carry a BUG.

[NcongruNt]

it would have to be a really sticky situation to go through through 46 rounds of ammo (15+1 and 2 reloads) and need more.

I had a dream the other night that me and my wife were in some rubble/ruins and sneaking around with the AR and semi-auto. It was nice knowing I had two guns and two types of guns. I vividly recall dreaming about how I was going back and forth between guns while moving around. Then I remember blowing through a full mag in my AR and not even hitting the lurking bad guys we were trying to escape from, all because I didn't have a scope and couldn't relax enough to hit them from ~100 yds.. and also how I thought he was gonna come get us as soon as we were just about to run out of ammo.. then I woke up kind of scared.. need to get a scope and practice practice practice!!

...or practice more with iron sights

A scope isn't a cure all for being tense or jittery.

[Dan20703]

In over 20 years since I got my first CHL I have never carried a BUG. I doubt if I ever will. Having two handguns wouldn't make me feel any safer. Having a rifle or shotgun sure would but they are too hard to conceal.

[LCP_Dogg]

In over 20 years since I got my first CHL I have never carried a BUG. I doubt if I ever will. Having two handguns wouldn't make me feel any safer. Having a rifle or shotgun sure would but they are too hard to conceal.

In TX you don't have to conceal a shotgun or rifle. It is open carry except for handguns which must be concealed.

[matrxx]

In over 20 years since I got my first CHL I have never carried a BUG. I doubt if I ever will. Having two handguns wouldn't make me feel any safer. Having a rifle or shotgun sure would but they are too hard to conceal.

It's just personal reference ,I always carry a Bug and a knife for convenience , and I make sure I know how to use them well .A friend of mine almost got killed in his own car if he didn't have his knife with him while he wasn't able to use his primary.

[carlson1]

Carry on left BUG on right.

[03Lightningrocks]

Some of you fellers act like you are living in a war zone or something. It's really not that dangerous out there. The odds of any of us being involved in a shooting would be compareable to getting struck by lightning. The odds of any of us needing 2 guns and 5000 rounds of ammo are just beyond comprehension. We aren't police officers, so it's not like we are charging into situations with criminals on a daily basis.

[bdickens]

"It's not the odds, it's the stakes."

[Keith B]

Some of you fellers act like you are living in a war zone or something. It's really not that dangerous out there. The odds of any of us being involved in a shooting would be compareable to getting struck by lightning. The odds of any of us needing 2 guns and 5000 rounds of ammo are just beyond comprehension. We aren't police officers, so it's not like we are charging into situations with criminals on a daily basis.

The main reasons I can see for a BUG is if your primary weapon malfunctions, or if the primary weapon is wrestled away for some reason.

I agree with you that the chances of a 'fire fight' are not that great and expelled round count will more than likely be low. I personally carry 6+1 on a regular basis, or 7+1 if I carry the full sized 1911. Plenty for me to hopefully get the job done or out of harms way.

[03Lightningrocks]

Some of you fellers act like you are living in a war zone or something. It's really not that dangerous out there. The odds of any of us being involved in a shooting would be comparable to getting struck by lightning. The odds of any of us needing 2 guns and 5000 rounds of ammo are just beyond comprehension. We aren't police officers, so it's not like we are charging into situations with criminals on a daily basis.

The main reasons I can see for a BUG is if your primary weapon malfunctions, or if the primary weapon is wrestled away for some reason.

I agree with you that the chances of a 'fire fight' are not that great and expelled round count will more than likely be low. I personally carry 6+1 on a regular basis, or 7+1 if I carry the full sized 1911. Plenty for me to hopefully get the job done or out of harms way.

I believe I remember you posting you carry a PM9, same as me. Personally, I just can't see carrying 10 lbs of self defense gear for a situation that is very unlikely to ever happen. Heck, if a person really believes they will ever be in an encounter where they need two guns, a knife, pepper spray and a tazer, why not go ahead and carry a gas mask and wear a bullet proof vest. Heck, I can't even fathom a situation where you would need to hand off weapons to family members. I bet if a situation this drastic developed, it would happen so quick, there wouldn't be time for this maneuver anyway. If I were walking the streets of Iraq I might see it different.

Realistically, if a perp has you in his grasps and has wrestled your gun from you, having a chance to go for the ankle holster or pocket pistol are even more remote than the odds of anything like this going on in the first place.

My back up weapon is staying mentally alert and reacting in a manner as to not need an arsenal of self defense weapons. I have to wonder if carrying alot of self defense weapons will make a person over confident and susceptible to mistakes over confidence can bring. Well, as the old saying goes, to each his own.

[NcongruNt]

Some of you fellers act like you are living in a war zone or something. It's really not that dangerous out there. The odds of any of us being involved in a shooting would be compareable to getting struck by lightning. The odds of any of us needing 2 guns and 5000 rounds of ammo are just beyond comprehension. We aren't police officers, so it's not like we are charging into situations with criminals on a daily basis.

I had a friend use the same reasoning about carry in general. "What are the odds you're going to need something like that?" they said. I told it's not the likelihood that determines that I carry, but rather the actual need, were I to encounter such a situation. Most people would sooner live in denial of such a need and be surprised by it when it happens then actually think about and prepare for it.

I have the same kind of thoughts about a BUG and extra ammo. It's very unlikely that I'll need either, but were the need to arise that I would have to use my main carry, and then it fail, I'm suddenly in a LOT of hot water. If it's a magazine failure and I don't have a reload, I'd feel awfully stupid for not having one with me. The bug is there because I have read about real-life situations where a critter knocks away a defender's main carry and continues the assault. The story of the police officer at the school comes to mind. That officer survived because he was able to draw his BUG. Yes he was a police officer, but in his situation, he was no different than any other targeted assault victim.

Here's the original thread about the officer and his BUG: http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... 23&t=15270" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, I carry 46 rounds of ammo for my primary and 13 rounds for my BUG. That comes out to 2 reloads for the primary and one for the BUG. While that may seem like a lot to you, it doesn't bother me to carry it. The reason I carry 2 reloads is because it does a better job of balancing out my belt, opposite my primary carry. Beyond that, 1 reload would be fine with me. I don't think it unreasonable to carry a reload for the BUG, and it's so small and light (just like the BUG) that it's a non-issue.

No, I'm not a police officer and no I'm not charging into situations with criminals on a daily basis. But I might charge into a situation with a criminal one day, to defend my family or loved ones. If a police officer who has to do that every day thinks a BUG and reloads are a good idea, I think it would be a good idea to carry it myself if the need ever arises. A BUG and reloads are no more inconvenience to carry than my primary carry gun is, so nothing is lost for me.

[03Lightningrocks]

There is a fine line between being prepared and being paranoid. Denial has nothing to do with it. One more comment I will add. Posting a link to a police officer and what he does is not applicable here. the police officer is charged with apprehending the criminal. The chl holder is charged with staying alive and removing himself or herself from the situation as quickly as possible.

[NcongruNt]

So which one am I?

[03Lightningrocks]

So which one am I?

I will ask you....which one am I?

[NcongruNt]

There is a fine line between being prepared and being paranoid. Denial has nothing to do with it. One more comment I will add. Posting a link to a police officer and what he does is not applicable here. the police officer is charged with apprehending the criminal. The chl holder is charged with staying alive and removing himself or herself from the situation as quickly as possible.

I'll start with this first. The police officer was attacked without provocation. He was not apprehending a criminal. He was being beaten to the ground with a baseball bat in a surprise attack. There's no difference between him and us for purposes of this argument. He was defending himself, just as we would be in the same situation. Did you even read the article?

So which one am I?

I will ask you....which one am I?

As you seem to imply that someone who goes around armed with two handguns and reloads is paranoid, I gave you the specific reasoning for why I do so. I am prepared, not paranoid. I'm not here to postulate whether or not you are paranoid. This thread was about why we should carry a BUG.

[03Lightningrocks]

As you seem to imply that someone who goes around armed with two handguns and reloads is paranoid, I gave you the specific reasoning for why I do so. I am prepared, not paranoid. I'm not here to postulate whether or not you are paranoid. This thread was about why we should carry a BUG.

Yes and also about how we feel about the need to carry a bug. Please don't be offended by my opinion on the topic.