Need some advice fellas and ladies

[cmgee67]

Here is my issue. It's not really a big issue but nevertheless it seems like it to me. I have a Glock 19 and a 43. I have been carrying the 43 for the last few days because I had a pulled muscle on my carry side and the 19 weighed too much so I used the 43. The 43 is so easy to carry and so comfortable I literally forget it is there. But the trade off is I have to carry an extra mag and don't feel as secure. I feel very secure and ready to roll with my 19. Should I carry what I feel more secure and protected by and what I feel I can protect others with? Or should I carry what is easiest and most comfortable. I can get the job done with the 43 but do not feel as ready.

[Middle Age Russ]

cmgee67,

There is no universal correct answer. Each day we have to make the best decisions we can to meet the circumstances we expect to be faced with. Sometimes our decisions are better than others. Where choice of carry tools is concerned, if at the end of the day you did not need to employ any hardware maybe the software you are employing was sufficient -- or maybe a possible threat never actually materialized near you at all. It was still a good day, and arguably far better than any day you have to break out the hardware.

If I had some way of knowing that I'd get into a gunfight, I'd do everything possible to avoid it. If I knew I couldn't avoid a gunfight, I'd see how many friends and their guns I could have on my side to stack the odds a bit. Resources/time/distance are all variables, and my preferred order of engagement is, in order of preference: ballistic missile, airstrike, artillery, rifle/heavy machine gun, carbine/light machine gun, pistol/machine pistol, chemical agents, axe/sword, knife, empty hand. I am sore-pressed in the resources department until we get down to rifle, and circumstances dictate that I usually operate in the least preferred end of this continuum from pistol on down.

My general take on this issue is to carry what I can, whenever I can, and to take every opportunity to train. Sometimes extra discretion or comfort is called for so a so-called mouse gun is the hardware of choice in those instances. Other times my choice is a compact 9MM. Extra magazines are in order in either case since magazines are the most common cause of failures/malfunctions. Training with whatever you carry is important to ensure that you are able to effectively employ the tools.

[RPBrown]

cmgee67,

There is no universal correct answer. Each day we have to make the best decisions we can to meet the circumstances we expect to be faced with. Sometimes our decisions are better than others. Where choice of carry tools is concerned, if at the end of the day you did not need to employ any hardware maybe the software you are employing was sufficient -- or maybe a possible threat never actually materialized near you at all. It was still a good day, and arguably far better than any day you have to break out the hardware.

If I had some way of knowing that I'd get into a gunfight, I'd do everything possible to avoid it. If I knew I couldn't avoid a gunfight, I'd see how many friends and their guns I could have on my side to stack the odds a bit. Resources/time/distance are all variables, and my preferred order of engagement is, in order of preference: ballistic missile, airstrike, artillery, rifle/heavy machine gun, carbine/light machine gun, pistol/machine pistol, chemical agents, axe/sword, knife, empty hand. I am sore-pressed in the resources department until we get down to rifle, and circumstances dictate that I usually operate in the least preferred end of this continuum from pistol on down.

My general take on this issue is to carry what I can, whenever I can, and to take every opportunity to train. Sometimes extra discretion or comfort is called for so a so-called mouse gun is the hardware of choice in those instances. Other times my choice is a compact 9MM. Extra magazines are in order in either case since magazines are the most common cause of failures/malfunctions. Training with whatever you carry is important to ensure that you are able to effectively employ the tools.

[oljames3]

... my preferred order of engagement is, in order of preference: ballistic missile, airstrike, artillery, ...

My preferred engagement distance is 18km, the maximum range of the M109A5 self-propelled howitzer without rocket assist. Of course, the Pershing 1a missile was nice, with its minimum range of 100 miles.

My general take on this issue is to carry what I can, whenever I can, and to take every opportunity to train. Sometimes extra discretion or comfort is called for so a so-called mouse gun is the hardware of choice in those instances. Other times my choice is a compact 9MM. Extra magazines are in order in either case since magazines are the most common cause of failures/malfunctions. Training with whatever you carry is important to ensure that you are able to effectively employ the tools.

Very well said. This is my approach, also. I don't have the luxury of having to choose between multiple pistols. Still, there are always choices. I have to choice how much extra ammo to carry. Not whether or not to carry extra ammo, just how much and where.