Pistol caliber evolutions
There seems to have been a major evolution in concealed carry methods and calibers in recent years. I remember all through the 1990’s there was a big shift away from the 45acp caliber in Police and Military style weapons. Everyone and their dog was switching to higher capacity handguns. I guess to the average citizen, packing more rounds in a handgun was comforting. In the early part of the Millenium, many of the departments that originally went from the 45acp handguns to the 9mm, were slowly working their way from 40 S&W and up to .357 Sig. The 45acp has now started showing up in more and more departments and I’d have to probable say that I’d credit the Smith & Wesson M&P pistol for doing that.
I have a few Sig Sauer pistols that in my opinion can rotate through my weekly carry rotation, but I still feel like I’m wearing the same gun. My collection of Galco holsters for IWB Sig 239, Paddle holster Sig 226, ankle holsters for J-frame ect for street work all work very well. I’ve worn a few out, but considering I never had to custom make them and their consistant fitting, I’d highly recommend adding them to your CCW or duty work.
SKB and Pelican make gun storage units that will protect your guns if they get knocked around. The foam pads can always be customized for specific guns and gear and I highly recommend doing so. I strongly believe in buying gun cases that are for specific firearms and especially so for rifles. You will be able to fit varying sizes of handguns in the pistol cases depeding on which way you place them, but rifles will get tricky and since most of them will have optics, you gotta be careful how much you pack them. There are even some rifle cases that can hold your magazines, pistol, and pistol magazines.
Back when the 1994 assault weapons ban was into effect there were more headaches in the gun world due to the fact that factory handgun magazines were so expensive. People cut corners with other brands and had issues. When it comes to owning a handgun, especially an auto, I highly recommend having atleast 3 magazines. Not only can guns malfunction, but magazines do wear out and break at some points and its always good to have some extra comfort if one goes down. Most of the time it’s the floor plates that come loose and a loaded mag will just dump rounds on the ground. I’ve seen it happen with rifles and handguns. If you ever run a Carbine course, you’re defanitely going to want to have atleast 3 mags for your pistol, too.
Comfort is very important for those that are carrying 8-10hrs or more a day. I’ve carried various firearms over my life and sometimes it’s fine carrying something Monday-Friday, but if I’m still carrying it on Day 6, I can really feel it. I’ve found that driving in a car for long periods of time can really make IWB and paddle holsters feel annoying after a couple hours. I can use an ankle holster is some situations, but I’ve found that the most comfortable way to carry a full size auto for long periods of time is in a should rig. Leg holsters are probable a 2nd favorite, but that’s not going to work for concealed carry purposes. One thing to always be aware of is not sweeping body parts when pulling a firearm in the seated position while wearing a should rig.
My Sig 220 blasted its way through the first 8rds without a hickup. I did notice a mini cloud of lint around the gun, and maybe I should rethink some of the shirts I wear to try and prevent or reduce this, but I thought that lint can’t be any worse than dirt and these are combat pistols. I continued to put another 300rds of 45acp 230gr FMJ ammo and had a stopage. I had a friend tell me that the Sig Factory rep he dealt with says that the guns should run wet and that they are dependent on using more lubrication than something like a Glock. Although I’ve never gotten the bug to own a Glock, I guess I’ll have to acknowledge that Glock does have an edge over Sigs in this area. One thing I have considered doing is putting a little grease on all of my pistols, that way it won’t drain off as easily as CLP or similiar types of lubrication. That is something to think about for pistols.
There is always going to be a debate with any tactical or firearm accessory. What is it being used for and is it up to the task at hand. A concealment holster might not be a $180 leather shoulder rig, it coule be something as simple as $12 pocket holster. There are tactical holsters that will secure your pistol while your running through the mud and training in a Carbine Course, or you can have a IWB holster for your everyday CCW.
We all know that Glocks are tough, I won’t say they are the toughest because there are other guns out there that may be as tough, but they are in the top tier of firearms. We know that everyone likes to talk and argue about all of the flaws in firearms and which guns are more reliable than others. Some handguns are meant for concealment and are not combat worthy and aren’t expect to put 500rds through them without cleaning to function flawlessly.
There seems to be a big transition in the Law Enforcement community to leg holsters. Its kind of funny how the old western look disappeared for a few decades but now it’s back again. If we all road around on horses we’d probable agree that carrying a sidearm on a leg holster is appropriate and its not just for the cool Han Solo look.