Carry guns now and then!

Way back when I was a young man, I had no EDC because it wasn't legal here (or most other states), but on the few occasions I felt it was necessary to have some protection, just a little Raven is all I had that would fit in my pocket, so that's what I carried. About 20 years ago, I moved up to a Browning BDA...again, only on the rarest of occasions.

Since I've rec'd my permit 5 years ago, my carry guns have included: An LCP, a Rossi model 88 in .38 Special, a Keltec P11, a Ruger SR9c, a Taurus Mill. G2 in 9mm....and know I'm kind of settling in on revolvers again. I've been toting a worn old Rossi pre-68 the last couple days, but I'll probably switch to either my S&W model 36 once I get the grips I want OR buy a S&W 642. I can't decide.

I bought a Charter Arms Undercover 38 the day I was sworn in in 1987. That became my OD/BU gun immediately.

A few years later, I switched to an agency that had a list of specifically-approved OD/BU guns, and the Undercover wasn't on it. So I bought a PPK/S.

When I left LE, I didn't get around to getting a civilian carry license until 2008, during the run-up to the election that year. The Undercover was first up for that role (tough times earlier had led to the sale of the Walther.) Several guns have since come along to try out that role, but the primary winner is my Kel-Tec PF9, acquired in 2010.

I do still own that Charter Arms, though, and it's always been strong, tight, and reliable.

In my first ~5 years I had choices:
"Small" - PP or PPK/s (a friend liked my PPK/s so I sold it to him and bought a PP)
"Large" - 151- model SS 2¾" Ruger Security Six or Colt Combat Commander .45

A Walther in its excellent leather pancake holster (Roy's Leather Goods of Magnolia, Ark ... I still have & sometimes use it ) was usually my GoTo choice. It was perfect under a suit/sport coat.

I have none of the 3 (although I do have a SS PPK that I bought NIB ~30 years ago) so I cannot provide a comparison pic.

What I really wanted during that period was a Star PD .45 but I could never find one in the local shops ... but ... I now have 2 that I purchased off of Gunbroker in the past ~10 years.

I don't go that far back, but my first carry was a Beretta Tomcat. Found it to be too heavy so went to a KelTec P32. Had a disconcerting "rim lock" experience with the 32 so switched to a P3AT. Then I got the revolver bug and picked up a new model 42 Smith & Wesson which is still my current go-to for carry. I just bought a Beretta Pico which may be my next if it proves reliable after break in.

You can probably tell from the sizes of these that I'm fond of pocket carry!

Primary carry is Rossi 720 in 44 special
Then my Shield, Speed Six and Taurus 85

357smallbore said:

Primary carry is Rossi 720 in 44 special ...

Click to expand...

Nice! One of the types of pistols that I wish I owned.

I do have a couple of CA Bulldog .44s that I think are fine little SD pistols but the Rossi 720s strike me as being a little more refined.

Oddly enough my vehicle carry was a rifle. Having a gun in the rear window was legal in my younger days. Now my every day carry is a little G27 - no rifle in the car or truck. I didn't change but the world around me sure did. What the heck happened?

My progression… or regression?

I968 - Walther PPK (pre /S) in .380acp aka 9mm Kurz




1980 Detonics Combat Master - Mk VI in .45acp




1994 - Glock 27 - Gen. 1 (lost in 2012) -- Replaced in 2012 - Glock 27 - Gen. 3




2014 - Colt Combat Commander Converted to 9x23




I carry the Glock when I’m in the environs of the small town (pop. 5,000) I live in. The Colt goes just about every place else. For old times sake I carry the Detonics once in a while. I wouldn’t feel under gunned with any of these 3. I still have the PPK, but I don’t even shoot it anymore.

You name it, I've tried it: snubby 38's and 357's, walther ppk, sig 228, Ruger P85, HK P7, several 1911's of different sizes, taurus millenium, Beretta 92, LC9, shield, and some I can't remember. I think I finally got it right- Glock 43 in the summer, Glock 19 the rest of the year. Works for me anyway.

That Detonics is the cats meow.I would love to find one just like it.The good ole days are gone for those,Stars,Detonics ect.I just wish I had been smart enough to pick up and or hold on to some of my early days guns.

My first carry gun was a Charter Arms Undercover followed by numerous S&W J frames. When I switched over to semi-autos I went through a progression of a Walther PPKs, AMT .380 Back Up, Colt Government .380, Colt Mustang, and currently a SIG P238. Slightly upscale I also have a Kahr CM9 and two S&W J frames: a Model 649 and a Model 638.

Great Scot

Sounds like where I'm at now with my rotation of my Kahr CM9, SIG P238, and S&W Model 638.

I dig the OP's contrast!

Saw-Bones said:

My progression… or regression?


1980 Detonics Combat Master - Mk VI in .45acp

2014 - Colt Combat Commander Converted to 9x23

Click to expand...

A 9x23 CC and Detonics... Retro cool!

Todd.

ApacheCoTodd - Retro has been working really well for the Ford Mustang and me! I almost missed the retro train to the Colt Combat Commander in 9x23. Because I was so pleased with the Glock 27, I almost went for the Glock 32 in .357Sig, but being an inveterate hand loader reloading bottleneck pistol cases was not in my future.

I was issued a Colt 1911 A-1 in the Corps, so the Detonics was an easy choice for me in 1980. It did require a different manual of arms than the 1911 A-1 though. For sure retro is me, but I’m not pushing it for others. The fact that we have all these choices makes America the best place to be in this world!

T.Chaney - In 1980 my Detonics made me the coolest kid on the block… well, on my police squad anyway. I saw one offered on gun broker for a buy-today price of $945 - current bid $845 (http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=554757883). If they are the same amount today, that price would be reasonable considering that I had an FFL and purchased mine from a wholesaler at ~ $400 in 1980.

REVOLVER to SEMI AUTO

When I started carrying in the 1990's, I carried either my duty gun, a GLOCK 19 or a S&W 38. The S&W usually went in a belly band until I went outside the U.S., when I returned, I used a Thad RYBKA pocket holster. I found it very satisfactory.

I also used a CHARTER ARMS Undercover and later when I swapped the Undercover to my Dad, I carried his TAURUS 85.
All that ended when I switched over to a semi-auto with either a SIG 232 in .380ACP in a pancake holster or WALTHER PPK in a pocket holster. The PPK became my EDC.
Then I picked up a GLOCK 42, which a local gunshop was selling at LEO discount and it has been my companion ever since.

Jim

I am older than a few of you here....

When that newfangled Smith and Wesson company came out with that Model One and a Half, I figured I would give that modern cartridge thing a try. Five shots of 32 rimfire goodness!

Lately I have gone high tech and like to carry one in 38 centerfire... and the frame is made of some kinda metal called alley mooney uhm! What's this world comin to?!?


(And yeah, those 720's are excellent. I love mine. There is a hammerless one on GB right now that looks to be in good shape, but they are awful proud of it.)

Over the years, I have CCW'd
Beretta 92FS
Taurus PT111 Gen1
Taurus PT911
KelTec P32
Glock 19
Sig SP2022 .40
Ruger LCP
Glock 17
Para 1911 Gov't
Out of these, I still own the Para and the Sig. The Sig is the one I grab more often, and the one I will not get rid of.

Of Course Not, Great Scot...

One cannot carry a Beretta 418 with a skeletonized grip without a chamois skin armpit holster and a suppressor. Some things just aren't done.

I struggle along with a Colt (lightweight) Commander in .45 ACP.

I observe the changes in concealed carry sidearms as well. When I was a lad, most everyone - cop, criminal or potential victim - carried a revolver of some sort. Most all calibers, many manufacturers, but nearly all revolvers.

Now, most everyone of all descriptions carries a semi-automatic. Most all calibers, many manufacturers, but nearly all semi-automatics.

Funny how things change and remain the same, isn't it?

Dr.ROB - "SawBones: What was your carry method with the Detonics?"

Click to expand...

When I got my Detonics in 1980 holsters were a problem for a chopped 1911 A-1. Personal computers were not a household word, let alone a household item, so the ability of looking up holster makers was non-existent. That left the custom shops which was not an option after spending $400 for the gun on a cop's salary. One of the guys on my squad gave me a holster with a thumb-break meant for a full size government model. And that was the rub… it made for a dangerous situation.

The Detonics wallowed around in it and when I removed it from the holster at the end of my shift (working plain-clothes in homicide) the frame safety was in the fire position. The dangerous part, as you know, was that the Detonics Combat Master does not have a grip safety… not good when you carry it cocked and locked and the safety disengages and you are not expecting that to happen.

Since a custom holster was not in the picture at that time, I changed the manual of arms. I started carrying hammer down on a loaded chamber. It was then I realized why the Detonics didn’t have the rear sight all the way back to take advantage of having a longer sight radius. This allowed the weak hand thumb to be placed on top of the slide so it could follow the sloping slide down to the hammer and cock it on the draw stroke. This takes practice… lots of practice.

Not long after Colt came out with the officers model in 1985 there were some reasonably priced holsters that made for a whole lot better fit. By that time I was so used to “my” Detonics manual of arms I still carried hammer down on a loaded chamber in my new holster.

Nowadays when I wear sweatpants and a T or Polo shirt I carry the Detonics (still hammer down) or the Glock 27 in a crotch holster from Cheaper Than Dirt ($20) and it works beautifully for me.

My first carry gun was a S&W model 36 (2 inch) .38. I moved to a Glock 26 and then to a S&W Shield in 9mm. I still carry all three on different occasions but my S&W Body Guard 380 with the laser gets the most of my affection and carry time.