Carry a full-size pistol?

[Irfan]

Does anyone of you carry a full size pistol like SIG P226, Beretta 92FS, Glock 17…etc? I’ve been carrying a full size pistol for a long time, sometimes a Beretta 92FS Inox, sometimes a Glock 17 and for the time being I carry a CZ85B. I DO find a problem carrying it concealed when the outside temperature is above 40 degrees Celsius, but on the other hand I really like the feel of the full-size pistol.

I’d like to hear your experience regarding this. Why do you carry a full-size weapon? I’ve been thinking recently about getting something smaller for pocket carry, a G26 maybe (I wear a vest most of the time but I’m just not sure if it would be comfortable) and my other option is to get a S&W MP340 or MP360 revolver but my budget is not so high (I’m a student). Not sure if I need a smaller pistol? I’d really like to hear your advices and experience.

 

[EddieNFL]

Does a 1911 count? Although lately, I have been told it's virtually impossible to conceal. If I had known this 30 odd years ago, I may have gone with something else.

AFA why, I guess my answer would be why not, unless there is a legitimate restriction. I do carry a sub-compact to one particular event due to dress.

AFA weather, I'm in the sunshine state and carry year round.

 

[jglcolosprgs]

How about this..... my Model 25 Mountain gun:



I changed the grips to a shorter style..... use a shoulder holster under a sports coat. It is my wedding and funeral carry. Kind of like the only suit I own.

I can also use the shoulder carry for my S/A 1911 Lightweight 45 ACP. This can also carry IWB or in a Blackwidow OWB.

They are big.... not something I do all of the time... but if I want something more than my J frame or my Glock they'll do.

 

[hexidismal]

I've carried a full size 1911 for years now. I have no problem concealing it at all, and OWB no less. Slacks and an untucked button down shirt, every day all year long. For shirt tucked in occasions, a suit jacket covers everything nicely. Why do I carry such a big gun ? Well.. because I shoot it very well, I like the .45acp cartridge, and I'm most comfortable with it.

 

[WNC Seabee]

I mostly carry an XD 45 4", sometimes a 5" 1911, sometimes a GP100 4". It's all about the belt and holster. And understanding that people are mostly blind helps too.

 

[wishin]

Since 40 degrees Celcius is 104 degrees fahrenheit, concealed carry can be more difficult and uncomfortable in Georgia during the summer. Here, we must CC in a holster, so that you either wear a shirt long enough to cover the gun, or use a pocket holster that makes it very diffcult to react as quickly. A purse gun must also be holstered. I don't worry about printing, so I carry a Browning Hi Power. If that's not a problem for you in your state, I'd stick with a thin shirt and carry the bigger gun.

 

[dogngun]

I did for a long time. Quite a few actually, over the last

20 some years.
I sometimes carry my full size 1911, but I have carried a 6" barrel .357 Ruger revolver, and a 4" S&W N frame Model 29.
You can always find a way if you try.

mark

 

[MCgunner]

Lately a 3" K frame .357 magnum. I usually go pocket carry, but I have no problem with cover garments cool as it's been.

 

[AK103K]

I've carried full size guns for about 30 some odd years now. 1911's for most of it, with SIG P220's, P226's and P229's, and Glock 17's and 31's being most of the others lately.

For the most part, I wear the same gun with a double reload, year round, and just dress around it, and have never had a problem doing so.

The main reason I carry a full size gun is, I've always felt you should carry what you shoot best and go from there. The full size guns are usually the easiest to shoot well with, offer the highest mag capacity, and make the best use of the powder in the case as far as performance goes.

The other reason being, back when I started wearing a gun, there werent a whole lot of options and full caliber guns were generally full sized. Little guns were usually small calibers.

These days, I get a kick out of all the complaints about how hard it is to carry anything bigger than a Kahr or J frame. (best whiney voice...) "Its just tooo haarrddd". In the land of the supersize, most Americans could hide a Ma Deuce in their Speedo's (must be the Canuck influence), nobodys gonna see the Speedo anyway, not with that porch roof.

 

[jad0110]

I carry either a 5" 1911, 2" S&W Model 15, 4" S&W Model 15 or 4" Ruger Police Service Six with NO issues. In fact, it is so easy (for me) carrying these guns, I'm really tempted to spend $100 for a nice IWB holster and try on a S&W N Frame.

I like carrying big guns simply because they fit my hands better and point more naturally. Plus, though it isn't to be counted on, there may be a slight increase in the chance of the BG fleeing at the sight of a big, intimidating, dull blue finish 4" S&W Model 28 Highway Patrolman vs a Jennings J-22.

As others said, the belt and holster make all the difference. So does what you wear. I couldn't carry the guns I do if I wore tight, clingy, solid color shirts. Something a little starchy and baggy with a print/pattern helps tremendously.

That said, it is nice to have a small "pocket gun" when you are just hanging out around the house on a Sunday afternoon, or making a 5 minute trip for eggs.

I’ve been thinking recently about getting something smaller for pocket carry, a G26 maybe (I wear a vest most of the time but I’m just not sure if it would be comfortable)

Well, some folks can pull off pocket carry of a G26, though I think they might even admit that it is NOT really a true pocket gun. You've gotta have some big gorilla pockets to fit that fat brick in there. Plus, loaded the things get kinda heavy for pocket carry. All that mass flailing around can be pretty annoying.

and my other option is to get a S&W MP340 or MP360 revolver but my budget is not so high (I’m a student).

Yep, titanium guns are pricey. For me, I found the middle ground S&W 642 airweight (15 oz empty) to be ideal for pocket carry; not too heavy, but heavy enough to make 38 +P recoil reasonable (for me). 642s sell for around $450 NIB in my area. Another one to consider is the new Ruger LCR, which I've seen for as little as $409 NIB.

 

[Paints]

I find that a 1911 is easier to conceal. I have carried a Sig P226/228/220 but came back to the slimness of the 1911. For summer carry, I sometimes switch to a 3" 5 shot .357.

I was okay carrying the P220 (slimmer grip than the P226) but I found myself switching to a compact 1911 when I wanted something that concealed a bit easier. I didn't like switching between SA/DA and SA cocked and locked with the compact 1911, so I picked up a full size 1911 and switch between them although most of the time it's the full size that's with me.

Of course, so much depends on getting the best holster!

 

[Rexster]

I carry mostly P229s, which with a mag in place are virtually as tall as a P226 with its flatter-bottomed mag in place. I have carried other large handguns, such as 5" 1911s, 4" GP100s, 4" N-frames, and a P220, with relative ease. As an experiment, I have even toted a 5.5" Colt SAA, and it was both comfortable and well-concealed in a Milt Sparks Summer Special II. A G22 was a bit much, and I found a G27 almost as difficult as the G22, because it is just as wide, and the rear of that slide sticks back just as far. I soon sold the G27, and carried SP101 snubbies on my own time during the period I used a G22 on duty.

FWIW, for comparison purposes, I found 5" 1911s to be easier to conceal than any Glock, and easier than a P229. I can hide height and length easily enough; width is the challenge for me. A 1911 is slimmer than the double-stacks. A P220 is almost like a 1911 in slimness, but with no extended beavertail, and no cocked hammer, a bit less likely to print at that point.

As for why a bigger gun, well the simplest reason is logisitics and convenience; I tend to carry on my own time what I carry in uniform, at work. Training is also simplified, as I don't have to keep myself so tuned to differing weapons, and I share the belief that it is best to train to a very high level with one weapon, even if still maintaining a working knowledge of other weapons. This allows one to perform tasks unconsciously, or reflexively.

Back to the G22: I actually could conceal it well enough, but I prefer to wear the gun as close to the point of the hip as possible, and at that position, the outside rear corner of the slide pokes out against the cover garment. Back at the kidney position, the G22 was concealed, but the inside rear of the slide jabbed me in the ribs. I don't like to wear any gun by my kidney, but the Glocks are the worst.

 

[Al LaVodka]

Nope. Don't need a large-frame. And, they make my pants fall down. In fact, any do. "Snake Hips" my grandaddy George called me...
Al

 

[sheepdog]

...Ruger P90 .45 with Ruger GP100 3" as backup...or Taurus .44 3"...or 2" Bodyguard...work in a heavy T-shirt and no problem concealing...

 

[NinjaFeint]

I've carried full size guns for about 30 some odd years now. 1911's for most of it, with SIG P220's, P226's and P229's, and Glock 17's and 31's being most of the others lately.

For the most part, I wear the same gun with a double reload, year round, and just dress around it, and have never had a problem doing so.

The main reason I carry a full size gun is, I've always felt you should carry what you shoot best and go from there. The full size guns are usually the easiest to shoot well with, offer the highest mag capacity, and make the best use of the powder in the case as far as performance goes.

The other reason being, back when I started wearing a gun, there werent a whole lot of options and full caliber guns were generally full sized. Little guns were usually small calibers.

These days, I get a kick out of all the complaints about how hard it is to carry anything bigger than a Kahr or J frame. (best whiney voice...) "Its just tooo haarrddd". In the land of the supersize, most Americans could hide a Ma Deuce in their Speedo's (must be the Canuck influence), nobodys gonna see the Speedo anyway, not with that porch roof.

Some of us who carry Kahr's just find it more convenient. I get a kick of the carrying a full size pistol thirty years ago walking up hill in the snow ten miles both ways to school stories

In all seriousness, I rock my Glock 17 in the winter at times but my main carry is a Kahr. I just don't dress in a way that allows me to conceal a full size pistol so I went and got something I could conceal no matter what.

 

[P97]

I carry a Ruger KP90DC all year round, and have for years. I have one small gun that I got with the intentions of carrying it, but after I realized the difference in the accuracy of it and the larger ones, I feel and additional trouble in carrying one that I can shoot good, is worth any extra effort.

 

[AK103K]

I get a kick of the carrying a full size pistol thirty years ago walking up hill in the snow ten miles both ways to school stories

Yea, me too. I guess I do cause I still can and never found it so tough. The carrying a full size gun part too. I'm still in good enough shape to do both, even in a blizzard.

I've come to the conclusion from a lot of the posts you see that for many their gun is more of a fashion accessory/status type thing and can be such a chore to carry. Must be a rode mommys Beemer both ways to the mall sort of thing I guess.

 

[Paints]

I've come to the conclusion from a lot of the posts you see that for many their gun is more of a fashion accessory/status type thing and can be such a chore to carry.

Maybe that's why there are so many "show us your new gun" threads?

 

[scoutsabout]

I've carried these full-size guns:

5" 1911 (.45 ACP) single and double stack.
CZ-75B (.40 S&W)
CZ-97B (.45 ACP)


The 97 was substantially thicker than the 1911, but I still made it work.

It's all in having a great carry system and adequate concealment clothing.

 

[EddieNFL]

I get a kick of the carrying a full size pistol thirty years ago walking up hill in the snow ten miles both ways to school stories

Once killed a bear with my loose leaf binder. Ammo was much too expensive to use on such a defenseless animal. Then there was the time...

 

[jahwarrior]

i carry a full size 1911. i normally open carry, but i can conceal it pretty easily.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

1911's in .45, 10mm, and Super .38, S&W 3"+4" N-frames in .44 + .45, Browning HiPower, CZ-75, and Walther P99. My small gun is either a Colt Detective .38, or a Colt 1903 .32. I carry one of the full sized guns about 90% of the time, and will sometimes carry a big one AND one of the small ones. I only carry concealed, except for range or hunting.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Are P7s full size?

They are service weapons but kind of smaller than the likes of a Beretta 92 or Government model. I carry the P7, Beretta 92, and BHP on occasion. Mostly the model 60 though.

 

[Pyzon]

CZ 75B in .40 when apparel allows, but a good belt and holster makes a ton of difference.

 

[Sapper771]

I normally carry a Glock 21SF in an IWB. If not it , then my SA TRP also in an IWB.
I don't carry a big pistol as a fashion statement. I prefer the control and accuracy of a full sized pistol. Some of the smaller pistols that I have are a bit uncomfortable to shoot, so they don't get shot much, thus they don't get carried.
I do throw my P7 in my bag as a sort of back up pistol. If I feel the need for a back up gun on my person, my Sig 232 does well in a pocket.