How often do you switch?

[FJW]

Which guns and why?

Even though I now carry a 9mm Shield most of the time (belt-clip, IWB, appendix), there are times I occasionally switch to another gun. Most often this is my Radom P83 Wanad. It's smaller than the Shield, has same number of rounds, mags are HALF the size of a Shield mag, and since my Shield has the belt clip it doesnt fit my holster as well as the Wanad. Sometimes when I have to sit more than stand, the Wanad in a holster works better and is much more comfortable. Because the mags are so thin and are also single stack, I can carry four mags in a pocket with ease. This gives me 41 rounds to playnwith, and they are not all in one basket.

I also sometimes choose to carry a revolver instead of the aforementioned semi-autos. I have a CA Bulldog 357 that I carry sometimes, and a considerably heavier Dan Wesson 357. When in the woods I carry the Dan Wesson because 357 is simply the best handgun I have for bear defense. There are also times when I dont want to carry extra mags with me, and a revolver becomes a better candidate. I usually carry two reloads (10 - 12 rounds extra) in a pocket, and sometimes a small leather pouch of about 50+ rounds depending where I am. There are also times it easier to carry with a gun belt when wearing shorts without belt loops, and which are too loose to slip the Shield in the waistband. I also have a Hi-Power clone which is the most ergonomic of all my handguns and probably also the heaviest. I hace also OWB'd that a few times, but more for novelty. If I ever carry it for defense it will be when I expect that hi-capacity could be important, such as the type of place people with terrorist objectives might choose to hit.

I'm just curious how often and why other people occasionally switch carry guns. I know weather or season will probably be among the most common answers.... but still, just curious what else comes up.

[Sgt.K]

Approximately once per week I switch from my Taurus PT1911 5" .45 to my other Taurus PT1911 5" .45 to shoot a match. When the match is over I switch back.

[Karlos]

i nearly always carry my G43 IWB but in the summer when i'll mostly be wearing t-shirts and shorts i'm planning to pocket carry a .380 bodyguard or .38 Ruger LCR. I've not made my mind up yet

[Coops]

From what I have read, switching guns is not recommended. When you have to draw, thinking about the ergonomics of which gun you have could cost seconds.
Pulling a revolver and looking for a safety or pulling a semiauto and failing to flip the safety are both bad scenarios. All the practice, hand eye coordination and muscle memory are wasted if you can't immediately draw and fire without thinking.

[cham09]

99% of the time I'm carrying my G26 in a kydex holster at the appendix, if I do switch guns its usually because I'm going/doing something that my shirt needs to be tucked in, in which case I switch to my bodyguard .380 and pocket carry.

[R L Suehr]

I switch it up from time to time. Currently my firestar m43 has been my go-to gun. I like it because I carry owb and can go back and forth from oc to cc simply by untucking my shirt. My cz 82 is probably second and was my primary ccw in the winter. Really I'm not sure why I haven't been carrying it much lately, I've just been grabbing the m43 more. If I'm going strictly oc I'll carry some form of 1911 usually, but that changes too depending on mood and which guns I'm currently shooting more at the range. I really like my tristar t120, but it's big and doesn't carry as nicely as the smaller guns.

[USMC-91]

If I can't carry my g19 then I carry my seecamp 380 in a pocket. I've yet to find a place that I couldn't bring the seecamp, it literally disappears. I guess it all depends on where I'm going and what I'm wearing for which one I carry.

[R L Suehr]

From what I have read, switching guns is not recommended. When you have to draw, thinking about the ergonomics of which gun you have could cost seconds.
Pulling a revolver and looking for a safety or pulling a semiauto and failing to flip the safety are both bad scenarios. All the practice, hand eye coordination and muscle memory are wasted if you can't immediately draw and fire without thinking.

I've read that several times as well and I think it might have merrit if you go from carrying/training with all striker guns or revolvers to something like a 1911 or similar sa gun where you now have to deal with a manual safety. Once I started practicing/training with sa guns I don't seem to find it a problem with the da guns I carry. My thumb automatically sweeps for a safety anymore without thinking about it, so on my da guns it isn't hitting anything. It's just a superfluous movement in my draw stroke that I don't really notice. Only gun I have that I could see it being a problem is the beretta 92 since that safety is nothing like anything else I've got and requires a slightly different movement that I'm not accustomed to. At the range I just decock and flip the safety of, leaving it in da. I wouldn't carry it because of the chance of me forgetting to bump the safety off and not being able to engage the safety under stress though.

[Deanimator]

I switched from a 2" Smith 36 in a self-made leather pocket holster to a 3 1/2" Citadel M1911 around a year ago.

That's almost the only handgun I carry these days.

The threat changed and I changed with it.

[FJW]

From what I have read, switching guns is not recommended. When you have to draw, thinking about the ergonomics of which gun you have could cost seconds.
Pulling a revolver and looking for a safety or pulling a semiauto and failing to flip the safety are both bad scenarios. All the practice, hand eye coordination and muscle memory are wasted if you can't immediately draw and fire without thinking.

Well, as I said I carry my Shield most of the time. Switching isnt something I do alot. But I do occasionally do it. Obviously a 9mm Shield isnt a good trail gun.

I get all that about muscle memory.... and while certainly not immune to change, I think I fair better than alot of people would becsuse I'm been a musician for nearly 35 years, and a keyboardist too, so switching things around quickly on thefly kind of my forte. I'm not trying to sound like a hot shot here, but the practice has clearly helped me in other avenues besides music.