Carrying a gun in public is a big responsibility, but this article is not about that responsibility but more about the practical side of carrying a gun on your person and what works and doesn't work. There are things you need to know about carrying a gun, there are a lot of informative books and tapes on the subject, as well as articles like this on the internet, but in the end you need to find out what works (and doesn't work) for you, and I believe that ultimately this can only be done by actually trying and using it in the real world.

My first experience carrying a gun in public was with a Colt model 1908 (.25 auto). The is not the best place in the world to start, the little Colt "mouse gun" would work as a back-up but as a primary carry weapon it was lacking. I did use it for a while, like a lot of people I used the gun available at the time and it sure was easy to carry. Shortly it became apparent that the little Colt just wasn't up to the task I had in mind, the Colt was old and striker fired so I didn't feel it was safe to carry with a round chambered in the barrel, this meant that if trouble came up I would be required to chamber a round with both hands while under stress or even under attack! This is not a plan for self-defense this is a plan to get hurt or maybe even get shot with your own gun.

My next gun was a Beretta model 950, also a .25 auto but a much newer design, safer to carry and even lighter than the Colt. Small autos like the Colt and the Beretta are very small and easy to carry, no doubt why they are so popular, but the small autos carry friendly size and weight still can't overcome the lackluster performance of their cartridges (at least as a primary weapon). Shortly I started hearing horror tales about the performance of the .25 automatic in street shootings (including someone I actually knew that was shot in the head with a .25 and was hardly effected). After that I decided that it was time to move up the firepower scale and I haven't used a small gun as a primary gun since. If the gun companies could only make a gun with the size and weight of a .25 but the punch of a .45 everyone's carry problems would be over.

My next step up was a Smith & Wesson model 649, all stainless steel, 5 shot .38 special. This was my first carry gun that was up to the power levels a person needs to defend themselves. With this gun you could fire .38 and even .38+P, and because of the heavy all steel construction and good grips you could still control the gun even while firing rapidly. After the S&W model 649 I moved up to the full size Colt Government model .45 and then a little later a Para Ordnance C6.45. Currently I carry the Colt Government model .45 or for very short trips the S&W 649.

The handguns above were the guns I carried most often, over the years I have also carried several other guns on occasion including various .45 automatics, Smith & Wesson "N" frame .357, several various S&W .38s, Colt Detective special .38, Kahr MK40 and a Kel-Tec .32 (as a back-up).

As can be seen from the above list I have carried various types and sizes of handguns over the years and I can say from my experience that a normal person could probably comfortably carry just about any handgun they wanted with the proper accessories. The "proper accessories" in this case being a good holster and gun belt.

A good holster and belt make all the difference, it can't be understated how important they really are to your carrying experience. When I was carrying small autos the holster and belt hardly mattered, their size and weight made carrying them very easy under most circumstances with or without a holster. When you go up to a larger size gun your holster and belt make all the difference.

I have carried full size autos like a Colt .45 Government with more comfort than a small revolver like the S&W model 649. The difference was that the Smith was my first experience with a larger heavier gun and not knowing much about holsters I didn't pick very well designed holsters and belts for it, but by the time I started carrying the Colt I knew what to look for and picked much better accessories for using in the real world.

If you are planning to use any larger handgun with real stopping power you will probably end up wearing it on your waist. You could wear it on a shoulder rig or even in a ankle rig but most of the time a gun that large ends up on your belt. You can't under estimate the need for a good belt. My first year or more of carrying the 649 was with a regular leather dress belt. Not the best idea for carrying and it made the job much harder than it needed to be. When I finally did get a good gun belt it was such a difference that it's hard to describe. Make sure you get the belt from a quality holster maker, it should be made of thick hide and able to support a lot of weight. I prefer a belt that is at least 1 ¼ inch wide with a good solid buckle. I can't understate the importance of the belt, it is the foundation of the whole carry rig and it is the most important aspect in the comfort of your rig.

When people want to carry most of their attention goes into the holster itself, the holster is important but if you have that good quality belt the holster doesn't matter as much. There are several types of holsters made to carry on you belt, some are the type that you thread the belt through your holster while others are the type that you can clip or snap onto your belt without taking the belt off. As a general rule you will find that the type that you have to thread you belt through are better if you intend to carry the handgun all day. If you intend to take the holster off during the day or several times a day a clip on or the type with snaps would probably be best for you.

Where you carry the gun on your person is all up to you and your preferences. A lot of people like to wear the gun behind their dominant side hip, and there are other ways to carry the gun such as the small of the back, ultimately it's all up to you and what works best for you. I can't understate the importance of trying different ways to carry and finding what is best, you can read all the books and watch all the videos but they cannot replace your actual experience while using these items in the real world under real circumstances. All of the experimentation will probably cost you some extra money on holsters etc. but finding the combination that works best for you is worth the extra expense.

A short note on holsters themselves, I find that on a comfort level that the best holsters are the type that covers the majority of the gun. A holster that has more material between you and your gun will usually be the most comfortable when wearing for longer periods of time. You should never have large portions of the gun touching you, which is not good for the gun or your comfort.

Another way to carry becoming more popular are the holsters that you don't really carry on your person, items such as day planners or purses that can hold a concealed gun. I have carried a Colt .45 Government in a day planner for a while and liked it very much.

Ultimately it is all up to you and your experiences. You can read all of the books and see all of the videos and take advice from strangers but they can't make up for the real experience of carrying a handgun. You just have to get out there in the real world and find out what works best for you.

11-3-02