RockDoctor

Don't you think it's rather stupid to say you would "carry a 105 howitzer"? As a KISS adopter, it would seem the individual would carry what they are most confident and proficient with to protect their life. It ain't going to be a .50cal

OldCrow

I have carried everything from a JA-22 to a Super Blackhawk 44mag with a 7.5" barrel. It depends on the situation and how I am dressed. I carry one of three guns now I have mellowed in my old age. I have a P-3AT I carry when it's really hot or the chances of trouble are very slim. I have a P95 and a 357 mag Blackhawk with a 4.5" barrel that I carry in bad areas, on road trips or other situations when I don't know what I am getting into. I carry the Blackhawk on road trips. I have a nice shoulder holster for it and I can easily draw it while strapped in by a seat belt.

smithnframe

An sr1911......the same thing I carry concealed.

KillDevilBill

S&W 629 Classic

Used to own one, god I miss that gun!

ExArmy11b

Short of carrying a rifle, if PA had an open carry law, I would carry..........

My 4" .44 Redhawk! It's short enough to be handy, but powerful enough to get pretty much any job done you would need a handgun for.

Why do I need 18 rounds of 9mm, when I can carry 6 .44's and a bunch of speedloaders

I can easily reach out to 100+ yards with my .44, and if I had to 200 yards or so and still have the velocity to be effective. It will punch through vehicles, body armor (bad guys are wearing body armor now) but still not be too recoil heavy that I can't make quick follow up shots.

andybothel

Yah, I think most of these guys that say things like carrying a .50 are full of it with something to prove.

(With exception with some outdoors stuff) There isn't anything a huge caliber gun will do that I standard CCW gun wouldn't. Can you imagine shooting a .50 in self defense against a person, you better make sure there is a dirt pile behind them as I'm pretty certain it'll blow clean through them. Just my opinion.

To answer you question, I would probably carry my SR1911 as I shoot it the best of all my handguns. There is certainly a way for me to do it, I just haven't invested in much carry gear for it since I have smaller options that I am still proficient with.

jlh820

Either one of my 1911's or my XDm45. The XDm is comfortable to carry, but too bulky for good concealment. If I open carried, I wouldn't have to worry about that. It's extremely accurate with a great trigger and holds 13 rounds in a standard magazine. I also have some mag extenders on 3 of my XDm mags which give it a total of 16, plus one in the chamber! The mag extensions are not practical for carry, either. They're just too long.

WheelyGuy

Either my mini 14 or my 30 carbine. The 14 shoots a more powerful round, but the carbine's smaller cartridge makes it very easy to pack nearly a full box of ammo on the rifle itself with a canvas magazine holder that fits on the stock.

jlh820

On open carry...

Arizona allows open carry and I regularly see people carrying, but I don't do it generally, because I prefer that no one knows what or if I'm carrying but me.

I have done it once on a trip to a carbine class, but it was required. I stopped into a Quick Stop to grab some water and a couple of things to eat. The girl at the counter never batted an eye.

LimaCharlie

It all depends on the circumstances. I normally carry a Sig P238 HDW .380 AP in my house or yard. I normally add a full size 1911 .45 ACP locally. I often add a Glock G20SF 10mm instead of the 1911 depending on where I am going or what I am doing.

Before I retired, I worked many miles off road on jeep trails in wilderness areas many times by myself. I conceal carried an S&W 460V 5” OWB and two speed loaders at 9:00 o’clock in areas where meeting a bear, mountain lion, elk, or pissed off moose was possible. I also carried a Glock G20SF 10mm and two spare magazines at 3:00 o’clock in case I met marijuana farmers or survivalists that objected to my presence. I also carried a Sig P238 .380 AP cocked and locked in my pocket with a spare magazine just in case. I am left-handed and right eye dominate. I normally carry and shoot right-handed, but shoot equally well left-handed.

My cell phone was out of service most of the time. It would get very hot and run the battery down searching for cell sites so I turned it off. I carried a two-way radio, but backup could be hours away driving or an hour or more away by helicopter.

I have an OWB holster and a two magazine carrier for my Desert Eagle 50AE. I carried it concealed one full work day around senior law enforcement officers to win a bet. A LEO friend bet me I couldn’t do it. No one noticed until I showed them after work.

QHhorseman

If I could carry anything I wanted I would have to say a SEAL team. Short of that I would still carry my 1911 in 45.

bearcatter

Who would want to clunk around more than they already carry concealed, without good reason? I'd still use my LCR-357, but it would be nicer to carry on the belt instead of a pocket. In a definite serious need, a Thompson SMG with a drum magazine should fill the bill..........

100shots1kill

My thoughts exactly, Bearcatter, but reading discussions on the interwebz can be dangerous for one's self-esteem, and I began to feel if I were the minority. That was kinda my point in this thread - carrying a weapon, concealed or not, is a study of compromise. When you carry you balance size with weight, firepower with ammo capacity, "power" with quick follow up shots and certainly concealibility with accessibility. Sure you could carry a Kel-tec KSG at the ready at all times, but you'd impair your ability to push your kids on the swing or play fetch with your dog or hold hands with your wife at the movies. (Not to mention they'd probably make you buy an extra ticket for that SEAL team you brought along)

There's plenty of discussion on the balancing act of carrying concealed; I posed this question to see how, if the concealed requirement were removed, what compromises people would be willing to make in their everyday life. Thanks for all the great responses,

Mystic.

terry_p

Open carry is legal in NH but I conceal. I frankly prefer the element of surprise and have no need for the sheep to see me carry. If someone else wishes to thats their choice, I don't.

thndrchiken

Depends on where and when. Either way I prefer concealed when not in the woods, I don't like to give up any advantage by letting a perp know I'm carrying. BTW open carry is legal in PA, just not all areas, like Pittsburgh and Philly. Get away from those two liberal bastions and you'd nary even see someone look twice at what your carrying, except of course to see what it is your carrying.