Joined
·
3,836 Posts
Just thought I'd illustrate the carry items I've acquired over the last few years, why I acquired them, and how they fit into my EDC routine.
1) Gen 5 Glock 26, 9x19mm, 10 rnd factory magazine. This is is my principal primary CCW. This replaced a Gen 2 Glock 23 in .40 S&W. I'll be adding a light soon, and a red dot down the road. The light will of course necessitate new holster choices.
2) Ruger SP101, 9x19mm, 5 rnd clip. This is my winter coat pocket/summer sling bag pocket gun, sometimes house pocket carry gun.
3) Kel-Tec Gen 2 SUB-2000, 17 rn Glock mag. Spare 31 rnd Glock & 40 rnd ETS mag ride w/ it in the sling bag. This is the truck rifle, and due to a peculiarity in Texas law, sometimes my liberal establishment gun when they demand I leave all my pistols in my car, but they're fine w/ me carrying in my folding rifle in my hip sling bag murse. Mags interchange w/ the Glock 26. The light for this is at home, I need to add a light to this. Will probably jump on MCarbo's flipping optic mount for a red dot or 1x etched glass.
4) Kel-Tec P32, .32 ACP. This is the back pocket gun, BUG to the Glock 26. Currently it rides in a front uniform pocket, but in civilian garb, it plays 2nd fiddle to the Glock & Ruger. Round nose FMJ US or Fiocchi ammo only, I should replace the hammer spring to make it reliable w/ European ammo. It'll drill a .32" hole @ least 12" into bare gel, that's all I expect from it. I should grab another slide & send that off for some real sights... or bite the bullet on the Ruger .380 Max.
5) 5.25" mini-KaBar w/ tanto point. This is my bar legal knife when even the SUB-2000 can't be legally carried, it meets Texas law standards for carrying into bars. It's just under 5.5", and Jim Bowie never saw a tanto point in his life, so a prosecutor will have a difficult time claiming it's a "Bowie knife". Rides comfortably in a front pocket while the leather sheath is attached to the belt. Rarely worn except in non-permissive environments.
6) Gerber belt sheath knife. Backup to the KaBar, the pommel has been rounded to not catch on things, and really only useful when wearing a jacket and not riding in a car. Picked it up on a trip when I had to leave the mini-KaBar behind.
7) Standard IFAK - fits nicely in the middle compartment of the sling bag, I suppose I should get a red cross zipper pull charm. My issued IFAK fits there, including a tourniquet ready to go. Gloves also get stashed in here.
You're wondering - where's the HiPoint fit in all this? The JHP is the loaner, to encourage the recipient to upgrade. So far it's birthed one Glock 19 in 2 loans.
A planned upgrade is lightweight Level 3 plates on an undershirt carrier.
The current sling bag is a blue/grey model from Amazon w/ a ton of pockets - it's the 2nd of that model, as the 1st one came apart in a week due to poor stitching. The previous model was a bright neon-green one from Academy that sadly they no longer sell. That carried the Gen 1 .40 S&W SUB-2000 and the 23's spare mags for the longest time. Going to the 26 was a long term plan, and I had originally intended to build from a Poly 80 kit - just as the parts crunch hit.
As you can see, the Glock 26 & the SUB-2000 can exchange mags other than the 10 rnd 26 mag, so if either goes down mechanically, there's plenty of ammo available for either. No clipped reloads for the SP101 are carried, so the 5 rounds on the clip can be ejected once fired, and then the 101 can be reloaded rather quickly from any of the available magazines (if it's gotten to this point, I'm probably wearing the tourniquet).
Due to the flexibility of the SUB-2000, this can be done less expensively w/ several different magazine families - I choose to stick w/ the widely available & easily 3-D printable 9x19mm Glock mag. The Ruger SP101 is not definitive either - it's an anniversary present from my wife, and the weight is handy for 9x19mm; but a lighter gun in .357, .38 SPL, or the excellent new .327 Magnum would all answer the bill for a coat pocket gun, albeit weight makes much easier practice, and 9x19mm is the cheapest to stock at the moment.
A note on the exposed hammer of the 101 - that won't keep you from firing it from the pocket. It might snag on the draw from the pocket, but if you're going to draw, draw your primary. The revolver in your pocket or in your purse is there to fire THROUGH the pocket or purse, limiting your legal exposure to a brandishing charge and shaving tenths of seconds from not having to draw. Practice is necessary - Goodwill has inexpensive practice garments. You'll be surprised at how well you can hit COM from inside your pocket.
1) Gen 5 Glock 26, 9x19mm, 10 rnd factory magazine. This is is my principal primary CCW. This replaced a Gen 2 Glock 23 in .40 S&W. I'll be adding a light soon, and a red dot down the road. The light will of course necessitate new holster choices.
2) Ruger SP101, 9x19mm, 5 rnd clip. This is my winter coat pocket/summer sling bag pocket gun, sometimes house pocket carry gun.
3) Kel-Tec Gen 2 SUB-2000, 17 rn Glock mag. Spare 31 rnd Glock & 40 rnd ETS mag ride w/ it in the sling bag. This is the truck rifle, and due to a peculiarity in Texas law, sometimes my liberal establishment gun when they demand I leave all my pistols in my car, but they're fine w/ me carrying in my folding rifle in my hip sling bag murse. Mags interchange w/ the Glock 26. The light for this is at home, I need to add a light to this. Will probably jump on MCarbo's flipping optic mount for a red dot or 1x etched glass.
4) Kel-Tec P32, .32 ACP. This is the back pocket gun, BUG to the Glock 26. Currently it rides in a front uniform pocket, but in civilian garb, it plays 2nd fiddle to the Glock & Ruger. Round nose FMJ US or Fiocchi ammo only, I should replace the hammer spring to make it reliable w/ European ammo. It'll drill a .32" hole @ least 12" into bare gel, that's all I expect from it. I should grab another slide & send that off for some real sights... or bite the bullet on the Ruger .380 Max.
5) 5.25" mini-KaBar w/ tanto point. This is my bar legal knife when even the SUB-2000 can't be legally carried, it meets Texas law standards for carrying into bars. It's just under 5.5", and Jim Bowie never saw a tanto point in his life, so a prosecutor will have a difficult time claiming it's a "Bowie knife". Rides comfortably in a front pocket while the leather sheath is attached to the belt. Rarely worn except in non-permissive environments.
6) Gerber belt sheath knife. Backup to the KaBar, the pommel has been rounded to not catch on things, and really only useful when wearing a jacket and not riding in a car. Picked it up on a trip when I had to leave the mini-KaBar behind.
7) Standard IFAK - fits nicely in the middle compartment of the sling bag, I suppose I should get a red cross zipper pull charm. My issued IFAK fits there, including a tourniquet ready to go. Gloves also get stashed in here.
You're wondering - where's the HiPoint fit in all this? The JHP is the loaner, to encourage the recipient to upgrade. So far it's birthed one Glock 19 in 2 loans.
A planned upgrade is lightweight Level 3 plates on an undershirt carrier.
The current sling bag is a blue/grey model from Amazon w/ a ton of pockets - it's the 2nd of that model, as the 1st one came apart in a week due to poor stitching. The previous model was a bright neon-green one from Academy that sadly they no longer sell. That carried the Gen 1 .40 S&W SUB-2000 and the 23's spare mags for the longest time. Going to the 26 was a long term plan, and I had originally intended to build from a Poly 80 kit - just as the parts crunch hit.
As you can see, the Glock 26 & the SUB-2000 can exchange mags other than the 10 rnd 26 mag, so if either goes down mechanically, there's plenty of ammo available for either. No clipped reloads for the SP101 are carried, so the 5 rounds on the clip can be ejected once fired, and then the 101 can be reloaded rather quickly from any of the available magazines (if it's gotten to this point, I'm probably wearing the tourniquet).
Due to the flexibility of the SUB-2000, this can be done less expensively w/ several different magazine families - I choose to stick w/ the widely available & easily 3-D printable 9x19mm Glock mag. The Ruger SP101 is not definitive either - it's an anniversary present from my wife, and the weight is handy for 9x19mm; but a lighter gun in .357, .38 SPL, or the excellent new .327 Magnum would all answer the bill for a coat pocket gun, albeit weight makes much easier practice, and 9x19mm is the cheapest to stock at the moment.
A note on the exposed hammer of the 101 - that won't keep you from firing it from the pocket. It might snag on the draw from the pocket, but if you're going to draw, draw your primary. The revolver in your pocket or in your purse is there to fire THROUGH the pocket or purse, limiting your legal exposure to a brandishing charge and shaving tenths of seconds from not having to draw. Practice is necessary - Goodwill has inexpensive practice garments. You'll be surprised at how well you can hit COM from inside your pocket.