Two Pistol Carry Combo.

[Doc Mark]

Greetings, All,

Some CCW holders like to carry two firearms: a main, and a back-up, "just in case". Some folks are not concerned with a back-up, so this post is for those who might be considering carrying a two pistol combo for CCW.

My main carry is a Glock 27 (.40), and I've come to love that big/little pistol, quite a bit. Accurate, fits my hand, safe, and reliable: it covers all those bases, in a caliber I also trust.

Now, when it comes to a back-up gun, I used to carry the S&W M642 (.38 SPL +P), and that is a wonderful little 5-shot revolver. Easy to carry, and easy to conceal, BUT super slow to reload, and not as easy to shoot accurately, under high pressure. So, I began looking around for another gun, that would replace the 642. Turned out, that pistol is the S&W Shield 9 (9mm)! Though a bit different than my M27, it still fits my hand, and it is very easy to shoot, very accurate, and with the 8-round mag in place, and one up the spout, you have 9 rounds of 9mm at your disposal, without a reload.

For me, 5'8" tall, and 170 lbs, I can carry both pistols at the same time, and do so quite easily. Access to both pistols is easy, and quick. I feel this is a fantastic carry combo, and so these two pistols, along with one other, are on my permit, and I'm as happy as a clam with those choices. Whilst this works great for me, I'm sure others will not want to carry two such pistols at the same time. Worth it, IMHO, but others may have different needs and desires. FYI..... Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[AO3]

[Title1guy]

When I’m in the mood to carry two; it is usually a Kahr PM9 or a Glock 43 IWB as a main carry with a Ruger LCP (Gen 2, not LCP II) as a pocket backup. I prefer lightweight pistols for carry. Usually, my extra mags are my backup. LOL

[heidad01]

It is best to carry two that use the same rounds and mags.

[FeuerFrei]

I don't do it all the time, but when I feel the need to x2 it I keep'em similar. (Glock 26/19 with a spare G19 mag)
Muscle memory thing.

Sent using a long string and 2 Dixie cups

[Doc Mark]

Good Evening,

Excellent points and suggestions! Thank you for sharing what you do. As for me, I have never carried two guns of the same caliber, for a variety of reasons. I also do not carry a spare magazine for my second pistol. So, that rather renders the "same gun/same magazine" topic moot, at least for me. Actually, my third pistol on the permit, is a Glock 23, so I guess, were I to carry both at the same time, I could just carry spare 23 magazines (10 rounds, each, of course), and thus cover that particular base.

My M27 has one 1-round mag in the pistol, plus 1 cartridge up the spout. I do carry two spare mags for the M27, both 10 rounders. I figure that with 31 total rounds of .40 S&W, plus 9 rounds of 9mm, I'm as protected as I can reasonably be. The back-up pistol is there, if something happens with the M27, which I seriously doubt will happen. It also allows me to arm my wife, or another very trusted friend, if needed. Since I used to carry the S&W 642 in .38 SPL P+, and it's only 5 rounds, I feel the Shield 9, with 9 rounds is an upgrade. Also, as the two pistols have "safety triggers", they operate very similarly, and since I carry the Shield with it's safety off (not necessary, I feel), they are both, "draw, acquire sights, press trigger", and that makes the manual of arms close enough, for me.

But, each of us must make our own decisions on things like this, and I have very good friends who use the 642 as the primary arm, and just carry a couple of Bianchi speedstrips, for reloading, if needed. I like the idea of 9 rounds out of the Shield, before needing another mag. In any case, that's what seems to work well for me. I hope and pray that I never have to find out if it actually works in a serious situation; and, I also hope and pray that I'll be up to the task, should it be necessary! Thanks, again, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

P.S. Back when I was shopping for a replacement for me M642, I did give a bit of thought to just getting another M27 Glock, but decided not to do that, at least for now. Maybe someday, though.......

[JTROKS]

Glock 23 and 27 if I have to carry 2 pistols. Main reason is if my G23 is out of the fight I can still use the mags I did not deploy.

[MarikinaMan]

[Bill Carson]

It is best to carry two that use the same rounds and mags.

This.

[deadcoyote]

[Phalanx20mm]

Carry two 1911's with 6 mags.

[Dogbite]

When I lived in a free state, I carried a Glock 23 & Glock 27 W/ (2) spare 22 magazines. Difficult to conceal in 100 degree summer months. Having been in several altercations in my prior years made me overly paranoid.
Your SW642 is a wonderful hand gun - Just needs a bit of trigger work. Several newer versions of the SW are available that can handle 357 +P Loads. I don't know why you would use them in that short barreled platform though it is nice not to be limited if ammo is scarce.

[michaelthepsycho]

How many insurance policies do you buy BTW?

[71MUSTY]

I carry a G42 in my front pocket like most people carry a change. (Always there).

My EDC is either a Smith 1006 of a M&P40c IWB @4:00 depending on the day

[SmallShark]

The reason for having a CCW is “just in case”, why do you need another “just in case”?

If you know the chance of using a firearm to defend yourself is very high, you might want to choose other options.

For examples,

Don’t go there
Bring a buddy
Change profession
Carry a rifle
Call the police