Keeping expensive, uncommon firearms for HD / SD?

[Packy14]

So I've got expensive tastes, and I'm fortunate to be able to accommodate them.

One of my EDC CCW guns is a Springfield Professional, and I've made my War Sport LVOA into a HD gun.

Both are ~$3,000.00 guns that aren't terribly easy to come by, especially the Professional.

What are your thoughts on using such nice firearms for HD / SD?

The obvious fear / worry being what if it gets taken by the cops in the aftermath of a SD shooting....

I've thought of swapping my Pro for, say, a G21 or something...but I shoot the Pro so damned well, and it's kinda like having a Ferrari but never, ever driving it for fear of chipping the paint, scratching it, etc.

Thoughts & opinions please!

Get SD insurance... the cost of the gun is the cheap part, no matter the gun.

[WMG]

The obvious fear / worry being.......

I don't think that means what you think it means ..... standard reply to questions like this is always ...... buy a good pair of sneakers , it's always cheaper to run away..........

[Clairvaux]

I've thought of swapping my Pro for, say, a G21 or something...but I shoot the Pro so damned well, and it's kinda like having a Ferrari but never, ever driving it for fear of chipping the paint, scratching it, etc.

A Springfield Pro is not the Ferrari of handguns.

Your tastes are not "expensive".

Get over yourself.

[DrjonesUSA]

A Springfield Pro is not the Ferrari of handguns.

Your tastes are not "expensive".

Get over yourself.

Who pissed in your cheerios?

[Dimitri A.]

By all means use them. If your $3k guns are reliable, shots go where you point them, and you are proficient in their use, no reason not to use them. If I had a $3k gun, and I shot it better than any Glock, XD, Beretta etc. that I own, it would be be foolish for me to not use that gun as my HD/SD weapon.

[psssniper]

The gun is just a tool and you have some nice tools. Use them, simple as that.

When re qualifying recently, my 3 guns had to be inspected, inspector said "wow really nice guns man" Maybe he was just bored after seeing dozens of Shields and G-43's These are the three that I shoot very well and have confidence in so that's why I use them, they're the best tools I can afford for the job.

[champu]

The obvious fear / worry being what if it gets taken by the cops in the aftermath of a SD shooting....

Well, you were going to be able to replace it, but now you're going to have to pay an extra $3k to your lawyer to explain away this thread in the civil suit against you.

[TurboChrisB]

What are your thoughts on using such nice firearms for HD / SD?

I believe that the cost OR rarity of a firearm should not be a consideration in whether or not you designate it as a HD weapon. Having it taken by the po po is something I refuse to allow to impact my decision.

For me....it would be like buying that nice car (Ferrari?) and not driving it because you might get in a accident and "lose it".

I suspect you feel the same way too inside or you wouldn't be carrying the Pro. Own it and use your nice guns the way they were intended to be used.

For sport, for fun, for defense.

[Oceanbob]

Another reason to use a $500 Glock.



Bob

[calif 15-22]

Seriously, any decent shooter should be able to effectively and accurately employ a "cheaper" handgun (something under $700) for HD/SD. Get a "cheap" gun for that task.

I don't know . . .

Lets be realistic here for a minute. Most ALL of us will never have to fire a gun in HD ever. But when we do, it will be the defining point in our gun ownership, and for that moment, I want the the gun I train with and the gun I shoot the best. If it's a $500 Glock 17 so be it. If it's $1200 off roster VP9 then so be it.

Same holds true for a CCW. Are you going to carry the least expensive gun you own? Probably not.

As others have mentioned the gun being taken will be the least of your worries.

[IVC]

If your $3k guns are reliable, shots go where you point them, ...

Heh, that's funny that you have to qualify it with "if" when talking about 3K guns. The primary reason for the price tag should be reliability...

[psssniper]

Exactly

I don't know . . .

Lets be realistic here for a minute. Most ALL of us will never have to fire a gun in HD ever. But when we do, it will be the defining point in our gun ownership, and for that moment, I want the the gun I train with and the gun I shoot the best. If it's a $500 Glock 17 so be it. If it's $1200 off roster VP9 then so be it.

Same holds true for a CCW. Are you going to carry the least expensive gun you own? Probably not.

As others have mentioned the gun being taken will be the least of your worries.

[I Swan]

I feel comfortable protecting myself and carrying $300-1000 guns and don't feel that I'd be safer by carrying a $3000 one. What kind of ammo are you ballers using as well? A decent holster and good ammo are also important.

A gun just launches the bullet the bullet does the work. Most of what the gun needs to do is be extremely reliable and accurate as possible as long as does not decrease the reliability making it accurate.

I'd rather defend myself with a beat up cheap AK that worked than some expensive mall ninjaed out finicky AR variant.

[Cali-Shooter]

It's your gun, you do whatever you want with it.

That being said, I keep multiple Glocks in my house that all use the same ammo and mags, so training, practice, and interchangeability is a non-issue.

[SamsDX]

All things being equal, and you shoot the Springfield Pro better than your other guns, by all means, carry and rely upon the Pro for self-defense. That part is a drop in the bucket compared to all of the other expenses of a self-defense shoot (even a justified one).

At the risk of turning this into a 1911 vs. Plastique Fantastique argument, all things are not equal, and there are several factors that keep me from listing my TRP or my XSE Commander on my CCW. I shoot either one of them better than my Glock 30, thanks to that crisp single action trigger. They're heavier so the follow-up shots are easier to take, and I like the heft of the all-steel frame. But maybe I'm weak and/or I should follow the old adage "a carry gun is supposed to be comforting, not comfortable" but after a whole day of carrying one, my back and my hips were sore, and there is a rash on my skin where it contacts the holster (a Stealth Gear Ventcore - one of the most comfortable out there). This is before getting to the capacity and maintenance issues that are well-documented, and I won't get into that here.

I liked the idea of carrying a 1911 because it's so thin, packs a good punch, and it's a classic, but in actuality, it was more painful than I had thought. If you can do it comfortably, more power to you.

I'm a firearms collector as much as the next guy, and I enjoy owning a variety of guns, but there's several things that keep drawing me back to the basic $500 Glock for my self defense/CCW needs.