SLD sends his “EDC in deference to arthritis” from Everyday Carry.
The 60-year-old from Michigan writes:
This has undergone a tremendous change in the past few months. Having had both hips replaced due to arthritis it has since moved to my lumbar spine and my hands. I still have a decent range of motion with the hands so I am able to still use my favorite pistol design, the 1911, this will I expect change in years to come and will, I expect, require more changes. However the .45 acp, my old standby, and the 9MM both tend to hurt too much for extended range sessions.
Dropping down to the .380 ACP, yes I know place howls from “mousegun” haters here, allows me to shoot as much as I need to feel proficient in their use. To me, this is important because my family depends upon me for their protection, well at least some of it, my wife shoots as well as I do.
SLD shouldn’t worry. A .380 ACP in competent hands, especially loaded with any of the XTP hollowpoints, will perform just fine. Yeah, some Internet Warriors and Space Shuttle Door Gunners won’t feel comfortable with less than a .45 Auto or a 10mm. So what. I’d rather have a 12-gauge, too. But we can’t carry a 12-gauge shotgun in a IWB or pocket holster.
I note he carries both a primary gun – a Browning Black Label 1911 in .380 – and a backup Taurus M380 revolver. And a reload for each! Kudos! Maybe he carries the second gun to hand off as a force multiplier for a wife who doesn’t carry on a regular basis. That reload might come in handy in that scenario. And five rounds of .380 in a moon clip isn’t exactly like a 13-round magazine of .45 ACP.
As much as I have yet to find a Taurus semi-auto with a good trigger, their revolvers are great values for those who need a quality, affordable guns.
SLD also carries two serious knives – a Benchmade Bugout in OD Green (not the first one of those I’ve seen here!) and a Spyderco Cricket. And a little utilitarian Swiss Army Knife.
The watch, an American made RGM Sea3 probably does cost a bundle (I saw one for 15 bills, used). RGM touts themselves as America’s Premier Watchmaker. Nice…
I have to admit, but the time SLD puts a wallet and a phone into the mix, he carries about as much as I do.
