There is one pistol that’s always with me, and that is my Ruger LCP. While some may snort derisively at my choice to carry a weapon with such diminutive proportions and limited capacity, one that fires a marginal cartridge, I say, “Snort away, you guys.” I know many consider a micro .380 to be a backup piece, or maybe a decent second choice if circumstances preclude strapping on a bigger gat, but I use this Lilliputian pistol as my primary carry gun every day . . .
Without venturing too deeply into platitude-land, the gun you have on you beats the gun you left at home, or something along those lines. The LCP never gets left at home. Unlike my G26, I never have to worry about dressing around the LCP.
The little Ruger rides in my front pocket, snugged up in a pocket holster. Carried this way, the gun goes beyond being concealed to veritably invisible. Shorts, long pants, t-shirt, hoodie – as long as I’m wearing some form of pants, I’m armed with no one else being any the wiser. While Washington is technically an open carry state, Seattle, where I make my humble home, isn’t exactly a gun-friendly town. I’m all too happy to avoid the “OMG, IS THAT A GUN?!” conversation with every person I encounter.
Of course, as with all things, this choice of carry gun comes with a series of compromises. Some drawbacks, like the limited capacity and less-than-stellar caliber, must simply be lived with, but others can be addressed through training. For instance, the trigger sucks, but between range sessions and dry-fire practice, I have learned to work with it. Ditto the sights. The draw from the pocket isn’t the fastest, but again, through practice, my draw has become fast enough.
Drawing from the pocket while seated is virtually impossible, but standing up or slouching to a sufficient degree can fix this. These maneuvers aren’t possible in a car, of course, so to that end, I’ll either transfer the LCP to my center console, or keep my G26 in a holster clipped to the door panel of my vehicle.
The LCP may not be the gun for you, but it’s definitely the gun for me. Ease of carry and concealment are my highest priorities in selecting a carry gun. Sure, a weapon with a larger capacity/caliber would undoubtedly be preferable in the event of a firefight, but for me, the odds of being involved in a drawn out gunfight simply don’t stack up against the odds of me choosing to leave a larger pistol at home. With my little pocket warmer, I will always have at least something. And something is better than nothing.
(See the rest of the posts in this series here. Send your What I Carry and Why submissions with a photo to thetruthaboutguns@gmail.com with WICAW in the subject line.)