John Galt writes . . .
I have been carrying a customized Colt Gold Cup F O R E V E R…but I’m getting old and it’s hard to argue with lower weight and higher capacity. I finally broke with tradition. My new loadout feels airlight by comparison.
Now carrying a SIG P365 with a 12-round mag loaded with Fed 147 grain Hydra-Shoks in a Kydex IWB holster and a North American Arms .22 magnum as backup in a pocket sheath in my front right pocket. I have extra magazines, but (generally) do not carry them often.
Also carry a Spyderco Endura (but I rotate knives a bit), a Streamlight Microstream (which I love), a flip phone, keys, wallet, $$$.
This post is part of our series, What I’m Carrying Now. If you’d like to submit a photo and description of the gun, holster and gear you’re carrying in the new world in which we live, send it to us at [email protected] with WICN in the subject field.]
North American Arms. A revolver you can take into a swimming pool and know one will ever know.
That and the ocean. Done both.
Her: “Is that an NAA revolver in your pocket?”
Me: “It’s a Magnum.”
Her: (swoons).
It was Mae West who asked, “Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?”
“I look good in a speedo. Honest.”
I like these kinds of carries. It’s a backup gun… not a secondary full sized with a bunch of other ridiculous shit. This is practical. That flip phone tho… dayum man. Hey, still better than making the jump to a smart phone, and buying an Apple product. Don’t do it.
I have a flip phone. Pay as you go. I don’t text I just use it as a phone. I don’t need a smart phone.
I actually just got a Pixel 3a XL. I’ve been on Verizon prepaid for about 5 years. Texting is great. I hate it when someone calls and leave a voicemail. My voicemail is so slow. It reads the number in monotone at a speed of 1 number every 4 seconds, tells me the time, date etc etc… Just text me unless it’s business, and even then there are exceptions. Selling something online, texting is easier all around. I also have the Samsung Frontier watch so I can see everything while leaving my phone in my pocket. I was not a fan of smart watches until I got one. And my dad used to hate smartphones and texting too, until he got one. He was a truck driver his whole life. Really helped him. He was the type to break out the map books for every load. He taught me how to read a map before the military did (not in such detail, but for the most part). Once he got a hold of maps I showed him comparisons of certain routes he would take before. Granted, there are always variables when it comes to truck driving, and they finally ended up getting a sort of blue force tracker for his fleet, but smart phones are definitely useful. I mean, nobody really needs them… but then again we don’t need a lot of the stuff we have.
I’ve used PAYGO Tracfones since 2004. $80 per year for plenty of talk and text until I got a cracked and encrypted 3rd party phone and a Tracfone SIM card kit. Miles ahead of friends and family around me that are paying out the nose every month for top-of-the-line plans, parading their lives for Schmuckerberg and the Google Overlords to see. No thanks.
Solid plan. All sim cards are trackable though.
Not trackable, as in nothing attached to my name, and the phone overwritten with open source to create an encrypted system completely devoid of Google. Built for me by a close friend who’s an IT Server Security specialist. The privacy is worth its weight in gold.
IMIE’s send location data to cell phone towers. On every cell phone. Always have, always will. Any conversation you have on it is recorded and reviewed. Always has been, always will be. If you are worried about being tracked, you got some serious amounts of concrete to pour.
What Montana Actual said, your traffic is still going over a privately owned network so they can see all the traffic and set the encryption protocols (also hold the private keys) for voice and texting data. Server admin work has nothing to do with cell phones, unless they have set you up with an encrypted email/messenger service. Even than they can capture and retain every packet, than sort out the key.
As someone with 15 certifications and over 10 years in IT the best thing you can do is limit posting to Facebook and other social media. They don’t own any of the internet backbone, yet so only get your data if you offer it up.
For carrying a second gun are there any studies on the effectiveness? Would be a wierd sensation to drop your gun in a self defense situation, even if it was to get the back up.
My last flip phone was a Motorola V66. Little thing, had an external antenna option they did not advertise at all. Used in the truck with an outside antenna, could make calls in places smart phones could not. But then I used to wander around a lot in those days, backcountry 4×4, getting mountains between me and city cell towers.
Problem was the keypad. Buttons would quit working. Being in the engineering trade I took it apart, found it to be replaceable real easy. So started buying broken V66’s on eBay. Could get a phone with a busted hinge for $5.
Replaced a keypad a year for a while but eventually that supply dried up. Finally went to a smart phone.
Still miss flip phones.
Well they are trying to bring it back… All these folding screen designs that are certain to fail. Trying to bring the Razr back with a smartphone twist.
Yeah, I’ve seen those too. That’s proving to be a tough technology nut to crack.
Less chance of getting your cells damaged by cellular data, wifi, bluetooth. If you want a phone to use it as….a phone, that’s a great choice.
nice…. I love my NAA .22 Mag, always in my pocket…
I remember years ago I had one of those at the local range and was firing it at a target. One of the other guys looked at me and said that little thing made all that noise?
I’d like to try one of the belt buckle thingies at some point, just to see if it’s practical.
I think that qualifies as open carry.
Now, Jeremy had a custom brimmed hat made molded to carry his NAA in the top…
Knew someone that carried that way for a year or so, in the belt buckle. Eventually he thought better of it and made up a leather pocket holster.
What will a P365 do for me that an EMP 4″ won’t? Pocket carry? You won’t be doing that with an extended magazine. So you really don’t get better concealability. You have a pistol that is harder to grip and manipulate especially in cold weather; a shorter sight radius and poor recoil characteristics. I am unimpressed with the capacity because subcompacts and pocket pistols are for personal defense and backup. If you find yourself with the need for more than a single stack then you are in situation that requires a full sized pistol with a high capacity magazine.
NAA? Whatever.
How about save you $600+ then? And if you can carry more rounds in the same size, why not?
Because your typical personal defense gunfight is over in less then a revolver loadout and if you are in something more serious you are probably going to need 15+. So 7-14 rounds is either surpurflous or inadequate. There is a reason why even detectives carry a G19 or larger sized pistol
Until now… when they can conceal easier in smaller form factors. You seem to be stuck on trying to prove some superficial point here tho… If you frequent edc sites you will see plenty of off duty officers carrying p365’s now. No doubt when on duty and concealment is not necessary or you can cover with a coat/jacket why wouldn’t you carry something with more grip and a longer barrel? Ballistics, right? But my original point is that it seems to be your opinion that spending $600 more for a single stack is more practical because (insert small percentage of DGU stats here) and nobody needs more rounds than the average amount used in them? The way you put it, is that if a round with the same ballistics as 9mm could be shrunk to fit 15 in the same size sub compact that currently only holds 7, you’d still take 7 because you are confident that 15 is just too much.
Ok then.
I agree that most (not all) defense shootings are over in what you said was “less than a revolver load“ which is a good way to put it. But I have to disagree that if you’re in something more umm intense, loading 7-14 rounds will be superfluous or inadequate. That’s the “spray and pray“ mentality talking.
State Troopers, nationwide did just fine for literally decades carrying.357 magnum revolvers and yes, they joined the semiautomatic revolution finally but they still emphasize marksmanship. That’s the key! If I’m in the mountains of Tennessee or North Carolina carrying a 45 auto be it my Sig 1911 or my pending Wilson Combat Carry Comp, and I’m using a 45 against more than a single assailant or I’m not in a position where a call to 911 will bring help fast, and IF I’m accurate (key, again) I very much doubt that 10 rounds downrange will be either superfluous or inadequate.
he shot at me until he ran out of bullets then tried to stab me with a pitchfork, lucky for me it got hung up on some bailing twine and I got away with a chicken. Them chicken ranchers sure are protective of their chickens. The only time I get that angry is when fighting for a female. You reckon them chicken ranchers got something going on with them chickens?.
Superficial point? It’s riot time in Minneapolis. You are protecting your property are you going to pull out your little subcompact? You are going to br packing a full sized pistol as well as any long gun you might have. That’s the real world. If all you have is a P365 then you are going to underarmed.
To say that anyone is “underarmed” with a Sig P365, especially in an urban situation like mob violence is totally ridiculous! The P365, with the new-ish 15 rd magazines and the plastic spacer offering a seamless grip is every bit the equal of the MK25 which also has a 15 rd capacity. The only differences are in the skills of the users. Period.
#exsoldier.
How many non drug gang related cases where someone got into a running gunfight requiring a reload? Your average criminal doesn’t live by “no man left behind.” TTAG used to post DGU of the day way back when and every post involving multiple assailants found that everybody bolted when shots were fired. If you find yourself in a running gunfight you aren’t blazing away at in your face ranges at least for very long. If you are not fighting at in your face ranges you need a combat pistol.
I agree 100% with your assertions but I would remark that crime in rural areas is now loaded with Meth gang associated conflict and there’s not much chance that in the Appalachian Mountains along those roads there’s gonna be a cop close by to render assistance and the bad guys know it. They also know that a certain percentage of folks in the region are armed and in some cases they’re prepared to “test the waters” based on potential payoff. That’s why I pocket carry the P365 in town for going to the gas station or visiting friends. But outside of town or on the mountain roads, it’s a Sig RCS 1911 45 auto with 7+1 and 21 more rounds ON my person plus another 70 rds already loaded and ready to launch in a small zip bag behind the driver’s seat in my Wrangler.
There’s also a lot of Bikers in this region and most are gentlemen. But there’s a few of the 1% persuasion. Those are very worrisome. Many are combat veterans who are trained and experienced. Most normal ccw carriers wouldn’t be able to resist that. I’m not saying I would, either and it makes my blood run cold even thinking about it.
But I would hope that my response, bred by training and my own experiences would telegraph a notion that I know what I’m doing, too and I’m ready to die to protect my family.
tell us about grip safeties.
I am in dead horse territory here but here goes. If ten is a real possibility so is 15. If 15 is a real possibility you need a full sized pistol. For the normal world 10 + 1 covers virtually all realistic DGUs.
You are in dead horse territory because you keep beating one.
First it was sub compacts hold enough, now they don’t? Where do you draw the line? How do you make up scenarios that define how many rounds you need? The point is… more rounds the better. If it can be done in a small form factor, great. If not, go bigger. The end. Its personal preference to carry what you want, and depending on your attire and physique, the variables increase even more. Carry what you can, when you can.
I said subcompacts have enough capacity for personal defense. They don’t have enough capacity for a more serious threat. I guess that is to subtle for you to get so I will make it easy for you. If you live in a low crime area and you are not engaged in criminal activity the a single stack subcompact will meet your needs. If you are in the Twin Cities tonight you might just need a bit more capacity and barrel length. Both the P365 and EMP are in never-never-land, more than enough capacity for personal defense but not enough capacity for a higher level threat but if you draw the short straw then at least the EMP will be a more effective defensive weapon.
Now do you understand f**ktard?
There is absolutely no reason to be the bully here, especially when you’re simply expressing your OPINION. And a flimsy opinion it is, at that. I could go on and on, but you’ve beaten this horse into ground meat. And you’re full of horse sh** too.
That’s pretty funny. By contrast, I downsized from the Sig MK25 9mm to the Sig P320 9mm to the Sig P365 9mm for carry around town and on my side of the Appalachian Mountains. But the moment I have to cross those mountains by vehicle, I’m back to my Sig 1911 45 auto and at least three spare 7rd mags on me with another seven in a BOB in the Jeep. When I start Trout fishing from the riverbank I’ll probably wear my EAA Hunter 10mm with 14+1 in the gun and two more spare mags handy. I understand the old age thing. I just turned 63. But my feelings in this dangerous new era is: “Serious guns/calibers for serious times.”
My P365 recoiled in a weird way so I went back to carrying my P938 but to each his own. Never tried an NAA. Seems like it would be a pretty bad day when you run dry with a 13 round gat then have to reach for the little revolver. What does it hold, like 3 rounds?
My Black Widow carries 6 22 WMR
Check again. The NAA Black Widows (as all NAA revolvers) have a 5-shot capacity.
😳….
Recoiled other than back and up?
Now I’m interested……
Because of the small grip, the gun wants to twist sideways. It just took slightly longer on follow up shots. The Ruger LCP does the same thing when I shoot it.
Did you try the 12rd mag? Many have said it makes the 365 a whole different gun.
I carry my Black Widow 22 WMR cross draw specifically for my autos while my XDe is under my seat belt. Great little piece if you learn how to shoot them. They are definitely not as simple as they appear.
I ran a flip phone for many years. Most of what I need a phone for is a phone. Even now. What made me trade it for a smart phone is telemarketing calls. It is so much easier to block them now. Although TTAG is getting a lot of phone time.
I love the Sig P365. Especially the trigger.
I can live without that knife though. Just not my my style. But a knife for sure.
Nice grips on the revolver.
Pretty easy carry. No for me on the mini.
Too hard to manipulate at speed for me.
I may buy one in 22 short as a fidget spinner.
Takes me back to my younger days reading gun magazines and seeing their add.
I carry a P365 for when my NAA runs dry.
Nicely done, Conrad.
I’m pretty sure that Mr. Galt, when out of gulch, carries the same phone that my dad does.
Which, btw, is not an insult to either Mr. Galt or the phone.
Other than that, solid. I like the choice of grip color on the Endura too.
*the gulch.
i hate when i run out of gulch.
hopefully there’s a swale around when that happens.
NAA .22 Magnumn, bite not bad as bark.
The only real problem with an NAA is they are so small that it’s easy to forget what coat pocket it was slipped into. I haven’t been able to find mine for weeks…
You paint the picture of Jack Black in Tropic Thunder reaching for the gun in his shorts.
As others have said before, carry what makes you feel secure and can shoot accurately. That said, I’ve never read about a DGU where the good guy complained about having too much ammunition or a caliber that was too effective.
I enjoy my NAA Sidewinder for carry around the house, but I normally wouldn’t carry something that small and slow to reload out and about.
I am of the opinion that if you are going to carry a gun in anticipation of needing it someday you should have all the gun possible. I have been carrying a Sig 320 recently after years of carrying a Sig 220 in 45 acp. or a Glock 29 in 10mm. Before all the autos came along I liked the S&W 19 21/2 357 mag. As I write this today with all the problems in the world I am thinking more and more about going back to a Glock 29 10mm. If you need a gun have all you can get. Just my opinion
The P365SAS was originally designed for the serious CCW user who truly understands the value of smoother draws, faster sight acquisition, and more effective engagements at realistic distances. https://jungle-ammo.com/product/sig-p365-sas-for-sale/