Consistency in a Second Concealed Carry Gun

Many of us have multiple concealed carry guns. PDN’s Deryck Poole offers some tips for selecting and outfitting that second (or third) carry gun.

If you carry a full-size handgun as your everyday concealed carry gun, there may be times when you can’t carry it because you can’t properly conceal such a large gun. This may include formal occasions when you can’t wear clothing that conceals large guns. However, you can carry a compact or subcompact gun instead. Consistency is the key when selecting a smaller carry gun.

MANUAL OF ARMS FOR A CONCEALED CARRY GUN

Every gun you use for concealed carry should have the same manual of arms, meaning they should all operate the same way. If your primary carry gun is a single-action/double-action, your backup should be too.

Deryck uses his carry guns as examples. He usually carries a full-size Glock 17, and his backup is the much thinner Glock 43. The manual of arms is the same for both — the magazine releases are in the same place, neither has external safeties, and the trigger pull is in the same 5- to 6-pound range, so that in a worst-case scenario, there is no confusion about how the gun operates.

SIGHTS

The sights on your carry guns should also be consistent if possible. Deryck is breaking his own rule here because he couldn’t find the exact same fiber-optic sight that he has on the Glock 17 to put on his Glock 43. Instead he has an orange ring that is close but not identical.

In this case, he has made sure to put in plenty of handgun training and practice with both sighting systems so he knows where rounds are going to impact when using them.

HOLSTERS

Deryck has different holsters for his 17 and 43 because he has a holster designed for deep concealment for the 43. But both are appendix-carry holsters and allow a full firing grip to be obtained before drawing the pistol.