Quote:

---

I don't really have to "go to" a handgun because I wear one every day from the time I put my pants on until I take them off. I have carried a handgun as a private person or as a professional almost every day of my life since I was 15 years old. Over 1/2 a century now.

What gun? Can't say there is "one". There are a few.

I live out in the country and so I have opportunities to fire at skunks, foxes, coyotes and raccoons fairly often, and I live a short distance from areas where we have a LOT of grizzly bears. So depending on what I am doing, I carry different guns.

I tend to shoot revolver more accurately then I do most autos, so for "field guns" I prefer revolvers. Around the home it's common for me to carry a 6" 357 S&W or at times a 22. If going to town, I carry autos, mostly one of my 45s, but I have carried 9MMs at times too, as well as a 2.5" J frame 357.

If going to the hills where the bears are I carry a 44 mag or a 454 Casull.

If I want to enjoy some shooting it's common for me to get out one of my 9MMs which are accurate and fun to shoot and cost me much less in lead then my 44s or 45s, but that's not to say I don't still go through a lot of lead in the big bullets per year. I do. But the 9MMs allows me to shoot more.

For the times I am around people in the towns of cities I prefer to carry an auto because they carry easier and are shorter and flatter then my revolvers, but Wyoming is a Constitutional Carry State and it's very common to see open carry in stores, restaurants, churches and all around town, so if I am lazy and don't take the time to switch over to an auto it's not all that uncommon to see one of the big revolvers riding on my hip.

Of the 50 states in the USA Wyoming has the largest number of guns owned per capita of any state, and if you exclude the Reservation (which legally is a different country) we also have the lowest crime rate. We have around 490,000 people, and the state is 93% the size of Germany.

The "rez" is part of a totally socialist country and government, and depends 100% on welfare and tax subsidies,(taxed from the rest of the USA) and if you look at Wyoming geographically and include the "rez" we rank in the middle of the states for Violent crime. 26th out of 50. But if you separate the socialist reservation (Indian Nation) from the statistics, we come in 50th out of 50. On the Reservation guns are regulated and "controlled" but rape, murder, battery, arson, drug crimes, robbery and theft are not for the most part. Cops say "they can't do anything".

The Reservation has a population of about 14,000, but that small population can take the crime rate from 50th place to 26th place all by themselves. 14,000 socialist and 490,000 Wyoming Residents Socialism Vs Constitutional republic. Gee.........I just wonder which is a better system????????

Oh..........what a surprise huh?


Back to the point of the thread:

My "go to gun is what ever I have on. MY HAND GOES TO IT if I need to shoot something "right now".

At this very moment it's a 6" K frame 32-20.

Many days it's a Ruger 22, and many others it is a 357, a 44 Special, a 45 revolver or a 44 mag.

Any gun will do if you can do the job with that gun.

Like others, I do tent to carry what I think may be the best choice for that day, but I am not all that dedicated to one gun or caliber. Around the homestead here a lot of power is not usually needed but accuracy and some flatness of trajectory are useful. Varmints are often moving and not all that close when you need to shoot.


If I can "go to a gun" I go to a rifle ---- EVERY TIME! That is a scoped 308 Auto-loader or a scoped 223 auto-loader.

Handguns are for those times you don't have a rifle. You don't schedule emergencies. If you could they would just be situations, not emergencies.

If you have any time to prepare, (even 4 seconds) you grab a rifle of shotgun. Handguns are used when there is NO time to prepare and get to a rifle or shotgun.

---

VERY well stated Steve.. and like you, my carry choices are very similar.

Montana is also a constitutional carry state.. signed by our new governor .. was put forth numerous times to the previous Dem governor but he would not sign it.. IMAGINE THAT.. liberal prick..

Like you, I have a handgun within my reach at all times... and have been carrying for the past 40 years +.. I am in the towns a lot so carry concealed often.. usually a Sig 365 or recently picked up a S&W Shield Plus Performance Center.. has a 4" barrel and shoots very well..prior to that I carried a S&W Shield A LOT --had it tricked out by a local gunsmith..

On the ranch if I am riding on my horse checking cattle I normally have a revolver on me.. S&W J Frame in .357 loaded with Buffalo Bore .. or a 45 Colt caliber .. If in griz country.. 44 Mag or Freedom Arms 454 Casull .. also loaded with Buffalo Bore ammo. As Steve says, a rifle is better.. if on my horse in griz country also take a rifle scabbard and put my Marlin 45-70 in it..

In my vehicles I have high capacity semi-auto's.. H&K or Glock..

Traveling with family I usually have a AR style pistol tucked in my luggage for overnight stays in Hotels.. with more than on 30 rd mag.. recently switched that to a 300BO..red dot sight..

In addition to a handgun I always carry a knife.. recently switched to a nice Benchmade Auto.. called the CLAYMORE.. nice and light with a very fast spring on it.. serrated blade which I prefer.. for a fight a smooth blade is better..but then, in a "real" fight that is what the handgun is for..