Curious of how many here who often carry a handgun, Now have a Red dot sight on them. Also curious how many here carry a full size handgun or a compact sized one? I’m thinking of picking up a new handgun and trying to decide if I want to go the full size or the compact route. Also trying to decide if I want to go with a red dot sight or not. If you want, feel free to share what your current carry gun is and why you chose it.
I carry a Sig P365XL daily, appendix style. I carried it with a micro red dot for close to a year before I switched back to irons. While the dot is great for shooting, being a smaller guy, it made carrying it less comfortable. Plus I have always shot the 365 series irons very well, so I don’t feel like I was gaining much by having the red dot. Lots of people like them though, so I recommend at least shooting one with a red dot on to see if you like it.
Carry every day and have been for about 12 years now.
I also shoot in a rapid Fire league in the winter time. All of my carry options are still the “old school” double stack compacts and sub compacts, think Glock 19 size. only one piece has a red dot and that is my fn 509c tac. I run a Leupold Deltapoint pro on it. This is a larger red dot and very quick to acquire, and I shoot better with this in league than I do with irons as the red dot makes targets transitions phenomenally quick relative to irons. In a defensive situation I wouldn’t expect to be forced to transition between 10 targets… Otherwise i’m probably effed.
Most days I still carry something without a dot, but more and more I carry the FN with the dot. It all really depends on what I’m wearing. Sometimes it’s an lcp with gutter sights in my pocket.
I’d say whatever you carry, actually carry and be proficient with it. Those are the two factors that matter most imo.
Carrying full size is nice in the winter when you can conceal under a jacket or flannel. Appendix carrying full size kinda sucks and you really need to find a holster that works for you if you want to do that.
Get the size you will carry everyday. A big boy at home does no good… compact that’s always with you is far better. I have the .380 Bodyguard with built in laser.
I think for a carry red dots are pointless at best. Makes it bulkier and if you ever have to use it it’ll probably be really close, really fast, while really stressed and won’t be using sights anyways.
Compact 380 or 9mm for EDC. I have also been trending to keeping a full frame with 2-3 magazines in a sling pack. This is always in my car/truck.
Remember, there is no limit to the number of handguns you can have in possession while carrying.
-J.
I carry a Sig P365XL
That is high on the list of choices that I am thinking about getting. I currently have a Smith and Wesson M&P Compact 2.0. I’m thinking of getting something with more capacity and can add a Red dot to if I decide to go that route. I also have a few eye issues that I think the red dot will help with. If I go the red dot route I know I will want one that allows easy co witness of the open sights. I know there are some that have that and others that do not. Lots of additional research needed yet.
Don’t look past the CZ P10C. I’ve been shooting a lot of handguns recently and doing research as I’m looking to purchase my first carry handgun, and I shoot this the best and it’s the most comfortable for me. It’s also one of the cheaper options, and has better trigger, and features than Glock. I love shooting Glocks, and I thought I would be going with a Glock 19 until I found the P10C.
Just another option to look at. I’m planning on purchasing it soon.
I have a couple EDC guns, but the most comfortable to carry is my Security 9. I would consider this a full size frame. I also have a couple with lasers, and one with holo. I learned to use the red dot to more quickly bring your irons on target, not as a stand alone sight.
Most days I carry my 365xl, sometimes mostly in summer I will switch to my G43 since its smaller. If you talk to expert shooters most will tell you stick with the iron sights for carry purpose.
If you talk to expert shooters most will tell you stick with the iron sights for carry purpose
That’s interesting. The instructor I had for my Carry renewal class said he now carry’s a full size with a red dot. He said the best gun to carry is the one you train with and shoot the most often. for him this was a full size with a red dot. He is also a real accomplished tactical shooter. Part of the reason I’m looking into a new handgun is that the St. Cloud Area practical shooters association ( SCAPSA ) has a range in clearwater. I’d like to start doing a little more training at a Practical style range. I think to do well, I would like a handgun with more capacity and faster target acquisition. I always though it would be rather hard to conceal a full size gun or one with a red dot. The instructor had his one him all during the class. I could not even tell he had it on him. I keep looking to see if I could tell when ever he changed positions and hard a hard time telling.
Summer I carry the p365 X macro with a red dot and light. Winter I carry either my Zev OZ9Cx build with light and dot, or a P320 with light and dot. Im a bigger dude always wear an over shirt. Carry appendix most days but also have a strongside holster on occasion.
I carry large in the winter simply because I can. But if I could only afford one gun. The 365 X macro gets the nod. 17rnd mags, smaller footprint than a Glock 17, the extra grip length and thickness makes it shoot like a large frame gun without the “snap” that my shield, 43, and 43x had.
I have a few friends that shoot competition and they wouldn’t shoot anything without a dot or halo or whatever for that but carry they said irons.
Don’t look past the CZ P10C. I’ve been shooting a lot of handguns recently and doing research as I’m looking to purchase my first carry handgun, and I shoot this the best and it’s the most comfortable for me. It’s also one of the cheaper options, and has better trigger, and features than Glock. I love shooting Glocks, and I thought I would be going with a Glock 19 until I found the P10C.
Just another option to look at. I’m planning on purchasing it soon.
The P10c is a great gun, I have two of them, one without the optics cut and one with.
Summer I carry the p365 X macro with a red dot
What Red dot do you have on that X Macro? I see they are available with the Romeo sight already mounted on it. Do you know if you can co-witness the iron sights well with the Romeo sight?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>ekruger01 wrote:</div>
Summer I carry the p365 X macro with a red dotWhat Red dot do you have on that X Macro? I see they are available with the Romeo sight already mounted on it. Do you know if you can co-witness the iron sights well with the Romeo sight?
Holosun 507K. Mines the tac ops version and it co witnessed with the stock sights. I dont know anything about the romeo sights on them.
I carry a Sig P228, with tritium sights everywhere I go and a P220 sometimes in the winter, under my coat, but that mostly stays on the nightstand. Got a P226, but that is in the safe and is mostly a range toy. As far as a red dot goes, I say use what you practice with. I like the DA/SA of the Sig because that is what I train with, and I don’t have red dots on them, again, because that is what I train with. The only accessory I have, and it’s on my nightstand P220, is a Surefire weapon light. I want to make sure that my target identification is on point, should I need to use the thing.
I carry every day all day. 99 percent of the time it’s my glock 17 or 19.
At work it’s a fn503. No red dots on a carry gun just night sights.
I carry my 17 or 45 all winter when I have hoodies on. I carry a compact 9 to work appendix style to keep it small and comfortable.
I don’t see a red dot being functional for trying to carry and a laser is even less useful.
I carry a M&P Shield 9mm every day in the small of my back. I do not have an optic but do have night sights. I have a friend that bought a Glock 43x MOS and is running an optic. Sweet little gun but takes some getting used to to pick up the red dot on that small of a sight.
DT
I carry a M&P Shield 9mm but I don’t carry very often. I’d like to carry more and am looking for something smaller. I dont find carrying the 9mm shield all that comfortable
We had a former member here that teaches C&C classes mostly in Wisconsin I think. I recall reading he has Red Dots on all his guns. What brands / sizes I don’t know. That would be a question for him. I don’t shoot so I’m not much use but if you want to talk to him PM me and I’ll send you his number.
I don’t carry as much now but when I was I was carrying a sig p365xl with the halo sight. I also have the extended mag as it just fits my hand better. Thumper I am in st cloud also and if you want to shoot it let me know and I can meet you at firing line or tactical advantage i do not believe either place has the xl and only have the regular 365 and it is a significant difference
Get the size you will carry everyday. A big boy at home does no good… compact that’s always with you is far better.
That’s the prevailing wisdom I’d go with. And that typically comes from a combination of handgun and holster. I think it’d be worth trying some out so you have that experience to help form your decision.
I carry a M&P Shield 9mm but I don’t carry very often. I’d like to carry more and am looking for something smaller. I dont find carrying the 9mm shield all that comfortable
That shield is the same size as my Ruger LC9s (single stack, compact 9mm) and 9/10 times with CCW if carrying something that small is uncomfortable, it comes down to the holster and/or location on your hip. I’m not sure where on your waist you’re carrying it, but in the summer when I carry my LC9s appendix it literally disappears to the point I sometimes forget I’m wearing it.
I bought a Smith and Wesson Shield EZ for my wife to try out as a .380. It’s single stack but isn’t some little pocket gun. It’s perfect for her as it shoots like a .22 and is extremely easy to operate, take apart for cleaning, and so on.
I saw they came out with the same thing in a 9mm not too long ago and picked one up. It’s perfect for carrying.
Iron sights for me. Anything added on makes it less convenient to carry and is one more opportunity for malfunction.
I carry a M&P Shield 9mm but I don’t carry very often. I’d like to carry more and am looking for something smaller. I dont find carrying the 9mm shield all that comfortable
The M&P shield is one of the smaller guns out there. Not a real lot to go to that is smaller. The Ruger LC series or possibly a Walter PPK are the two I can think of. It took me awhile and trying several different positions before carrying my M&P shield to get more comfortable to carry. It also took trying a few different holsters. I ended up liking the urban carry leather lock the best. None of the Kydex holsters seemed to work well for me.
. I ended up liking the urban carry leather lock the best. None of the Kyle’s holsters seemed to work well for me.
Tried a lot of holsters over the last 15-20 years. Always end up going back to Uncle Mikes.
-J.
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Most days I still carry something without a dot, but more and more I carry the FN with the dot. It all really depends on what I’m wearing. Sometimes it’s an lcp with gutter sights in my pocket.
I’ve been looking at the .380 LCP for a pocket gun. I know there is debate on safety vs non for carry. But not have a safety and it in my pocket bothers me. Do you have it in some sort of slim holster?
but more and more I carry the FN with the dot. It all really depends on what I’m wearing. Sometimes it’s an lcp with gutter sights in my pocket.
Which FN do you have? My son wants to get the FN 57.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>KPE wrote:</div>
but more and more I carry the FN with the dot. It all really depends on what I’m wearing. Sometimes it’s an lcp with gutter sights in my pocket.Which FN do you have? My son wants to get the FN 57.
Fn make great guns. I recently bought the 503 but have a 509 as well.
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