What Would You Carry in Florida?

[jabineer]

Greetings, Shooters,

I seek your guidance for the following:

If you lived in a warm climate year round (shorts and t-shirt mostly), what would be your most desired CCWs (good, better, best) including range and carry ammo for each? Please identify if you are female or male.

Here's my list to open the discussion. Please add to as you will.

Good:
.380 Ruger LCP, WWB, Corbon DPX
9mm Rohrbaugh, Speer Lawman, Speer 115 Standard
Better:
9mm Kahr PM9, WWB, Federal Tactical HST 124 +p
Best:
9mm Glock 19, WWB, Federal Tactical HST 147

Bon apetito...

[Te Anau]

I'm a guy who lives in a hot climate & my gun of choice for carry is a Kel-Tec P32.I like em light,polymer frame and hard chrome slide.Of your list,I'd probably go for the Ruger.

[NGIB]

Hmmm, 3 pocket guns (2 pricey guns at that) and a G19 comes out on top. I smell Kool-Aid...

[MrClean]

Florida?..... Alligator Spray!

I'm partial to a small 1911 for tshirt carry type situations. I know I know.... old school, but there's something about the feel of the frame in my hand that works for me.

[ElectricHellfire]

Hands down Glock 19. It doesnt get much hotter and muggy than here in Texas and my G19 never shows any signs of slowing down or corrosion. Im almost always dressed in cargo shorts and T shirts and CC is never a problem. You will not be sorry of you go with the Glock.

[DMacLeod]

Male

A seecamp in either 32 or 380. Both small pocket pistols that are stainless so sweat won't bother them.

something slightly larger, Kahr KM9 (I think that is the model) stainless

for a large caliber in a small package a Para Carry in 45 which is also stainless.

Any of these can be carried in a smart carry or thunder carry easily even in shorts.

[rickmelear]

As a resident of south Florida i carry a Kahr P9 in a Fist #8 iwb.

[gb_in_ga]

Male. Early 50's, 6'3" 205 lbs

It isn't all that cold here in Tx, although I don't do shorts much at all. And I'm in Fla fairly often, again I don't do shorts much at all when I'm there. I grew up on the gulf coast, heat/humidity don't bother me all that much -- I'd rather have the protection from the sun & the skeeters.

I'm transitioning from a Bersa Thunder .380 (range: handloads, SD: Gold Dots) to a Kel-Tec PF-9 (range: WWB, Monarch or handloads, SD: again, Gold Dots, 115gr for now but I may upgrade to the 125 gr short barrel load when I get around to getting some and if they feed right). If I were to live there permanently, I'd carry the same thing. FWIW, I carried the same thing (well, the .380) in Ga. Since I'm convinced that either of them will do the job in warm weather or cold I see no overwhelming reason to change based on seasons.

FWIW, I'll be taking a little excursion that way this summer, and I'll be carrying exactly what I'd be carrying if I were back here in Tx.

[fat old gun nut]

I live in Fl., for 10 years in South Florida(very tropical) and the last 2 years in North Florida. While in s.fla. icarried a Kel-Tec 100% of the time (similar to the Ruger .380). I used a pocket holster and never had a problem keeping it concelled.

Here in n. Fl. I continue to carry the Kel-Tec but on cool days carry my Kahr PM 40. Again with no problem of keeping it hidden from view.

Here in Fl. it depends where you live since there is almost 400 miles distance between Jacksonville and Key West. There is a world of difference in temps. So you need to be more specific as to which area of Florida you will be living.

[jabineer]

Thank y'all for your interesting input.

FOGN: I live in Central Florida, Melbourne, on the East Coast within 5 miles of the beach. When I travel around the state, I mostly steer south.

Any takers on the range and carry ammo considerations?

My thoughts are 2/3 practice with some dedicated range loads and 1/3 practice with carry loads.

[Jkwas]

Florida carry= Keltec P3AT Taurus Pt111 when I can where a cover garment. But TIF (this is Florida)

[rantingredneck]

I live in North Carolina, which is only slightly less humid than Florida sometimes.

This summer my carry weapons are:

Ruger SP101 2.25" and Ruger LCP .380

I also have an NAA Guardian that currently resides in the safe and the "for sale" section here.

[gilfo]

I live in central Fla just north of Orlando. Carry a P32 99% of the time other 1% is a CZ Rami Poly. NEVER go without either, even to Disney World. People that claim it is the safest place on earth but carry an extra magazine or bug to take out the trash.

[joegator]

I live in Fort Lauderdale and carry a 642 with Cor Bon DPX ammo. My other recommendations are a Kahr PM9 with Cor Bon and a Ruger LCP with Gold Dot, Golden Saber, Hydro Shocks, or Cor Bon ammo.

[SilentHitz]

Florida?..... Alligator Spray!

As repellent, or lure?

I would either go with a 1911, or if not around said gators, my Colt .380 govt. model. It's stainless, and very flat. If you can't conceal one of these, you need to go eat a few Fatburgers.

Male

[jabineer]

Heh, yeah, Silent, thanks for not forgetting your sex there....

Getting a lot of .32 and .380 votes here, that's interesting. And only one Glocker vote, even though it is from Hell, I still forgive you and paid attention.

Hmmm...haven't heard from any wheelgunners, it seems. Other than the .38 I range fired in the Corps, I haven't touched one. I was looking forward to some diatribe to further my edumacation.

Ah, my bad, a 642 there from jg. Din't know what that was, just looked it up. Thanks for the push to take a look.

[jabineer]

Spotlight on Mr. Macleod of the Clan Macleod of which I am in the tree. I checked out the Seecamps. The .380 seems a bit hard to come by nowadays what with a 2 year+ waiting list. I saw one on Gunbroker, NIB, going for the price of a R9s Elite. Zounds....

[sw_florida]

The holster is the key. I have a high-riding hip holster that conceals a large-frame 4" .357 mag. A good IWB can conceal a full-size 1911. Dress around your gun. Let others pick their guns. You pick your's.

[ChicagoTex]

I'd carry the same thing I carry here in TX, a Kahr CW40 with 6+1 rounds of 155gr Speer Gold Dots.

Seriously thinking about picking up a Ruger LCP as a pocket-gun alternative/back-up gun though.

I also expect I'll probably get a Glock 26 someday soon and carry that with 124gr +P Gold Dots.

[Dwight55]

I guess I am just old school, . . . I wear jeans and a tee and a shirt, . . . and I really don't care too much about the weather.

If it is hot out, . . . I usually put my 1911 in a shoulder holster under a tucked in short sleeve shirt, . . . feel like a hippie, chippie, flippie bum with my shirt tail flapping in the breeze.

Sometimes I opt for the IWB, . . . but only if I'm going to Wally world or some place similar.

Getting caught with a .45 size bg and a .380 handgun is bad, . . . Ohio, Michigan, Florida, or Texas. I'd much rather have my .45 and have to tangle with a .380 size bg, . . . and the weather can just do what it darn well pleases to do.

I learned in VietNam that you need to take enough gun for the situation, . . . you may not live through it if you don't.

May God bless,
Dwight

[furyfour]

Florida? I would carry a J-frame .357.

and i do.

Cheers.

[flyby]

Most all the time a P32 ..sometimes my G19 ..is a bit harder to dress around a gun in S. Florida, but not impossible ..maybe i'm lazy

I would add the PF9 to your list ..is on my short list also..
http://www.gunblast.com/Kel-Tec9mm.htm

[BikerRN]

I live in a "hot" climate and wear Cargo Shorts and untucked Polo Shirts or a colored T-Shirt and an untucked Hawaiian Shirt unbottoned.

I carry two guns at all times, when not working, as well as two reloads per gun. My carry combos are as follows:

3" Ruger GP100/ S&W 442 (Will go back to this when I get the GP100 back from the 'smith)
4" S&W 22-4/ 442 (Most carried last year)
5" 1911/ 442 (Moving up fast as #1 carry combo while GP100 is at the 'smith)
Glock 19/ Kahr PM9 (Carried twice last year off duty)

The "secret" is using a good Belt and Holster, and maybe changing the Stocks on a Revolver. I'm partial to Milt Sparks, Matt Del Fatti and Mitch Rosen for Holsters and Belts. I carry the same guns, winter or summer. Winter is about four weeks here.

I find that I shoot the bigger guns better than I do the little ones. I'm also faster with the bigger ones in my split times. Since a gunfight is already a stress inducing scenario I don't want to add to the stress by carrying a gun I have trouble shooting at distance. I regularly practice at longer distances to make my closer shooting easier.

I want every advantage I can give myself in a gunfight. That is why I carry the guns I do and practice often. Learn to dress around the gun and carry the gun(s) you shoot best.

Biker

[orionengnr]

Have you actually ever tried pocket carrying a G-19?
If so, how big are your pockets? Way bigger than mine.

I'll stick with my Kahr PM9 (Texas, 50 y.o. male).
I also own a P3AT but still don't trust either the Kel-Tec or the .380 cartridge.

[murphjup]

I either Carry my Seecammp.380 in Pocket Carry...

or My Colt "New Agent" .45 in MTAC IWB...

Im in South Florida...