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If you cruise around the few bastions of gun-related social media, you’ll come across a very familiar phrase. You’ll see the photo of a firearm, a handgun to be specific, with a phrase like, “This one has joined the carry rotation.” It’s pretty common to see. People like buying guns, and they like having a purpose for owning a particular weapon. Handguns turn into carry guns, even if it’s just because you like them.
After seeing this more than a few times across Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit, I got to thinking about the idea of a carry rotation. There was a point in my life when I used the phrase. I just liked buying guns, and carrying them gave me an excuse to buy them. These days, I still have a carry rotation, but I think I do it a bit differently. Let’s discuss carry rotations, the pros, their cons, and the best way to establish one.
Table of contents
What People Typically Call a Carry Rotation
As mentioned, a lot of people buy guns and want an excuse to buy them. They then add them to a ‘carry rotation,’ a series of guns they carry concealed or openly as they see fit. It seems like they itemize their guns or turn their weapons into pieces of fashion that get changed the same way you’d change your shoes. This is America, so do what you want, but I think this type of carry rotation is ill-advised.
Carrying a multitude of guns can require additional training. Glock 17s and M1911s are both handguns, but they are very different guns. They have different controls, recoil impulses, grip angles, and more. Most people don’t jump between a Glock 19 and a Glock 45; they tend to create a carry rotation of very different guns because variety is the spice of life.
Moving between different platforms requires a lot of different training. The cost of ammo alone can make things expensive. Factor in range costs, classes, and more, and having more than one gun becomes costly and difficult to maintain competency with. I’d bet most people with carry rotation aren’t seeking out a high level of competency with multiple firearms.
The money spent on multiple guns, holsters, and magazines could be better used by training with one handgun rather than spread across a multitude of handguns. We aren’t even talking about accessories like lights and optics, which raise the firearm’s price significantly.
Another problem with this carry gun rotation mindset is a lack of quality gear and accessories. These people spend so much money on guns that they don’t invest in quality holsters, optics, sights, lights, and whatever.
A Smart Carry Rotation
I was the victim of a carry rotation mindset. I had a SIG P250 and a Bersa.380 ACP, a Glock 26, a Taurus 85, and more. Admittedly, I never trained extensively with any of these guns. My holsters were subpar crap, and I wasn’t prepared for the engagement. As I began to take my training more seriously, I picked a gun that worked for me and extensively trained with it.
Carry Gun #1
For quite some time, I was a one-carry gun guy. Specifically, I had a SIG P365XL with an optic. It worked well, and I loved it. I got a standard P365 slide for situations that required a smaller gun. Even then, I found myself at odds with life. Some firearms and some situations made it tough to carry a weapon as small as the P365 easily.
Carry Gun #2
That’s when I decided to invite another gun into the mix and create a carry gun rotation that made sense—at least, it made sense to me. I purchased a KelTec P32, a tiny pocket pistol, for situations where I needed the smallest pistol possible. This became an excellent gun for deep concealment purposes.
I had two guns, two types of holsters, and two calibers to contend with. The guns were a bit different, so I had to dedicate individual time to each weapon. Between these two guns, I have yet to encounter a situation that doesn’t involve a speedo in which I can’t quickly and comfortably carry a weapon. Two guns required twice the dry fire, twice the range time, and twice the ammo, but I’m competent with both guns.
READ MORE HERE: Eberlestock FADE Collection: Concealed Carry Without the Tactical Look
The Point
A carry gun rotation can be anything you want it to be. As mentioned, this is America. However, I think the best practice is to become competent with one firearm and to have a high-quality holster and accessories if you choose them. If you discover your current weapon can’t fit situations you regularly find yourself in, then maybe adopting a new gun and adding it to the mix makes sense.
I don’t advise carrying a multitude of firearms and changing them as often as you change your undies. When you pick a new carry gun, it’s wise to choose one that is at least somewhat similar to your primary carry gun.
What do you think about concealed carry rotations? Let us know below.
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Travis Pike is a dedicated firearms writer, a Second Amendment Advocate, and a subject matter enthusiast for all things firearms. He is an amateur competitor with dreams of one day not coming in 4th place at a local defensive match. If he’s not putting text to word processor, he’s likely spending time with family, enjoying Florida’s Nature Coast, or drinking hipster beer. As the resident Florida man he has a preference for obscure guns and calibers.
Experience
- Hunter – Long time deer and hog hunter in the swamps of Florida
- Instructor – Volunteers to teach basic firearm safety classes to kids, adults, and cats
- Wannabe Competitor – Has recently dipped his toes into competitive shooting and has happily discovered an expensive hobby.
- Marine – Served five years with the infantry before transferring to the First Civ Div.
Yeah, my rotation is two compact 9mm. One is a 7-round ultra-compact, single-stack, the other is a 10/15 round double-stack.
They are by different manufacturers, but have very similar shooting profiles. Both are DAO, one has no safety, the other has an integrated trigger safety, so no need to flip a switch at any point on either. Both have the mag eject button in the same place, both have the slide lock in the same place. They even have roughly the same recoil (the smaller has more metal parts than the larger, so holds recoil down about the same.)
I also own a revolver that *COULD* be concealed carry just fine. I never “daily carry” it because it’s so different from the two 9mm.
I’ve carried a gun professionally and personally since age 18 (US Army ‘68-‘71 11B, RVN ‘69-‘70), spent the following 28yrs as a CA LEO in SF Bay Area but concurrently had been a contract instructor overseas for USDOJ. Retired, relocated to another state and then spent another 13yrs as a non-sworn instructor for a local sheriff’s office and the state law enforcement academy. I’m 75 now and had always carried a 1911 platform “off duty” (BHP w/CT Laser grips, Colt FS then a LWC in .45ACP, then a Kimber Pro Carry 2). Weather and clothing dictated which, except when wearing shorts or working out at the gym when my carry is a SW M49 w/a CT Laser grip.
The onset of age and its consequences (arthritis, deterioration in visual acuity) caused me to shift to smaller hammer fired pistols with manual safeties and a full size striker fired one, each with an optic. I did that because I didn’t want to modify any of my former carry guns to accommodate a RDS. I’ve always trained with every gun I’ve carried either informally in personal dry and live fire practice sessions or in IDPA/IPSC gun games, or in annual formal training classes with recognized trainers.
Bottom line for me is my carry pistol is dictated by the circumstances, the weather, and my attire so I’m a firm believer in “carry rotation”.
I like the idea of planning the carry rotation to align the training and support equipment requirements.
For myself I focus on striker triggers and 1911 style single actions, eliminating my double action guns from the rotation. I shoot 1911s in wild bunch competition and thus just have to focus on the striker pistols outside of wild bunch practice.
Also I differentiate between a ‘backup pistol’ I’d lock in my car or go-bag alongside a carbine, or for pocket carry, and limit practice on those to infrequent, just enough for seven yard accuracy; vs. primary EDC guns to wear in the wild without long arms to back up, that I practice at least monthly for 10, 12 yard or better accuracy.
Doing this I was able to thin my primary EDC rotation to three guns, all 9mm: Ruger LC9s, SW Shield (both striker) and Jericho midsize (1911 style single action: technically a DA/SA but I carry it locked
I have larger 45 caliber guns, also striker or 1911, for woods carry, competition or home defense. These I also practice frequently but don’t consider them EDC.
Look at the Diamondback DB9 as a deep concealment carry gun. 9mm punch, and only slightly larger, if at all, than your .32.
I totally agree about the Diamondback SDR. I have the 3 inch model with a hogue grip. It is one of the best revolvers that I own. I also have the Ruger SP101, Ruger GP100 3 inch and a Rossi GP63, the other cheap revolvers that I once owned are all gone.
I wasn’t referring to the SDR, but to the DB9.
9mm semi-auto. 6+1 rounds, only 3/4″ thick. Disappears in the front pants pocket, no cylinder bulge.
For EDC, SIG P365 is what I carry most and is the Church gun. I train with it and trust myself using P365. The SW 442 is #2, but not nearly as enjoyable at the range. Not too much rotation going on.
I don’t do as much back country or ranch work, so larger frames are mostly for range use now along with all the other assorted handguns.
Carry rotations are dumb I think. Carry the same gun all the time so in a high stress situation your subconscious skill can take over and you don’t have to waste precious fractions of a second remembering what gun you have and how it works.
If proficient is capability to send every bullet in a magazine into center mass at 15 yards in ≤10 seconds, then I’m proficient with every HG I own, except my .45 derringer (not meant for distance), .460 S&W, and my .480 Rugers (I have 2). those latter 3 aren’t meant for EDC anyway.
Rotations are ok for different situations. Which can be endless, type of clothes, weather, travel, hunting, etc. But you have to invest in the setup and training with each. To simplify it use the same type of gun but different sizes. I don’t rotate, I have carried my same self defense weapon for 30 years, but having a bunch of guns I will grab different ones to go to the range. With continuous training with each it will become natural.
You should be very, very familiar with your carry firearm, your life may depend on it! My primary sidearm is a Shield w/rds and extended capacity mags. If the environment dictates, I pocket carry a bodyguard 2.0.
What makes the most sense in my caveman brain is to fight with what you train and shoot the most. It’s all about trained muscle memory to help in getting more bullets on the threat before the threat can harm you. In a stressful situation where you might have to use your weapon, the last thing you want to do is lose valuable time processing the operation of the gun you decided to carry that day. Safety? No safety? Cocked & locked? Optic? No optic? DAO? Hammer vs. striker fired? You get the point. Having said that, picking one CCW and sticking with that makes the most sense. But hey, this is America and we love our guns so changing it up just feels good sometimes. So while I do like to change up my rotation between light and heavy clothing, I aim to keep the manual of arms the same across platforms. My duty weapon is a G19. I regularly train on this pistol. I carry the G48 for its slimmer characteristics for concealed carry. My light summer clothing option is the G42. Do I shoot one better than the other? You bet but the trained manual of arms muscle memory is pretty much identical across platforms. If my duty weapon changes? Well then I’ll just have to adjust the rest of the concealed carry arsenal to match it. Just my 2 cents.
Only guns I ever carried…WALTHER PP380, COLT combat commander 45. No double stack or fancy sights….just reliable.
Idiotic!
If one needs to alter the carry piece for environmental particulars, I get that.
“Rotating” as though changing the clothes on a doll is…. idiotic and wildly irresponsible.
Then, you’re just playing a potentially deadly version of Russian Roulette.
“I don’t advise carrying a multitude of firearms and changing them as often as you change your undies.”
“What do you think about concealed carry rotations? Let us know below.”
I used to change undies yearly and now I just dress commando underneath ’cause they’re too much trouble, wrangled and hot underneath, so having a rotation is a none-issue for me.
You asked and so I told ‘ya. Capiche?
I am now 74 year old and have carried just about every type of hand gun known to man. I now carry a revolver. I rotate my carry with my different revolvers, some are 5 shot, some are 6 shot. All with the same operating controls, just aim and shoot. I live in a safe city and neighborhood and only get out to go to the doctor or get groceries. I still have my semi autos in the safe, but never shoot them anymore. Revolvers are more easily concealed for me on the hip.
I’m 74 as well and we are exactly opposites. I carry semi’s and all my old revolvers are staged in my house so they take no room in the safe.
The rest of your post is the same as me, including the doctor and grocers. LOL
And speaking of age, glad you asked, I went to bed last evening at age 15 and woke up this morning looking in the mirror seeing someone pushing 75 in December. It went just that fast too.
My severe arthritis has made it impossible to rack a slide anymore, so a revolver is more easily managed. So far my trigger finger is operational. I understand what you said about waking up and looking in the mirror and seeing how fast age has happened. It is a shame, but that is just a part of our life cycle. Enjoy what time you have left.
I have openly carried a well holstered 1911, in .45, for the majority of my life. The only “carry rotation I use is a stainless when it will rain and blue steel when it is not. Always a 1911 and always in .45. Same magazine, same caliber, and when needed, always effective.
Good article. Semper Fi by the way (USMC ’76 – ’79).
I agree with what you wrote because as a 67 year old my firearm preferences have changed because of my diminished strength and slowly decreasing mobility.
I conceal carry a J-frame more often than I used to because for the most of the places I travel around town 5 rounds (with a 5 spare rounds in Bianci speed strip) is plenty.
Recently I acquired a FNX-9 that for me is a solution I’d been looking forward to for a long time, a 1911 type handgun that’s lefty friendly, isn’t too heavy, and as easy to conceal as a Commander sized 1911. I’ve been training with the FNX often. It’s one of the smartest purchases I’ve ever made. The 17 round magazine capacity is an added bonus.
Plus since it’s hammer fired the slide isn’t hard to rack. I can carry it single action with the hammer locked or decocked with the safety on or off. (I’ve been carrying 1911s since the late 1970’s so I prefer hammer fired handguns with lever safeties.)
Nowadays I carry a J-frame when I’m around the house or doing a quick errand and the FNX when I’m going to be out all day.
I’m blessed to have other firearms including a couple of nice 1911s but the J-frames and FNX allow me to conceal carry all the time. A handgun is one of the self-defense tools I carry. I focus on awareness and verbal de-escalation. I also carry a knife if someone gets too close for me to be able to deploy a handgun.
The J-frame is small enough for pocket carry in a pocket holster and the FNX is comfortable either in an inside the pants or outside the pants holster (with a good gun belt). I can tell by feel which firearm I’m carrying so adjusting my technique is simpler than having a carry rotation of several firearms or more.
Shoot what you KNOW… and KNOW what you shoot. As the gentleman below points out, when the SHTF and your pulse/BP skyrocket, you’re depending on gross muscle memory alone.
For me, “rotation” is a nonstarter. I carry the same pistol, in the same position, any time I’m not in bed or in the shower.. Muscle memory always the same, no need for thought about where to obtain the weapon in an emergency.
The one exception is during extreme cold weather. On those days my carry pistol is still in its accustomed place, it is just joined by a small pistol more accessible in my coat pocket.
I don’t think you should ever need an excuse to buy more guns lol! Assuming that money couldn’t have been used to better your life or that of your family. Although I’m not a fan of this “carry rotation“ moniker, I can certainly see a reason for carrying a certain weapon in a certain situation. I carry one of depending on shorts versus long pants and not once in my life have I ever used the term or phrase, “carry rotation“ except in this excerpt.
I can’t imagine sitting around a fire or the beer refrigerator in the garage discussing “carry rotation“ with my buds. It makes me feel like my little finger should be sticking out from my scotch glass during the discussion. You might as well start discussing the soufflé you made for breakfast yesterday. This is just one of those terms I would love to be struck from the English language along with “game changer“ and “epic“. For God’s sake, start acting like men and get rid of the man bun and the fancy paint jobs on your weapons, camo on rifles excluded, unless you’re giving them to your wife or daughter! Just an opinion… and before the childish smart remarks start flying… Remember one simple thing… I didn’t ask!
Very good points. As an instructor, I get this discussion a lot in class. After many years of instructing/collecting/competing/and a few in LE, I can tell you that when under stress, you will revert to how you were/are trained. Train with the pistol you intend to carry, carry that pistol and no other (two is fine, but I don’t know too many people that can be truly proficient with more than two let alone one!). Be honest with yourself – are you REALLY proficient with ONE pistol? If not, go practice – then practice some more! I lived most of my life with a 1911 style on my hip, until I discovered a compact 9mm would do me just as well – AFTER a LOT of practice!!! I don’t think you can go wrong with almost any clothing choice to conceal a 365/Hellcat/etc. and they are plenty accurate for defensive use – with practice – and no need to train on two different pistols.
I have a very simple firearm carry rotation. I don’t carry. Simplifies things. Then again, I live in a small town were violent crime is rare and usually limited to the meth head crowd with which I have no dealings. Add to that the expense and difficulty of doing the required training and the 2-year life of a permit before you have to do it all over again (California) and it just isn’t worth the trouble. If things change, so will I. I already own three compact firearms, with excellent iwb and owb holsters for each that will fill the bill should they be needed.
First off, I see alot of folks at indoor and outdoor ranges who are no where near a high level of competency with their handgun(s) as you imply is required but they’re working on proficiency to some degree.
I’m “that guy”. Primary is a G23 with a G42 BUG. in cooler weather normally with layered clothing a full size Sig 1911 TacOps (TB) 5.5 barrel and rides in a Milt Sparks FBI Cant custom made (sig contor slide) and matching double mag carrier. Having a 1911 as one of my assigned T/O weapons in the Corps for over two decades and private ownership/use for over 50 years has ingrained it much more than the Glocks. I went from Model 10 .38Spl to Glock 22 in my LE career.
I think you pushing “gun specific training” with a zero defect mentality. Switching platforms is not that hard, even under stress as long as you have had experience with the handguns being used. Blindfolded you would know if I handed you a 1911, a G17 or a revolver. Since I always carry the 1911 in condition One (topped of mag, round in chamber, hammer cocked and safety ON: I always know I have to sweep the Safety during the Draw. I also know the trigger is lighter with a shorter pull and Reset. Simple.
A broader look: because you focus the majority of your handgun training on your prime CCW doesn’t mean you forget how to employ a different house handgun, a larger holstered ranch handgun, your wife’s nightstand revolver or your whatever “truck long gun”. This isn’t rocket science. As long as you know the one you’re bringing to the dance you should be up to the task. Are we not going to pick up a BG’s dropped weapon and employ it because we’re not trained? Sure we are!!!
A high level of competency with multiple firearms is a worthy goal, however a lower rung on the ladder I’ll call adequate proficiency with the selected firearms is sufficient IMHO. It’s probably the same proficiency level of the majority of civilian handgun carriers across the U.S.