Someone noted earlier, that I've mentioned owning other pistols. My line up right now is a 5" Ruger SBH (chest carry, bears only) AMT .380 (truck/boat gun, simply because it's all stainless) RIA M206 (nightstand gun) & an NAA .22mag (also in my truck)
These pistols all serve a specific purpose. The NAA, yeah. I could pocket carry it, but 5 rounds of .22 mag is more of a "hey, does this thing make a noise" get off me option. I love it & in the truck, it's easy to access (clipped to the sun visor) in case of a total tard trying to jack a 24 year old truck that just SCREAMS "I'm not afraid to go back to jail"
The AMT is a beautiful little thing. It's absolutely a work of art. But it weighs, like, 2lb & for a six shot .380? No. The sights are almost literally non existent. I only own this because I spend a good amount of time in saltwater marshes hog hunting & believe me, walking up on a 9' gator is a lot more common than you'd think. Also, south Georgia, north Florida meth heads are a genuine concern. It lives in my truck, but I've carried it in an OWB holster & it's not fun.
The .44 is, well, a 3lb .44. You couldn't conceal it in a briefcase.
The RIA is my one handgun love. It's smooth, accurate, easy to shoot & eats everything I've ever fed it. But as a concealed carry piece? I feel like it's just a little bulky & six shots (i know most encounters are half that) doesn't give me the confidence that 8+ would.
I guess i'm looking at a simple fix here. Something that's going to perfectly fit a different role.
I'm also not discounting the fact that I'm possibly just looking for an excuse to fill a slot in my safe. More guns.... right?!
I'll openly admit, i'm nervous about carrying concealed. I've either carried very openly on my chest in the mountains, or in an issued drop leg rig (
) Coming from a country where carrying a sidearm is completely alien, the thought of being able to do it is giving me an emotional response im kinda not used to. Nervous excited, y'know?
I haven't had the opportunity to try the 365XL, but I've shot the standard version with both the 10 & 12 round mags (I actually preferred the 10 with the flat plate), the Glock 43, 43x & 48 & I really liked the 43x. Honestly, I think i'd prefer the 365. It felt better in my hand, even though I have pretty big hands. I shot it better & doing a few multi target, rapid fire drills (not drawing from a holster) it came to my eye & pointed more instinctively than the Glock. The controls felt more intuitive than the Glock, but i found the Glock mags dropped more easily. Not sure if that's really a consideration, just something I noticed.
I'm booked to do an 8hr defensive pistol class in a couple of weeks (i'm borrowing a G19 for that) & i'm going to continue training, practicing & getting instruction as often as I can afford. If nothing else, I just really enjoy learning different shooting disciplines & you can never learn to much!
Thanks for all the help, pointers & advice so far! Fyi, i do own a couple of actual gun belts. One very stiff leather & one webbing. I don't recall the marks, but I bought them so I could OWB my .44 when I head west. Before I discovered how much better i like a chest rig.