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Many people carry a concealed carry handgun as part of their everyday carry (EDC), but too few carry a backup handgun.
A backup handgun is defined as a second handgun that is usually carried concealed and can be used to supplement another gun whenever needed. Law enforcement and civilians alike have a long history of carrying a backup handgun in addition to their primary sidearm, regardless of whether their primary sidearm is also carried concealed or openly.
While you likely will never need to use your backup gun, there are still five very important reasons why you need to consider adding a backup handgun to your EDC:
1. Your Primary Gun Could Fail.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re packing something as reliable as a Glock or a revolver. There is always the chance that your primary carry gun could fail. What if you find yourself in the middle of a robbery or are being mugged, and your gun malfunctions after the first shot and you face multiple attackers? There have been countless reports over the years of civilians and law enforcement officers who were in that same kind of a situation, and their backup handgun saved their life.
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2. Your Primary Gun Could Be Knocked Away … Or Shot.
No, this scenario is not limited just to the movies. For example, in the 1986 Miami shootout, a police officer’s Smith & Wesson 9mm sidearm was hit and rendered inoperable by a .223 round fired from the assailant’s Ruger Mini-14 rifle. In a tragic moment of what was already a catastrophic shootout, the officer was left defenseless and was shot to death before the cop killers could be neutralized. You can’t take the chance that something similar wouldn’t happen to you in a life vs. death situation. If your primary handgun is knocked away or rendered inoperable, you can still keep yourself in the fight by going for your backup gun.
3. Your Primary Handgun May Run Empty.
Hopefully this won’t happen. In fact, this shouldn’t happen. It’s rare for a gunfight to last longer than three shots fired in three seconds. But let’s say that you’re in a gunfight against multiple assailants and you empty your primary pistol or revolver and the threat has yet to be neutralized. Is it faster to reload your primary gun or to draw and fire a second gun?
4. You May Need To Arm Someone Else.
What if there is someone who you could arm in an emergency? Maybe it’s a friend, a family member, or just another individual who is willing to help. Whoever it ends up being, arming someone else would mean you’re not the only armed good guy in a bad situation, and this can lead to the threat being neutralized faster without loss of life.
5. It May Be Faster To Draw Your Backup Gun First.
In some cases, your primary handgun may not be as accessible as your backup gun. What if it’s winter and you’re wearing multiple thick layers where your primary handgun is all tucked in beneath your waistband, and your backup is in a coat pocket or an ankle holster? Don’t feel obligated to only draw your backup gun after your primary just because it’s your backup gun. If your backup gun is what you need to draw first because it’s more easily accessible, then that’s what you need to do.
Your backup gun may be identical to your primary concealed carry gun, or it can also be a much smaller and lighter handgun. Whatever the case, carrying a backup handgun in your EDC may be the difference between life and death.
Do you believe a backup gun is a good idea or an unnecessary inconvenience? Share your thoughts in the section below:
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