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How many of you carry a back up gun (bug)? I do sometimes, but wanted to hear what everyone thought on this issue. Do you feel they are necessary? If your primary is good enough do you really need one? and what do you carry for your bug?

i carry a para 14-45 on my right hip and a RIA 45 full frame small of back for the left hand
i dont know if you can call a full frame RIA a "bug" but thats what i do and have considered even carring more if i get my hands on a kel-tec P-40
yes one may be enough but 6 isnt to many in my book
and once i get myself a tommy it will be in a case in the truck so if need be i will fight my way back to my rifle i never should have left in the first place

thats just me and i am in no way an expert
i also carry 2 10 round mags and a 14 round mag for the para and 2 8 round mags for the RIA
paranoid maybe
prepared i think so

I usually carry a 1911 of some sort as my primary, and a double action .38 special revolver as a backup. The main reason I carry a backup (and a DA revolver at that) is in case Mr Murphy does his thing or I need to equip someone else. Its always easier in a high stress situation to explain "point and click up to 5 times if you need to" than to give a quick lesson on a semi auto.

Only carry BUG in real high threat time & invironment. ie-Rita was only time I was that heavily armed. Then 1911 strong side w/ 2 to 4 extra mags & SP101 in shoulder rig w/ speed strips in pocket.. Same cover garment covers both..

G.A. Heath wrote:I usually carry a 1911 of some sort as my primary, and a double action .38 special revolver as a backup. The main reason I carry a backup (and a DA revolver at that) is in case Mr Murphy does his thing or I need to equip someone else. Its always easier in a high stress situation to explain "point and click up to 5 times if you need to" than to give a quick lesson on a semi auto.

Is it more complicated than explaining "point and click up to 16 times"?

I carry a Hi-Power as my primary (with 15+1) and 2 extra mags. As a BUG, I carry a Ruger LCP (6+1) with an extra mag.

As far as necessity, my life has taught me that Murphy's Law does exist, and it's much better to be prepared when something goes wrong than to be surprised and have to deal with the consequences. My Hi-Power has never failed, and has never given me a reason not to trust it. I carry a BUG, because I know things tend to go wrong at the absolute worst time, and I want to be prepared for that.

Liberty wrote:Is it more complicated than explaining "point and click up to 16 times"?

Its actually less complicated than explaining point and click, if it does not fire tap and rack. Oh you don't know what that means? that is when you .... and if it stove pipes you have to clear it by ...

Since I live and work in pretty safe areas; live a safe lifestyle and try to maintain a level of alertness, I don't feel like I need to carry a bug. But I do anyway. Usually either a Colt vest pocket .25 or a KT P 11. My primary is a Hipower detective.

I carry a NAA Mini with a 1 1/8" barrel and folding grip for my BUG.

G.A. Heath wrote:

Liberty wrote:Is it more complicated than explaining "point and click up to 16 times"?

Its actually less complicated than explaining point and click, if it does not fire tap and rack. Oh you don't know what that means? that is when you .... and if it stove pipes you have to clear it by ...

Nahh, notice I said 16 times, I was excluding 1911s, and was thinking of reliable guns.

Seriously, I was refering to handing off a handgun to a partner as was mentioned in the thread, in this unlikely course of events I would think that having more ammo in the gun would be pretty handy. Novices reloading a revolver while under combat stress would probably flounder.

Yes, I always carry a backup gun. Usually my S&W 340PD. I carry it for two reasons. First, the aforementioned Mr. Murphy, and second, because I carry it on my weak-side, I have a gun easily available to either hand.

After 9-11 and especially after the Rita excursion, I was carrying quite a bit in my trunk. I had a rifle & a couple hundred rounds and a couple hundred rounds of pistol ammo & extra pistol. I've never been to worried about getting into it with any terrorist or even some BG trying to rob me. I'm more worried about the cival unrest that may happen after some major untoward event. I live 40 miles from where I work and if the infrastructure started to break down, getting home may be a major undertaking. Houston doesn't have near the police force to quell any type of major violence. Hat's off to Houston PD but they are understaffed and overworked.

I don't carry a BUG mainly because I don't have one.

I always carry two extra 15 round mags opposite my pistol but that is more to balance the weight than anything else. A sagging belt (beltline not level) is a #1 tell that a person has an IWB if the shirt is tucked. Having an Uncle Mikes canvas double mag pouch keeps my belt level and I'm not having to straighten up all the time.

i would like a smaller pocket gun for primary carry on hot days, but not being LEO, I see no real point for a BUG. I'll probably never even use my primary. Cant say the same for an officer though.

Only if I'm going to high risk areas, South Dallas for instance. Primary for areas like this is XD45C, BUG is Beretta Tomcat. Otherwise it's G27.

Bought a P3AT for those hard to conceal times. Quickly discovered that it was as easy to carry as keys and a pocket knife. So I carry it in addition to my primary. It's just that easy.