The worst case scenario. If anyone really knows me, they know that I always plan for the absolute worst that can possibly happen, this way I’m never surprised.
I’ve always carried a backup gun on duty. Things happen and Murphy’s Law is always waiting to enact itself whenever your in the middle of the worst situations.
I keep all of my firearms well maintained and as you know, all of the firearms I choose to own and carry are of high quality. I don’t expect my VP9 to fail me, but if that does happen for some odd reason, I’m not out of the fight.
My first backup gun was my Heckler and Koch P2000sk in .40, believe it or not, I carried it in my best holster!
Well that got old and I bought a Beretta M85F in .380 ACP. It served as my backup gun for many years and I just sold it to my partner to buy it’s replacement from another partner, the Beretta Nano in 9mm. I wasn’t a fan of pocket pistols, that is why I choose the M85, it was a mini M9 and it was small, but not too small, allowing me to have a full grip. I didn’t get to shoot it often however, since it was a .380, my department only gave me 15 rounds a year to qualify with it and no more. I would have to bring my own ammo to practice and I did not always have my .380 practice ammo with me at work. It’s was also a pain to have to buy another caliber and stock up on.
The Beretta Nano changed my opinion on pocket pistols. It is built specifically for concealed carry and is snag free, which will make drawing it an east task. I will do some in-depth reviews on each weapon later.
The whole point of this post is encourage everyone to have a backup gun. Most of my partners don’t carry one. Their reasons basically comes down to pure laziness and believing that it is unnecessary. A lot of them also believe nothing will ever happen while they’re on duty. That way of thinking will cost them dearly. Trust me, I always try to teach them but it’s like preaching to the choir. A lot of you can attest to the same with your own partners.
I can go on all day long with examples of why you should carry a backup, but I don’t feel like it. So if you don’t have a backup, you should!