When it comes to my back-up gun, this cardinal rule has served me well: Do not use any caliber smaller than your duty gun.
 |
It never made sense to me that guys would carry .22, .25, .32 and .380 caliber weapons as back-ups in this day and age when you can have significantly more stopping power in a gun that’s as small as these lesser calibers.
If you are forced to go to your back-up, the situation you’re facing is bad enough that you may need the stopping power. However, I don’t mind guys carrying a third gun in one of the smaller calibers as a “hostage” gun where they can conceal it in their vest or in a cuff case. Remember, some bad guys are wise to the fact that some cops carry a backup on their ankle so having this third option may be something to think about.