Exclusive: You Asked What I’m Carrying These Days

In my circle of friends who carry concealed — and I’m sure in yours, too — conversations often focus on why we carry this or that gun in this or that holster with this or that ammo. Then there’s discussion about this or that modification to this or that gun. And so on. Usually the whole thing starts off with, “What are you carrying these days?” Here’s how I would answer today:

“Hey, thanks for asking. Today I’m carrying a Metro Arms 1911 Compact Commander. It’s on my right hip in a Blade Tech Eclipse Outside the Waistband Holster. Wanna see it?”

Of course you do. Since we’re in a private location, I carefully pull the right side of my shirt up with my left hand, exposing the gun, while my right hand takes hold of the Metro’s stocks.

“See those red stocks? Those are made by Ed Strange at Wicked Grips.”

Your eyes widen at the, um, wicked skull graphic that appears on the red aluminum stocks.

“No worries. Nothing too freaky. They fit perfectly and feel great. Ed’s got a bunch of cool designs to dress up a gun. $90 for these.”

Drawing the Metro, I point it in a safe direction, drop the mag, thumb the safety off, and then rack out the chambered round. You eyeball the rounds in the magazine.

“Black Hills .45 ACP 185 JHP,” I say, totally on cue. “I’ve already sent 60 rounds through it with nary a hiccup. The steel plates were singing at the range. You shoulda heard it. Here…”

Taking the Metro in hand, you do double check to make sure it is unloaded and then assume a Weaver stance and point it at the ground, checking out the sights.

“They’re decent,” I say. “But they’ll be wearing a set of XS 24/7 Express sights soon. I’ll have to show those to you later.”

Handing the Metro back to me, you comment on its butter-smooth slide action. I rack the slide a couple more times, double-checking again that it is not loaded.

“It is marvelously smooth,” I say. “The trigger is the same. You’d think this was an expensive, custom made gun but it has an MSRP of $714.”

Placing the loaded magazine into the Metro, I rack the slide, chambering a round. Clicking the thumb safety up, I place the Metro back into the Blade Tech holster.

“This holster is a belt slide and does a very good job of carrying the Metro as long as I use a real gun belt,” I lecture you, as if you didn’t already know this. “While I can adjust the tension for draw, once I put the holster on and tighten my belt, it is very difficult for the holster to move. Which is how it should be.”

I let my shirt drape over the gun and move my torso left, right, and in a circle, looking like some kind of bad dancer. You look around and wonder who’s watching. I just keep talking: “With two shirts, or an untucked button shirt draped over, the Metro is very well hidden. And it’s comfortable and stable.”

Finally, I stop and look over at you. “That’s what I’ve got. What are you carrying today?”

— Mark Kakkuri