Often, people debate as to the reason for carrying multiple guns.  Many will argue that carrying more than one is just cumbersome, and means that your primary isn’t good enough to sustain you on its own.  Others will argue that Nerf is a lot like a PC real-time strategy game.  For example, in Starcraft, on will typically make several “Barracks” so multiple Marines can be being made at once, with more queued up behind each.  In nerf, if you carry multiple guns, you have multiple chances to get your shot right before having to reload or re-prime a gun.

Many will argue that it never hurts to have an extra shot available.  I agree wholeheartedly with them.  An extra shot can never hurt to have along.  The real question would be is that extra shot part of your primary, or is it a separate gun?  If the latter is true, is carrying around this extra bulk really worth the extra shot that might save you, but might kill you as well?  It might not seem that carrying around a tiny Nite Finder with half (or more) of the shell cut clean off could get you killed, but it depends of a couple of factors.  To begin with, how would you be carrying that extra shot?  Is it in a bulky holster that flaps around on your leg?  Is it in a holster that can hold the gun in on its own, or do you need to reach down periodically (or constantly) to make sure its still there?  Does it stay in as long as you don’t run “too fast”?  If it is in a bulky holster that flaps around on your leg, it could easily hamper your movement.  If you didn’t have that holster on, you might have been able to get to a better position faster, in which case you wouldn’t have needed that extra shot.  The same is true if it’s in a “speed-sensitive” holster that you can’t run very fast with.  If you have to reach down periodically or often to reassure yourself that it is there, it is NOT worth carrying around because that extra time could be devoted to moving, and taking out your opponents.  The last big problem with carrying around a sidearm (or a couple of them) in holsters is the fact that the way most holsters are made, it’s next to impossible to get the gun(s) out quickly enough to snap off a quick shot or cover a getaway.

Though the arguments against such sidearms have merit, the arguments for carrying them have as much if not more.  If your holster is, say, NOT bulky, then by all means, you should be able to carry it with no problems whatsoever.  If it is small but it flops around all over the place, there is probably a way that you can improve it so that it is not a problem.  The main problem with many people’s holsters is that they make them HUGE.  The extra shot or two is NEVER worth it if your holster is massive and gets in the way.  Take a look at my Nite Finder and its holster.  To begin with, my Nite Finder gets pretty much superior ranges to that of the average modified Nite Finder.  Secondly, it is VERY small.  It does NOT get in the way.  Alongside this, the holster it is in fits the gun incredibly well.  The gun does not move around in the holster.  Lastly, the holster is anchored at two points, like all holsters should be: at my belt and at the barrel end.  Securing it at the barrel end is vital.  This eliminates the flopping around, which adds to your mobility.

If you do decide to have a sidearm, and you have a legitimate, working way to carry it, consider your reasons for needing the sidearm.  What does it give you that your primary does not?  Is that something that you could integrate onto your primary, with similar or better performance results without the hassle of a second gun?  Is (are) the extra shot(s) really needed at all?

Try to consider all aspects of your primary and your prospected sidearm, and you should be able to come to a conclusion as to whether or not a sidearm is right for you.

Yours in Foam,

-Falcon