Ammo & mags before the second handgun.

You can't practice with the rifle w/o ammo, and you can't improve w/o practice.

Keep in mind, I don't know your lifestyle.  As far as I know, you could be one of these guys who lives in the mountains and wears a jacket year round.

If not, I will add this.  A gun is only good if its with you when you need it.  Wait while I go get my gun is a piss poor strategy that not only limits you self defense but can get you killed.  The only advantage of a handgun, any handgun, over a rifle is ease of carry.  That includes concealment.  

Like Americans, I got into guns from hunting but it developed from there.  If I went back in had to do it all over again, the first gun I would have bought would be a full frame handgun and the second a mouse gun for carry in light clothing or a hidden backup.  

The sad reality is unless we are a police officer looking for bad guys, have enemies wanting to kill us, or are involved in criminal activity ourselves, we need our guns for self defense, it won't be honney go get your gun or we get to draw first.  By society and law, the bad guy gets the first move and they know it.  Most stranger on stranger crime is with a smile on the bad guys face as its "Excuse me Please" "NOW............"   That's where and when, you need a hand gun.  

If you are reading this and there's times that gun is not on you, those are the times you are most vulnerable and any bad guy worth a crap knows this.  They pick victims like we shop in grocery stores, what's the best deal.  Nothing has increased my gun carry more than a compact gun, a pocket gun.  

When choosing a backup or pocket gun, its best to leave your pecker out of it because I'd rather not have a gun than have this or that is the comment of a fool who's never faced the issue in real life, because any gun even a .22lr is better than no gun.  That being said since the widespread advent of CCW, there's been amazing strides in the gun industry to meet this need.  The old tried and true snub nose has a lot of competition these days as larger calibers are being made in smaller guns and ammunition improved to compensate for size.  

Though unless we break the law, its impossible, our goal should be if you see me,  I have a gun.  Situational awareness only covers us so far for if that was all we needed, we wouldn't need a gun at all.  In one respect bad guys are like cops writing traffic tickets.  When it happens, you won't see it coming.  The better you are at avoiding those situations, the more you won't see it when it happens.

If you are not carrying that G19 everywhere you go, you need a pocket gun.  Training and even war scenarios, time is on your side for planning.  Its not for crime.  

Tj

Longer range engagement, defeating barriers (i.e Designated Marksman)


If you're working as a 'infantry' group why have a pistol?  That's dead weight that would be better spent on more water and/or magazines for your rifle.

"Fight to your rifle" !?  Why the heck is that rifle out of arms reach - EVER if you're "on patrol"?

How often does a rifle break completely?  Go to immediate than remedial action while your buddies keep up the fight.  Gas system goes wonky?  Use it as a straight pull bolt action.

But using a pistol would be way down on my list in anything other than CQB.

For far less weight/area I can keep a spare bolt/spare parts kit with me.  I have one made up for classes (yet to use it)  that is the size of a deck of cards complete with a bolt, pin punch, spare pins, spare disconnecter, and some spare springs.

Very few people in the military carry a pistol and rifle, because a rifle going down is very rare and 99.99999999% of the time you're more likely to need that water or extra magazine.

However, I could see in some situations where a small (pocket type) pistol might be useful to appear 'non threatening' but still have the ability to defend yourself.  

YMMV