Please Recommend a Concealed Carry Pistol

[Cogz]

Check out downrange TV series: CCW Demystified.

 

[tommyzDad]

A .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, it can blow a head clean off.

NO!!!!

Danny Vermin: I got something to stop him.
Dutch: They made it for him special. It's an eighty-eight Magnum.
Danny Vermin: It shoots through schools.

 

[Trajan265]

Kimber

Check out the Kimber Ultra Carry II. I have been a police officer for 15 years and I would not bet my life on anything less than a 9mm and I even stopped carrying that. The effectiveness of the .45 ACP cannot be discounted. A 9mm is not a high powered round and it may not be effective through thicker clothing (jackets, etc.) which you will find in Washington State.

I carry a Glock 23 at work, but it too bulky to carry off-duty. I conceal the Kimber in an inside the pants Don Hume holster (H715-M W.C.: Waistband Clip-On). The Kimber is thinner and easier to conceal, even under a t-shirt (if your midsection is appropriate). The Kimber is a high quality, accurate, reliable weapon that I would bet my life on. You don't a high capacity mag because a self-defense gun is not meant for a prolonged gunfight. If you put the first round where you want it, it doesn't matter. Remember, you can't miss fast enough to save your life.

 

[Cowlesy]

Check out the Kimber Ultra Carry II. I have been a police officer for 15 years and I would not bet my life on anything less than a 9mm and I even stopped carrying that. The effectiveness of the .45 ACP cannot be discounted. A 9mm is not a high powered round and it may not be effective through thicker clothing (jackets, etc.) which you will find in Washington State.

I carry a Glock 23 at work, but it too bulky to carry off-duty. I conceal the Kimber in an inside the pants Don Hume holster (H715-M W.C.: Waistband Clip-On). The Kimber is thinner and easier to conceal, even under a t-shirt (if your midsection is appropriate). The Kimber is a high quality, accurate, reliable weapon that I would bet my life on. You don't a high capacity mag because a self-defense gun is not meant for a prolonged gunfight. If you put the first round where you want it, it doesn't matter. Remember, you can't miss fast enough to save your life.

Thanks for the input on this one --- I like to hear what Law Enforcement who has to deal with life/death situations everyday think about these issues.

 

[Kalifornia]

A 9mm is not a high powered round and it may not be effective through thicker clothing (jackets, etc.) which you will find in Washington State.

Thanks for bringing that up. I have read that there are problems with the various hp rounds when encountering heavy clothing. Like many times they get jammed up with leather/wadding/cloth, and then dont open, thereby turning into a fmj, which kills the whole point of carrying self defense ammo in the first place.

I hadn't connected the dots here. If shooting through a jacket or heavy clothing creates a substantial probability that your expensive hp round will be turned into an fmj, it doesnt make sense to count on a caliber in which fmj is clearly an inadequate defense round.

This is another really good reason to take up reloading, if .45 is the only round I can consistently rely on.

 

[benny215]

I'm a pretty skinny guy so I have trouble even carrying my glock 26 in the summer without it poking thru my t-shirt. I have a KEL-TEC P32 that I just slip in my pocket, with some hp's and good aim it'll do just as good as anything else.

 

[Doktor_Jeep]

A purely defensive handgun can be a snubby. Chances are it will not be aimed anyway, therefore it should be a big nasty caliber. Smith & Wesson makes a line of hammerless revolvers in magnum calibers that might fit this bill.

 

[Dr.3D]

Thanks for bringing that up. I have read that there are problems with the various hp rounds when encountering heavy clothing. Like many times they get jammed up with leather/wadding/cloth, and then dont open, thereby turning into a fmj, which kills the whole point of carrying self defense ammo in the first place.

I hadn't connected the dots here. If shooting through a jacket or heavy clothing creates a substantial probability that your expensive hp round will be turned into an fmj, it doesnt make sense to count on a caliber in which fmj is clearly an inadequate defense round.

This is another really good reason to take up reloading, if .45 is the only round I can consistently rely on.

I use every other round as a FMJ with my 380. I figure if a HP can't get through a jacket then the FMJ will. But if a 22lr HP will penetrate a third of the way through a Sears catalog, I'm not so worried that a 380 will have any problem penetrating some leather jacket. The little 22lr HP will even go through both sides of an oil drum once in a while. I really don't believe there that big of a problem with penetration through clothing.

 

[Kalifornia]

I use every other round as a FMJ with my 380. I figure if a HP can't get through a jacket then the FMJ will. But if a 22lr HP will penetrate a third of the way through a Sears catalog, I'm not so worried that a 380 will have any problem penetrating some leather jacket. The little 22lr HP will even go through both sides of an oil drum once in a while. I really don't believe there that big of a problem with penetration through clothing.

I probably wasnt clear. The problem isnt all about penetration. The problem is weather the jhp expands or not. The real stopping power of the new 9mm ammo is that the new ammo expands the wound channel by about .7 inches, so a fully expanded 9mm jhp will create a wound chanel over an inch in diameter, which helps ALOT in stopping power, and compensates for the smaller round. a 9mm fmj often just goes through the target, for some reason, the experience of a number of wars shows that a .45 fmj knocks the target down.

Its pretty well established that the military found the 9mm fmj to be short on stopping power. That problem has been resolved by the implementation of modern expanding ammunition. If the wearing of heavy clothing can foul the function of the new high tech ammo, you are back to having the same problem with 9mm that the Marines had with the Moros.

 

[Dr.3D]

I probably wasnt clear. The problem isnt all about penetration. The problem is weather the jhp expands or not. The real stopping power of the new 9mm ammo is that the new ammo expands the wound channel by about .7 inches, so a fully expanded 9mm jhp will create a wound chanel over an inch in diameter, which helps ALOT in stopping power, and compensates for the smaller round. a 9mm fmj often just goes through the target, for some reason, the experience of a number of wars shows that a .45 fmj knocks the target down.

Its pretty well established that the military found the 9mm fmj to be short on stopping power. That problem has been resolved by the implementation of modern expanding ammunition. If the wearing of heavy clothing can foul the function of the new high tech ammo, you are back to having the same problem with 9mm that the Marines had with the Moros.

Well, in the summer, when it is hard to conceal my full frame .45, I carry my tiny 380.
In the winter, I carry both of them. I think in the summer, there is little problem with the 380 working properly with the HP rounds. In the winter, my .45 with the Hydro shock HP ammo is going to work fine with the heaver clothing.

 

[Kalifornia]

Well, in the summer, when it is hard to conceal my full frame .45, I carry my tiny 380.
In the winter, I carry both of them. I think in the summer, there is little problem with the 380 working properly with the HP rounds. In the winter, my .45 with the Hydro shock HP ammo is going to work fine with the heaver clothing.

Also a good point. When its too warm for you to wear a jacket, its probably also too warm for everyone else.

 

[OddballAZ]

I have a Sig P229 DAK and I love it. It's in .40 S&W but you can get it in 9mm too. It's technically a "sub compact" but it's almost a full size which is a downside. Here in AZ it can feel a bit bulky in the summer months. But the plus is it has plenty of ammo (12+1 with .40 S&W, more with the 9mm). So I'm not giving up any ammo compared to other sub compacts like the P239.

But the most important thing is that you get a gun that you can shoot well. Go to a gun store with a range that will rent guns and try some different guns out. Find the ones you can shoot well first. Then start narrowing it down to a gun for CCW. You don't want a CCW gun that you only got because it's easy to conceal but you can't shoot it worth a damn.

 

[mad212]

My choice of carry S&W M&P40 or M&P40c.

 

[seapilot]

Anyone have experience with one of these,http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=6624&return=Y ? ITs california approved.

Big Ruger fan, though like the S&W .44 but seems over kill unless in bear country. Cant beat a .357 that can use .38 special rounds which is cheaper to target practice with.

 

[AutoDas]

I was going to post a topic about this. I didn't realize guns were so expensive. Did Congress pass some law to just increase the price of a gun as a way of gun control? (keeping arms out of the poor, but only enough so the criminals can afford it)

I was thinking about getting a Browning BDM.

 

[the_british_are_coming]

TRY THEM ALL!!!! you will find the one that fits you. end of story. we can suggest all day long, but your hand will tell you what your final answer is.

Im relocating to a state that is "shall issue", and one of the first steps I intend to take upon arriving is applying for a ccw. The issue is, none of my weapons are particularly easy to conceal, and I'm considering investing in a pistol which I will use as a daily carry. Whatever I buy will have to be comfortable, moderately sized, easy to use, and relatively cheap to practice with. I see no point in carrying a weapon that I cant afford to put at least a hundred rounds a week through.

I think, all things considered, even though I love the .45acp, that the a 9mm is a better choice.

 

[ronpaulblogsdotcom]

I was going to post a topic about this. I didn't realize guns were so expensive. Did Congress pass some law to just increase the price of a gun as a way of gun control? (keeping arms out of the poor, but only enough so the criminals can afford it)

I was thinking about getting a Browning BDM.

You should clarify the word expensive. A decent handgun has been $400 for a long time. Maybe around $300 for a cheaper off brand one. That is new prices at a retail store.

The junky "LA 5" manufacturers went out of business like Phoenix Arms, Spectre and all those shiny nickel 380s.
Lawsuits and eventual govt crackdown was coming their way. Not a bad thing IMO. Those guns were junk.

A used makorav is about the cheapest reliable handgun but I wouldnt own one.

 

[voortrekker]

I like any Glock for ultimate reliablity and ammo capacity.

Plus it's light weight is important to me as well.

Personally, in a bad situation I would prefer my Glock 19, because I know no matter how dirty it is it will fire.

I bought it used several years ago. A gen 1 G-19 I believe. I've put about 1000 rounds through it. It still gobbles ammo up like no tomorrow.

The gist is, I have never cleaned it, EVER.

Considering this little pistol can deliver 16 rounds of 9mm without choking even when filthy says alot.

It's not going to put all rounds into one hole at 10 feet in my hands, but it will definitely put someone who threatens my life six feet in the ground.

I love the 1911, accurate as can be for a practical pistol and way more accurate than my G-19, G-34, and reliable, but not as reliable as my G-19 or G-34.

The trigger in the 1911 makes it such an accurate pistol and for follow up shots. For this, it cannot be beat with any pistol I have ever shot.

My advice, handle several pistols before you buy one.

Find your natural point of aim while handling them.

Bring the pistol up without looking at the sights to something as a target, anything. Quickly!

THEN, after you have spontaneously brought the pistol to "your" aim, then look at the sights.

If the sights align closley to the target, this pistol fits you, if not find another model.

These are the brands I would personally consider, as I have shot all of them.

Glock
Colt 1911
Kimber 1911
HK
Sig Sauer
Ruger(revolvers) the best in my opinion
Berretta 92

Also, and very important, I would definitely buy a model that has been around for a long time, thus time proven.

Glocks
1911's
Sig Sauer
Berretta 92

Hope this helps.

 

[the_british_are_coming]

The junky "LA 5" manufacturers went out of business like Phoenix Arms, Spectre and all those shiny nickel 380s.
Lawsuits and eventual govt crackdown was coming their way. Not a bad thing IMO. Those guns were junk.

so when they came for your neighbors you hated, you didn't say anything, because they were loud, and deserved to be taken away.


and when they came for the guy down the street who thought there were .gov conspiracies, you thought "good, now i can go to the store without hearing him..."


who the hell will be there when they come for the "nice, expensive, pretty guns?"

does history repeat itself, or does freaking history repeat itself?????????????????????????????????????????????????????


please google "slippery slope" for YOUR OWN SAKE. please.

 

[ronpaulblogsdotcom]

so when they came for your neighbors you hated, you didn't say anything, because they were loud, and deserved to be taken away.


and when they came for the guy down the street who thought there were .gov conspiracies, you thought "good, now i can go to the store without hearing him..."


who the hell will be there when they come for the "nice, expensive, pretty guns?"

does history repeat itself, or does freaking history repeat itself?????????????????????????????????????????????????????


please google "slippery slope" for YOUR OWN SAKE. please.

A handgun is an intricate item that needs to be delicate in the trigger mechanism yet tough in the breech and barrel. Rifled for accuracy. with rounded edges so that we don't cut our hands.

All this costs money. $400 is what a good one costs.

Those $70 shiny .380s would jam, stovepipe, or just lock up. I would feel more secure with a baseball bat in my home.

Plus .380s are a lightweight round if it actually does go bang and hit the target.

Yes its nice to say that everyone should have a cheap gun. It is one of the Bill of rights. But the Bill of Rights never said that a self defense weapon should cost the average of 10 hours of work, or 100, or 1000.

The reason that those gun companies went away is becuase by serial number about 25% of them were eventually used in a crime. Do you still have a rosy feeling for those guns?