Concealed carry considerations
 

So, what to you makes the ideal carry weapon? Is it a 1911 clone or a revolver. Is it a .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 9 mm, 10 mm, .357 mag? If you like 1911's, and had tons of $, what would you select and why. Do you like Ed Browns, Wilson Combat, Kimber's or others. If you just want basic simplicity are you a Glock guy or do you like Kahr's, SA's or others? If revolvers are your cup of tea, do you like Rugers, S&W or others? So, what's the cats meow in your view?

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

I did a lot of homework before I bought my concealed weapons. I have 2. The first one is a 38 hammerless revolver. It shoots +p and would be plenty to stop a person of any size. No safety to deal with when my wife or myself would be under a stressful situation. My second one is a S&W 9mm. It has 16 in the mag and one in the chamber. It's a little harder to conceal than I would like but a jacket or a loose t-shirt and I'm good to go. It has a 8lb trigger and will never shoot tiny groups but it's the same as my 38, no safety to deal with under stress. The guy that taught my CC class emphasized how nervous you would get if you felt your life or a loved ones life was really in danger. That's why I chose guns without safety's. I can pull either of my concealed carry weapons out point it at the assailant and start pulling the trigger. That was one ofthe most important things to me. A reliable gun, easy enough to conceal, adequate power, and no safety. Cocked and blocked and ready to rock.

Edit- I'm also on the waiting list for a Ruger LCP when it comes in. I don't much about the gun itself but have heard good things. Hornady makes a personal defense round for it that is suppose to be the chit. For $269 bucks, I'm in.

Like they say a .380 in your pocket is better than a 45 in the truck.:D

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

Whatever one can pull and use in the dark...The first requirement is that the user is very comfortable with his weapon...

I like my Glock 23...

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1911's are heavy, but plenty of guys do it with a good holster and belt. What makes them nice are their flat profile.

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I chose the Kimber pro crimson carry. Once the lasers dialed in just point and shoot. And at 28 ounces i wouldnt consider that 1911 heavy.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

Glock 27 for me.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

IMO the 3 main considerations are reliabilty, size and weight.
Revolver or pistol is a personal choice.

I wouldn't go with too large of a round in a small lightweight weapon. 380 or 9mm in a pistol or 38Spl in a revolver and stoke it with +P ammo. Regular ammo for practice and +P for carry. Most incidents where a CCW would come into play are very close range. Practice and familarity is the key.

A CCW does you no good if it's sitting at home because it's too cumbersome to take with you.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

I use my Ruger P89 9 MM.I use an inside the belt/pants holster situated in the small of my back.A jacket or loose,untucked shirt hides it well.If it went off,I guess I'd blow my arse off,lol.Seriously,it's got a firing pin block until cocked.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

i am a surgical tech here in Tacoma, wa
i see a LOT of gunshot wounds
mostly gang bangers and the such
mostly small caliber like .38 or .22
i have nothing wrong with a .38, in fact i want to get one
but they just don't do as much damage as i thought
we had a guy get hit in the back of the nogging and when we went in the bullet was literally like disintegrated
all the bone and brain was covered in lead powder ... no solid lead mass at all, i was very surprised
this was a small caliber by the look of the entry point, now i'm no expert but i know the entry point is slightly smaller then the actual bullet and most of the holes i see are very small
because of this that i have seen first hand i think 9mm is a better carry
.38 in the right spot will do the job but not ass often as a 9mm will IMHO
i also was on a case where this kid took a small caliber right to the chest, point blank, while ridding on a transit bus
round went through his sternum and angled across his right chest, punching through his middle and lower lobe of his lung untill getting imbedded into one of his ribs
if that was a 9mm it probably would have exited
that kid lived cause #1 we were able to clamp the bleeding lung tissue quickly while transfusing 9 units fairly quickly and 2# because he didn't have an exit wound all his blood was clotting/pooling inside him and putting pressure on the bleeding lung ... causing slightly slower bleeding among other respiratory problems, but if that had been a 9mm and there was an exit wound he probably would have died in the ambulance to be honest

i also would get a laser grip
at night you can't see your sites well, the laser would come in handy

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

also forgot to tell you all
that shot to the back of the head
bullet had very little penetration, probably 1" to 1 1/2 at most
you would be surprised how hard the skull
that guy lived and was actually coherent when he came in to the ER
he will probably have some sort of vision problems but who knows he may come out good as new

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

WOW Jimmy, good stuff. Keep it coming!

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

I carry LCP with the Hornady Flextip ammo. You have to pick something you will carry. The LCP is extremely light and I can just slip it in pocket or ankle holster. Because of velocity and bullet dimensions, most .38 should out penetrate 9, but good bullets that will hold up are the key. I also have a Glock 23 and love shooting it but dont carry due to weight. It stays intruckor house. I had a Jframe in .357 but was hard to shoot due to recoil 15oz. I really like the LCP, its easily shot and easily carried. My next will be Karh P9 or PM9.

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For the past 10 years, I have carried a Colt Combat Commander in 45 Auto. I load it with +P (1150 ft/s or so) 185 grain Gold Dots, XTPs, or Golden Sabers (all work well). How I carry it depends on my clothing (shoulder holster, paddle, ITWB, or in a fanny pack).

Currently in the market for a couple of G26s in 9mm with Lasermax laser sights (one for my wife). My favorite 9mm load is the Cor-Bon 115 grain JHP +Ps (at 1350 ft/s).

In a revolver, I really like the Ruger SP101 in .357 Magnum with 125 grain JHPs. ITWB in the small of my back...

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

hat was probably not due to the caliber but the bullet used, if you get hit with a silver tip .38 Winchester in the head, your brains will be all over the place, he was probably shot with a cheap full metal jacket.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

I agree that a bigger caliber (,40 or .45) is usually better, but like others have said, it's better to have a smaller caliber than nothing. The point isn't to necessarily kill someone that is attacking you - just put them out of commission. In fact, something like 70 - 80% of people shot with a handgun survive. I work in a hospital too, and most of the cases I've seen come into the ER end up surviving. The ones that die normally were shot in the head, or were shot many, many times. And not even always then- we had a drug dealer that was shot at least 7 times with 9mm hollowpoints by the police - mostly through the chest and once through the neck, and he somehow survived. But in most of these cases, the person shot was not in any shape to continue attacking anyone.

Back to the point, you need to be comfortable with your gun and the ammo you'll be using for self-defense. IMO, any compact, reliable handgun that you personally can handle well, draw fast and shoot with reasonable accuracy out to 7 yards (yes, that's 7 yards - statistics show you are much more likely to need & use your CCW weapon at point blank range than any other range) should serve you well.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

I vote for the Walther "PPS". Just bought 2; one for me & one for the wife. 9mm with interchangable backstraps 6,7,& 8 round mags. Easily concleable @ less than 1" in width but draws easily points well and very accurite out to 25yds. Loaded with Hornady "Critical Defense" it's an awsome package.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

We can't cc here in the "Peoples Republic of Illinois" but if I could I'd go with a .38 snub. I small revolver is safe, light anbdfull proof. It also needs a deliberate pull of the trigger to go bang. I'd like it to be a +P capable revolver but if not that's ok too. I really like the look of the new Ruger LCR revolver and I might just pick that up. For now I keep a S&W pre model 36 snubin my lock box by the bed because I know my wife can shoot it well and she doesn't need to worry about racking a slide or taking it off safety or accidentally discharging due to all the adrenalin and so forth. All she needs to do is identify her target and pull the trigger....it will go bang.

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Kimber is great. That and a 38 Snubby cover my CCW needs.

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WhenI carry concealed, It's either my colt cobra in .38 or my keltec P3AT in .380. The Keltec is much eaiser to conceal in the summer.

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Mines a Kimber Custon CDP II .45 in a Andrews IWB holster, it is kind of a lot to carry around but I'v gotten used to it and the holster is very comfortable.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

Whitetail Fanatic, I've heard of many F2F / F2E issues with the 3 and 4 inch 1911's...Kimber in particular. Anybody else hear anything similar? Additionally, Kimber suggests a 500 round break-in with FMJ ammo. That will add some serious change to an already pricey weapon. I do like the Kimber triggers though.

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I'v had one FTE in my full size 1911, I thnk I have between 3500-4000 rounds through mine.

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to many safeties on most auto handgun for me. i looked for a while and ended up buying a ROSSI 2in barrel 357mag.its made almost the same as the taurus at alot better price. i gave 325.00 for mine in polished ss.

with this revolver anyone can fire it without having to practice,that fact alone may just save your life when under fire. i shoot 38's for practice and carry either 125hp or 110hp.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

There are lots of greatoptions for concel carry and home defense, try to locate a gun range or dealer that lets you shoot different makes and models, some will fit you shooting style better than others. Or you can do what I did buy them all :)
I have the following :
keltec P3AT in .380
Ruger SP101.357
S&WMP .40 cal
Springfield XD .40 cal compact
Kimber Pro Carry II .45
Kimber Ultra Covert II.45
I love them all, But I probably carry the Kimber Ultra Covert II the most. The most important is a good holster and practice

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

I carry a Ruger LCP since July 2008. I usually keep Remington Golden Sabers HPs in it as most of the tests I've read about for the last year show it doing the best of all the HP rounds, plus it's about 10% heavier than it's competition, and the .380 can use all the penetration it can get. Although there was a story out last week where some kid shot an off duty policemen in the chest with a LCP, and one shot was all it took. So much for the .380 being an anemic round.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

As a Cop, Firearms Instructor, and Concealed Handgun Instructor, I get these questions all the time. While I have my personal preferences, they are just that, my personal preferences. Beyond the hype, one should select a weapon that is within their understanding, and fits their hand. Rather than going to the biggest cal. that they can find, it should be the largest they hand handle under the stress of "Combat Conditions". This will be a weapon that they will be confident with, and will be able to use to the greatest effect.

Ego should have little to do with it, in fact, this is one of the reasons that women when given a little information seem to make the best choices, and pretty darn good shots. If a person follows these precepts, any action, any brand,(recognized as quality)will work. Oh! I have seen some very small frame people conceal some very large guns, so I put function at the top.

Just my opinion, based on what I have seen in 27 years of Law Enforcement, and teaching people to shoot.

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.38 Hammerles ;) & Sig P220 .45 :D

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About 90%of the time I carry a S&W Model 60.Others my Kimber full size.Once in a blue moon a Model 20 Glock with the lasermax internal.

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ruger p345 with +p 230 gr gold dots

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Tritium sites will fix that and you won't have a laser giving away your position.

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For years my personal choice has been a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug in .44 special loaded with Cor-Bon 165gr hollowpoint.. In the winter it is easily concealed and ready to use in an instant. In the simmer time I sometimes carry it in a boot holster. I reciently purchased a Ruger LCP .380. It is a little less powerful than I generally like but with it's sub compact size and light weight it is a pleasure to carry. I made a pocket holster and with light weight summer clothes I can wear it in my pants pocket and have quick access to it. I have it loaded with Cor-Bon 90gr JHP.

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If you intend to wear a holster my choice is the Kimber CDP with the 4" barrel in 45 cal. When wearing a jacket in cooler weather I like my S&W 642 in my pocket. No hammer, no need to take it out of your pocket to shoot. Might need a patch on your jacket pocket.Practice with 38 special and carry 357Fed. Hydra Shock, 158 gr.PD rounds.

RE: Concealed carry considerations
 

I may just get a Bobtail Commander sized 1911. Kimber, SA, CZ (Dan Wesson) all make good firearms. However, I may step up a bit and go with a Fusion Firearms model. Their prices certainly beat Ed Brown, Wilson, Baer, Nighthawk and Volkmann. We'll see.

This forum is weird! Really weird!:guiness::violin:

This forum is weird! Really weird!:guiness::violin:

My personal CCW is my issued P229 w/ X300 backed up with my G26 on the ankle. You'd be surprised how easy it is to carry that gun when you're used to carrying a 16 pound duty belt for 10 hours a day!