my dads conceal and carry gun?
 

so for a long while now my dads been talking about concealing and carrying. he went through the class and he hadn't shot many handguns before. but ive been with my friends many times and shot about every cartridge. and he would like to get a .45.. so just to ask what everyone else uses. and what is easiest to carry.

I carry a Safari Arms Enforcer 45 ACP or a Smith&Wesson 329PD Airweight Scandium frame 44 Mag.

Here is the Smith.


Here is the Safari Arms.


Both carry nice, the Smith is really light, the ammo weighs as much as the gun. I am fond of 1911's so the Safari Arms actualy gets carried more often.

I carry a Glock 30 SF (Slim Frame). It has a 10 round magazine. You should take your dad to a gun store and let him hold a lot of different guns to see what fits his hand(s) best and then look at different concealment options to see what combination will work the best for him. Even better, have him shoot a few of the smaller guns he is interested in as the smaller guns typically have a little more kick and are a little harder to hold sometimes. 45 is a great caliber though.

I like that S&W, Fritz doesn't mess around!
-Jake

I carry a S&W 327 TRR8. It's an 8 shot .357 mag revolver. I'm a revolver kind of guy, and am not as fond of pistols.

As far as what works for your father, go out and let him shoot as many different handguns as you can. You need to find the right one for him. Different manufacturers have different physical designs that fit in the hands of people differently. You need to find a gun that fits your Father, and a round that he can comfortably shoot.

No two people are the same, and no two guns are the same. Similar potentially, but not the same.

Where does your father live and how large/small of a man is he? I ask because it will greatly dictate what size firearm you carry. I live in the Panhandle of Florida and there is no way in hell I'm going to be carrying around a big 44 mag revolver and actually conceal it comfortably, even being 6'2" and weighing about 270 pounds.


Your father needs to worry far less about the cartridge/caliber and more about getting a comfortable firearm that he will actually carry. It does him absolutely no good to get a 1911, a big ass N frame revolver, or other full size firearm if he's just going to leave it in the safe because it is too cumbersome and uncomfortable to carry every day. What other people carry means absolutely nothing when they aren't going the be the person carrying the firearm.

What's easiest to carry is going to be smaller framed revolvers and slim, single stack automatic pistols. Such as S&W J frame revolvers, S&W shield, Springfield XDS, Glock 36, Kahr PM series, Ruger LC9, Beretta NANO, Para Ordnance LDA,

I personally carry a Smith and Wesson model 442. It's a small alloy framed, 5 shot, 38 special revolver that is extremely light weight, and is very easy to conceal in shorts and a T-shirt.




Bottom line is that if your father, or any of us for that matter, have to use a firearm to defend ourselves it isn't going to be from across the street. It will be up close, 10 - 20 feet, and any cartridge from the little .380acp on up to .45acp and larger.... the dead guy will never know the difference.... assuming you can put the bullet where it is suppose to go. If he can't, well, misses don't amount to much no matter how big the bullet is.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the larger the cartridge the greater the recoil and muzzle rise and the longer it takes to reacquire your target and make a second accurate shot all things being equal.

He's 175 5'6. I really figured I would hear that a 45 is large to conceal. But I really like one if my friends glocks its a 10mm he liked shooting that one a lot. And then he shot the glock 45 and liked it more.. I'm not really an expert on handguns but revolvers are my thing and that was another one of his thoughts a.38 special.

Thanks very much. We will be taking a trip to the gun shop very soon. As I also am saveing for a new scope on my 7mag.. ill let you all know what he decides on.

No, It's not the cartridge but the firearm it's chambered in. Most 45's are larger framed than their smaller 9mm's and 40's.

There are slim, very concealable 45's on the market. Like the Springfield XDS and Kahr PM45. Both are high quality firearms and will serve him well. But if he were open to 9mm or 40s&w his options open up tremendously.

And don't let any one tell you that the 9mm is a horrible round for self defense. Ask them if they've ever been shot by one or shot any one with one using proper defense ammunition. It falls right between the 38spl and 357 magnum in terms of "power". As a military NATO round it sucks due to the use of FMJ or ball ammunition. But as a defensive round using modern hollow point ammunition it is highly capable.

I have two of my favorite handguns that seem to get carried the most...a Browning Hi-Power in .40 S&W (nicest gun I own!!!)...which seems to get carried the most and a Sig 226 in .40 S&W that is my second fav. I really do like them both as much as any gun I have every handled or owned. When I need a smaller carry gun I steal my wife's Kahr CW40 in .40 S&W...which is quickly becoming a favorite...may have to break down and buy one for myself.

Most important...find a gun that fits his hand well and one that handles well for him. Then shoot it regularly...a lot!

A carry conceal weapon is of little use if its too bulky to carry or too powerful to shoot comfortably. A .45 ACP is a lot of gun for some. I used to carry a Colt Combat Commander .45 ACP in a Jack Ass shoulder holster rig. The problem there is, you need a jacket most the time to wear that comfortable. Also I am able to handle the recoil of the .45 ACP.

At present I carry a .357 magnum Smith & Wesson and even that L frame revolver is a little large for conceal carry. I have been looking at a K-Tec P11 in 9mm. Its small, and easy to conceal. Its fast to operate, dependable from all I have read. And never underestimate the 9mm. Put two of them in center mass of your bad guy and he will leave you alone most cases. Plus the 9mm is a nice shooting pistol with little recoil, so anyone can shoot it, with either hand. I carried a 9mm when I was a police officer and never felt under gunned.

The .38 special in an detective model is a nice little short range revolver. And face it, in a c&c shooting situation, your shooting will probably be 7 yards or closer. A .38 hollow point might not knock them off their feet, but it will ruin their day.

How much did he actually shoot in the cc class? I suggest finding a gun club or gun store where he can fire several different makes, models and calibers. Be aware that a short barrel will affect velocity which may affect the bullet performance. Some bullets do not expand well when shot from a short barrel (less than 4") handguns. If that happens, the bullet basically acts like a FMJ; and you may have over-penetration. Over-penetration is not something you want to happen.

Don't worry about overpenetration. That is, unless you're going with a hunting handgun round instead of the plethora of commonly used rounds for self defense.

Many of which have been suggested here.

Basically, anything that is less than the .44 mag is not likely to overpenetrate if you hit the center of mass.

If you wing someone and it's a through and through then you made a bad shot and caliber doesn't matter. Think of self defense like hunting, you need to do your part to make the shot count. A bad shot is a bad shot and nothing makes what happens after that something you can do over.

Much overthinking going on here...

Carrying concealed is more than having a firearm hidden somewhere on your person, it's more about the accompanying mindset necessary to actually use it.

As has been stated already, defensive shootings are going to take place up close and in split seconds. The person who identifies a potential threat and decides to engage first has a significantly higher opportunity to draw first and thus also to incapacitate the threat first.

Of course, the person who identifies a potential threat in time to elude or avoid it completely incurs almost no opportunity to select dinner from the jail menu or to mortgage the house in order to pay the attorney.

In a pinch, a .380 ACP loaded with hollow points, drawn and fired beats a .44 Magnum being fumbled with through a jacket by a person who didn't anticipate the threat or having to draw at all (not suggesting by Fritz). If the first shot doesn't eliminate the threat, it will most likely change the orientation of the threat and leave the option of reengaging it.

I've had occasion to participate in, as well as observe and analyze combat engagements where the "ready" party prevailed over the "better armed" party, and where even that pathetic military 9mm FMJ entirely changed the dynamic of the situation.

Fighting smart most often means not having to fight at all. If that cannot be avoided, "First to fight" is the first advantage.

this is a colt model8 380,its what i carry and at 3/4 wide it aint big but packs a punch with hydroshocks.its a 1935.they are out there and depending on the condition still affordable.its never ever failed me and hides nice

I disagree. Sectional density has a lot to do with the potential of over penetration. The 9x19 had a reputation of potential over penetration more in the past than now. The problem is if the bullet does not expand, it acts much like a fmj. One cartridge LEO's don't want to encounter is a hot 9x19 fmj due to its high sectional density, high energy level and fmj bullet = greater potential to defeat body armor.

Honestly, if a person is worrying about shooting through an enemy combatant, they probably won't shoot. They don't have the right mindset to do what is necessary to live, and their firearm may join the ranks of many illegal guns on the street. After the hesitant person gets shot first.

Self defense is like hunting in so many ways. You need to be aware, and react fast. The major difference is that instead of the prey getting away, you get killed/wounded.

With a SD scenario, we are the prey, and not the hunter. The criminal, the predator, has the time do the thinking. The prey only reacts when they realize the predator is there. That's why we have to be situationally aware.

homers brother stated the truth of self defense quite well. The right mindset will give you the edge to survive.

That is why you do your homework in advance to have a cartridge, bullet type and ammo manufacturer that works reliably in your firearm with good performance but still reduces the chance of over-penetration.

A lot of people think the standard pressure .45 ACP will over-penetrate with JHP, but the 9x19 has shown more actual cases of over-penetration. Not saying a person should not use a 9x19, but make sure the ammunition and bullet you are using will expand as desired when fired from your firearm.

I totally agree that situational awareness is vital. What also is vital is avoiding potential situations before they develop.

My father carries a Iver Johnson double action pistol in .22 caliber. Its a very small pistol. A pocket pistol if you want to call it that. Its loaded with .22 hollow point Winchester bullets. The pistol holds eight rounds I believe and after you fire the first one simply by pulling the trigger, the rest are single action as the pistol is then cocked. On his last visit to my place he brought that little pistol. Out to 7 yards he was hitting a brown grocery sack more in the center of it then in the edges. And he was firing fast. As he said.. I'd only pull it if I had no other choice. And then I would shoot to kill them. Personally I couldn't think of any one that would want eight of them hollow point hornets hitting them in center mass. It would make for a very bad day.