Rob in VT

When you were considering a concealed carry, what was most important to you in making your decision? Are there other considerations besides what I listed below? How did you prioritize these?

1. Size of weapon for ease of concealment.

2. Carrying capacity (number of rounds).

3. Caliber (for knock down power).

4. Comfort in shooting (large bore on a small frame kicks a lot).

5. Accuracy.

Bocajnala

Most importantly, can I shoot it well? If I cannot confidently shoot it well then I shouldn't be carrying it. The purpose of a concealed weapon is self defense. If you cannot hit what you're aiming at you might as well leave it at home. Everything else falls in behind that.
Which Caliber, Number of rounds, Conceal-ability, Comfort....

I always tell people that carrying concealed is not supposed to be "comfortable" that being said... there are definitely more comfortable options out there for each different person. What works for me may not work for you.... But I do not sacrifice shooting comfort and accuracy for wearing comfort.

I think my next ccw buy will be a glock 43 I believe. Seems perfect for me.
-Jake

jeepkid

I disagree. I think first and foremost should be comfort so you aren't constantly fiddling with it and trying to adjust it. You want to "forget" that it is even there. If it isn't comfortable you most likely won't bring it along every day either, and whats the point in having a CCW permit if it sits at home?

Topgun 3006

+1 Jeepkid

super_hunt54

Then you are misinforming people Jake. As Jeep pointed out, if it doesn't fit you then you wont want to carry the thing. Nobody wants to feel a hammer digging into their ribs or back all day. I tend to carry in a shoulder rig nowadays because it is just more comfortable than any type of waist carry. Old age "spread" has a lot more downfalls than just having to buy bigger pants

As far as the list goes, my first concern is now and always has been: how well I shoot it. Then comes trust in the weapon itself, is it going to fire when I need it the most. Then comes comfort for carry as well as concealment (printing). Every now and then I carry a 9mm but 90% of the time I carry a .45 so caliber wise I don't worry about to much. A man gets up from a well placed .45 has an S on his chest and I shouldn't be fooling with him anyway!

RobertSubnet

Interesting topic I am curious to see what other people post.

For me the most important characteristic is reliability: I have to be 100% certain that weapon is going to work and work in a big hurry. Carry comfort is also important for the reasons JeepKid wrote about. But for me reliability trumps comfort. And if you are wondering my primary CCW weapon is a Smith & Wesson "Chief's Special." Secondary to the Chief is a Kimber Solo.

Oldtimr

Whether or not a carry gun is comfortable or not depends more on the holster and where you carry it than the gun itself, unless you are trying to carry a gun that is too big for concealed carry. I agree that the most important thing is how well can you shoot the gun consistently which means you should shoot the gun or one like it before you plunk down the money to buy it. There are so many choices out there in quality concealed carry holsters a person should not have a problem finding one that does the job. The rig must be comfortable, no doubt and in all the situations you will be in, sitting, riding in a vehicle walking etc, if not you will take it off and you won't have it when you need it. Of course you should practice bringing the gun to bear on a target from the holster you plan to carry the gun in and then practice regularly and if possible throw in some shooting under stress several times a year to find out what happens when you are under stress. Next for me is the caliber, I like a large caliber, .40 or .45, you will be able to shoot some brands better than others because of the distribution of the recoil in some guns is better than others. If you can't handle a large caliber, a small caliber is better than no gun. I never felt the need for a high capacity magazine, you can't shoot fast enough for poor marksmanship. That said, the agency I worked for for 33 years switched to Glocks in .357 Sig caliber about a year before I retired. That caliber is a good consideration as it packs a lot of punch and the grip is manageable to folks with small hands and it is rarely mentioned when people start asking about calibers.. The gun also must be reliable, it should go bang every time you pull the trigger, if it doesn't it is no more than a hammer.

Nomercy448

1. Accuracy/Shootability - all of them are accurate, but not all are equally shootable I want a pistol that points naturally and hits what I need it to hit.

2. Manual of Arms - although not on your list, I pick my carry weapons based on their function, using a pretty simple rule: I want as little time and as few operations as possible between "oh $hit" and "bang" as possible. No manual safeties, no racking the slide to chamber a round, not overly heavy or overly long triggers, no cocking the hammer, etc etc... It should clear leather and then save my life, with nothing in between.

3. Size of weapon for ease of concealment - I've carried big, I've carried small, I know how I dress and how I move, and what works for me to carry. Small is good.

4. Caliber (for knock down power) - the cartridge has to be able to do the job. I carry a .380acp mostly, I've killed game with it, it does the job. I would not carry a 25acp, 22lr, 25acp, 32acp... But I'm comfortable and confident in the .380acp.

5. Carrying capacity (number of rounds) - I have absolute confidence in 5 shot revolvers for carry, as well as 6 and 7rnd pistols

NOT RANKED IN MY CONSIDERATION: Comfort in shooting (large bore on a small frame kicks a lot) - Carry pieces are shot often, but not shot a lot, they don't have to feel good under recoil, they just have to do the job.

Rob in VT

Thanks for your feedback guys.

MudderChuck

Just my preference, I really like my HK P-7 M8 single stack 9 mm Para.

One of safer methods to carry, not zero, but nearly zero chance of an unintended discharge.

Accuracy is exceptional for a non target type pistol.

I've never found a round yet it won't chamber, fire, eject and reload.

It is flat and easy to conceal.

Down side, it is heavy. But the extra weight makes a double tap easy.

You really have to clean it after a couple of hundred rounds, I usually clean it after a hundred.

I carry mine high under my armpit, with the proper holster I don't even notice it is there. Not the quickest draw but the most comfortable for me.

Funny I have factory tuned target pistols in 9 mm para, my P7 shoots nearly as well. It just seems to fit me. I have large paws but still prefer a single stack.