Recommendations for Concealed Carry (Vanity)

Self | 18 Aug 2012 | Self

[JaguarXKE]

Vanity. Looking for thoughts/ recommendations on weapon for concealed carry.

[JaguarXKE]

The only gun I own is a WWII Walther P-38 that I inherited from my father. It's a pretty good gun for target shooting, but lately I've been thinking of getting something more suited to self defense and home protection. I'm planning to get a CCW permit and am trying to decide what a good handgun would be for CC and home protection. I'd also like something that would be fun to shoot at the range. A couple a very different guns I've been looking at are a Glock and a S&W Model 60. I know there are some gun aficionados here so wanted to ask for some Freeper recommendations and or thought about the aforementioned guns.

[BereanBrain]

http://www.mouseguns.com/PocketAutoComparison.pdf

there are some great ones listed at the above link. Saves tons of time.

I advise a REAL safety (not a trigger safety) for concealed carry. There are several to choose from.

[Flatus I. Maximus]

Get the gun you are most comfortable wearing and therefore most likely to carry. A gun that’s great on the range but too heavy or bulky to wear all day long is a gun that’s going to end up in your gun safe.

[hitkicker]

I like Glocks and carry them myself (either a Model 30 or a Model 36 depending on time of year—the slimmer 36 is easier to conceal with summer wear), because Glocks fit my hands well and I shoot them well. There are many good brands, and you’ll probably go through a few different ones before you settle on your best choice. I realize that it’s preferable to make the best choice right out of the gate (the damn things are expensive) but it didn’t work that way for me. As I gained experience I made the necessary adjustments.

[suthener]

There is a very important question to ask yourself about concealed carry that I found out through experience. The question is; what WILL you carry? I have one gun that I keep in my truck when I cannot carry (at work, Springfield Armory XDm .45), one in an inside the waistband holster when appropriate (Para 1911 and it took some getting used to), and a Ruger LCP when I can’t carry inside the waistband. Frankly, I’m not too happy with any of them and I’m thinking about the new Sprinfield Armory XDs. The LCP is too small and the others too big. The point I’m trying to make is, if you’re going to buy a gun for concealed carry, make sure you’re comfortable carrying it.

[gorush]

It depends on so much...but here is one that I find comfortable as it fits easily into a pocket...the S&W Airweight .38

[yarddog]

Actually your P-38 should conceal fairly well with a good fitting holster. The grip is not overly large and that is often the part which shows.

I have a Walther PP which fits in my inside jacket pocket without printing on the outside. It is not as quick to get to as a holster but often one has ample time to get to the gun.

Mine is in .32 but most would say get a .380.

[pingman]

A good starting point is any gun whose caliber starts in .4

[11Bush]

Go to a range that has rentals available. Try several different models and calibers until you find the one that ‘clicks’ with you. Make sure it is something that you can carry all day, every day.

It is a very personal choice, like a spouse. Choose the wrong one and you will be out of money and looking for another one.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Take fit and feel into consideration more so than "cheap ammo." If you have a large, or small, hand make sure it's a comfortable fit and packs well also. Spend the required time firing as many different brands and styles. You truly could be making a life or death purchase so choose wisely.

I spent over a year and tested more than a dozen different combinations till i got the one i liked and that was most practical for me.

Starting a thread a FR, is a great place to start. This place is loaded with brains and talent and will help guide you, but the final decision is yours.

INBN.

[Flatus I. Maximus]

When I shot competitively, I used a tuned-up 1911 and loved it. When I go to the range now, I take my SIG .45 if I'm by myself or a Ruger .22 if I'm with the kids. When I hunted deer with a handgun, I used a .44 Magnum Ruger Blackhawk with a 7 1/2 barrel; not exactly concealable.

My carry gun is an old Colt Detective Special, much like your hypothetical S&W 60. If TSHTF I'd rather have a .45, but in the power vs concealability tradeoff a 1.5-lb .38+P that in a good holster vanishes behind my strong-side hip beats the 3-lb .45 that I left at home.

[ansel12]

Start packing the pistol you have wherever you can for a few days, even if it is only at your own house and yard, it may help you decide.

You might find that you prefer a tiny, light weight pistol because carrying is a hassle and annoying, or perhaps not.

[Astronaut]

This really is a highly subjective personal preference, but I recommend a Glock 19. Its got a 15 round magazine but its small and concealable. Glocks are accurate, reliable, nearly indestructible, simple to field strip and clean, and reasonably priced. Try one out at your local range.

[Ouderkirk]

The guys who suggest you buy what you will actually carry are right.

My choice is the .22 S&W auto.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_785503_-1_757765_757752_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

I have other weapons that I like, and they are great fun, but in general...I don’t carry them. Carry the .22LR loaded with CCI Stingers.

[Flatus I. Maximus]

Expect that you will go through a *lot* of guns and holsters before you find the right combination that carries comfortably, conceals well on your body and with your normal mode of dress, and yet allows rapid access to your gun.

Oh, and don't carry a valuable antique or a family heirloom. If, God forbid, you ever do have to draw your gun, expect that the cops investigating the "incident" will seize and impound your gun, and if you ever do manage to get it back, it will look like it was stored in the septic tank while in police possession.

[Terry L Smith]

For the home front, I would suggest a nice S&W Model 10 or 15. There are write-ups on the late Stephen Camp’s site; “Hi-Power and handguns”, about home defense pistols and revolvers.

.38 specials in a four inch barreled revolver do NOT have any noticeable recoil, (I am sensitive to that at times), and they are cheap to obtain ammunition.

** Any ‘self-defense-designed’ ammunition is over-priced!***

For a CCW, the model 60, loaded with semi-wadcutters - NOT plus-p hollowpoints, will do wondrously well, not knock your hand around, and get you back on target, easily.

There are two guys on YOUTUBE that I suggest you watch:

hickok45 and usafmiller

both have a lot of information, and miller shows you what an old model 10 can do.

[JaguarXKE]

I’m not too happy with any of them and I’m thinking about the new Sprinfield Armory XDs.

Is this the XDs you're thinking about? XDS

Says on the side made in Croatia? That's surprising. What is it about the XDs that you like?

[Bryanw92]

>>The question is; what WILL you carry?

That is the primary concern. All the other advice is useless if you get a gun with a caliber that starts with a 4 and you never carry it because it is uncomfortable and impacts your lifestyle too much. If you don’t mind all that weight on your hip, and it doesn’t get to be a nuisance as you sit in restaurants, exit cars, and change your wardrobe to cover it, then get the big gun. But remember that a handgun is a tool to allow you to disengage from a fight, not to win it.

I’d love to carry a full size pistol that packs at least 13 rounds of .45ACP in the magazine. But, its just too darn big and heavy. People carry some big guns in movies and on the internet, but in the real world, you tend to carry what is comfortable.

So, I have a variety of guns for carry. A small-ish Beretta PX4 Storm Sub-Compact 9mm for carry when a jacket is appropriate. A S&W Bodyguard 380 for pocket carry or summer carry (and since its Florida, that is most of the year). A Beretta .22 Bobcat for really deep concealment (my “church gun”).

But, I did come across the new Sig Sauer P290 today. It is 9mm, DAO, small, and thin. I think that it will replace the first two easily just as soon as I get to a gun store next week.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The Walther is an excellent carry gun. Use it for that, and get a 12-guage pump shotgun (like a Mossberg 500) for home protection.

Handguns are inferior to long guns. The only thing that have going for them is portability.

You don't need portability in a home-defense weapon.

[Marauder]

I agree with the CCI Stingers. My fave carry pistol is my old Beretta "Jaguar Plinker" Model 70, the same little pistol they used in the movie Sword of Gideon. I wouldn't want to face Dirty Harry with it, but it's small and comfortable.