New to CCW > Gun Recommendations

[JBaker]

ahhh Taurus, thats one of the 45s I shot, a millennium pro 745, it shot very well, but it jamed with some cheap ammo. any gun that is going to jam on me, the first time I use it.. I am worried about trusting my life with, even though I would have some good quality ammo when it came time to carry, but at the range, im all about cheep :)

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Spec]

I would go with the Smith and Wesson Military and Police .45 full size or compact.. BETTER than glock, alot of police dept. are switching to these guns... o yea and Smith and Wesson are MADE IN THE U.S.A..... i have a M&P.40 full size with thumb safety... these guns have numerous safety options that fit what ever you want. i have 800 plus rounds through mine without any problems... glock guys will tell you glock because they don't shoot anything else and to them "glock is the only handgun made" i have shot many types of handguns, the S&W are the most comfortable and well balanced i have ever come across... look at the weight and length all that stuff online..they also come in 9mm .357sig .40cal .45ACP

[RugerSP101]

ahhh Taurus, thats one of the 45s I shot, a millennium pro 745, it shot very well, but it jamed with some cheap ammo. any gun that is going to jam on me, the first time I use it.. I am worried about trusting my life with, even though I would have some good quality ammo when it came time to carry, but at the range, im all about cheep :)

I shot THOUSANDS of round thru my T92 9mm without a single jam.
I cant speak for any other Taurus auto but that particular one. Its definitely a good shooter.

However, the reason I switched to revolvers in the first place was the same reasoning you just presented. Im not going to trust my life to a gun that relies on the ammo to operate properly.
With my SP101 if I have a dud round I just pull the trigger again and it fires, I dont have to worry about manually feeding the round giving a guy time to jump me.
:)

[mastercapt]

The glocks, smaith, rugers, etc are all good guns. Well made.
However, buying a carry weapon is like buying a car. You have to look at where you usually go and what you are wearing. Obviously, a 1911 in .45 is probably one of the best balance of power and reliability. Or, a .357 revolver.
I have been carrying for 40 years. Had model 36 smiths, Walther PPK, another brand 2" 38, and presently a colt Mustang in stainless, which I had for 18 years. At the time I bought it, it was the smallest reliable .380 on the market. Its easy to handle for follow up shots. I in the hole, 6 in the clip.
Reason for choosing it? I am 5'7. Here in Florida we wear lighter clothes and shorts a lot. In most places, shorts and a golf type shirt is considered business casual dress. So, small is what I needed, but no .22, 32 or 25.
Next: number of shots. Unimportant with a good load. Like: hydrashok, corban, silvertip, etc. You hit someone in the upper chest with these and doubletap him, he should go down. Point is: if he dows not go down with 6 shots, how many more do you need? I was taught ( by a police dept instructor) to shoot for the upper chest. If he does not go down, the forehead.
I also echo the revolver being less prone to a jam and being easier to put into action. However, the auto I carry is only about .80 thick, and in an IWB or pocket holster, I can easily and comfortably conceal it.

Go to a gun shop which has a range. Try before you buy. Moreover, you can also "try on" holsters with whatever gun(s) you are interested to determine comfort of concealability
My $.02

[RebelRabbi]

If you want something that you will actually carry, consider one of the new Mini 380's. I have a couple of Ruger LCP's myself and have shot 5 NIB. All five brand new LCP's worked right out of the box- no break in needed!
The little J-Frame Smiths are the pinnacle of reliability and offer good power with the right load / think Buffalo Bore Ammo.
Kahr makes some amazing autos in 380, 9mm and 40 for CCW.
Whatever gun you decide should be based on many factors unique just to you. Your local laws, the climate you live in, etc. We have a lot of HOT weather days in NC and pocket carry in loose cargo shorts in the norm here June through August. Your 1911 or Beretta M9 won't cut it for a morning jog!
Be realistic before you drop a lot of cash on something too big or too heavy for CCW. Low weight really matters, but the price is always increased recoil!

[oneshot]

Being a person that has been known to carry three guns, with two reloads per gun for when I'm off duty and on my own time, you may want to rethink this. When I carry a revolver as a "primary" gun I carry at least three of them. If a "bottomfeeder" is my "primary" then my minimum number of guns is two, but sometimes more.

You cannot know how many rounds you will need beforehand and statistics lie. I'll give you an example. Let's say we have ten gunfights, and the total number of rounds fired in the fight, by both sides is in the right column:

1) 3
2) 1
3) 2
4) 9
5) 6
6) 2
7) 3
8) 1
9) 12
10) 3

In ten gunfights that's 4.2 rounds per gunfight by both sides. Some were just a little slower on the trigger than others. You will notice however that in fights #4, #5 and #9 the number of rounds exceeded the "average" by at least 50% and in fight #9 by almost 300%.

Momma and Daddy didn't raise me to be a statistic. The point I'm trying to make is, while concealed carry is a compromise, but I'm not comfortable with one gun and only one reload or no reload.

Years ago I faced three on one odds with a little five shot J-Frame revolver. To say that I found the gun wanting would be an understatement.

Biker

I agree 100%^^^^^

here is more food for thought , I just posted this in another tread this morning, heres the link

http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulle...te-site-2.html



"To my mind it is wholly irresponsible to go into the world incapable of preventing violence, injury, crime, and death. How feeble is the mindset to accept defenselessness. How unnatural. How cheap. How cowardly. How pathetic." Ted Nugent

[OLDPUPPYMAX]

The Glock is not exactly a pretty weapon but it is probably as dependable as any $1300 1911 on the market, shoots as straight and will last at least as long. You'll also notice less recoil on average, caliber to caliber. A Glock 19--9mm-- or a .40 cal 23 are great pistols. Of course any automatic will jam, sooner or later. The Smith .38 +P or 357 will NEVER cause a problem.

[custer67]

In my hands, the Sig P220 45 cal and the Sig P239 in 357 sig are the most accurate. I have 2 glocks both 40 cal model 22. The glocks are almost as accurate as the Sigs. I got rid of my Glock 30 and 36. The Glocks were not as acccurate as the Sigs in my hands. I also had a problem with failure to feed on the 30 and 36. Just my personal experience.
The Sig P 239 is small and easy to conceal. The 220s are not.

[GHFLRLTD]

1. Caliber 9mm or bigger.
2. Fits you hand.

Try as many guns as you can, renting or borrowing.

This is a very personal choice, and because your firing hand has to both to largely hold the weapon and then one finger has to pull the trigger, the fit must be much better than long guns.

[resqr9142]

The main part of all this is practice with what you will carry and CARRY it. I carry my SAXD9sc almost without fail. I chose 9mm because I think that if or when TSHTF, I may need the extra rounds to "walk them in" to the target zone. Sure, I practice but one never knows what situation may arise or how or what the circumstances may be or how we may react. When the need for concealment forces me to leave the XD behind, then the P3AT is always there.

[rljohns]

I have a Kimber Custom Shop Ultra Carry II, a Sig 1911 GSR RCS 4in, S&W Model 60 (2.5 in J-frame in .38/.357) and a P229 in .40 S&W. Nothing smaller than a .38 +p. I think I would take a .38 +p over a 9mm. .40 S&W and .45ACP are best for me. I seem to get back on target quick with both.

[ntg]

Like "resqr9142" said...I think choosing a 9mm or above and a gun you're familiar with (shoot all the time) makes a difference. My next gun will be what he has, a XD9sub. Why? The way it points, shoots, and 13 rounds in a fairly small package makes it all the better. Find what you shoot well and make it "one" with you as much as possible.