Recommend a gun for these criteria, please

[Lady Luck]

I'm looking for a wide net right now so that I can try them out and see what my preferences are. I'm really looking for a starting place.

1. It must be consistent, reliable, and have enough power to stop whatever realistic threats I would face (crazy animal, bad guy).
2. It has to be able to be concealed easily as its primary purpose would be CCW.
3. The safer it is to have around children, the better. Nothing that would be easy to have an AD. Edited to add that this was not apparently worded well to convey my intent. I'm paranoid about this and the gun will not ever be in a place other than in my direct control, holstered, or locked up. I'm commenting on even more safety than that--not wanting a super easy trigger pull that could be easily and accidentally set off by the normal activities of my day, like having children on and around me, for instance.
4. It can't be too difficult to function or take too much hand/body strength.
5. It will preferably be comfortable for practice shooting and will minimize recoil.
6. It will be about 6", about the size of my hand, and the less it weighs, the better.
7. It will be at least moderately comfortable to grip, hold, and shoot. (Realizing, of course, that this is subjective and dependent on hand size but some are known to be more or less comfortable so I thought it worth mentioning.)
8. It would be great if it used a bullet that is inexpensive and easily attainable, though not necessary.
9. The less expensive it is, the better. lol
10. I already know about Glocks so no need to mention them as I'm looking for what else is out there that might also be worth considering. Modifications to stock guns which would make a gun worthy of consideration would also be appreciated knowledge.
11. It would be great if it had some aesthetic worth as well.

What would you recommend considering the above?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Alpine]

1. It must be consistent, reliable, and have enough power to stop whatever realistic threats I would face (crazy animal, bad guy).

Any caliber over 9mm will meet this requirement.

2. It has to be able to be concealed easily as its primary purpose would be CCW.

All major firearm manufacturers make compact and subcompact models of their handguns. Compacts tend to have around 4'' barrels and are easily concealable, sub compacts 3''. I carry a subcompact, and it is very easy to conceal.

3. The safer it is to have around children, the better. Nothing that would be easy to have an AD.

There is no safe handgun to keep around children. You must have positive control of it at all times, or keep it unloaded and locked.

4. It can't be too difficult to function or take too much hand/body strength.

Stay away from some of the larger handguns in this case, and I would recommend staying away from anything with a thumb safety if you have this kind of issue. I know women with small hands who have a very hard time operating thumb safeties.

5. It will preferably be comfortable for practice shooting and will minimize recoil.

You can get used to anything. My wife shoots my .40 caliber handgun all of the time, and has no problem handling recoil.

6. It will be about 6", about the size of my hand, and the less it weighs, the better.

6'' is actually pretty long if you're referring to the barrel. The new polymer handguns are quite light, but ammunition always adds weight. 9mm tends to weigh less than the others, even though they have a higher capacity.

7. It will be at least moderately comfortable to grip, hold, and shoot. (Realizing, of course, that this is subjective and dependent on hand size but some are known to be more or less comfortable so I thought it worth mentioning.)

This will depend on personal preference. I have a friend who hates the grip on my Springfield, I love it. You need to go to a gun range and rent several different ones to see what suits you.

8. It would be great if it used a bullet that is inexpensive and easily attainable, though not necessary.
9. The less expensive it is, the better. lol

9mm is the cheapest and most available round (IMO).

10. I already know about Glocks so no need to mention them as I'm looking for what else is out there that might also be worth considering. Modifications to stock guns which would make a gun worthy of consideration would also be appreciated knowledge.
11. It would be great if it had some aesthetic worth as well.

What would you recommend considering the above?

Below is a list of handgun manufacturers. Check out their compact and subcompact lines, write down the ones you like (or think you would like), and go try them out.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/
http://www.cz-usa.com/
http://www.kahr.com/
http://www.smith-wesson.com/
http://www.sigsauer.com/

Those are high quality weapons, besides Glocks, which you will find in the same price range and easily available in most places. Look for a 9mm compact or subcompact without a thumb safety.

I know you said you have already heard about Glocks, but honestly there's a reason that many first time gun owners purchase them. They're easy to shoot, clean, and have a great reputation. I don't own a Glock at the moment, but I'm sure at some point I will.

[SIGguy229]

I think Alpine covered 98% of what I was going to say...or is to be said.

IRT the "safe around children" part--wholeheartedly agree with Alpine. There is no safe gun for children (or from children)--UNLESS the gun is in a holster or locked in a safe. Accidental discharges are rare (where there are mechanical problems with the gun--I say, pay for quality); NEGLIGENT discharges are more common than ADs, as it is usually carelessness on the part of the person handling the gun. As long as you adhere to the basic rules of gun handling/safety, NDs can be prevented or mitigated.

I've been carrying for about 15 years....my boys are 13 and 7. Teach children and take away the mystery of firearms; educate them. Don't rely on a "safe" firearm around children.

[goldshellback]

My replies are in bold.......

1. It must be consistent, reliable, and have enough power to stop whatever realistic threats I would face (crazy animal, bad guy).
Most modern sidearms fit this criteria.
2. It has to be able to be concealed easily as its primary purpose would be CCW.
This tells me something slim that'll hide in an IWB and/or IWB holster.
3. The safer it is to have around children, the better. Nothing that would be easy to have an AD.
The safest place for a sidearm is on your person OR in a quick-access lock box mounted where YOU can get to it.......kids are clever and curious. Teaching them (gun-proofing 'em) gun safety is the best place to start.
http://www.bing.com/shopping/search?...5d&wf=Commerce
4. It can't be too difficult to function or take too much hand/body strength.
Again, most modern semi-autos cover this but a revolver is a good choice as well
5. It will preferably be comfortable for practice shooting and will minimize recoil.
That says (to me) .45ACP of smaller.....no .357's
6. It will be about 6", about the size of my hand, and the less it weighs, the better.
OK, compact, subcompact, or j framed size wepons.....got it. Still alot to choose from.
7. It will be at least moderately comfortable to grip, hold, and shoot. (Realizing, of course, that this is subjective and dependent on hand size but some are known to be more or less comfortable so I thought it worth mentioning.)
We'll narrow this down to single-stack simi's......for starters.
8. It would be great if it used a bullet that is inexpensive and easily attainable, though not necessary.
That's easy.....9mm, hands down. That caliber is the most plentiful. The .380's are just too hard to get ahold of cheaply and it covers #5 as well, but not exclusively.
9. The less expensive it is, the better. lol see #8
10. I already know about Glocks so no need to mention them as I'm looking for what else is out there that might also be worth considering. Modifications to stock guns which would make a gun worthy of consideration would also be appreciated knowledge.
I'll shy away from modifying anything until after you get another sidearm that'll work.......you always need more than one ;)
11. It would be great if it had some aesthetic worth as well.

What would you recommend considering the above?

Your best bet is to touch and hold as many sidearms as you can. Go to a couple of gun shops and ask to hold 'em.....all of 'em that fit your needs. Be wary of gun shop salesmen/women trying to convince you of .....whatever.....there are many honest gun dealers but thier trying to make a sale and/or think they know more than you. Listen to 'em but filter the chafe and stick to your criteria.
Just for a start, google (and go look at/touch afterwards) Kel-Tec's, Kahr's, Ruger SR9's. The Ruger and the Kahr PM9 would be my 'baseline' to start with. Expand your search from there.....then, if possiable, go to a range that'll rent a few guns at or near your critera and SHOOT 'em. Now you've got a real place to go from, experience, that'll narrow down your search. Other members here will offer more models and types...look 'em all up. This is a good, knowledgable bunch here and will give you more options to consider.
Keep us up-to-date on your quest and ask questions as they arise. Good Luck!

[DIABLO9489]

From reading your list the first gun that came to my mind was a Glock 19 The other gun I would recommend would be a Kahr PM9 due to its smaller size and therefore its easier to conceal. Although they cost considerably more then Glocks.

[pogo2]

In reading over your list of criteria, I believe the best gun for your purposes would be a 9mm semiauto, with metal (aluminum) frame, single stack magazine, external hammer, and double action/single action trigger. This would give the best combination of adequate power, safety, compact size, moderate recoil and economy.

The two guns on the top of my list would be a Sig P239 (about $650) or a Smith & Wesson model 908 S (about $500).

[cinsc]

My first thought was the Kahr PM9 as well; it's a great little gun and it qualifies since you left the cost criterion open.
If price is an issue, Kahr makes an affordable alternative to the PM9 called the CW9; it's slightly larger, but that's a plus IMO

One caveat: don't be too eager to save weight and size. A little more weight and a little more grip to hold onto can be a lifesaver in a highly stressful confrontation. When your fine motor skills have been washed away by the adrenaline rush, you will need more gun to fill your hand, not less. This is where little guns like the LCP or P3AT fall short.

Goldshellback is right; try different guns out before you buy.

[joker1]

The one you said not to mention, but the one I know most about and meets your criteria-GLOCK 19. Reliable, concealable, 15+1 of 9mm, simple point and click user interface, easy to strip and clean, exactly just as safe as any loaded pistol around children which means no loaded pistol is safe around children, I don't care how many safeties are on it. Safest place for a loaded pistol is locked in a safe or in a holster on your person with the trigger covered.

[scott314]

Modifications to stock guns which would make a gun worthy of consideration would also be appreciated knowledge.

Personally, I would not modify anything used for CCW. If you, God forbid, ever have to pull the trigger in self-defense those modifications might get the attention of overzealous prosecutor. In general I think modifications also lead to more malfunctions which is not what you want in that situation.

If the gun is not comfortable and reliable for you straight from the manufacturer (after a break-in of course) then don't carry it.

[fastk9dad]

My suggestion was going to be the Sig 239 as mentioned above.

[searcher 45]

Check out the CZ82, fits all the things you are looking for.

Best $500 gun I ever paid $200 for.

12 plus 1 9x18 is a lots of fire power in one small package.

[Lady Luck]

Thanks for all the replies so far! Please keep them coming! Googling entire gun manufacturers and looking at them online is a little overwhelming for this run through as my eyes glaze over and I really don't know what I'm looking at or for (I know there will be many more run throughs, but ya gotta start somewhere!) so I'm really grateful for the specific recommendations of what models and why because then I can look at them and have a better understanding, which I can then generalize to guns not mentioned as well in my next run through or two of going to a shop, looking at other models to compare, etc.

In the first point of stopping power, I was really thinking of the tiny guns with low round count and small caliber that might not pack enough punch to stop something coming at me.

For the child issue, I am strongly there about it being holstered on me or being locked in a safe. We've had guns in the house since before we had kids so I've had plenty of kids and guns experience. I was thinking more along the lines of the safety on the gun being so easy to disengage that a child climbing on me would potentially and unknowingly do so, about it having no safety at all, about the trigger pull being so light that a child climbing on me could accidentally engage it through a soft-sided carrier, that sort of thing.

For the 6", I meant for the entire gun, not just the barrel. It hadn't consciously occurred to me that they're usually measured by barrel length. I'm not stuck on that, just thinking it is a good place to start. I have long fingers so reaching the trigger probably won't be a problem. I wouldn't want something tiny, I know.

I've held the Glock 19 and did not find it comfortable. In particular, it felt too heavy on top and like the barrel was dropping in front because of it. I haven't ruled it out. I'm going to try shooting it and am going to compare it to others to see what I think.

I know myself and I am highly unlikely to have a second gun. My husband's are available to me, but for my own, I will probably search until I find the one I love and will spend a very long time with getting to know that one gun very well and getting everything just right with the shooting and carrying with that one.

But for now, I'm just trying to understand roughly what's out there in the field I would be considering. I'll look up the ones already mentioned today!

[ripley16]

There are a lot of guns that fill those needs.

HKs deliver all you ask for in the form of the excellent P2000, P2000sk or USP compact...pick your caliber, 9mm, .357, .40 or .45acp.

Kahr offers a decent gun with good CCW features. I would lean towards the larger models rather than the smaller ones, such as the P, K, T or TP series... again pick your caliber of 9mm, .40 or .45acp.

The Walther PPS and larger P99 are excellent products.

S&W M&P series...

Springfield XD series...

My advise; go to a gun show or really well stocked gun shop and fondle these until one of them feels right. Avoid the cheap guns and buy quality.

[MattInFla]

Smith and WessonM&P 9c (or 40c).

Matt

[azchevy]

All good suggestions above. I suggest you try to get to a range that rents firearms or find people who own them and give them a test drive to ensure:

1. you can handle the recoil of said firearm/caliber
2. you can work the weapons slide, mag release, safeties, trigger etc
3. you can shoot it comfortably i.e grip is right for your hand