This is a discussion on Advice on First Pistol for Concealed Carry within the Defensive Carry Guns forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Good Morning Guys, I am not new to guns as I shot rifles a bit as a kid and teenager. A rifle is my preferred ...
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Good Morning Guys,
I am not new to guns as I shot rifles a bit as a kid and teenager. A rifle is my preferred weapon of choice. However, I am looking to get some advice on types of pistols to purchase for CCW use. I don't like revolvers but I want something American made in a 9mm caliber for my first pistol. I really like the S&W M&P Shield that just came out and wanted some advice on other options. Any recommendations?
Thanks.
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Right now you'll be waiting about a year for a Shield. Go to your local gun shop and test a few out. I own an LCP, but you can add me to the Glock camp. I plan on getting a G26 as soon as I have the money for it, and that's a comparable size to the Shield.
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Most sold here are made in Austria, but there ARE Glocks made in the US. The Smyrna factory is right down the road from my houseOriginally Posted by WIpoppie
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I'd invest a couple hundred dollars at my local gun shop/range renting and shooting a variety of 9mm's. That's the fastest way to find what works, and doesn't work for you. To limit your choices somewhat making a decision easier for you, you could stick with the pistol manufacturers known for producing quality handguns that are known to be reliable such as Glock, Smith and Wesson and Springfield. I know you want an American gun, but why limit your choices? The majority of US law enforcement carries Glock pistols......made in Austria....
One final comment.....you seem to be leaning towards mico pistols. Understand that these pistols are harder to shoot accurately and usually have much reduced capacity than their compact or sub-compact cousins. If you plan to carry inside your waist band, you can easily conceal a sub-compact pistol such as a Glock 26 or a S&W MP9c and not compromise on capacity. These pistols are much easier to shoot than the tiny pocket 9's and generally are more reliable. Good luck in your search....
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Some questions, to help narrow the list of likely candidates ...
- Is your state an open carry state?
- Is the merest hint of "printing" of a concealed firearm tantamount to causing undue fear, brandishing or worse (as is the case in some states)? Getting at the requirement for absolute greatest concealability, here.
- If you were to prioritize the key factors important to you, in a CC handgun, what would they be?
- What would you be willing to give up, if you could get other factors in your selection?
Assuming rock-solid reliability is the primary requirement and that all other factors come after, I'd suggest looking at the CZ 2075 RAMI or CZ 75 series of pistols (CZ 75 D PCR, CZ P-01). If you're willing to carry a discontinued gun, consider any of the third-generation S&W all-metal pistols, such as the 3900 series, 5900 series, 6900 series (of that group, the 3913 or 3953 is my preference, for a single-stack 9mm).
If absolute minimum size is a primary requirement, take a look at the Kahr P380, PM9/CM9, CW9, K9 pistols. These will tend to be some of the flattest, smallest pistols on the market.
For a list of candidate "mouseguns," check Mouseguns.com.
For a general search tool, to go hunting for candidates, check Genitron.com. You can sort by barrel length, overall length or weight, to focus in on the smaller varieties.
Well worth heading to a rental range, first, though, as the others have suggested. As you're new to pistols/revolvers and don't know much about what you want yet, that's probably the best investment you can make at this time.
Your best weapon is your brain. Don't leave home without it.
Thoughts: Justifiable self defense.
Explain: How does disarming victims reduce the number of victims?
Reason over Force: The Gun is Civilization (Marko Kloos).
NRA, GOA, OFF, ACLDN.
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Absolutely best advice. Buy one that fits you and that you will carry.
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Micro sized 9mm pistols, like pocket sized .380s and airweight snubs, are poor choices for a first CCW pistol. The slightly bigger compacts are much easier to shoot, and not much harder to hide.
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I tried a few sub-compacts and hated them in comparison to compacts like the Glock 19 or M&P 45c.
Though I do like snub revolvers, you can get a high grip on those with shrouded or hidden hammers.
Last edited by Alex_C; November 7th, 2012 at 12:39 PM.
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Go to your local firing range and test-fire a few guns. Find the one that you can fire accurately and that fits your hand. Try sub-compacts and compacts and judge for yourself. I carry a sub-compact and I can fire it quite accurately. A sub-compact might be fine for concealed carry, but not a lot of fun at the range. I only fire one 50 round box a week with my sub-compact and dry-fire for muscle memory training.. Other guns get more 'cycles' at the range.
I have several full-size 9mm guns for home defense and just plain fun at the range.
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The Glock 26 is considerably fatter than the Shield and a good bit shorter from slide to grip. They are "comparable" I suppose, but one is single stack one is double.
I just traded away my M&P9c for the Glock 27 (same as 26 but in .40) and really love the gun. I think a good double stack 9mm is ideal for CC. So no matter if you go Shield, M&P9C (or plain 9), Glock 19 or 26, you should be happy. But I will say this, a lot of guys say the Glock 19 isn't that much bigger than the 26, and to look at them you might think that, but when you try and CARRY them,the difference is a lot more noticeable.
"The Second Amendment SHOULD be your concealed weapons permit" Ted Nugent
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The bolded comment above is the correct answer. No one can tell you what will work for you. You need to shoot as many options as possible, and then you will know what works best for you.
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