I mainly signed up to learn some pointers on carrying since I will be getting my ccw soon (only 20 now).
... don't have a huge budget I need something around $450 or less.
Beyond price, what are you looking for in a carry gun?
- Dimensional/weight considerations?
- Concealability?
- Caliber?
- Do you care whether something's an on-the-shelf contemporary gun only, or are you open to discontinued, prior-generation models of quality guns?
- Do you have any experience actually shooting various guns, and are you decently accurate with any?
- Do you have particular feature/ergonomic preferences?
There are lots of handguns out there. A good-quality revolver can be a real joy, presuming you shoot it well and it feels good in the hand. Many are quite different, along those lines. Myself, I can't shoot an Airweight-class S&W snub-nosed revolver worth a damn, though in all other respects it's a dream to carry. But give me a mid- to heavier-weight all-steel revolver with ~3.5-4" barrel, and I can generally shoot the bullseye out from a fair distance. Go figure. Same with some pistols, many of which behave (for me) quite differently while firing/handling.
If open to revolvers, a decent first weapon choice should consider the Ruger SP-101. You ought to be able to find a used one for the budget you indicated, if you look around.
For a "mouse gun" type format, many people love the Kahr CM9 9mm pistol.
For something a bit larger, many people seem very impressed with the S&W Shield 9mm pistol.
For something in the ~6.5" OAL range, I would recommend at least considering the CZ 2075 RAMI, though you're unlikely to find one within your budget, even used. Also, many people think quite highly of the Bersa Thunder Ultra Carry Pro, which can be found at your price point.
I'd recommend heading to a couple of decent "rental" ranges, ones that have a good selection of guns that can be rented for an hour so that you can try them out. Most feel quite different in the hand, and many shoot quite differently. You won't know how these differences strike you until you actually shoot them. If willing to purchase sight-unseen (or "shooting-unseen"), then this might not matter so much to you. Though, it can be the best way to get a solid feel between the different guns.
Don't forget that you'll need a quality holster, a very good belt, ammo, and ideally training as well.
Some would suggest that, of all the things you're looking to spend on, training would be the most important component. I'm in that camp, too. Get a gun that you can shoot well, sure. But learn enough to perform well in defensive situations, and shoot enough to be capable of shooting it well under duress. That sort of training and range-time doesn't come cheap.
And, as you're nearing your CHL, I'd recommend acquiring a copy of the book
In The Gravest Extreme, as well as the book
The Truth About Self-Protection, both by M. Ayoob. Very good reviews of what it means to carry a deadly weapon (the pros/cons), as well as the realities of preparing yourself to be capable of defending yourself in the real world.
Here is a tool to help you narrow down some of the possibilities:
Handgun Database search @ Genitron.com.
