[zenlizard]

Hi all.

I'm new to this forum. Just received my CHCP and am trying to decide what to carry. I will only carry occasionally.

Right now I'm leaning toward a Sig 229. I'm wondering if this may be too large. Do any of y'all carry 229s and if so what kind of holster do you use?

I'm also considering the Sig 239 or a 1911. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[mojust]

Hey, a Sig 229 is fine gun. I own one. Can't go wrong with a Sig. However, I would go to a decent range where they have a collection of good handguns and try a few out.

By the way, a 229 is not all that easy to carry except in the winter. It's a fairly big gun for a compact.

Good luck.

 

[J Bowen]

welcome from NC.
best to be a little undergunned
than no gun at all. I would get something
you feel comfortable with carrying all of the
time or at least most of the time.
Kahr9
Ruger LCP
Walther pps
any Kel tec pistol
small snubby

 

[wine6978]

Sig 229 is fine. I have a UBG Bonneville (GREAT HOLSTER by the way) under an untucked shirt!

 

[zenlizard]

Anything I carry I would like to carry backpacking or camping as a possible defense against bear or wild pigs. I know that sounds a bit crazy but with my lifestyle I feel I'm as likely to get gored by a pig as robbed by a gangbanger.

But...I'd like to have something I could carry in any situation. Right now I've narrowed down my choices to .357 Sig, .40, or .45.

 

[The Arverni]

I have a variety of pistols. I try to have something for every kind of outfit that I wear. I'll throw these out to give you some ideas.

Full Size Carry: S&W M&P 9 - This is for when I wear more clothing. I use a CrossBreed QuickClip IWB with a galco "Cop Belt," to support it and pants that are a couple of inches too big in the waist.

The following are for lighter clothing, which is often the case in the south during summer.

Bersa 380 CC - I wear IWB with a CrossBreed Supertuck and Galco Cop Belt. I can wear a long "knit top" type shirt over it, and it doesn't print at all. I'll drop an extra 8-round mag in the pocket of my cargo shorts.

S&W 642 five shot revolver with Crimson Trace LaserGrips - I'll mostly pocket carry this in an Uncle Mike's. Great to have in low light because of the LaserGrips. I'll often take this out after dark, along with a SureFire flashlight that I'll drop in the other pocket. Revolvers are reliable and simple to use, always a place for them among my carry weapons.

Deep Cover and Back Up Gun: Kel Tec P-3AT - I pocket carry this (again, an Uncle Mike's) a lot. It's often by itself with an extra mag, and sometimes it's the back up gun to any of the above. I carry this with me wearing pretty much anything, anywhere. Indistinguishable from a wallet or other random object in the pocket.

Guns that I'm seriously considering if I find myself in a position to buy another gun:

- Glock 26
-Colt New Agent

 

[zenlizard]

Sig 229 is fine. I have a UBG Bonneville (GREAT HOLSTER by the way) under an untucked shirt!

That is an outside the waistband holster?

 

[Jakemd98]

Hey man... just want to give you my experience with those two guns.

My dad owns the p239 in .40 and 9mm. I have only ever shot the .40, but all i can say is WOW! it is got to be one of the finest guns that i have ever put in my hands. That being said it does not fit my hand properly. I have the issue that my fingers are "smooshed" by the grip being .5" too short. Other than that the gun pulls up sighted every time, controls and trigger are in great positions which i had no issues with what so ever. Over all the gun is amazing, i highly recommend it especially for ccw because it is single stack and a bit more on the slim side. As of right now to this day i don't think i have ever shot a finer pistol than the 239 (my colt 1911 is close though :wink

as far as the 229 goes, it is a very good gun as well... although my experience with it was not as good as the p239. The 229 was a little bit too big for my hand due to the double stack mag. My hand is large but fat too, so a thick grip greatly reduces my hands wrapping ability. I went to a range and rented the gun and found that when i shot it the gun wanted to jerk up and to the right. I'm sure that is due to my hand not being able to grip all the way around it comfortably. the 229 was still a good gun, but for me it just does not work.

so to summarize, the sig is an amazing weapon. My personal experience rates the 239 better than the 229, in both cases the grips are whats keeping me from owning either, but the 239 IMHO shoots smother than the 229. In either gun you will get great features and a well built gun, I would definitely say to rent these guns and test them before dropping the coin on them. A sig is a huge investment, and i would hate to drop that much coin on a gun that isn't 100% satisfactory to you.

hope in some way that helps.

 

[J Bowen]

If it were me I would get a Walther PPS 40.
I am just a big fan of having a light easy to
carry gun most everywhere I go.
Glock 27 maybe. It is wider than a PPS though

 

[zenlizard]

Thanks! You all have been really helpful.

I'd like to ask for one more recommendation. I currently own a Ruger GP100. I don't have a holster for it yet. I would like something that rides high and doesn't sag. Any suggestions?

 

[NC Bullseye]

What do you shoot best? Which one are you most consistent with? I'd highly recommend NOT buying before you try when it's a carry gun. Don't rush, you'll be glad you didn't. Look around for rentals or people that will let you try one.

You may want to reconsider ruling out 9mm also. With the defensive ammo available today it's not a bad choice either and usually you get more shots in the same size package.

 

[SIGP250]

What to Carry ?

Hi all.

I'm new to this forum. Just received my CHCP and am trying to decide what to carry. I will only carry occasionally.

Right now I'm leaning toward a Sig 229. I'm wondering if this may be too large. Do any of y'all carry 229s and if so what kind of holster do you use?

I'm also considering the Sig 239 or a 1911. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Most including myself will tell you to carry: 1.Carry what you are most comfortable shooting. 2. Carry a reliable revolver or pistol with enough stopping power for self defense.

I sell Sig Sauer, Kimber, H&K, Walther. S&W and most others.

I carry a Walther PPS in the summer and a Sig Sauer P220
or a Sig P250 compact .40. I highly recommend you look at the
Sig Sauer P250 .40 There is really nothing not to like about this pistol. It is advanced technology and priced right. It is not a pocket pistol. It has the stopping power, is well balanced, little recoil and has proven military combat reliability to make it a top recommendation by me for your home self defense and it can be concealed for carry.

 

[pogo2]

Suggestions

You asked about the Sig P229, the P239 and any other suggestions. I have both of the Sigs and find the P229 to be a great gun for shooting, but a little on the heavy and wide side for carry. It weighs about 32 ounces empty and has a wide slide. You can conceal it if you pay attention to your holster and garments, but it is not an easy task.

The P239 is much easier to conceal, weighing 27.5 ounces empty in 9mm and having a thinner slide and grip. I think the P239 is a good choice for concealed carry if you are not hung up on capacity (it holds 8+1 rounds of 9mm, and 7+1 in .40).

I believe that polymer frame guns have a lot to offer for CCW, as they often weigh in the range 22 to 24 ounces and have double stack mags with good capacity. A couple of my favorites are the Glock 19 or 23, and the H&K USP 40c. For something really small and concealable, the polymer framed Kahrs work very well.

 

[Rugergirl]

Thanks! You all have been really helpful.

I'd like to ask for one more recommendation. I currently own a Ruger GP100. I don't have a holster for it yet. I would like something that rides high and doesn't sag. Any suggestions?

You already have a great gun:yup: One of mine is a GP100, with a 6" barrel. The barrel length does make it somewhat difficult to conceal but it can be done, I do carry mine under heavier clothing, during colder weather.
Depending on the barrel length you may be able to carry yours easier than I can carry mine.
As far as off the shelf OWB holsters a DeSantis Speed Scabbard will ride high(too high for me). If you are thinking of a custom holster, try Simply Rugged. Rob makes great holsters, reasonably priced and fast service. He made one for me for my S&W 686+, adjusted the ride height and cant to make it a perfect fit for me, and it was here in two weeks. You can order the optional inside/outside straps for an extra ten bucks, and have the option of usign the holster IWB or OWB.

 

[shooterX]

Find a range that will let you shoot a Sig and see if it is comfortable.

 

[jwhite75]

The above Kramer Belt Scabbard is a fine piece of leather. I however carry my P228 which is the same gun as far as size goes....in a Mitch Rosen Premier OWB Snap-On.

 

[Rexster]

Thanks! You all have been really helpful.

I'd like to ask for one more recommendation. I currently own a Ruger GP100. I don't have a holster for it yet. I would like something that rides high and doesn't sag. Any suggestions?

Welcome to the forum! Regarding the GP100 holster issue, well, first you need a belt that will not let the holster flop around or sag. Then, you need a good holster. Others have provided good holster recommendations, so I will not complicate things there. The IWB rig I generally use to CC a GP100 is out of production, and I also use a Safepacker. I never liked any type of "high ride" rig for large sixguns, because the grip would jab me in the ribs.

As for whether a P229 is too large for CC, well, no, it is not too large, but truly concealing it will take more effort, and a better rig, than with something like a J-fame snubby. I use personally-owned P229 pistols as police duty handguns, and also for CC on my own time. A Milt Sparks VM2 will make a P229 disappear so well, that I wonder why guys bother to buy "subcompact" autopistols, unless they have subcompact hands. When a fight starts, I want something that FILLS my hand, without overfilling it, of course. A P229, with a short trigger, does that very well for me. I can draw and present the P229, and HAUL back on that trigger FAST, and get good hits. Some dainty little pistols require dainty little movements to shoot accurately.

 

[NY27]

Anything I carry I would like to carry backpacking or camping as a possible defense against bear or wild pigs. I know that sounds a bit crazy but with my lifestyle I feel I'm as likely to get gored by a pig as robbed by a gangbanger.

But...I'd like to have something I could carry in any situation. Right now I've narrowed down my choices to .357 Sig, .40, or .45.

If you're worried about bear or pigs, than I would go with a .357 mag or larger. Is your Ruger a .38 or .357?

For daily CC the Sigs or 1911 would be fine.

 

[ifjpm]

When I carry my Sig P229 in 40 S&W I use and OWB holster made by High Noon. The holster model is the Slide Guard. The gun disappears under a shirt and very comfortable. I like the 45 acp gandun for carry. Sig make a P220 Compact in 45 which is a great carry gun. You may want to try one.

 

[huntermedic]

Here's my 2 cents worth.

If you have narrowed the choise down in calibers, I (personally) would go with the 45. (go big or go home. LOL) Anyway, as far as for carry purposes, if you are going to carry concealed and especially if you are going to carry it inside the waist band, I would go with a variant of the 1911.

I have carried several guns IWB and the most comfortable (by far) was the Taurus 1911 (w/ a 5" barrel) in a Cross Bread Holsters Super Tuck. 8 rounds in the mag and one in the pipe. I am currently looking at changing to a Rock Island Arms RIA tactical with a 3.5" barrel using the same holster.

If you are only looking at carrying while you are in the woods what is wrong with the GP100? I have one as well. That, with the right ammo, will deal with any predator 2 or 4 legged that you come across. Another holster that you may want to consider for that is the Alaska Sportsman Chest hoster. (alaskasportsmanproducts.com)

Remember, this is a good place for advice but the best thing to do is find a shop or a range that will let you try out several differents types of handguns that will fit your needs.

Good luck.
\
Jeff