Choosing a Concealed Carry Gun?

T

tpaul513

New member
I have a real dilema. I am trying to decide what gun to purchase. I have been told by my father in law that the best gun to get for concealment purposes is a little pocket gun chambered in .380. I understand his point of view in that you can slip it into a pocket but I am unsure if that is the route I personally want to go. I have found a Glock 19 for a great price and I am seriously leaning to that decision because it is bigger and I feel like it will be more comfortable to shoot. If I do go the Glock route then obviously I would try carrying IWB. My wife thinks that I am crazy to get something that big, she is under the opinion that I should get a small pocket pistol as well. Please tell me your thoughts on what I should do.
 
choosing a gun

I have a LCP and I love it for the summer when wearing shorts and a t-shirt. The only problem with it is, if you're in the car, there's no way you can get it out of your pocket. So I bought a Bond Arms 45/410 to keep in the door pocket. I feel safe this way.
 
tpaul513 said:
I have found a Glock 19 for a great price and I am seriously leaning to that decision because it is bigger and I feel like it will be more comfortable to shoot. If I do go the Glock route then obviously I would try carrying IWB. My wife thinks that I am crazy to get something that big, she is under the opinion that I should get a small pocket pistol as well. Please tell me your thoughts on what I should do.
Click to expand...

Do some more research and reading. Massad Ayoob has written tons on the subject, and I recommend his work. The majority of CCW sites will discourage you from carrying anything less than 9mm. If you're ever called upon to use your defense weapon, you will want stopping power. You can never choose when a bad guy will confront you, so to be effective, you must carry all the time. Several different weapons and holster will give you the most choices for carry, but some people can't afford multiple weapons. I personally wouldn't choose a 19 for CCW, because it is bulky, and requires the right clothing and body size to do well. Good luck in your search.
 
To stop the threat you may have to shoot:
.45 - once or twice
.40 - 2 to 3 times
9mm - 3 to 5
.380 - all 6 or 7 and then reload for sure
.22 - throw the gun at them, it will do more good than shooting
 
BTW...price should not be your deciding factor ...especially when your life may depend on it (unless you want the dirt nap in a better box).
 
Live_Free_orDie said:
BTW...price should not be your deciding factor ...especially when your life may depend on it (unless you want the dirt nap in a better box).
Click to expand...

Careful LF or D, I brought up the same thing in another thread mentioning that it could be a life or death decision about cheap guns and got called down for it. Guy said a cheap gun was better than nothing, and maybe so.
I remember a cheap revolver I had many years ago - when you pulled the trigger, the cylinder fell out.
But what the heck, each to his own. :laugh:
 
tpaul513 said:
I have a real dilema. I am trying to decide what gun to purchase. I have been told by my father in law that the best gun to get for concealment purposes is a little pocket gun chambered in .380. I understand his point of view in that you can slip it into a pocket but I am unsure if that is the route I personally want to go. I have found a Glock 19 for a great price and I am seriously leaning to that decision because it is bigger and I feel like it will be more comfortable to shoot. If I do go the Glock route then obviously I would try carrying IWB. My wife thinks that I am crazy to get something that big, she is under the opinion that I should get a small pocket pistol as well. Please tell me your thoughts on what I should do.
Click to expand...
Your father is right. A small .380 like an LCP or P3AT is great for concealing. But you need to decide if concealing well is your priority for your gun or protecting your life is. Most people, certainly those who are forced to CC if instead of OC, end up compromising somewhere in the middle.

You'll have to take into account things like the climate where you live, your mode of dress, body type, etc. Speaking only for myself, I generally carry a larger sidearm in the winter than in the summer because I wear more clothes and can hide it better. And because the bad guy will also likely be wearing more clothes in the cooler weather it works out well because the larger caliber round will theoretically penetrate his or her clothing better than a smaller, less powerful round. Your results may vary.

All that being said, a G19 IMO is a good choice for someone of medium to large build to conceal on their person. There are many IWB holsters that should work for you, but don't discount an OWB holster. Depending on your cover garment, some OWB holsters actually end up concealing better with less printing.

The most important thing to know is this. Everyone's need and desires are different, so honestly nobody knows what works for you better than yourself. You may end up like most of us going through more than one gun and holster before you find your ideal rig.

Good luck.
 
Choosing you carry weapon requires a lot of research. Before spending hard earned coin, spend some time at a well stocked gun shop. Questions to answer for yourself:

1. What gun feels right in your hand?
2. What gun fees comfortable in your preferred holster?
3. What are your CC circumstances? (clothing, limitations, etc.)
4. What gun feels right shooting? (Many ranges rent guns) I highly recommend this.

I personally don't carry anything smaller than a .357 snub and I usually carry a S&W .40, but I have the luxury of not needing "deep" concealment. If I did, and a .380 pocket gun is all I could comfortably conceal then it would be better that nothing.
Note that many pocket guns like the Ruger LCP have minimal iron sights making it difficult to aim. A CT laser for them is a good investment.
 
OK, let's see. For close in encounters I would carry an M1A1 Abrams Tank and for those further out encounters I would carry an M110A1 Howitzer.:sarcastic:

For me to tell you what YOU should carry is ridiculous. You carry the weapon that you can and will carry every day. And then you become the most proficient that you can be with that weapon. Could be a pocket knife....could be a Smith&Wesson 500 Magnum.

Stop telling people what weapon they should carry. We don't all fit in the same mold.:shout:



hatchet
 
Multiple good points made in this thread.. I'll throw a couple more at you..(Well I hope they are good)

My wife was looking at a small .380, I helped her to decide on getting a slightly larger .380 (Sig P238). My reasoning.. It's a little bigger and has better sights so you can actually do some shooting with it at the range. (she is 6' tall). With the really small .380's as nice as they are, I don't see you practicing a lot with it (going through 50/100 shots at a time) to get good and stay sharp with the weapon.

IF you have the $$$ a couple of different pistols is nice.. During the summer carry something a little lighter and smaller, during the winter maybe move up to something a little bigger.

IF $$$ limits you to just one pistol, as it did for me, I made a list of what was important to me, and then looked at the guns that were available that matched up with MY list.
Fit (in your hand)
number of rounds the pistol holds
warranty and customer service of the manufacturer. (All guns can have issues - If you have an issue and you send it off and it takes 5 months to get it back AND it's your only gun.. Not a good situation.. IF the manufacture often says Oh, that problem is covered by the warranty.. If the gun only has a year warranty, etc. etc. etc.
Most people do not agree with my choice, but working off my list, my gun was the best choice FOR ME..
I have a Sccy CPX-1, 9mm, 10+1 bullets, compact size, within my price range, Sccy is excellent to work with if needed, fits MY hand well, etc, etc..

Take the time to make a list of what's important to you (even if it's multiple lists for summer/winter guns) and go to gun shows or big gun shops and check out as many guns as you can.. Many shots have rentals, so you can actually try some out before you decide..

Also talk with a NRA instructor in your area, but focus on YOUR list.. (disclaimer) - Sometimes you can get an ex-military Green Beret (an instructor or a guns shop salesperson) and if you don't carry a .50 BMG machine gun, your not ready..

It's easy to look at 3 guns that a store has and choose one, but that doesn't mean that what you pick is the best, just whats best from what you have seen..

When you narrow your list down to 2 or 3 guns, then visit the forums for those manufacturers / models and see what people are saying.. (about the gun, about the manufacture customer support, etc)
Just remember a gun may have issues within certain serial numbers, but be fine otherwise. Than you know what to look for when you make your purchase.
If you ask people, remember you are getting opinions and it's based on what's important to them, or their experience with one particular piece of hardware.. EVERY manufacturer puts out a bad gun or two or two thousand.. It's up to you to know what's important to you, then do your research, then make the best choice for YOU, and to heck with everyone else's opinion..

Your choice is YOUR choice and your life MAY depend on it..
Take the time to make a good educated decision for YOU.
 
HootmonSccy said:
Multiple good points made in this thread.. I'll throw a couple more at you..(Well I hope they are good)

My wife was looking at a small .380, I helped her to decide on getting a slightly larger .380 (Sig P238). My reasoning.. It's a little bigger and has better sights so you can actually do some shooting with it at the range. (she is 6' tall). With the really small .380's as nice as they are, I don't see you practicing a lot with it (going through 50/100 shots at a time) to get good and stay sharp with the weapon.

IF you have the $$$ a couple of different pistols is nice.. During the summer carry something a little lighter and smaller, during the winter maybe move up to something a little bigger.

IF $$$ limits you to just one pistol, as it did for me, I made a list of what was important to me, and then looked at the guns that were available that matched up with MY list.
Fit (in your hand)
number of rounds the pistol holds
warranty and customer service of the manufacturer. (All guns can have issues - If you have an issue and you send it off and it takes 5 months to get it back AND it's your only gun.. Not a good situation.. IF the manufacture often says Oh, that problem is covered by the warranty.. If the gun only has a year warranty, etc. etc. etc.
Most people do not agree with my choice, but working off my list, my gun was the best choice FOR ME..
I have a Sccy CPX-1, 9mm, 10+1 bullets, compact size, within my price range, Sccy is excellent to work with if needed, fits MY hand well, etc, etc..

Take the time to make a list of what's important to you (even if it's multiple lists for summer/winter guns) and go to gun shows or big gun shops and check out as many guns as you can.. Many shots have rentals, so you can actually try some out before you decide..

Also talk with a NRA instructor in your area, but focus on YOUR list.. (disclaimer) - Sometimes you can get an ex-military Green Beret (an instructor or a guns shop salesperson) and if you don't carry a .50 BMG machine gun, your not ready..

It's easy to look at 3 guns that a store has and choose one, but that doesn't mean that what you pick is the best, just whats best from what you have seen..

When you narrow your list down to 2 or 3 guns, then visit the forums for those manufacturers / models and see what people are saying.. (about the gun, about the manufacture customer support, etc)
Just remember a gun may have issues within certain serial numbers, but be fine otherwise. Than you know what to look for when you make your purchase.
If you ask people, remember you are getting opinions and it's based on what's important to them, or their experience with one particular piece of hardware.. EVERY manufacturer puts out a bad gun or two or two thousand.. It's up to you to know what's important to you, then do your research, then make the best choice for YOU, and to heck with everyone else's opinion..

Your choice is YOUR choice and your life MAY depend on it..
Take the time to make a good educated decision for YOU.
Click to expand...

While I do not agree with Hoots choice of weapons, everything else he says is what you need to do ck out differant guns shoot them if you can, and get what feels good to you, but try to stay with a 9mm or larger maybe a compact 40? i would not trust my life to one of those small 380s, at least not the cheaper ones, they are NOT dependable enough for a CCW on ther own
 
choosing a gun

tpaul513 said:
I have a real dilema. I am trying to decide what gun to purchase. I have been told by my father in law that the best gun to get for concealment purposes is a little pocket gun chambered in .380. I understand his point of view in that you can slip it into a pocket but I am unsure if that is the route I personally want to go. I have found a Glock 19 for a great price and I am seriously leaning to that decision because it is bigger and I feel like it will be more comfortable to shoot. If I do go the Glock route then obviously I would try carrying IWB. My wife thinks that I am crazy to get something that big, she is under the opinion that I should get a small pocket pistol as well. Please tell me your thoughts on what I should do.
Click to expand...

Because you say you "FEEL LIKE IT WILL BE MORE COMFORTABLE TO SHOOT" indicates to me that you haven't shot it yet. Have you shot any??? Please, shoot before you buy!!!

I picked my first gun after a LOT of research (I'm a research junkie, and the Sig P239 made it to the top of the list), and when I went to buy it, I came home with a totally different gun (HK USP compact) because the balance on the Sig did not feel right in my hand. The HK felt good, and after shooting a rental unit (along with 3 other contenders) it sealed the deal.

A couple of years later, I still love my HK, but my FAVORITE gun is a Kahr MK9--a gun that never even made it to my original list, but is a gun DESIGNED FOR CONCEALMENT. After handling and shooting a large variety of guns (guns belonging to friends, more rental guns, and guns that total strangers let me shoot), I have yet to find a gun that feels better in my hand than my Kahr. Not only is it comfortable, but it also shoots like a dream and conceals easily. In the Kahr, I've got a 9mm that I LOVE that is the size of some of the .380s.

I bought an XDm recently to teach my daughter to shoot. It is an excellent shooter [smooth and soft recoil], and feels pretty good in the hand. It is also very simple to operate (no manual safety, loaded chamber indicator, and striker status indicator) so great for people of all experience levels. Springfield just came out with a compact version, which would be fairly concealable: Link Removed

There is a lot of good advice in this thread and many have already said that we can't tell you which gun to choose because choosing a gun is a personal thing. However, most of us concur that you will want a gun that
  1. you are comfortable with,
  2. you are comfortable carrying every day, and
  3. that you would trust your life with.

For many of us, finding the perfect gun is a journey of guns and holsters...only the truly lucky get it right the very first time.

Best of luck in finding your gun.
 
weekendskp said:
Do some more research and reading. Massad Ayoob has written tons on the subject, and I recommend his work. The majority of CCW sites will discourage you from carrying anything less than 9mm. If you're ever called upon to use your defense weapon, you will want stopping power. You can never choose when a bad guy will confront you, so to be effective, you must carry all the time. Several different weapons and holster will give you the most choices for carry, but some people can't afford multiple weapons. I personally wouldn't choose a 19 for CCW, because it is bulky, and requires the right clothing and body size to do well. Good luck in your search.
Click to expand...


Mr. Ayoob also states that "any gun is better then no gun" and "choose the the most powerful firearm and ammunitionyou can fire and control the best."

With that said, I carry a .45 1911A1FS in the winter months ( due to heavier clothing/Coats) and a Glock 17 the rest of the time but that's my preferance because they are what fits my hand best.

My suggestion would be to shoot several different caliburs and "styles" to find the one YOU like best and are most comfortable using. :pleasantry:

Just my $.02.
 
hatchet19 said:
OK, let's see. For close in encounters I would carry an M1A1 Abrams Tank and for those further out encounters I would carry an M110A1 Howitzer.:sarcastic: hatchet
Click to expand...

I prefer the M110A2 myself. :biggrin:

I actually had the honor (if you want to call it that) of firing the last round out of an M110A2 in the US Army. My unit B 2/157 FA had the last M110A2s in the Army inventory and they were sold to Morocco when we switched over to the M109A3.

I still have the lanyard in my foot locker somewhere
 
cabrera said:
Choosing you carry weapon requires a lot of research. Before spending hard earned coin, spend some time at a well stocked gun shop. Questions to answer for yourself:

1. What gun feels right in your hand?
2. What gun fees comfortable in your preferred holster?
3. What are your CC circumstances? (clothing, limitations, etc.)
4. What gun feels right shooting? (Many ranges rent guns) I highly recommend this.

I personally don't carry anything smaller than a .357 snub and I usually carry a S&W .40, but I have the luxury of not needing "deep" concealment. If I did, and a .380 pocket gun is all I could comfortably conceal then it would be better that nothing.
Note that many pocket guns like the Ruger LCP have minimal iron sights making it difficult to aim. A CT laser for them is a good investment.
Click to expand...
This is all sage advice!
Now I will really help the OP out for sure because many have missed the dynamics here!:biggrin:
To the OP >>> Take Cabrera's advice and pick out the gun that fits these parameters. Buy that gun and don't tell anyone:no: Then go pick out a great little .380 like your FIL and wife suggested. I would recommend the LCP or the Kahr p380.
Show that one to your Father in Law and of course your wife!
Now see how much more your wife and especially your FiL respect you for your intelligence and great decision making?! :yu::biggrin:
 
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