You should get the gun that you're most willing to bet your life on
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.
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).
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.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.
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.
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.
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.
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
This is all sage advice!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.
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