Conceal and Carry Suggestion?

[Jessica Carlson]

This question is for the ladies out there or anyone with a personal opinion.... I'm looking to purchase my first conceal and carry pistol and my husband is adament I should carry either his Glock 9mm or a Taurus .38, neither or which I care to shoot (the taurus is way to snappy for my taste). I have shot and liked our Smith & Weston .45 but it's too big to carry concealed and have recently looked at a Smith & Weston M&P, Springfield XD, and a Sig Sauer P290 but have not shot any of them. I am not a fan of "snappy" guns, have long fingers (so a slighly wider grip and/or magazine extension is prefered), and I have problems with long draws (must strenghten those trigger finger muscles). Any suggestions?

 

[momstar]

I have an XD(M) 9mm that is really comfortable to shoot and not bad to carry. I have the medium size one, but there's a shorter barrel now too (though that will increase the recoil). It has a double-wide magazine, so slightly wider grip, plus comes with 3 different sized backstraps when you buy it, and they're easy to swap out to get a good fit. My LC9 is nice to carry but a pain to shoot - trigger pull is really long and recoil is no fun.

 

[thequeensarmory]

I carry an XD .45 myself. Have for about three years now. I prefer to carry from a purse a lot so it is perfect. The size isn't an issue since I don't carry on my person. I have become acquainted with a GREAT holster maker recently and am looking into smaller guns for carry on my person. The best options I have found are the mini baby eagle by Desert Eagle which is a .380 and the Ruger LCP which is a .380 as well. I never wanted something this small but after seeing the "flashbang" bra holster in action I am sold on a smaller gun for those days that I just don't want to lug around the .45 in my purse. Upon being acquainted with a whole line of concealed holsters JUST for us girls I am not only willing to find something small enough for carry on my person but excited about it. I wish you luck finding the right gun and if you need a holster take a look at Looper Leather, they are great folks.

 

[eagleeyes]

i feel the same about small 'snappy' guns
the ruger in the giveaway or the next sized larger might be a thought as far as easy to conceal and effective
hope you find a perfect fit as do i

 

[aviatorcharlie]

With all due respect.... your husband should NOT be picking the gun YOU carry. I took my wife to the gun store and she held any gun she liked. I went to look at shotguns while she shopped. I offered input ONLY when she asked for it. A gun is a very personal choice and what is right for one person might not feel right to another.

One gun store clerk put it like this "picking a gun for someone to carry is like trying to pick the person they should date or marry."

Your husband might be able to offer input about quality issues, but it has to be your decision!

 

[misledred]

My girlfriend is new to (consistent) shooting within the last 6 months but has since obtained her CCW and purchased her first firearm. Our primary approach was to let her take her time to decide, and secondly, let her shoot as many calibers and types of handguns from every manufacturer we thought reasonable and in as many different frame sizes. We did this using my collection and borrowing from friends collections. She shot .380, 38, 357, 9, 40 and 45. She shot revolvers as well as semi-auto. She shot expensive to reasonably inexpensive guns for a total of 24 different guns. Through the process she narrowed her focus to 9mm. She made this decision based on her own comfort and accuracy shooting the round. We then re-shot every 9mm she had tried and added the Smith & Wesson M&P shield I had just acquired. After running two mags through my new purchase she fell in love with the gun as I did. She continued by shooting another 150 rounds to confirm her decision. At the end of the day we ordered one for her and I ordered another for myself in .40. The Shield is now both of our carry guns and between us we own 3. In summary, I stand by our approach to handle (in guns shops and as many places and friends’ houses as possible) and shoot every one that feels good in your hand and let the performance while in your control make the decision for you. We both highly recommend the shield in your choice of caliber but the ultimate decision is yours. The whole process has been fun for us and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

 

[Rayb]

With all due respect.... your husband should NOT be picking the gun YOU carry. I took my wife to the gun store and she held any gun she liked. I went to look at shotguns while she shopped. I offered input ONLY when she asked for it. A gun is a very personal choice and what is right for one person might not feel right to another.

One gun store clerk put it like this "picking a gun for someone to carry is like trying to pick the person they should date or marry."

Your husband might be able to offer input about quality issues, but it has to be your decision!

Can't phrase it better than above. Yo need to go and try as many as needed to find the right fit for you. As FYI my wife absolutely fell in love with M&P 9c, try it on for size. Good luck and have fun deciding!

 

[wuzfuz]

I have been shooting since I was a five-year old kid on an Indiana farm, which makes it an unbleievable, to me, 65 years of age. I have spent a total of almost 30 years in police and security work, and have held CCW permits in Arizona and Washington state. After firing numerous handguns over the years, I came across an article on the Springfield XD line. I rented one at a range and put a couple of hundred rounds through it. I finally settled on the XD 40, even though I really want the XD(M) 40. I don't consider it a 'snappy' pistol. the articel was written by a writer who bouight two XDs and put them through the famopus Glock torture test, and they passed with flying colrs. I have never had a FTF and only had two misfires, due to bad rounds.

 

[Jessica Carlson]

I recently saw the videos for the "flashbang" bra holster and thought it was not only a GREAT idea but amazing effective at concealing the weapon!

I carry an XD .45 myself. Have for about three years now. I prefer to carry from a purse a lot so it is perfect. The size isn't an issue since I don't carry on my person. I have become acquainted with a GREAT holster maker recently and am looking into smaller guns for carry on my person. The best options I have found are the mini baby eagle by Desert Eagle which is a .380 and the Ruger LCP which is a .380 as well. I never wanted something this small but after seeing the "flashbang" bra holster in action I am sold on a smaller gun for those days that I just don't want to lug around the .45 in my purse. Upon being acquainted with a whole line of concealed holsters JUST for us girls I am not only willing to find something small enough for carry on my person but excited about it. I wish you luck finding the right gun and if you need a holster take a look at Looper Leather, they are great folks.

 

[Jessica Carlson]

My husband means well when he suggests CCW's I should buy/carry (He's been in gun sales/manufactoring for years) and has a lot of valuable advice to offer when it comes to selecting one I might like (sometimes I think he's more excited about me buying a CCW then I am. LOL) but he knows I am very firm on my stand that I will not buy a CCW without having shot it first, and given all the advice on this thread and my own personal opinion on the matter, I see no reason to change my stance on that. It is a very personal choice and as I've told him numerous times "I'm not going to carry a gun I hate shooting". He's accepting of that but I think he's also frustrated that I just can't seem to make up my mind (typical woman LOL).

With all due respect.... your husband should NOT be picking the gun YOU carry. I took my wife to the gun store and she held any gun she liked. I went to look at shotguns while she shopped. I offered input ONLY when she asked for it. A gun is a very personal choice and what is right for one person might not feel right to another.

One gun store clerk put it like this "picking a gun for someone to carry is like trying to pick the person they should date or marry."

Your husband might be able to offer input about quality issues, but it has to be your decision!

 

[Jessica Carlson]

Glad to hear the XD can withstand a little torture. The XD was the pistol I liked most the first 2-3 times I went looking for a CCW mostly because it was comfortable to hold, wasn't overly heavy, and had a trigger pull I could manage. However, not one person I know owns one and that threw me a little even though I was told they were "really nice guns". In subsiquent trips looking for a CCW I found the M&P and P290 to have similar attributes but I still have not fired any of them. Guess I need to find a range and rent a few

I have been shooting since I was a five-year old kid on an Indiana farm, which makes it an unbleievable, to me, 65 years of age. I have spent a total of almost 30 years in police and security work, and have held CCW permits in Arizona and Washington state. After firing numerous handguns over the years, I came across an article on the Springfield XD line. I rented one at a range and put a couple of hundred rounds through it. I finally settled on the XD 40, even though I really want the XD(M) 40. I don't consider it a 'snappy' pistol. the articel was written by a writer who bouight two XDs and put them through the famopus Glock torture test, and they passed with flying colrs. I have never had a FTF and only had two misfires, due to bad rounds.

 

[Farmhood]

The One She Picked

With all due respect.... your husband should NOT be picking the gun YOU carry. I took my wife to the gun store and she held any gun she liked. I went to look at shotguns while she shopped. I offered input ONLY when she asked for it. A gun is a very personal choice and what is right for one person might not feel right to another.

One gun store clerk put it like this "picking a gun for someone to carry is like trying to pick the person they should date or marry."

Your husband might be able to offer input about quality issues, but it has to be your decision!

Can't phrase it better than above. Yo need to go and try as many as needed to find the right fit for you. As FYI my wife absolutely fell in love with M&P 9c, try it on for size. Good luck and have fun deciding!

You know this is right!
Although my wife didn't shoot as many guns, she did settle on my Ruger SR9c, oh well this does afford me the opportunity to look at the Warthawg 45acp

 

[GunClasses.Net]

My advice would be to make sure you not only hold it, but actually shoot it. Take it for a test drive. Make sure all the controls are where you want them, that it handles correctly for you, etc. Just sitting in the car on the lot doesn't tell you whether you will really want to drive it.

The Ruger LCP for example fits a lot of small hands, disappears into a pocket, and delivers a .380ACP bullet (not my FIRST choice, but it can work!). As great as it feels standing at the gun counter, some at the range are uncomfortable with the recoil. Its slim line that is its advantage for concealment is a narrow wedge driven into the hand, and its extremely light weight which is its advantage for carry makes for a real snap in the wrist (plus, the small grip which is great for concealment means most people can't get the pinky finger on it and that also means the perceived recoil is greater).

Bottom line... beyond simple fit to your hand, you have to find the right balance between concealment and controllability and power of: potency, size, and weight. Keep in mind that a gun you don't like to shoot may not get practiced with enough to stay proficient.

That said, my wife tried the LCP and after two shots set it down, saying "Ouch, that hurt; why would I want to do that?"; then took my XD and, after two magazines, said "This, I can do"...

Like others in this forum, I LOVE the XD, myself. Great trigger on it - er, FANTASTIC trigger on it; powerful, but controllable; VERY accurate; small in the sub-compact size...

 

[CDR_Glock]

Best bet is to go to a store that rents guns. try different models and calibers.

Most recommendations are to go with 38+P or 9 mm and up. Trigger control is key and double action revolvers may or may not work. Lighter is not necessarily better since recoil handling is affected in light guns.

With that being said, the SIg P938 and P238 are excellent carry guns.

 

[Jessica Carlson]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I took my CCW class last saturday and I'm off to the Sheriff's office tomorrow to finish applying. Time to hit the range and see what I can find

 

[GunClasses.Net]

Jessica, please let this forum know how that goes! Enjoy the process.


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[RJ_Whitlock]

I carry a fullsize M&P 9 and I love it, I suggest looking at the M&P9c. With the compact, it will accept fullsize magazines, and the make a grip extension to make it more comfortable.

 

[Jessica Carlson]

Thanks for the suggestion!

I carry a fullsize M&P 9 and I love it, I suggest looking at the M&P9c. With the compact, it will accept fullsize magazines, and the make a grip extension to make it more comfortable.

 

[wolf_fire]

Ask yourself this question... would he listen to you if you were adamant that he carry a specific type of handgun?

Carrying is an extremely personal choice and what to carry is based upon many personal factors. Some include: how am I carrying... concealed or open, does the grip fit my hand, does this firearm balance nicely in my hand, can I handle the recoil, etc.

Do not let anyone (including a spouse) tell you what handgun to carry, because if you do end up carrying the one that he picks out for you and you end up not liking it, you will not carry it.

Go out to the gun shop, try as many in your hand as you can. If possible, shoot some of them and see how they operate in your hand. Only then can you really make an informed decision on what to carry.

My wife carries now because she picked out her firearm. I never would have picked the one she did, and she wouldn't have carried the one I would have picked for her Funny thing is, we got a second of the same type she picked out because I loved it so much as a back up gun.

 

[creatism]

With all due respect.... your husband should NOT be picking the gun YOU carry. I took my wife to the gun store and she held any gun she liked. I went to look at shotguns while she shopped. I offered input ONLY when she asked for it. A gun is a very personal choice and what is right for one person might not feel right to another.

One gun store clerk put it like this "picking a gun for someone to carry is like trying to pick the person they should date or marry."

Your husband might be able to offer input about quality issues, but it has to be your decision!

What he said in spades, unless you are Leo, no one should tell you what gun YOU carry.