Ladies - what gun to you carry?

[crowsnake]

I am curious too. Do you use Velcro to close it? Can you post pics?

I have a very nice belly band. but it is way too hot for me and I would have to wear an undershirt with it cause the Velcro part that is stiff wants to eat into my side. It is made of a no slip breathable thing that lets air though, but I am always hot. Anything like that roast me. LOL. I have a Holster Kings holster that I use IWB in front. You can Google holster kings and it pops right up.

I put a piece of old T shirt over the stiff part of the Velcro and that worked but The band tends to ROLL with my fat roll. Now I am not huge, just not slim. I gave up on the belly bands. Tried 2 different styles. I can not imagine one I could make working for me either. Not unless I figured out how to air condition my self. LOL.

 

[clking9mm]

I am a retired State Parole Officer & we were required to carry concealed. I have been CC since 1997. I carry a Glock 26. It is easy to conceal in/out of pants, purse or a CC shirt I ordered. I liked the CC shirt especially when doing home vists on parolees. It has a quick open front for drawing wpn & lots of places for extra mags, ID, badge, etc. They come short/long sleeve and good colors. Just a note about color choice in clothing especially for CC: Gangs are on the rise and very dominate in evey location. Wearing colors that are offensive to the gangs can start a gun fight at the drop of a dime. Be careful what color you wear when carrying because it can mean life or death to you/family. I supervised high profile cases on the electronic monitors & conducted unannounced home visits. One day I was going to a Crips home & a few blocks before the house I realized I was wearing a red blouse. I called the Offender and told him what was up. He told me to give him about 10 min. & I could come into the neighborhood safely. It's all about respect with the gangs. A little common sense goes a LONG WAY. CLKING9MM-TEXAS

 

[crowsnake]

I carry a .380 LCP Ruger everywhere I go.

But I WANT a Taurus Millennium .45 (Ya I know the name is 2 ft long but you know what gun I mean)

I want a Ruger Mark II or III for target. A bull nose preferably. I figure the bull will give me about the same accuracy as the 45 for practice. I know I would need to shoot the .45 enough to be comfortable with it, but I need to practice with a light gun so I can afford to shell out the rounds. LOL.

I am a good shot with my .380. And I do very well with my .22 revolver. But I get so tired of loading the revolver. I have been thinking a lot, and I have decided since I can not afford both at this time. I should keep target practicing with the revolver and get the Carry gun I want. ASA I can afford it. My LCP is good but winter is coming and I should be able to have my .45. I watched Tim's Review of the Taurus and that is what helped me make up my mind.

I had the Taurus Millennium .40 in my hand used at the last gun show, But I want the .45, I held one of those new, and it is pretty much the same gun weight and size wise so why go smaller, especially since .40 ammo is higher than .45. It is bigger and heavier than the .380, DUH. But it is not much bigger or heaver than my Kel-Tec P-11 9mm, which I intend to sell.

My husband still thinks I am silly for carrying around the house, and everywhere we go, but at least he has stopped asking me if I have my gun. And he has kinda stopped asking me to leave it in the car when we go places. He got his CCW too but I think he only go it cause I did. Or for when he is out on the road with his service truck and feels he might need it. He still has that attitude, U might need it here, but you won't need it there.. I figure I hope I never need it, but I do not want to be caught without it. We have some questionable neighbors and they have questionable ppl always driving up, so I just am prepared. Nice neighborhood, just one bad house.

 

[straxler]

I liked the CC shirt especially when doing home vists on parolees. It has a quick open front for drawing wpn & lots of places for extra mags, ID, badge, etc. They come short/long sleeve and good colors. CLKING9MM-TEXAS

The CC shirts sound like a good idea. Where did you order them from?

 

[eaccents]

carrying everywhere, every day

I carry a .380 LCP Ruger everywhere I go.

But I WANT a Taurus Millennium .45 (Ya I know the name is 2 ft long but you know what gun I mean)

I want a Ruger Mark II or III for target. A bull nose preferably. I figure the bull will give me about the same accuracy as the 45 for practice. I know I would need to shoot the .45 enough to be comfortable with it, but I need to practice with a light gun so I can afford to shell out the rounds. LOL.

I am a good shot with my .380. And I do very well with my .22 revolver. But I get so tired of loading the revolver. I have been thinking a lot, and I have decided since I can not afford both at this time. I should keep target practicing with the revolver and get the Carry gun I want. ASA I can afford it. My LCP is good but winter is coming and I should be able to have my .45. I watched Tim's Review of the Taurus and that is what helped me make up my mind.

I had the Taurus Millennium .40 in my hand used at the last gun show, But I want the .45, I held one of those new, and it is pretty much the same gun weight and size wise so why go smaller, especially since .40 ammo is higher than .45. It is bigger and heavier than the .380, DUH. But it is not much bigger or heaver than my Kel-Tec P-11 9mm, which I intend to sell.

My husband still thinks I am silly for carrying around the house, and everywhere we go, but at least he has stopped asking me if I have my gun. And he has kinda stopped asking me to leave it in the car when we go places. He got his CCW too but I think he only go it cause I did. Or for when he is out on the road with his service truck and feels he might need it. He still has that attitude, U might need it here, but you won't need it there.. I figure I hope I never need it, but I do not want to be caught without it. We have some questionable neighbors and they have questionable ppl always driving up, so I just am prepared. Nice neighborhood, just one bad house.

crowsnake: My hubby is like yours! So I told him that when the people with bad intentions start making appointments for when they plan to attack, then I will carry "only when I need it." Second, I said what good is having a gun in the bedroom when the front door gets kicked in (compare that to having the gun on your hip at all times)? Third, while I know that he will do anything to protect me, he isn't with me 24/7 (nor do I want them with me 24/7!). .... He doesn't say anything anymore :laugh:

I carry the Kahr MK9 everywhere, every day. It is part of getting dressed, and like you I hope to never need a gun but I plan to always have one. I read PoliceOne.com routinely to see what kind of crimes happen to other people and to give myself an idea of what to be wary of (like if there are new or creative methods of attack or ways for predators to lure us in) and to remind myself that crime happens everywhere, and can happen to ME. I try to be AWARE and ALERT, and I avoid situations that are inherently dangerous. No matter what I do, however, I know that I could still be the person who works in the office where a disgruntled co-worker comes to get even; I could be hanging out with a girlfriend whose ex decides that if she won't have him she won't have anyone....the list of unlikely--but possible--scenarios is endless.

The old and ongoing argument over choice of caliber continues and will probably never end. I think your LCP is fine if you shoot it well; I think a .45 is fine if you shoot it well. But remember that it might be slightly harder to make follow up shots in a larger caliber, and a shot that misses in a larger caliber is less effective that shots that hit with a smaller caliber.

When I shopped for my first gun, the salesman (a cop) made a point that I never thought about: if you live in an area where people wear heavy clothes during the cold months, how well will your .380 penetrate a leather jacket with other layering pieces underneath? He advised me to get a 9mm or larger caliber to account for this (I live in Michigan) for that reason, and also because at the time .380 was in short supply and very expensive.

In short, find the gun that you won't hesitate to carry--it should be a gun that you are comfortable shooting and that you shoot WELL. That is the gun that will do you the most good when you keep it on hand every where you go, every day.

Best wishes,

 

[Rocketgeezer]

Add it on when you renew? what State are you in that you have to register each separate carry gun? In Mo, once you have the permit you can carry anything, and as many at a time as you want. Any concealed firearm that is, its still illegal to carry a knife over 4 inches. ROFL. DUH. Now I would not go around carrying a gun that you bought out of the back of a car in a parking lot. AKA stolen gun, but any gun you know is not on the hot list is fine to carry in Mo.

Now if you shoot someone they do make you prove ownership so if it is your Dad's gun, he may have to produce a receipt. I am not sure how that works if it is an old Gun. The guy that did our CCW class recommended that you have a gun shop owner, do some kind of paper work that he keeps on file that says the gun is yours so if you ever have a problem with your carry gun you can get it back eventually. We Bought 2 new guns in Illinois and used Don's sisters FOID card cause ours had expired. And we did some kind of paperwork that said we "bought" them from her in Mo, just in case we ever needed to prove ownership..

There is not many but some states, Cali for one, where you have to not only list each weapon you carry on your permit, you also have to quaify shooting with each weapon on your permit, also New York has some real dickheaded CC weapons laws, not sure of the rest but there are 37 states that play nice with each other where CCW laws are simalar

 

[crowsnake]

I liked the CC shirt especially when doing home vists on parolees CLKING9MM-TEXAS

Which CC shirt do you use there are dozens and most (not ALL) of them are crappy.

 

[crowsnake]

I graduated to a .45. I have been researching CCW for over a year. I watched Tactical Tim's U tube clips on CC weapon Reviews. (I have been reading and LISTENING to all you people on here and on the USCCA forum). I have found that an alarming number of people carry a .45. I always thought OMG why would you carry a hand cannon. But I kept reading and tried to keep an open mind.

Then I saw Tim review .45's He did 4 or 5 side by side. He Reviewed the Taurus Millennium 745. I fell in love with it. So I decided to get rid of a gun I had got as my first CC gun back this January. A 9mm Kel-Tec P-11 While it is fine hidden, I was miserable shooting it. The trigger pull actually hurt the tendons in my arm. I could get no consistent accuracy with that trigger pull. Heck I could hardly hit a target with it, dry fire it would move no matter what I did. Anyway I took it to a Gun Show and put for sale on it. It sure was like New. I did not even carry it cause I did not trust it. I was Carrying my Ruger LCP .380. I can hit the target with it. The Kel-Tec sold B4 I got inside.

I went looking for the Taurus. Several were there but overpriced. I finally found one. But I did not realize there was a 145 as well as a 745. The 145 takes 11 rounds and the 745 is single stack 7 rounds. I held the 145 It is not that heavy. The price was right so I got it. I took it out and shot it that afternoon. Did I make a Mistake getting the 145 instead of the 745? NO... Taurus Millennium PT 145 Pro fits my hand Like it was made for it. I can release the Magazine with my Thumb without moving my hand or having to use the other hand. I can flip the safety with a flick of my thumb. Like it was made for my hand. Trigger pull? AHHHHHHHHH.. Recoil? What Recoil. I think the 9 had more. Oh Sure it kicks, but if you do not fight it, it's not a problem. I even did some quick fire. I know it is thicker than the 745, and I have never shot a .45 before, I was expecting it to knock me back. (It did almost deafen me and I ran for my ear plugs)

Its a little big but I still managed to conceal it well enough. Actually it does not seem to profile much more than the but of my 380. I think that is because it goes down in my pants and sits straighter. The .380 tends to stick out when I set cause nothing goes down your pants to keep it upright.

The Sights are still off, We worked on them last night, but I have not got to shoot it since. getting it sighted in is a priority. But Once i knew where it was hitting I could hold off target and hit the spot i wanted. I even killed an old laundry detg. bottle with one shot. So I am in the New Gun stage, but so far it has over reached my expectations. The FMJ does want to hang up on the front of the Magazine and I need to file the Magazine some. But the CC HP's clear nicely. Don is suppose to dig out his round file.

Did I get the "wrong" gun? (145 instead of the intended 745) My hands say no. This is the first gun I have ever owned that fit me like it does. I could shoot it all day. We bought 500 rounds of FMJ. So I could shoot it all day. LOL. Holding it in my hand at the Gun Show before I bought it I knew it felt good. I pulled the trigger I knew I liked that. So I guess I will carry a hand cannon now too. And keep my beloved accurate LCP .380 for when I decide That much clothing is optional. LOL.

I tend to be the person who is looking for something bad to say about whatever, So I can say, why does the clip even need filed? should Taurus not have taken care of that problem? The sights were way off, but I can see them in LOW light conditions, which is nice. The sights are adjustable, But I will need help getting it on target. Take those 2 things out of the picture and It shoots like a dream. My Husbands Ruger P89 Is also a very nice gun and shoots well, but it is awful large for a 9mm and weighs a lot. I have shot it a few times, enough to know I wanted a GOOD gun, instead of the 9mm I had. His Ammo is cheaper, but he is now Jealous of my Taurus.

I think I will call it Mack. as it is a Millennium and I had a Min Pin Dog born in 2000 that we called Millennium Mechanic which was shortened to "Mack", or Mech..Mech is gone but his memory lives on. I call my LCP Elsie. Name it and then you can not sell it or trade it off. Mack got named pretty quickly after I shot him.. ROFL. Ya it is too big & strong to be a girl.

 

[crowsnake]

crowsnake:
When I shopped for my first gun, the salesman (a cop) made a point that I never thought about: if you live in an area where people wear heavy clothes during the cold months, how well will your .380 penetrate a leather jacket with other layering pieces underneath? He advised me to get a 9mm or larger caliber to account for this (I live in Michigan) for that reason, and also because at the time .380 was in short supply and very expensive.

In short, find the gun that you won't hesitate to carry--it should be a gun that you are comfortable shooting and that you shoot WELL. That is the gun that will do you the most good when you keep it on hand every where you go, every day

I never thought about winter clothing for penetration, I knew I wanted a bigger gun for winter and something that would knock them down. My .380 HP's have a lot of knock down power for their size and powder, but they are not as scary as a .45. I walk a lot, I like to go to parks and walk with my little dogs, they warn me if someone gets within my comfort zone, and would be sure to trip up or at least slow down the BG. But scary they are not. It just shows that there are so dang many variables to consider it is mind blowing

I got my .45 Saturday at the Gun Show, after finding a buyer for the Kel-Tec 9mm. I got the Taurus Millennium Pro 145 It holds 10 rounds if you do not want to force that last round into the magazine and stretch the spring. I was thinking I was getting the 745, ( I was confused on the two, I wrote it down but was not sure if it was a 7 or a 1, I held the 145 and liked it) So far I really like this gun. I have shot it once and I need to get it sighted in better, but it is awesome to shoot. If you ever get a chance to shoot someone's Taurus 145 do so. (Well Only if you can afford one, cause you will probably want one after you shoot it) As far as knock down goes, well now I can knock down a concrete block.

 

[Hildab]

Women Shooting Groups

Hello, this is OT but wanted to target the women here. I'm starting a shooting group for women at our church and wanted to ask if anyone has a suggestion for a catchy name?
Also, if anyone has experience at conducting a Women's shooting group could you share your experience with me?
Thank you in advance, Hilda

 

[clking9mm]

The CC shirts sound like a good idea. Where did you order them from?

I got them from the 511-Tactical Series. They can usually be found in Galls & Quarter Master magazines. They have some other neat clothing for CC too. Thanks for the input.

 

[clking9mm]

Add an extra round to your magazines

To those who can only carry a 10 round magazine, do you charge your weapon & put another round back into the magazine so you have 11 rounds your actually carrying? Of course this works w/any size magazine. The more firepower the better.
clking9mm

 

[clking9mm]

Womens Shooting Group

Hello, this is OT but wanted to target the women here. I'm starting a shooting group for women at our church and wanted to ask if anyone has a suggestion for a catchy name?
Also, if anyone has experience at conducting a Women's shooting group could you share your experience with me?
Thank you in advance, Hilda

We have a CC club that is really cool. There are different scenarios set up as if you were in a real fire fight. You use real ammo too. Ours meets twice p/month. Once is indoor shooting. The second is outdoor shooting.
Check with your local shooting ranges and police/sheriff depts. We had both law enforcement & CC members. The CC had to shoot from Concealed & law enforcement shot how ever they carried. Detectives that wore coats shot like us (Parole Officers) from CC. Uniform officers shot without conceal. The group had dues, a pecking order (ie. President, VP, Sec & Treasurer). They were the ones who came up with the shooting scenarios. Ours is not women only and there are only a few women in it. There is a point system, but the thing I like is you are really compeating against youself to better your own score. There are some really good shooters and it really makes you think & act fast to prepare you should that awful situation arise. I still carry law enforcement issue pepper spray so I have a choice of non lethal if at all possible.
clking9mm

 

[clking9mm]

Hello, this is OT but wanted to target the women here. I'm starting a shooting group for women at our church and wanted to ask if anyone has a suggestion for a catchy name?
Also, if anyone has experience at conducting a Women's shooting group could you share your experience with me?
Thank you in advance, Hilda

This is kinda corny, but try on for size "WWC-Women Who Carry". I had a hard time with "Crystal Pistols" because we have a strip club by that name here. We also have an annual conference here called "Women In Criminal Justice". I think we are just one leg of many other of the same name organization. You might check the internet & locate them and possiblly get some ideas.
clking9mm

 

[crowsnake]

Hello, this is OT but wanted to target the women here. I'm starting a shooting group for women at our church and wanted to ask if anyone has a suggestion for a catchy name?
Also, if anyone has experience at conducting a Women's shooting group could you share your experience with me?
Thank you in advance, Hilda

Not a name but a theme, "God protects our souls, Smith & Wesson protects our homes."

(Saw a shirt @ the Gun Show, "Piercings by S&W". Loved it. LOL)

God, Guns, & Lipstick leasantry:

another good theme, "I never walk alone" with a photo of a gun under it. And Footprints in sand

 

[crowsnake]

To those who can only carry a 10 round magazine, do you charge your weapon & put another round back into the magazine so you have 11 rounds your actually carrying? Of course this works w/any size magazine. The more firepower the better.
clking9mm

I used to do that, when I carried my .380 so I had 7 rounds, but with my 10 round mag, I decided from what all the guys tell me that you need to leave at least one shell less than it holds when you "store" it so you do not put so much stress on your spring. So Now with 10 round of .45 ammo. I figure that is enough. And I save my spring.

 

[clking9mm]

Extra round in chamber

I used to do that, when I carried my .380 so I had 7 rounds, but with my 10 round mag, I decided from what all the guys tell me that you need to leave at least one shell less than it holds when you "store" it so you do not put so much stress on your spring. So Now with 10 round of .45 ammo. I figure that is enough. And I save my spring.

Having worked in law ennforcement for 20 years, we were taught to load/carry with the extra round in the chamber. I have never had any problems with the springs in my magazine. I don't really understand how that would even effect the magazine. The round is already in the chamber. When you reload with a full magazine and insert it back into your weapon it is the same as carrying it without charging it. There would be no extra tension on the spring. I'm not sure about your weapon, but on my Glock springs are very inexpensive and should be changed after firing so many rounds according to your manafacture instructions. I was a State Parole Officer for 15yrs before I had to medically retire 12/09, I only changed my springs once. I chose to carry the Glock 26 for various reasons, even though it only holds a 10 round magazine. We could carry the non-sub compact weapons with 15 round magazines, thus 15+1. My philosophy is you never know when you might need that one extra round.

 

[crowsnake]

Why should that make a difference?
As to carrying one less with a semi-auto, that used to be the advice for certain pistols, particularly the Browning Hi-Power and some of its various clones. However this is 1980's era advice. Semi-autos have come along way in the past 30 years. I would not hesitate to carry a modern semi fully loaded up. (I carry a Glock 22 BTW) .

After you put a full clip in your gun then you round the chamber and that takes one of the rounds out of your Magazine, which takes pressure off the spring. @ least that is what was recommended to me. Perhaps it does not need to be done. With my .380 I would pull the magazine and add that round to replace the one in the chamber. I only had 7 that way.

 

[crowsnake]

springs are very inexpensive and should be changed after firing so many rounds according to your manufacture instructions.

Oh heck I did not know you could replace the springs. I thought once the spring got weak you had to buy a whole new one. I have had semi auto's for years and I have worried about the springs forever. I thought it was a one spring deal.. I feel so much better now.

So many people, even on here, are always talking about over stressing your spring as if it was the life of the magazine. No one ever said they could just get a new spring. So why are they are making a big deal out of it.. They made me even more paranoid about my springs. Thanks for clearing that up.

I do not know why but My Taurus PT 145 did not have a book with it. I went to their web site hoping to download a book but they did not offer one. I can call them and probably should call and ask for one. They do offer a disassemble and reassemble video.

 

[clking9mm]

Why should that make a difference?

As to carrying one less with a semi-auto, that used to be the advice for certain pistols, particularly the Browning Hi-Power and some of its various clones. However this is 1980's era advice. Semi-autos have come along way in the past 30 years. I would not hesitate to carry a modern semi fully loaded up. (I carry a Glock 22 BTW)

Some of the Clinton-ear reduced capacity magazines did not always work fully loaded, but that's because they were delibrately crippled so that an eleventh round could not be loaded into the magazine. I use the standard capacity magazines with my Glock for this reason.

If I understand you correctly, some weapons don't work with the extra round in the chamber, and you use the standard magazine that holds 10 rounds total. In Texas if your not in law enforcement you can no longer buy or carry the large capacity magazines legally. I am not sure what other state laws are. I thought it was a federal law.

Some interesting information on some weapons being deliberately cripled to stop an 11th round.
I have a friend who is a TABC Agent & a Glock & other weapons Armoror so I can get clarification on the extra round in the chamber as well who can carry larger capacity magazines . This is a blog and informational forum so it is important to me to provide correct facts that I submit.

clking9mm