Looking for entry level concealed carry pistol?


U

unioncreek

New member
I just receive my carry permit in WA state and I'm looking for an entry level pistol. Currently I have my old Ruger P85, but its not the easiest to conceal during the summer. I've seen the SCCY pistols and they are a possibility, but no one has one in my area. I'm headed to MT Friday, so I'll check whether they might have one in Billings.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

Bob
 

So what are you looking to get a single stack 9mm, .45, 380 or what do you like, their are tons of nice ccw out there, I carry a Springfield XDs with a extra 7 rds mag, their are some nice Nano, Shield in 9mm you might want to look at?
 
Mojoman,

Looking for a 9mm, since I have my Ruger. 10 round mag would be good. I was looking at the SAR B6P compact, but they aren't much smaller than my Ruger, only weigh less. They have good reviews and I can pick one up locally for $299.

Bob
 
G26 is good concealable pistol, 9mm, with 10rd mags. Double stack though little wider and more expensive than other options but you can't beat the reliability of a Glock. If you want to stick with Ruger the LC9 is a nice pistol. The trigger leaves something to be desired but overall a good package.
 
My top 3 would be Sig P239 (9mm and .40), Springfield XDs (.45 ACP) and Ruger LCR (.357). Oh, just saw that you are looking for 9mm in which case, I'd definitely consider either a Sig P239 or P938. Yes Sig is a bit more expensive, but are accurate and reliable!
 
Aside from better concealment capabilities, what does it mean to you when you say "entry level?" To my way of thinking, since you are just entering the world of concealed carry, whichever weapon you buy will be entry level. While a high priced weapon doesn't necessarily mean it's one of the "best," it's also true that you generally get what you pay for. If you like your P85 (meaning it fires when you pull the trigger and ejects and feeds reliably), then you'd probably like Ruger's LC9. The LC9 is a single-stack, is slimmer and likely similar weight to the SCCY, but in my opinion, Ruger makes a better product. If mag capacity is what you're after, you could go with something like a Glock 26 or CZ 2075 RAMI. Both are more expensive than the SCCY, so if you are referring to price when you say "entry level," you may want to go with that or a Kel-Tec P11, which is basically the same pistol, but there's lots of them around on the used market anyway, but I'm not sure about their availability new.

In that sub-compact 9mm poly frame configuration, you've got a bunch of choices. Do you have a local gun store/range that rents weapons so you can get a feel for a few different ones? If you don't, I would still recommend a trip to a local gun store just to handle a few even if you can't fire them.

That's all I've got. I'm sure you'll get some good recommendations. Good luck, and welcome to the forums.

Blues
 
I carry the M&P Shield in 9mm. Light, slim, easily concealable even under tee shirts and pull over knit shirts. Very dependable and accurate. Great gun at a good price.
 
Jcreek,

I understand about the LC9 trigger. My P85 had the same trigger problems as the LC9. I had to put more than 1K rounds through it before it got better.

Bob
 
Blues,

I'm looking for something that's not overly expensive, but its going to have to function reliably. We have a an indoor range sixty miles away that rents firearms. I'll have to call them and see what they have. I don't like to buy unless I can handle a firearms a couple of times.

Bob
 
The day I got my CPL in the mail, I went to Northwest Pawn and Collector Arms, good people there and they sold me my first firearm ever, a Glock 19. It hides fairly well with my Galco King tuck. But then that's money money. :)
 
Budget seems to be a concern I feel here. So I am gonna go out on a limb and suggest something exotic: Surplus CZ82.

Cheap to be had but NOT a cheaply made gun. Reliable and easy to shoot.

Link Removed
 
jcreek said:
G26 is good concealable pistol, 9mm, with 10rd mags. Double stack though little wider and more expensive than other options but you can't beat the reliability of a Glock. If you want to stick with Ruger the LC9 is a nice pistol. The trigger leaves something to be desired but overall a good package.
Click to expand...
There is a problem with your recommendation. It's certainly not wrong, but will cause the OP'er to be disappointed.

Here's my logic...

Say he purchases a G26. It will be easily concealed; never fail; and be extremely accurate. Then, one day he stops by the LGS and buys another gun... any kind. That gun will not come up to the 26's standards, and he'll start complaining that he got a "lemon".

I've carried for over thirty years and have a safe full of very nice handguns. The 26 (my EDC gun) is the sweetest firearm I've ever owned.
 
unioncreek said:
I just receive my carry permit in WA state and I'm looking for an entry level pistol. Currently I have my old Ruger P85, but its not the easiest to conceal during the summer. I've seen the SCCY pistols and they are a possibility, but no one has one in my area. I'm headed to MT Friday, so I'll check whether they might have one in Billings.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

Bob
Click to expand...
there is no such thing as an "entry level weapon"! this is a tool that you are staking your life on!
you need to find the best possible "tool" that you can afford to own.
some of the criterias to be looked at are caliber, size of weapon, magazine capacity and ability to shoot the weapon well.
this is not an easy process nor can you expect to find the answers on a forum like this.
good luck and if it were me I would advise a mid sized 9mm like a glock 19, that is only a guide not a recommendation
 
Lowjiber said:
jcreek said:
G26 is good concealable pistol, 9mm, with 10rd mags. Double stack though little wider and more expensive than other options but you can't beat the reliability of a Glock. If you want to stick with Ruger the LC9 is a nice pistol. The trigger leaves something to be desired but overall a good package.
Click to expand...
There is a problem with your recommendation. It's certainly not wrong, but will cause the OP'er to be disappointed.

Here's my logic...

Say he purchases a G26. It will be easily concealed; never fail; and be extremely accurate. Then, one day he stops by the LGS and buys another gun... any kind. That gun will not come up to the 26's standards, and he'll start complaining that he got a "lemon".

I've carried for over thirty years and have a safe full of very nice handguns. The 26 (my EDC gun) is the sweetest firearm I've ever owned.
Click to expand...

Lol they're nice guns but idk about all that lol. You sound like my father-in-law. He carries a G26 (his only gun) and is in love with it...literally. When he has to leave it in his car at work he wraps it in dish towels before putting it in the case because he's afraid it might rust sitting in his car for 8 hours. He damn near disowned me when I stopped carrying my G23 for a couple weeks in favor of my new Kimber.

Point is, yes Glocks are up there on the quality scale, but their are LOTS of great pistols out there. Just because you like them, doesn't mean he will. There are plenty of die hard Glock haters out there (IDK why?). He needs to choose what works best for him.
 
Go to your LGS and put every gun that's in your price range in your hands. Get a feel for the trigger, any safeties it may have, and the ease of concealment. The one that shoots reliably which you can carry, and conceal comfortably in the largest caliber you can manage well is what I recommend to my students. If the LGS has a range, see if they will either let you shoot the gun you're looking at before you buy it OR if they have one to rent. I would stick with one of the major manufacturers. S&W, Springfield, Glock, Sig, Ruger, and Taurus all make something that should fit your needs.
 
jg1967 said:
Budget seems to be a concern I feel here. So I am gonna go out on a limb and suggest something exotic: Surplus CZ82.

Cheap to be had but NOT a cheaply made gun. Reliable and easy to shoot.

Link Removed
Click to expand...

That's an excellent suggestion. CZ-USA has great customer service too. I bought two poly RAMI's several years ago and one had major, irreparable issues. The gunsmith at CZ didn't hesitate to give me an authorization to send it in, and they paid for an overnight shipping label. About 30 hours after I shipped it, the smitty was calling me to say that the piece was indeed beyond repair and told me to pick any handgun in their line as a replacement. Since I had already bought leather and extra mags for the RAMI, I decided to get the alloy version for a replacement, and I still carry it more than any other weapon I own. My alloy model was back here one week to the day after I'd shipped the defective one. The "good" poly one is my wife's, and she's put at least 1,000 rounds through it without issue.

Even if you don't go with the suggestion jg offered unioncreek, one way to acquire the best possible weapon for a price you can afford is to scour the used and/or surplus markets. Take a gander at Armslist.com or Gunbroker.com, the former being a sales site, and the latter being an auction site. Armslist is a good way to go to find local deals that won't require transfers and exorbitant shipping charges to get your weapon.

Blues
 
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