Thomas Moore Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Looking at all the options out there for a carry gun and reading all the reports. I'm still having trouble deciding on which carry gun to purchase. Here are some options: 1911 sub-compact Kimber Ultra Aegis II 9mm $$$$$ Springfield EMP 9mm $$$$ Para Covert Black Slim Hawg 45acp $$$ Polymer type Glock 26 9mm $$$ Kahr PM9 9mm $$$ Keltec P11 9mm $$ Do I have anymore options? What do you use for carry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firematt100 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Started with the Kimber Ultra CDP. Liked the fit on my side. Now carry Glock 23 .40 S&W. I like the extra capacity and the power and not to heavy. Just my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 If you ever need a gun, you will really really really need a gun. Want to trust your life to something you wouldn't even consider is marginally competitive at an IDPA/USPSA match ? I am not a Glock fan but the 23 is a fine weapon and that size Glock in 9mm or .40 has one alot of IDPA matches its about the perfect blend between firepower acuracy speed and ease of carry.. So is the Browning Hipower, or an alloy Commander 1911. guess what I am saying is minimum 4" barrel full size grip, 28 oz give or take a few. If I am gonna be in a fight I would rather come out with a gun I can win with, hit a distant headshot, is comfortable to practice with and is either the same gun or the same platform I compete with. rather than handicap myself with a barely fit my hand on hard recoiling short sight radius gun. Carrying any gun is a pain. Adjust your wardrobe, buy a quality gunbelt and a quality holster and it isnt any harder carrying a service size autoloader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgary Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 For me, it's gotta be effective, shootable, and carryable Effective, for me, means a full-power round. At least .40, preferably .45 Yes, I know they're doing amazing things with 9mm rounds that expand, but there's just no substitute for good old fashioned kinetic energy (and associated energy transfer), in my opinion. 230gr Hydrashoks set the standard, will work backwards from there, but not too far ;-) Shootable means... well, it doesn't matter how small and light it is if you can't shoot it effectively. Want to know if a gun is shootable? Shoot a match with it. I've shot matches with my carry gun... not particularly a "pleasant" experience, but it is the best way I know of to know whether it runs, whether you can control it, and where it shoots. You'll *especially* learn about how grip length and barrel length affect shootability. Last is carryable. I agree with the previous poster that with the right clothing and gear, you can conceal just about anything. For *comfort*, though, thinner and lighter is usually better. And let's be honest, if it is not comfortable, you won't wear it... and a gun back in your house/car/somewhere else is not nearly as effective as one on your belt. Mine is a Kimber "Tactical Ultra II", in .45 ymmv Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainmcphersn Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Looking at all the options out there for a carry gun and reading all the reports. I'm still having trouble deceiding on which carry gun to purchase. Here are some options1911 sub-compact Kimber Ultra Aegis II 9mm $$$$$ Springfield EMP 9mm $$$$ Para Covert Black Slim Hawg 45acp $$$ Polymer type Glock 26 9mm $$$ Kahr PM9 9mm $$$ Keltec P11 9mm $$ Do I have anymore options? What do you use for carry? I use the Glock 19 shown in my avatar under an untucked shirt. I recently bought a G26 and carry it as a backup in a pocket holster. If I'm going somewhere where an untucked shirt is not appropriate, the G26 goes in the pocket and I may put on an ankle gun as a backup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTOSHootr Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I really like my Kahr (P9). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exiledviking Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Out of the compact guns, my favorite by far is the HK P2000 or the P2000SK. Both are superbly accurate and easy to shoot fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipplehead Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I realy like my Sig 239 it is the smallest Sig ,can get9mm ,.40 or .357 sig. Very nice and eay to hide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Glock 27. It is small, it works, is surprisingly accurate, but not terribly fun to shoot. The bigger models, that are more fun to shoot, are less fun to carry. If I lost my 27, I would go searching for exactly the same thing to replace it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I gotta tell you truthfully - if I had to pick just one gun for carry, it would be a Scandium J-frame .357 Mag. I like an auto just as much as anyone else, here, for sure. But... here's why. The J-frame is light and small - meaning I'm likely to be more willing to carry it anywhere I want to go, dressed however I happen to be dressed. No excuses to not have it with me. .357 is a well accepted self defense cartridge, and there are loads that will essentially make old major out of those short barrels. Revos are inherently much more reliable, especially in terms of a carry gun, where dirt and dust are typical. A concealed hammer model has nothing to snag on, either. Its not an expensive gun, so no worries if its confiscated following an incident, or if its stolen when I have to leave it in my car to go into certain establishments or government buildings. Liability issues tend to be less of a worry with a nice, long, double action trigger pull, too. The downsides? Well, five rounds for starters. However, statistics show that 95+% of the social situations we find ourselves in involve less than that in total, between all parties involved. If I need more than 5 rounds very quickly, I probably should have thought about beating a hasty retreat. Its going to kick like a mule and be louder than hell - but I probably won't notice either thing in the heat of the moment. I'm also not likely to practice a whole bunch with it, due to the recoil (and wear on the frame), but .38s will still make a decent practice round in the gun. I also have the option of carrying hot .38s, if I'd rather. But, like I said, if I could only choose one gun.... Give me an option for more, and there'll still be a J-frame in there as one of my choices. Probably pick a small Glock or one of the other striker guns as a larger, high capacity option in addition to the J-frame. Frankly, with all handgun class rounds, it all comes down to shot placement. A poorly placed .45 does you no good. A properly placed 9mm or .38 Special are far better than a poorly placed anything. Choose what you can handle and shoot accurately, not what's "manly". I know several folks who are "in the know" who choose to carry 9s for this exact reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I'm a relative newbie to this, having had a concealed carry permit a little less than a year now: That said, I've determined that I need a battery of guns. I like the concept of carrying a 19, and often do if I can wear a coat or vest; but I carry a 26 under an open shirt far more often. And we haven't even touched on pocket guns yet...... All that said --- it should be something that you practice with regularly, and can shoot effectively with little effort..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowhand Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 After experimenting with several guns I settled on a .45 cal. 1911 in a CCO configuration. I prefer .45 cal. for SD in general and the officer frame/commander slide works well for me for carry. Having said that, I am a big proponant of carrying the gun you shoot well. I believe accuracy and bullet placement to be far more important than choice of caliber. The debates over this caliber vs. that as well as type of bullet are endless. At the end of the day the most effective caliber, bullet, pistol is the one you are proficient with. A friend of mine spends countless hours studying ballistic gel tests, bullet deformity, etc. and carries two extra high cap mags. Little if any consideration is given to practice and consequently he shoots poorly. I have tried to explain that he will not be able to miss fast enough to survive a serious social encounter. He still believes you can buy effective self defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I carry a Kimber custom 45 as my sunday go to meetin gun....and an XD40 compact as my work in the shop gun. Both are very reliable and are proven calibers. Any thing you will trust your life to ...has to be rock solid dependable...and you have to be very adept in its use. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revchuck Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Lots of good advice above. Personally, I prefer S&W K frames, and usually carry a 4" M10 with LSWC-HPs or (more recently) a 4" M13 with the "low recoil" .357 Mag Hydra-Shoks; I carry two speedloaders with them. Choice #2 is a Steyr M40; if you get one that runs well, they're excellent. I also have two 1911s in .45 ACP, and they usually stay in the safe. When I carry an auto, I carry one spare mag unless it's a 1911, then I carry two. Most of my competition shooting is IDPA, using 4" K frames, which explains why I'm most comfortable carrying them. As noted above, choose the gun, then choose your holsters and belts around it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 1st priority is weight and width. It has to be comfortable to carry, or you're not going to have it on you when you need it. And try going to at least a 40. Most of those 9mm's you list are available in 40. Just cough up the $$ and get the Kimber Ultra Carry in 45. I'm tellin ya' that if you have a comfortable holster, it disappears on your hip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ong45 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I gotta tell you truthfully - if I had to pick just one gun for carry, it would be a Scandium J-frame .357 Mag. I like an auto just as much as anyone else, here, for sure. But... here's why.The J-frame is light and small - meaning I'm likely to be more willing to carry it anywhere I want to go, dressed however I happen to be dressed. No excuses to not have it with me. +1 Xre...... If you don't consistently carry your gun it's next to worthless. I used to try to carry a glock 17, even in the wintertime you gotta be hardcore to keep that up. Ended up carrying a kel tec for the last 6 years, with the clip it's easy peasy. Recently got a scandium framed .38 special, not so pleasant to shoot but again i will be less likely to leave it at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Baier Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 T, I agree with Xre. I have owned and carried about every configuration out there. Right now I'm carrying a 340PD in my front pocket which is a light hammer-less J frame. I carry the 340 98% of the time. I can carry this configuration at work with no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 If you can carry a sub-compact .45, it's not a long stretch to carry the full-sized version. Barrel length is much easier to conceal than grip size. I'm a big man, so carrying a 5" .45 isn't too hard for me to do, from a concealment standpoint. It's damn hard to do, regardless of your size if you're using inferior gear. I have the requisite 2 drawers of no-longer-used holsters (don't we all? ), and a few years ago settled on the Milt Sparks line. Their pre-curved belt and an Executives Companion IWB make the pistol I carry relatively comfortable. I said relatively because (and now your gonna make me quote "tactical speak"), they're supposed to be comforting; not comfortable. I use an untucked Aloha shirt (the cheapest Wal-Mart has) as a cover. 2 spare mags in Ready-Tactical pouches on the left (very nice stuff from Chris Stewart in Alabama). Having the butt rounded like the Ed Brown pistols seems to help with breaking up the outline of the grip. On the rare occasions business attire prevents the above, I carry an internal hammer 642 Smith in my front pocket, loaded with LSW HP's (158 gn., I think), and 2 speed loaders in my left front pocket. And remember, any printing that looks like a gun to you, probably doesn't to the non-gun people in this world. Most just think it's a cell phone, IF they notice it at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Here in the Sunshine state a Rohrbaugh R9 does it for me. A true pocket pistol in 9mm. I think you carry this thing in a bathing suit. Its quality is on par with some of the best custom guns I have seen. The negatives are no +p and price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 Put me in the J-frame camp. I've got a bunch of small autos from Glock 27 to Kel-Tec to Detonics and Para .45's, but the J gets carried far more than the others. I try to run a low-risk lifestyle too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I try to run a low-risk lifestyle too That doesn't hurt anything, either, does it?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 If conditions permit I carry my Kimber Compact CDP (think Commander size) in a Milt Sparks Versa Max II IWB holster with the Kydex clips so I can tuck my shirt in over it. This happens to also have the Cylinder and Slide Safety Fast kit installed (http://www.cylinder-slide.com/sfs.shtml). However for "quick runs to the store" I find my lightweight J-frame lands in my pocket (in a pocket holster) more often than not. Great pistol to carry with cargo pants/shorts or in the vest pocket of a blazer. I have a Versa Max II for it as well and it is so light and comfortable in that configuration that I can pretty much forget it. For reloads (just in case) I carry 6 in a Bianchi Speed Strip in my strong side pocket (remember how you reload a revo...right?). Those are not really all that slow and after a bit of practice you can refill your J-frame in a couple seconds. For situations where even the little J-frame isn't going to cut it I have a small NAA Guardian in .32 ACP. I know, .32 barely qualifies but I'd rather have that than nothing. It lives in a Milt Sparks (I like Milt's leather...can you tell?) pocket holster. IMHO, the best thing to happen to concealed carry is the cell phone. People with odd lumps in their pockets or under their jackets at waist level are no longer even given a second glance. For those that are not real familiar with firearms (typically though of by "guys" as the women folk...no matter how wrong that is) the revo is really the ultimate point and click interface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 "No man in a gunfight ever wished he had a smaller gun" Clint Smith. I carried a Jframe 38 till I got a look at actual chronograph results, been better off with a Daisy redrider. J frame 357's despite there impressive recoil arnt much better. Many people will put down the 9mm and praise the .357. But an alloy .357 Jframe and a Glock 26 or the next size up 22? are similar size and weight launch the same lead the same velocity and carry alot more rounds plus the shape lends itself to better concealability. When it comes time to slap leather your gonna wish yah had one of these Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I found Remington Golden Sabers to chrono well enough and shot placement is good enough (which is far more important IMO) in my .38 that I don't worry about it. I did find the old 155gr .40 Gold Dot made a 175 PF out of a Glock 27... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 "No man in a gunfight ever wished he had a smaller gun" Clint Smith. And no man in a gunfight ever wished he didn't have a gun.... And remember what handgun is?? Yeah, that's right - that's the gun you shoot until you get back to the rifle you never should have dropped in the first place... J frame 357's despite there impressive recoil arnt much better. Depends on what you consider better. CorBon 125gr and Federal 125gr .357 loads make OLD major out of my SP-101, and it doesn't really have much more barrel than a Scandium J-frame Smith. I guess that's not *much* better... just night and day different, is all Many people will put down the 9mm and praise the .357. But an alloy .357 Jframe and a Glock 26 or the next size up 22? are similar size and weight launch the same lead the same velocity and carry alot more rounds plus the shape lends itself to better concealability. So, a 22 is not the next size up They are not similar weight, either. Having had both a J-frame and a micro-frame Glock in my pocket, the J-frame is both quite a bit lighter, and prints quite a bit less. Don't get me wrong - a 26 or 27 (with a backup 17 or 22 mag) is in my future, but when it comes to summer weight carry, nothing beats the alloy J-frame smith. I can't carry the Glock in the pocket or waistband of sweatpants or loose shorts... but the J-frame rides there just fine Good tip on the 155gr GoldDots, shred, I'll have to keep those in mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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