What do you prefer in a carry gun? Can't make up my mind

[XRe]

Of course - we have to keep in mind that choice of carry gun is like religion, so... every has theirs, and everyone else's is wrong

[HSMITH]

IF it were legal to carry here, and IF I had a permit for such, a M37 J-frame would be in my pocket most of the time. When conditions permit a Commander I worked over would be on my hip or a G22 in an IWB rig. But, not to worry, concealed carry is illegal here so I leave them at home. I wouldn't risk the misdemeanor charge that concealed carry brings here the first time you are caught, that would be just silly to risk the ticket against the lives of myself and my wife and kids.

IF I were to carry the J frame I would be able to place 5 shots well, that would be better than a 20 round gun I can't shoot or I left home because I can't carry it comfortably. I may well lose the fight with a 5 shot 38 but I ain't going alone......

[LadyinBlue]

Bullets...

[bigbrowndog]

I shot a steel challenge match (local) with my SW60, never missed a plate, sure it was slow but the gun is accurate, i've killed 150# pigs with it using 124gr hydrashoks, and body shots at 12 to 15yds. It hides nicely in a back pocket, and I can use a wide variety of ammo in it, it is also the gun I loan to friends when they feel they need one for "protection". At which point I switch to a Glock 29. At no time have I ever wished I had a BIGGER gun, to carry.

The most effective weapon i've carried to date, i've had all my life, and because of it i've never had to use a gun in a defensive situation.

Trapr

[G-ManBart]

I'm limited in the choices I have for carry, but am pretty comfortable with what's on the list. For daily carry in the colder months I wear a Glock 22 in a Kramer vertical belt scabbard and a G-27 in an Alessi ankle rig. In the warmer months I carry a G-23 in another Kramer VBS and the same 27 in the ankle rig. For some activities I carry just the G-27 in a third Kramer VBS...like when I'm fishing or just puttering around the house/yard.

With that said, if I could, I'd carry a 1911 as my primary and the G-27 as a backup for day in day out use.

[Joe4d]

I think everyone that carries goes the same route, they start with what they got usually a service size revolver or pistol, decide it's a pain and go small and light, get scared or end up in a close call and suddenly feel under gunned, go back to something bigger, many go back and forth, sorta like the beer commercials, "Lightweight" more bang, lightweight more bang. I remember working with some Brits in Japan. I mentioned when I get home I am gonna use my TDY money to buy a good summer gun as I allready have a winter gun. They thought that was hilarious. So what ya cant carry a Black gun after May ? Course make sence to us, no cover jacket, hotter, perps wearing less padding.

[ima45dv8]

I think everyone that carries goes the same route, they start with what they got usually a service size revolver or pistol, decide it's a pain and go small and light, get scared or end up in a close call and suddenly feel under gunned, go back to something bigger, many go back and forth, sorta like the beer commercials, "Lightweight" more bang, lightweight more bang. I remember working with some Brits in Japan. I mentioned when I get home I am gonna use my TDY money to buy a good summer gun as I allready have a winter gun. They thought that was hilarious. So what ya cant carry a Black gun after May ? Course make sence to us, no cover jacket, hotter, perps wearing less padding.

I don't mean to sound contrary, (there's enough of that here and eslewhere) but my full-sized .45 is a year-round carry piece. Some may object to the same during warm months, but I make the required sacrifice in my wardrobe selection(s). I admit it's a pain sometimes, but like was said, it's meant to be comforting; not comfortable.

[JThompson]

I live in Illinois, so I wouldn't know.

Edited May 26, 2007 by JThompson

[TCK]

I carry a SA Officer size 1911 with an alloy frame, Its light, accurate and is .45. With after market mags it holds 7+1. If I cant dress around a gun, I grab my S&W 642 revo or my wifes little kel-tec.

[Jim Norman]

What Trapr said +1

[Mr Glack]

I read so many different ideas on this question. In considering this I personally think different people must have different answers. Before making a choice you need to ask yourself how it will be used (e.g., ankle v waist carry? ... also a home defense gun? ... holster type desired and so on).

What is your personal strategy for use (considering your own strengths and weaknesses as well ... what is your personal stressed accuracy ability that you are willing to bet your life on? ... how good is your eyesight? ... etc.). Are you going to count on accuracy for example which might favor a larger caliber and fewer rounds between reloading. Are you going to carry/how many, and where reloads? If you are going to be wearing more and heavier work clothing vs lighter business clothing you have different concealment options and can carry reloads easier. If you are limited on carrying reloads you might think more toward a weapon with higher capacity... or seek greater accuracy.

Be prepared to give a regular workout to your strategy at the range/matches. If you read the threads here you will find that one person might have issues with a certain weapon where others have nothing but praise. If your ccw and you have irreconcilable differences a change will be necessary. Especially reliability and/or confidence you have in it.

I love shooting a revolver and used to consider it THE reliable self defense weapon. But my real experience at matches and the range tells me that my most reliable weapon is a Glock. Others will rail at this notion because they have the opposite experience. This has an impact on confidence which has to be taken into consideration.

Bottom line is your strategy is your strategy and you need to be comfortable with it BEFORE you ask what weapon will best support that strategy.

[George]

I like my SIG-P226 for shootability. It's large frame, but so am I. It has decent capacity and I am comfortable with the 9x19 in WW115gr +P+ form.

Decent shot placement and enough immediate follow-ups are what stops in almost all cases. The myth of the one-shot-stop being entirely due to bullet mass and diameter is still hugely held as gospel and even though the Marshall/Sanow data has proved to be a tad skewed, the final tally does reveal some quite interesting truths about relative cartridge performance in the real world. I trust the 9x19 completely and feel fine with it as my choice.

Given my druthers though. I would go everywhere with a rifle slung over my shoulder AND a holstered pistol as it's "backup" ;-)

Marshall/Sanow Data over the years:

TABLE1.PDF

TABLE2.PDF

[BSeevers]

Kahr PM9

I tried my favorite 1911 3 inch but smaller, lighter and thinner is better and I don't have the time or desire to dress around my gun. I can wear the Kahr many different ways in sweat pants and shorts.

Yes I use a 9mm but feel all handguns are a compromise, period. I feel pretty good with 115gr Corbon and my accuracy. IMHO

Edited May 26, 2007 by BSeevers

[sahauptman]

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:

Do I have anymore options? What do you use for carry?

Hi Thomas

Long time no see

You know the FBI shooting stats. averages. "2 shots fired, 3-5 yards, low to no light" You need a firearm that YOUR comfortable with and a good holster to survive an attack.

You ask 10 people what they carry and you get 10 different answers.

I have been carrying for over 20 years. And I have tried it all, evident from my gun safe and holster drawer.(you guys all have a holster drawer if you been carrying long enough)

I now carry a revolver, a S&W 630 cause It's small, (I don’t have to worry how I dress, just slip in pocket) light weight(12oz., doesn‘t print in pocket) and carries a punch. It's a 357mag, but I carry Cor-Bon(you know Cor-Bon and me go way back) 38spl +p 125gr. in it.(which has the ballistics of a 9mm)

I have done a little trigger work to lighten the DA only trigger pull and do not have a problem punching a silver dollar size hole in paper target at 7-10 yards and while keeping double taps in the A zone.

If your interested in shooting it sometime we can get together at FireingLine

Steven

Edited May 26, 2007 by sahauptman

[Mooney]

I really like my Kahr (P9).

I like my Kahr P40 (Corbon or Hydrashocks) and my SW 642 (ammo below)- the SW a little bit more (can easily shoot through your clothes in a pinch- hope I never have to try it, but with an internal hammer and no slide, can be done....)

The 642 is a couple ounces heavier than the 630, and on ly .38 SPl +P, but a couple hundred bucks less expensive. It is fed the 38 +P Speer 135 grn GDHP or, more rarely, Cor-bon, and easily clears a plate rack at 50ft at a reasonably rapid rate of fire. Far more accurate than it has any right to be

Whatever you get though, to echo others....pracitce practice, etc.

[Thomas Moore]

Wow! I didn't think I would get this many replies in such a short time. I think I've narrowed my search to two micro auto pistols. Here they are in no particular order.

I like this one because the hammer doesn't have to be cocked. I checked one out at a local shop today and found the trigger to be quite smooth. The down side is the weight at 30oz. However, it does have an adjustable Novak rear sight. It also has front grip serrations and check out the beavertail.

http://www.paraord.com/product/product.html?id=32

This one is more of a traditional 1911 with hammer, trigger and beavertail. It's advantage is weight, coming in 6oz lighter than the other pistol. No grip serrations and I would have to carry it cocked and locked.

http://www.paraord.com/product/product.html?id=110

Kimber makes a good micro as well as Springfield but at $900-$1000 it's out of my price range. I looked at the Kahr P45 and it's wider than the Para's I looked at.

[Overkill]

MHO on carry guns and your choices in particular.

First off, I think realistically most people need two guns. They need a full duty caliber, compact version of a full sized duty gun. This is a gun that will be worn on the belt and for all practical purposes (capacity, accuracy, controlability) be within spitting distance of the full size counterpart. Secondly, they need a hideout gun of some sort. We're talking about a gun that can be pocketed, carred on the ankle, or in thunderwear or some such thing. For this gun you want as much cartridge and shootability as you can get without busting out of the size envelope.

On your choices....

I dont really like the 45 micro1911s. First off, the 45 is a lot of very good things....but size efficient is not one of them. If you were designing a gun from a blank slate for concealment, would you build it around the widest of the PDW cartridges ever commonly used? In 40 or 10mm those same guns would hold one or two more rounds; which doesnt seem like a lot, but when you're only talking about 6 to begin with, its a lot percentage wise. Second, it seems like most designs, and 1911s in particular, reliability is proportional to how much the gun has been shrunk from its full size. So, if you're going to carry this particular gun on the belt, I think a Glock 30 at 9+1, a glock 29 at 10+1 of 10mm, or a glock 23 at 13+1 of 40, or a 19 at 15+1 of 9mm are better choices at half the price, stone cold reliable, and impervious to sweat, lint and abuse. If you're all about the 1911, I think you'd find that a commander sized gun would conceal just as readily on the belt as the micro, would be more shootable, carry more ammo in 45, even more in 40, and have better parts, holster, accessory and gun smithing support. When you're talking about belt carry as soon as you're small enough to conceal under a t-shirt there's no advantage to being any smaller, only disadvantage.

For you smaller hideout gun. I really like the MK and PM Kahr's. They have good triggers, good sights, good power, and they're right at the top edge of the size envelope. Best in class IMHO.

One other thing to consider about your primary carry belt gun. The gun should be sufficiently shootable that you would not hesitate to take it to a multi day tactical training class where you'll fire many hundred of rounds a day. Would you pack up that baby para, a thousand rounds, and a clutch of magazines and head off to Thunder Ranch for 4 days comfortable and confident in your choice of weapon for the class?

[RPMartin]

I carry a .357 snubby in a cross draw rig.

Light easy to get to and very effective. 125 hollow points at very high velocity.

I compete with an auto loader... My life is bet on a revolver!

RPM

[North]

Just picked up a Taurus PT140 it has a single action type light trigger, but with true double action second strike ability. 10+1 rounds of 40S&W.

[SinistralRifleman]

I think it's important that your carry guns be as similar in operation to all the other handguns you shoot all the time as possible.

I open carry a Glock 34 with X200 most of the time here in AZ, and I pocket carry a Glock 26. When I want to Conceal carry only I just take off the glock 34 and leave the 26 in my pocket. I have 2 Identical Glock 34s, one I shoot for competition most often, and the carry gun I use for competition less regularly.

[Pstmstr]

I have tried a ton of carry guns and always come back to a J frame. My current CCW is a 340 pd with Crimson Trace laser grips. The 405 model with the air pocket on the backstrap conceals very easily and makes shooting the little j frame a lot more tolerable. I carry the Gold Dot 135 gr .357 in it and can put 5 rounds on a small paper plate pretty quickly. I also have a Glock 26 that gets carried occasionally. A friend and I recently conducted a wet pack test and I was convinced the j frame can do the job when compared to 9mm rds. All gave nice penetration and uniform expansion, the .38 and .357 rds performed just as well out of the 340. I hardly notice it's there and it prints much less than a semi auto.

[fryeg7]

i almost always carry a CZ75 of some sort, usually a P-01, and a full-size back-up mag. a P-01 is roughly the size and weight of a glock 19 and holds 14 in the mag. it's comfortable/light enough to go everywhere with me and disappears on my hip even with just shorts and a t-shirt.

if i have to dress up and tuck a shirt in, i carry a bulgarian makarov on my ankle. 9x18 isn't the best defensive caliber, but it beats a blank . . . .

as for caliber choice, any caliber that will push a HP in and out of an attacker is sufficient (12"+ ballistic gel). 9x18mak will not, so i carry FMJ in that pistol. i really need to get a 9mm pocket gun . . . .

frye

Edited May 27, 2007 by fryeg7

[zhunter]

I carry my 5" .45 1911 year round. Like IMA45DV8, concealment is more about the grip than the barrel length. I HATE a short grip for shooting. Might be good for concealment, but if needed, well, I prefer to have something I know I can shoot effectively, so......

I carry my PSSD Blaster on a regular basis.

[Nemo]

I've carried the following (in chronos order):

Beretta 21

Witness Subcompact 9mm

Colt Special Combat Government

Glock 22

Glock 23

Glock 27

Glock 30

Glock 36

XD40SC

Of all of those the most comfortable and comforting was the G36, but it was still bigger and heavier than what I wanted to carry.

I recently settled with my little 642 Airweight, it's a lot easier to carry than any auto I've used, thus it never gets left behind. Add a $15 Mika pocket holster and a Bianchi speed strip in another pocket and listo.

[Hank Ellis]

I'm a J-frame guy.

Thought long about what I wear and where I go. Off work I'm a t-shirts and shorts guy. Dressing up means I put on a clean t-shirt with something more PC than my drop zone wear. The only time I wear a suit is at weddings, funerals, and court appearances. None of which is a frequent occurance. At work is your standard issue work uniform you see your car mechanic in with a belt. Since I work at an airport and guns and airports don't mix well, it's a not a concern.

My lifestyle doesn't lead me to high risk situations where an arm is needed. I don't head through the 'hood and I'll avoid a firefight with MS 13 by not going near their turf. So high cap firepower though nice, is not a requirement.

So what I wanted is something that will be carried all the time, every time, every day. Something small. Something controlable. A Smith 642 was my choice. Yes, there are other autos that have a similiar profile that can pocket carry. But I wanted something that I didn't have to think about in a social situation. Just point and click.

But as we all know those J-frames although easy to shoot, are not easy to shoot well. Practice, practice and more practice. In the beginning I put together some real bunny fart loads in the area of 400fps with a 125gr bullet and those taught me trigger control and followthough. I've since worked up to 750fps with a 125gr bullet for practice. Carry ammo is Speer 135gr Gold Dot short barrel.