Whats Your Favorite Concealed Carry Handgun ?

heefageLA

heefageLA

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Feb 2, 2015
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Im taking a Safety Shooting course tomorrow morning and I will soon have my CCL.
Im looking at getting my first Concealed Carry handgun and am pretty ignorant to whats out there.

Right now a Colt Defender in 9mm is really catching my eye. :D

I already own a Beretta M9A1 and love that gun dearly, but its not up to par on the 'concealable' point.
Im not opposed to a revolver, but ive never shot one.

The one thing I will say, is that I do not want a polymer/plastic handgun. Im sure you all will burn me for saying that, but my dad has a Glock 17 and I cant stand it!

What small sized pistols do you carry?
What do you like about them?
If you could purchase any compact handgun what would it be?

Thanks for the input. I look forward to the feedback.
 
My favorite of the ones I own is my Sig P290 RS 9mm, but it has a plastic frame, so not for you. If money were no object I would like a Kimber Ultra Carry in .45.
 
mqqn made a good point a while back. Fancy expensive guns are nice to own, but if you ever have reason to use it you will probably never see it again. That's one reason I like my Sig, it's a high quality piece, but only cost $419, and I've seen them on sale for $399.
 
On the flip side a more expensive gun often shoots better. My S&W Bodyguard works great, but my dad's mini-Sig makes shooting accurately seem easy. Remember, you need to practice with said gun so you will be firing it other than in case of trouble. I had to add a cushioned grip to the bodyguard to make it comfortable to shoot, while the SIG is wonderful without mods.
 
I have two major ones that rotate carry time. Glock 19 and Springfield xds. The xds disappears on my thin frame.

I'm not a big fan of anything smaller than 9mm. However, I do carry a Kahr cw380 when the other two aren't viable.
 
Maybe consider how you want to carry, and then work backwards from there. I have done only pocket carry for the last 10 years, preceded by maybe 15 years in IWB. If you do pocket carry, that will much limit your options. My pocket carry guns include Glock 43 (primary), S&W 442, Kahr PM9, Ruger LCP and Kel-tec PF9.

Many newbies get a mid or largish pistol, carry it for a short while and then stop carrying it once the newness wears off. I would encourage you to find something that you can easily carry all day, every day, for the rest of your life. It won't do you any good if you leave it at home. This may mean a smaller gun, but a smaller gun that you have with you shoots way better than a larger gun that you left at home. Just my take on things.
 
powernoodle said:
Maybe consider how you want to carry, and then work backwards from there. I have done only pocket carry for the last 10 years, preceded by maybe 15 years in IWB. If you do pocket carry, that will much limit your options. My pocket carry guns include Glock 43 (primary), S&W 442, Kahr PM9, Ruger LCP and Kel-tec PF9.

Many newbies get a mid or largish pistol, carry it for a short while and then stop carrying it once the newness wears off. I would encourage you to find something that you can easily carry all day, every day, for the rest of your life. It won't do you any good if you leave it at home. This may mean a smaller gun, but a smaller gun that you have with you shoots way better than a larger gun that you left at home. Just my take on things.
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That's a good point and ive thought a little about that already. Im a fan of Beretta and have looked at the Tomcat 3032 for a pocket-able pistol, but after reading about the frame cracking right at the ejection port it kind of threw me off a little.
 
Congrats on taking the steps towards your CCL. My biggest recommendation for "What to Carry?" Is to try as many handguns as you can. This will eliminate a lot based on how they feel in hand, how they feel during firing and personal taste.

I fully agree with Powernoodle about considering how you're going to carry. I pocket carried for 6-7 years (Smith & Wesson 642 and Ruger LCP w/laser guard), but switched to appendix IWB (Kahr PM-9 w/laser guard in a Garrett Silent Thunder) a couple of years ago. My work attire is Business Casual, so I can dress around the gun somewhat. I usually wear khakis and a tucked Polo shirt and my current carry rig conceals well. A big consideration for me was ease of on/off. I carry everyday, but often work in schools and hospitals, so it was important for me to be able to remove it easily in the car without being a contorsionist.

Also, don't be so quick to dismiss all polymer framed models due to your dislike of the Glock 17. Glocks have a distinct "feel" that work for some, but not all. Based on personal experience I recommend giving the Kahr models a try. I love my PM-9 and shoot it much more accurately than my Glock 19.
 
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For the past few years I have mostly carried a 1911 Commander but around the first of the year I started carrying my 442. It's compact, light weight, reliable and rides well in my front pocket. I carry a couple of extra speed strips in my other pocket.

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Favorite? Hands down, my '98, pre series-II, Kimber "Compact Custom" 1911 that I had further customized, and then everything that could be, was DLC-coated at IonBond. Screws, pins, sights, barrel, everything. :cool: Steel frame, shorter officer's grip, and short barrel. Perfect sized CCW! :D :thumbup: That's why so many are copying these specs now.





However, for less than half the money (actually, almost a third after everything I have into the Kimber :foot:), I now most often find myself carrying my Springfield stainless XD-s.



I just wish the XD-s had come out sooner. Would have saved me from buying the PF-9's... :rolleyes:



Finally, I still occasionally carry my Springfield stainless XD sub-compact in .40. It was my first CCW weapon, before all of the pocket 9's really hit the scene. It's still a great pistol, and shoots extremely well for me, despite the 3" barrel. Nice, hand-filling grip, especially with the extended magazine. Sorry, I don't seem to have any pics of this one in my bucket. :foot:

All of the above mentioned CCW pistols ride in Milt Sparks VM-2 holsters (as seen with the XD-s). Cannot say enough good things about these excellent CCW holsters!!! :thumbup: If you've never tried one, do yourself a favor and get on the waiting list!!! IMO, there is NO better CCW holster, and I've tried a lot of the "better" ones out there.

ETA: Oops. I thought this was in the Busse subforum. :eek: Oh well, enjoy anyway. Hello JK folks! :D
 
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Mine is my Beretta px4 storm 40 love it I'm a lefty so the ambidextrous options rock and it packs a punch
 
I carry a micro desert eagle or a glock 17 with the frame cut down to the size of a 26. The micro is a cool little gun and is easy to carry all the time due to its small size. I usually just throw it in my pocket under my wallet (front pocket). The glock goes appendix iwb with a kydex trigger guard cover attatched to my belt with some 550 cord.
 

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A lot of nice suggestions here. The best idea is to spend time and money, and go to a range that rents guns and try some out. That worked well for me and Connie, it cost money, but was a lot better than buying and finding out it just did not work well for our purposes. I've been shooting for over 40 years, but what works for me might not for you. Take your time and choose the one that's best for you.
 
Wow! Thanks so much guys. Ive got alot to look at here.
Im excited about the class in a few hours. Ive never shot in a controlled/instructed environment before.

So far whats peaking my interest is a Kahr mk9, Colt Defender 9, and a Kimber Ultra Carry .380.

I havent looked at to many revolvers. Im hoping ill get a chance to shoot one today. :D

Ill have to search for a range close to me that rents guns to try also.

Thanks all for the awesome input. It gives me alot to think about!
 
So far all I have experience with is my glock 19. I couldn't be happier with it. I wanted something small enough to conceal but large enough for a good 3 finger grip.
The next time I go to the range I'm going to rent whatever they have in a 38 snub. I've been eyeing the Ruger lcr(?)and SW 642 a lot lately but I'm still a little hesitant about the smaller grips. I tried a friends single stack 9mm Taurus, and that thing feels like it was going to jump straight out of my hand.
I have also considered a Ruger SP101, but I don't ever see myself loading it with .357.
 
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