Kalindras
Member
So, tomorrow I go for my CCL class, and I'm trying to decide just what I'll be carrying, once I'm official. As is, I have nothing but big ole' clunky guns (that make very satisfyingly loud BOOMs and nice, tight groups)--a 1911, Baby Eagle, Birdshead .45, and Security Six.
I'm looking at three options, right now, and trying to decide, so I'm hoping that the fine folks at THR (and TFL, where I'll also post this) can offer me their insights, in case I'm missing something. I've done the prerequisite searches here and at TFL, but either there's too little or too much on these specifics, so here goes...
The background:
The pieces I'm looking at for CCW are as follows:
1) The Kel-Tec .380 ($250)
2) The Kel-Tec 9mm ($280 or so)
2) The Bersa Thunder .380 ($240)
3) A used Charles Daly Commander-style 1911 .45ACP ($350-$399)
The concerns:
1) The Kel-Tec just LOOKS like a toy. I mean, it's TINY!! I worry that being that small, it's gonna HURT when I practice, which means I won't, which means I won't be familiar...
2) Is the .380 cartridge just too small for the job? I worry that 9mm from such a small gun is going to get hard to manage--but would you trust your life to a .380, even at up-close-and-personal range? Can you compensate for size with ammo?
3) I'd snap up the CD .45 in a heartbeat, but I've heard such, er, wonderful things about Charles Daly pistols. Are they really that bad? And if they aren't, that seems a bit high for a used one...is it?
4) The Bersa comes well-recommended, but I'm wondering about accessories (this is where my wife comes in...her advice? "Which one has the most stuff for it?" Women...always accessorising!! ); will the Bersa Thunder fit holsters for the PPK? They seem about the same, although I've not seen them side-by-side. Failing that, what's the aftermarket like for them? Grips, sights, mags, and so forth?
Enquiring minds wanna know!! And, as always, TIA for anything you can give me on this.
I'm looking at three options, right now, and trying to decide, so I'm hoping that the fine folks at THR (and TFL, where I'll also post this) can offer me their insights, in case I'm missing something. I've done the prerequisite searches here and at TFL, but either there's too little or too much on these specifics, so here goes...
The background:
The pieces I'm looking at for CCW are as follows:
1) The Kel-Tec .380 ($250)
2) The Kel-Tec 9mm ($280 or so)
2) The Bersa Thunder .380 ($240)
3) A used Charles Daly Commander-style 1911 .45ACP ($350-$399)
The concerns:
1) The Kel-Tec just LOOKS like a toy. I mean, it's TINY!! I worry that being that small, it's gonna HURT when I practice, which means I won't, which means I won't be familiar...
2) Is the .380 cartridge just too small for the job? I worry that 9mm from such a small gun is going to get hard to manage--but would you trust your life to a .380, even at up-close-and-personal range? Can you compensate for size with ammo?
3) I'd snap up the CD .45 in a heartbeat, but I've heard such, er, wonderful things about Charles Daly pistols. Are they really that bad? And if they aren't, that seems a bit high for a used one...is it?
4) The Bersa comes well-recommended, but I'm wondering about accessories (this is where my wife comes in...her advice? "Which one has the most stuff for it?" Women...always accessorising!! ); will the Bersa Thunder fit holsters for the PPK? They seem about the same, although I've not seen them side-by-side. Failing that, what's the aftermarket like for them? Grips, sights, mags, and so forth?
Enquiring minds wanna know!! And, as always, TIA for anything you can give me on this.