First CCW Pistol

rent some at a local range. see which one you like. hard to go wrong with so many options. just consider reliability, especially of the diamondback. i really like my ruger lc9s, but to each his own. reliability is a big deal with CCW for me. and don't forget training, training, and more training.

If you're used to double action revolvers, a 10 lb trigger pull won't give you any problems. I'd probably opt for the SCCY over the Diamondback, mostly based on forum reviews concerning reliability of the DB9. But I don't know a whole lot about either of those guns.

I thought the SCYY was hammer fired too. 10lbs on a striker short of a NY Glock trigger doesnt make sense to me.

Of the two, I would opt for the SCYY. I haven't heard many good things about the DB other than they are inexpensive and more pocket friendly that other 9mm guns.

Check out the Kahr CW9. Can be had on sale at cheaper than dirt for $249 right now. I've had this for several years now and love it. Always been flawless.
Its thin at less than 1" wide, DAO, striker, 7rd mag. I'd call it mid size. Big enough for the hand, small enough for concealment.

if you are used to da revolvers, why not a 38 or 327 snubbie as a ccw? im not being critical, just curious. indeed, im a revolver guy but do like a semiauto naa guardian 32acp or taurus pt25acp ply if i must unobtrusively pocket ccw. if my ccw can be holstered based on dress and locale then i like a snubbie because most of my practice is with revolvers. again, just wondering...

WildeKurt said:

I'm considering buying my first CCW pistol and have narrowed it down to two moderately priced 9mm: DiamondBack DB9 and the SCCY CPX-2. The SCYY is a little larger mostly in thickness but has a greater capacity (10 vs 6 rounds) both are DAO. The SCCY is striker fired and the DB has a hammer. Both seem to have favorable reviews. I'm leaning toward the SCCY but notice the trigger pull of the DB is 6lbs vs 10 for the SCCY. Now I am used to shooting DA revolvers however have never measured the trigger pulls of any that I have. Not sure if I should lean toward the DB9 due to it's lower trigger pull. Any opinions?

Kurt

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I would rather stick with the original (Kel-Tec P-11) rather than a copy (the SCCY CPX)

The CPX's are hammer fired.

The DB9 is quite a bit smaller in the flesh.

Both are questionable as far as reliability.


IMO there are better options out there for a little more money.

I don't think there's a need to lighten the trigger pull of a DAO ccw. Again, the Kahr is very smooth, very reliable. I had never heard of them before researching my first ccw. Apparently the police have been using Kahr for years as back ups.

If you're a revolver guy I don't think you would have a problem with the Scyy. I haven't shot one but I have dry fired one & the trigger didn't seem that bad to me. I had a Kel-Tec P-11 (the gun Scyy copied) & its trigger was long & catchy. The Kel-Tec felt like you were dragging the trigger through gravel. Once I got used to it the Kel-Tec was okay though. I have no experience with the Diamondback but I don't believe I have read much positive about them on the forum boards. I honestly don't know about them.

If you want something inexpensive & not tiny but smallish you might look at the Taurus PT-111 Millennium G2. It is roughly the same length as a G-26 & height as a G-19 & holds 12 rounds of 9mm If you dig around online they can be found for around $200 shipped. There are a lot of other good options if you are willing to spend a little more. I believe the Sccy would work for you but I would say take your time & do your research. You may find a better option.

WildeKurt said:

I'm considering buying my first CCW pistol and have narrowed it down to two moderately priced 9mm: DiamondBack DB9 and the SCCY CPX-2.

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I would not go for the bottom of the barrel offerings. If you insist on a DAO, get SIG P290 for a single stack or SIG P250 for the double stack. It's like Mom said, "we aren't rich enough to buy cheap things."

I own a CPX 2. For an inexpensive pistol, I have been quite pleased. It eats everything I feed it, from ra neg reloads to commercial defense rounds. This gun has worked flawlessly, with about 600 rounds thru it. Trigger pull, while a bit heavy, is reasonably smooth. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. I have no experience with the Diamondback. If you can find a range that has them, try both and see which suits you best. Neither of these is a Sig or a Kimber, butat less than. 1/2 the cost, not a bad 1st carry gun. You can always upgrade in the future if you like.

In my opinion, the S&W Shields are on sale now through PSA.

I just picked up a Kahr CM9 from Cabellas for $299. The first hundered rounds were flawless (no malfunctions). I looked seriously at the DB9 but went for the CM9 due to it's reputation. The KelTec Pf9 also seems to have several devoted fans.

I am very pleased with my CM9... It is a little smaller than a CW9 and about as big as I would want to pocket carry.

I don't understand all the fuss over trigger pull. For a target or competition pistol; sure I appreciate a crisp light trigger. But for a carry gun I don't even notice the differences in trigger pull. As long as the trigger pull is followed by a loud boom I am satisfied!

A Kahr CM9 would get my vote too for a reliable, easy to use DAO semi-auto for concealed carry.

FL-NC writes:

In my opinion, the S&W Shields are on sale now through PSA.

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Is that just your opinion? Or are they really on sale now through PSA?

bannockburn said:

A Kahr CM9 would get my vote too for a reliable, easy to use DAO semi-auto for concealed carry.

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MikeInOr said:

I just picked up a Kahr CM9 from Cabellas for $299. The first hundered rounds were flawless (no malfunctions). I looked seriously at the DB9 but went for the CM9 due to it's reputation. The KelTec Pf9 also seems to have several devoted fans.

I am very pleased with my CM9... It is a little smaller than a CW9 and about as big as I would want to pocket carry.

I don't understand all the fuss over trigger pull. For a target or competition pistol; sure I appreciate a crisp light trigger. But for a carry gun I don't even notice the differences in trigger pull. As long as the trigger pull is followed by a loud boom I am satisfied!

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Kahr.

If you are buying a gun for defending you and your family, buying a low price inexpensive carry gun IMO is a bad idea. For the most part I believe you get what you pay for when it comes to guns.

Jack B. said:

If you are buying a gun for defending you and your family, buying a low price inexpensive carry gun IMO is a bad idea. For the most part I believe you get what you pay for when it comes to guns.

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Just because something is not expensive doesn't mean its bad, and vice versa.
In my quest to find my ccw, I included Kimber... But after reading many reviews citing feed/cycle failures with different types of ammo I decided that spending so much money on a carry gun wasn't necessary.

zaitcev said:

It's like Mom said, "we aren't rich enough to buy cheap things."

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I like that, very true. But cheap and inexpensive are different things. There's another saying " You show your Kimber to your friends; You show your Glock to your enemies"
But in the end, the best advice is " go to a couple ranges and shoot several before making a choice"

Jack B. said:

If you are buying a gun for defending you and your family, buying a low price inexpensive carry gun IMO is a bad idea. For the most part I believe you get what you pay for when it comes to guns.

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Considering you can mail order buy an m&p shield right now for 259.99usd from palmetto armory I'd say anything over that is beyond grossly expensive for a carry gun and don't waste your money. I very seriously doubt anything more expensive is going to be more reliable than the shield. I think they've only sold a couple million of them.

milemaker13 said:

Just because something is not expensive doesn't mean its bad, and vice versa.
In my quest to find my ccw, I included Kimber... But after reading many reviews citing feed/cycle failures with different types of ammo I decided that spending so much money on a carry gun wasn't necessary.

I like that, very true. But cheap and inexpensive are different things. There's another saying " You show your Kimber to your friends; You show your Glock to your enemies"
But in the end, the best advice is " go to a couple ranges and shoot several before making a choice"

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Well said, unfortunately a lot of people cannot mentally distinguish between "cheap" and "inexpensive"...

Very true about some Kimbers (or other high price guns) I saw quite few Jam-O-Matics costing well into 4 figures at the range....

Spats McGee said:

It's not very often that we (here at THR) see "first CC pistol" threads that include DB or SCCY, and I suspect there's a reason for that.

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I guessed that Kurt was dead set on a hammer fired DAO. That's why such an unusual selection, even including Diamondback, a nobody's favourite. As such, a P290RS should fit his requirements.

My thoughts regarding my first ccw changed throughout the search process. In my mind at first was a sa/da auto with all the controls, decocker, safety, etc (M92 anyone? Lol). I came to realize that what I like in a range gun (or any non ccw gun for that matter) is not what I want in ccw.
I ended up wanting something smallish and very thin. I also found I did not want ANY controls to putts with if I ever really need to draw the weapon. No safety, no laser, no exposed hammer. And definitely no hair trigger. No way! The DAO is my choice for all these reasons. In no way do I consider the long, smooth, heavy-ish trigger pull a hindrance... In fact it is perfect in every way.