What are your primary considerations in gun selection for CCW?

For those who are concerned about concealability, try a "tuckable" IWB holster. I make my own, but you can make one from any IWB holster. I cut two strips of heavy Kydex, each about 6" long and about 1" wide. Round the ends. Then heat and fold the tip of one end over, then heat again and fold again to make a "reverse J". Drill a hole in the other end, and attach the two "reverse Js" to the holster with Chicago screws. The screws go through the holster, near the bottom tip, one on each side of the barrel or slide.

Dress normally, with your shirt tucked in, but your belt a little loose. Pull out your shirt tail on the strong side, and shove the holster between pants and skin. The outside folds of the "reverse Js" go outside the pants, gliding over the belt and click in place. Your holster is now inside your pants and firmly attached to your belt.

Insert the gun, pull the shirt over the gun and holster, and tuck the shirt into the space between holster and pants. Position the holstered gun the way you want it and cinch up your belt. "Blouse" your shirt -- pull out 2-3" of cloth and let it hang down naturally -- and the gun disappears!

Trunk Monkey said:

What are your primary considerations in gun selection for CCW?

Compatablity. ... There's not a huge learning curve switching between the two.

So what are your primary considerations when selecting a carry gun?

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I think you're exactly right here, and it's an often-overlooked reason for selecting a CCW. My most-fired handgun is an HK P30 V1, and my CCW is an HK P30SK V1. I know the trigger pull, I know the magazine release, and I know how they point. There are some minor differences to how they handle, but I feel completely confident switching between the two.

JudgeHolden10 said:

I think you're exactly right here, and it's an often-overlooked reason for selecting a CCW. My most-fired handgun is an HK P30 V1, and my CCW is an HK P30SK V1. I know the trigger pull, I know the magazine release, and I know how it points. There are some minor differences to how they handle, but I feel completely confident switching between the two.

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Good point. I do find when I choose a CCW platform I convert essentially all my range and competition time to the same type/manual of arms to match. Partially due to my quasi OCD, partially to just keep things consistent between carry/training/competition.

Usually the distinction is either Glocks or SAO guns with 1911-like safeties (namely 1911s and SIG SAO or BHP)

I am certainly not an expert, but, for me, it's concealability, then stopping power. I like to wear cargo shorts, many times even in the winter. so I love the Sig P238, 380 pistol. My large hands can get a good grip on it, so I shoot it pretty accurately. I know many will go, ooh stopping poer with a 380, but my other option is a .22lr.

reliable, accurate, concealable, comfortable, warranty, aftermarket and OEM support, and then appearance.

Reliability first.
Double action capable, just incase. If auto loader.
Secure initial grip position.
Target reaquire ease.

I look at where I am going, what I will be doing and what kind of possible circumstances I could face. In other words, if I plan to go out at night in a larger urban area, I want a lot of rounds so I carry my Glock 19 and at least 1 extra magazine for a reload. If I plan to run to the local drive up restaurant for some fast food and I'm not planning to get out of the vehicle, I'll carry my XDS 4.0 and a spare mag. Sometimes I carry my .45 Shield instead of my XDS and a spare magazine. The key is that I think ahead of possible trouble and try to be ready for anything in some fashion.

Whatever strikes my fancy on any particular day. Choices are good.

golfer_ray said:

I am certainly not an expert, but, for me, it's concealability, then stopping power. I like to wear cargo shorts, many times even in the winter. so I love the Sig P238, 380 pistol. My large hands can get a good grip on it, so I shoot it pretty accurately. I know many will go, ooh stopping poer with a 380, but my other option is a .22lr.

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The fact that it's comfortable in your hand and you can shoot it accurately speaks volumes about it being the right gun for you.

I have nothing bad to say about Glock and I'm sorry I didn't buy one instead of the M9A3, my SD gun has to have either history or NATO approved.
1911 - History
Beretta 92 - History and NATO approved

My SD weapons must be combat proven (history), +P rated, have a considerable police force approval (LAPD, CPD, APD etc), be of a major caliber (9-45), easily operated (not more than one safety be it decocker or hammer safety latch), no magazine disconnector or key lock, no magazine butt release, no internal customization other than perhaps springs.
For years after my retirement from LE my go to guns were revolvers but my thinking has changed since and my two favorite handguns (MKIII & 1911) are no longer suitable, the first because they are no longer manufactured and used are at premium prices, the second because of lower magazine count, 25 rounds of 45 vs 52 of 9mm (2 spare mags in each case).
If I was to carry just one handgun for all purposes it would be a G19x (and I don't like striker fire) but for those with small hands a G19 is just as good. It may not have enough history nor combat proven on the same level as others, but it is carried by more soldiers I know as personal weapons and certainly police officers than most other handguns. It is NATO approved, will fire +p, is simple to operate and extremely reliable. It is light enough, compact enough, large enough capacity, built to field tolerances, accepts multiple types of equipment and is easily repaired. Glock was created 37 years ago but I've only recently decided that it really fits most of my needs. The 19 and 30 are perfectly sized but I've invested too much in my M9A3 to change things now.
Having said that I still carry both my J frames a lot but no longer K frame or my Ruger Vaqueros which have jammed up due to sand or primers or bullet seating and needed to partially disassemble them just to get the offender out. 6 for sure never was.
Actually my mostest favoritest handgun is the CZ83 but the caliber lacks sufficient energy for me to carry confidently.

DAO

Most recently I bought a newer model based on being lightweight, a slim profile, 3" barrel, and at least 9mm. The XDE is DA on the first shot only, and that works okay for me.

1. Safety in carrying. That's my number one consideration. To be sure, it's not a factor of the gun alone, but also the holster, location, method, everything about how it works and how I carry it. That all has to result in something that's safe.

2. Action-type. Because of consideration number 1, different action types are going to have different requirements. I wouldn't just drop a no-safety striker auto in my pocket. I wouldn't carry a single-action condition 3 without training to disengage and re-engage the safety. I wouldn't carry a DA without learning the trigger control needed. So my consideration number two is which set of requirements I'm going to accept as determined by the action type.

3. Shootability. This is a consideration about how difficult a firearm is for me to operate well under stress. Guns too small, too light, with too much recoil, difficult sights, poor trigger, and so on are going to negatively affect shootability.

4. Effectiveness. It's important that it's more than a .22 short. This is important to state because the effectiveness of the chambering has to be balanced with shootability. I'll just leave it at that. There's more to effectiveness than just the chambering. There are also the capacity and rate of fire. Capacity can be balanced with the chambering (ie. 9mm vs. .40). With regard to rate of fire, my consideration would be the single action revolver's slow rate except under the best conditions with two hands.

5. Lead safety. Because I train with what I carry, it's important to me my gun isn't exposing me to lead toxins. Hopefully, this will be a non-issue with respect to firearm selection when Federal releases lead-free large pistol primers as they've suggested they will. For now, lead-free primers are only available to me in small pistol and small rifle. Therefore this does affect my choices in chamberings, although it really only excludes 10mm and big-bore magnum revolver chamberings other than .454 Casull. I have to mention it because this issue has caused me to forgo considering .41 Magnum for example.


What are not considerations for me:

1. Concealability. Unless it's almost as big as a carbine, I just don't have any trouble concealing it.

2. Reliability. This should certainly be a concern, but I believe this is more of a concern about an individual gun whether it functions correctly or is damaged or defective. I don't see it as a factor in the selection of a type or model.

3. Weight. Although weight is a factor in shootability, heavy guns tend to be easier to shoot well. The balance of the gun is also important to shootability. The weight as a factor just for carrying is not a concern of mine unless it starts to weigh as much as a rifle.

4. Accuracy. I haven't shot an inaccurate gun yet.

G19x, 'nuff said!

When considering a CCW choice there are only two additional factors I find important; ease of concealing and ease of presentation. Other than those two factors all other considerations are common to any handgun choice.

jar said:

When considering a CCW choice there are only two additional factors I find important; ease of concealing and ease of presentation. Other than those two factors all other considerations are common to any handgun choice.

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Interesting way to put it... I agree mostly as most other things that come to mind would hold true for any gun I consider purchasing. However, you don't prefer a particular manual of arms in your CCW that you are more flexible with on range guns? For instance, I won't carry a manual safety, but I still enjoy shooting 1911s. Just curious.

SCMikeyP said:

Interesting way to put it... I agree mostly as most other things that come to mind would hold true for any gun I consider purchasing. However, you don't prefer a particular manual of arms in your CCW that you are more flexible with on range guns? For instance, I won't carry a manual safety, but I still enjoy shooting 1911s. Just curious.

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I don't prefer any particular manual of arms. Human are a flexible, reprogrammable, multipurpose tool. If it's a revolver I am comfortable with push to open cylinder, pull to open cylinder, latch behind cylinder, before cylinder, pull out ejector to open cylinder. I'm comfortable with safety up, safety down or no safety. I like decocker up, down or on frame in front of grip. I like button mag releases, paddle mag releases, heel mag releases. In any defensive pistol whether CCW or Open Carry I prefer ambi safety and decocker and if available magazine release.

Now if a hammer is going to make presentation more difficult then I choose a shrouded hammer or flush mount hammer. But if I will be carrying in a hip instead of a pocket holster then hammers are a non-issue. If a set of grips are going to make presentation difficult then I choose a different set of grips.

If you practice with a given gun then you can rapidly adapt to a different manual of arms provided you have also practiced with it.

jar said:

I don't prefer any particular manual of arms. Human are a flexible, reprogrammable, multipurpose tool. If it's a revolver I am comfortable with push to open cylinder, pull to open cylinder, latch behind cylinder, before cylinder, pull out ejector to open cylinder. I'm comfortable with safety up, safety down or no safety. I like decocker up, down or on frame in front of grip. I like button mag releases, paddle mag releases, heel mag releases. In any defensive pistol whether CCW or Open Carry I prefer ambi safety and decocker and if available magazine release.

Now if a hammer is going to make presentation more difficult then I choose a shrouded hammer or flush mount hammer. But if I will be carrying in a hip instead of a pocket holster then hammers are a non-issue. If a set of grips are going to make presentation difficult then I choose a different set of grips.

If you practice with a given gun then you can rapidly adapt to a different manual of arms provided you have also practiced with it.

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But Youtube Experts says under stress I'll turn into a bumbling mess with no fine motor control at all!

Though I can appreciate their line of thinking, I tend to agree with you that in the end if you practice with it, you can handle more diversity than most "experts" say someone under stress can handle.

SCMikeyP said:

But Youtube Experts says under stress I'll turn into a bumbling mess with no fine motor control at all!

Though I can appreciate their line of thinking, I tend to agree with you that in the end if you practice with it, you can handle more diversity than most "experts" say someone under stress can handle.

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A fireman responds to a fire. It's about as high stress a situation as can be imagined. They have a variety of tools available and in many cases several versions of similar tools. They try to use the best tool for any situation but when necessary they use the tool they have rather than the best tool for the job that is back on the pumper.

I once fell through a roof into a burning home. No ladder was available to get me out but somehow I managed to rather expeditiously climb up the handle of a lowered pick axe. A Detroit Door Opener was the preferred tool to open locked doors quickly before we had neat hydraulic tools like the "Jaws of Life" yet I never met anyone who could not learn to use both the former and the latter.

If someone only practices to succeed they will almost certainly fail. The idea is to practice for failure; what do you do if you pull the cylinder release and it does not swing out? What do you do if the mag does NOT drop free? What do you do with the tool that you do have? If you plan for failure then you will have a better chance if handling those nasty things that do crop up.

Just remember, there will still be a failure you did not practice. When that happens slow down and deal with it and fall back on plan b or c or d or ...

Trunk Monkey said:

You know they make other calibers right?

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No, I use the 22lr for home and car defense. Just kidding, I own (probably) too many other calibers, but just not to carry.