First time EDC recommendation

Hog huntin Harry said:

After taking in consideration y'all's advise and ammo prices, I'm gonna go with the g2c.

Click to expand...

I hope it works out for you. The two we had in classes were very unreliable, but it's possible they were outliers. Make sure you put plenty of ammo through it before trusting it and keep it well lubed.

Safton said:

Indeed.

On the point of ammo prices; even though I advocated for an LEO trade-in G22/G23 earlier, a G2C in 9mm is by no means a bad choice. Honestly, in your shoes, I'd probably go for 9mm as well. Even though .40 is a buyer's market right now, I don't expect it to last forever. 9mm is a good investment for ensuring cheap practice ammo and it's not like it won't do the job with proper ammo selection and shot placement... against hogs or bad guys.

Click to expand...

I had a bit of an epiphany about 9mm during a combat course I recently participated in. I have always been a 'big bore' guy, but finally learned to appreciate the 9mm for its' own strengths.
After a small amount of enlightenment on how to utilize those strengths, I am a fan of the 9mm in just about any sd scenario. Man or beast.

IMO an a good EDC gun may not translate into a good hog defense gun.

So many threads on this forum claim you need a shotgun loaded with slugs or a .44 Magnum to stop big boars but in this thread a small 9mm semi-auto is being recommend, I don't get it? I'm not confident a 9mm round from a small handgun will penetrate the thick shoulder plate and stop a charging 250+ lb hog.

If I needed a handgun for hog defense it would be a .357 Magnum revolver loaded with JSP bullets or hard cast SWC bullets. Just my opinion.

ArchAngelCD said:

IMO an a good EDC gun may not translate into a good hog defense gun.

So many threads on this forum claim you need a shotgun loaded with slugs or a .44 Magnum to stop big boars but in this thread a small 9mm semi-auto is being recommend, I don't get it? I'm not confident a 9mm round from a small handgun will penetrate the thick shoulder plate and stop a charging 250+ lb hog.

If I needed a handgun for hog defense it would be a .357 Magnum revolver loaded with JSP bullets or hard cast SWC bullets. Just my opinion.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't go out hunting large hogs specifically with nothing but a 9mm, but it will absolutely do the job if pressed into the role of defending oneself -- provided the user does their part, which I think is an important distinction. Bear in mind that the largest hog on record was dropped by a plucky guy with a .38 Special.

There was a Gen 4 G23 posted at gun.deals for $340.99. I would link you directly to the deal but there is a code you have to put in to get that price. I know it is slightly above your budget but I believe it is a good deal & I would favor 40 over 9 for your stated purpose. In all honesty I believe .357 Magnum or 10mm would be better yet. I just don't believe I would want to use a short barreled 9mm for this purpose. (IIRC the Taurus G2c has about a 3.01" barrel).

If I were going to use a 9mm there are several quality pistols that have longer barrels that can be had for under $300. I would be concerned about adequate penetration.

My recommendation for any first-time carrier is the same. Go to a range and that lets you rent and try out different handguns shoot as many of them as you can and then buy the one that's in your price range that you are most accurate and most comfortable (like physically comfortable holding and with recoil you can manage). It will make your life a lot easier starting from a point of natural accuracy and comfort.