woad_yurt
Member
I'm a big fan of the P3AT. Really, truly, it is very easy to forget you have it in your pocket. I never go anywhere without it.
Best Concealed Pistol
- Thread starter PeepleMayor
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PeepleMayor
Member
Thanks again for all the great feedback. But to clarify, I don't have a hero complex or hero fantasy. I take Krav Maga self defense because I enjoy it and it's more fun than just running on a treadmill.
The reason I thought of possibly an ankle holster is because I had a friend who was a police officer, and that's where he carried his when he was off duty.
But I definitely agree, spend quality time in instruction, go with the model that is concealable and yet comfortable for me at the same time. I had a friend who is real big into handguns said he thought a SigSaur might be a good choice, or a Walther P57 I THINK that's what he said, but haven't talked to him in a good year. I definitely like the idea of that pocket concealer, as I didn't know they had those. I am not typically in anything other than a short or long sleeve shirt, so I assumed ankle was best way to conceal. But man, only one thread and I got TONS of info, that's so awesome, thanks again everybody!
The reason I thought of possibly an ankle holster is because I had a friend who was a police officer, and that's where he carried his when he was off duty.
But I definitely agree, spend quality time in instruction, go with the model that is concealable and yet comfortable for me at the same time. I had a friend who is real big into handguns said he thought a SigSaur might be a good choice, or a Walther P57 I THINK that's what he said, but haven't talked to him in a good year. I definitely like the idea of that pocket concealer, as I didn't know they had those. I am not typically in anything other than a short or long sleeve shirt, so I assumed ankle was best way to conceal. But man, only one thread and I got TONS of info, that's so awesome, thanks again everybody!
crebralfix
member
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- Mar 7, 2004
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- 1,356
The best option for carry is always in the hand. Second best is somewhere on the belt. I favor appendix carry because it minimizes the distance my hand has to move and I don't have to move my shoulder back. Most folks tend to carry behind the hip. I find pocket carry to be problematic; many pockets don't have a large enough hole to allow the hand to come out freely (or in many cases, get in). You'll need to experiment quite a bit.
Start looking into gun classes. Start with a local range concealed carry class and move from there. Look at Lethal Force Institute; their reputation is excellent. There are many traveling trainers, so look around. Some great names include Tom Givens (his guys are 45-0 so far), SouthNarc (Craig Douglas from shivworks.com), Matt Temkin, Roger Phillips, and so forth. Colorado has an active firearms community; just google around.
Start looking into gun classes. Start with a local range concealed carry class and move from there. Look at Lethal Force Institute; their reputation is excellent. There are many traveling trainers, so look around. Some great names include Tom Givens (his guys are 45-0 so far), SouthNarc (Craig Douglas from shivworks.com), Matt Temkin, Roger Phillips, and so forth. Colorado has an active firearms community; just google around.
Peeplemayor,
A ankle holster only seems lik a good idea until you actually need to draw the weapon. Krav Maga or scruff mcgruff or whatever martial art is only one piece of the picture. Get training from a knowledgeable firearms instructor BEFORE you start buying and carrying weapons. Nothing against police officers, there are lots of them who are very knowledgeable and could give good firearms advice but for many if not most the gun is just another item on the duty belt. The average leo isn't a gun expert.
A ankle holster only seems lik a good idea until you actually need to draw the weapon. Krav Maga or scruff mcgruff or whatever martial art is only one piece of the picture. Get training from a knowledgeable firearms instructor BEFORE you start buying and carrying weapons. Nothing against police officers, there are lots of them who are very knowledgeable and could give good firearms advice but for many if not most the gun is just another item on the duty belt. The average leo isn't a gun expert.
PeepleMayor
Member
Hey Rondog, it's nice to have a neighbor so close. I was doing some searching last night for some shooting ranges so I can just spend some time getting familiar with various models. I've been pheasant hunting and such and played with my grandpa's 22's and colt .44 a few years back, so I'm only new when it comes to knowing differences between models and preferences in the community. But I haven't found anything all that close. Do you know of anything in the Castle Rock, Lone Tree, or Aurora area?
gglass
Member
This is with me 100% of the time. Even when I carry something larger.
My constant companion:
My constant companion:
"Hey guys, what is the best concealable pistol to carry say on an ankle/boot strap under the jeans for personal protection?"
There's no "best" but most will use a 5 shot snub revolver for that. I would never carry a gun like that unless it was a back up gun.
"And my thinking would be to make sure to have a model that allows for the first shot to be an empty chamber for safety wouldn't you think?"
No, I would not.
" I'm a noobie when it comes to firearms, so forgive me for not knowing fully what I'm talking about. I just know what I'm looking for, I'll be attending firearm safety soon so I can apply for a concealed weapons permit."
I would attend course, read up some more via forums, etc, then make decisions on the above. Does not sound like you are quite ready to jump into it yet.
Good luck.
There's no "best" but most will use a 5 shot snub revolver for that. I would never carry a gun like that unless it was a back up gun.
"And my thinking would be to make sure to have a model that allows for the first shot to be an empty chamber for safety wouldn't you think?"
No, I would not.
" I'm a noobie when it comes to firearms, so forgive me for not knowing fully what I'm talking about. I just know what I'm looking for, I'll be attending firearm safety soon so I can apply for a concealed weapons permit."
I would attend course, read up some more via forums, etc, then make decisions on the above. Does not sound like you are quite ready to jump into it yet.
Good luck.
AllAmerican
Member
Keltec P11 for me. Or any other Keltec really. Or the Keltec ripoff above LOL.
Sato Ord
Member
One big thing to remember about concealability (is that a word?) is not the size of the business end of the piece, but the grip.
You can get an inside the pants holster and put a full sized 1911 inside your waistband, but the grip with the ten round magazine is what people will notice under your shirt.
There used to be a gunsmith locally here in Melbourne Fl who cut down the grips on 1911's and made short mags for them for concealed carry. However, with a lot of the new double stacked pistols you don't have to go that route. Besides, I think that guy died of old age a decade ago.
I even considered getting a Glock 27, but they just don't make the ergonomic grip right for my large hands. If they'd just get those damn finger groves off of there they'd be nice pistols, provided you can hang on to a .40 cal that small. Of course, there's always the Glock 26 if you prefer 9mm and have smaller hands.
My point is, you don't have to compromise between caliber and concealability. There are a number of high quality, smaller framed pistols in both 9mm and .40 cal. The only reason to choose something like a .380 is if you personally have problems with the recoil.
I would avoid the small frame 1911 platforms since , in my experience, once you get a 1911 with a barrel shorter than 4" you can have the occasional failure to feed. That's my personal experience, and it's been backed up by quite a few of my 1911 toting friends. That's purely anecdotal, so your mileage may vary. The small frames are nice to play with at the range, and you might consider them as backup only, but if there is even the possibility of an increased chance it will not work, don't bet your life on it.
You can get an inside the pants holster and put a full sized 1911 inside your waistband, but the grip with the ten round magazine is what people will notice under your shirt.
There used to be a gunsmith locally here in Melbourne Fl who cut down the grips on 1911's and made short mags for them for concealed carry. However, with a lot of the new double stacked pistols you don't have to go that route. Besides, I think that guy died of old age a decade ago.
I even considered getting a Glock 27, but they just don't make the ergonomic grip right for my large hands. If they'd just get those damn finger groves off of there they'd be nice pistols, provided you can hang on to a .40 cal that small. Of course, there's always the Glock 26 if you prefer 9mm and have smaller hands.
My point is, you don't have to compromise between caliber and concealability. There are a number of high quality, smaller framed pistols in both 9mm and .40 cal. The only reason to choose something like a .380 is if you personally have problems with the recoil.
I would avoid the small frame 1911 platforms since , in my experience, once you get a 1911 with a barrel shorter than 4" you can have the occasional failure to feed. That's my personal experience, and it's been backed up by quite a few of my 1911 toting friends. That's purely anecdotal, so your mileage may vary. The small frames are nice to play with at the range, and you might consider them as backup only, but if there is even the possibility of an increased chance it will not work, don't bet your life on it.
Sato Ord
Member
Especially since, as I said, it's the grip that really causes the print. You can almost hide a coach gun your waist band if it weren't for the butt stock.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
A S&W Airweight J frame and a good pocket holster, what's not to like??
MP3Mogul
Member
This question has been asked a million times and would largely depend on the individual.
Another nod to the S&W J-frame line up if you are set on concealing either in the pocket or on the ankle.
Both have strengths and weaknesses:
Drawing from the ankle takes practice and at best is relatively slow; if an adversary is on top of you the draw is unlikely to go as planned. It offers accessibility and the speed while seated or grounded, however.
Drawing from the pocket often requires a staged hand (i.e. your hand begins already in the pocket) is relatively fast; if an adversary is on top of you the draw is unlikely to go as planned. It relative accessibility and the speed standing disappears while seated or grounded.
Both are trumped, as noted earlier, by positions on the belt. But both are viable, popular, alternatives.
Both have strengths and weaknesses:
Drawing from the ankle takes practice and at best is relatively slow; if an adversary is on top of you the draw is unlikely to go as planned. It offers accessibility and the speed while seated or grounded, however.
Drawing from the pocket often requires a staged hand (i.e. your hand begins already in the pocket) is relatively fast; if an adversary is on top of you the draw is unlikely to go as planned. It relative accessibility and the speed standing disappears while seated or grounded.
Both are trumped, as noted earlier, by positions on the belt. But both are viable, popular, alternatives.
painexpert
Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2008
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- 5
38 special+P or 357 Magnum S&W J frame 5 shot airlite.
Gungnir
Member
As I plan to get my CPL as soon as I can I'll add some of the things I plan to do for this
1) Gun Selection - Hackathorn test Search for Hackathorn
at least a dozen pistols, revolver, semi-auto, in varying calibers (I like 40 S&W, but I'm not tied to it at the hip)
2) Gun Location - Where it's convenient, I suspect that depending on the time of year, and the clothing I'm wearing this might vary. My current personal preference would be strong hand waist, but again I'm not tied
3) +1 or not +1 - Likely +1 its carried for a reason, if I need it, I don't want to worry too much about whether or not there's a round in the chamber yet or not. Simplify the problem.
4) Practice, practice, practice, I'd like to be able to tack drive with my concealed weapon at 20 yards minimum, ideally 50 yards.
Situational awareness, combat training etc. (Since you mentioned it) I did Karate for about 20 years, and hold Dan (Black Belt) grades in 4 other martial arts too. I taught self defense classes, and these are the rules I taught (plus a lot of techniques, not just the rules)
Rule 1
Avoid locations or events that might lead to some trouble
Rule 2
If it appears that trouble is going to occur, leave, be calm be slow, make it look like you're just leaving casually for the night.
Rule 3
If you for some reason missed rule 2, and trouble is almost upon you, then, if safe to do so run. Find the nearest help, be that police, friends, people you know, anyone else, the local store etc. If you cannot i.e. you need to protect others then...
Rule 4
Use whatever weapon you have on hand to disable your opponent(s) as quickly as possible. This includes but is not limited to tables, chairs, glasses, other people, pool cues, pool balls, cats, rocks, spears, yourself etc. Then run, following rule 3.
Rule 5
Welcome to the next world, or your local ER (if you're lucky)
My karate Sensei used to say a knife in a fight adds 10 years to that person's training i.e. don't fight a guy with a knife, outside of a dojo, unless you've studied a martial art for at least 10 years. He did not tell me how many years a gun adds to a persons training I can't imagine it would be less; I would not under any circumstances tackle (unarmed) someone with a gun, which is why I'd like a CPL in case this happens.
1) Gun Selection - Hackathorn test Search for Hackathorn
at least a dozen pistols, revolver, semi-auto, in varying calibers (I like 40 S&W, but I'm not tied to it at the hip)2) Gun Location - Where it's convenient, I suspect that depending on the time of year, and the clothing I'm wearing this might vary. My current personal preference would be strong hand waist, but again I'm not tied
3) +1 or not +1 - Likely +1 its carried for a reason, if I need it, I don't want to worry too much about whether or not there's a round in the chamber yet or not. Simplify the problem.
4) Practice, practice, practice, I'd like to be able to tack drive with my concealed weapon at 20 yards minimum, ideally 50 yards.
Situational awareness, combat training etc. (Since you mentioned it) I did Karate for about 20 years, and hold Dan (Black Belt) grades in 4 other martial arts too. I taught self defense classes, and these are the rules I taught (plus a lot of techniques, not just the rules)
Rule 1
Avoid locations or events that might lead to some trouble
Rule 2
If it appears that trouble is going to occur, leave, be calm be slow, make it look like you're just leaving casually for the night.
Rule 3
If you for some reason missed rule 2, and trouble is almost upon you, then, if safe to do so run. Find the nearest help, be that police, friends, people you know, anyone else, the local store etc. If you cannot i.e. you need to protect others then...
Rule 4
Use whatever weapon you have on hand to disable your opponent(s) as quickly as possible. This includes but is not limited to tables, chairs, glasses, other people, pool cues, pool balls, cats, rocks, spears, yourself etc. Then run, following rule 3.
Rule 5
Welcome to the next world, or your local ER (if you're lucky)
My karate Sensei used to say a knife in a fight adds 10 years to that person's training i.e. don't fight a guy with a knife, outside of a dojo, unless you've studied a martial art for at least 10 years. He did not tell me how many years a gun adds to a persons training I can't imagine it would be less; I would not under any circumstances tackle (unarmed) someone with a gun, which is why I'd like a CPL in case this happens.
Being Kung-Fu masters didn't seem to help the Shaolin monks of China against the well armed Japanese oppressors. I suppose guns will make a person more deadly than their victim, regardless of how many years of martial arts training they had. Just ask the shogun of Japan, how well they fared against the well armed modernized Japanese army.
Gungnir
Member
Nope, didn't help them against the British in the Boxer rebellion.
And I have very high confidence in my martial arts skills. Weapons totally alter the playing field.
And I have very high confidence in my martial arts skills. Weapons totally alter the playing field.
searcher451
Member
The best concealed pistol in the world is the one that works best for you: the one that you find to be most reliable, that fits your hand well, that is unerringly accurate, that is easy and natural to hide on your person. For me, it's a Walther PPK. For you, it may be something entirely different.
Only you and you alone can make the determination. And it may take some time and experimentation before you figure it out.
Only you and you alone can make the determination. And it may take some time and experimentation before you figure it out.
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