Concealed carry pistol choice?

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Ironhorse522

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I have a couple months before I can start carry but I'm stuck on what type of pistol I want to carry. For the last year now I have been saving up for a carry pistol. I've shot many different types of pistols and I have narrowed my choices to two different pistols. A short barreled 44 mag/spec or a commander length 1911 type auto. I've shot both and love both, I'm stuck. I'm a big dude 6'4" 230 pounds kinda heavyset, so the weight of the sidearm is no big deal. I was thinking as far as the revolver option a S&W 329 Night guard, Charter bulldog or similar pistols. I'm more partial to Smiths than a Tarus or charter arms As far as the auto I was thinking S&W, ruger, or kimber. I've always been more of a revolver guy, the only auto I have put a ton of rounds threw is a 1991 Colt Government. I have more experience with wheel guns I have a S&W Model 29 6.5 inch model 44 mag that I'm in love with but it's way to big for everyday carry .
 
My carry revolver is a S&W 642 Airweight and I really like it.

But then, what works for me may not be right for you. I'm an unlikely target and it's very improbable that I'd ever have to draw my weapon. Your circumstances may be very different. For me, having a compact, lightweight weapon that I can drop in my pocket is my priority.
 
Might give a look at Ruger SP 101 in .357, they have them in 3.06 and 4" barrels. I have the 101 in the 3" barrel, love it, not heavy at all, I'm 5' 10", 185, no chore to tote it around.
 
The guns I'm most apt to carry are: S&W pre-model 10 w/2" bbl, Ruger SP101 w/2+" bbl, old Rossi model 88, KelTec p-11 (with a S&W 5900 series 15 rnd. mag - requires mods). Should show that my preferences run towards non-alloy/polymer revolvers.

The jury is still out on my Ruger SR9C, but all the guns I've mentioned would be good choices.
 
Does anybody EDC a revolver in 41, 44 special, or 44 mag? I'm in love with 44 mag and special. It's my favorite pistol caliber for hunting and was wondering if anybody everyday carried one?
 
I love the .44 Special and mag. also but I will carry most of the time is my Kel Tec P 32 in a pocket holster. No matter what I am wearing if I have a front pocket I can carry my P 32. I love the big bullets but shot placement and being able to carry a pistol no matter what I am wearing is more important than a big gun. In the last 2 days I have been checking out the Newly introduced Colt Mustang Pocketlite and have decided to buy one in a week or so. Carry what your comfortable with and have confidence in and confidence that you can hit what your wanting to stop be it a .22 LR or a .44 Special.
 
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Dude, I'm just a little bigger than you, love my .44 for Specials and Mag. shooting but it is definitely not for EDC. It is a woods/truck gun.

My EDCs are gov't size 1911s, SIG 226, or Glock 17/21/36. Ankle hoster has the S&W 638.

Seperate yourself from the .44 emotion stuff. It don't mean you're not in love anymore, you just want a lighter and more agile female for running with. :D
 
Moderator Sam1911 has an S&W N-Frame he carries in a Hoffners kydex IWB holster.

http://www.hoffners.com/holster.htm

In American Handgunner articles in Jan/Feb 2011 and May/Jun 2011 Clint Smith mentions he carries N-Frames in pocket, and ankle holsters. Yikes.
 
Ironhorse522 said:
Does anybody EDC a revolver in 41, 44 special, or 44 mag? I'm in love with 44 mag and special. It's my favorite pistol caliber for hunting and was wondering if anybody everyday carried one?
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http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=642202&highlight=starts+with

Plenty of guys on here do, I'd like to join them if I ever have the spare cash to pick up a .44 Special or .45ACP snubbie. .44 Mag is a bit much for me though.

For now I'm plenty happy with my 1911s, I hope to add a Commander this year.
 
I think I have it narrowed between the smith 329 night guard and a 1911 in commander length
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You might consider the S&W 396NG instead (although they recently went out of production, they are still easy enough to find). Admittedly it won't handle .44 Magnum cartridges, but most people argee that .44 magnum is too much for SD (too much muzzle flash + too much recoil = too long to re-aquire target for follow up shots.) The 396 is a five-shot .44SPL revolver build on a smaller frame than the 329, making it better suited for concealed carry.
 
For concealed carry I want a pistol without an external hammer or any external safeties. I carried a Glock-36 for several years but finally opted for a Kahr PM-9 in a pocket holster.
 
A 44 would be fun, but I think it's way too big and bulky for comfortable EDC. A 1911 is going to conceal a lot better, and with +P ammo, you should be good to go.
 
i carry a naa mini revolver or a S&W bodygaurd 380. I like the smaller guns because there so much easier to carry without having to dress the part i just drop my naa in my pocket and im good to go.
 
My favorite carry gun is a .44sp 2" in a hammerless Taurus. It is easy to slip in your back pocket. The down side is 5 shots and speed loaders are troublesome to carry in the summer. I load it with 210g sthp at around 900 fps. My plan is to use it as a backup or permant truck gun. I have a 3" Kimber 1911 that when loaded with 230g fmj over a fast powder should work and it and the mags are easy to carry in the rear pockets. There is a great suede lined holster that fits these two guns and remains in the rear pocket when you draw the weapon.
Jim
 
If you feel those 2 handguns are the ones you want to choose from and you carry .44 Specials in the .44 Magnum then that would be my choice. I would go with the 1911 even though I carry a revolver if you were going to carry .44 Magnum ammo. I don't feel the 44 Magnum is a good SD round so I would then go with the .45 Auto instead. If you were willing to change over to a .357 Magnum I would jump all over that choice. If you like the M329NG then you should also like either the M327NG (8 round N frame) or the M386NG (7 round L frame) both in .357 Magnum. It's too bad S&W stopped producing the Night Guard in .45 Auto M325NG, .44 Special M396NG and .38 Special M315NG K frame, they were also good revolvers...
 
The Bulldog is a great choice! For the first 3 years of my legal elligibility, I carried a Taurus 445, also a snubby .44 special, practically identical to the bulldog. GREAT self-defense round! .44 mag for self-defense looks bad to a jury if there's a diligent prosecutor. I don't actually like the 1911 much better for carry, especially when you start getting into $$$. .44 special is similar to .45acp.
 
I think I have it narrowed between the smith 329 night guard and a 1911 in commander length
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The M1911, being flat, will carry better. It is close to ideal in power for a semi-auto -- all most people can handle and still control. It holds more round and can be reloaded more quickly.
 
IronHorse have you already qualified? In TX if you qualify with a Revolver that is all you can carry vs. qualify with a Semi and all handguns are open for discussion...
 
One of my two carry guns is a S&W Model 624 3" barrel in .44 Special. It conceals and carries remarkably well considering it's an N frame revolver. A 3" Model 24 may be better because I think you cut an ounce or two off the weight when compared to the stainless 624. It's in a Lobo Gunleather IWB. The recoil is very manageable with Cor-Bon 200 grain DPX. It's comparable to my little Glock 36 shooting 230 grain Speer Gold Dots in recoil.


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Ironhorse522 said:
A wise man once told me to never leave my house with anything that didn't start with 4
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And I can understand why someone would think or say that. I love .44 and .45 caliber firearms, and shoot them as well as I shoot any handgun. However, the reality of carrying something that starts with a 4 ten hours or more a day, can be far more difficult than you might think.

You and I are the same size (I'm 6'4" 230), and my EDC is a Glock 26, and if I'm really dressing light, a J-frame Smith in my front pocket. If I were stuck on a larger caliber, I'd carry the thinnest, lightest one I could find.
 
True about using a revolver to qualify.
Just in case you did not know that info Ironhorse.
I know exactly one person,a woman here at work,that actually used a revolver to qualify for the Texas CHL.
And she used a Judge.
 
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