Concealed carry! what gun?

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

roxygss

Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2004
Messages
8
I am 5'6 and 135 lbs soaking wet !

What gun would you reccommend for concealed carry?

Please no advice solely on the brand of gun.

Just curious about what is best as far as size goes and something that is not likely to get snagged trying to pull out of a holster.

My leanings are towards the Glock 26. But maybe there are some others not as popular I would like to know about.

Please help.
 
Might want to check out CZ's line of compact/sub-compact handguns. There are about a million other threads on this, most with people who know a lot more about this than I do. Check 'em out.
 
I've seen someone of approx your stature successfully conceal a Beretta 92FS and then some. No one knew until the end of class. With some thought, you'll be able to conceal whatever you want.

You can look into various 1911s (full size and officers models), Sigs, HK USP Compacts, Kimber compacts, and HK P2000s.

Edit: I'm not a revolver guy but the popular for concealment seems to be 'J frames'
 
Its kind of hard not vknowing what is more important: Concealment or power. The 9x19 is a good compromise, but the Kel-Tec P3AT is smaller, and the J-Frame can be more powerful.

Jesse
 
A single stack semi-auto will really thin down the bulge on your hip compared to the double stack glocks.

Depending on your clothing choice, you could conceal a full sized firearm, but most people chose not to wear photographers vests and Hawaiian shirts everyday.

If you are already leaning toward a striker fired CCW, take a good look at Kahr's line-up. The PM-9 is the most concealable handgun that I own and it has been absolutely flawless.

I regularly carry a SIG P239.
 
This reminds me of Charlie, the guy from SmartCarry who goes around to the gunshows here in Florida. He's about that size - or smaller. The first time I saw him pull out a full-size 1911, I was stunned - I thought he was a magician. Real nice guy. Good product, too.
 
+1 on a Kahr.

I'd go with a PM9 if you might want to pocket carry, or a CW9 or P9 for holster carry inside the waistband. I carry a CW9 and love it.

That's what works for me, but make sure your gun fits you and your intended carry method.
 
I'm a skinny 150 5'9 and I carry a G27 (same size). With a good IWB it's real sneaky. I can't think of a better carry gun for size and capacity
 
First off, there are SO many dang threads on this.....

Second....you need to sit down and prioritize whats important to you.
cost?
Weight?
caliber?
# of rounds?
auto or wheelgun?
size?
and an important one to me, stainless? carbon steel? plastic?

So, what was important to ME.
Weight, and size -- nobody likes to carry around something they will probably never use that is huge and bulky....if you leave at home half the time, its worthless....but wonderful to "show off" :rolleyes: this gun FITS IN MY JEANS POCKET, smartcarry hahaha, i laugh, how long does it take you to draw a gun out of your underwear? sure, its big...great....but when you need it, DRAW IS IMPORTANT.

Caliber-- my OPINION from a large amount of reading (because ive never shot anybody) is that less than 9mm is "questionable" and the bigger/faster the bullet the better (DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU CAN HANDLE AND USE EFFECTIVELY)

wheelgun--reliability when i need it, wheelguns are KNOWN for their reliability (many will say their gun is JUST as reliable but a MISFEED will never happen unless you dont know how to pull a trigger in a wheelgun)

Rust --when you have a gun close to your body, moisture is guaranteed...and you may LOVE to clean your gun 2 times a week everyweek...but not me, i prefer to clean after shooting it, therefor i found a gun that is "rust resistant" and i would say rust "proof".

This led over an exhausting search of "mouseguns" which there are many wonderful threads....

What it finally came down for me is the great size, weight, caliber, and rust factors of the smith and wesson 340 pd. There is a lot of info on this gun, but if you have ANY questions, feel free to contact me.
When I bought my CCW, I went through the same process as you right now.
good luck
 
At 5'11", 165 lbs, and a 31" waist, I have a heck of a hard time concealing any thick guns like Glock, or my dad's Beretta 92f compact.

I LOVE my Sig P232. I carry it everywhere in a
http://www.concealco.com/
concealco holster. It absolutely disappears. I can wear it with just a t-shirt over it, and as long as I don't bend forward, I'm fine.
The gun is reliable, accurate, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
 
I'd consider a revolver for reliabiity, ease of maintenance, .357 Magnum stoping power, no "operator" problems in a stressful situation such as "limp wristing", safeties to fiddle with,etc....Just pull the trigger... and if it dosen't go bang because of a faulty round...just pull it again...and you can fire a revolver multiple times from INSIDE your coat pocket if need be...

5 or 6 rounds of .357 Magnum will be sufficient to protect you in civilian scenarios. If you need 12 or more rounds from a semi-auto...you had better get out of there and call a S.W.A.T. team.
There are many brands of revolvers that meet the needs for CCW.

P.S. Regarding your concern about "snagging", a "spurless" revolver would address that issue.
 
Last edited:
.357

I would say maybe a .357 wheelgun, such as the S&W J-frame or the Taurus 605. Fairly easily concealable and 5 shots of .357 should get the job done. If not, run like heck.

There are also lighter versions of these guns, but to control the .357 an ultralight may be a beast.

Todd
 
I would say maybe a .357 wheelgun, such as the S&W J-frame or the Taurus 605. Fairly easily concealable and 5 shots of .357 should get the job done. If not, run like heck.

There are also lighter versions of these guns, but to control the .357 an ultralight may be a beast.

Todd
Click to expand...

+1

I carry the S&W 340PD (the 12 oz. variety) and it is a bear to shoot .357 mag rounds. .38 rounds are easily manageable with this pistol and it's extremely small (read: like a toy) and easy to conceal.

I have two good buddies that carry the S&W 642 and love it. I think there is also a thread somewhere on this board about the cult following of this little snubbie.

Just an idea to cloud your decision even more! Ain't gun buying fun? :D
 
Roxy -

I posted a version of this elsewhere. A while back I worked out the following criteria for selecting a concealed carry gun.

a. Reliability. If it doesn't go BANG! when I pull the trigger...

b. Stopping power. More is better. Although bullet design has improved tremendously over the years, big sharp bullets moving fast are generally more effective than small slow blunt bullets. See more below.

c. Proprietary to the user. That's something I first read about from Mas Ayoob. If I'm at the point of using my gun, I may well be in a H2H struggle. If I lose the gun, the BG may pick it up and try to shoot me with it. If he can't figure out the controls, I may have time to do something besides get shot.

d. Practical accuracy. How well can I hit what I'm shooting at? Shot placement is important, more so if I'm shooting a smaller caliber.

e. Concealability. My Colt Mustang has about the same footprint as a S&W J-frame, but it is flatter.

I weighted the above criteria as follows:

3 - Reliability

2 - Stopping power

2 - Proprietary to the user

1 - Practical accuracy

1 - Concealability

Hope this helps. YMMV one hell of a lot.

Bill
 
Much of this has already been said but i like to throw in my .02 sometimes. I have always felt that the type of handgun one carrys should always be based on what you feel comfortable drawing and shooting. Now with that said stopping power, concealability, and available funds always play a great part in the deciding factor. For concealed carry I chose a Lightweight colt commander ( .45 of course) and she rides in a Milt sparks IWB holster. I use Wilson 47D mags and they ride in a Milt sparks IWB mag holder, whenever I feel that im going somewhere that I feel I might need more ammo. From time to time I also carry my fullsize 1911 colt in a bladetech IWB holster or sometimes in a Don Hume JIT (just in Time) holster. My wife carries a glock 32 in .357 sig in a fobus or JIT rig. Im not a big guy myself and I have tried a few different handguns but with the right rig you can conceal just about anything, well I just dont know about the Desert Eagle .50.:). Good luck with your search!
 
Try out the New Springfield EMP...

9mm with reduced 1911 frame... thin, lightweight and Highly Accurate!

Great feeling in the hand.

It is a keeper!
 
+ another for kahr, they offer many many different models, in polymer, and steal frames, they are very nice weapons, as a matter of fact i have a .40caliber stell framed model which is the k40, i carry it in a don hume paddle, and i couldn't be more happy with it. they are light weight, have nice triggers, nice sights, reliable as heck and are awesome for concealed carry!
 
Springfield GI Champion <--- Cheap & Reliable, Slim, compact and .45acp will take down a Grizzly Bear ;)

I'm 5'9" 155lbs, Carry a Mil-Spec Champion, usally carry in the mid back, In Side the Waist Band, never under just a T-Shirt, I usally wear a sweatshirt or long sleaved T or an untucked dress shirt.
 
Depending on what cal. you want you should look at the smith revolvers - I use a hammerless 442 everyday and would feel naked without it - perfect for CCW - Ruger also makes an ok revolver at a good price - When I can't carry a full size I sometimes use a Kel-Tec 9mm - they buck a little but you can fit alot of 9mm into a small package - and they are light - When my wife isn't carrying her Sig 225 she sometimes carries a P232. If you dont mind going down to the .380 that might be an option. Its thin and easy to hide - not to mention they look pretty cool - Not quite like Bond but close.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
Full size vs. compact for concealed carry
Replies
24
Views
5K
Mil Novecientos Once
M
E
  • Locked
Concealed carry thoughts?
2
Replies
27
Views
2K
Rudolf_FL
R
B
  • Locked
best concealed carry
2
Replies
31
Views
2K
trimore
T
G
  • Locked
Best Concealed Carry Holster for Glock 26
Replies
8
Views
5K
don.b
D
J
  • Locked
What's the best concealed carry handgun?
2 3
Replies
55
Views
4K
RetiredUSNChief
RetiredUSNChief
Back
Top