First Concealed Weapon

[MoBSix]

Hello everyone, I am looking to buy a pistol for my wife and I for concealed carry. After searching the net a little bit, I came across the Kimber Ultra Carry II and Glock 23. I am leaning more towards the Kimber because of the .45, I like the way it looks, and it seems to be thinner and therefor more comfortable while in the holster. Also, I would like to have some fun with it at the shooting range. Does anyone have any advice on which one I should pick, or do you have a better suggestion?

If it matters, I have medium sized hands and my wife has small hands. I am interested in having an inside waistband holster and my wife will probably carry it in her purse along with the million other items whose purpose I have yet to figure out.

Any input would be much appreciated, thanks!

 

[Sgt_R]

Take your wife to the range and rent as many handguns as you can afford to. Put a box or two (50-100 rounds) through each one. If you're only going to have one gun, it's important to have one that you both shoot well. You may find that you need/want one (or more) for each of you.

People tend to shoot larger guns better than smaller guns. Longer sight radius, heavier weight, larger grip, etc., all add up to less felt recoil and better accuracy for most people. Of course, you can't conceal a rifle (probably), so anything you choose to carry is going to be a compromise. Look for the combination of comfort, concealability, and effectiveness that makes you happy.

If you're carrying IWB, you may want something smaller than a full size auto (or maybe not, plenty of folks carry full sized pistols IWB w/o issue). If your wife is carrying in a purse, she will have no such restriction, and might prefer a larger handgun.

If your wife is going to carry in her purse, I highly suggest getting a CCW-specific purse. There are a variety of manufacturers (Google is your friend), but Galco isn't a bad place to start.

My girlfriend prefers carrying on the body, which I encourage (what do you do if your purse gets stolen?), so she wears a belly band. Galco has those too. Of course, if your wife decides to carry on the body, she might want a smaller gun (see where this is going?).

For "some fun with it at the shooting range," it's going to be hard to beat 9mm. It's the most inexpensive and commonly available center fire pistol round in the world, so you can shoot lots of it, and the recoil is fairly forgiving, even in smaller guns. It's also a perfectly acceptable defensive round (with modern hollowpoint ammo - I prefer Speer 124gr +p, myself).

I'd also suggest some training. At minimum, find an NRA basic pistol course in your area and take the wife. I took my girlfriend to one, and even though the info covered was fairly basic, we both had a good time and learned something in the process. Not a bad 'date' for $100.

Someone else should be along to add to (and contradict some of) my meager advice shortly. Welcome to The High Road!

R

 

[ainokea]

I second everything SGT_R said. What i would do is see what handgun feels good for you to shoot and to carry, especially for concealed carry (IWB).

Shop around for different carry options, holsters, purses, fanny packs.

Also looking into what formal classes are available for concealed carry & knowing the laws for conceal carry.

Then decide which firearm to buy.

 

[Old krow]

I second everything SGT_R said.

I second what ainokea said.

My g/f and I, probably due to my g/f's size, do not shoot the same guns well. She's considerably shorter and her hands are a lot smaller. We shoot different guns. She can shoot my .45, but she prefers her glocks. She doesn't like the size or weight and it wouldn't make a good body carry for her, even a small one. Just food for thought.

I'm leaning more toward a 9mm now personally for a couple of reasons. 1. Abundance of ammo 2. Both guns using the same ammo that is in abundance 3. Nato round (it's abundant and cheap) 4. In the event that she ever needs to use mine she'll be a bit more comfortable with the 9mm than she would be with the .357 or .45.

 

[Shadow 7D]

and if you can swing it, find one that you can use the same mag for, that way you always have a reload if you need, even if you forgot yours in car, cause I'm sure she'll fit an extra mag or two in her purse.

 

[rd2007]

The 709 Slim is great for hiding with my Comp-Tac Minotaur holster, but the Defender 90 has the power I like most. If you insist on .45, I would definitely go with a Colt over a Kimber. Kimbers are really nice, but I know my Colt is going to work all the time. Same goes for the Slim. Some can say what they will about Taurus, but that thing is 100% reliable.
BTW, I've shot my friend's Ultry Carry II and it was really smooth, but did not function 100% of the time and that's just not what I want to carry.