Homicide close to house - Need concealed carry.

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Junior27

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Hey everyone,

This is my first post, so please bear with me. Also, I'm sorry if this has already been a topic or thread!

Well, here is the story: I live in a small country town, with a very small population (heck, we just got our first stop light in the county last year). However, just last week, only yards from my property line, a man shot and killed a neighbor woman (she was stopped at a stop sign and he randomly decided to shoot her). This whole incident shook our little town to the core, and has made me decide to purchase a concealed carry weapon for myself. With that being said, I am extremely short (5'4), and am worried about carrying too large of a handgun.

I was looking into the Ruger LCP, Taurus 738 TCP, and the Glock 26. I would really like to purchase the Glock based on reliability and customer service, but when I looked at them they seemed fairly thick.

Any other gun suggestions (I have done a fair amount of research, but any other recommendations would be great), holster types, and advice would be great.

-John
 
Hate to say this but you may have to travel a ways to a gun range that rents a few different handguns. After you take a preliminary safety course, rent as many as you can and find out what works for you.

I personally hate those little guns. My long fingers just can't get a decent grip and they kick like a mule. My smallest CC gun is a Kahr K9.

The hot thing right now is the Remington R51. It's not out just yet, but looks very promising. Quite a unique design.

BTW go ahead and put your location in your profile so we can get a better idea of your local laws. Every state is different.

And welcome to THR!
 
I don't have a problem carrying a Glock 26 from when I get up to when I go to bed every day. Nor do a lot of others. Saying that, it does seem to bother a lot of people. Here is the thing about carrying; its different for everyone and almost everyone gets it wrong at first regardless of research. I also think you are better off to start too big because its easier to go smaller than to go bigger. Its what you get used to.
 
Ya I find glock to be worse for carry than full sized 1911's because of the mag well thickness. There are a ton of options out there now everyone has a compact carry line, so find a gun show and go play with all of them you can and see what "You" like best.
 
I can't (won't) advise you on a specific firearm but I'll congratulate you on making the choice to buy one for self-defense. The truth is though... you're highly unlikely to need it in your neck-o-the-woods. That's the good part.;)
 
You are going to get lots of input on this thread.

When it comes down to it, the best gun for you is one that you will carry. Many first time carriers get too worked up in the caliber, or "best gun" scenario and purchase something that ends up to be too large for them to carry comfortably. To this end it gets left at home more than it gets carried. A gun that is left at home is of absolutely zero use to you if you need it. First rule of gunfighting: Have a gun.

Will this be your first gun? If so, I would recommend a revolver over an autoloader. Why? The revolver is the simplest firearm to operate for a beginner(aim and pull trigger, access situation and repeat as necessary). You don't really need to worry about clearing jams, or failure to return to battery, etc... Not that it is an inherent issue with semis, just one less thing to think about. When you get more comfortable both with carrying the gun and shooting, adding a semi to the mix can be a good thing (I personally carry a semi) but, if you are not familiar with the operation then a revolver might be a better bet, for now.

I will certainly not tell you what you need to carry, only give some friendly advise.

Revolvers I would suggest:
Ruger LCR in either 357 or 38
One of the Small Frame S&W (J-Frame) guns in 357 or 38

While easy to operate, one of the chief complaints about revolvers tends to be the width of the cylinder. For some people, and particularly for small framed individuals like yourself, it can make it either uncomfortable or more difficult to conceal. (I still recommend the revolver until running a semi is completely 2nd nature to you).

If you have your heart set on a semi:
Ruger LCR: Reliable and a good gun (my every day carry). Tiny and in a good pocket holster can be carried most anywhere. The down side is the 380 round in this diminutive pistol has a surprisingly snappy recoil.
A Ruger LC9 would be another good option.
The Glock is a good gun. If it works for you, then go with it. I find the Glocks a bit too thick for comfortable CCW but you may find differently. I agree with Thompsoncustom above, I can carry a much larger 1911 more comfortably than a Glock, but that is just me.
I would steer clear of the Taurus. Taurus guns seem to be hit or miss. Some perform well, are reliable, and never give their owners a lick of trouble. Others are simply awful, with reliability or accuracy issues. Couple that with some pretty horrendous customer service and you have a recipe for a very unhappy owner.

The other recommendation is that you should budget for a decent holster. Many of the comfort complaints that beginning carriers have is related directly to a crappy holster. A good holster can make the difference between having something jamming into your ribs all day long and barely noticing the gun is there.

Lastly, you need to dress appropriately. By this I mean making sure that you have some extra room in your waistband if you are going to carry IWB (inside the waist band). If your jeans are a bit snug now, putting even a compact gun in there with it's holster is not going to help the situation. I normally recommend at least an extra inch. If the pants feel loose without the gun, they will feel right when the gun is carried.
 
Welcome to THR, lot of great info, and folks here. For me, mid compact versions of larger service pistols work well, and are concealable with a good BELT, and holster. I usually carry a CZ-75D PCR, but others in that size range are good guns to, such as the Sig P228/P229, Walther P99, Glock G19, HK P30, etc. You're going to want to practice, right? These will enable easier, more pleasant practice, better accuracy, higher capacity, and ease of shooting well.

That all being said, if you still want a slimmer gun, several sub compact 9MM's have come on the market. The Walther PPS, S&W Shield, Sig P938, XDs, an as others have said, the R51 will be out soon. All these are pretty accurate, relatively easy to shoot, and easily carried.
 
I think you are in for a utility gun so I will suggest the following considering the information you provided and first reaction partial to Glock:

Glock 36 .45
Glock 27 .40
Glock 26 9mm

However, I would bring your attention to two that I think will be awesome pistols for you. Try and see which you like better in:
H&K P2000Sk
Or
Walther PPS
 
It will depend a lot upon your particular needs- your hand size, how you dress (makes a difference on what you can conceal), how you intend to carry it, how a particular gun subjectively feels in your hand, sensitivity to recoil, experience with various types of actions, etc.

If you are inexperienced with handguns, you probably should get some professional instruction (even if it is a one day class) before you carry one for self defense. If you opt for a semi-auto, learning how to put it into action and clear stoppages will be a bit more involved than a revolver is.
 
I won't recommend to you... but will let you know... my personal choice for CCW is a Ruger LC9 w/ laser. It's very small and thin so I can just keep it in a pocket of my blue jeans.
 
What shooting experience do you have? What guns are you used to shooting?

I also applaud your decision to protect yourself. But if you have not done a lot of shooting, seek some training from a reliable authority, and become acquainted with both revolvers and semi-automatics in a variety of calibers. Hopefully you will find one that "just feels right" to you, and you will have answered your own question.

Whichever handgun you choose, I suggest you also try using a laser sighting device. I added a Crimson Trace grip to my wife's carry gun and it has increased her confidence a great deal. Unfortunately, some undesirable encounters take place in the dark...and the laser sight can give you an edge, even if it is just psychological.
 
The "psychological aspect"... for me it's... I'll never hurt anyone who's not trying to hurt me or innocent others... but I'll be damned if I let nut-cases hurt me or innocent others unprovoked.

I'll always feel comfortable carrying something like a Ruger LC9 on my person. Something bigger... maybe not. That's the absolute truth. As others stated, if you won't carry it ALL THE TIME then it ain't worth a flip because it'll be at home when you need it most.

EDIT (EXAMPLE): MY Ruger SR9c will NEVER be carried on my person though I DO carry it in my vehicle and on my property. Vehicle carry and property carry are FAR CRIES from CCW because concealability is either easier or unnecessary... at least that's the way it works here in TX.
 
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Just slip a Kahr CM9 into a kydex front pants pocket holster. Load it with CorBon's 100 gr jhp load, which is 1300+ fps and 400 ft lbs, and You'll be fine. Practice with 125 gr, 800 fps handloads, so you don't beat up the gun. Or get a CW9 as a "practice-spare. It's a bit larger than the CM9, on both ends. I made a set of "chaps" with a big pocket, so that I could practice pocket draws with the CW9 and the Airsoft, which is too big for a regular pocket.
 
You need to find someone or a place to rent and then shoot. First off you need to know how recoil sensitive you are. Then you need to figure out what fits your hand and your technical side which will mean picking a wheel gun or auto that fits YOU.

No one else can make that choice for you.
 
lugging around big, heavy clunkers inhales, guy. I did it for a decade, and mostly hated it, even tho I love guns and love being armed. Nearly everyone that you just point a gun at will cease and desist, you can count on it to a large degree. Misses change a lot of minds, and so do poor hits. A mere" 380,with solid hits, changes more. Until recently, however, 9mm ammo was cheaper and easier to find.
 
I'll Agree with Pilot Post#7 . Walthers PPS, S&W Shield, and XDS all guns that you can shoot and are concealable.
 
Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the great replies, I have written down literally all the guns suggested on here, and plan to rent them at a shooting range. I am also going to try some others out, and talk to a few of my buddies who own small arsenals. Looking into handgun safety courses and things like that right now.

As to what firearms have I used? Pretty much any hunting firearm; be it a .22 or a flintlock. Sadly, I have never had the need to carry a handgun, never thought I would need to. I will keep you all updated with how things go!

Thanks again for all the replies!
 
Not knowing your shooting experience makes it hard to tell someone what gun to choose. You said you had done some looking already, the Glock 26. As you found that to be a little thick for you,why not try something like the Kahr pistols or the Beretta Nano. They are much thinner! They can be slipped into a pocket or carried in a GOOD holster. I would look at holsters at several of the local gun shops. Also some extra magazines & a magazine carrier. Also,no matter your skill level you should always get as much training & practicas you can! Welcome to THR & good luck with your choice!
 
Welcome. There is a place when you sign up in your profile to include the State where you live. That can be important to know if we're going to give you advice.
 
There are two widely separated philosophies of carry. 1) The most important thing is to just have a gun. 2) I'm carrying a gun because I may have to fight with it so I want a gun that is best to fight with. You will see people carrying full size service pistols and they make it work. Most people though fit somewhere in between. I think the sweet spot are the subcompact versions of service weapons. Guns that while fairly easy to conceal are still easy to handle and fight with. I don't want to be hauling a G17 around Phoenix in the summer. But if I'm in a fight I want a gun I can shoot well in a decent caliber with a reasonable capacity that I've practiced with a lot. And that is not one of those tiny .380s.
 
Please learn all about gun safety, and then practice, practice, practice. Get comfortable with your gun.

See if there are any gun classes locally.
 
I have a number of small carry guns, in calibers from .32ACP to 9mm. My favorite is a J-frame S&W revolver.
 
+1 to the above post.

For someone just starting out with carrying a handgun, its very hard to beat a j-frame or LCR type revolver (I have a 637-2). Its very small, requires almost no technical training to operate, and will go bang simply by pulling the trigger.

There are MANY, MANY weapons which will do things better, but to allow a shooter to become proficient in the shortest amount of time, a revolver simply works.
 
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