First, go to
www.warriortalk.com, register, and start reading.
Before you run out and spend $1000 on hardware, go take Suarez International's classes (located in Prescott, AZ):
1) Defensive Pistol Skills
2) Close Range Gunfighting
3) Extreme Close Range Gunfighting
4) Force on Force
You do not need any gear for these classes; it will be loaned to you. Just tell them that you're just starting out and want to see what gear works. They understand and have stuff available.
You will be treated like an adult and expected to act like one. Some places look down on women shooters (especially new ones). That will not happen at a good school. Certain techniques in these classes are dangerous. Other schools do not allow them. This is part of the difference in learning to shoot and learning to fight.
Gabe operates on the bleeding edge of fighting techniques. There are many nay-sayers. I have trained with him and several others. Only SI and one other have shown me anything useful in a fight. Many other schools focus on training to shoot and fail to prepare the student for dynamic movements that will occur in a real fight. You will learn how to fight, not just shoot. There is a difference.
There are two primary aspects to this: physical skills and mental preparedness. All of this takes time. You MUST be comfortable (skills-wise) with the handgun you decide to carry. At some point, putting that gun on and going out to dinner will feel natural. Learning to fight will ingrain in you a response other than panic. This is the mental game. Again, this will take time because you'll have to think through the consequences of violent action and visualize it in your mind. Like any athlete, if you can visualize the action, you become mentally prepared. If you can visualize killing someone trying to hurt you, then all that remains is to learn the physical responses.
If this upsets you, this is completely normal. Nobody here wants to have an actual gunfight. The reality is there is a 2/3 chance you're going to lose: 1/3 of the time you get them, 1/3 of the time they get you, and the last third you get each other. War sucks; all we can do as mere mortals is to try to influence circumstances and Lady Luck. This is where training and mindset comes into play.
Regarding hardware: it's very difficult to make a recommendation to someone without meeting them. Your best bet is to rent as many guns as possible and try them. Most trainers will recommend a minimum of 9mm or 38 Special caliber. Many people are going to advocate 45 ACP or something with at least 40 caliber. This is for a good reason: your hits are intended to stop the attack as quickly as possible. The only advice I can give you is to get the most gun that you can control and afford.
Just remember, good technique will mitigate recoil. This is very important. I have seen little old ladies shooting large handguns without any trouble at all (I'd want them on my team
On the other hand, I've seen men who should know better totally mess up shooting because they had bad technique and a large ego. Get trained first; it will save you YEARS of frustration and lots of money. I speak from experience because I taught myself to shoot handguns from GUN MAGAZINES. This was an expensive mistake.
Concealed carry guns typically are an iterative experiment. You may buy one gun because it looks good and fits your hand. However, over time, you may become dissatisfied with it for concealed carry. That is perfectly normal. The problem is that this iterative process is expensive because the cost of the gun is really the total cost of gun, accessories, gear, ammunition, and practice. I once figured out that purchasing a new handgun (for which I had no existing gear) cost at least $500-1000 beyond the price of the gun. You will find that you'll want two or three holsters per handgun because they have different purposes and levels of concealability. The list goes on....
Recently, I have been looking at military surplus and used guns. They generally have a much lower cost. For example, aimsurplus.com offers CZ-83 pistols for $229! There is decent power in the 9x18mm cartridge and it doesn't break the bank. You can also look at the CZ-52. It's not the best gun in the world, but it costs $140. You could do worse.
For used guns, I always recommend Browning, HK, Glock, SIG, Springfield Armory, Smith and Wesson, CZ, Ruger and Beretta. All are quality firearms made by companies that support their product. Smith and Wesson, Springfield, and SIG have excellent customer service. Once you have some experience in guns (and have an idea what you want), cruise the ads at elitedealseeker.com. Better yet, find a mentor and cruise some local gun shows.
Here is a list of gear that you'll need to support concealed carry (especially if this is your first gun). I have found this is stuff that accumulates over time. Get it and be done with it.
1) Gun
2) Spare magazines. Keep at least four. If you attend training, take at least six. I take 15 or so when I go because I'd rather shoot than load.
3) Hearing and eye protection
4) Cap
5) Gun bag
6) Ammo. Keep at least 500 rounds of practice ammunition and 100 rounds of self-defense ammunition.
7) Cleaning gear (rods, patches, jags, brushes, solvent, lube, rags, bore lapping compound)
8) Holster. You'll want at least one strong side carry holster, one appendix carry holster, and one alternative (off-body) holster such as a fanny pack or day-timer thingie. I usually have two or three strong side holsters.
9) Ammunition holder for the belt. Always keep at least two spare reloads. It would be terrible to lose a gun fight just because the goblin had more ammunition. Most criminals don't carry spare ammunition.
10) Surefire (or equivalent) flashlight, batteries and holder.
11) Snap-caps and dummy cartridges for training.
12) Gun belt. This is the most important, back-saving device invented. Get a good one from a holster maker.
13) Targets. I shoot paper plates and Shoot-n-Sees.
14) More ammo.
15) More magazines
16) Spare parts. Guns go through recoil springs and other small parts.
17) 22 Conversion kit if it is available for your firearm (and spare mags). This allows for cheap training using the same platform and holster.
18) Spare gun -- same model as your primary carry gun. If your gun breaks, you'll have a spare.
19) Self-defense insurance from the NRA (actually, an affiliate). ***They will reimburse you the cost of your defense up to $50,000 if you are found not guilty.***
20) NRA and Gunowners.org membership
21) Annual range membership so you don't have to pay everytime you go. Besides, it's fun to go to the range and shoot two mags worth of ammo after lunch!
22) Concealed Carry Magazine subscription (the only one worth having)
23) Magazine loader. Stuffing 1000 rounds into magazines over a two day class is hard on the thumbs!
24) Principles of Personal Defense by Jeff Cooper. This is a VERY influential and important book.
Here is an example gun review that I did:
http://thegunblogs.com/node/304. Also check out my post on "Appendix carry". There are tons of good articles and reviews out there. gunblast.com has some great reviews on a wide variety of firearms and gear. Also look at
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/HiPowerComments.html and
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/OtherHandguns.htm.
PM me if you have additional questions or want additional links to informational websites (versus dis-informational ones
