Need help choosing CCW

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touro1979

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Western NY, Several miles north of PA Border
I have a Springfield XD Service model with 4 inch barrel and a Ruger gp100 .357 magnum with 4 inch barrel. The XD can be concealed with a sweatshirt or jacket. The ruger can only be concealed with a jacket. they are both too heavy to wear all the time and hard to conceal so I am in the market for something that is easier to conceal and need some advice.

I needs it to be MUCH easier to to conceal than my current handguns or else it isnt worth the money. Not looking for a new toy, need a tool. It also needs to reliable enough to defend my life with.

I have looked at LCP, TCP, 709 Slim, PK380, and Glock model 26. I am more attracted to the slightly larger ones 709, pk380, and glock because they look easier to shoot than the lcp and tcp but again, I need this to be easy to conceal both in size and weight. I kind of like the 709 slim and pk380 due to added manual safety. I live in NY so it needs to be concealed or I will have scared sheep calling police if I accidently flash or print. I wish I could just open carry my XD but that isnt going to happen. I have though about a wheel gun becasue I like them but I think a slim auto would be more comfortable to carry due to the shape.

sorry to ramble but would like some opions on this stuff. I have time too, will not buy until after new years but I want to do A LOT of research.
 
I'm a large guy, and perspective wise, a full size M&P 40 is nearly palm-able, so the smaller guns don't fit well for me.

My old man swears by his (9x18mak) CZ-82 when he's not carrying the Bersa .380. Very inexpensive to pick up, Large capacity( 12 rd mag) , fairly spicy round, really easy to shoot, and JUST within my grip size. Cheap ammo too.

The Bersa is a hair too small for me, but his refuses to feed SB ammo. Zero failures on Remington, Blazer or any of the SD ammos he's fed.
 
Spend a couple bucks on a nice holster and gun belt and you'll be able to conceal your XD just fine. Unless of course you're just looking for an excuse to get a new gun, in which case I'm totally okay with that.
 
I am not looking for an excuse to buy another gun, believe me. I dont want to spend the money, I need to regear and put a locker in my jeep so money is at issue now. But I have tried everything to conceal my XD. It is such a pain, it almost always stays home where it is worthless to me. I have been some situations recently where I found myself nervous not having a firearm on me. that is why I am thinking of getting a smaller, lighter gun. I have tried IWB with a galco holster, OWB with a Triple K holster and neither can conceal the grip unless I am wearing a sweatshirt or windbreaker which is not convenient in the summer or when inside like at the mall. I also would be a lot less concerned if i lived in a gund friendly state. People in NY tend to get scared around guns.
 
Slim IWB for me on a heavy belt, some people like the big pancakes too. you'd be surprised what guns some people lug around unnoticed.

As a bonus, It does clean your wardrobe out abit when you get rid of all those shirts that lift past the waistband when you lift your arms. ^^

Edit, you could go full Mouse gun and Pocket-carry (envelope style holsters) , but digging in the clothes in a pinch does not appeal to me.
 
Springfield armory has that .45 Auto Croation thingy with short 10 round magazine. It feels real good in hand and with that short grip it will not be difficult to conceal.
 
I hate to add to your list but see if you can conceal a Glock 19. Not much larger in terms of grip size over the 26 and it actually feels slimmer. I carry a Glock 27 and it's not much different from a 26. I've even converted the 27 to 9 mm using Lone Wolf so it's basically a 26 now, so I can use larger capacity mags.
 
If its the length and not the thickness that bothers you the G26 on your list should be fine. They shoot real good for most people.
 
I could carry a Glock 19, 23, 27, 36, Sig P225, Beretta Cougar, several J-Frames, an LCP a P3AT but I usually end up carrying either my G23 or Keltec P11. IMHO, the P11 is one of the most underrated carry pistols on the market. 13rds of 124gr +P in a package the same size as a Bersa 380 is hard to ignore. It isn't much of a range gun but it's 100% reliable.
 
Depends on how you choose to carry

I prefer pocket carry. So, my recommendations are either a S&W j-frame (340PD), the Kahr PM9 (my favorite) or Kahr P380. The best holster I have found is the DeSantis Nemisis. I do not like IWB carry, but if you are ok with it there are an infininte number of additional weapon choices. When I carry, other than in my pocket, I usually go with my Walther PPS (yaqi slide) or my G26 (Galco Pancake).
 
Kahr PM but its expensive and has a 200 round break-in. If slim is important, Kahr may be an option.
 
joe security also brings up an excellent point; every weapon purchased should be put through a serious break in period. I would say 200 to 400 round break in. That accomplishes several things: first, you get used to how the weapon fires. How comfortable are you with it? Keep track of failure to feed, stovepipes and don't panic that can happen even with brand new high quality weapons. Does anything fail? Again, not to panic-get it fixed and it should be fine afterwards; my Springfield Champion .45 had a small malfunction during break in it was fixed and it has operated flawlessly since.
During break in get familiar with disassembly and assembly-know the weapon very well. Ease to clean, ability to put it back together, get totally familiar with your weapon.
Then after that break in can you be confident that your weapon will protect you 100%.

I consider a brand new weapon purchased a "green" weapon. Does not matter how may rounds the manufacturer has fired through it-you are the one who will depend on it so it's "green" until you run it through its paces. Also remember that a CCW handgun effective range is 15-20 feet; don't attempt targets 25 - 50 meters away. Get your targets 20 feet away that's your engagement zone, and you will have a better evaluation of round placement.
 
These threads are so common these days. I guess that's a good thing.

I am more attracted to the slightly larger ones 709, pk380, and glock because they look easier to shoot than the lcp and tcp but again, I need this to be easy to conceal both in size and weight.
Click to expand...

I suggest you follow your attraction and check out the Taurus 709, it's my main IWB gun. The lcp is good for what it is, but it's only a pocket or BUG for me. Compact, and slim is the way to go IMO.
 
After many hours of research last night including watching multible youtube reviews on every gun I was considering, reading thread after thread on here, and analizing my personal needs, I went with the LCP. I wasnt going to get it until after christmas but I decided just to go ahead and do it once I had made my mind up.

I was really attracted to the 709 slim but I had to force myself to admit why, I like full size guns and this was the closest thing to a full size that I was considering. The problem is that I really need something that is easy to conceal in situations where deep cover is necessary and lightweight. Anything else is going to get left at home. Although the Slim is nice and small, it is still not going to fit in my pocket for those times I need to deep conceal. I figured a pocket .380 is better than my fist if I have to defend my life and I am afraid even the subcompcats are going to get left at home so .380 it is.

I got some critical defense ammo and some "cheap" FMJ to break it in. I also got an extra mag and installed the small extender on both. My hands are small so I can get a real good grip with the extender. Anyway thanks for all ur suggestions. The slim and the glock are still on the short list when I go subcompact but smaller is realy what I need.

Before I shoot this puppy what should I clean it with? I have hoppes solvent in a bottle and CLP, will these work?

How many rounds do you need to run through this gun before it is considered broken in and ready for duty?
 
touro, see message 17 relating to break in and rounds fired.

hoppes is good; clean the weapon before firing it get familiarized with disassembly and assembly. Don't over oil.
 
My son's birthday is this week and we got him an Xbox 360. I have been running around to all the local pawn shops and used game stores looking for some really good games. Yesterday morning a little after 11:00 I had a lull in my work schedule so I decided to run over to the Game Stop which is located about 3 blocks from my office. As I walked to the exit of my building I saw my boss coming in. He asked me if I had a minute to discuss some proposal he was working on. I told him I would be back in a few minutes and would stop by his office. I walked to my truck, got in and realized I had left my wallet on my desk so I had to go back in. When I passed his office I decided to stop off and go ahead and meet with him. Well, the meeting ended up taking about 45mins then I walked to my office and grabbed my wallet. As I was leaving for the 2nd time to head over to Game Stop I passed one of the large flat screens that scrolls local news and saw them talking about a robbery that had just happened. Two gunmen went in to the Game Stop (same one I was headed to) at 11:15 and tied up the employees. They were robbing the place when a 40 yr old (I'm 37) customer walked in on them. They shot and killed him on the spot around 11:30.

Had I been in that store at the time I had planned to, I would have had to act. At that point, an LCP is not my firearm of choice. This was sobering to me because I often carry my LCP but can carry my G23, CW40 or P11 if I take an extra few minutes to plan and dress accordingly.
 
jbab, difficult situation considering that the criminals had guns drawn already which would have made it difficult for anyone carrying to draw in self defense while presenting the slimest target profile (sideways stance).
What do you do? Carry a weapon naked in pocket Israeli Mosad style? That carry gives rapid access, yet in this situation even a professional police or government agent would have a difficult time, at best wounded because of their training on how to respond in a quick reaction combat style against an already drawn gun, avoiding a lethal shot placement.
Sobbering story. Just recently, a pizza establishment was robbed at gun point in Lansing MI- I live in East Lansing, but the sobbering fact is that crime can happen suddenly, anywhere.
Which brings me to my next point: unless directly confronted with deadly force avoid conflict and use your other weapon if you witness a crime: your cell phone, and call 911.
 
I was carrying my Glock 23 that day. I carry it IWB over my wallet and cannot say with certainty what I would have done given the fact that I wasn't there. I can also say that I I would not have allowed myself to be bound and accept that this situation may have very well been a Kobayashi Maru but I would have done whatever I needed to to stop the attacker.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/customer-shot-during-conyers-game-stop-robbery-111110
 
touro, I hope you enjoy your LCP. They're a nice little pocket gun.

I would, however, like to debunk the myth that the XD's are not easily concealed. From time to time I carry both my XD45 Tactical and XDm 9 4.5 in my CrossBreed SuperTuck holster with a good, Kydex-lined gun belt. In the summer, I like to wear Under Armour Heat Gear shirts (the loose-fitting ones, not the skin-tight ones). If you're not familiar with these shirts, the fabric is very thin and tends to drape closely over pretty much anything. No one has ever noticed that I'm carrying a full-size double-stack while wearing one of these shirts. In fact, my wife, who knows that I carry where ever it's legal, has commented that she can't even tell and she knows I'm carrying.

I will say that it's probably harder to conceal a double-stack weapon if you also carry a spare tire around your waist. I don't so the grip tucks nicely under my rib cage at about the 4:30 position on my waist.
 
Before I shoot this puppy what should I clean it with? I have hoppes solvent in a bottle and CLP, will these work?

How many rounds do you need to run through this gun before it is considered broken in and ready for duty?
Click to expand...

Hoppes and clp is fine. My general rule is at least 100 rounds.

Jbabbler, I heard of that incident from a friend of mine that works at a Gamestop. He told me the guy that got shot was throwing a fit and being non-compliant (not in a constructive, way big difference) and was shot. I think in this instance an lcp may leave one a little under gunned, but with correct strategy opportunity you could still get the upper hand. It's a shame more store employers don't let their employees CC. Who robs a Gamestop anyway? Of all places.
 
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