Newbie to carrying, would love some advice

[Old Shooter]

5 rounds should get you out of most "normal" bad situations you may find yourself in. Having more rounds available is not a bad thing either. If you plan on eventually getting both, I woiuld probably start with the Glock. Then, after you've gotten used to carrying the Glock pick up your new Ruger and see which one you feel most comfortable with. I sometimes carry my S&W model 66 w/ 2 1/2" barrel but I almost always carry my Kel-Tec P-11. And there is a Colt Commander that sometimes goes for a walk also.

 

[easyg]

I think that the Glock 19 is a good choice, but you might want to consider the sub-compact Glock 27 instead.
It's a little easier to carry concealed but still easy to shoot, and not much different in size to the SP101.

As for the SP101...

While there's nothing really wrong with it, it is rather heavy for a snub-nose, weighing in a 25 oz. empty.
And while the weight of the 101 does help reduce the felt recoil, it's still kinda heavy for just a 5-shot handgun.
A Glock 26 fully loaded with 10 rounds only weighs 26.10 oz.

Also, if you don't have much experience shooting snub-nose revolvers then you really need to try one before you buy.
The short sight radius and the heavy double-action trigger makes snub-nose revolvers somewhat challenging to shoot accurately.....especially when shooting fast.


Good luck,
Easy

 

[Zerodefect]

I like Crossbreed holsters for concealed carry. Check those out for sure. I use a Ravens Concealment holster and mag pouches for OWB carry and range work. I make my own Ravens style kydex holsters now.

Also check out the S&W J frames, Kahr p9 or pm9, Glock 23,26, and Dan Wesson VBOB and CCO.

 

[Jamie B]

Sure, get them both!

Either will do well - you need to decide if you are a wheelgun or auto guy!

The autos are quicker to reload, and is why I carry one.

I have the short barrel SP101, and it is an excellent gun.

 

[tinygnat219]

Some quick ones that I wish I had gotten while getting into Concealed Carry:
1. Carry the biggest cartridge you can control.
2. Invest in quality gear: Good double stitch bullhide belt, good holster made for your gun. These will make carrying a heavier gun (like the GP100 you have) much easier. Don't buy crap like the Fobus (Israeli for Piece of Crap), or any other bargain holster. You'll regret it later.
3. Get as much practice time in at the range as you can.
4. Take a good shooting course that emphasizes draw, movement, and use your carry gun and gear.

That's about it.

 

[BlindJustice]

RIck ROll - Welcome to THR

WHatever yah get start another thread about appropriate carry ammo.

LOts of good advice as well as postive feedback on your next choices.

My shooting buddy has a G19 and a GP100 - the G19 is Gen 3 and
very reliable and accurate I just didin't care for the controls perhaps with
familiarity I'd adapt. THe GP100 was the 6" and much more sutied
for 357 mag than my 686 4"

If you can rent some examples of the above at a range, you might also
try a S&W M&P - similar to the Glocks I found the controls no problem
from the get go and the grip shape was better for ME.

The equivalent S&W Model to the RUger SP101 would be the All
Stainless Steel MOdel 60 .357 Mag. 3" bbl with adj. rear sight like mine.
or the fixed rear and 2 1/8" Bbl. and S&W is offering a $50 rebate
on any new J frame purchase.

THe vertical shoulder rig for the GP100 makes sense for hiking

Get a good rig. - I carry a full size 1911 and the Milt sparks holster
with the Milt SParks 1 1/2" thick gun belt 1- holds the weapon close
and the belt supports it so there is little flopping around if any. also a
single IWB mag carrier is discreet.


Good LUck,

Randall
.

 

[pezo]

This may seem obvious but some advice I would give is to pay attention to what is a "gun-free" zone. I was never told in ccw class that the post office was by a technicality. No federal buildings and they are anal about it. We have metal detectors in a lot of them here. Even the parking lot is apparently a no-go,which is not the case in most gun free zones here in mich. I did NOT have to learn the hard way though. Find good info here on these forums. Also, some of the best advice in my opinion is to not tell any body in your day to day encounters that you have a ccw. At least anybody you don't absolutely have to. I don't know how many times I was glad I didn't tell certain people. No matter how tempting. These forums fine, I mean in day to day real life. Their is no room for macho-ism while carrying. Never worth the trouble. Just carry secretly and take comfort in your carrying. P.S avoid causing or negatively reacting to road rage if avoidable. To many incidents of this in michigan (ccw involved).

 

[easyg]

BlindJustice:
the G19 is Gen 3 and
very reliable and accurate I just didin't care for the controls perhaps with
familiarity I'd adapt.

you might also
try a S&W M&P - similar to the Glocks I found the controls no problem
from the get go and the grip shape was better for ME.

Huh???

I can understand that the M&P's grip-angle might be more suited to your hand than the Glock's grip-angle, but what exactly is different about the "controls"?

The controls of both are the same....slide-release, magazine release, and trigger.

 

[c1ogden]

Of the 2 guns that you mention, I would get the SP101 for several reasons.

First, you won't have to start buying another type of ammo right away. On that point, 38+P ammo is usually more than enough for defensive purposes. Magnum loads in small guns are much harder to control which makes follow-up shots much slower, whether its on the same bad guy or on a second bad guy. Accuracy also suffers if you haven't had lots of practice with magnum loads and who can afford that these days?

Second, the SP101 is quite a bit easier to hide than the Glock. Even if you get it with the 3 inch barrel, an option that I strongly recommend. You lose almost nothing in carry convenience and the extra sight radius and muzzle weight make shooting quite a bit more comfortable and more accurate. You'll also get a bit more velocity from whatever load you put into it. In 29 years as a cop, I've almost never gone on duty without a backup gun. Usually it was one of my 2 inch S&W Chief's Specials. I acquired a 3 inch Chief's Special a number of years ago and none of the 2 inchers have ever come out of the safe since then unless I needed to carry in an ankle holster and that was pretty rare. (Some of the guys who are taller than me have no problem carrying a 3 inch revolver in an ankle holster so you may be able to do so also if that is one of your anticipated needs.)

Third, the SP101 is cheaper than the Glock and that leaves you more money for practice ammo! A good training class wouldn't hurt either!

Good luck with whatever you choose!