Picking a concealed carry pistol

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As Astone said hand size is important. It has to fit your hand and you need to be able to shoot it well.

Another consideration is how are you going to carry it. Everyone’s body type is different. The carry mode
that works for me might not work for you. For example lots of people carry inside the waste band.
For me a belt holster works better. Everyone is different.
 
I don't care for Glocks, but own a 19, and have recommended them in the past.

The 19s are on the small side for a duty pistol and on the big side for CC. They're a good "all around" size, which is what I'm assuming you want by not too big, not too small. It pushes your price limit, but used guns are under the limit.

I saw the Kahr CT9 recommended, having owned a few Kahrs I won't argue with that. Their polymer frames are a bit too thin for me, but steel frames blow your budget. Big time.
 
There are a lot of good options for a $500 and under budget. (I'm currently carrying a S&W Shield in 9mm, FWIW.) IMO, the best thing you can do is try a few for hand fit and see if you can shoot a few as rentals or friends'. Here's an article on "trying on" a handgun:

Trying on a Handgun

That site has a lot of good info on it.

Good luck in your search.
 
CCW

There has been Lots of good advise and there is a lot to choose from these day's. I live in Minnesota so I have the advantage of the changing seasons. During warm weather I can carry a small frame. In the colder seasons I can carry a large Frame. I personally prefer the knock down power of the big bore family of choice.
 
Buy a carry weapon based on your abilities. Automatic versus striker fired. Autos can get very out of control for some people and the chance one might hit an innocent bystander increases and so do your liabilities. Go to an indoor range and shoot different types and see what best fits your style and abilities.
 
If I knew then what I know now I'd ask myself a bunch of questions before I bought anything.

First would be caliber. I definitely wouldn't go out and get some obscure caliber that no one stocks.

Then I'd look at who (If anyone) else is going to shoot the gun. My preference is for .40 but my wife can't shoot it so I carry a 9mm.

Then I'd look at compatibility because that's important to me. If I buy a Glock 19 and decide later I want a bigger (or smaller) gun I can slide right into a 26 or 17. (S&W 6906/5906)


Last thing is availability, I am currently trying to stock up on as many M&P9 17 round magazines as I can get my hands on because they're illegal to buy in my state and sooner or later someone is going to decide to crack down on that law. So if the OP ends up with a Glock 19 (or an M&P) and the standard magazines are legally available I would buy as many as you can afford right now.

PS I'd do the same with ammunition. Even if there's never another ammo panic (And there will be) you will likely never be able to purchase ammunition cheaper than you can right now. My ideal would be 5000 rounds of my preferred caliber on hand.
 
Sig P290RS or J Frame. Both are great carry gun, especially if you pocket carry.
 
Stop by some gun shops just to look around.

Look in the cases, maybe handle a few, and think about what size gun you can and want to carry.

There's a world of difference between a palm size Keltec .32 and a duty size Glock 19.

Think about what kind of safety you want your pistol to have. Do you want a pistol with a manual safety?

For caliber, you probably want a 9mm, also known as 9mm Parabellem or 9x19. It's pretty much the standard pistol caliber and can be found everywhere.

.380 is often considered the minimum for self defense, but fits into smaller pistols.

Stop by some gun ranges and see if you can rent one of the pistols you are thinking about.

Glock, Kahr, Ruger, Springfield, and S&W all make decent pistols, and do many other manufacturers.

Has anything in particular caught your eye?
 
first of all, i recommend a revolver, they cant be pushed out of battery if someones on top of you and the guns against them, they can be fired from under an obstruction like a jacket without causing a jam, if there is a misfire you can simply pull the trigger again to fire off a fresh round, reliability is unmatched, and you can generally get more potent calibers like 357 mag
 
really should rent as many as you can and then shoot around 50 rounds. You can narrow down your choices by reviews.

I personally have glock 19s in the house, glock 26 in the car and carry a glock 43.

I wouldnt have bothered with the glock 26, but the 19 wouldnt fit into the console vault when mounted.

The 43 is thinner and is very comfortable to carry, especially in a remora holster.

Before the 43 I carried a kahr CM9 which is about as small as you get for a semi auto. I still like it, but maintenance etc is identical on the glocks so went with the glock 43 even though it is a little bigger.

I find the 26 a touch too fat to carry, but the other dimensions are fine.
 
first of all, i recommend a revolver, they cant be pushed out of battery if someones on top of you and the guns against them
Click to expand...

Justin - Next time you and a friend are just hanging around, unload your revolver and have your friend do an overhand grab. Let us know if you can fire your revolver.
 
We've been over the revolver reliability thing a number of times before. The above method is a very easy way to disable a revolver, and very similar to the out of battery disablement of the autos.

This past weekend, I had another revolver malfunction that you dont see a whole lot, but if you shoot them enough, you do see them from time to time, especially with reloads and heavy recoiling rounds. I was shooting my S&W model 28 .357mag, and had a round jump the crimp on the starboard side of the frame, and the gun was dead in the water at that point. It would not cycle the next round, and the cylinder would not open. I had to get my hammer and drift out, and pound the bullet back into the case, so the cylinder could turn.

They all have their little quirks, and if thats your choice, you do need to be aware of the possibilities, and practiced at what to do if they should occur. In the above case, the only real solution would be a readily accessible BUG, or, depending on proximity, either grappling skills, another type of weapon, etc, or to run.
 
Go rent and shoot a bunch of guns, then go with the one that fits your hand best.

Or, just buy a Glock 19.
 
I'm not putting down revolvers. Just pointing out some reality.
Click to expand...
Same here. I have and regularly shoot both.

I just dont carry revolvers much anymore, and the reason there is mainly because of capacity.
 
Buckdown, have you ever fired a handgun before? Ever owned a handgun? What is your experience with handguns todate?
Stu
 
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