Suggestions for first concealed carry gun?

[IrishSeb]

Hi All,

A few weeks ago I applied for a handgun license, so hopefully I'll get it within a month or two. The only handgun I have is a .22 Heritage Arms (Colt SAA clone), and even though it's 4 3/4" barrel length, it seems like a somewhat large handgun to conceal properly.

So, right now I'm looking around for a carry gun that can easily be concealed, and I would greatly appreciate some suggestions.

- I'm looking in the < $300 ($400 at the very most) price range, new or used (but, needless to say, in good condition)
- No particular preference regarding single action/double action/both.
- In case of a semi-automatic handgun, if I should go along with your suggestion, and I decided to look for one at a gun show, do you have any advice on how I could check whether it's in good condition? (I've read the article concerning revolvers.)
- What would be the best way to carry it on my person? (I'm quite skinny, does that make it more difficult to properly conceal?)
- Any particular suggestions for caliber?

(So far it seems that Kel-Tec makes nice size handguns for concealed carry, and affordable, but are they any good?)

Thank you all in advance for your help!

Seb

PS: I just became an NRA member!

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I'm a skinny guy (5-7, 150) and I carry at various times; a S&W Jframe, a Keltec P3AT, and a full size 1911 .45 ACP. A good holster and strong belt are the keys. I carry the 36 in the summer and the 1911 in the winter, and the Keltec when neither of the others can be concealed.

 

[Buck Snort]

Selecting a CCW gun is a VERY subjective and personal business. Truth of the matter is you'll probably end up trying several guns over the next few years before you settle on one. Buy a top quality gun belt and a top quality holster for whatever gun you are carrying and that'll make a big difference. I'm not a big fan of "mouse guns" but if that's what you shoot best you'll be better served by that than a .44 mag you either don't shoot well or leave home because its too big. Good luck.

 

[Old Ranger]

Ditto on personal preference. Just this though: self defense, God forbid, is going to be within 10 yards; for that distance you don't need a hand cannon. And contrary to many opinions seen here and elsewhere - - - anything that punches holes into the Human body can be totally lethal. Believe me, I've seen the results in a Morgue. You'd be surprised at the number of victims of the humble .22.

When I carry; which isn't all that often, I carry a Taurus 817 snubbie. Sometimes a little PT22; sometimes both.

Something light, that YOU like and will practice with a lot.

 

[W.E.G.]

 

[rhubarb]

You can conceal and comfortably carry a bigger gun than you think. Even full-size plastic guns are not heavy.

You can buy a high quality used gun for the same as a low quality new gun.

 

[Deaf Smith]

I started with a Smith 640 Centennial (which I still have) for my first CCW gun. Fed Cor-Bon 158gr LSWHPs.

Then a 2 inch 64 Smith M&P .38 (still have it to!) Used Buffalo Bore 158gr LSWHPs.

Then later I went to Glocks. Still with Glocks! Mostly the Glock 26 with Winchester +p+ 127gr JHPs.)

I find the 26/27/33 frame size best for continuious carry of a Glock.

Why those? They (all three of them) are VERY reliable, quite accruate, and all set up for DAO so my wife can use them without any extra training.

Deaf

 

[IrishSeb]

Thank you all for your advice, I appreciate it a lot! Next time there's a gun show in the area, I'll see if I can find something I particularly like

 

[KodiakBeer]

For $300, look at a Makarov. They are extremely reliable and small enough to conceal easily.

 

[RatDrall]

You can buy a police tradein Glock for well under $400. Here you go, 2006 Glock 22 with night sights and 3 magazines for $380:

http://www.summitgunbroker.com/Glock_22.html

The Glock 22 is slim and light, even loaded with 16 rounds. Some of us carry them, or the same sized Glock 17, daily under an untucked t-shirt with no one knowing but ourselves.

Don't buy into the myth that you have to carry a tiny little gun. Especially for you first gun. Get a sidearm that is large enough for you to shoot well first, then expand you collection with smaller and more convenient handguns later.

As far as caliber, it doesn't really matter. Anything 9mm and up should do, so long as you can shoot it well.

 

[MikePGS]

As many people have already pointed out, you can conceal a larger pistol than you think you can. However you should also keep in mind that if its too inconvenient for you to strap on, you'll never carry it. If you go the snubby revolver route Smith and Wesson currently has a 50 dollar rebate on their J-Frame's. Some websites have them for sale for 440 or so shipped, so after the rebate (no clue how long it takes to get back) you have a NIB gun for under 400 that you can just slip into your pocket (in a pocket holster of course). Also you might want to look at the classifieds on this forum, or another gun forum (alot of states have their own forums that someone has made, many of these have classifieds).

 

[btg3]

Consider renting at the range first. J-frames aren't for everybody (but I CC one often). And the J-frame won't allow you as much opporuntiy to shoot competitively. IDPA is great fun and practice!

Can't go wrong with 9mm, just handle several to see what feels good in your hand (learn proper grip first). If you shoot regulary, the lower price of 9mm ammo will help you start saving for your next gun.

FWIW, when the LCP came out I got the fever, but fortunately rented one and realized it was not for me. Try-before-you-buy!

 

[duns]

A lot depends on what you think you can comfortably conceal and carry. I find a J-frame revolver (loaded weight about one pound) to be very convenient. Just slip it in a De Santis Nemesis pocket holster and slide the whole lot into my pants front pocket.

A Ruger LCP would be even more convenient but I would be concerned it does not have enough stopping power and would not be as reliable.

I have larger handguns than my J-frame but have not as yet found them particularly easy to conceal. I sometimes carry a Walther P99C, which I think is about the same size as a Glock 26 (baby Glock), but I find it nowhere near as convenient as the J-frame.

 

[TexasGunbie]

At your budget, buy used. Also find a gun trade site for your state/city. If you live in Texas, that would be Texasguntrader.com.

300 is very tight budget for a gun. For a new gun it would almost be impossible, so you are pretty much looking at used market.

At the 400 range you would have a lot more option. You can get a Kahr CW9 for conceal. It's reliable and light, plus slim. Conceals very well.

 

[David E]

Self defense, God forbid, is going to be within 10 yards; for that distance you don't need a hand cannon.

Within 10 yds is a poor time to choose a mouse gun/caliber. It's not like TV where they fall as soon as they are hit.

contrary to many opinions seen here and elsewhere - - - anything that punches holes into the Human body can be totally lethal.

Once again, "lethality" is confused with "stopping power." Shooting someone with the "humble .22" then that person goes on to kill you, then dies in the parking lot 10 minutes later is of little comfort.

While some argue "stopping power" doesn't really exist in handguns, it's generally agreed that the larger the caliber, the more effective it is.

That said, any gun with you beats any gun not.

That said, look at a 9mm, maybe a Glock 19 as it exhibits a great, perhaps even ideal combination of size/power/capacity/controlability/versatility/shootability.

 

[duns]

That said, look at a 9mm, maybe a Glock 19 as it exhibits a great, perhaps even ideal combination of size/power/capacity/controlability/versatility/shootability.

But can YOU (OP) comfortably conceal it?

 

[David E]

Anyone willing to conceal a Glock 19 can do so easily.

So, if one is willing the formula is:

1) Quality IWB or pancake style holster

2) A good, sturdy belt. (the one that came free with the pants won't cut it)

The result? You have a "real" gun with you that has far more practical shooting applications than just CCW.

 

[rd2007]

The three I currently carry are my P64, Defender 90, and 709 Slim. The Defender obviously doesn't fit the OP's price range, so we'll toss that one out. The Slim fits in my front pocket with no problem and also can be easily carried with an IWB holster. It shoots 9mm and will hold 8 rounds plus it has a manual safety. I consider all of those benefits. I paid $359 for a new one at Academy and that was the model that included a Bulldog range bag. You can save $10 and not get the bag, but I think the bag is worth more than $10 myself.
The P64 is really cheap and C&R eligible. I got mine from J&G for $169, but that was before it was C&R, so I also had to pay for an FFL transfer. As far as the gun, it is sweet. A little heavy because of the amount of steel in it, but the ammo is dirt cheap $9.99/50 rounds and it is extremely accurate. Some complain about the DA trigger and it is a little heavy, but for SA it is extremely light and just a great gun. You can't go wrong with that one for sure.

 

[Wolfeye]

Being a skinny guy, I can say it's much harder to conceal a larger gun than a smaller one. I can get away with it if I'm wearing winter clothes.

Usually, I can only get away with shoulder carry with a cover garment thicker than a shirt, or pocket carry with a gun no bigger than a j-frame. I have a 30" waist, so having a gun on my waist is about as discreet as wearing a fanny pack under my shirt. A fanny pack holster also works well, obviously, but I wouldn't be caught dead with one unless I was rollerblading.

I've tried multiple types of carry & multiple holsters. Most people go through several tires before they find something that works for them.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

It's hard to tell anyone which gun will be best for them to carry, only the one I like to carry. I'm a big fan of carrying a J frame revolver in .38 Special. I carry one daily...

 

[IrishSeb]

Thank you all Like Wolfeye, I'm pretty skinny (6" & 145, and 31" waist), so I'm indeed worried that bigger guns will be difficult to conceal in the summertime. Winter should work a lot better.
Perhaps it's best for now to try different holsters with the revolver I have (not that I'm hopeful to conceal it properly, but to see what kind of holster will be able to conceal a gun best on my person), so that I can keep that in mind when looking for a patricular size of carry gun. I think i'll start with a shoulder holster.
In the meantime, I'll also try out a few rental guns at the range.

THanks again, your advice is much appreciated!

 

[KodiakBeer]

Most people eventually buy two concealment guns; a summer and a winter gun. I carry a .45 Kimber Compact in winter, but in summer a little .380 Mustang. It's just a matter of practicality.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Most people eventually buy two concealment guns; a summer and a winter gun. I carry a .45 Kimber Compact in winter, but in summer a little .380 Mustang. It's just a matter of practicality.

That's quite true.

One is a summer gun, another the winter gun.

One the main gun, another the backup.

One a house gun (the bigger one) the other the 'always' gun (as in always you!)

It’s a good combination.

Oh, and the Makarov will do fine to. Bersa, Mak, Sig 232($$$), Glock, Ruger, Smith, yep there are lots of good picks, but below $300, the Mak and Bersa stand out.

Deaf

 

[IrishSeb]

What if I save for a while longer and go up to the $500 max... I've heard a lot of good things about the Springfield XD. Does anyone have one?

What about choosing between, say, a 3" and 4" barrel length, in the case of semi-auto - does the 4" have a noticeable advantage in performance (accuracy, power/speed, recoil), or isn't it that different from the 3" barrel?

And one question about the J-frames: does the whole cylinder pop out, so that one can use a speed loader, or is it one-by-one like the old time SAA revolvers?

 

[KodiakBeer]

I'd suggest you go rent some guns before deciding what you want, or at least handle them in a gun store.

Although people will argue otherwise, double column guns like the XD are hard to conceal. You can do it, but you have to work at it - it's just easier to conceal thin guns than thick guns. So, I'd look at single column pieces before bulky double column pieces because after all, you're looking for a concealment weapon.

The cylinder "pops out" on a J Frame, just as in any revolver designed since about 1875.

Really, go handle some guns and think about the size, the weight, the "feel" before making any decisions. What works for me (or anyone else) might be a bad decision for you.