The best CCW gun....

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357wheelgunner

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The best CCW gun for me is a 3" K-frame S&W revovler. Mine is a Model 65 .357 and I love it! It is big and heavy enough to shoot very accurately, but is not so big that I can't conceal it comfortably in a bladetech IWB. There is never a time when I can't conceal it if I am willing to put forth the effort. Why carry a weak and inaccurate pocket gun when bigger, more powerful, more accurate guns can be carried with a little more effort? When you make a gun easier to conceal, you make it harder to shoot, and vice versa. So I guess the trick is to find a gun that is somewhere in the middle. Owning and carrying this 35oz. revolver has taught me that you can conceal just about anything if you set your mind to it.

I do understand that pocket guns have their place, but only as a last resort when nothing bigger can be carried.

What do you think the best full-time (just one gun for CCW) is?
 
Weak?! Inaccurate?! I beg to differ. At the ranges a defensive confrontation would normally take place my S&W J-frames (not to mention my Ruger SP101) would all perform admirably. They're specifically designed to be used up close and personal, and at that distance you'd be hard pressed to miss. As for being weak, I for one certainly would not want to take one - let alone five, of the best .38 hollowpoints center mass.
 
Well, you've hit upon the reason I have so many carry guns. I've kinda got this rotation. Seecamp in my pocket plus I have about half a dozen I really love. I play switch every couple of days. The ones I carry most are a Kahr PM9, S&W 642, and an S&W 331. The 642 has Crimson Trace laser grips. I just purchased them because Preacherman posted how much he liked his. However, they really do help me shoot a snub.

KR
 
Best CCW gun for me is a CZ PCR because that's what's currently on my hip daily...

Before that, the best CCW gun for me was a SIG 229 because that's what was on my hip daily...

Before that, the best CCW gun for me was a Kahr P9 Covert because that's what was on my hip daily...

Before that... :p

Most folks are just going to post what they carry and most of us haven't been able to carry 30 different guns to see what we really like the best through different seasons, different clothing etc...
 
Ala Dan hit the nail on the head - "The one you have with you when you need it"!

I have at my disposal handguns ranging from .22LR to .44Mag - and the ability to accuratly fire & reload in a matter of seconds, up to 30 rounds of a substantial caliber. But attire appropriate for the typical social circles I am associated with dictates a "compromise". When it gets right down to it, I find I most often keep company with something under 25 ounces - that I can completely cover with one hand - and that I am 99% sure will work as I expect it to when I need it to.

From the response from one45auto, it appears that he and I are probably at the same station in life. Tried them all, but in the final analysis you use what best fits your life style at the time.

By the way 357wheelgunner, your handgun of choice is an excellent piece. At one time I carried something similar. But necessity and circumstance change. And right now your choice just isn't right for me.
 
Going out in public I carry eiter a 9MM BHP MKIII or my Colt 1911 45 ACP. I sometimes carry a beater S&W J frame for yard work. When I dress cowboy, a Ruger Vaquero 5.5" in 44-40. When dressed up for a concert I take my Colt 1908 Vest Pocket. I carry my Colt Trooper MKIII in nickel and 357 Magnum to open carry events. Different firearms for varied purposes. It is like wearing flip-flops to the shower. Dress for the occasion. Hmmm? I don't have a shower pistol. What would you suggest? A Mossberg Marine 12 bore?:neener:
 
The question is a little like asking “what’s the best motor vehicle?â€. It needs to be followed by specifics, such as “the best CCW firearm for a rural county sheriff?â€, “for an urban cop in a bad area?â€, “for a state highway patrolman in Central Georgia?â€, “for a senior law enforcement administrator?â€, for a “SWAT officer?â€, “for a suburban soccer mom?â€, “for an elderly man living in a high-crime ghetto?â€, and so forth. I am not trying to be facetious or disrespectful; rather, the fact is the circumstances and the likely requirements of each of these individuals – and countless others – vary so widely that a single “best†choice (or even a “short listâ€) is an impossibility.

Give us greater facts and we’ll be able to provide better opinions.

And, by the way, your Smith 65 is a FINE weapon.
 
Very situational subject!

What do you think the best full-time (just one gun for CCW) is?
Click to expand...

That's a question that really can't be answered by selecting just one gun and saying "that's it".

The real correct answer is that it is the gun that one will pick up, carry persistently and consistently, and take the time with which to become competent. And, over time that can change. For instance, just the act of getting older will change both preferences and capabilities. It sure has for me! So IMHO no shortcut answers to the question at hand. Good shooting;)
 
I would have to vote for the Kahr P40 or PM40... lightweight, small, flat, not too expensive, all with the top notch one-shot-stopping power of the .40s&w cartridge. The 9mm P9 or PM9 would be similarly excellent for those who don't want to put up with the abuse of shooting powerful .40s&w loadings out of a 17 ounce pistol...

Florida CCW holders seem to swear by the little Kahr 9mm and .40 pistols, they are easy to hide under light summer clothing due to their light weight and small size, and the polymer and stainless guns are about as close to rustproof as you can find.

Smith & Wesson's own little J-frame Model 360 or Model 340 may be a close to ideal CCW weapon as well. Stoked with either a "mild" +P .38 Special loading, or the time proven 125gr .357 Magnum loadings (for those that that can handle it from the 12 ounce gun), the ultralight 5 shooters are practically a joy to carry, so light that you can sometimes forget you are even armed, and easy to hide - even in clothing as light as a tshirt and shorts.

For CCW in cooler climates where you can wear more clothing to cover a bigger, heavier gun, a nice, flat, shortened slide and alloy framed 1911 style .45 might make my "best" list, something like Kimber's alloy framed 4" PRO or 3" ULTRA series ... If I wanted a higher ammo capacity but yet still wanted to carry a gun of light weight and relatively small size, the baby or midsized Glocks in .40s&w, .357sig or 9mm would tempt me quite a bit.

As usual, YMMV!

:D
 
P12 in 45 when in the city.

or030504q.jpg


G29 in 10 mm when out of town.

g29size.jpg
 
"Perfect" totally depends on the person, but for me, my BHP fits the bill perfectly. I can conceal it well, but more importantly, I can use it well too.

If I ever get my CCW, it will be a constant companion.

Wes
 
For me, that would be the Glock 26. Lightweight, virtually rustproof, carries 10+1 rounds of 9mm on board, and can accept both G17 and G19 magazines if you want to carry a backup mag with more rounds available. Conceals easily even in hot, humid weather.
 
To quote eagle's law "If something doesn't work the first time you need it, you will never need it again".
This rule applies equally to carry weapons.
Practice, practice, practice.
 
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