Why did you choose the CCW you have now?

That's the question. Why did you choose the type of concealed carry handgun you carry now? What features and materials does it have and why do you prefer them?

For me it is a Glock 27 .40 S&W. I have always been a fan of polymers for the light weight. After all, if I have to keep it concealed, I want it to be comfortable during all day carry. I don't want it too light though, then recoil will be a problem. Glocks are also known for their durability and ease of use. No manual safety. Just draw, point and shoot. I also chose the .40 S&W due to the fact that it has the power I wanted to ensure the job will be done right if it requires. I trust a 9mm, but figured why not get a .40 in the same size package?

 

I carry a 1911.

I chose it because it's the easiest for me to shoot well, fast. It allows me to put lead on target faster then any other handgun I've found.

It has other good attributes, but that is the reason I chose it.

 

I own and will carry a S&W 469.

I've kept it on me on my and friends' property a few times already, and found it comfortable to carry.

It points well in my hand, and aims well for a 3.5" barrel. A 4" group at 7 yards is the best I can expect to aim without more range time, and it holds that.

It's 9mm, which I trust with the right ammo (124gr +P Gold Dots) and I can afford to practice with.

It's also DA/SA, which I love. I like the SA trigger, but the DA gives it a 'second chance' in case of a hard primer, and I can carry it with the safety off.

And I've crammed every ammo I can get into it. Dropped or forgotten JHP, lead, Wolf, everything I could buy cheap or trade for when someone at the range has problems. And it works perfectly, every time, just to spite my efforts. To quote someone else here, "it would shoot gravel if I could put it in the magazine." Better to work that drive tacks, at SD range.

 

i have 2 different carry guns at the moment. I started out carrying an HK P2000 in .40S&W and chose it for it ambidextrious features since i'm left handed. While I don't mind manual safeties, I thought for my first carry gun it'd be better to just be able to point and shoot. Which I can do with my P2000 since it's DA/SA. I started carrying August 2007 right after my 21st birthday and once this Summer came around I started feeling like I wanted something a little smaller so I could conceal under a t-shirt a little easier so I picked up a lightly used Springfield XD .40 sub compact. I chose .40 because I like the round plus since I already carry a .40 i can share ammo. Finally got the holster in for it a few weeks ago and have been carrying it since. So far the XD has done everything I wanted it too. There are pro's and con's to both guns but they are working great for me and they have been 100% reliable.

 

I chose the HK P2000SK mainly for three reasons;
First and perhaps 80% of my choice is the rock solid reliability of the HKs I've owned. These are guns that work.
Next was the compact size, lending to concealability, maybe another 10% of the reason. Many guns fit the bill.
Last but not least...the gun fit my hand. That tactile, fondle and feel moment of "love at first grip" convinced me...the remaining 10%.

 

I tote a P-11 9mm. It's small and light and easy to conceal. What more could one ask?
Oh yeah, 10+1 doesn't hurt either.

 

My carry gun now is a Glock 19

I started out carrying a 357 Magnum snubnose, but couldn't shoot it very well. Then I chose to carry a full size 1911 Government model. Then carried XD Service models. I used to hate Glocks because they're so plain looking. I loved the XD at the time, but later realized that if something ever broke on it, I would have to send it to Springfield Armory. Well there goes my carry gun if that ever happened. Only then did I decide to give Glock a chance. All I can say is I wish I had done it sooner. I used my G19 to obtain my CCW permit, and my G19 has never let me down. I now also own a G26. The G19 IMO is the perfect combination of concealability, weight, capacity, and size, and is very accurate.

 

Kahr PM9.

6+1 9mm in the strong-side pocket, and additional 7 in the off-side pocket, and small enough to carry everywhere, all the time.

 

I am in East Central Florida and fish the saltwater lagoons a good bit. My M&P 9c takes the abuse and is easily concealed. The trigger has been made very good and it is very accurate.

 

well, in the cooler months, i carry a taurus 24/7 45acp, and in the hot months, i am carrying my kel-tec p3at (380 auto). reasoning is as follows. i really prefer carrying something with enough power to get the job done quickly / cleanly, with one shot. the 45acp quallifies, and i can shoot it much better than my little keltec. but the kel tec is very easily concealable in just a pair of shorts and a t shirt, so when it is quite hot, it gets to go for the ride. with the 380, i will have to wait until the bg is quite a bit closer, and probably shoot multiple times. but it is still better than nothing if some punk pulls a knife on me. mostly i carry to protect my kids. some people say the 380 is a puppy pistol. to that i say, "where do you want me to shoot you with this puppy pistol?" i routinely carry a mix of win. silvertip hp's and fmj's in the 380, because, in a real life scenario, i am not certain which will do a better job. so by alternating them, i should have it covered either way. the 45 gets jhp's all the time. i know it has enough power to make a hp work effectivly. if i were a suit and tie guy, i would carry the 45 exclusively, but i only wear "monkey suits" to funerals.

 

Like so many at first, I was swayed by the "bigger is better" argument. But, after you carry for a period of time, the change of seasons-clothes-weight, etc., I settled for a CCW that combined comfort with adequate power. But, I didn't compromise quality....

 

I have 3 carry guns.
Most frequently carried is my Colt Government .380. Light, easy to shoot, easy to carry, easy to conceal and very reliable.
Second most carried is My Browning HiPower. Easy to shoot, lots of bullets in the mag, extremely reliablity, very flat. I shoot it very well.
Third gun is my Kimber 9mm Tac Pro. I will probably carry it more when I get a decent holster. Its an Alloy frame and is super easy to shoot.

I have carried a 1911 for 5 years and never had a problem carrying it.

 

Quite simply i choose my carry gun for the " formfactor " . I normally carry a Kahr P9. It is light , thin , and has a consistent trigger pull ( i am not picky as to a SA trigger or a DA style , but i prefer it to be consistent I dont care for transitions in trigger pull under stress. ). As a side note i consider the Kahrs dammed near as ugly as glocks or similar so i dont mind the beating it takes as a cc gun as much as i would one of my " better " guns such as hp, 1911, or p7 hk LOL .

 

I chose a Taurus Mil-Pro 40 in stainless, mine is the DAO version, which I prefer. I like the 40 S&W round in short barrels, its very efficient, the size is just about right, not very heavy, 24 oz fully loaded, fits my hand great, and I am very accurate with it. As a matter of fact, mine will hold a 4" group at 25 yards, off-hand weaver stance, pretty impressive for a sub-compact. The gun has been totally reliable after 3000 rounds fired, I really like this little pistol. Its 10+1 too.

 

I have had a lot of diffrent guns but the one I carry now is a 38 super 1911 why? Its the only pistol I have.

 

Glock 19 in winter months, Kel Tec 32 in summer months.

PF 9 someday I hope.

 

I chose my carry piece for many different aspects. It was the caliber that I wanted, it functions very reliably and is of a design that operates well. It is not outrageously expensive, so the wear and tear of carrying it everyday, everywhere, in all conditions wouldn't break my heart. It is a common brand that won't be discontinuing parts for quite sometime (at least in theory). It is not difficult to find holsters or other accessories for. Most important, I can shoot well with it, and I am very comfortable with it.

 

Glocks, 23 and 27. Size, weight, balance and the caliber. Another big plus is ease of operation.

 

Cold weather: Springfield XD-40 SC. I wanted an HK P2000sk but couldn't afford it. Glocks don't fit my hand very well. I wanted a polymer sub compact .40, so I handled the XD, read a lot of good reviews, plus it was much less than the HK. I love this gun and it has worked flawlessly. .40 S&W is a great self-defense round that can fit into 9mm-sized packages.

Warm weather/pocket carry: S&W 642. Size, weight, snag-free lines, revolver "5-for-sure" reliability.

Open-carry while hiking/camping: Ruger GP-100 4" stainless .357. Not much reason needed. It's a Ruger GP-100! Solid and rugged.

 

The gun I carry most is a P-3AT and I shoot it every week.
I always have a Hi-Capacity pistol in my car and figure the little KT will usually do the job or should give me time to get to the Hi-cap pistol.

I live in Phoenix and I'm just not going to carry a big heavy gun in this climate unless I know I'm going into a really tough area.

 

AdamSean said:

Because unless you reload, 9mm is a lot more economical than .40.

 

I can line up three BG's and take them out with one shot. Also the muzzle flash is so big and loud they will probably crap their pants and run even if I miss.

 

Tried different guns at the range. The M&P was one that instantly felt comfortable and shot well for me. Maybe I was just having a good day. But whatever the reason we were just comfortable with each other and the relationship has never soured (0 FTF's.)

 

A Glock 17 - when I pull the trigger, it goes BANG!

Every time

I mean it... EVERY time

In over 10,000 rounds I've only had 1 FTE (that was within the first 200 rounds)

 

Primary carry now is a S&W 638 in .38 Special. It's the largest caliber I have in a pistol small enough to carry in a pocket holster. It's much too hot for cover garments 6-8 months out of the year around here.