Settling on a Concealed Carry Handgun: Question

I would like some feedback about sticking with a standard concealed carry firearm.

This thread is not about what is the best, or most practical or what has or does not have the necessary requirements for self defense. Its about sticking with just one, perhaps 2 different ones and the whys and why-nots in that decision.

Here is my query....and I'd appreciate some positive...or negative feedback please. Thank you in advance.

I started carrying a standard-size 9mm, a Glock 17, 17 round clip. (this is not about the make or quality nor calibers involved). After awhile, I switched to a sub-compact 45 acp, 10 round clip for my everyday-carry. Here-in is my issue:

I've tried on weekends to switch back to the 9mm just to be different, and after a few times, I'd just go put it away and get my 45. It is smaller, heavier, a bit more powerful, and I just felt more comfortable and "normal" carrying it as opposed to the other.

I'm at the point of just getting rid of the 9mm for a smaller subcompact 9mm the same size as the 45. Seems I'd be equally as comfortable carrying that as the 45, then again maybe not. Why switch back and forth at all, and just stay with my choice in the one most comfortable to me?

I have stopped even taking the 9mm to the range under the thinking that I need to be proficient at my everyday carry, and not concentrate on both: that seemed pointless and a waste of ammo and $$ as well as time.

Am I alone or misguided in the practice of just concentrating on a single, comfortable sidearm? It makes sense to me, but I did want to ask other CCW/CPL holders if some share this opinion about themselves and their choice in everyday-carry.

Mysterioustranger

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Kahr CW series 9mm

Feels good to shoot and conceals nicely on the back right hip. 9mm is fine...don't want to get into a debate about stopping power but 90% of all people shot live if they have access to health care...which means you better be prepared to shoot more than once.

If you do something like a a ruger lcp 380 your gonna find you can't tell its always there and its not fun to shoot at all...so I personally like some heft to my firearm but not to the point it over burdens. The Kahr CW 9mm is the best pistol ive ever had.

With that there are a couple other that came out that are similar to the kahr that I have shot and absolutely loved...I think one was called The Shield, but can't remember the other...was something just like it though.

Sorry didnt read your whole thread...I had different rounds at one point and it was a pain in the ass...all the different ammo types....I think I could really do with just one pistol and take care of it well...maybe 2 if you gotta have a second one. I've never liked anything in 45 and glocks are great but not for concealed carry....pistol grip is too wide for me but if i was in a shoot out id rather have a glock than about anything. The beauty of guns is they don't really lose their value so you can really play around until you find something you are in love with.

Your gun is not a pair of shoes. You will not need a new one in six months.
I see no problem just using the one you are comfortable with.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

When I decided on my carry sidearm it was more for comfort and concealment over caliber because we already had a bunch of 9mm for target practice. My choice was the Springfield XD9 subcompact because the dimensions of the handgun is the same as the XD40 subcompact and I already have a very nice holster that I'm comfortable with. I just don't have any major reason right now, or the funds, to upgrade the caliber.

For me, a single caliber is best to train and be comfortable with in case it has to be used. It doesn't hurt that in case of a zombie apocalypse or whatever that it should be a relatively easy caliber to scrounge up.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

I'll jump in. It's my first post in a while and the OP caught my eye as I've put some thought into it myself. Here's how I look at it:

I own "a few" handguns of various makes and models. All but one are for range-time fun. The weapon I carry every day, however, is the one I drill with. It's the one I shoot the most, the one I run dry fire exercises with, the one that's sitting on the desk next to me right now. I know this weapon very well inside and out - how it feels with different grips (weaver or gangsta), the balance in my hands, how I shoot with it strong side or weak side, how to efficiently and effectively clear malfunctions, and how to put lead on target consistently every time.

And that's the key if you want to be ready, heaven forbid, for the day you need to actually use it in a defensive situation. You won't have time to think - muscle memory has to be built well in advance so that there is no pause when you produce the weapon and neutralize the imminent threat. Don't loose time wondering what gun am I carrying today? Do I have 10 or 12 in the mag? Is the safety on? Just produce, obtain a sight picture and click.

So, personally, I agree with your assessment. Have as many guns as you want, but concentrate on the one that you are going to rely to save your life or the lives of your loved ones. Be comfortable with it and you'll be ready.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

It's always best to concentrate on what you're comfortable with.

I only have one conceal-carry sidearm and it's a 9mm Glock 19 subcompact. I also use an in-the-waistband (IWB) holster to keep it tight against my body for maximum concealment. However, sometimes there's a slight bulge under my shirt if the shirt is not baggy enough in the summertime.

Sometime soon I'll likely get a compact 380 to have something smaller, lighter, and more concealable for summertime's minimal clothing.

But, I will mostly carry my 9mm. The 380 will just be for those occasions where smaller will be better than nothing at all.

I carry a 9mm keltec. I train with it constantly. That is a must. But i also bought the pf9 22 conversion kit so i can spend more time on the range and go through cheaper ammo. Best purchase i ever made. In the 9mm it carrys 7+1 and is the slimmest 9 on the market. Has some kick so its really fun to shoot. I feel that the 380s are just too small in my hand and i am far less accurate. This is my go to protection and noone can convince me otherwise. A 45 is expensive on the range and a well placed bullet means more to me than the size of the round. Plus in zombie times i can switch to a smaller round by a quick change of the slide barrel. A 22 to the brain will work just as well and probably the most ammo that will be floating around. Fun shooting!

A concealed gun is much more likely to be used against you in a crime before you'll get a chance to shoot the perp.

Most criminals will never use guns, unless they are used first against them.

If you carry a gun, you're SIX TIMES more likely to be shot during commission of a crime, nearly ALWAYS by your own gun.

If you wanna be a hero, that's you're business, but make damn sure someone doesn't pull a bigger gun than yours out, and remember, hardened criminals are likely to be much more trained and willing to use their gun than you.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Am I alone or misguided in the practice of just concentrating on a single, comfortable sidearm?

You're doing it right. Kind of an expensive way to go about it, but there's nothing wrong with that either ... if you've got the cash.

Mind if I ask the make and model of your .45?

originally posted by: babybunnies
A concealed gun is much more likely to be used against you in a crime before you'll get a chance to shoot the perp.

Most criminals will never use guns, unless they are used first against them.

If you carry a gun, you're SIX TIMES more likely to be shot during commission of a crime, nearly ALWAYS by your own gun.

If you wanna be a hero, that's you're business, but make damn sure someone doesn't pull a bigger gun than yours out, and remember, hardened criminals are likely to be much more trained and willing to use their gun than you.

Sources.

originally posted by: babybunnies
A concealed gun is much more likely to be used against you in a crime before you'll get a chance to shoot the perp.

Most criminals will never use guns, unless they are used first against them.

If you carry a gun, you're SIX TIMES more likely to be shot during commission of a crime, nearly ALWAYS by your own gun.

If you wanna be a hero, that's you're business, but make damn sure someone doesn't pull a bigger gun than yours out, and remember, hardened criminals are likely to be much more trained and willing to use their gun than you.

this is a typical myth propagated by anti-gun activists, whom never source any study to back up the claim because true statistics destroy this argument completely.



on topic to the OP. you should carry a snub nose revolver with a receded hammer, the hammer wont catch on clothing when pulling it out, majority of cases where a concealed carry is needed there is rarely more then 2 shots fired so you dont need the larger mag, majority of cases are close range so snub nose is fine, and revolvers dont jam, far more reliable, last thing you want to happen in a situation like that is a jam, all that advice i received from a retired sheriff of 20 years who taught the concealed carry class i attended.

i once had a store bought remington fmj ammo, shell split right down the middle in a revolver, the remaining shots fired just fine, didnt know the shell had split till i tried to empty the chambers, had to pry it out, after a cleaning no damage was visible to the firearm, if that shell had split in a semiauto its likely the action would have blown off entirely.

a reply to: babybunnies
Why would it matter if the criminal pulled out a bigger gun? Surely he'd see the gun in the first place and not get involved? And even then, bigger doesnt mean easier to aim or use!

OP I'm in the camp that figures you ought to carry the gun you're most likely to carry and train with the most.

I was going to equate this to learning the intricacies of pleasing you wife in the buidoir, and just taking out the sexy models every once in awhile... The analogy doesn't quite fit. Well kinda if you're an ass I guess.

I shoot my Glocks more than anything since that's all I really carry. I suppose with the exception of my Mosquito because I'm just weirdly good with that little bugger (cwhatididthere?) and it's so cheap to shoot.

Do you have a gun range near you where you can try guns? I know mine will let you take a few different models out if you're trying to narrow down choices. By all means stick with the 1911 if it's a good fit but perhaps try some compact/subcompact polymers. I love Glocks and wouldn't be comfortable carrying a SA or SA/DAO because I'm not used to them. I think that's kind of important too. The last thing you want to do is draw, forget the safety and have the gun not go boom. Or draw, pull the trigger because you're freaked out and assume you have to swipe your thumb... Or draw, pull the trigger and expect the next trigger pull to be the same length. The little reptile brain of ours only responds to repetition.

One thing I love about my little Glock family is that there is one for every season. The baby Glock is very concealable and light, the 19 is an awesome compromise, the 17 is usually my nightstand gun but if I'm going somewhere I think warrants carrying it sure is nice to have. All eat the same porridge, use the same magazines (with the exception of baby Glock mags in the bigger two - which you undoubtedly know), fire the same ammo, have the same controls, same sights (I forget which ones I got put on them), same feel, same takedown...

I don't get the guys that carry a different gun every day. There is no way you're going to be able to have the same proficiency with 3-10 guns as you have with 1 or 2. There's also such a high chance you'll screw up. Of course there are exceptions to this, but I highly doubt anyone here has the budget or time to shoot enough.

TL;DR Sounds like you're doing it right OP. Except you should switch to Glock. If someone put 10 guns on a table and told me I got to choose one before they released a guy with a machete that wanted to kill me into the room I would pick up the Glock.

Glock is all I own.A G30-45acp-my daily, and a G17-9mm

a reply to: pryingopen3rdeye

Agree 100%!

I swaped from a .380, .9 and .45 all the time and never really felt comfortable. I don't like having one chambered and having to pull and rack a round just doesn't feel right.

Last year I bought a snub nose .357 revolver and love it. Couldn't be happier.

One thing that I was taught, when I first started to carry concealed was to carry my weapon of choice at all times. This allows you to get used to it, to where it feels like a part of you. You are not always checking on it or adjusting it's position and calling attention to yourself.

To Babybunnies: With an attitude like that, no wonder criminals think that it is always "wabbit season".

I tend to stick to the same caliber for carry. I am a .45 guy myself and have gone from full size commander 1911 to sub-compact 1911 and now am a big fan of my G36 slimline single stack .45. I have to say that these switches occurred over years and after a lot of thought about the conditioning of the pistols and the required maintenance on the 1911's.

I have HIGHLY acidic sweat, and unless I came home daily and rubbed my 1911's down they would develop spots. I had them eventually Black/Green T'd from Walter Birdsong and didn't have any issues after, but I found that the coating was not as impregnable as the Glock slide coating.

While I love the action, weight and features of 1911's and will always keep them for the range, I have over the last 4 years gone the way of the Glock, finally settling on the G36, which is my EDC and don't really see any other getting in the lineup in the future.

Great thread!

I don't want to seem like a nazi with gun terms, but your pistols accept magazines, not clips. Clips were used in older weapons like the M1 Garand.

As for ccw, I would suggest sticking with carrying one. If you are ever in a situation that requires you drawing your weapon you should not have to think about which weapon system you are carrying and what you need to do differently. I'm sure there will be a lot of other things on your mind.

Having said that, I still recommend training with both. It never hurts being proficient with multiple weapons and multiple calibers.

Good shootin!

1)I would suggest re-evaluating needs

You are pretty stable in the head.

Focus on necessity and purpose

Example (since I lose people sometimes)
lets say defensive reason

Whats the last time you practiced 25 feet situational awareness
Do you also carry a cutting knife on you (boyscout motto)
Do you ever people watch for fun (guess their backstory)
Do you carry other items or kiss (just curious.. More on the weight of items)

2)roleplay

As in walk through all the main types of situations were you have to use the items in question

Proper preplanning
and make sure main scenarios are practiced at the same rate as the shooting


You probably already do most of this but its more of a reminder to owners


As for suggestions

1)Knife and practice with it

see if there are knife fighting classes available

2) a very old man i know

carried a single shot derringer
yes a lady's pistol
everywhere he went

Just to give him time
He had to pull it twice

3)No advice on side arm

You need to find the gun you are comfortable with
then like a pool player and their sticks, give her a name

You will be use to the sights
know how she feels and works
Gun fu crap where you can draw her and Know exactly your going to hit


I am sorry its not much but its what I have

a reply to: mysterioustranger "Beware of the man with only one gun" and phrases like that mean that he is probably more proficient by not switching back and forth between different operating systems, sights, and feel. I generally do not carry as the liability issues are significant. If you like auto pistols, the Walther PPS in 9mm is a good choice and is flatter than any other I've used. A Smith snubbie with a hammer shroud is the most reliable. If you can't defend yourself with five shots leave your gun at home. There are those prepared for an extended firefight with extra magazines, etc., but carrying an arsenal is awkward and full of legal pitfalls should the weapon ever be used. In actual gunfights, everybody wants to get out of the area without perforations so as soon as the fireworks start, distances increase. Always leave a route for the other guy to escape because cornering someone can be fatal.