Newbie _ concealed carry

[Amishman44]

If you really want dependability, you can't beat a small, 5-shot revolver for PD! Ruger's LCR is a great little gun, weighing in at just 13.5 oz, and you can add a Tritium Night Sight from XS Sights in Texas ($68 shipped). A good +P .38 will smack anything a .380 would give you, and it'll be more accurate.

S&W make several nice airweight guns, the 642, 638, 637, 442, Lady Smith, etc...as will the Taurus Model 85, that will do the trick as well, but none of them have a pinned in front nights which makes installing the Tritium NS interchangeable. To switch any of them over would require a gunsmith and some more $$.

 

[PurdueGunLover]

Very interseting thought

My only concern with a revolver, which I have limited experience with is the the triger pull saw to heavy the everytime I went for a second fast follow up shot the sight would rotate. and that the heavy pull would move sites in longer shots even when i was not in a hurry, without cocking the gun.

 

[Shoots4Fun]

The LCP is something you'll be proud to own in terms of looks and better yet reliability. It is easy to clean and maintain for a newbie and accurate with some practice. It's also small enough you won't mind carrying with you all the time...My

 

[KahrFan]

Kahr cw9. I think it's pocketable. The cw380 is a bit pricy, but gorgeous I think it's the only .380 where the slide locks back when empty.

 

[groovatron]

I have found lately that the .380 is harder to find ammo for also. When you do find it it is deffinately more expensive. I went to 2 gun shops and wally world today and only one shop had .380 and it was the $1.50 per round good stuff.

I like the small revolvers. I carry a S&W 36 or 60 if I need a pocket gun. .38spl is cheaper then .380 for practice.

I can get .380 for around $20-$22 per 50. It is very overpriced at the moment, but I think it will drop down once again within a year. For me, it's no big deal. Run 400 rounds of FMJ through a mouser followed by 100 rounds of the first JHP that it favors and you are good to go. I don't plink with my pocket guns. I replace the ammo a couple times a year and forget about it. Granted, whenever the option is there, .380 will always serve as a backup to my .45. .38sp is great, but at that point it's .357 for me.

 

[Lanser]

If you want something about as concealable as those Kel-Tecs but packing a bigger punch, you might consider the Walther PPS in 9mm or .40 -- it's a little costlier, and is going to have more recoil, but it will give you more firepower. (9mm is cheaper than just about anything else, by the way, even the smaller rounds.)

I know this will probably just start a "power vs. shot placement" debate, but since PERFECT shot placement is EXTREMELY unlikely in a sudden, panic-inducing, life-or-death street shooting (especially with a pocket pistol), I know I would want something to help compensate for my inevitable lack of precision.

But on the other hand, most crooks just run off as soon as they realize you're armed, so in many cases having any gun at all is the key. It's up to you.

 

[JTPharmD]

Any thoughts on the forthcoming S&W Bodyguards?

 

[rawtown]

I too have a Ruger LCP and love it. Always with me and small enough to conceal under a tshirt with the upcoming summer weather

 

[jtemple42000]

I generally carry a Sig P220 in the winter and when its cooler out. I carry my Sig P225 mostly in the summer because its lighter and easier to conceal in the summer.

I only carry my Bersa when its really hot. It fits well into the pockets of my cargo shorts. I have not looked for a pocket holster for it. It prints pretty bad in the front pockets of a pair of jeans.

If gun is something that you plan on carrying more than just every once in a while, you may want to stick to something smaller like the Luger LCP or the Keltec P3AT. My dad owns a Keltec and its a great gun, but be warned, I did the Keltec Fluff and Buff and then put about 150 rounds through it to get it to run 100%. Also, if you don't keep a firm grip on it, it will not cycle.

 

[PurdueGunLover]

buying

I have started looking at a larger round than the original .22. I will keep you guys posted. However I decided to also by a .22 pistol just for cheap target practice if I can get a reasonable one. Can you ever have enough guns. my only concern is shooting too many guns will effect my shooting in a dangerious situation. Would this concern you?

 

[pudly]

I decided to also by a .22 pistol just for cheap target practice if I can get a reasonable one. ... my only concern is shooting too many guns will effect my shooting in a dangerious situation. Would this concern you?

This is a common setup. A .22 makes for cheap practice and is fun to shoot. You get about 80-90% of the same practice as a larger self defense caliber- draw stroke, stance, grip, sight picture, etc. are the same. The biggest difference is the smaller recoil which allows for easier followup.

I believe that the additional practice far outweighs any downside to using the .22. That said, you should practice/train with your main firearm as much as possible.

Also, check into dry fire practice with your main firearm. It is cheap as there is no ammo. There are multiple discussions on this board and other sites on the web of different dry fire exercises. You will need to check that your particular firearms are okay for this. Some (including many .22s) can be damaged by dry firing.

Finally, you should definitely check into proper firearms training. Using a gun for self defense is not the same as target practice.

 

[XDs4me]

I would recommend you look at the Diamondback 380. It is like a baby GLOCK. Very well made and much more fun to shoot than my LCP. It doesnt hurt my hand after 3 mags and the trigger is better. It is just as accurate with the stock sites as my LCP wit a Crimson Trace laser out to about 10yds.

 

[paperboy]

I would suggest that you shoot some different kinds of handguns if you can. You may find that you prefer an auto over a revolver or vice versa. I had a Kel Tec P3AT and I did not like shooting it at all. I put about 200 rnds thru it and I just wasn't for me. I could never get a comfortable trigger pull on it. I do think Bersa 380's are awesome but they are a little too big for a pocket pistol.

 

[Larryjr]

I didn't read thru all the replies so forgive me if this has already been mentioned. I have a taurus tcp .380 that carries pretty nicely in my pocket holster.

 

[PurdueGunLover]

Since 38s will fire in a .357 would it be worth the extra money to just buy a .357. If so what would be a cost effective gun that would reliable. S&W, Ruger or something else? I just would want to buy a gin in the colt price range and free like I paid too much to carry it.

 

[kimberfan]

a concealable 357,like the scandium s and w's, look to me like they'd be a real handful to shoot. I looked at a kahr pm9 that I really like the feel of recently, however.

 

[pudly]

Since 38s will fire in a .357 would it be worth the extra money to just buy a .357. If so what would be a cost effective gun that would reliable. S&W, Ruger or something else? I just would want to buy a gin in the colt price range and free like I paid too much to carry it.

I'm surprised you haven't received an answer to this question before now. I don't use revolvers, but I've heard that this is a common solution- use a .357 gun with .357 ammo for self defense and .38 for target/practice shooting. You should repost this question with a better title to get the revolver folks to provide better input.

 

[Z-Glock23]

I agree with the Ruger LCP! Great price for a great gun! But if you want to spend more, my favorite is the SigP238. Ordering mine next week =] I CANT WAIT!!!

 

[U.S. Patriot]

One thing to consider, at least in my neck of the woods. That .380 ammo can still be hard to find, and pricey. Especially for self defense rounds. For that sake I would recommend a snub nose revolver chambered in .38. Those rounds are still easy to find, and not high on the price. Taurus makes some good revolvers for the price. Also I do not know what your experience is with handguns, but revolvers for some are easier to learn on for a first handgun. There are less moving parts, and less chance of a malfunction. The only thing you would really be sacrificing would be capacity, and revolvers without practice can be trickier to reload. Just some food for thought, hope that helps!

 

[sertboy354]

I like a small 38 or 357 stub