What should I look for in a concealed carry gun?

[Birds Away]

I wrote a rather lengthy guide for how to select a suitable carry gun for self defense here:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/carry-issues-self-defense/273631-carry-gun-selection.html

Feel free to ask any clarifying questions you might have.

I missed this when you posted the first time. Excellent write up.

BTW, I really love these threads...so predictable.

 

[Methane Herder]

Paid my money and took my chances today on Walther PPS 9mm.

 

[palerider0485]

reliability first, then something that dosnt jam, and get something that goes bang everytime you pull the trigger, those 3 things are in no particular order, glock would be a good choice.

 

[KellyinAvon]

Get a G19 and a G26, that's what I did. G17 mag fits in both.

 

[Danni]

Great post and suggestions! I just recently got my lifetime permit and bought a small .22 for my very firsr gun and have taken a few NRA classes. I'm thinking the next gun I want to buy is a S&W 1911 pro series. Anyone have any comments or suggetions??

 

[Amishman44]

Everyone's different...so your preference and comfort with a particular gun and/or style should reflect what you shoot best with...for a first carry gun! I often recommend Glock for a first pistol...because of how simple they are to use...but it's not always everyone's first choice! I suggest the following:

First...find a gun that's comfortable in your hand...something that feels 'natural' to you! (Ex.: I have small hands....so I tend to lean towards smaller-framed handguns.)

Two...chose something that is a good personal-defense caliber, preferably something 9mm or larger.

Three...shoot it and shoot it a lot! 300+ rounds just to get used to a gun...1,000+ rounds to develop a degree of proficiency!

Four...play around with and choose a defensive carry holster. (I prefer OWB 4:00 position holster...they're just comfortable to me!)

Five...take a class...then another class...and train, train, train.

Six...select a good personal defense round in the caliber of your choice. (Ex. Recently I switched from .40 to 9mm and I prefer 115 grain JHP CorBon's in my G-19 9mm! Lately, I've been buying from Littlestone's Ammunition...very nice stuff!)

Seven...and this is the most important point...your MIND is more important than your gun! The gun is a LAST RESORT in dealing with conflict...it may get there fast...but it is still the last!

Good luck...and enjoy!

 

[GTM]

Paid my money and took my chances today on Walther PPS 9mm.

That's a good choice. You'll like it.

 

[cedartop]

reliability first, then something that dosnt jam, and get something that goes bang everytime you pull the trigger, those 3 things are in no particular order, glock would be a good choice.

Can't tell if that is tongue in cheek or not.

 

[iamhdr]

If you're partial to Ruger, look at the SR9c.

 

[rbMPSH12]

I'll second the guy who said the S&W M&P Shield is a great gun. If you're ok with 7-8 round capacity, it's a great gun. I've never had a malfunction in almost 1000 rounds. It's comfortable to shoot and accurate to boot. I think the ideal situation would be to have a bigger gun and a smaller gun in the same caliber depending on where you're carrying and what you're wearing. I'd like to get a G17 or G19 for more capacity as another option. But I won't sell the Shield. As for holsters, I highly recommend Henry Holsters (amhenry on INGO). Very high quality, sensible design. For a review on INGO see https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...review-henry-holsters-hybrid-iwb-holster.html I just got an appendix IWB holster from him for the Shield and already have a regular IWB holster. I like them a lot. Also, the Wilderness Tactical belt is the one I use. I like it a lot. The big buckle can be a bit in the way for appendix carry but it's a great belt overall. If you go for that belt I recommend getting the plastic PCM insert to make it a bit more rigid. Mine has been fine for what I carry (the 5-stitch version), but I'd like a bit more rigidity. I've also heard the Ares Gear belt is great, as was mentioned above.

 

[Lectric102002]

Gotta go +1 on the G26. Easy to carry, easy to conceal, easy to shoot. Spend $9 on the magazine extension and it grips just like its big brothers.

 

[Onebad06vtx]

For inside waste band carry go with either of the three,xds,karh or ruger lc9.
The lc9 has the worst of the three's trigger but is still shootable and accurate.
For out side carry go with a glock or springfield xdm.