CCW Tradeoffs and Other Questions

[ozwyn]

Find a range where you can rent a few of the guns people have listed.

find a handgun that is comfortable for you, easy to shoot and accurate. Then we can second guess you on caliber, reliability, cool factor, etc.

It has to be small enough to conceal, comtrols need to be comfortable/familiar enough to effectively use, and accurate enough to hit what you're aiming at. Shot placment matters.

If you manage that, then caliber, capacity and brand become secondary concerns.

 

[quatin]

I've shot .22lr,.22wmr,9mm makarov,9mm luger, .45acp, .38spl and .357mag. So I thought I have covered all my bases. The only thing I'm missing might be .380acp (which i heard is like a heavier .22wmr) and .40s&w. The problem is most of the guns I fired are full sized guns. I'm 6'2 and have long fingers (compartively to what most pistols are designed for). I would just go to the range and rent the guns, but I think I may just "bite the bullet" and just buy without shooting this time. The last time I went to a place that rents guns I had to shell $90 to try 2 handguns. From all the responses I've been convinced to lean towards the 9mm luger instead. It seems like a good compromise on power and capacity especially for a compact/subcompact handgun. The CZ-75 compact and CZ rami 2075 are looking to be a good candidates. I'll go handle some of the guns suggested and follow up. Thx for responses.

 

[Boats]

My personal CCW breakout of factors goes like this:

1. Adequate caliber
2. Must be stone dead reliable.
3. Must be concealable without considerable work put into it.
4. Must be useable under stress.
5. Capacity/Ease of reloading.

Once upon a time, I packed a double stack 9mm and a spare mag. That was a major PITA due to width issues on both weapon and mag.

Then I moved to a Colt's Officer's model. Slimmer weapon and slimmer magazines, but it was a heavy little beast and still a pain to hide all of the time, especially in the summer.

Then a Colt's Detective Special in an ankle rig. Nice balance of size, concealability and adequate firepower. However, this option still required long pants or a belt carry, and the beautiful bluing doesn't hold up to sweat very well.

Then a Ruger SP-101. Lost a round, gained .357 power and rust resistance. Still has concealability issues.

Now, I am using a S&W 638. Still down to five shots but gained the pocket. Five shots on tap, and five more in a speed strip. Doesn't rust, and goes everywhere and hides just about anywhere I want to try it.

Of course the 638 is a compromise. It happens to be my optimal compromise at the moment. I don't have to think too hard to conceal it, so it always goes with me with no excuses. Since I am under no obligation to engage, I depend on situational awareness to make up for the lack of capacity. Five shots for multiple assailants means no double tappings. Everyone gets one sent their direction and then I run away at best speed.

If I find myself in the middle of a killing spree coming my way, I guess the tactic is to gain the best available cover and ambush the shooter(s) if gunfire comes my way. The ability to take an aimed single action shot is the reason I got the Bodyguard over the Centennial model. Firing options are nice when one can never pick the battlefield.

I have just never found a sawed off pistol that pocket carries, that I also trust as much as a good revolver in that role.

My only concern is relying on .38 Special rounds. If Smith made a Model 349 M&P tomorrow, I'd buy two of those scandium magnum J-Frames.

 

[cpaspr]

Since you haven't purchased yet, I'll chime in on the two calibers you haven't shot yet.

I have both of Sig's small pistols, the P232 in .380 and the P239 in .40S&W. Love em both, but the 232 is the one that gets carried most. Reason? Weight (and I don't have a decent holster for the 239 yet). They're both effectively the same size, but the 232 is light enough to just tuck and go.

The 239 is available in .40S&W, .357SIG and 9mm Luger. If you get either the .40S&W or the .357SIG, you can get an aftermarket barrel for around $200 (from Barstow and others, not from Sig) that allows you to convert it to 9x19. (The 9mm model can't go the other way though.)

Other makers' models in these calibers I can't comment on, but mine have been flawless from the start. I got the 232 used, and the 239 new. You should be able to find either used within your price range.

The 232's light weight (mine is around 25 oz fully loaded) makes it a bit snappy on the recoil, and given your size, you might suffer from slide bite, but it might be a good choice for your wife. For my particular hands, none of my other guns points so perfectly.

The 239 has plenty of power, weighs about 33 oz loaded (8 rounds of 180gr .40S&W), is small enough to conceal, and used, might be in your price range.

Both have a decocker, so can be carried with the hammer down. Should I ever really, really need it, I don't have to worry about "did I remember to take the safety off", I'll simply draw, and if necessary, pull the trigger. Just like a revolver.

My 3 cents worth.
__________

Oh, and regarding that Ruger P90 question. Nice gun, aluminum frame reduces the weight, but there are many less bulky options if you want to carry a .45ACP. And the safety (at least on mine) doubles as the decocker, so once decocked I have to remember to flip the safety back off to make it ready to fire upon drawing. In IDPA, sometimes I've forgotten. In real life, I wouldn't want to have to worry about it, so it will never be my carry gun. That, and at 5'8", I can't conceal it - too big. At 6'2", you might be able to swing it.

___________________

One other thing I just thought of. All three of the above guns (at least mine) are available in rust-resistant materials. The 232 in either stainless steel or anodized aluminum (frame) with a blued slide. The 239 is blackened stainless steel, and the P90 is aluminum framed.

 

[pax]

-terry,

I agree it's pathetic. Fact is, I hate typing. One day I noticed that 80% of everything I ever typed on any gun boards was simply repeating stuff I'd typed previously -- and most of it would be better said with pictures, anyway. Shameless plug, or more typing ... hmmmmm. Made my choice!

signed,

a lazy pax

 

[TonyB]

I ve a buddy who carries a P90 in the winter....it's aso the gun he shoots in idpa..never seen it malfunction.He uses an IWB holser.
He also has a Kahr(pm9 I think)that he pocket carries...it too is reliable,although I think he had some feeding issues in the beginning.
I never found carrying a full size gun to be comfortable.I prefer snubby revolvers...a smith 642 in my pocket mostly.You almost never see a used one,but new they're about $369......used revolvers for around $300 can be found j or k frames.
Taurus's Ihave fond to be good..and used ones are usually cheap.
I got a Rossi 461(2" 357) for $150....100%,but the trigger sucked in the beginning.
Small autos I'd use:Glock 26,27,Kahr pm9,40..I'd consider a Kel-tec,but I'd shoot it alot 1st and make sure it's reliable(of course we should do that w/ all carry guns)
good luck w/ the search...