Need advice on my first carry gun

[Jbird45]

So my budget right now is around $300. I am looking at the Ruger SR9 3818 as my first carry gun.

I have shot a Taurus 9mm, a MP Shield 9mm, and a Smith and Wesson .380 body guard. I did not get very good accuracy with the shield or the bodyguard, and I shoot reasonably well with the taurus.

I currently own a Ruger Vaquero, which is a wonderful gun, but it's not very discreet. I wouldn't say I am a Ruger fanboy, but I have had positive experiences with their products.

Is the SR9 3818 a good choice for my first carry gun or am I better off looking at something else?

 

[94045]

3818 is a Security 9.

The SR9 and SR9C are different higher line handgun and higher quality and made for a higher use cycle in my opinion.

Locally the security 9 has been $265 and the SR9C and SR45 $280. I haven't looked at the regular SR9 but if it's in the same price range it's about $100 more gun for $15 more in my opinion.

3301 is an example of the SR9.
3313 I believe is a SR9C.

 

[MedWheeler]

What model was the Taurus? If it was the G2C (PT111-Gen-2), that would be a good choice.

Seriously, there has never been a better time for entry into self-defense handguns. The choices are dang-near enough to spin one's head, and the affordability factor is very impressive.

 

[94045]

What model was the Taurus? If it was the G2C (PT111-Gen-2), that would be a good choice.

PT111 Millennium G2 is the Gen 2 Millennium.

The G2C is a Gen 2.5 Millennium.
Primary difference is the trigger safety was changed from plastic to metal blade and was renamed so they could shorten the lifetime warranty to one year. They have since reinstated the lifetime warranty due to fixing their warranty backlog.

I believe a PT111 may have been made prior to the Millennium but the G2 was the first Taurus Poly I was willing to buy.

 

[Jbird45]

It was a pt709. I don't have any experience with the pt111.

 

[94045]

PT709 was the predecessor to the G2S.
You should be able to get a G2S for under $200 if you shop around and are not in a restricted state. It's basically a single stack G2C.

 

[Armored farmer]

I carry an SR9C if that says anything.

 

[Reinz]

Considering your restricted budget, I think the Ruger is a good choice.

 

[94045]

To clarify my original.reaponse.

The 3818 Security 9 is a good choice on a $300 budget.

An SR9, SR9C or SR45 is a GREAT choice on a $300 budget.

 

[Mike .45]

In the $300 range the S&W Sield and the Ruger SR9C will be hard to beat. Both should be available for rent and most indoor ranges. I'd shoot both before buying.

 

[Waterboy3313]

I carry a shield in 9mm for the most part when I'm carrying. It's comfortable to carry but it's not exactly a surgical tool. 7 yards on a b-27 sillohette it does pretty good but anything beyond that it's my last choice to shoot. The trigger is probably it's biggest draw back. After about 500 rounds it gets better but still not great. I've probably put around 1000 rounds through mine so far and I can't ever remember having a single failure. Accuracy is good enough and I trust it.

 

[94045]

I carry a shield in 9mm for the most part when I'm carrying. It's comfortable to carry but it's not exactly a surgical tool. 7 yards on a b-27 sillohette it does pretty good but anything beyond that it's my last choice to shoot. The trigger is probably it's biggest draw back. After about 500 rounds it gets better but still not great. I've probably put around 1000 rounds through mine so far and I can't ever remember having a single failure. Accuracy is good enough and I trust it.

I'm going to guess that's a 1.0 because my .45 Shield (essentially M2.0 preproduction) has my favorite trigger of any carry gun. No creep, no over-travel, crisp and pretty much 5 lb even. The M&P 2.0 is lighter but has some creep. It's essentially a 3" 5-Shot Pistol at 15 yards offhand. On the other hand the 9mm Shield has enough narrower and shorter (front to back) grip frame I don't shoot it at all well. Then again maybe you are like me and the 9mm is simply to small for you to shoot well (why I own the .45).

 

[Waterboy3313]

Yes 1.0. I originally wanted the 45 but it's not on the CA roster.

 

[SG1]

I did a quick search online and there seems to be plenty of carry guns in 9mm for around or under the $300 budget. In addition to the already mentioned Taurus and Ruger SR9c models, I also found Ruger EC9s, Stoeger STR-9, Ruger security 9, Mossberg MC1sc, S&W shield, Kahr CT9 all in that price range. I also found the SCCY CPX-1, but I have no experience with them.

You could always look at a Hipoint C9 and spend the other $150 on ammo.

 

[MedWheeler]

Yeah, a Taurus PT709 is a decent carry gun, but it's closer to a Ruger LC9s in size/capacity than it is to the 3818 or SR9c. Just depends on how slim and small you want to go.

 

[Labguy47]

For your budget the choice is an excellent one! I would also point out the S&W 1.0 is going for around $200-230. You wont go wrong with either choice.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

This is my opinion take it for what it's worth.

You're going to end up with something else. Everybody does, I've never heard of a single person who bought their first carry gun and never bothered looking at another one.

So go ahead and get the SR9. Get 6 or 9 magazines for it, a good holster and start taking some classes.

The longer you have that gun you don't notice things about it that you don't like. Then you can start getting an idea of what you're actually looking for in a concealed carry handgun. Then you start looking for that.

 

[Jbird45]

Is 9mm a good choice for a carry gun? I've been doing some research and it seems like 9mm or .380 is pretty much what's available in compact guns

I have heard that .380 can be questionable in performance but I wonder sometimes how much of that is people trying to justify there bigger guns.

 

[Jbird45]

This is my opinion take it for what it's worth.

You're going to end up with something else. Everybody does, I've never heard of a single person who bought their first carry gun and never bothered looking at another one.

So go ahead and get the SR9. Get 6 or 9 magazines for it, a good holster and start taking some classes.

The longer you have that gun you don't notice things about it that you don't like. Then you can start getting an idea of what you're actually looking for in a concealed carry handgun. Then you start looking for that.

That's a good opinion. I know this won't be my last gun but I don't want to wind up with something I hate right off the bat.

 

[Armored farmer]

The SR9C may be a budget gun, but it has about everything you can ask for. Rail. LCI. Forward serrations. Adj sights. High cap and compact mags. Ambi safety. Ambi mag release. Compact yet very shootable and accurate.

I think it could quite possibly be a satisfactory carry gun for the long-run, after all....its the only 9mm I own.
I could and would buy a better cc gun, if I found one.

 

[Jbird45]

The SR9C may be a budget gun, but it has about everything you can ask for. Rail. LCI. Forward serrations. Adj sights. High cap and compact mags. Ambi safety. Ambi mag release. Compact yet very shootable and accurate.
View attachment 887805 View attachment 887806 View attachment 887807
I think it could quite possibly be a satisfactory carry gun for the long-run, after all....its the only 9mm I own.
I could and would buy a better cc gun, if I found one.

That's a good looking rig

 

[Armored farmer]

Is 9mm a good choice for a carry gun? I've been doing some research and it seems like 9mm or .380 is pretty much what's available in compact guns

I have heard that .380 can be questionable in performance but I wonder sometimes how much of that is people trying to justify there bigger guns.

I live and work in a very low crime rural setting. I am quite comfortable with my .380 as a daily cc gun. I probably wouldn't carry at all, if I wasn't a shooting enthusiast.
I am confident enough in .380 to rely on it to defend and protect me and my wife. She has a matching. 380 as her ccw. Having a ccw at all times that is easily and discreetly carried is important. Having the ability to shoot it across a responsibility you must take seriously. I practice. I also drag mrs out to practice as often as I can.

You must decide if you want an easier to shoot 9mm, or an easier to carry .380. It is a balance.... carry vs shootability. Both can be effective
I see by your original post that you are already a shooter. If you were new to the shooting world, I would suggest the 9mm. The .380 is to pistols what the 28ga is to shotguns...imho.
Best wishes .

 

[Jbird45]

I live and work in a very low crime rural setting. I am quite comfortable with my .380 as a daily cc gun. I probably wouldn't carry at all, if I wasn't a shooting enthusiast.
I am confident enough in .380 to rely on it to defend and protect me and my wife. She has a matching. 380 as her ccw. Having a ccw at all times that is easily and discreetly carried is important. Having the ability to shoot it across a responsibility you must take seriously. I practice. I also drag mrs out to practice as often as I can.
View attachment 887808 View attachment 887809View attachment 887810
You must decide if you want an easier to shoot 9mm, or an easier to carry .380. It is a balance.... carry vs shootability. Both can be effective
I see by your original post that you are already a shooter. If you were new to the shooting world, I would suggest the 9mm. The .380 is to pistols what the 28ga is to shotguns...imho.
Best wishes .

Well being this is my first autoloader I think shootability would be a better choice than easy concealment. Once I get more experienced then maybe a smaller gun will work its way into the safe as well

 

[IdaD]

A 9mm Shield can't be beat with that budget for a carry gun, imo. High quality and reliable. If you can get a 2.0 for under $300 I'd go with that over an original for the improved trigger, but the trigger on the original isn't a hindrance with a bit of practice. I'd recommend a 9mm because it offers the best blend of performance, cost, recoil and capacity.

 

[Dibbs]

While I usually point out the regret of cheap firearms, I'd say "Keep it small, keep it simple, keep it cheap."
Remember your first car? You knew very little about actual driving, and cars. You had to drive a car, for a while, to figure out what was right for you.
After you drove, for a while, your real preferences came more clearly into focus, and the second car you got was more to your personal liking.

That said, Polish Radom P-64s are small, all metal, DA/SA, have a decocker safety, have a hammer, and are @200$, OTD.
Sure, they shoot 9X18 Makarov, but it's a CC, not a range gun, so you're not going to use massive amounts of ammo, anyway.