What are your primary considerations in gun selection for CCW?

[Labguy47]

Shootability- can I hit what I aim at repeatedly with accuracy

Caliber- is it an effective caliber to create adequate wound channels

Concealable- does it carry well

 

[JR24]

Does 38 behave like 357 with regard to snub nose barrels versus longer barrels? Some of the specialty +p 38 stuff looks pretty potent on paper but I'm curious how it does through a snubby. 9mm seems to lose less velocity in shorter barrels than 357 and I'm wondering if 38 is similar.

Even +P .38 out of a snubby is getting you 800-900 fps at 125 or 130 grain, some brands dip down to 700s

Where in a sub you're still getting 1100 ish from +P 124 gr 9mm.

Is it enough to make a difference? In the words of Paul Harrell: "you decide".

I'm OK with either, but given the preference I'll take 9mm all the time.

Edit: lucky gunner has some nice data, if you are unaware.

https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/

 

[If1HitU]

I find myself PCing these days,so I carry these S&W's 442-2,638-3 & M&P BG .38 SPL+P's revolvers.

 

[GEM]

Reliabilty- why worry? I’ve seen almost every flavor of modern semi belly up. That’s why it’s important.

 

[tactikel]

Number 1 is safety, I will carry it for 3000+ days my odds of needing it for a SD situation is remote. Far more likely is a ND.
Second is shootability, I must be able to quickly and consistently hit at SD distance.
Third is concealability, it cannot print, must be comfortable to carry.
Fourth is effectiveness, the caliber and bullet must be able to stop an attacker.

My choice:
S&W shield 9mm for EDC with Gold Dots.
LCP 380 for warm weather/ backup with Critical Defense.
XD-45 for "without the rule of law" time with Gold Dots.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

My first criteria is that it be small and light enough to carry all day. It doesn't matter how accurate you are with it, if it is uncomfortable and you leave it at home.

That's why during the colder months, I carry a Taurus 709 Slim in an OWB holster under a sport coat.
In the warm months, a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard in .380 in a pocket holster.

 

[John Joseph]

Safety. It has to be built to last, goes bang only when I want it to.
Economy. If I can't afford to buy it, I can't afford to own it, unless I already own one.
Familiarity. I want a design I'm already familiar with and know how it works.
Friendly. Easy to pick up sights and crisp trigger pull, manageable recoil/muzzle blast, simple to maintain.
Fun. It it isn't fun to shoot, I'll avoid taking it to the range and training
Accurate. If I can't hit my target, it's not much use
Comfort. It has to feel right in my hands and when carried.
Power. No round is a 100% man stopper but in a life and death situation l'd prefer stacking the deck in my favor
Fast. No distractions, no junk to snag and hinder drawing.

.

 

[giggitygiggity]

My considerations, in order of priority, are as follows:

1. Reliability
2. Size (concealability)
3. Magazine Capacity (compared to competitors in the same caliber)
4. Accuracy

All of these factors are important with reliability and size being give a lot more weight than magazine capacity and accuracy.

 

[Zerodefect]

Reliability. 100% even if it's a 1911.

Durability. Corrosion resistance. Can it handle sweat,snow, salt, and being slammed into a door frame. My older guns suffer here.

Shootability. Not just a gun fight against a retarded city mugger, but skilled shooters. A lil .380 is not what I want to wield against a worthy opponent. People always assume that they'll be fighting a chump. That's a dumb mistake.

Size as per weather and my attire.

Caliber. Only after I pick the correct size. The largest caliber that I shoot well in that frames size. Fullsize equals .45, .40, or 9mm. Compact .40. Subcompact 9mm. Micro .380.

 

[gwpercle]

After 50 years of searching and trying all manner of firearms , starting with a full size 1911 , the deciding factor has come down to weight.

Too heavy and it doesn't get carried. Light weight, it goes with me. If it's not on you it does no good.

AirLite J-frame in 38 special or 22 Magnum...it's all about the weight !
They can be carried all day.
Gary

 

[P5 Guy]

Reliability, adequate accuracy, capacity that is easy to keep concealed.

 

[Old Dog]

Please don't anyone take this as a thread derailment ... but after four pages, I can see that (since presumably, all of us posting carry concealed weapons at least some of the time in some capacity, i.e., citizen or on the job), a distinct majority seems to indicate that size and weight are their most important considerations.

With the reduction in size and weight comes the concurrent reduction in capacity. Many state they are comfortable carry 5 to 8 shot handguns, e.g., J-frame revolvers or "micro" semi-automatics such as LCPs, etc. Even the 1911 guys who claim to carry full-size 1911s are limiting themselves to 8 or 9 rounds, max.

So, what is the take-away here? Hey, we're all letting those in the anti-gun movement know that we're okay with limiting our handguns' capacity to less then 10 rounds. And this is not the only firearms forum where this subject (carry gun capacity) is routinely discussed.

Topic for another thread, perhaps?

EDITED TO ADD: made this a separate topic in GenGun so as not to derail this thread.

 

[Chevelle SS]

1. Safety
2. Reliability
3. Handling
4. Caliber

Weight doesn't bother me too much.

 

[Zerodefect]

Size and weight are for comfort, and shootability. Too small is comfy, but not shootable. IME, a real fighting pistol really can't be less than a 4" barrel and compact size frame. (Glock 19, 1911 CCO, etc.) YMMV.

Capacity is rarely a concern of mine. But sometimes, fullsize with 17 rounds is absolutely my CCW choice. With two 17 round reloads. Katrina and Irma, were 4 weeks that I carried as such.

 

[Texas10mm]

Hi...
Reliability, first and foremost.
Second... I am a confirmed 1911 user.
Third....45ACP, ''nuff said"!!!

I carry a full size blued Springfield Armory 1911 and sometimes a nickel Colt Combat Commander.

You said it.

I carry a LW Commander in .45 ACP with two spare mags. Once in a great while I'll step down to a Defender in .45 ACP. If I could ever get my Dan Wesson CBOB in 10mm to be reliable it would go into the rotation.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

Robert, IME, the DA/SA is a more modern and inherently safer design. It's as safe as a DA revolver.

As for the keyboard commandos in the gun rags asserting that one cannot "learn" to make a double tap with a DA/SA, that's untrue.

I know from personal experience, and the training of over a hundred officers, that anyone can learn that with patience and practice.

It took me about a month, and about 2K rounds of ammo, but I learned to make a rapid, accurate double tap with our new Berettas when my department transitioned.

Some of the old time writers were just too lazy to bother learning anything new or different. Cooper being the worst by far.

I agree with ATL Dave that CCW and LE have a different need.

Perhaps I am guilty of falling into the same group of "old timers" that I often criticize, but somehow after carrying a 1911 in the military, and shooting 1911s in Bullseye competition for many years, I just cannot get over the idea that I would never holster a cocked single action with a loaded chamber. Perhaps I am also too old fashioned, but the thought of carrying a 1911 in condition one makes my skin crawl like someone running their fingernails across a chalkboard.

But, DA, SAO, etc are all out there and available. So we all have the opportunity to choose for ourselves.

A lot of us don't buy this argument. Sure, I've heard it before, and sure, with practice, you can adapt to a lot of things. The better question is "why bother?" What advantage does a DA/SA possess that makes it worth it to deal with the crappy trigger? Short answer, none. A crappy trigger is not a safe trigger. Saying your double action auto is safer than a single action is like saying your pickup truck is safer without the power steering. A long, heavy double action trigger makes your gun more difficult to use and control, but just like removing the power steering from your vehicle, making something harder to use and control doesn't make it safer. In fact, a good argument can be made that it actually makes it less safe.

So I have no incentive to learn two different triggers on the same gun, nor to deal with a 12 pound trigger on a 2 pound gun. A DA/SA offers no advantages over a SAO or a striker fired gun, and only serves to increase complexity. Neither complexity nor a crappy trigger are to be considered advantages. The DA auto is a solution in search of a problem, and you literally couldn't pay me to carry one.

 

[cheygriz]

Well, "Mo powah to ya."

Ya couldn't pay me enough to carry a cocked and locked SA.

It's interesting, though, that no major military or LEA issues any SA as a primary carry weapon. Ya reckon there might be a reason for that?

 

[Zerodefect]

I can make a strong argument that a C&L 1911, is the safest of all CCW's. But that's for another thread.

Take one apart and see for yourself. Then there's holster thumb breaks. A 1911 is what I choose for carbine training, as it can be reholstered quickly and safely for transitions, where a Glock can not as easily. So a 1911 is my go to around kids as well. My Glock 23.3 is my normal CCW.

The thing I dislike the most about modern carry, is people that still use floppy pouch style holsters. Especially floppy pounches and striker fired pistols. (A revolver with a heavy DA pull is fine in a floppy pouch though)

I like a good solid kydex cover on the trigger. Some leather formed holsters fit just as well. I also prefer a holster that stays open.

Sig, HK, and especially CZ are keeping DA/SA pistols alive. I feel that they're pretty much obsolete now. But at least the new CZ's actually have decent triggers, some even have great sights. If I would have known that 15 years ago, maybe I wouldn't be biased against DA/SA triggers so much.

Training someone new, on proper DA/SA use is a major PITA. Especially moving drills, if you require them to decock before moving.

 

[tarosean]

A quality weapon, well maintained, and fed quality ammo, will probably never malfunction.

shoot em enough and every gun will malfunction, period...Do not care what name is on the slide.

 

[Jimster]

Must be a reliable and comfortable .45acp. One of my 1911s or my Sig P320.

 

[shoobe01]

Missed this but I'll answer the OP:

1. Category: basically a concealable handgun. I'd much rather go into a trouble spot with a rifle, but that's not even in the category, so limits to one shelf of the safe, one section of the gunstore.
2. Reliable. I have (or more: have had) a number of guns that are fine for range days, but are not scrupulously reliable.
3. Comfortable. If it's too heavy, pokey, protruding, large, etc. or I just cannot get a good holster for it, I won't de facto carry it.
4. Of adequate total firepower. This is complex, but mostly about total capacity. Total capacity, including reloads. Must have at least one reload for mag failures, et al, and that comes into #3 for the mag. Is it easily carryable? And #2, is it reliable? Not so much feeds reliably as carries reliably. Kahr mags will loose cartridges if carried loose. That's unreliable so the system needs to include a mag carrier of some sort for them.
5. Accurate. To me. Again, whole system. All guns are mechanically more than accurate enough, so ergonomics, trigger, sights, lights.
6. Easy to handle. Both administratively for unloading (no heel releases!), for followup shots, and for reloads or stoppage drills, even in the dark, weak handed and covered in blood.

I might say "of a suitable caliber" but I only own one .32 for funzies, and zero .22 handguns, so it doesn't come up for my selection of firearms at hand. But if buying, the floor is 9 mm +P.

I should also tend to say Safe in there, but like the caliber it's a baseline thing. Not a lot of potentially unsafe (even just from bad ergonomics, etc) guns around, and none in my safe.

 

[sequins]

Reliability is my paramount concern, followed by size/comfort. I view size/comfort almost as an extension of reliability though because my goal is to be able to effectively defend myself and I need 1) A Gun; 2) It Works in order to defend myself. Accuracy, caliber, etc. almost don't even matter compared to reliability and having it.

My local police carry glock 9mm doublestack so I carry a glock 26.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

It's interesting, though, that no major military or LEA issues any SA as a primary carry weapon. Ya reckon there might be a reason for that?

Just goes to show what happens when you let politicians and lawyers get involved

 

[Zerodefect]

That reason is more likely that decent 1911's start at $2000. And the cheaper ones that used to be issued, Kimber SIS rings a bell, were completely unreliable. 1911's are a joke in our local training circles. Much of which is taught, or co taught, by ex cops.

Plenty of detectives, and others allowed to pick out their duty pistol still use 1911's. Keep an eye open for them, I spot one every other week.

 

[Texas10mm]

That reason is more likely that decent 1911's start at $2000. And the cheaper ones that used to be issued, Kimber SIS rings a bell, were completely unreliable. 1911's are a joke in our local training circles. Much of which is taught, or co taught, by ex cops.

Plenty of detectives, and others allowed to pick out their duty pistol still use 1911's. Keep an eye open for them, I spot one every other week.

I see lots of LEOs and Constables around here packing a 1911.