If you could carry concealed, which gun(s) would you choose?

[Old Dog 19]

4 years ago I decided that NJ was not the place for me and decided to sell the house and move to Florida, a more gun friendly place where both my wife and I had family close by. I was stressed out from the daily work commute and ever increasing traffic. My prime hobby is shooting and with restrictions on mags and guns and talk about limiting sales to one gun per month, I knew it was time to move so we put our house up for sale.

 

It took me 7 months to sell my house and I used that time to learn about carry guns and holsters. I had carried a snub nose Colt Detective Special and Walther PPK when I was 21, 41 years ago living in Texas for two years. I learned then that carrying a gun sounds like fun but was uncomfortable and most of us only carried when we felt the need. It was still a time that men settled their differences with fists and only punks used a gun so things were different.

 

Anway I found myself totally unprepared for the task ahead of me. I had no idea of current gun models other than duty sized and competition types. Not familar with carry holsters. Long story short is that I started with choosing the one perfect carry gun/holster combo that I could also use for home defense each night only to wake up and change my mind almost every day for 7 months straight. Then I realized that one gun was not ideal for both task so I decided to buy two guns. Then I read about the hot and humid summers in Florida and the issue of heavy/light and single/double stack came up. I found that there were sub compact and compact guns and the category they fit into seemed to be more according to how the manufacturer classified them rather their size and weight. The Sig P239, a compact gun, is 29 oz..

 

I spent 7 months changing my mind as to what model or how many guns to get and ended up having the following waiting for me when I arrived in Florida and got my Drivers's license. I figured that I would try them all and get rid of those that I did not like. I had sold off 28 guns before the move so I had plenty of gun money to spend to replace them.

 

Glock 26

Sig P239 .40 cal

Glock 19

LCP

S&W 642

Kahr PM9

Sig P229

NAA .22lr mini revolver

Sig P220

 

3 years later and the only gun of the original group that I still own is the NAA .22lr. All the rest were sold or traded for being too thick, too heavy, too small to properly shoot well, heavy DA triggers, etc.. This is what I have now for carry and home defense. It give me a nice selection of pocket guns in both semi auto or revolver depending on how bad my arthritis is that day as some days I cannot rack a slide. I got single and double stacks to use depending on where I was going that day, time of year, type of clothes, and the perceived threat level. I also got some .22's to practice with. The Pug is one of those guns that gives you no reason not to carry it even when carrying another gun.

 

FNX-9

HK P2000SK

Sig P939

Sig P238

Ruger Wiley Clapp GP100 .357 mag.

Ruger .357 LCR

Ruger .22 mag. LCR

S&W 617 10 shot .22lr for practice and the wife to use

NAA .22 magnum Pug

 

The biggest mistake new ccw holder make here are buying too big a gun. They underestimate how uncomfortable it is to carry all day long. All of my gun owning friends talk about their Glocks and Sigs but never seem to carry them when we get together. When pressed, they claim that they only carry them when they THINK they need to. If I thought I needed to I would take a rifle. The real reason is that it is uncomfortable. I can grab a 14 oz. pocket gunn or even my 6 oz. Pug and always have a gun on me. As far as pocket guns go here is my experience. The only civilian shooting I saw was a big fat gun shot in the belly with a single 22 lr from a Saturday Night Special. He immediately went to this knees and did not move. He died the next day. Twice I was in a gun situation. Once was an attack by 3 men in a deserted parking lot and in the other, a local store robbery attempt. In both cases when they saw my gun they ran away which jives with the NRA study and others that show that 98% of gun encounters end with the mere presence of your gun. Most forget that there is also a pyschological component that MOST people experience when being shot. An animal may run but I have seen humans fall to the ground crying when shot in the toe. So in choosing your carry gun take that into account. I thought that I needed a Glock 17, Sig P220 or 226 to be safe but they go left at home as they were very uncomfortable to carry and if my life is so dangerous that I have to be uncomfortable every day, it is time to move to someplace safer.

 

Assume you are being transferred by your job to a gun friendly State where you can carry concealed and you need to order you guns now due to low supply and uncertainty of when any more can be obtained. Choose one or more guns and give your reasons. I only ask one thing. Ask yourself how many people do you personally know who had to fire a gun as a civilian and then ask yourself if that answer warrants lugging around a 41 oz. 1911 daily.

[lunker 274]

Good post. I am hoping my Model 19 snubbie fits the bill when I can finally carry.

[Socom 19]

My Glock 27 olive drab; it's my only ccw I bought in va for my ccw

[bhunted 887]

My H&K 45 USP Compact

[P4Plenty 1]

I carry an xd 40 subcompact. A springfield 1911 4inch champion operator and a kimber ultra crimson 1911 3inch.

[67gtonut 847]

I carry my M&P9c when out of state....

[RecessedFilter 222]

Cz 75b.

[BlueLineFish 615]

It depends. Most times i carry an xd 9 sc. Sometimes a kahr cm9. I have been contemplating a para lda but not sure how i feel about having a safety. will require training to get used to it

[RedRiverII 0]

Great post, thank you. I'm just about done with working, finding it difficult just to move, never mind walking up and down staircases with tools. Good for you and Fla. I'll be there soon. I've got a small 3" S&W 45 I'm keeping, it's the only thing I'd consider ccw. When I get to Fla. a 22 might be in order. I was in Lake Worth in Dec. and it was close to 90 and my belt buckle was irritating. A 1911? Forget it.

[Kasper 6]

Xds .45 w/ peirce pinky extention. Very small light and packs one hell of a punch.

[iCARRY 0]

I have a glock 23 now, will be switching to a s&w 9mm shield when I get my p2p

[Sonnylee 20]

Glock 31, or SW 686 21/2 barrel

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

I carry a Springfield XD 9 SC when I'm in Free America (when I'm not going out to bars, which unfortunately is most of the time when I'm away).

[Old Dog 19]

Great post, thank you. I'm just about done with working, finding it difficult just to move, never mind walking up and down staircases with tools. Good for you and Fla. I'll be there soon. I've got a small 3" S&W 45 I'm keeping, it's the only thing I'd consider ccw. When I get to Fla. a 22 might be in order. I was in Lake Worth in Dec. and it was close to 90 and my belt buckle was irritating. A 1911? Forget it.

 

You are right about that. I am still dealing with fungal infections and other skin ailments due to the constant humid weather. Just a holster against me all day is enough to cause problems. I pocket carry most times and belt carry when warranted and for only a few hours at a time. I also have many off carry bags, pouches and packs if needed and being retired, I can wear anything and not look out of place.

[Old Dog 19]

I have a glock 23 now, will be switching to a s&w 9mm shield when I get my p2p

 

I used to carry a 23 muself but too thick and heavy for me. I bought a Shield and I think it is the best of the small nine's. Only reason I sold it is that it did not fit in my pocket and if I carry on my belt I might as well carry more rounds. The Shield is hard to get right now. I got one of the first made and foolishly sold it for a Kahr CM9.

[iCARRY 0]

 

 

I used to carry a 23 muself but too thick and heavy for me. I bought a Shield and I think it is the best of the small nine's. Only reason I sold it is that it did not fit in my pocket and if I carry on my belt I might as well carry more rounds. The Shield is hard to get right now. I got one of the first made and foolishly sold it for a Kahr CM9.

 

Mine is paid for, just waiting on the permit. It fits my hands so perfect. It will be in a IWB holster. A little too big for pocket carry, but those pocket guns are so small and I don't like the way they fit in my hand. Also not a fan of 380 which a lot of them are.

[NJCK 5]

I spent better than a fifteen years carrying every day before coming back to NJ, and like you will hear from others who carry daily it depends on what your will be wearing and where you are going and doing... Another mistake new CCWers do is to cheap out on the proper carry gear, which means QUALITY gun leather. It you do not have a good gun belt, carrying will always be uncomfortable, and the right conceal holster can makes large carries comfortable! One of my regular carry guns is P220 Carry at SOB and it's not at all uncomforable. When I'm wearing jeans and untucked shirt, it's alway a 3" 686 CS-1 at 4 o'clock with two speed strips on my weak side in a carrier I had made to look like a Leatherman sheath. The smallest I carry is a .380, which allows me to wallet carry, and when I do I always have 3 additional mags with me in either a pocket holder or an IWB mag holder I had made to hold the triple just below my belt line for quick grabs. Being an instructor, I will through out that no matter what you choose to carry, make sure you train with it, especially drawing from concealment.

[O-gre 7]

My HKP30 fits perfect under my shirt.

[Rifleman1 32]

Glock 19

[anabolism 2]

My primary off duty is a kimber super match II 1911. If its the summer time and im wearing less layers, a glock 23

[Damjan 73]

I carry a SigP238 most of the time where my Permits allow me.

My other carry gun is a G26

[remixer 1,645]

DE 50ae 6" chrome.

 

Im a big boy

[DLF 1]

I carry my G27/4 when at my other home in VA.

 

[Nick T 4]

My daily is a Sig P229 but with warm weather coming I need to find a smaller gun to carry daily

[vladtepes 1,060]

i carry a Glock 27 every day unless I go somewhere "bad" then I carry a Glock 22...

[blksheep 466]

Glock 19, 23, 26 or HK USPc .40

[david8613 69]

i carry a Glock 27 every day unless I go somewhere "bad" then I carry a Glock 22...

 

if your going somewhere bad you should be carrying a glock g20 10mm. lol...

I can't carry but if I could it would be this in the summer, size of an .380 lcp but in 9mm...

http://www.rohrbaughfirearms.com/

[3card 0]

Glock 27 small, powerful, accurate

[diamondd817 827]

Glock 26, no need for anything else.

[vladtepes 1,060]

if your going somewhere bad you should be carrying a glock g20 10mm. lol...

I can't carry but if I could it would be this in the summer, size of an .380 lcp but in 9mm...

http://www.rohrbaughfirearms.com/

 

if 22 rounds of 40 doesn't do it.. lol it wasn't my day to go home..