Question: Recommendations for choosing a pistol carry "on me" public.

I have a Ruger LC-9. Its a seven shot 9mm. Its nice and compact. I carry two additional clips with me.

crimsonaudio said:

*magazines

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true...

Whatever brand and model you choose, it should be both comfortable in your hand and easy to carry. Remember, you will also want to buy a decent holster, and the total weight of the loaded pistol and holster shouldn't bother you while walking. Neither should it be obvious to passers-by as you walk. This may require that you wear a sport coat to hide it. Lastly, it should be both easy for you to fire accurately and powerful enough to take them out on the first shot.
Good luck finding the one that works best for you.

Dont go smaller than 9mm for CC protection. I have a diamondback 9mm that is the smallest semi auto 9mm pistol made. 7 shots. I also have a compact glock .40 cal. Its larger and you need some kind of holster. The diamonback fits in your pocket unnoticable. Good for you for standing up for your family and your country.

Skeeterpop said:

Dont go smaller than 9mm for CC protection. I have a diamondback 9mm that is the smallest semi auto 9mm pistol made. 7 shots. I also have a compact glock .40 cal. Its larger and you need some kind of holster. The diamonback fits in your pocket unnoticable. Good for you for standing up for your family and your country.

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If the only thing you're going to do is stand, then carrying it in your pocket might be ok. Otoh if youre an active person, this lends way too much to the possibility of accidental discharge. If it's pointed in the wrong direction, then well, how do you feel about singing soprano?
:eek2:

I like the smaller Glock 9mm. I keep a Glock .40 cal in my truck. Both are very reliable guns.

Walter PPK. Has a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window.


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I use Critical Duty ammo in my "on me" handgun. There's a big difference between this type of ammo and your typical FMJ rounds. It's up to you but I would consider it.

I'll echo Bama Reb's suggestion: got to your local gun shop, rent a few and shoot them. Find the one that feels best in your hand and is most comfortable to shoot.

A few that I like that you should try to shoot:
Smith & Wesson M&P Shield in 9mm (they also make a .40). Great gun and easy to conceal (single stack).
Along those same lines, the Glock 43 is a single stack 9mm. My personal preference is the S&W, but Glock's are incredibly reliable.
Glock 26 is the subcompact 9mm. Excellent gun, a bit bulkier than the other two, but it carries more rounds.

There are lots of others, so go shoot a bunch.

Once you pick your gun, buy lots of ammo and go shoot your gun. Then buy more ammo and shoot it again. And again. And again. Your conceal carry gun will do you no good if you can't shoot it properly. If you can't hit the bad guy, then carrying the weapon will be of no use.

If you've never owned a gun before and especially if you've never shot a gun before, I'd recommend taking a class or a training series. NRA offers lots of classes through local gun shops. It's a good way to familiarize yourself with the weapon, as you'll have an experienced person there to help you.

gtowntide said:

I like the smaller Glock 9mm. I keep a Glock .40 cal in my truck. Both are very reliable guns.

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Is the Glock 23 the designated truck gun? Including you, I know 5 people that keep a Glock .40 cal in the truck.

I would suggest a gun you are comfortable with and can handle accurately but no less than a 9mm or 40 cal. I carry a Remington 1911 R1, .45 cal with 230 gr JHP. I'm just better with it for whatever reason and it will stop you in your tracks. I carry it in a Alien Gear inside carry holster. It hides well in the small of my back and easily accessible.

My carry piece is a Kimber 1911 Custom II. As Willie52 states I can hit what I aim at with it and it has LOADS of stopping power. It is a full sized handgun and I have considered buying a smaller frame 1911 but I would personally want to have the same grip angle.

My carry piece is a Makarov 9mm, 7 shots per magazine. My holster has a pocket for a spare magazine. It's easy to carry, and I can pull and fire accurately in 2 seconds. It will put down whatever or whomever it hits and is loud enough to let anyone around know that it's no toy.

crimsonaudio said:

I have several handguns to choose from but almost always grab my little Sig P238 - it's a .380 ACP with six in the mag, one in the chamber. Functions like a small 1911 (it was originally designed by Colt as a 'pocket 1911'). Heavy enough that you can shoot it all day for practice (try that with an LCP or P3AT!) yet light and small enough you can carry it in your pocket.

Buy a pistol you'll carry and practice with - that's far more important than the caliber. Not to be contrary, but I know lots of guys who buy a gun because they think it has more 'stopping power', etc. (despite the repeated FBI results showing that shot placement far outweighs caliber wrt stopping a threat) yet they don't care for how it feels, or shoots, or it's too big and therefore gets left at home all the time.

The best gun for carry is the one you will practice with and have on you when you need it. Killer custom 1911's are awesome handguns, but most people aren't going to lug one around very often.

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I completely agree, and the 1911 is a heavy weapon to carry, it's just that when I pull it I can double tap a body target from 20 or 50 feet almost always center mass instinctively. That is why it's my carry. I know if you can hit what you aim at you can stop the threat with most any caliber. I also have a .357 that I like but I just don't enjoy shooting it as much so practice is limited.

bama_wayne1 said:

I completely agree, and the 1911 is a heavy weapon to carry, it's just that when I pull it I can double tap a body target from 20 or 50 feet almost always center mass instinctively. That is why it's my carry. I know if you can hit what you aim at you can stop the threat with most any caliber. I also have a .357 that I like but I just don't enjoy shooting it as much so practice is limited.

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This is why, in my initial post, I emphasized the importance of ''comfort carry''. It needs to be so comfortable to carry that after a short while you don't even think about it. It's also equally important to practice with it that way. Stand, pull from the holster, aim and fire. Then do it again. And again. And again, and again, etc., until it becomes second nature and you hit your target every single time.
Don't ever carry a weapon that's too big for you.

My personal carry weapon is a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm and I absolutely love it.

It's quite thin, being a single stack, which makes it easier and more comfortable to carry but it doesn't "feel" thin in your hand when you're shooting it. You can spend an hour at the range practicing with it without killing your hand. And, for me, the dimensions seem perfect for carrying. I'm a pretty big guy so imprinting is always a thing for me but I can comfortably carry this IWB (Inside Waist-Band), which tends to be more uncomfortable for anyone who isn't fairly skinny. My preferred carry method, though, is this concealed carry undershirt. Wearing it, I sometimes forget that I'm carrying and my wife has often failed to notice that I'm carrying until she puts her arm around me.

As for ammo, I use the Hornady Critical Defense variety. The FBI-type gel tests on it are amazing. I saw someone mention the Critical Duty version, which is a version of the Critical Defense ammo designed for duty, e.g. police, use. Basically, it's the same ammo "tech" but the Duty version is designed to have less penetration which can sometimes result in under-penetration. For duty officers, that's preferable to potential over-penetration since you don't want to shoot through the perp into someone behind them and are willing to possibly require an extra shot or two in exchange for that extra level of safety. For personal protection, though, I would rather risk the bullet passing all the way through the attacker with significant velocity if nothing but soft tissue is hit - knowing that the bullet will still expand and do as much or more damage than your basic, range-class FMJ - so than any center mass hit is most likely going to drop the attacker.