Carrying concealed.....

[mrvette]

OK, I would love a permit for carrying concealed, could get one easy....but know of pistols in the past, that some near 40 years ago, I had a hell of a time controlling any decent power in a small grip, I have a rather large mitt, and so I can't even get my pinky on the grip, and anything larger just makes a bulge a cop would be proud of.....

BUT what point to carry if I can't hit shit with it???

have any gun makers tried to address this problem, and what are you all's opinions about the efforts....

the thread about that nice smooth slick new gun there for 400 bux or so, has me curious about that one, but to ask before I waste my time chasing the same bear yet again....


so what say guys???:cert:

[Jeff '79]

Why bother?
Nothing has happened to you so far...:seasix:

[Nox]

It's not the gun. It's you. Take the time to learn how to shoot. Many, many handguns will fit the bill. That was true forty years ago, and it's true today.

[Jeff '79]

Go to the range with DJ and try out a bunch of guns.
He knows what he's doing, and trying out as many pistols as possible, and different calibers, is the best way to see what fits your hand, and the recoil that you can take.

[DAB]

little pro tip: a 329 with full power loads is not pleasant. 44 special should suffice though.

[Cybercowboy]

Yeah, I would advise finding a friend who has a few different guns take you to a range, offer to buy some ammo and you'll learn a bunch. I have pretty big hands and have no problem shooting sub-compacts, but don't like the tiny pocket guns really. Having the pinky on the grip is not a big deal for me. Keep in mind that all you really need to do is hit a target 7 yards away. That's about the furthest you'd be in any sort of gun fight anyway. That's the distance they will qualify you on too, 20-25 feet.

[mrvette]

Cyber, in your thread about next pistol, the pix shows something like maybe my wife could shoot, but just the looks of it says the grip is too small for my right hand....

and then, all these new ammo types....obviously I knot kept up with all the changes, which is why I have not gone nutz trying to buy something for concealed carry.....I have a 6" 357, the grip is fine, and my control is not all that bad, but the BULGE ....I don't think so....then what is the sequence of events when getting in/out of various cars?? where to carry it?? sounds/feels like too much messing around to me.....your experiences???


:seasix:

[Mike Mercury]

I had a hell of a time controlling any decent power in a small grip,

1. you don't need good aim. If you're far enough from the trouble - where you'd need good aim - run the other direction and escape it all together.

2. because CCW is for close range; you don't need a .44 automag. :nonod:
Heck; I wouldn't want to take a .22 in a fleshy area.
32, 380, or .40S&W are more than capable for CCW.

[Cybercowboy]

Cyber, in your thread about next pistol, the pix shows something like maybe my wife could shoot, but just the looks of it says the grip is too small for my right hand....

and then, all these new ammo types....obviously I knot kept up with all the changes, which is why I have not gone nutz trying to buy something for concealed carry.....I have a 6" 357, the grip is fine, and my control is not all that bad, but the BULGE ....I don't think so....then what is the sequence of events when getting in/out of various cars?? where to carry it?? sounds/feels like too much messing around to me.....your experiences???


:seasix:

In general, if you have the right holster (I like the ones that are between your hip and butt cheek) you can get in and out of cars without doing anything different. You'll find the place you can wear it that doesn't interfere with your seat belt. Holsters are something that are highly individual and I don't think you'll ever find the perfect one, Lord knows I'm still hunting for it.

Keep in mind that with a CCW the most important thing is that you can conceal it, and that it is comfortable enough that you actually carry the dang thing. Your accuracy with it is somewhat important, buy your safety with it is paramount. Nox knows a lot more than me about this subject, I'm much closer to you than I am to him.

You may like the Glock-style grip better, they generally work well with people who have big hands. But Glocks are relatively thick compared to other guns out there because they are not single-stack magazines.

Ammo? Well I decided to standardize on 9mm Luger for most of my pistols. I do have a Glock 21 in .45 and a couple of .38 cal revolvers (one is also a .357) and revolvers are great, but not the world's best at concealment. Home defense? Hard to beat a revolver. Point and shoot. It won't jam.

Probably the two most popular calibers for CCW are 9mm and .40 S&W. I'm not a fan of the .40, seems snappy to me. The personal defense ammo they sell for the 9mm is plenty adequate to make a bad guy go away, but .40 cal does have more oomph. I don't think you'd be happy with anything in .32 or .380 cal, but those pistols are generally smaller and more concealable. You really don't see too many semi-autos in .38 caliber for whatever reason (note that .380 and .38 are two different rounds.)

Then, when you choose a caliber, there is a whole variety of ammo in different configurations. Hollow point, ball, steel case, brass case, +P, etc. For me I only shoot full metal jacket ball (brass jacket) ammo at the range, which is the most common non-self defense ammo. I will also shoot some of my hollow point self defense ammo too, just to make sure all is well. Usually I'll just shoot what I had in the magazine, then load practice ammo from there. Once I find a brand of self-defense ammo that functions perfectly with a particular gun, I stick with it.