Concealed Carry Options

[Oopslala]

Yeah, I plan on using mostly .38 specials, and only using .357 once in a blue moon. It'll just be nice to know that I can throw some .357's in there if a situation were to arise that I needed a bit more power.

I did not have them take the gun out of the case, but the gun look very clean. I didn't see any wear marks, not even the little line along the cylinder that you get after a few hundred rounds, so that was promising.

I'm not 100% sure on the gun shops warranty, my brother bought a ruger semi-auto from them, had a round get jammed in the cylinder. When he brought it back, they took care of the issue and didn't charge him anything, so I'm assuming they treat the customers right. I'll definitely figure out the exact warranty if I do buy it.

The store does have a gun range as well, so I'm hoping they'll let me put 50 rounds through it before I buy it. I should figure out everything I'll need to know at that point.

 

[bobbert]

Just an fyi... 
I purchased a new Ruger LCR .38 in 2010 and the following happened: 
1. The upper part of the frame, just above the trigger, cracked (after 50 shots were fired through it). The 38 specials were not the "P" loads either. 
2. The shop that I bought the firearm from gladly sent it to the manufacturer and within two weeks, the firearm was repaired. 

As soon as I took ownership of the repaired firearm, I did a partial trade for a new firearm (from a different manufacturer).

On a side note, like Optimistic Paranoid mentioned, it was painful to shoot the firearm, even after approximately 30 rounds. 
It seems as though the polymer-like material (in the Ruger) does not absorb the recoil, to make a decent target/practice gun.

 

[Seeker]

Concealed carry weapons need to be small and comfortable to carry or you will find yourself choosing not to carry at times.

If I was a bigger man I would carry one of my 45 ACP handguns either the Kimber 1911 I shoot action pistol competition with or my Sig P220.

I am a skinny guy so my 2 favorite carry guns are the Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm and the Smith & Wesson 642 Airweight 38 special.  I sometimes carry both.

The Shield 9mm in this outer waist band High Noon holster is so comfortable I forget I am carrying. http://www.highnoonholsters.com/store/extreme-duty-holsters/slide-guard/

The Shield is extremely reliable and has never had any type of jam with any ammo I have used.

The Airweight 38 is carried mostly in my front pocket in a DeSantis Nemisis pocket holster.  This http://www.desantisholster.com/THE-NEMESIS

  I also sometimes carry the 38 in a cloth Velcro flap GPS case with shoulder strap I found at Gander Mountain.

Whatever is carried must be tested thoroughly with the ammo that will be used.  I have had several handguns I wanted to carry but they were not 100% reliable.
A SEEKER

 

[Canine]

I had a Ruger LCR .38 Special in a Recluse holster in my front pocket. I'm a skinny guy- 5'8", 140#. That revolver is about as big as I want to carry. Sold it to purchase a S&W 342PD. The PD stands for Personal Defense. It has a concealed hammer (less things to catch on when drawing a concealed weapon and one less place for lint to hide in), is blacked out, has the skinny boot grip, and is about 14 ounces. It is a .32 H&R Magnum, which has almost as much power as a .38 special. Shooting the .38 about 20 times was about enough for me, especially the 158 grain bullets. The .32 shoots 85 grain and is much easier on the hand. It also has 6 shots compared to 5 shot capacity with the .38. The .32 H&R ammo is more expensive, but not by a large margin and is easily available despite not being one of the popular rounds. S&W still makes an occasional run of new 342PD's, so if you are interested, I can provide a link to one or you could spend all day trying to find one. S&W are expensive, though. About $100 dollars out of your price range. I still wanted to share this for the other readers. A great option with a lot of power, but considerably reduced recoil. Light weight guns suck to shoot.

Shooting those .380's out of those tiny guns hurts. Very snappy.

I hate Keltec. They sell nothing but junk. Hi Point is kinda crappy, too. For my self defense, I didn't cut corners. I bought a gun that was as good or better than any.

 

[Seeker]

I had a Ruger LCR .38 Special in a Recluse holster in my front pocket. I'm a skinny guy- 5'8", 140#. That revolver is about as big as I want to carry. Sold it to purchase a S&W 342PD. The PD stands for Personal Defense. It has a concealed hammer (less things to catch on when drawing a concealed weapon and one less place for lint to hide in), is blacked out, has the skinny boot grip, and is about 14 ounces. It is a .32 H&R Magnum, which has almost as much power as a .38 special. Shooting the .38 about 20 times was about enough for me, especially the 158 grain bullets. The .32 shoots 85 grain and is much easier on the hand. It also has 6 shots compared to 5 shot capacity with the .38. The .32 H&R ammo is more expensive, but not by a large margin and is easily available despite not being one of the popular rounds. S&W still makes an occasional run of new 342PD's, so if you are interested, I can provide a link to one or you could spend all day trying to find one. S&W are expensive, though. About $100 dollars out of your price range. I still wanted to share this for the other readers. A great option with a lot of power, but considerably reduced recoil. Light weight guns suck to shoot.

Shooting those .380's out of those tiny guns hurts. Very snappy.

I hate Keltec. They sell nothing but junk. Hi Point is kinda crappy, too. For my self defense, I didn't cut corners. I bought a gun that was as good or better than any.

I don't know about High-Point handguns.  I probably would not carry one but for a low cost handgun they nay be OK.

I have this High-Point 45ACP carbine and I absolutely love it. http://www.hi-pointfirearms.com/Hi-Point-carbines/45Caliber_carbine.html  It has never had a jam with over 1500 rounds of my hand loads and has never been cleaned except when I first took it out of the box.  The not cleaning was kinda a test but I have not shot it in awhile so will clean it before shooting again.

These carbines are cheap so you don't really worry too much with scratching and banging them up.  With a cheap red or green dot sight they are fun to shoot.

It also comes in 9mm witch might be a better choice out to 100 yards.
A SEEKER

 

[Oopslala]

Well, I went in with cash in hand ready to test and buy the gun if I liked it. I was a few hours too late, someone had just bought the sucker.

Back to the grind of finding a gun I go.

 

[DannyB1954]

Any thoughts on the Hi point C9 9mm for only $143?

I sold my only handgun about 7 years ago to pay the rent one month, it was a Colt 6 shot 380 mustang and was way to small for my XXL hand.

Difficult to disassemble for cleaning, and certainly not a concealed type weapon. Actually you do not need bullets for them, as they are big and heavy. You could beat your assailant to death with it.

 

[Wandering]

Interesting how many folks state that they can't conceal a full size sidearm. Since I conceal one on a daily basis ( and I'm not a large person) I of course dispute that. Folks need to learn to " dress around the sidearm " , the other factor is that cheap carry rigs are exactly that *cheap* and not much else. A quality carry rig will last a lifetime and be one heck of a lot more comfortable and infinitely more efficient than the junk a lot of folks use.
 
   The other pet peeve that cropped up here is the old " I bought a .357 but only carry .38s in it.".........just buy a .38 in the first place , there is little reason not to carry .357s in a .357.
 
  I've lost count of the number of .357 revolvers I've deep cleaned for folks simply because of the buildup and ridge from constantly shooting .38 special and not properly cleaning the sidearm , that buildup comes into play two ways when they attempt to load ,357 ammo in the sidearm , either they won't drop all the way into the cylinder or after firing they'll fail to extract due to the aforementioned buildup in the chambers.

 

[Wandering]

Yeah, I plan on using mostly .38 specials, and only using .357 once in a blue moon.  It'll just be nice to know that I can throw some .357's in there if a situation were to arise that I needed a bit more power.  

I did not have them take the gun out of the case, but the gun look very clean.  I didn't see any wear marks, not even the little line along the cylinder that you get after a few hundred rounds, so that was promising.  

I'm not 100% sure on the gun shops warranty,***** my brother bought a ruger semi-auto from them, had a round get jammed in the cylinder*****.  When he brought it back, they took care of the issue and didn't charge him anything, so I'm assuming they treat the customers right.  I'll definitely figure out the exact warranty if I do buy it.  

The store does have a gun range as well, so I'm hoping they'll let me put 50 rounds through it before I buy it.  I should figure out everything I'll need to know at that point.

 
 
   Semi auto handguns do not have a " cylinder " , revolvers have a cylinder.

 

[Wandering]

I purchased a Sig P220 9MM EU version many moons ago at half the retail price used,

 
   That should be one of the old West German manufacture ones , If it's the Euro mag release it may well be one of the Swiss ones , in either case it's a collectors item , put that puppy away and keep it in good shape and you'll make a hell of a return on the investment. Not many were produced in 9mm parabellum and they're growing increasingly rare.
 
 
    I've got kind of a "thing" for certain Sigs , specifically 220s ,early 229s and the forgotten Sig , the 225.
 
  Daily carry for me is usually a 220 of some sort , sometimes swapped out for a 1911 , one of the other Sigs or a round but L of N frame Smith snubby , but most often a 220.

 

[Wandering]

While Taurus makes a good product for a reasonable price, a seven shot magnum revolver weighing in at nearly two pounds is heavy and bulky to be carrying CCW.  If you are a bigger guy, you may pull it off.  But before you buy it, try it on at the gunshop with a good 'inside the waistband' holster, and see how it feels.  Also try to keep it concealed (from 'printing') under your shirt/jacket/sweater.  Turn, bend over, do the movements you normally do, while the store clerk watches you.  Here in Florida, if you 'print' and someone realizes you are carrying concealed it is no longer 'concealed'.  You could be accused of 'displaying'.  People are kinda weird that way.

 
 
  That first is your opinion Lee , however your opinion on the concealment factor is incorrect , I "pull off" what you seem to think is impossible on a daily basis.
 
  As for Florida ( just got back from three weeks in the Clearwater area ) , you're obviously unaware of the modification and rewrite of Fla. 790.053......here's a link to it , the second link is 790.06 which is the actual CCW law and requirements , limitations etc.
 
 http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes...ute&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.053.html
 
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes...ing=&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.06.html

 

[Wandering]

The thing about .357 magnum for concealed carry is that the bullet is long gone while the powder still is burning making noise. Until you get into a 4" barrel, the 40 S&W has actually more power. The powder they put into 357's has to work in long guns as well, so they use a slow burning powder. http://ballisticsbytheinch.com/index.html    under their banner click on Calibers / Cartridges. it will show you what different bullets do in different barrel lengths.

 
    Siiiiighhhh , lots of misinformation cropping up in this thread.  You should be aware that you can now buy *over the counter* specific loadings oriented specifically for snub guns. In addition of you handload ( yes I do) you can tailor your loads to the specifc sidearm in question , and that's from both the standpoint of the specific propellant utilised AND the selection of the proper slug for the specific purpose.
 
   Criminy , the next thing that will crop up will be the old .45 acp " they all fall to hardball" myth.....

 

[Wandering]

Not a handgun.  Under Federal law, you can only buy a handgun in your state of residence.  No FFL in any other state will sell to you.  If you arrange a private purchase in some other state, you will be breaking a law the Feds take VERY seriously and you WILL do time if you are caught.

You can buy rifles and shotguns in other states, IF their state regulations allow it.

Regards
John

 
   Incorrect. You can purchase in a given state but it has to be shipped to an FFL in your home state to be receieved , and it *will* be under your name in the Fed registration system , I just purchased a 7th P220 and another Lew Horton Model 24 Smith while down there , they beat me back to Wyoming by three days and were waiting at the gun shop I use for transfers when I got back.

 

[LeeRevell]

 
 
  That first is your opinion Lee , however your opinion on the concealment factor is incorrect , I "pull off" what you seem to think is impossible on a daily basis.
 
  As for Florida ( just got back from three weeks in the Clearwater area ) , you're obviously unaware of the modification and rewrite of Fla. 790.053......here's a link to it , the second link is 790.06 which is the actual CCW law and requirements , limitations etc.
 
 http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes...ute&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.053.html
 
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes...ing=&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.06.html

You're putting incorrect words in my mouth.  First is indeed my opinion, we all have 'em, get used to it.  I have had experience with Taurus, and it has been good.  Period.
Second, you are dead wrong.  Never said it was 'impossible'.  Please READ a comment before expounding against it.  I do stand by what I said.  Period.

Thanks for the update on Florida law.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

 
   Incorrect. You can purchase in a given state but it has to be shipped to an FFL in your home state to be receieved , and it *will* be under your name in the Fed registration system , I just purchased a 7th P220 and another Lew Horton Model 24 Smith while down there , they beat me back to Wyoming by three days and were waiting at the gun shop I use for transfers when I got back.

You must have missed Post #20.

John

 

[Wandering]

You must have missed Post #20.

John

 
 
  Nope I didn't miss it , I addressed the individual who put up the wrong information NOT the one who put up the wrong information.

 

[LeeRevell]

Wandering, not trying to "impress" you son, just do not agree with you.  Your opinions do not jibe with mine, and your experience (no way to corroborate it) does not impress me.  I have known many 'instructors' who had shall we say, "odd"  ideas.  We will continue to be opposed on this matter.  It is closed.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Thus brings the question:

What gun(s) are you favorite to carry, shoot the easiest for you?

There are two lines of thought:

1. Find a gun you like and can shoot well and learn to carry it.
2. Find a gun you will carry and learn to shoot it well.

Daily, I carry a LCP in a Sneaky Pete (#2).  It isn't accurate, but I always have it.
When in dangerous places (i.e. grizzly country) I carry a S&W 329PD Alaska Backpacker IV in .44 mag.
The gun I like the best and can shoot the most accurately is a 1911.  I just don't like carrying it concealed.

Whatever gun you choose; practice, practice, practice.  When in a very high stress situation, your higher cognitive functions shut off and you respond with what your muscles have learned.  You don't have to practice with the gun you carry (for muscle memory), although shooting your carry gun is necessary for accuracy and familiarity, your muscles will remember the motions.  I practice daily with an CO2 pistol; cheap and can shoot in a lot more places.  The motions are what your muscles remember.

 -- Spiff

 

[mockturtle]

Boys, boys! Let's settle down and get back on track. This should not be a battle of wills but an exchange of ideas and information. It's an important topic so let's not lose sight of it.

 

[Wandering]

There are two lines of thought:

1. Find a gun you like and can shoot well and learn to carry it.
2. Find a gun you will carry and learn to shoot it well.

Daily, I carry a LCP in a Sneaky Pete (#2).  It isn't accurate, but I always have it.
When in dangerous places (i.e. grizzly country) I carry a S&W 329PD Alaska Backpacker IV in .44 mag.
The gun I like the best and can shoot the most accurately is a 1911.  I just don't like carrying it concealed.

Whatever gun you choose; practice, practice, practice.  When in a very high stress situation, your higher cognitive functions shut off and you respond with what your muscles have learned.  You don't have to practice with the gun you carry (for muscle memory), although shooting your carry gun is necessary for accuracy and familiarity, your muscles will remember the motions.  I practice daily with an CO2 pistol; cheap and can shoot in a lot more places.  The motions are what your muscles remember.

 -- Spiff

 
   See now this is *common sense*. Additionally *if* you are going to carry for any sort of defensive purpose it means that you may at some point be *betting your life* on the function of that sidearm. Don't buy junk , don't cheap out , and pay careful attention to the track record and individual foibles of the platform you are choosing. Test it thoroughly at the range. Buy substance and *reliability* over "Fluff" and if semi-auto test each and every magazine for function. Never carry an untested mag.
 
   And your choice of carry rig *makes* your "carry" , once again junk and bad choices in equipment make for uncomfortable carry and less than optimum results both in concealment and more importantly in deployment of the weapon. If your choice happens to be *open carry* have the common sense to learn what the words retention holster mean , you don't need your sidearm snatched at an inopportune moment.
 
  Take a defensive pistol course , learn how to point shoot. If available go run a few IPSC courses and/or do some shoot house work. How you train is how you react, this is an undeniable fact. Also keep in mind that civilian scenarios are much different than combat scenarios , there are different parameters in each , there are more secondary considerations within a civilian scenario that have to be addressed , innocent bystanders , backstops i.e. where is the slug going to end up, ammunition choices are more critical etc.etc.etc.