Pistols

[85Hokie]

Glock glock glock,,, like Marsha, Marsha, Marsha,,,, Now ifin i was a gun guy . My tastes would roll to the 1911, and Sig P320C, both of which carry very nicely in an ITW kydex holster. Not that I would know anything about that, mind you.Problem as I heard it said the 1911 will pull your britches down on one side unless you sinch your belt up so tight you cant breath. The Sig is very close to the 1911 grip angle so its a nice cross over not like those G guns that have a grip like a, a, a, well I dont know what but they are uncomfortable. So were it me a Sig or 1911 for EDC,, the OL uae to be a hell of a shot with the 29 or so I have been told. But then like I said Im not a gun guy I just heard the big kids talkin about it one time
Shoot more and shoot more often

shot a few glocks, I find the trigger not very nice, and the 26 wanted to throw hot brass down the front of my shirt, or smack me in my forehead!

When they have the ugly gun on the market award.....I"LL VOTE for glock!!!

OTHERWISE I'll stick to those that are not so widely thought of as great guns, until you shoot one!

 

[Bunker Buster]

I'm not much of a Glock fan, but they do shoot nice after a trigger upgrade and some stippling on the grip. My EDC is a Springfield XDS .45. It's small, easy to conceal is comfortable for me to shoot. My wife liked it so much, I bought her one just like it.

 

[GWD]

skeets mentioned the IWB / pulling down the pants problem with heavy guns.

The remedy for me is to wear suspenders and a belt. Then a clip is worn on the off-hand side to balance things out. Works great with a "travel vest" over the top for CCW.

I use the travel vest as my "man purse". Just put on the vest and all the pocket items are already loaded up and ready to go. My "town watch" is even stored in a pocket since I used to forget it half the time.

 

[Creature Meadow]

For home defense/personal carry type stuff I use Glocks in various 9mm sizes. I have others but my theory when it comes to HD/SD is KISS. It could be me, my wife or my two daughters involved and a Glock is a Glock is a Glock, pick up, sight picture, pull trigger, repeat as needed. They all know it will go bang when the trigger is pulled so no fumbling with safeties, decockers, hammers etc.

YMMV

I agree, the wife and I carry 19's. She can grab mine or hers and they are the same except mine is 2nd gen and hers is 4th.

I do have a M&P 22 we got to plink with on our range, cheap to shoot.

 

[bucktail]

For carry, I use my Kel-tech in .380 more than anything. I've got a Glock 17, but it's kind of big to carry. I carry a 4" S&W 66-6 or a 6" GP100 for hunting with a muzzle loader in slug zone. I have a super Blackhawk in 44 mag that I scoped, but it weighs nearly as much as a long gun, and I don't think I ever took it hunting.

 

[armylifer]

In another life I taught handgun safety and concealed carry techniques. The problem that I saw most often was that people tended to buy pistols larger than what they could comfortably carry for very long. A large caliber pistol does you no good if you cannot or will not carry it all day, every day. That is why I most often recommended carrying a sub-compact .380 or a light J Frame type revolver for civilian use.

There are many light, concealable firearms on the market. Most of them are highly reliable and well suited for their intended purpose. Remember, a pistol is not intended to replace a rifle or shotgun. It is intended to provide you enough firepower to give you time to get to a rifle or shotgun; if the firefight lasts long enough for that sort of action.

 

[TripleR]

In another life I taught handgun safety and concealed carry techniques. The problem that I saw most often was that people tended to buy pistols larger than what they could comfortably carry for very long. A large caliber pistol does you no good if you cannot or will not carry it all day, every day. That is why I most often recommended carrying a sub-compact .380 or a light J Frame type revolver for civilian use.

There are many light, concealable firearms on the market. Most of them are highly reliable and well suited for their intended purpose. Remember, a pistol is not intended to replace a rifle or shotgun. It is intended to provide you enough firepower to give you time to get to a rifle or shotgun; if the firefight lasts long enough for that sort of action.

My son is a former Police Officer and firearms instructor and reflects your posts quite close.

Our house/car guns quickly became different once I was able to afford more than one gun. My house/car gun is a G23 with tactical light and my carry gun a G27 or S&W 638. This I had to learn on my own as when I was growing up as the chest thumping experts at that time recommended a big manly gun, no "mouse guns" or turn in your man card.

 

[hodge]

I've owned most every model of Sig Sauer handgun, and greatly respect them. But, my favorites are my Glock 27 and two Ruger 1911's. There are many good guns on the market. Get what fits your hand well, what you are comfortable with, and what you shoot well. Otherwise, I greatly resist brand loyalty.

 

[Daren Todd]

I started this so I could get a reference on what else is out there to look at Wife and I are not really gun people. We like too shoot, but really don't know much about pistols, brands, ect.... For us, they are tools, for protection, varmints, and food

So this is giving me ideas as to what to look for, for myself So now, I have ideas about what people are carrying (brands and models) so I can go back and look and see about size, comfort, and fit

Some of the guns listed, I already new about and had some experience with. Like the 1911 and the S&W.

Now the best and most accurate pistol we shot yesterday, was actually and Italian made 9mm target pistol, which was made for the Olympics. Darn thing retails for over $4k though

But everyone of us wiped out a 1" bulls eye with it on the target Wife said she wanted one, till she found out the price, then went back to shooting the Beretta

 

[85Hokie]

Daren,

A buddy of mine once said, if you do not like the trigger, you will never like the gun!!!!!!!!

AND he was correct, the trigger make a hugggge difference.

Before you decide, spend a few $$$$ at your local range, pick up a few pistols and shoot them, your wife too. I noticed in the picture - the overlap grip, one suggestion, make the weak hand wrap the strong, point BOTH thumbs towards the target too. This will make a world of difference when siting in and holding between shots. AND you will find that the accuracy will increase NO matter what gun you shoot. Another point, use the isosceles stance rather than the weaver stance - this too will help with accuracy!

 

[armylifer]

Darren, if you intend to buy a weapon for concealed carry, keep in mind that the weight of the gun is increased significantly when ammo is added. There is 437.5 grains to each 1 ounce. The typical self defense round weighs in at almost 1/2 ounce per round for .38 SPL and above. This figure varies widely depending on which caliber gun you buy but if you use that figure you will be close enough when figuring the weight of a loaded firearm. You will need to take the weight of a firearm into consideration when choosing a holster and which belt you will buy. Buying a suitable belt is tied with buying a suitable holster when considering concealed carry.

Also, since you mentioned that you are looking for recommendations on what to buy, I can make two recommendations that I have found work well for me, my wife and my children. That is the Ruger LCP in .380 ACP or the S&W 340PD in 357 MAG. The latter should be loaded with 38SPL+P for comfort and control of round placement while shooting.

Good luck in choosing your firearm.

If you are not getting it for concealed carry, disregard the above.

 

[Daren Todd]

I'm am looking for a cc. But that being said, I honestly wouldn't be carrying all the time. I can't for work purposes. Mines partly do to DOT regulations. Plus company policy.

My wifes going for her cc as well. But realistically for her, it would be stored in her purse. And she is in the same boat. She can't carry at work either. But with her, she's a nurse. Don't need a pistol around someone with dementia

 

[Dexter]

Just like tractors and implements, so are pistols. Many models for many purposes. Shoot shoot and shoot some more before spending a lot of money on something you will not like. Then train, train and train some more to keep your skills up. As for a shooting stance, there is a lot of debate. I was trained to use the weaver stance, Blade your body making you a smaller target. Don't think that really worked but that was how it was. Link below for article about stance. regardless of your choice of a weapon, or how you shoot, I hope it is always for recreation. Good luck

https://www.policeone.com/police-pr...-3-shooting-stances-Which-ones-right-for-you/

 

[armylifer]

I'm am looking for a cc. But that being said, I honestly wouldn't be carrying all the time. I can't for work purposes. Mines partly do to DOT regulations. Plus company policy.

My wifes going for her cc as well. But realistically for her, it would be stored in her purse. And she is in the same boat. She can't carry at work either. But with her, she's a nurse. Don't need a pistol around someone with dementia

Since you mentioned that you are looking for a CC piece, then the first thing that you have to decide is revolver or semi-auto. Next consider how often you will actually carry it, that will determine the physical size needed. Next consider the caliber and how often it will actually be shot. If it will sit without being shot and cleaned at least once every two weeks, then get a revolver. I like the S&W 340PD but another good choice would be a Ruger SP101. I have both, but they are designed for different purposes. The 340PD is very light at about 9 ounces empty and the SP101 is about 23 ounces IIRC. Obviously,ommend the 340PD for daily carry and the SP101 for use in a car or truck.

The reason that I recommend a revolver over a semi-auto is for reliability sake. Not that semi-autos are any less reliable, it is just that they require more maintenance and are not as forgiving as a revolver if maintenance is neglected. Most civilians will never have to fire more than a few shots, at most, for defensive purposes. Remember, you are only trying to get out of harms way, not be a cop and do a cops job.

A firearm that is carried IWB or pocket will collect moisture and rust. Bullets also will be affected by moisture, though not very quickly. I suggest firing your ammo at least once per year and changing to new in box ammo just to be sure that it does what it is supposed to.

Let me know if you have any specific questions and if I know the answer, I will share.

 

[67Truckin]

I have an old 6 shot .38 revolver, a New England firearms 8 shot .22 revolver with the bull nose barrel and a S&W 9mm M&P slim chassis for my CCW. My wife wants a .22 semi auto handgun for her CCW. For ammunition try to get some stainless steel casings so they don't corrode from body heat or sweat like the brass casings will. Hollow points are also a good choice for concealed carry.

 

[armylifer]

I have an old 6 shot .38 revolver, a New England firearms 8 shot .22 revolver with the bull nose barrel and a S&W 9mm M&P slim chassis for my CCW. My wife wants a .22 semi auto handgun for her CCW. For ammunition try to get some stainless steel casings so they don't corrode from body heat or sweat like the brass casings will. Hollow points are also a good choice for concealed carry.

I am sure that you have probably considered all the pros and cons of your wife's choice of a cc weapon, and I certainly my understand your wife's desire to get a small semi auto. It is much better to have something than to not have a firearm at all. That said, have you considered getting her a 25 ACP instead of the 22? The 25 ACP pistols are in the same power range and weight, but the pistols are more reliable in 25 ACP because they are center fire rounds instead of Rimfire.

 

[NEPA Guy]

Mostly I use a walther PPS 9mm for cc, iwb. Its an accurate and lightweight long term carry solution. Love my walther.

In winter I carry Glock 23 .40 cal owb.

I got my wife a Ruger SP101 .327 it's versatile

She was a difficult pick. We went through a bunch. The ruger has a nice weight to it and she can manage the recoil chambered with .32

http://www.guns.com/2011/04/30/rugers-sp101-327-federal-magnum-the-little-big-32-caliber-gun/

 

[clay45]

Congratulations on introducing your wife to shooting. I still haven't done that successfully although she's finally expressed an interest.

As to pistols I find a full size 1911 the most pleasant to shoot but its a hog to carry and certainly not concealed. I spent a lot of time with an XDm in 40 S&W and 357 Sig. Very nice fitting handgun but I never warmed up to the striker fired pistol. Didn't care for Glock's either.

In revolvers a S&W Model 686 in 4" barrel would be tough to beat. Nice for handloading too as its easy to retain your cases.

 

[eddiebob]

CC carry: H&K P30 w/LEM trigger, 9mm
Truck carry: CZ 75B, 9mm
Wife carry: S&W Lady Smith, 357

 

[TripleR]

You might try checking around to find a good source for concealed carry training to discuss this. My son had a selection of pistols and revolver for clients to look at and handle if they really were unsure of what gun to buy. In Missouri, you don't have to qualify with the gun you carry, so he let a few people try a gun out and qualify with one of his. He allowed extra range time before and after the formal class for those who were interested.

Handling one in the store is fine, but nothing like shooting one.

The more you carry, the more comfortable it will be. When I was working, I carried pretty much every waking minute and never even noticed it. After I retired, I carried only occasionally and find it quite uncomfortable and find myself carrying one on me less and less.