Pistols

Daren Todd

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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.
They do similar for the concealed carry here. Local officer does the class a couple miles from the house. He uses a 22 for the whole class to qualify on. Holds the class at a local church, and does the qualifying at the police range. So part of the price is for the range rental. Don't believe he brings more guns besides the 22 though. I'm pretty much fine with any caliber, but my wife is another story :) My brother in laws focus is on hand cannons, so we had a limited selection for my wife to shoot. Anything over a 9mm in a pistol, and she won't touch it.

Now she absolutely loves to shoot long distance. And has no problem with shooting my 270. :D Won't do anything over a 410 in shotguns though. My little 20 gauge kinda ruined that :rolleyes: It's set up for a youth, real short and light, but kicks like a mule :eek: Fits her good, easy for her to handle, but has knocked more then one grown man on there keister :p
 

TripleR

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I use to buy into the "bigger is better" and only carried .45s, but I've gotten over that and feel well armed with a 9mm. I carry and shoot .40s because for many years I could only carry a Glock in .40 and trained on it every six months, just got comfortable with it. My son is the same as his last job as well as his present only allows Glock 40s. Between jobs while in college, he carried a G19.

My wife's favorite semi-auto is a G19 and she has tried them all as well as owning a .44 Super Blackhawk. Age has crept up on both of us, so I just bought her a Remington Model 7 in .243 to replace her .308 742 for deer hunting and she loves it, deer don't know the difference around here.
 

Daren Todd

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I use to buy into the "bigger is better" and only carried .45s, but I've gotten over that and feel well armed with a 9mm. I carry and shoot .40s because for many years I could only carry a Glock in .40 and trained on it every six months, just got comfortable with it. My son is the same as his last job as well as his present only allows Glock 40s. Between jobs while in college, he carried a G19.

My wife's favorite semi-auto is a G19 and she has tried them all as well as owning a .44 Super Blackhawk. Age has crept up on both of us, so I just bought her a Remington Model 7 in .243 to replace her .308 742 for deer hunting and she loves it, deer don't know the difference around here.
I always hunted with an old marlin 30-30. That's ol' faithful. Can pull it out of the case, pace off 100 yards, and put all 5 shots in a 1" circle. The shot gun was custom ordered from Ithaca for my dad on his 16th birthday. Given to me on my 16th birthday. And going to my grandson on his 16th birthday. Currently 46 years old and still kicking :D

270 was acquired a few years back. Family member was down on there luck and headed to a pawn shop with it. Ran into them in town, and bought it from them. Knew the history on the gun since childhood, and was able to keep it in the family :D

And got a little 22 mag revolver for possums and skunks. Wife bought that for me a few years ago. She thought the shot gun was a little over kill for snakes and small critters :rolleyes:
 

armylifer

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When I was in the service I bought into the "bigger is better" speel. Now I prefer comfort and conceal-ability for my personal protection. I find that the Ruger LCP fits in the front pocket of any clothing that I wear, be it a suit or jeans. The LCP is barely heavier than my wallet and no one knows that I have it. The LCP is one that I carry at all times, even if I am carrying another one on my hip. It is just that comfortable to carry, and it has become a part of my clothing. Just as I would not dream of going anywhere without my wallet, I am that same way about my LCP.

There is no one gun that fits all situations but there is really no reason to tie yourself to just one gun. I have more than one carry piece but the one I carry in the woods is not appropriate for carrying in church. If you are unarmed because the only gun that you have is either too big or too uncomfortable to keep on you at all times, then you have to go with the comfortable one. It is much better to be armed with something rather than to be unarmed at all.
 

RCW

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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.:D
Daren - I did just like 'Buster a while back. Springfield XDS in .45.

Since it's single-stack, it's about as thin as any CCW option available for 9mm and up. Might be the one of the smallest .45 you can get for CCW.

I'm left-handed, and some semi-auto's have safeties that don't work well for me.

My hands are also decent sized. I got a couple extended clips that give me more handgrip, too, but I only carry with the short clip.

Now, my other is a S&W Model 29 in .44 Mag. N-frame in nickel and 8 3/8" barrel. No carrying that puppy except in a shoulder holster!

Good luck on your mission!
 
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Daren Todd

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RCW, the Baretta we just bought has an ambidextrous safety :) same with the clip release.

About 2/3 of the semi automatics we looked at didn't even have a safety.


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armylifer

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Darren, there are several pistols that don't have safety's. Several of the old Soviet block weapons that I was trained on did not have safety's. I think that about the only pistols that really need a safety on them are the ones that are carried locked and cocked, such as the M1911 style ones. Those that are double action really don't need a safety because the trigger pull for the first round is such that you have to want to pull it. There really is no danger of it going off accidentally.
 

MattN03

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I have my CCW permit and carry a S&W Shield 9mm. It's a great carry pistol.
 

OldeEnglish

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Wife and I both carry glocks, 27 for me 26 for her. I have a lot of different guns and I enjoy shooting anything that goes bang. I like the glocks for carry because of the weight, no safety, and they always go bang. I'm a strong believer in the best safety is resting on top of your shoulders, use it and you will be safe. Brass to the face can be fixed with a new ejector, free from glock if you call them up. They back their products 100% for life in case someone doesn't know that.

Here in MA we are behind the Iron curtain and can only buy pistols on the AG's approved roster list, it's disgusting. Most hand guns you can buy will come with a trigger weight so heavy it makes it impossible to hit a target, and will cost you extra to get a normal trigger installed. Ohh yeah... even though it may be listed on the list, it doesn't mean you can buy it like a glock. Yeah I know it's confusing, my friends down south look at me like I have 2 heads when I tell them this. Can't own an "assault weapon" anymore and I'm pretty sure I'm a felon now for owning one before our AG banned them. Unfortunately they were tragically lost in a boating accident ;). So if you think Hillary wont take your guns.... our AG Maura Healey was a valued speaker at the democratic national convention, and you bet your ass other states are going to use her ruling as a blueprint to implement this elsewhere!

I'm happy seeing everyone enjoying shooting sports, my wife and I always have fun at the range. It's also a good reminder to be a good husband because shes a damm good shot :eek:
 

adventure bob

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Wife carries a P938 (9MM). good compromise in size and shoot ability. She likes it with a crimson trace. I carry a Kimber SCU in .45.
If you CC, pls, pls get training on how to draw and fight from your particular rig. Many CC classes cover all the ins and outs of how to get your permit, but do not cover how to actually conceal carry and draw and fight from your setup. This is probably my biggest beef with most CC classes. Its great that people carry but its horrible to watch as they struggle to get a weapon out of an unfamiliar rig, or cant do it without being a danger to themselves or others. Use your range time to hone this set of skills as well. Being able to use your weapon and hit the target is only part of the equation. What happens when it goes "click" instead of "bang?" do you know how to efficiently return the weapon to an operating condition? Can you do it without thinking about it? Can you do it tactically (quick)? Can you reload in the same manner? Can you draw and employ on a target with shooting yourself or flagging others? Can you do it tactically? Can you do it without thinking about it? Can you effectively choose and engage a target in a crowded environment? These are the additional skills that need to be worked just as much or more than standing there hitting the target with rounds.

In a gunfight, the loudest sound you'll ever hear is click.
 

Lil Foot

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I carry a Kimber SCU in .45.
Nice!
This is probably my biggest beef with most CC classes.
That's my second biggest beef- first is the statement "No one will fail my class."
A recipe for disaster in my opinion.
 

armylifer

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Your beef with CCW classes should not be with the instructor, it should be with the students that do not take follow on training after getting their CCW permit. Don't confuse the course intent. Getting the permit is just the first step in training. CCW techniques and defensive combat training are not a part of the classes for getting the permit in the first place.
 

TripleR

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Look for a good quality training provider and see if they offer advanced hand gun training, where my son worked had some they encouraged beginning hand gunners take. I had training twice a year, both my sons were trainers and we have a range on two of our farms, so everyone that carries has had well beyond most.

In Missouri, a permit is no longer needed to carry concealed.

While I accept that getting plenty of training is best, I sure don't want to see it mandated.
 

Lil Foot

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Your beef with CCW classes should not be with the instructor, it should be with the students that do not take follow on training after getting their CCW permit. Don't confuse the course intent. Getting the permit is just the first step in training. CCW techniques and defensive combat training are not a part of the classes for getting the permit in the first place.
My beefs is with the instructor when he or she does not recognize or will not acknowledge the fact that someone people lack the basic common sense, physical strength, or even the most basic concepts of any mechanical device (let alone a firearm) to safely operate such a device. When a student has a dozen or more incidents of pointing a gun at someone else in the class and 3 accidental discharges, all in an 8 hour class, it seems incredible that such a person should get a CCW permit. How about a woman with a long barreled S&W revolver who held the weapon with the barrel pointing up at at least a 45 degree angle, firing up in the air, looking over the end of the barrel, not even attempting to use the rear sight. When I stopped her & showed her the correct way, she explained the her way "felt better." I called the instructor over, and she "did it his way" until he left to help someone else, then reverted back to putting bullets in low orbit. How about a guy who did not want to pull back the slide on his .380, (it's too hard!) so to cock the pistol, he pushed the end of the slide/barrel against a table edge, right up until the time he blew a chunk out of the table. (and nearly the leg of a nearby student)
All these people got CCW permits. Yes, my beef is with the instructor. He should have recommended they at least get some very basic instruction first.
 

Daren Todd

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Lil Foot, I have to agree with you on that point. An instructor has the responsibility to make sure the students in the class are safe, safety conscious, and have a good aptitude for what they are doing.

If the person doesn't "get it". Then the instructor need to work with them till they understand that fact, or fail the course.

My brother in law, is one of those folks. I'll give him that he was being safety conscious. But then he almost shot his foot while attempting to un cock his 357 :eek: Told him to put the gun up, if he couldn't maintain control of the hammer ;) His excuse was it slipped. I very calmly pointed out that with a fire arm, that's not a valid excuse when sitting in front of a jury ;)
 

85Hokie

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"If the person doesn't "get it". Then the instructor need to work with them till they understand that fact, or fail the course."


O how I wish this was only true in life!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( a teacher failing a student, o my!):D:)

When I teach my little kiddie poo's about pneumatic nail guns, I go on about a 20 minute speech & preach about gun- guns. I tell them to treat the pneumatic gun JUST like a real gun in EVERY way! 99.5% of them do the right thing. Many of these good ol boys and girls have shot a many a gun too!:p
 

armylifer

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My beefs is with the instructor when he or she does not recognize or will not acknowledge the fact that someone people lack the basic common sense, physical strength, or even the most basic concepts of any mechanical device (let alone a firearm) to safely operate such a device. When a student has a dozen or more incidents of pointing a gun at someone else in the class and 3 accidental discharges, all in an 8 hour class, it seems incredible that such a person should get a CCW permit. How about a woman with a long barreled S&W revolver who held the weapon with the barrel pointing up at at least a 45 degree angle, firing up in the air, looking over the end of the barrel, not even attempting to use the rear sight. When I stopped her & showed her the correct way, she explained the her way "felt better." I called the instructor over, and she "did it his way" until he left to help someone else, then reverted back to putting bullets in low orbit. How about a guy who did not want to pull back the slide on his .380, (it's too hard!) so to cock the pistol, he pushed the end of the slide/barrel against a table edge, right up until the time he blew a chunk out of the table. (and nearly the leg of a nearby student)
All these people got CCW permits. Yes, my beef is with the instructor. He should have recommended they at least get some very basic instruction first.
It sounds like you were in a very poorly run class. In my classes, I had 1 RSO present for each 3 people on the firing line. All weapons were cleared before leaving the firing line or when moving down range to check targets. The RSO's personally checked all weapons before the firing line was declared clear. The club that I belong to has very strict rules concerning range safety and those rules are enforced by all instructors and RSO's We have a 0 tolerance policy for safety infractions.
 

Lil Foot

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It sounds like you were in a very poorly run class.
Couldn't agree more, but those incidents were actually from two different classes, with two different instructors/companies.
Centuries ago, when I was a wee one, I took the NRA hunter safety course and we had a couple of special needs kids in the group. One did great, the other, not so much. He just did not have the attention span for the task at hand, and after a couple close calls, he put a .22 in the ground between one of the instructors feet. He was escorted off the range immediately, (or sooner) which is what should have happened in the incidents mentioned above. I'm sure the vast majority of instructors are excellent, but the blanket attitude of "No one will fail my class" is stupid.