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looking for a concealed carry gun

6K views 42 replies 20 participants last post by  Dog Soldier 
#1 ·
i just got my ccw license today. i have been looking for a concealed carry gun for a while now but havent been able to find one i like that i can afford. i have shot 9mm and .45's of the 2 i like the 9 mil. a compact .45 im afraid would jump out of my big hands. thats my other problem with finding a gun. im 6 foot 300 lbs. not exactly small fingers. the only compact gun i have shot was a ruger lc9 that my sister carries. it actually fit my hands pretty well but i still had to think and look at how i was holding i t before i shot it. my buddy has and m&p9 full size and right away i fell in love with it. it shot great very well. but its too big to carry. i just found out they make a compact m&p but are almost $600. the m&p has a rail on the front to mount a light or something to it. if i would happen to get one could i put a laser on the rail and still get it in a holster?

pretty much i need a compact gun that has magazine grip extentions available. ammo that is easy to find. be around $300, $400 at the most. ability to add a laser would love to find one thats a double/single action. but not a requirement.
 
#2 ·
Hard for my to recommend a gun for you but to give you an example of the broad range of firearms you could look at, size wise. I'm 2 inches taller than you but 60 lbs. lighter. I carry .45 1911's and i've been known to carry a Sig P238. So, there is a huge range as far as size of firearm that you may or may not be comfortable with.
 
#3 ·
find a gun shop that has a range, and rents guns.

shoot ALL of them :)

invite friends that own lots of guns out to the range and bring the pizza.. ask to test shoot all their guns a couple shots...

buy the model/make you like the best. :)
 
#8 ·
Would you consider a revolver? I have a couple of .38 smiths I like and you can get grips that might fit your hands well. S&W 638 and Bodyguard .38.
I have a coworker who is a big guy with huge hands and is comfortable with the Ruger LCP.
 
#9 ·
i just got my ccw license today. i have been looking for a concealed carry gun for a while now but havent been able to find one i like that i can afford. i have shot 9mm and .45's of the 2 i like the 9 mil. a compact .45 im afraid would jump out of my big hands. thats my other problem with finding a gun. im 6 foot 300 lbs. not exactly small fingers. the only compact gun i have shot was a ruger lc9 that my sister carries. it actually fit my hands pretty well but i still had to think and look at how i was holding i t before i shot it. my buddy has and m&p9 full size and right away i fell in love with it. it shot great very well. but its too big to carry. i just found out they make a compact m&p but are almost $600. the m&p has a rail on the front to mount a light or something to it. if i would happen to get one could i put a laser on the rail and still get it in a holster?

pretty much i need a compact gun that has magazine grip extentions available. ammo that is easy to find. be around $300, $400 at the most. ability to add a laser would love to find one thats a double/single action. but not a requirement.
It's not easy to recomend something as personal as a CCW. I'm 5'11", and weigh in at around 230. I have weighed as much as 280, and I easily carry a 1911A, or an LCP, and anything in between. For what you are willing to pay, think used, and think revolver. Personally I would not let price be the deciding factor, remember that your life, or your families lives, may depend on the gun you choose! You want it to work every time, no matter what. Good luck in your hunt! Most of us have more than one gun that we carry!
 
#10 ·
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#11 ·
George, all of the guns you posted up are nice guns. That Ruger falls just into his price range, and would make a great gun for SD. Single/double-action was something he was looking for also.
 
#12 ·
George, all of the guns you posted up are nice guns. That Ruger falls just into his price range, and would make a great gun for SD. Single/double-action was something he was looking for also.
If you remember back a few months I ask this same question. Since we will soon be able to carry guns for the 1st time in Illinois I had no experience in this area. You guys helped me out on this back them.
 
#13 ·
I'm a new CCW, too. Since Feb of this year. Also, like you, I had a financial restriction. I ended up with a Smith and Wesson SD9VE, at first, but, after I got it out to the range I found a couple of things I didn't really like about it. I went back to my local gun shop and bought a Ruger SR40c. The owner graciously took the S&W back for full refund toward my Ruger. I have more than happy with the SR40c.

But, what I found since then, it's as much about the holster you carry it in that is going to make it comfortable. And, don't overlook the need for a good, quality leather belt. I started out with an inexpensive generic holster from the shelf at Cabelas, or somewhere and slipped it on over the belt I had. It was uncomfortable. Pulled my pants down and hung at an awkward angle. I have since bought several holsters. I carry now with a Fobus OWB paddle holster, or, a Blackhawk IWB nylon. Both of these were inexpensive holsters. Both are very comfortable and both are very concealable. All you can do is ask for recommendations and try different ones. I bought 5 different holsters before I found one that was really comfortable.

The gun you choose is as personal and individual as favorite color. The gun that feels right for you and that you will carry is the right one. Everyone can offer recommendations. I like my Ruger. When I have some more money, I'm going to look more at Sig.
 
#14 · (Edited)
600.00 for an m&p? I think I would do some shopping...I used to sell them for 469.00 all day long...
 
#15 ·
"grip extentions available. ammo that is easy to find. be around $300, $400 at the ...----isrummell

I am 6'2" and 240lbs.......no problem with CCW and even K-frame, GP-100, and much larger, so I don't really understand your criteria.
Just get a Bersa .380 Thunder.......looks like it fits as the answer to your question.
 
#19 ·
haha how long ago was that? i havent seen them below 5 for sure since i started looking at handguns
About 6 months ago. I would still be selling for that price maybe a little more but not much. Definitely not over 500...
 
#20 ·
Help. No, don't help. Wait......I already know. Can someone help ? Wait......

" i have been looking for a concealed carry gun for a while "---isrummell
WHAT have you held, shot, liked, not liked, etc......
We can NOT tell you, but we can suggest. We clearly don't even have enough info....
to begin. What have you gone and tried....buddies house, range rental, etc.
Trust me, no slam meant, don't tell Dan numbers......
Please trust me....I want to be on your side .....[no malice]
From what you have posted....
Get a Bersa Thunder .380 and get some bullets. Read and get safety familiar with the gun. Go shoot it in a safe place.
Grow from there.
 
#21 ·
sorry im really hair brained. i know i need to go out and shoot some im a member of a small gun club but there is hardly anyone there shooting handguns. all my buddies are just getting their ccw. so i dont have the opportunity to shoot many different handguns. in my ccw class the guy had several compact guns for us to try the only one i can remember was a kimber. but that was over $1000 gun. all the rest i could only get 2 fingers on the grip and felt awkward to hold. my hours at work constrict my ability to go to gun shops that are more than 15 mins away.

when i see guns that are not a name i know i get leery of buying them like kahr, tri star, tisas ect. should i stay away from any of these not so popular brands?
 
#22 ·
Google is your friend. When you see something that catches your eye, check it out. Read the forums to get a feel for what others who have spent money think. Look for repeated issues. For example, I saw a Taurus PT740 that I liked the look and feel of. But, in reading what I could find about it, I saw repeated issues with the gun and, maybe more important, with the customer service reputation of Taurus. I passed on the gun.

Kahr is a well known and trusted manufacturer. The CM series is a nice weapon, and a good choice for CCW.

If the size of a compact is awkward, look more to full size. I did buy a compact for CCW, but, I have found that a full size would be just as easy to conceal, in most cases. Even when there is a clear print of the weapon under a shirt, people just don't notice, or maybe, they just don't say anything. Many times I'll carry IWB with my shirt tucked. The grip of the gun is clearly visible. People do not notice it.
 
#24 ·
wow i thought taurus would have been a good company for customer service.
I have no personal experience, but, that doesn't seem to be the case. It's not just a few times I've heard the complaint. It seems to be pretty consistent. It's a crap shoot with the autos, people have reported getting good ones they never have a problem with while others can't get a full box of ammo out of theirs without trouble. The revolvers seem to be good across the board, but, the customer service stories are consistently negative.
 
#25 ·
Why do you need grip extensions? Get over the idea of having your pinky on the grip frame and the world of ccw will open up to you.

Why make a compact, concealable pistol larger?

I'm 6'2" wear size 9 surgical gloves. My favorite ccw pistols are my Officers 1911, Colt Detective Special, Kel-Tec PF9, and Glock 26.

I have owned and used a Seecamp .32 and a Kel-Tec P3AT with great success in the past.
 
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