Best concealed carry pistol
Do you think the recommendations for best concealed carry pistol on this page are reasonable?
http://www.rc-trucks.org/best-concealed-carry-pistol.htm
I like the Ruger LCP, but I'm not sure if it really has enough knockdown power to be the best choice.
Any recommendations other than what was on that page?
Thanks.
http://www.rc-trucks.org/best-concealed-carry-pistol.htm
I like the Ruger LCP, but I'm not sure if it really has enough knockdown power to be the best choice.
Any recommendations other than what was on that page?
Thanks.
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Without going to that page ANY gun you will ALWAYS have on you is the BEST. Does not matter what caliber the gun is if it is not on you. Currently I have 3 different carry guns depending on time of year and the way I am dressed. One of those guns is a Keltec (similar to the LCP) and at times it IS the best, at others it is not.
This is also to go along with whatever gun fits YOUR hand and YOU can shoot well. Just because one brand works good for me does not make it the best gun or mean it will work for YOU.
You can debate caliber and brand all day long. The thing that matters is will YOU have it on YOU and can YOU shoot it well.
quote:Originally posted by MR_Perfect
Not that I disagree with NWCID... he is right to a point. Caliber does matter and I don't think it's any less important a factor (or perhaps only marginally less important) than fit in your hand and comfort carrying.
You have the right to think anyway you want. My point is that ANY gun you WILL have with you AND can HIT with is better then one you dont. Now if you think a .22 is such a bad carry round does that mean you will be the first to stand up and demo taking a couple rounds of .22 with no problems?0 -
I couldn't see anyting on that page for me. The Smithod 60 is not bad but I would prefer something with concealed hammer like a Smith 642. That .22 and 380 are just silly IMHO. 0 -
Not that I disagree with NWCID... he is right to a point. Caliber does matter and I don't think it's any less important a factor (or perhaps only marginally less important) than fit in your hand and comfort carrying.
A person can most certainly learn to shoot just about any gun well, that they can physically control. And guns in calibers of .38 to 45 are controllable and concealable by most people (baring handicap). Heck some even find they can't shoot .38s very well but can shoot a nicely made .45 For that matter folks would be better off throwing/using a knife or a punch than shooting ANY gun that isn't going to quickly incapacitate an assailant (IMO) due to the legal system we have. So don't discount the importance of stopping power is all I'm saying.
My advice is get a gun with reasonable stopping power (certainly .38 to .45 cal will suffice) that you are willing to carry and can shoot well. Shooting ranges are a good place to determine these things because you can rent and try lots of different guns.
Finally, there is some really good information regarding stopping power and advantages to various pistol types at http://www.chuckhawks.com/index2.guns.htm
That's probably the best compilation of materials on all that you'll need to know that I can think of, aside from searching and posting on this forum. Be an informed shooter!
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Thanks for the good feedback. I agree that something is going to be better than nothing. I have a Taurus .357 Magnum with 6" barrel that would probably be ideal from the standpoint of knockdown power, but it's not an easily concealed weapon (at least not with summer clothes). 0 -
I don't think that page represents the "top 6", frankly.
The "best" concealed carry gun is
a. The most powerful gun that:
b. You will actually carry. . .
c. Concealed on your person. . .
d. That you can shoot well. . .
e. and that is reliable.
So, there are a lot of choices that COULD work.
The mini .22 revolver has several disadvantages such as weak power, slow to cock and fire, *BUT* if its the biggest gun you can actually carry around with your its better than the .44 cannon-blaster that you leave at home because its too heavy to lug around with you all day, or because you can't conceal it wearing a T-shirt and shorts.
My personal opinion on this issue is that an aluminum alloy frame .38 special revolver is the "best" concealed carry gun for MOST people (ie especially most people who aren't gun buffs or who don't spend a tremendous amount of time at the range). Of course anyone who has a strong preference for another gun is "right". . .the "right" gun is the one you are most comfortable with that meets the above criteria.
Examples would include the Smith and Wesson models 642, 637, and 638, plus similar ones by Taurus, or Charter Arms.
The reasons are simple:
a. Alloy frame snubnose is relatively light (usually about 16 oz loaded) and can be carried in a pants pocket, if necessary.
b. Gun is as close to 100% reliable as you can get in a handgun.
c. .38 special round, while not as powerful as the service-type centerfire cartridges (eg 9mm, 40SW, .45ACP, etc) is still more powerful than just about ALL of the small semi-auto cartridges (eg .22, .25, .32, .380) with a larger bullet (ie up to 158 grains) and adequate at close range.
.357 magnum, by the way,can potentially be TOO powerful as it presents serious recoil, noise, and flash issues from a lightweight snubnose revolver. You can tame the recoil with a heavier gun or large grips, but then you compromise carriability.
d. Revolvers have a simple manual of arms. They are easy to load, unload, and clean. There is no round in the chamber for novices to forget to unload. You do not need to learn how to disassemble them. The controls are simple, few, and intuitive. You can tell with a glance if one is loaded or unloaded. You can't accidentally engage the safety in an emergency, nor forget to disengage it. There is no magazine to lose, malfunction, or accidentally eject, nor are springs held under tension to wear out or replace. There is no stiff slide that can be difficult to rack for women, older people, or those with slippery hands. There is no "malfunction drill" of trying to seat a magazine or racking a slide. . .if you pull the trigger and it doesn't go bang, you just pull the trigger again, and you get a fresh round.
e. Easy to customize grip to fit shooters hand, and other accessories (ie holsters, speedloaders) are inexpensive and readily available.
My view is that you're probably only going to pull your CCW if you perceive immediate life-threatening danger. At that point the adrenaline starts pumping, you get tunnel vision, you lose fine motor coordination, etc. This is the time when you do clumsy/stupid things like forget to disengage (or accidentally engage) a gun safety, accidentally drop the magazine, etc. At that point *LESS IS MORE*, and having a gun where all you have to do is point it and pull the trigger is a plus.
EDIT: Responding to comments made above:
If you have a knife, the LAST thing you want to do is throw it away! I think rule #1 of knife combat is RETAIN YOUR KNIFE! (Rule #2 is to try and keep it hidden until its stuck into your adversary). Knife throwing is more of a circus stunt than a serious defensive consideration. If you happen to have more than one, then you've got a spare in case you drop one, or better, one for each hand.
A 6" bbl revolver is a good defensive gun, but for most people, its just not concealable in practice.
Likewise, being able to shoot a .45 well is good. . .but that doesn't necessarily mean the gun translates into a viable CCW. One big factor is CONCEALMENT, and in general, the bigger more powerful service calibers come in larger guns that are harder to conceal (or fairly heavy to carry around all day), or alternatively, come in chopped down guns that offer significant recoil and can be difficult to control. So there is always a compromise. Some people can carry a full sized 1911 concealed on their person all day. . .but in practice most people can't.
In fact, in practice, many people can't carry *ANY* gun in a holster much of the time, leaving pocket carry as the only pragmatic form of concealed carry. So now, you've eliminated probably 90%+ of guns from consideration, including just about every gun in .40SW. 45ACP, or larger calibers.0 -
quote:Originally posted by beantownshootah
EDIT: Responding to comments made above:
If you have a knife, the LAST thing you want to do is throw it away! I think rule #1 of knife combat is RETAIN YOUR KNIFE! (Rule #2 is to try and keep it hidden until its stuck into your adversary). Knife throwing is more of a circus stunt than a serious defensive consideration. If you happen to have more than one, then you've got a spare in case you drop one, or better, one for each hand.
A 6" bbl revolver is a good defensive gun, but for most people, its just not concealable in practice.
Likewise, being able to shoot a .45 well is good. . .but that doesn't necessarily mean the gun translates into a viable CCW. One big factor is CONCEALMENT, and in general, the bigger more powerful service calibers come in larger guns that are harder to conceal (or fairly heavy to carry around all day), or alternatively, come in chopped down guns that offer significant recoil and can be difficult to control. So there is always a compromise. Some people can carry a full sized 1911 concealed on their person all day. . .but in practice most people can't.
In fact, in practice, many people can't carry *ANY* gun in a holster much of the time, leaving pocket carry as the only pragmatic form of concealed carry. So now, you've eliminated probably 90%+ of guns from consideration, including just about every gun in .40SW. 45ACP, or larger calibers.
Just a couple comments to the above.
1) Throwing a knife, if the technique is learned (its a long learning curve) can quickly incapacitate an assailant. That was my only point. It's less than preferable, but to my mind more preferable than ticking off an assailant by plinking him with an air gun, for example. Retaining a knife is my preference as well, even though I have had some fine training in defensive knife throwing (when learned one can draw and throw a lockback folder faster than a gun can be drawn from a holster aimed and fired). That said, my preference is for a gun.
2)There are plenty of good .45 cal guns that are concealable (but yeah probably eliminates about 90% of handguns across the spectrum by going to that caliber). Some revolvers are even made for the 45acp (some require a retaining clip). And a gun like the glock 36 is pretty concealable IMO. My preference is for a 45 over a 357mag due primarily to recoil, flash, and noise. It's certainly an effective stopper and certainly more effective than a 38+p were one to substitute that for the 357 mag load.
Good points being made in this thread, keep 'em coming.0 -
keyturbocars....check the 6/16 responses in the Forum to OLDCOP that covered this topic. I stick by my reply. Good shooting! 0 -
I carry a PM9 and have been very happy with it. very concealable, but it REALLY does take about 500 rounds to break in!
my EMP9 was reliable right out of the box, but it;s kinda pricey.
kahr also has a PM40.
in 1911 style look at the EMP9 , also has a 40cal version.
I don't own the 40's but i've shot both of them. kinda snappy, especially in the kahr.
If money is no object and deep conceal is needed, the R9 is a great gun.0 -
PM9 is the way to go! 0 -
Thanks for all the good info. By the way, I liked the signature that said "Average response time for 911 call is 4 minutes... .357 is 1400FPS." That was funny. Actually, the situation is even worse out where I live (in the middle of nowhere). 911 response would probably be closer to 40 minutes! That's why I like to make sure I'm ready with the 1400FPS response!
Take Care, and thanks again.0 -
Just bought a S&W 642....Now I just have to move to a state with CCW [:D] 0
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