best gun for conceal/home defense?
- Thread starter shfd321kmc
- Start date
NightSleeper
New member
$450 is a good price on that gun. I'd go for it if I were you!
I'll put in another vote for a G26, along with some larger cap mags for home defense.
Perhaps it's just me, but I'm stats and odds guy. IMHO, there's a 99.99% chance that all my shots fired will be for fun down a range, and 0.01% chance that I'll ever need it for defense (although of course, 50% of the reason I purchased a gun is for that 0.01% chance
). So I chose a 9mm as I think it has enough stopping power (eg., +p hollowpoints) yet is the cheapest and most comfortable (recoil) centerfire caliber to shoot for 99.99% of those target rounds.
I also have a .357 4" SW revolver that's more accurate at the range, an LCP mouse gun which is easier to carry, and a G19 which is also pretty good at everything. But if I had to choose just one, it would have to be the G26 as it's just as accurate and fun to shoot at the range as my G19, but conceals just that much better (and I can throw on a grip spacer for the 15rnd mags).
Last thing that's really becoming a decision point on which gun goes to the range these days.... the Glocks are, by far, my easiest guns to clean, and of course, you rarely need to clean them.
Perhaps it's just me, but I'm stats and odds guy. IMHO, there's a 99.99% chance that all my shots fired will be for fun down a range, and 0.01% chance that I'll ever need it for defense (although of course, 50% of the reason I purchased a gun is for that 0.01% chance
). So I chose a 9mm as I think it has enough stopping power (eg., +p hollowpoints) yet is the cheapest and most comfortable (recoil) centerfire caliber to shoot for 99.99% of those target rounds.I also have a .357 4" SW revolver that's more accurate at the range, an LCP mouse gun which is easier to carry, and a G19 which is also pretty good at everything. But if I had to choose just one, it would have to be the G26 as it's just as accurate and fun to shoot at the range as my G19, but conceals just that much better (and I can throw on a grip spacer for the 15rnd mags).
Last thing that's really becoming a decision point on which gun goes to the range these days.... the Glocks are, by far, my easiest guns to clean, and of course, you rarely need to clean them.
I don't use one gun for both. I have a G17 for home and a G26 for carry. I shoot the G17 better than the G26 but I have large hands. If I had to choose one gun I would choose the G26 for carry reasons. I would probably use the G17 or G19 Mag when I was at home so I would have a little more grip to hold on to.
moose_nukelz
New member
I would go with the Glock 26 or Smith and Wesson M&P9c. Both are are small and can easily conceal as well as take full size magazines for home defense capacity.
loose_holster_dan
New member
i'm with the people who say you need two guns for those two very different needs.
BUT if you can only afford one cheaper gun, i recommend the cz p07 duty or the sig 229 (obviously depending upon budget). both have a good capacity and are easy to conceal and shoot.
BUT if you can only afford one cheaper gun, i recommend the cz p07 duty or the sig 229 (obviously depending upon budget). both have a good capacity and are easy to conceal and shoot.
loose_holster_dan
New member
oh, and fyi - glocks are TRASH!
40caljustice
New member
Yep. Pure trash. You can throw them in my garbage can. Save room in your can. Ill see to it that they get to the safe..... ah I mean landfill.
If you have any XDm's or Smith's, I'll take them too. Keep the Sigs. I have no use for them. 
dalegribble
New member
there is no "best" gun. there are calibers, there are types, there are finishes, there are sizes, there are weights, there are materials used to make the gun and there are prices. what appeals to one person may not appeal to another.
start with a caliber, pick a type (revolver or simi auto), etc,etc etc and then find something in your price range. many people start with a price first. there is no one size fits all when it comes to guns.
start with a caliber, pick a type (revolver or simi auto), etc,etc etc and then find something in your price range. many people start with a price first. there is no one size fits all when it comes to guns.
Mikenice81...read this!
I purchased a P-07 Duty about a year ago. The firearm fired true, the cycle of the weapon was fine, the feel was awesome, and the controls just fit my hand. I shot approximately 400 rounds through that weapon, then put it up. About a month later I returned to the range to fire another 400 rounds. Lo-and-behold the weapon started malfunctioning on the cycle. The spent brass would hang up in the chamber and would have the trailing hot round perfectly butt the primer of the spent round. After the failure commenced, I shot around 100 rounds with 3 different magazines trying different scenarios with the same result (magazine seating fully and not limp wristing mind you). About every 5th round I might get a second shot before the failure. I took the weapon home and inspected and cleaned thoroughly (found nothing out of the ordinary). I called CZ and they wanted me to shoot different ammunition. I did just that. I purchased boxes of rounds from 3 different manufacturers and went back to the range. Well, the same thing happened with two of the brands. I then shot a third brand to have a couple of rounds fire consecutively without the immediate action having to be performed, but the spent casings from those occurrences were coming straight back at my forehead. I sent the weapon to CZ on May 09, 2011. Mind you this was my concealed carry sidearm, so it was/is a little disheartening.
Here's where I lost ALL confidence I ever though I had in CZ.....
About 4 weeks later I called and asked if they had any progress on fixing the problem, as the warranty dept. stated it would only take approximately 3 weeks for return of the firearm and I hadn't heard from them in 4. The gunsmith stated that they think they needed a modification to the extractor due to the extractor not releasing a square edge brass along with porting and polishing everything. He stated he personally shot the most rounds through the prototype and never had a problem, BUT they fired nothing but beveled edge brass......He went on to say that they will have the modification complete in about another 3 weeks. I asked if they had other firearms in warranty with this same problem and he stated yes. I told him this weapon needs to cycle flawlessly, as it could be tested in a life and death situation......A month goes by......I call again to the gunsmith dept. They stated they were still working on the issue and it should only be another two weeks......Three weeks later I call again (you notice I give them an additional week every time prior to calling). I am at this time frustrated and talked to customer service and told them I would post my issue on every forum that I come across where someone is even thinking about an erroneous purchase (they asked if there was anything they could do??????? Like I want any of their free sh1*. I just wanted my firearm back repaired). I told her I didn't want to hear the same song and dance and they should have made a game changing decision long ago (Like fix or scrap).....Like at week number four. A week and a half goes by after I called customer service then I get a phone call from the gunsmith dept. and the gentleman said they were sending me out a new firearm and were just waiting on the shipment to arrive at their facility so they could package and send out to me. I asked what the issue truly is and he stated that the slide was manufactured too short. Now wouldn't you have micro-metered everything 12 to 14 weeks ago?
So here we are at the end of week # 14 since the date I over-nighted the firearm to CZ warranty in Kansas City. I still have not received this new firearm, nor my old one repaired back. I have lost all faith in CZ's Research & Development, Customer Service, Gunsmiths, Warranty Dept., & Company Management. I should have spent the extra cash and purchased a Kimber 3" Ulta Carry II...... The extra $600 + would have given me piece of mind if I ever have to pull the trigger in a bad scenario. I would have also received a quicker turn-around with better customer service.
I never asked for the world, but for god's sake, I have sent a junk Ho-Point 9mm and they refurbished the firearm COMPLETELY and returned it to me within 5 business days with an extra magazine for the cost I bared shipping. That firearm only cost $190 when purchased and I have never had a jam shooting that piece of junk. I have sent a firearm to Browning for repair and personal mods and had it back in 5 business days..... Just saying.....Don't waste your money on a CZ period...Just my opinion.
Jeff Sellers
St. Louis, MO
Marine who would never kick a door in with this piece of junk!
I purchased a P-07 Duty about a year ago. The firearm fired true, the cycle of the weapon was fine, the feel was awesome, and the controls just fit my hand. I shot approximately 400 rounds through that weapon, then put it up. About a month later I returned to the range to fire another 400 rounds. Lo-and-behold the weapon started malfunctioning on the cycle. The spent brass would hang up in the chamber and would have the trailing hot round perfectly butt the primer of the spent round. After the failure commenced, I shot around 100 rounds with 3 different magazines trying different scenarios with the same result (magazine seating fully and not limp wristing mind you). About every 5th round I might get a second shot before the failure. I took the weapon home and inspected and cleaned thoroughly (found nothing out of the ordinary). I called CZ and they wanted me to shoot different ammunition. I did just that. I purchased boxes of rounds from 3 different manufacturers and went back to the range. Well, the same thing happened with two of the brands. I then shot a third brand to have a couple of rounds fire consecutively without the immediate action having to be performed, but the spent casings from those occurrences were coming straight back at my forehead. I sent the weapon to CZ on May 09, 2011. Mind you this was my concealed carry sidearm, so it was/is a little disheartening.
Here's where I lost ALL confidence I ever though I had in CZ.....
About 4 weeks later I called and asked if they had any progress on fixing the problem, as the warranty dept. stated it would only take approximately 3 weeks for return of the firearm and I hadn't heard from them in 4. The gunsmith stated that they think they needed a modification to the extractor due to the extractor not releasing a square edge brass along with porting and polishing everything. He stated he personally shot the most rounds through the prototype and never had a problem, BUT they fired nothing but beveled edge brass......He went on to say that they will have the modification complete in about another 3 weeks. I asked if they had other firearms in warranty with this same problem and he stated yes. I told him this weapon needs to cycle flawlessly, as it could be tested in a life and death situation......A month goes by......I call again to the gunsmith dept. They stated they were still working on the issue and it should only be another two weeks......Three weeks later I call again (you notice I give them an additional week every time prior to calling). I am at this time frustrated and talked to customer service and told them I would post my issue on every forum that I come across where someone is even thinking about an erroneous purchase (they asked if there was anything they could do??????? Like I want any of their free sh1*. I just wanted my firearm back repaired). I told her I didn't want to hear the same song and dance and they should have made a game changing decision long ago (Like fix or scrap).....Like at week number four. A week and a half goes by after I called customer service then I get a phone call from the gunsmith dept. and the gentleman said they were sending me out a new firearm and were just waiting on the shipment to arrive at their facility so they could package and send out to me. I asked what the issue truly is and he stated that the slide was manufactured too short. Now wouldn't you have micro-metered everything 12 to 14 weeks ago?
So here we are at the end of week # 14 since the date I over-nighted the firearm to CZ warranty in Kansas City. I still have not received this new firearm, nor my old one repaired back. I have lost all faith in CZ's Research & Development, Customer Service, Gunsmiths, Warranty Dept., & Company Management. I should have spent the extra cash and purchased a Kimber 3" Ulta Carry II...... The extra $600 + would have given me piece of mind if I ever have to pull the trigger in a bad scenario. I would have also received a quicker turn-around with better customer service.
I never asked for the world, but for god's sake, I have sent a junk Ho-Point 9mm and they refurbished the firearm COMPLETELY and returned it to me within 5 business days with an extra magazine for the cost I bared shipping. That firearm only cost $190 when purchased and I have never had a jam shooting that piece of junk. I have sent a firearm to Browning for repair and personal mods and had it back in 5 business days..... Just saying.....Don't waste your money on a CZ period...Just my opinion.
Jeff Sellers
St. Louis, MO
Marine who would never kick a door in with this piece of junk!
MikeNice81
New member
Thanks for the info. I already know of issues with the old manufactured CZ P-07s. That is why I made sure I got a late 2010 model with an 8 serial number. The problem was an issue with a bad run of slides. They sent nearly everybody a new gun. They also did the same for people that didn't understand the magazine brake was a design feature for the European market and complained that it was a defect. CZ tried too hard to please too many people that didn't read the manual or do their research. Unfortunately some people that had real problems got caught between shipments and were delayed in getting the new gun.
I agree the customer service reps did a horrible job. If I had been running CS you would have gotten a new gun and somebody else would have gotten their's back with a removed magazine brake. I wouldn't let it sour you on CZ.
Now I could tell you about the Ruger LCP my friend had to send back because it wouldn't load any type of round out of the box. He had to send it back five times.
He called them to report his gun wouldn't load WWB fmj. They told him to try Federal. He went and bought a box of Federal and it wouldn't work. So, he tried Remington and then sent it back.
It came back and would load FMJ but wouldn't extract when manually cycled. He tried all three types of ammo with the same issue. He sent it back and Ruger sent it back with that problem fixed.
Then it wouldn't load hollow point rounds. He tried Hornady XTP, Federal Hydra Shok, Winchester, and others. No HP would load. He sent it back and they fixed it again. Now it would manually feed and cycle.
He took it out to fire and it stove piped every round in the first magazine. He switched from Federal Hydra Shok to WWB and it did the same thing. He called ruger and they told him to try Remington's light hollow points. He ordered a box and it didn't help. He called them again to see about getting service. They said that it seemed he was the issue because they had worked on the gun numerous times and fixed everything that could be wrong.
Finally after two days of calling and working his way up the chain they agreed to take it back and send him a new one. He said he wanted his money back. He had fired less than twenty rounds in 20 weeks because the gun was defective. They refused but said they would send two free magazins with his new gun. He sent it back and they sent him a new box with two extra mags. The gun in the box was his old gun. When he checked it against the serial numbers in his files they were a match.
The guy at Ruger said that it had been repaired and they returned it as per their agreement. When my friend reminded him that the agreement was for a new gun they balked. So, he took the new gun out and fired it. After testing all of the mags he was happy. Then he hit the mag release and the last magazine would not drop.
They finally admitted that they were recalling a bunch of guns. hey then told him that it would take six weeks to get around to fixing his. He went ballistic. The told him to send his in and they would send him one when one was available. Three weeks later he recieved a new LCP and imeadiately traded it in on a Bersa Thunder.
The point of that long story is that every manufacturer screws up some time. Don't let one bad experience ruin you for life. My friend now owns a Ruger P-95 and uses it as his night stand gun. That gun has fired 1000 rounds without a single issue of any kind.
My P-07 has 224 trouble free rounds so far. My coworker bought one after I did. His has 400+ rounds with no issues. I also know people that have over 5,000 rounds through CZ-85s and CZ97s. CZ isn't a bad company you just had a bad experience.
I wouldn't be so sure that the extra money would be well spent. I've heard more complaints from Kimber owners than CZ owners in real life. I know that two of the LEOs I work with sold their Kimbers. They both said the reliability was on par with Taurus. I never had a problem with my Taurus revolvers, but this guys meant it as an insult.
I know one was a Kimber Super Carry Pro HD. The other was a Covert or a Crimson Carry. All I remember is that it had laser grips from the factory. Both still had problems despite the pedigree of their maker.
My friend with the Kimber Solo has been amazingly happy. The gun has run 330+ rounds without a problem. Every manufacturer has their off days.
I agree the customer service reps did a horrible job. If I had been running CS you would have gotten a new gun and somebody else would have gotten their's back with a removed magazine brake. I wouldn't let it sour you on CZ.
Now I could tell you about the Ruger LCP my friend had to send back because it wouldn't load any type of round out of the box. He had to send it back five times.
He called them to report his gun wouldn't load WWB fmj. They told him to try Federal. He went and bought a box of Federal and it wouldn't work. So, he tried Remington and then sent it back.
It came back and would load FMJ but wouldn't extract when manually cycled. He tried all three types of ammo with the same issue. He sent it back and Ruger sent it back with that problem fixed.
Then it wouldn't load hollow point rounds. He tried Hornady XTP, Federal Hydra Shok, Winchester, and others. No HP would load. He sent it back and they fixed it again. Now it would manually feed and cycle.
He took it out to fire and it stove piped every round in the first magazine. He switched from Federal Hydra Shok to WWB and it did the same thing. He called ruger and they told him to try Remington's light hollow points. He ordered a box and it didn't help. He called them again to see about getting service. They said that it seemed he was the issue because they had worked on the gun numerous times and fixed everything that could be wrong.
Finally after two days of calling and working his way up the chain they agreed to take it back and send him a new one. He said he wanted his money back. He had fired less than twenty rounds in 20 weeks because the gun was defective. They refused but said they would send two free magazins with his new gun. He sent it back and they sent him a new box with two extra mags. The gun in the box was his old gun. When he checked it against the serial numbers in his files they were a match.
The guy at Ruger said that it had been repaired and they returned it as per their agreement. When my friend reminded him that the agreement was for a new gun they balked. So, he took the new gun out and fired it. After testing all of the mags he was happy. Then he hit the mag release and the last magazine would not drop.
They finally admitted that they were recalling a bunch of guns. hey then told him that it would take six weeks to get around to fixing his. He went ballistic. The told him to send his in and they would send him one when one was available. Three weeks later he recieved a new LCP and imeadiately traded it in on a Bersa Thunder.
The point of that long story is that every manufacturer screws up some time. Don't let one bad experience ruin you for life. My friend now owns a Ruger P-95 and uses it as his night stand gun. That gun has fired 1000 rounds without a single issue of any kind.
My P-07 has 224 trouble free rounds so far. My coworker bought one after I did. His has 400+ rounds with no issues. I also know people that have over 5,000 rounds through CZ-85s and CZ97s. CZ isn't a bad company you just had a bad experience.
I wouldn't be so sure that the extra money would be well spent. I've heard more complaints from Kimber owners than CZ owners in real life. I know that two of the LEOs I work with sold their Kimbers. They both said the reliability was on par with Taurus. I never had a problem with my Taurus revolvers, but this guys meant it as an insult.
I know one was a Kimber Super Carry Pro HD. The other was a Covert or a Crimson Carry. All I remember is that it had laser grips from the factory. Both still had problems despite the pedigree of their maker.
My friend with the Kimber Solo has been amazingly happy. The gun has run 330+ rounds without a problem. Every manufacturer has their off days.
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the way i see it, i'd never have a pistol for home defense, that's a shotgun's job........think about it this way, is it easier to hit a bad guy with a marble or a softball? i figure a softball, because it's covering a much larger area and therefore requires less aiming to be effective
not to mention that about the most intimidating thing you can hear in complete darkness while you're breaking into a house is someone racking a shell into a shotgun
i figure that sound will be enough to scare the guy away, and if it's not, i'll be able to hit him much easier than i would with a pistol.........and if for some reason there's 2-3 people, i figure that shooting the one guy will scare the others enough to run.......and if for some reason the guys decide to stay, i figure 4 shells is enough to hit 2 targets........and if for some reason there's still intruders roaming around the premises after 5 rounds from a 12 gauge flying around, i'll have enough time to run in the bedroom and grab my Glock to lay down some more fire
i say decide what you care more about and buy that piece first.......personally, i'm more worried about someone breaking in than i am about someone robbing me while i'm at the mall, so i got a shotgun first........where i'm at, a nice used Mossberg 500 will run you about $175, a nice used Remington 870 will run you about $250
if it's me, i'm buying a shotgun first and getting a pistol later, since the prices on the pistol probably won't go up and the shotgun might not be there for long
for carry, i'd not choose a .40 in anything, i just feel like it's a pointless round........less recoil than a .45 but more than a 9mm.......less stopping power than a .45 but more than a 9mm.........proper training with whatever you're carrying is essential, you'd have to do it with any gun.....if i went to the store right now to buy ammo, i'd pay $17 a box for 9mm, $21 a box for .40, and $22 a box for .45......
i figure that i'll be able to work more on shot placement with the 9mm because even though it's got less stopping power, you can stop anything with anything if you shoot it in the right place......and since .45 is only $1 more a box, i might as well get good with it since it's got more stopping power than the .40
i bought a Glock 30 for CCW, i'm looking into getting a small / maybe pocket 9mm, and i'd even consider an airweight J-Frame revolver in .357 or .38sp if i could find it for the right price
hope this rant that i lost track of can help in some way haha
not to mention that about the most intimidating thing you can hear in complete darkness while you're breaking into a house is someone racking a shell into a shotgun
i figure that sound will be enough to scare the guy away, and if it's not, i'll be able to hit him much easier than i would with a pistol.........and if for some reason there's 2-3 people, i figure that shooting the one guy will scare the others enough to run.......and if for some reason the guys decide to stay, i figure 4 shells is enough to hit 2 targets........and if for some reason there's still intruders roaming around the premises after 5 rounds from a 12 gauge flying around, i'll have enough time to run in the bedroom and grab my Glock to lay down some more fire
i say decide what you care more about and buy that piece first.......personally, i'm more worried about someone breaking in than i am about someone robbing me while i'm at the mall, so i got a shotgun first........where i'm at, a nice used Mossberg 500 will run you about $175, a nice used Remington 870 will run you about $250
if it's me, i'm buying a shotgun first and getting a pistol later, since the prices on the pistol probably won't go up and the shotgun might not be there for long
for carry, i'd not choose a .40 in anything, i just feel like it's a pointless round........less recoil than a .45 but more than a 9mm.......less stopping power than a .45 but more than a 9mm.........proper training with whatever you're carrying is essential, you'd have to do it with any gun.....if i went to the store right now to buy ammo, i'd pay $17 a box for 9mm, $21 a box for .40, and $22 a box for .45......
i figure that i'll be able to work more on shot placement with the 9mm because even though it's got less stopping power, you can stop anything with anything if you shoot it in the right place......and since .45 is only $1 more a box, i might as well get good with it since it's got more stopping power than the .40
i bought a Glock 30 for CCW, i'm looking into getting a small / maybe pocket 9mm, and i'd even consider an airweight J-Frame revolver in .357 or .38sp if i could find it for the right price
hope this rant that i lost track of can help in some way haha
Here is how you solve your problem of the best HD and CCW gun.
You take the length of longest pistol Glock makes - which is 8.85", and you take the shortest pistol Glock makes which 6.29" and you average the two and you get 7.57"
The pistols that are closest in size to 7.57" are the Glock 20 or the Glock 21 - both at 7.59"
So there you have it - your perfect CCW/HD gun.
You take the length of longest pistol Glock makes - which is 8.85", and you take the shortest pistol Glock makes which 6.29" and you average the two and you get 7.57"
The pistols that are closest in size to 7.57" are the Glock 20 or the Glock 21 - both at 7.59"
So there you have it - your perfect CCW/HD gun.
uh.. well the other way you can do it is take the largest caliber .45 (452) and average it with the .380 auto (.355) and I end up with an average of .4035 And both the .40 cal and the 10mm are equally close to that, with half a dozen models to choose from... so now I've really confused myself. 
Wouldn't it be simpler to get a pocket gun for CCW and a shotgun for home?
Wouldn't it be simpler to get a pocket gun for CCW and a shotgun for home?
rose728751
New member
I have shot about 7000 out of my G27 gen 3 with NO!!! issues, and about 3000 to 4000 out of my G23 gen 4 had some issues, changed out the recoil spring with a stainless steel one and no issues since. Love shottin the G27 a lot, very happy with both.
Second Thought
A concealment/home defense gun is somewhat of an oxymoron. Concealment guns are smaller, lighter, shorter and a bit harder to shoot quickly and accurately but we accept compromises in order to carry it without discomfort that would eventually make us leave it home.
Home defense, on the other hand, means you can have the biggest and easiest gun to shoot effectively. Shoot a Beretta 92F and the slide feels like it's on roller bearings--a great home defense gun because it's so easy to shoot. But I wouldn't want to carry it. I use my SIG 226 in the nightstand but I don't carry it.
If money isn't a problem, consider two guns, perhaps a G37 and a G35 or a G26 and G34. If you want to stick with one gun, then either a G26 or G27 with a magazine extension. There's also sleeve device available that gives you a full grip and allows you to use a G19 magazine in a G26. It's sort of the best of both worlds.
A concealment/home defense gun is somewhat of an oxymoron. Concealment guns are smaller, lighter, shorter and a bit harder to shoot quickly and accurately but we accept compromises in order to carry it without discomfort that would eventually make us leave it home.
Home defense, on the other hand, means you can have the biggest and easiest gun to shoot effectively. Shoot a Beretta 92F and the slide feels like it's on roller bearings--a great home defense gun because it's so easy to shoot. But I wouldn't want to carry it. I use my SIG 226 in the nightstand but I don't carry it.
If money isn't a problem, consider two guns, perhaps a G37 and a G35 or a G26 and G34. If you want to stick with one gun, then either a G26 or G27 with a magazine extension. There's also sleeve device available that gives you a full grip and allows you to use a G19 magazine in a G26. It's sort of the best of both worlds.
For concealment and home defense, Which will be used at close quarters in both situations, a small revolver such as a 637 S&W would work well.
For home defense you need a no brainer pull the trigger weapon.
They come in loud and fast (I know from experiance) Knowing your'e coming from a deep sleep and they're wide awake with adrenilan pumping. You don't have time to think of... cocked and locked? a round in chamber? safety off?
And it's light and easy to conceal in public.
I use Horaday critical defence loads.
For home defense you need a no brainer pull the trigger weapon.
They come in loud and fast (I know from experiance) Knowing your'e coming from a deep sleep and they're wide awake with adrenilan pumping. You don't have time to think of... cocked and locked? a round in chamber? safety off?
And it's light and easy to conceal in public.
I use Horaday critical defence loads.