Carry Preference

Over 20+ years of CCW, I have gone from a Combat Commander .45 on my belt to a J-frame snubbie in my pocket, with about every other carry method in between. :cool:
Study, experiment and practice. Don't be surprised if things change as you gain experience.
 
I'm fairly new to gun ownership and am looking for opinions on which type of hand gun folks like to carry for personal defense and why. The ease of using a revolver is appealing to me but a lot of my friends prefer a semi automatic.
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Here is the real story: revolvers require more dedication to practice. You will shoot better in a shorter time with a semi-auto under the instruction of a competent trainer.

That said, don't be afraid of the double action revolver. You'll need to learn quite a bit about trigger control. Operating the revolver in a competitive or tactical environment is much different than standing on the range shooting a paper target. Reloading the gun at speed is complicated, so you'll need to practice it repeatedly.

Modern revolvers generally come without any extra doodads that you may need. Night sights are important. A pinned front sight is important so you can change it out. A tuned trigger is helpful, as are chamfered charge holes. Stocks are very important. Make sure they fit your hand. Herrett's Stocks will make stocks that are made for your hand.

Regardless of what you do, budget for classes. You do not need to own a gun; instructors will have guns available for you to use. Start with NRA Basic Pistol to learn gun safety and some background information on firearms. Attend a two day defensive pistol course. This will teach you how to run a gun. You will have an idea of what features you need and those you do not. A quality instructor will help you master trigger control.
 
I see a lot of talk about reloads from what I have read about self defense shootings reloads are of little consequence. It's pretty unlikely you will ever be in an OK Corral style shootout unless your an LEO or Military.
Focus more on what fits your hand, points naturally for you and that your confident and proficient with.
 
I would start with a Revolver. If you intend to carry, a Snub Nose. Now a Snub is not the easiest Gun to be accurate with but, with practice its not hard to become accurate at Combat distance. The Manuel of arms or learning to use it is easy. After that if you decide you want a Semi Auto. Start by trying your friends Guns and learning the Manuel of Arms of the Semi Auto Gun. If you decide the Semi is the way to go, The little Snub is something you can always use as back up or when you just need a little something in your pocket.;)
 
New to guns, training...

If you are new or entry level to weapons, Id start with a simple well made DA only or SA/DA stainless steel revolver like a Ruger GP100, a SP101(5 shot DA only .357magnum), a S&W model 686+ 7rd .357magnum 3" barrel, Ruger LCR .38spl +P, S&W model 642 J frame.
You can add a CT lasergrip or Centerfire laser(red dot) to some revolvers; www.lasermax.com www.crimsontrace.com . XS big dot front sights are great too.
For semi-auto pistols, Id start with a new or high quality used hammer fired DA only model like; a HK P30 or P2000/P2000sk LEM(law enforcement modification). The Beretta PX4 Storm C(constant action) in 9x19mm or .40S&W.
The SIG P229R in .357sig or .40(DAK or Double Action Kellerman), the P224 SAS/DAK in 9mm or .40S&W, the SIG P239 DAK with 3 dot night sights.
Some suggest striker fired pistols like the M&P, the Ruger SR9 or SR40, the XDm, the Glock 19/23/26/27, the Kel-Tec, but Id start with a hammer fired design.
Also, Id advise you only carry factory made, high quality ammunition for personal defense. Top brands like DPX, Ranger T, Golden Saber, Speer Gold Dot, HST(ATK), Hornady Critical Duty.no handloads or reloaded rounds.


I'd get skill training & learn the local gun/lethal force laws.
 
I pocket carry exclusively, because it fits my requirements and I refuse to dress around a gun. So, my rotation includes both auto and revolver types. They have to compact and lightweight. That's my primary concern.

Calibers include 380, 38spl and 9mm.
 
Smith and Wesson, airweight, J-frame in 38 special.

Light weight, powerful enough, no safety, magazine, slide , feeding or ejection concerns. Take it out and it is ready. Experience has shown me that when "things " happen they happen fast and you dont have time to do a manual of arms, rack slide, safety off etc...Most important, the gun needs to be on your person. J-frames promote this.

Airweight J-frame 38 spcl., the most carried but least talked about carry gun...I guess because auto loader's are all the rage by the "experts".
 
Here is the real story: revolvers require more dedication to practice. You will shoot better in a shorter time with a semi-auto under the instruction of a competent trainer.

That said, don't be afraid of the double action revolver. You'll need to learn quite a bit about trigger control.
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Actually, I've found that it is not necessarily true that revolvers require more dedication to master. My sister and I took to DA revolvers much easier than autos, OTH, my wife and father took to autos better. To each there own.

Carry what works best for you ... I know, the is the hard part to narrow it down. Buy used when possible, as the first gun you own often turns out to be not the best for you. You won't experience as much depreciation with a used gun, and in the case of some (pre-lock S&W revolvers come to mind), you may even see a little appreciation. So as you gain experience, you may find your tastes change. Mine did.

For the record, to this day I still prefer carrying and shooting revolvers (something to be said for a gun that will function independent of grip strength, angle, arm stiffness, etc), though I enjoy my semi autos too, and carry a 1911 at times.
 
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Short answer:
I prefer to use service pistols for concealed carry. They're a lot easier to be accurate with while shooting fast than subcompact pistols are. Added capacity is a bonus.

How I got there:
When I first got into carrying, I did what everyone else these days seems to be doing: I got the flattest, lightest 9mm I could. Simply put, I prioritized "small". After some time with a Kel Tec PF-9 and Ruger LC9, I started to focus more and more on the "software" side of defensive carry. The more I worked on accuracy with speed, and the more I worked on single hand only shooting, the more I appreciated how horrible those subs are for practical shooting.

What do you want to be holding, if you ever have to shoot to live?
Key word: shoot. Not "draw/deter".

Once I began to prioritize performance over "small", I had to start sorting out how to comfortably carry by exploring holster and placement options. It didn't take long to figure out that I can very comfortably conceal and carry a Glock 19/23 in a hybrid holster, at 4:30, even in Summer clothing (Tshirt and shorts).
 
Good advice has been given.
Rent or borrow as many as you can.
IMO size and weight matter if you're going to actually carry.

If there's a Gun Show anywhere near you, go. They're a great place to be able to pick up a wide range of guns and see how they fit your hand.

And do budget for training!
 
Short answer:
I prefer to use service pistols for concealed carry. They're a lot easier to be accurate with while shooting fast than subcompact pistols are. Added capacity is a bonus.

How I got there:
When I first got into carrying, I did what everyone else these days seems to be doing: I got the flattest, lightest 9mm I could. Simply put, I prioritized "small". After some time with a Kel Tec PF-9 and Ruger LC9, I started to focus more and more on the "software" side of defensive carry. The more I worked on accuracy with speed, and the more I worked on single hand only shooting, the more I appreciated how horrible those subs are for practical shooting.

What do you want to be holding, if you ever have to shoot to live?
Key word: shoot. Not "draw/deter".

Once I began to prioritize performance over "small", I had to start sorting out how to comfortably carry by exploring holster and placement options. It didn't take long to figure out that I can very comfortably conceal and carry a Glock 19/23 in a hybrid holster, at 4:30, even in Summer clothing (Tshirt and shorts).
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That is an excellent, well written post, and a great example of what I mentioned: that as you start carrying, you'll probably discover it is an experiment of sorts, and your priorities and preferences may change. I think that happens for most of us.

And it is therefore likely that you will end up with more than 1 carry gun. I'd venture that most of us, on average, have 2 carry guns: one tiny one for deep concealment when we can't hide a larger gun (ie, a pocket carried snub revolver or tiny auto) and a larger one we shoot better when we can dress around the gun.

And as RBid said, it isn't just gun. It is the carry method, and the equipment you use to carry that varies a lot as well. Lots of moving targets to hit :p .

Have you given thought to how you will carry?

If you want to pocket carry, that will usually limit you to smaller guns that weight roughly 20 oz or less loaded. Usually. Same for ankle carry. On-the-Waistband (OWB) (and sometimes to a slightly lesser degree Inside the WB carry as well) generally allows for larger guns to be carried, and is probably how most of us carry. I'll sum it up as "belt carrying".

If you are going to belt carry, the size and weight of your selected weapon will have a significant influence on the belt and holster you should select. If the gun is thin, compact and light (like an aluminum frame S&W J Frame or Keltec 9 mm), you can get by with a standard off the rack belt of good thickness and possibly a cheapie nylon holster. OTH, if you are going to carry a big bad mama jama, like my S&W Model 28 Highway Patrolman which probably weighs close to 3 lbs loaded, it will require a good stiff gun belt that will distribute the weight more evenly along with a high quality holster made of leather or kydex.

BTW, for more info on different carry methods, www.corneredcat.com, though geared towards women, is a good read for anyone particularly regarding carry options.

Just a few things to think about.
 
For a moment, forget auto v. revolver (I'll get to it later). I have two main pieces of advice (they are such common advice that they have become cliche) that may sound like contradictions at first, but they are really two sides of the same coin. Carry the largest gun you can comfortably carry. Carry the smallest gun in the largest caliber that you can comfortably shoot.

Larger guns have some (non-carry) advantages. It will be more comfortable to shoot and you'll practice with it a lot more at the range. More range practice means better weapons familiarity and better accuracy with that gun. A longer sight radius means easier accuracy. A heavier gun means faster shot recovery and quicker follow up shots.

Lighter guns have carry advantages. Too big or heavy a gun and you probably won't like carrying it and you'll often leave it home. Yes, there are people who only carry full-sized guns, and some on various gun forums who would have you believe that you aren't dedicated enough if you don't do the same. However, there is a reason most people seem to carry smaller guns rather than bigger guns. You don't have to change your wardrobe as much (if any) and can dress how you like to dress since the smaller gun conceals more easily. The more formally you have to dress, generally, the harder it is to conceal a larger gun and a small option for those times is nice. Big and heavy guns can get uncomfortable by the end of the day (or even middle of the day), especially if you have back problems. If you want to do pocket carry (or at least have it as an occasional option) a very small and light gun is a must.

So, you will want to get to the range to see how small you can go and still find it comfortable to shoot the gun (and experiment with different calibers since they have different recoil characteristics). You will also want to get to the gun store to check out different sized guns and try to visualize what it would be like to live with them all day. That part is much harder since the experience at the gun shop and on your gun belt is usually much different. For this reason, many people go through several options before settling on what works for them. In order to find a good compromise you need to find the best combo of concealment and shooting comfort. If you don't want to buy several guns to find what works, I suggest erring on the side of the smallest gun in the caliber that you choose that you can shoot comfortably at the range instead of going with the largest gun you can comfortably conceal (as this will take a lot more trial and error on your dime).

For revolver v. auto, I like both. Both have advantages and disadvantages over the other, but for real world "civilian" self-defense situations, I think the most commonly cited advantages are purely theoretical. An auto can have a higher capacity and easier reloads, but in most real-world situations, the FBI has found only 3 rounds are actually expended in a self-defense shooting. A revolver can be more reliable, but most modern autos are more than reliable enough. A revolver has the "point and shoot" advantage with no safety to worry about, but so does a DAO auto or a DA/SA auto with a decocker only. As for one being easier to learn, a lot of that is individual, and with some practice either can be learned well (that said, small-framed revolvers are among the hardest guns with which to become proficient).

A disclaimer, I do only carry part-time. I live in MD where I do not have the nearly impossible to obtain MD CCW. I have a UT non-res permit and carry when I'm out of state (I'm in VA, WV, or PA at least once or twice a month, often more). It used to be that one or two .38spl snub revolvers came with me out of state about 90% of the time. That has changed since I bought my SIG P290RS and Ruger LCP. The SIG comes with me about 90% of the time now, and when I want pocket carry the LCP often trumps the S&W 442.
 
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My prefered method of carry, my 6" gp100 in a holster at my right hip, out in the open as it should be. But, since the powers that be frown upon that, I carry it in a shoulder rig, or carry my 3" M36 or my XDm .45 in inner waist band holsters at the s O'clock position.
 
I agree much with the last few posts. You will almost certainly have more then one carry gun eventually. For myself, I carry a Ruger LCR in 38 Special in a pocket holster when I'm running a short errand, gas station, something where I won't be out long. It weighs 13oz and I literally forget it's even in my pocket. But for longer durations I carry a Kahr K9 which I consider ideal. It doesn't snap as much as the polymer P9, its very concealable for the barrel length, and fully loaded weighs less then my loaded Glock 19 even though it is all steel. I think no external safety is a big must. I used to work military security and we practiced drawing and sweeping the safety on the Beretta 92, but I can't help thinking I would forget all about the safety when drawing under stress. And frankly I like to avoid the whole DA/SA change when firing.

I do find it a major inconvenience to carry a spare magazine. In this consideration an auto with larger capacities might be a better choice if you think you'd be comfortable carrying something wider.

In almost all cases you shouldn't need more then a few bullets, although I would admit I worry about a situation where you might have to fire at a vehicle at night when you have no direct target. This happened to someone in my area when I lived in Connecticut. A man was fired on from another car while he was in his, randomly at a red light at night. He had a CCW and fired back at the car, which then fled the scene. If that other car had decided to stick around, I sure would rather not be carrying my 5 round LCR. It just goes to show that there is a trade off no matted what you choose and you'll have to weigh your priorities and carry what you like best and shoot (at least adequately) with.
 
i will throw in my $.02 worth, i fall in with the biggest small gun you can carry and shoot crowd. my choices are 2 ( these are mine im not recomending them) a g23 glock and a .44spc. bulldog, they both carry and conceal good,they both make make big holes, and most important i like to shoot them both. the bulldog with 200grn jhp will make 5 big holes the glock with 165grn jhp will make 15 slightly less big holes (i carry it the most). now as to where i carry,well i live in alabama and have a pistol permit wich means i can carry open or concealed now depending on my mood :D, but right hip foward cant is normal for me.
so to sum it up find somthing that fits your hand and makes you smile when you pull the trigger then start experimenting with diffrent holsters until you find comfort in a set up, i arrived at my choices through 22 years of carring and shooting so dont expect to find your perfect balance overnight, shoot everything you can get your hands on and if you know people with several different holsters see if they will let you try them out for a day of your normal activity (some will loan some wont, never hurts to ask) good luck on your search and have fun
 
I see a lot of talk about reloads from what I have read about self defense shootings reloads are of little consequence. It's pretty unlikely you will ever be in an OK Corral style shootout unless your an LEO or Military.
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One problem with being involved in a self-defense shooting is that you can't dictate the terms or nature of the engagement. Whereas it might be statistically true that reloads aren't necessary in most gun fights, they assuredly are in some gunfights; the trouble being that there is no way to predetermine which kind you might be involved in. If you need to reload in order to survive a gunfight, a speedy and efficient reload indeed becomes very consequential to your contiued well-being.
There's no downside to carrying a reload with you and to becoming proficient in reloading whichever type of handgun you choose to carry.
 
You say you have a S&W 59 that goes to the range with you a lot, why not carry it? As tortuga pointed out, with a good gun belt and holster, and the reliability of the 59 you mentioned, I think it's a perfect combo. You know the gun, you know it's reliable, all you need imho is a good way to carry it that'll keep you carrying it.
 
In addition to the pros and cons that Spats mentioned, I'll offer a few more:

Semi-Auto
Pros
Generally lighter recoil for a given power level
Larger pool of makes and models to choose from
Generally lower cost for a given level of quality (this really only applies when buying new)
More tolerant of outright abuse (though not neglect)

Cons
Susceptible to lost/damaged magazines (magazines are, in my experience, second only to ammunition in causing malfunctions)
Susceptible to grip-induced malfunctions (mainly a problem with compact or subcompact models with very abbreviated grips)
A misfire may require manually cycling the slide to load a fresh cartridge
Typically requires an overly large/heavy gun to fire Magnum-class cartridges (.357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .50 AE, etc.)

Revolver
Pros
Available with greater power to size/weight ratio
More tolerant of neglect (though not outright abuse)
No magazine to cause problems
Almost completely immune to grip-induced malfunction
Misfires can be remedied by simply pulling the trigger (assuming the misfire isn't the last round)
More rounded contours enhance concealability under certain circumstances

Cons
Generally higher cost than comparable quality autos (again, this applies only when buying new)
Smaller pool of makes/models to choose from
More recoil for a given power cartridge

I did not directly address reliability because it is a rather contentious issue. Revolver fans (such as myself) tend to feel that revolvers are the more reliable platform because they are largely immune from most of the common causes of malfunction in a semi-auto such as ammunition, magazines, and grip. Semi-auto fans, on the other hand, are often quick to point out that revolvers have more small moving parts to potentially break, that a revolver malfunction is more likely to require the attention of a gunsmith, and that modern semi-autos are much more reliable than those made in decades past (things like Glock torture tests are often cited at this point).

My experience having owned and shot many revolvers and semi-autos (more than I can accurately remember) is this: I've had far more malfunctions with semi-autos than I have with revolvers. Granted, most of the malfunctions that I've experienced with semi-autos were able to be quickly and easily remedied, but not all. I once had a factory-loaded 9mm round (Silver Bear 145gr JHP) so far out of spec that it jammed so tightly in the chamber of my CZ-75 that I had to disassemble the gun to remove it. Likewise, I've only once had a revolver malfunction with factory ammunition that required a trip to a gunsmith to fix: the firing pin on my S&W 629 broke once about halfway through a box of Hornady 300gr XTP's.

Now, please don't misunderstand me, I don't think that semi-autos are too unreliable to be suitable for self-defense. I currently own five semi-auto pistols and all of them are reliable enough with my chosen ammunition that I'd feel comfortable trusting my life to them (if they weren't reliable, I'd either have them fixed or sell them). The reason that I prefer a revolver is not so much because of reliability (though their reliability is very comforting) and more because their other attributes better fit the paradigm of what I need a handgun to do and be. You must determine what you need and want out of a handgun and choose a model accordingly. Choosing a handgun is a very personal decision and not one that anyone else, particularly a group of strangers, can make for you.
 
I once read revolver/auto reliability compared this way:
Revolvers are more tolerant of neglect, but autos are more tolerant of abuse (or hard use).
Revolvers generally can be loaded and left alone much longer than autos, whose long sliding surfaces need regular lubing.
Autos tend to be able to take rough handling better than revolvers, whose rotating and locking mechanisms tend to be relatively delicate. This is one of the reasons revolvers have been replaced by autos in the military.
 
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