CCW - I Have A S&W 642 For Carry, But Thinking About A M&P 9mm Instead

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advice please -

i bought a S&W 642 for carry. lately i have wanting a M&P 9mm. i still haven't bought a holster for the 642.

i have $625 to spend

sooo, do i buy the M&P and a holster, or just get a holster for the 642 and pocket the rest of my money?

the biggest reason i'm thinking about this, is the extra rounds. i also understand if i get the M&P and the holster i want it will be more than the 625.



i also have a 75b and a 1911. i am not hurting for pistols, i just like guns:D
 
well, the kicker is i cannot carry on my job. no how, no way.

it would be night and weekend carry. where i usually travel is very low to medium risk.

i talked to a weapons expert who was in nam. he said if 5 shots doesn't take care of the threat, you have too big of a problem anyway!

it's err on the side of a bunch of bullets - that's what in my mind.
 
Carry the CZ. Believe it or not, it's quite comfortable if you get a good OWB holster. Hard to argue with laser accuracy and 16+1 (if it's a 9mm).
 
My advice is to get a holster for the 642, and carry it for a while. If you do that, you'll have a lot better idea of what you need in a carry gun and holster.

Then, if it's not what you want, you can make a more educated choice on what WILL work for you. Carrying concealed is a bit of a specialty area, simply because different folks will have very different needs. You have to find what works for you, and what you're willing to carry.

I have a couple of handguns I carry regularly. One's a S&W 637, and the other is a G23. The 637 can be concealed almost anywhere, and in any clothing I choose to wear. The G23 requires some sort of cover garment, whether it be a loose flannel shirt, a vest, a jacket, or whatever. I'd rather carry the G23 if I can, but it's not always possible, and the 637 under my shirt will serve my needs far better than a G23 left in the glove box.
 
I've had both the M&P9c and the 642 for three years now. I've carried the 9c a few times and the size, weight makes it clumsy for me, although it's a superb weapon. The 642 gets a LOT of carry time. That's just me, though. And I'm the kind of guy who won't go to any lengths to dress around a gun. If I can't easily fit it into whatever I'm wearing that day, I don't carry it. The 642 fits almost anything, any time. The 9c requires fiddling around, so it gets duty mostly as a vehicle gun.
 
I went from carrying a 340PD for 7 years to one of two Kahr semi autos. The revolver wasn't heavy but it was more bulky. The flat profile of the semi + the extra mag being flat in my pocket being one of my considerations. Ease pf concealment and comfort are two considerations for me as I carry all of the time. I take my hat off to those who have no problem carrying a full size 1911 or some such but I am not one of them. :) See my sig line below.
 
If I were you, I'd just get a good pocket holster for your 642 and a good quality IWB holster and belt for either your CZ or 1911. While both your autos are fairly heavy, weight is largely mitigated by a good holster and belt. A S&W J-Frame is, IMHO, a wonderful pocket gun particularly with an airweight model like your 642. I've always found a small revolver to work well for pocket carry as the more rounded contours help to break up the outline of the gun. It will print, but it will just look like a generic lump in your pocket rather than a gun. For a reload, a Bianchi Speedstrip or Tuff Products Quickstrip fits very nicely into the watch pocket of my jeans.
 
I know a few people who got the M&P with the intent to conceal carry, not one of them carry it. Great pistol but not great for concealing. Kinda blows my mind also when people get a compact glock thinking its very small and concealable.
 
The M&Pc's and compact Glocks are great for CCW. It is no trouble to conceal one effectively with a good-quality holster and a little bit of "dressing around the gun." (I carry a glock all year long...even when just wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the summer).

I would consider either of the above, or either of your other pistols a far superior choice to the j-frame.

You said it will only be a weekends and evenings thing, so my advice is to get a good-quality IWB holster for one of your autos and spend the rest of your budget on a training class.
 
My vote is to carry the 642 and spend your money on one or more good, comfortable concealment holsters for it and some ammo and range time.

If you're a good enough shot, those 5 rounds should work in any situation you're likely to encounter as a civilian.
 
Only my Inlaws the told my wife they didnt want her to carry in there home and they think Im a Bad influence on there daughter.
Youd think they would have figured that out long before we got into our 50"s.LOL.They still havent told me yet.
 
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