CCW Weapon Suggestions

Charter Arms Undercover

If you are willing to look at Charter Arms
if you (your choice) will mostly keep the weapon in your car
if you Might need to pocket carry

Then you also might look at a Charter 44 special.

From the bad guy point of view, almost any gun barrel looks big when it pointed at you -- but a .44 probably looks even bigger.

From a good guy point of view -- well its not a .45 but its sure real close.
The current version:
Stainless - a good thing if you ever do use it as a carry weapon.
Comes with a 2+1/2 inch barrel so it can be carried in a pocket holster

Its cheap enough so your proposed budget would allow for a small lock box for the car and; and, if you carry -- a pair of pocket holsters - one at home and one kept inside of the lock box in the car.
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If you can, try before buying. See how it shoots (from the standpoints of comfort and of minimizing shots that doe not hit the target). See how it carries. See how it conceals.

As one whose experience at the range over the years had been limited to service-size handguns and target pistols, I didn't really know what I was doing. I bought a Smith and Wesson Model 60 with target sights and a three inch barrel. Great revolver, perfect for home defense and camping and fun to shoot, but not ideal for concealment for me.

After my CCW class, I bought a Model 642 with laser sights. Really works for pocket carry. I later supplemented it with a Smith & Wesson M&P 9c with an IWB holster to get greater capacity.

However, after I learned that a practical pistol shooting course I signed up for will involve shooting about 1000 rounds plus in less than two days, I saw the need for something with reasonable capacity and more weight to reduce recoil. My hand smarts after putting a number of rounds through a light weight pistol.

After some research, I acquired a Model 1911 with a 4" barrel and an Officers' grip frame. Great shooter, and until the custom IWB holster finally came, I considered it a recreational handgun. I had never thought I would end up actually carrying a Model 1911.

But ya' know what? That's how it has turned out.

For me, it's the grip size that affects concealment the most, not the barrel length. The 3" 1911's have been known to be rather finicky. That aside, take a look at how much of the barrel is taken up by the chamber. To me, it is intuitively obvious that a little more barrel length would be desirable.

Perhaps this discussion will prove helpful:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=367567
 
I am partial to revolvers myself but you cannot, IMO, go wrong with a .38/.357 snubby with a sub 3 inch barrel; easy to conceal, relatively light (most models), reliability/simplicity of use, and firepower all rolled into one package.

442/642
LCR
SP 101 IWB (too heavy for pocket carry but a perfect truck gun)

All can be had for less than $550 in my area.
 
I'll give another vote for trying out a Glock 26. I like having 10 rounds in the magazine, not because I expect to get in a prolonged shootout with a gang of ruffians, but because I don't expect to get 100% good hits on a possibly moving target in a stressful situation. The G26 is a little chunky, as is well known, but with a good holster I don't find it uncomfortable, and it conceals well. It has been my EDC for over a year.
 
I have a Glock 26 which I would recommend. I have a S&W Model 36 Chief's Special. Small and light but harder to shoot than the G26. There are alot of folks who swear by snubbies. I have an AMT 380 stainless. If I sold guns, I'd get rid of it. I don't like small 380 autos in general. I also have a Glock 30which will conceal but not as well as the 26. It would work for wearing during the winter, perhaps, and it is really nice knowing you have a 45!

Which gun can you shoot the best? That's the one! A Wilson Tactical Combat 45 is only as good as the shooter!
 
My 1911 is sublime but rather heavy.
Click to expand...

You'd be surprised at what a good quality stiff gunbelt and a nice IWB holster will do to the 1911s weight. Think "cloaking device" :D . I use a 1.5" bullhide belt from thebeltman.com (cost me about $75, worth every penny) and for my 5" steel 1911, I use a leather Gary Brommeland Max Con V IWB holster (about $110). This one has the loops spread far apart to reduce bulkiness. With this combo, even the 5" 1911 is boringly easy to carry all day. At least for me.


GBMaxConV_1911.jpg



It's just a matter of finding what works best for you, it is really tough for us to tell you what you like. And you'll probably end up with more than one gun as time goes by. I generally carry rather large guns that are easier to shoot, but there are days when I am just tooling around the house or running out for a gallon of milk and a airweight J Frame is so nice to just slip into a pocket holster and go.

My overall favorite guns to carry are S&W K Frames in .38 Spl or .357 Magnum, with barrel lengths ranging from 2" to 4". The guns point wonderfully for me. Another great feeling gun in my hands are the Ruger Six Series revolvers in 38 or 357. But YMMV.


Quote:
Lots of people start with larger guns but eventually work their way down to thinner and lighter. Natural progression I guess.
Click to expand...

Sometimes, but not always.

I started out carrying this (15 oz S&W 642):


642palm.jpg



These days, I carry this fairly frequently (4" S&W Model 28, probably somewhere around 43 oz of pure manliness :D (empty):


DSC07884.jpg
 
If your gun is not with you, it won't do you any good. With that in mind, you need a gun that is small enough and light enough that you won't mind carrying it. It needs to be able to fit into the type of pockets you usually wear and you need to obtain the proper holsters if you want to carry inside or outside the waistband.

Go to a range and try out a variety of guns and handle a lot of smaller and midsized guns in gun shops. When you find one that fits your hand well and that has a good reputation for accuracy and reliability, look closer at that gun. I think Charter Arms is a good product but Smith & Wesson centennial series or bodyguard series are better.

I think the main factors are concealability, reliability, accuracy and ease of deployment. My choice would be a small revolver but others like semiauto. For my CCW needs, simplicity and reliability trump ammo capacity. Five for sure instead of 10 maybe. If you go the revolver route, be sure to get a couple of speed loaders and/or speed strips. If you go with a semiauto, you will probably need to invest more effort to find out what ammo works well in the gun.
 
Several over the years.............

I started out I think back about '86 or '88 or so........give or take, with a Taurus, model 85, 2", .38 special, carried a year or two.
I went from that to a Russian Makarov, 9mmx18mm, carried another year or so.
Then I think it was a Ruger model KP90, .45acp, carried a couple years.
I then got a Colt Commander 1991A1, .45acp, carried several years.
I switched to a Ruger SP101, 2", .357 Magnum. I carried it a couple years.

I went looking for a bigger slug........So I bought a used Taurus model 450,
2", 45Colt. Great carry gun. But it's kinda fat through the cylinder.

I bought a Ruger GP100, 3", .357 magnum. Carried it a month or two.

I went back to the Ruger SP101, .357. Been carrying it ever since.
It's carried in a Galco, strong-side, OSW, High-ride, open-top pancake
holster.I live rural......not a lot of BG's out here.
I've traded a few handguns to finance switching my EDC's over the years.
I'm pretty content with the little Ruger. Gonna keep it.
 
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