?Most Important feature of a concealed handgun??

reliability is first, but I think an important underestimated second is access to controls
I.E. On a 92 type, the safety decocker is up on the slide, I have to tilt the gun a bit to reach it whereas on Sigs the decocker is right there by your thumb.

a buddy of mine has small girly' hands and is trying to search for a pocket gun he can use effectively
 
While I agree that from a technical standpoint; reliability is the most important thing when considering a CCW; there is something else overlooked quite often. That is the holster and carrying of the weapon. I've seen a lot of people who carry a weapon in such a way, that it takes an engineer to get it out. I.e. A friend was carrying IWB in his lower back. I personally love this method. However; he was wearing a heavy winter coat and it was zipped up. I asked him how he was going to get to the gun if he needed it. After a couple of minutes of talking and experimenting, he realized how right I was.

Not to say that IWB in the lower back isn't good. I think it is. I carry that way a lot. However, you may find that you need more than one holster or way to carry. Winter coat vs summer shirt. Shorts vs long pants. Tight pants vs loose fitting. For woman; purse vs physically carring.

The point is; a Concealed weapon is useless if you can't access it in a safe and quick manner. My Sig P220 and 1980's circa Springfield Armory 1911A1 are probably 2 of the most reliable guns I've ever had or ever made. But if you can't retrieve it when you need it, it's pretty useless to you.
 
the training, self discipline, and tactical awareness of its user.

followed by reliability, comfort of carry and grip, and accuracy.
 
I can't imagine how anything could trump reliability in a carry gun. An easy to carry gun that goes "Click." is an easy to carry rock.
 
There are very few absolutes in life. Same here. You can't say "If this, then that" or "If that then this". Reliability means nothing if you can't hit your target. Hitting your target doesn't mean anything if you can't get to your gun. Getting to your gun doesn't matter if the gun is too big or heavy to carry or hold. There is no one thing is more important above all other things. Being able to carry the weapon; shoot the weapon; accurately hit your target; with a gun that always goes bang when needed are all equally important. That's because they all are needed and go hand in hand. That's like asking what part of a car is more important: Engine, transmission, electrical, interior, etc...
 
"There are very few absolutes in life."

But, as you allude, there are some, and when it comes to carrying a handgun, absolutely reliability is one of them.

The absolutely reliable handgun is the basis on which all else is built.

Being able to hit your target quickly and repeatedly means absolutely NOTHING if your gun chokes out on you.

Being able to draw and fire quicly means NOTHING if your gun chokes out on you.

Being able to carry a gun so well concealed that no one ever knows you're carrying it means absolutely NOTHING if your gun chokes out on you.

Stuffing your gun with the best of the best high cost ammunition with a 700% one shot stop rating means NOTHING if your gun chokes out on you.

If your gun chokes out on you because it's not absolutely reliable, what, then, are you left with?

A substandard club.

Nope, as far as I'm concerned, there's only one absolute when it comes to carrying a handgun, and that is that your handgun must be absolutely reliable.

All else comes along in distant also ran place when it comes to the necessity for absolute reliability.
 
Yea, and that Sig P220, which is one of the most reliable guns in the world, means nothing if you can't hit the broad side of a barn with it. Or, because we're talking about a concealed handgun, doesn't mean anything if you can't get it out of it's holster because it's underneath a heavy coat and you can't get it out. Or you're the 4 ft 6 inch girl and you have a 44 mag redhawk that you can't even hold. All I'm saying is, trying to say something is more important than another when it comes to a gun doesn't hold water. As I used as an example, it's similar to asking what part of a car is more important? What if you have the most reliable gun in the world and you forgot to put a magazine/ammunition in the gun. I understand what you're saying. You want to assume the proper complete combination of weapon, ammo, human, skill, holster, etc... And with all things being perfect, the gun going bang can be seen as the most important. I see the gun going bang as the LAST stage in a number of processes; with each being EQUALLY important. If ANY of the stages fail, then you won't accomplish your objective. I'm not saying a reliable gun isn't important. I'm just saying giving a person the most reliable gun in the world doesn't mean they are automatically going to achieve their objective. Look at carrying a gun and self defense as a complex process (Not complicated; complex) and you'll learn to achieve your objective. Concentrate on the weapon's reliability only, and you're setting yourself up to fail. And thus possibly being injured or killed.
 
All I'm saying is, trying to say something is more important than another when it comes to a gun doesn't hold water.
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All of that other stuff matters but what difference will any of it make if the gun doesn't go bang?

So... you've got a gun that will shoot fleas off a dog at 50 yards, points perfectly, conceals like it's made of vapor, draws like it's coated in oil, recoils like a 22 and hits like a 44.....

and it goes "Click." when the BG is trying to kill you.

How much do any of those other things matter?
 
Reliability first, invisibility second.

I agree 100% with those who say that reliability is the first prerequisite of the ideal concealed SD weapon.

But the gun's mechanical reliability is only the starting point.

I would extend the term "reliability" to include all aspects of handling the weapon: shooting it, the ease of carrying it, speed of presentation, use of proven ammunition, and so on. These are all factors that contribute to making the weapon "reliable" as far as the user is concerned. (To cite an example, nunchucks are considered a deadly weapon in certain jurisdictions, but are a "reliable" recourse only to those accustomed to using them. A gun in the hands of some one who can hardly shoot it can hardly be considered a "reliable" weapon. It might go bang every time, but can it really safe him/her when a life is on the line?)

In this vein, a "reliable" handgun would be one in an acceptable defense caliber, loaded with police-certified JHP ammo, which you are intimately familiar with, and regularly train with. You must be able to carry it, draw it from concealment quickly, and consistently hit with it.

The second requisite, "invisibility", should be self-explanatory in ccw parlance.
 
peetzakilla; rauke gets it. You can't look at it as what's more important. You have to look at all the parts as being integral to the success. Some keep pushing that the reliability of the gun is what matters. That what good is being a marksman if the gun doesn't go bang. Well the same question applies if; what good is having the most reliable gun in the world if you can hit anything that you shoot at? The difference in our positions is that some people believe there is a definitive "Most Important" aspect to carry a gun for self defense. And that definitive "Most Important" thing is the reliability of the gun. My position is that there ISN'T a "Most Important" aspect. That all parts of the process; from buying the right gun, buying a reliable gun, buying ammo, practicing and learning how to shoot it, to becoming proficient, properly carrying it, efficiently being able to draw the weapon, to maintaining your nerves, keeping concentration, pulling the trigger, hitting your target, and ensuring that innocent bystanders don't get hurt; are ALL part of the process. And because it's a "Process"; no part of the process is more important than another. If one part of the process fails, you LOSE!!!
 
no part of the process is more important than another. If one part of the process fails, you LOSE!!!
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Ok, so you buy the absolute best fitting, most concealable, lightest, most accurate gun in existence, custom made for you to fit all the parameters exactly as you dictate. You are so thoroughly trained that every major gun school in America gives you a standing invitation to teach any time you'd like. You can hit a human sized object at 400 yards.... with every round in the magazine, in 4 seconds flat.

One day your walking down the street and a man jumps out 10 feet away with a knife, you draw and he runs at you.... your gun goes "Click."


Same street, same guy with a knife.... you have no training at all, you got the gun, a Polymer Wonder, ugly as hell and goes bang when you pull the trigger, just last week and you've fired 50 rounds, you draw and he lunges, your gun goes "Bang!, Bang!, Bang!"


Which of you is better off? What matters most at that second?
 
Weight?
Compact size?
Reliability?
Firepower? Caliber or round number?
Accuracy?
Ammo characteristic?
Instinctive pointing?
Ergonomic shape?
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I can eat the middle out of a 9" paper plate all day with my Beretta 950, G19, or RR1911A1 @ 21ft. All are 100% reliable. All concealable. But when I look at the total package for CCW, I take the G19
 
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