Need help choosing a conceal carry weapon

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Ahoy Gunson, and welcome aboard!

"After speaking to a few of my gun loving buddies they advised I go for a 45 caliber 1911." [gunson]

Smart, not only have your friends recommended the finest (and safest...designed to be used on horseback) handgun on the planet, you will get free instruction. The 1911 I carry most often is a 3" barreled Springfield Armory (easier to CC than a commander size)...and Colt, Kimber, and Smith & Wesson also build the same size pistol and all are reputable companies that will look after you after the sale, should you need it.

"If I end up getting the Kimber then I was told by the dealer that I will most likely wait 6 months for the gun to arrive. So for a temporary solution I was going to buy the S&W Bodyguard 380. Advice on this idea would be appreciated as well. " [gunson]

The .380 is strictly a last chance backup cartridge. A better bet is the S&W 438 Bodyguard 38 spl which is available and is a better gun.

If your dealer does not have a particular handgun available you can always purchase on-line from GunBroker or Bud's Gun Shop.

Enjoy your 1911.
 
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Sig P220 Carry or 220 Compact are two great choices (45 acp).... I havent handled the P224 (9mm, 40mm and 57 Sig) although it looks interesting.
 
Not an expert, but do have some experience CCW with 1911's......

I Carried a 5" barrelled 1911 for a year, because it was the gun I had when our Carry law passed. While it is a large gun, it is flat, so it hides easier than you might think. I Carry IWB, so flat is a good thing. It was heavy (2 3/4 pounds loaded!), though, and even with a good belt and holster, it tried to drag my pants earthward........ after a year, I got a Sprinfield EMP in 9mm. Much lighter (30 ounces loaded), and cheaper to feed, too.

My advice on which gun?

Whichever you shoot the best.

The 1911 has an advantage for newbies here in that it (IMO) is the easiest trigger to learn to get hits quickly with. Short, and straight back.

If you want to Carry a gun, then pick one that you can shoot well and works every time. If you are going to shoot well, you'll need to practice. A lot. .45 ACP is not cheap. Unless you are not bothered by dropping several hundred dollars to a year to practice with, then .45 might not be your thing. That or handload..... me I am poor enough that I handload 9mm! I only save a penny or two a shot, but hey, a penny is a penny, and I have more time than money.

Training is expensive, save where you can. 9mm is half what .45 ACP is, and cheaper than just about anything else except .22lr. There are plenty of 9mm loadings that make adequate self defense rounds.

One word of caution: If you do pick a Carry gun, stick with that "system" (trigger type/sights/holster/location): You don't want to be Carrying several different guns on different days, and then when the flag flies and muscle memory takes over, and you squeeze the trigger and nothing happens because you are toting a revolver with a 1" 8 pound pull when your finger is thinking 1911 or your brain is thinking revolver and the gun you have that day has a safety or today's holster has a thumb break you forgot about...... once your brain sez "SHOOT HIM!" then the time for making decisions is over until the immediate threat is over.
 
No one should carry any handgun until he has acquired some handgun expertise.
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I disagree.

The first rule of a gunfight (or most any fight) is to have a gun.

Just having a gun is sufficient in 99% of all DGU's. Nobody wants to get shot with anything. Nobody sane, anyway.

Training is great, and you should get that ASAP. Don't walk around unarmed because don't have "expertise".

You will not acquire the skill set you need if you start with a .45
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Horsefeathers.

It can be done. Harder, and certainly more expensive, yes, but not impossible.

Given proper instruction (think Gunsite) and sufficient resources, a sufficiently motivated student could learn to shoot better than 95% of police officers in in very short order, without ever touching a .22.
 
A 1911 is a finicky gun, and often requires some tuning. I have several, and each required at least one trip back to the factory. Two of my Kimbers were never fixed by the factory, and I had to get custom gunsmiths to get them reliable. That was an additional expense.
Others have different experiences, but I can only speak about mine and a few others who are firearms instructors and have seen a lot of guns and training with LEO and civilians. All agree that the 1911 often requires some reliability work.

As much as I like 1911s, and my favorite is a Springfield LW Compact SS, I do not often carry it. Any 1911 is heavy relative to some other guns. One will not carry a gun if it is too heavy or uncomfortable. I have carried for probably close to 20 years, and in the military the 1911 was often my duty gun. As much as I love the 1911, I am persuaded that there are better concealed carry guns.

If I were to start over, and wanted a semi-auto, a Glock would be my first choice. I also have a Kahr P9, and much prefer it over my 1911 guns due to its smaller size and lighter weight.

I would suggest that you shoot several different guns, and see what suits you best. I personally know a fair number of folks who carry, including retired military and law enforcement officers. None carries a 1911. The baby Glocks are most often carried. I sometime carry a G 26, Kahr P9, S&W 642, Kel tec P3AT, a S&W 640, and not often a 1911 LW.

I would advise you not to rush out and buy a 1911 or any other handgun until you have done some more investigation in person and preferably receive at least the CCW training.

You already see that you will get a lot of conflicting advice here or on any forum so consider it all, but do some more homework before you purchase a gun for SD and carry.

When you decide, do not skimp on the belt and holster. Get high quality, and it will save you money in the long run.

Regards,
Jerry
 
First gun a 1911 for CCW? not a good idea.

Get a .38+p revolver. Idiot proof.

Take heed to these other posts.
 
Get a .38+p revolver. Idiot proof.
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Nothing is idiot proof. Idiots are relentless.

Assuming you are not an idiot, a 1911 makes a good carry gun. You just have to learn to use it, same as any other tool.

A .38+p revolver, especially a small one (j-frame)may be easy to learn to use, but very hard to learn to use well..... only hits count, and you only have 5 chances, with a very short sight radius, and an atrocious trigger pull..... I can't hit bowling pins at 7 yards reliably at any speed with one, so I would never carry one.

A stick is even easier to use, and even more "idiot proof" ..... and it'll never run dry ....... same logic.
 
carry weapon?

I carry a kel-tec 3AT. Reason? I've tried carrying a 1911, .38, 9mm etc for years and found that carrying a .380 I carried much more often 'cause of ease of carry in weight, easy to concel. I carry everywhere except at schools or govt. buildings. My bro-in-law made a comment if he has on his jeans he' armed. I keep a 1911 in the console of my truck in case on problems like road rage or car jacking but all other times I have "my little friend." Remember at one time it was called a 9mm short so it will leave a mark on any bg's
 
I personally have a bodyguard 380 and it's also my first pistol and I don't think you can go wrong with it. Very comfortable for a gun of its size (for me anyways) and very high quality. I've been very pleased with it and would recommend it to anyone. Good luck!
 
Disinclined

May I suggest a Bond Texas Defender as a 1st carry pistol. It is a twice barrel derringer shooting either .45 long colt or .410 shotshell. My standard load is 000 in one barrel and 45 for 2nd shot
 
I agree with you fat old gun nut. It seems like many people put down 380s and act like they're not going to do the job. I'm sorry but a shot from a 380 is going to put someone down.
 
I'm sorry but a shot from a 380 is going to put someone down.
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Not necessarily.

Sometimes, a shot from a .44 Magnum won't do the trick.

All pistols are underpowered. Some more than others. .380 is on the low end, in terms of energy and penetration.

The Bond Arms Texas Defender is a mighty big and heavy firearm for what little firepower it brings to the table. Two shots and not suitable for pocket Carry..... there are better options.
 
That's what Im hoping to buy tomorrow is self defense hollow points for my 380. Only thing that sucks is they run about a dollar a bullet, that's why they'll be used for carrying. Hopefully I never have to use them...
 
That's what Im hoping to buy tomorrow is self defense hollow points for my 380. Only thing that sucks is they run about a dollar a bullet, that's why they'll be used for carrying. Hopefully I never have to use them...
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Shoot enough of them to be sure they feed in your gun.
 
Yeah I'm going to for sure, but besides that and a little target practice with them they sure wont be my range ammo that's for sure!
 
Shoot enough of them to be sure they feed in your gun.
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And see if they expand out of your gun ;) , YMMV, but very few rounds have reliably expanded out of my LCP.......reliably being the key word here. Don't think that just because you buy "premium defense rounds" that they are going to expand as advertised. Again, YMMV.

FWIW my LCP is always on me, expansion or not. :)
 
Keep in mind many different brands of 1911's dont feed hollowpoints well... I cant begin to give you the list but it can be problematic...
 
Why not call the NRA and ask them to put you in contact with a local counselor who can help you pick the best pistol for your needs? NRA counselors take all sorts of things into consideration to help guide you to a realistic solution to your shooting problems. You can contact the NRA at (703) 267-1500 and ask for the training division. Once you have one of their representatives, explain your situation and see if they can put you in contact with a local counselor. Most counselors have a number of different firearms that they will show you and even let you test them out.
 
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