New to the forum, and CCW questions

C

cooguyfish

Inactive
So I'm new here, just wanted to say hello.

I do have a tendency to be long winded and I apologize in advance for that.

I am fairly new to guns, and fairly new to having a CCW (I actually just got it a few days ago...) Here's a picture of the type of gun I bought (Taurus Tracker .357 Magnum 7 shot)
357.jpg


At the range for my CCW it was the gun I felt most comfortable with. Well here I am several months later now that I have my CCW not sure if that was the best choice in firearms. I am very comfortable with it, I personally don't think the recoil is bad with magnum rounds (I bought it only having fired 38 spl rounds at the class). I haven't fired a magnum round without hearing protection, I have shot 38's without it and it was pretty loud for me...

So anyways, the point here is this.
- I like it and I want to try to CC it, I'm not sure what would be the best approach as I am a pretty slim person. How would you carry it? (been kinda looking at the "smart carry's")
- If you had another recommendation what would it be? (was kinda looking at the new taurus 709 slim's)
- What ammo would you recommend? (all the gr weights and stuff is still pretty foriegn, I do understand the differences between FMJ and HP ammo though ;) )
- Where do you guys buy ammo at? I want "inexpensive" target ammo, and not "get what you pay for cheap"

Thanks for your input, I am sure there are other things I'm forgetting at the present.

-Brandon
 
Welcome to TFL! I'm not a CCW expert, so I'll leave those questions to those who can answer them best. I just wanted to say welcome, and offer a few tid bits of advice.

Next time you get a chance, fire off a few .357 magnum loads. I'd say at least 100 rounds if this is to be your primary carry. I know they're expensive, but fire off at least a full load of whatever round you load for self defense. I say this so you can get a good feel for how the gun will acutally handle should you ever have to use it.

As for the ammunition. I recommend any name brand JHP. The differences are pretty small in the performance department between the top selling brands. Just stay away from the "terrorist killers" and other cheaply made, expensively sold, gimmicks.

I haven't fired a magnum round without hearing protection, I have shot 38's without it and it was pretty loud for me...
Click to expand...

I would suggest to always wear proper hearing protection. If you can't hear the BG's coming to get you, the gun is pretty much useless.
 
ccw

seems like a large weapon to carry concealed, unless you wear a large coat or jacket, so you could wear the weapon in an outside belt holster. i used to carry a colt lawman concealed, and it was very uncomfortable.
in this weapon id carry doubletap 125 grain bonded jhp. it doesnt get any hotter than that. second choice would be gold dot 125s. theyre also bonded, so they wont fall apart as they hit the speed limit.
seems like you're focused on taurus if you change your carry weapon. there's a big world of concealable carries available. i carry a kahr pm9. very ligh, very slim profile, holds 7 +p 9mm cartridges, is very accurate and reliable, and is easy to shoot well. it shoots 115 grain +p ammo best.
 
Picking a Carry Piece

The basic rules are simple:

  1. .38/9mm or bigger (a .38 is actually .357)
  2. Fits your hand

Revolvers (aka wheel guns) are heavier and thicker than semi-autos, especially ones with polymer frames, and have fewer rounds before reloading.

Try as many guns as you can, so you can make a studied, not emotional, choice.
 
Not sure about the CCW laws where you live but in my state if you got your license using a wheel gun then you have to carry a wheel gun. I suggest you check this out before you buy an auto that you can't legally carry.

No ideas on how to carry that beast easily.
 
if you guys could, I could not find out how to quote stuff on here.

that being the case I will copy paste and address everything separately;

*I would suggest to always wear proper hearing protection. If you can't hear the BG's coming to get you, the gun is pretty much useless.*

The only reason I have shot anything without hearing protection is because in a real defense situation I am unlikely to have ear plugs in, and I want to know just how loud it is.

*seems like a large weapon to carry concealed, unless you wear a large coat or jacket, so you could wear the weapon in an outside belt holster*

This is one of my worries. But, my back up plan is that I carry a book bag everywhere I go, in the winter (which is when I work 80% of the time) is the main time I'd want to carry it and I could just leave it in my bag.
There are 2 VERY important reason's for this. 1) my job cause's me to run just about anytime I'm out of the truck, I'm the busiest driver, coupled with a comission pay, I run my tail off and have heard CC while running is not a great idea. 2) I am not technically allowed to CC on the job, (the reason being is they don't want there drivers brandishing a firearm while driving down the road). I have made the decision, if it comes down to me needing to use it, I don't care if they fire me ;) So it may be a better idea not to have it on me when I work, just in case someone were to see it.

*seems like you're focused on taurus if you change your carry weapon. there's a big world of concealable carries available. i carry a kahr pm9. very ligh, very slim profile, holds 7 +p 9mm cartridges, is very accurate and reliable, and is easy to shoot well. it shoots 115 grain +p ammo best.*

The deal with Taurus is this, I have enough friends that have them I feel comfortable saying this, they are a good "inexpensive" brand that is not "get what you pay for cheap" I'm not willing to shell out $700 on a guy, I *barely* spend that much on my cars ;) and since I can usually find a Taurus gun in the $250-400 range I am more willing to spend that money.

*Try as many guns as you can, so you can make a studied, not emotional, choice.*

I have shot the following (this is in order of recoil to me BTW)

.22 revolver (unknown cheap brand)
.22 target pistols (ruger and berreta's)
.25 pocket pistols (also unknown brand)
.38 spl (yes i know it's really a .357, and it was threw a gun just like mine)
9MM (forget what kind but I think it was a springfield XD)
.357 magnum (mine) and I like it a lot, if the bullet doesn't hit them, I can't see the sound not scaring someone off...
.40 (Taurus 24/7 sub compact) I honestly think it recoils more than mine, it wasn't bad but I still preferred the "feel" of my gun
.40 (glock, it was very compact) so compact with the standard clip there was nowhere to put your pinky. I didn't like that gun, a lot of recoil (obviously, it's a very small gun with a big bullet). Plus is wasn't comfortable in my hand.

I don't mind auto-loaders (that' what the instructor liked to call them in the CCW class, let me know if there is a preferred terms here). The main reason I went revolver is simplicity. I know it won't jam, I know it's easy to clean, and it's comfy. I am willing to get an auto loader though since they are SO much slimmer.

*Not sure about the CCW laws where you live but in my state if you got your license using a wheel gun then you have to carry a wheel gun. I suggest you check this out before you buy an auto that you can't legally carry.

No ideas on how to carry that beast easily.*

In ohio it doesn't matter. All you had to do for the shooting part was comfortably and safely load and fire two "magazines" of a weapon and be reasonably on target at 25 yards.

Now that I have me CCW I can carry anything I want.
 
Yep,.....

being concise is a good goal.

Hearing protection while at the range can be your friend...

You'll find there is a difference between 357s and the 38's you've been shooting.

Ammo: Practice with cheap... carry expensive.

My opinion, if you are really going to conceal carry, all or most of the time, you need a smaller more carry friendly handgun.

As for now, the best leather belt holster you can afford, High and tight, and a loose floppy shirt.
 
I'm not willing to shell out $700 on a guy, I *barely* spend that much on my cars
Click to expand...

I can understand that. I wouldn't spend a penny on a guy. And if your looking for a cheap guy to purchase you might want to try Craigslist or eHarmony. :p :D :p

Sorry had to be a wise @$$, couldn't help myself.

Seriously though, that's one big ole gun for a CCW. You can find a smaller, good quality gun for less than $700. Look into a used sp101 if you want to stick with a wheelie. Or perhaps a Bersa or Makarov if you want an auto. There's alot of good choices out there for under $400.
 
cooguyfish

I am fairly new to guns, and fairly new to having a CCW (I actually just got it a few days ago...) Here's a picture of the type of gun I bought (Taurus Tracker .357 Magnum 7 shot)

At the range for my CCW it was the gun I felt most comfortable with. Well here I am several months later now that I have my CCW not sure if that was the best choice in firearms. I am very comfortable with it, I personally don't think the recoil is bad with magnum rounds (I bought it only having fired 38 spl rounds at the class). I haven't fired a magnum round without hearing protection, I have shot 38's without it and it was pretty loud for me...

So anyways, the point here is this.
- I like it and I want to try to CC it, I'm not sure what would be the best approach as I am a pretty slim person. How would you carry it? (been kinda looking at the "smart carry's")
- If you had another recommendation what would it be? (was kinda looking at the new taurus 709 slim's)
- What ammo would you recommend? (all the gr weights and stuff is still pretty foriegn, I do understand the differences between FMJ and HP ammo though )
- Where do you guys buy ammo at? I want "inexpensive" target ammo, and not "get what you pay for cheap"
Click to expand...

Protect your hearing when you can when shooting your handgun. If you shoot without hearing protection you will lose some hearing permanently. It will happen each and every time you shoot your handgun without hearing protection.

How to conceal such a large handgun is a real challenge. You mentioned in your second post that you work 80% of the time in winter, that makes it easier to conceal under a coat. Having the handgun in a holster on you is much preferred to carrying it in a book bag. A book bag would take two hands to deploy your gun in a defensive situation. A book bag might be left behind at a critical moment.

The most talked about defensive ammunition for a .357 magnum is a name brand 125gr hollow point that achieves about 1400fps at the muzzle. Speer Gold Dot, Remington Golden Sabre, and DoubleTap are some manufacturers.

If you shoot enough magnum rounds to consistently be able to put two shots in the center of mass (8" circle) of a target at 5 yards when drawing from your holster in 1 second you are competent at that exercise. Use a shot timer with a random start signal to see if you really can, time after time. If you can't handle the magnum ammo, try 38 spl +P ammo. The lower recoil allows faster follow-up shots.

Get some training which covers the laws of self-defense in your state and municipality; as well as covering defensive shooting. Defensive shooting is not just standing there with all the time in the world punching hole in paper.
 
As others have said, your revolver is larger than what most people choose for concealed carry. While concealing a large gun is certainly possible, it takes a bit of extra consideration. A cover garment such as a jacket, vest, or the old summertime favorite Hawaiian shirt. An outside-the-belt holster or shoulder rig would seem to be the most practical options here. Another thing you may consider is changing the grips on your revolver. While Taurus' "ribber" grips are comfortable and nice for taming recoil, the rubber is so soft that it's kind of "sticky" and sometimes clings to cover garments making the revolver print. This is why I prefer wood or hard plastic grips on all my handguns.

With regards to ammo and what "grains" mean: grains are a measure of weight equal to 1/7000 of a pound. Personally, I prefer the slightly heavier 158grn .357 Magnum loadings as opposed to the lighter, faster 125grn loadings. This is because 158grn loadings seem to produce less flash and noise than their lighter counterparts (typical 158grn velocity is 1230fps as opposed to 1450fps for 125grn loads) while still maintianing a good deal of power and penetration.
 
The two most respected CCW pieces that Taurus pumps out are the model 85 and model 605.

These are 5-shot snub revolvers.

Taurus makes a lot of pimpalicious, glitzy, silly stuff with poor design and quality control, but there are a small handful of staples that they seem to do okay with: The model PT92 automatic, the model 85 and model 605 revolvers being those that come to mind first.

If you want a good chance of getting value for your buck from a Taurus, get a model 85 and put it through the wringer before you carry it. Put 100 rounds through it in your first session, making it a point to do at least 25-30 of those as fast as you can empty/reload the gun (Taurus sometimes has drama with the gap between the cylinder and forcing cone, and heat from firing can expose this flaw by making the cylinder swell from heat and rub or lock up against the forcing cone).
 
welcome to the forum

im just going too address the cc aspect.....
like the others said, thats a big ol piece to cc, its certainly doable but like a lot of us, youll prob find over time its a hassle to carry a weapon that big all the time.

Youll start picking up more and more guns and ultimately find something that you can carry no sweat. I started out with fullsized smith 9mm's and 45's......and now i alternate between a sw 340pd ( ankle and sob carry, 357mag but only weight 12oz)....a taurus pt145 (ankle and sob carry,45 weighs about 22oz i think) and a keltec 32 in my pocket (7 or 8 oz).

A gun like that, id prob either carry owb sob, with the muzzle horizontal (i know some people say its too dangerous but i still do it)...or possibly iwb at a right cant.....depends on what it digs into when i bend over lol.
 
Suggestion one..Because it is almost winter you might get away with a shoulder holster under a jacket until you figure out what you want to do.

Suggestion two..move to an open carry state that has reciprocity with your license.:p:D
 
Off body carry.

A lot of people will tell you that carrying a firearm anywhere but on your person is a bad idea. This is probably more true than false, but I have found this method of carry to be the best for me. You may find the same when you start carrying in your backpack. In that case, it doesn't really matter the size of gun you carry. For concealment, I use a ACU patterned Maxpedition "man purse." It is convenient as all get out and carries my Kahr CW9 with ease. You may want to take a gander at their website. Pretty much all of their bags are set up for CCW.

As far as gun recommendations go, I like thinner guns for carry. When I do carry on my person, they are just much more comfortable and concealable. Also I have found that the length of the grip (much more so than barrel length) significant impacts carry-ability. It is significant enough to me that I will soon be cutting down the grip on the Kahr to accept the PM9's 6 round mags. Anyway, any gun that you find comforting and reliable can be a good carry gun. You just have to adjust your wardrobe, bags, etc. to accommodate it.

As far as ammo, I have never shot a .38 revolver, but apparently the 158 grain semi wadcutter "FBI load" gets a general good review. I also agree with buying Double Tap ammo. It is relatively inexpensive and they load them very hot. Again, I don't know about the .38, but I get their 230 gr. 45 ACP load that propels the bullet at 1000 fps. Standard for this bullet is around 850 fps. And you get 50 rounds for 36 dollars. Compare this to Speer, Remington Golden Saber etc that will run you 30 bucks for 20 or 25.

Best of luck and happy shooting (at the range, that is.)
 
Welcome !

That is a pretty big one for carry. I saw someone mention a Makarov which is what I carry but they are getting harder to find and I'm actually looking for something smaller and lighter myself.
A friend just got a 9mm Kel-Tec and is very impressed. They are very reasonable even new (around $275.00 I think), lifetime warranty and I hear really good customer service. Go to a gun store and talk to them, hold some, ask questions.
I would be too paranoid to carry one in any kind of bag. Too easy to get it away from you. I would go smaller and lighter till you can get one to conceal more easily. But that's just my opinion.:D
Whatever you do though, please wear hearing protection even with the lesser calibers. Trust me.... if you don't you'll be sorry 20-30 years from now.
You could ask my father-in-law about that.....if he could hear you.
In a hurry once I had to fire my .357 without the earplugs. It was painful and my ears rang for an hour.
 
A good and inexpensive alternative to that "hogleg" you will be lugging around is a Ruger SP101. I just picked one up for about what you paid for your Taurus. Sure it has only 5 rounds of .357, but it is lightweight, small, and durable. If you need more than 5 well-placed hornadys, then you need to be running anyway.
 
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