When I took my CC class, must have been around 1997 I shot with my 92FS. I really did not carry much. When I felt the need to carry it was in a OTW holster. Then I purchased a Taurus 2” .357, I carried it every now and then in a OTW mostly when hiking. Then I got my Kel-tec .380 maybe 3 years ago, inside pocket holster, I just slip it in my pocket and go.
Share your personal evolution as a person who carries concealed.
- Thread starter Playboypenguin
- Start date
Thanks for your story. I need to carry more often! My story starts like yours. I ended up with pocket guns that I still carry. I did sell my 38 snubby as I did not shoot it well and wanted a Ruger SP101 3" for woods carry. I mostly carry a Beretta Jetfire in a pocket holster or my briefcase. I really want to carry my compact Kimber but am too paranoid. Other issues are work is hard to carry and can get me fired. Other times I am often wearing gym shorts and or going to placed I can't/shouldn't carry - sporting events. sports bars... I've lost 20#'s and still have a ways to go but I already think carrying will be easier as my clothes are looser. If I didn't expect to get laid off I'd probably step up to a compact 9mm, Kahr MK-9, or such. Maybe a CZ RAMI. BUT, after your story, maybe I should try the Kimber.
Playboypenguin
Moderator
What I think a lot of new carries will take away from this thread, besides all the good carry advice, is the knowledge that they are not alone in thinking "Wow, this is such a pain" when they first start to carry concealed. I think most of us went through that phase where it just did not seem like it would ever work. Now look at us. I carry every day at work and anywhere else I go. I am sitting here at work right now with my XD-40SC inside my waistband and I do not even feel that it is there. 
somedudefromhouston
New member
My first carry gun was a PPk/s, IWB in a flimsy Bianchi suede holster. I have added several to the mix, now have many choices , depending on dress/weather/occasion/locale. These factors affect my choices, I maintain proficiency via regular practice with all of them.
Might be a 1911 defender, or Commander, might be a J frame, maybe a PM9 , or a CZ RAMI ,might be (probably is) a PPS , an LCP is usually close by.
I carry a man purse, its a motorcycle courier bag. Loads of room to keep all my poop in a group. Tac Light and mags in one pocket. Holsters are the key, spend a few bucks and get a good one, and a real belt. A year into daily carry and the 1911 that felt like a cannon in my belt is now comfy.
Might be a 1911 defender, or Commander, might be a J frame, maybe a PM9 , or a CZ RAMI ,might be (probably is) a PPS , an LCP is usually close by.
I carry a man purse, its a motorcycle courier bag. Loads of room to keep all my poop in a group. Tac Light and mags in one pocket. Holsters are the key, spend a few bucks and get a good one, and a real belt. A year into daily carry and the 1911 that felt like a cannon in my belt is now comfy.
Playboypenguin
Moderator
Ya' know. I am a bit surprised that we have not heard more from the "I have carried a S&W 500 with a 6" barrel in my front shirt pocket from day one and no one ever notices" crowd.
I've never had a problem carrying a full size larger gun. That being said, I've learned over the last 10 or 11 years, A good sturdy belt and higher dollar holster are very important. I read a quote from Clint Smith one time that said, "Guns are not supposed to be comfortable, the are supposed to be comforting."
- That just made sense to me I guess -
My evolution goes like this
I started with a Beretta 92, then went to a S&W 629-4, then a H&K USP .45.
Then I discovered the 1911
After that, 5 Kimbers, and 4 Springfields followed. - All full size 5 " guns -
Then I added Glocks to my carry collection (Almost all standard size )
2 G22's, 1 G17, 1 G19, 3 G21SF's.
It wasn't until just recently because of a back injury, I decided a sub-compact would probably be easier on my back. So, I bought a small frame .357 and a Glock 27
I like them, and carry them quite a bit, but still prefer to carry a "Big" gun when I can. My Idea of concealed carry bliss is a 5" 1911, or a standard size Glock in a Galco IWB Holster To me, there's nothing better.
Holster evolution - Started with OWB and quickly changed to IWB, considering the size of the guns I was carrying - It just works better. Over the last year or so, I started using ankle holsters. And recently belly bands. IWB is still my favorite way to carry though.
- That just made sense to me I guess -
My evolution goes like this
I started with a Beretta 92, then went to a S&W 629-4, then a H&K USP .45.
Then I discovered the 1911
After that, 5 Kimbers, and 4 Springfields followed. - All full size 5 " guns -
Then I added Glocks to my carry collection (Almost all standard size )
2 G22's, 1 G17, 1 G19, 3 G21SF's.
It wasn't until just recently because of a back injury, I decided a sub-compact would probably be easier on my back. So, I bought a small frame .357 and a Glock 27
I like them, and carry them quite a bit, but still prefer to carry a "Big" gun when I can. My Idea of concealed carry bliss is a 5" 1911, or a standard size Glock in a Galco IWB Holster
To me, there's nothing better.Holster evolution - Started with OWB and quickly changed to IWB, considering the size of the guns I was carrying - It just works better. Over the last year or so, I started using ankle holsters. And recently belly bands. IWB is still my favorite way to carry though.
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I was on embassy duty my tour in the USMC. This required that I carry concealed when I'm on duty in plain clothes (suit and tie). I learned a lot about concealed carry during this time and come to appreciate the snub nose revolver.
In civilian life where I don't wear a suit and tie very often, I still appreciate the snub nose revolver. Especially my .38spl j-frame stoked with Corbon +P+ 158gr LHP, which I've carried for over 16 years now. It's more potent than a .22lr, and slips comfortably in my pocket whether I wear shorts or jeans. When wearing more clothes, an inside-the-pants holster serves my needs. I also found that because I carry concealed, I'm very selective about the clothes I buy as well.
I tried heavier, bigger guns (and smaller ones too), but nothing beats the overall balance/compromise of my trusty j-frame in terms of concealability, reliability, and stopping power.
In civilian life where I don't wear a suit and tie very often, I still appreciate the snub nose revolver. Especially my .38spl j-frame stoked with Corbon +P+ 158gr LHP, which I've carried for over 16 years now. It's more potent than a .22lr, and slips comfortably in my pocket whether I wear shorts or jeans. When wearing more clothes, an inside-the-pants holster serves my needs. I also found that because I carry concealed, I'm very selective about the clothes I buy as well.
I tried heavier, bigger guns (and smaller ones too), but nothing beats the overall balance/compromise of my trusty j-frame in terms of concealability, reliability, and stopping power.
I carry a Walther PSP, 9mm, 8 shot mag (fits my hand perfectly) in an inside the waistband holster.
This is a very slender gun, easy to shoot. It's a small as my .380 Bersa Thunder, but more powerful and reliable. I don't even know I'm wearing it at the end of the day.
Recoil is minimum, I wish I'd bought the .40.
This is a very slender gun, easy to shoot. It's a small as my .380 Bersa Thunder, but more powerful and reliable. I don't even know I'm wearing it at the end of the day.
Recoil is minimum, I wish I'd bought the .40.
orionengnr
New member
Great thread
Let me preface this by saying that I just turned 53 years old, I am 5'9" and 150 lbs, with a spinal fusion surgery two years ago. Just to say I am not the picture of youth or strength, and I don't have a lot extra muscle or padding, or 20 years worth of experience carrying or anything like that....if I can do it, you can probably do it too.
I've been shooting for quite a while, but after living in CA for 20 years and IL for another three, it was only since I moved to Texas in 2004 and got my CHL that my "evolution" began. Suddenly I had the opportunity to try and carry some of the pistols I owned, and I had an obligation to develop and maintain a degree of proficiency (although it was a fairly enjoyable burden).
When I took my initial qualification, I used my Glock G23, so I thought that it was the natural choice to CCW with. Maybe not. Never could find a holster that allowed me to carry it comfortably and conceal it effectively. I also bought a G-19, but they both went away for the same reason. Too fat, too heavy, and I never shot more than "reasonably well" with that trigger (246 of 250 on that initial Texas CHL test, which really isn't anything to brag about, but I was pretty satisfied with it at the time).
During that initial course of instruction, the CHL instructor talked quite a bit about how a j-frame was a very good carry weapon, and I ended up going through a series of them, in steel, aluminum and Scandium. Spent a lot of money on j-frames, but I never shot a j-frame very well.
In this time frame, I also tried a number of other revolvers ranging from .44Spls in steel (Taurus 431, S&W 696) and Scandium (S&W M-396) and .45 acp in Scandium (S&W M-325). Some were easy to shoot, none were easy to conceal. All are long gone.
I also owned several Para 45s, from small steel single-stack C-6s (two each) to the P-14. I shot them all well, but each was too big/too heavy/etc. All are long gone.
When I found the Kahr PM9, I discovered a pistol that I could pocket carry, I could shoot well, and I was happy...for a while. But I am fickle, and always searching for the Next Great Thing...so then I entered my Dark Period.
I saw the Kel-Tec P-11 and said hey, same size as my PM9, but 10+1 and about half the price of the PM-9...what's not to like? Picked one up. About the same time, a co-worker offered me a P3AT for a great price, and I also found a P-32 too cheap to pass up. Before it was all done, I had two P3ATs, the P-11 and the P-32. Only problem was, none of them worked..I spent a lot of time on KTOG, got to know F&B procedures pretty well, got to know a certain K-T CS guy by first name as he was shipping me springs-and-stuff every week...
Long story short, all K-Ts are long gone and it will be a cold day in a very warm place before I look at another one. Back to the Kahr PM9, and happy again....
However, the guy I shoot with owns a Kimber Pro Carry (steel 4" 1911), and one evening he let me shoot it. Suddenly I realized why his targets always looked better than mine, and had a nice neat hole punched out of the center. Yes, he's a good shot, but that 1911 made me look pretty good too. As I handed it back to him, I said something to the effect of, wish you hadn't done that. That's going to cost me a lot of money...
I bought my first Kimber about a month later, and have owned seven since then. Although I've owned at least a dozen 1911s, the only ones I currently own are Kimbers, and until I can afford a Wilson, I think I'll stick with them. I currently have two steel 5 inch ones that I take to the range, and two 3 inch alloy ones that are in the carry rotation. They all make me look good.
Since the Kahr PM9 had treated me so well, I added a P45, and started carrying it during what we laughingly call "Winter" (defined as any time a sweatshirt can be worn). An 18 oz .45 acp that works every time and also makes me look good...hard not to like.
Somewhere along the way, my revolver tastes turned more toward the larger frames...first Ks, then an L and finally the N-frames. I currently own 4" S&Ws in K-frame (.357) and N-frame (.45 LC, .45 acp and .41 Mag). These have also entered the "Winter" rotation.
I started reloading about three years ago, started shooting more frequently (trying for once a week, and not doing too badly) and regularly shooting larger caliber guns fairly well led me to the conclusion that I should regularly carry a larger caliber, if at all possible.
Last winter, I decided that when Springtime came, I would not transition back to the PM9 as I had been doing for the last three years. I stuck with the P45 throughout the summer. It has been relatively painless, and I have confidence in both my platform and my abilities.
The PM9 sits forlornly in the safe. It's the best pocket pistol I've ever owned, but I'd rather carry the P45. I also bought an LCP about a year ago, and have put probably 300 rounds through it, but have never carried it. At least it works, unlike all those Kel-Tecs...but if I can carry a .45, why would I carry a .380? Not to say that there will not come a day when the PM9 or the LCP won't serve a purpose...that's why neither of them has been sold, when so many others have.
I have skipped over a number of others owned concurrently...if I stopped and thought about how much money I have spent in the last five years looking for The Perfect Carry Pistol, I'd probably just declare bankruptcy and move on.
Better to just be thankful for what I have. As it stands, as of today the carry pistols I cannot live without are:
1. Kahr P45. Not pretty, not sexy. Light (18 oz), accurate beyond any reason, dead reliable.
2. Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry, with TruGlo TFOs and Crimson Trace, frame Cera-Koted like an Ultra CDP. Drop dead gorgeous, 24 oz, deadly accurate, almost too pretty to carry. Almost.
3. S&W M-25-2 in .45 acp. Cut down to 3", about 38 oz, smooth as silk.
4. S&W M-25-5 in .45LC, 4". Custom trigger, hammer, etc. by Hamilton Bowen. Nicest S&W trigger I've ever experienced. About 40 oz.
Note that the P45 gets carried more than all of the others combined, and tonight I managed a five-shot goup though one ragged hole at 21 feet. Yeah, I think I can live with that.
Let me preface this by saying that I just turned 53 years old, I am 5'9" and 150 lbs, with a spinal fusion surgery two years ago. Just to say I am not the picture of youth or strength, and I don't have a lot extra muscle or padding, or 20 years worth of experience carrying or anything like that....if I can do it, you can probably do it too.
I've been shooting for quite a while, but after living in CA for 20 years and IL for another three, it was only since I moved to Texas in 2004 and got my CHL that my "evolution" began. Suddenly I had the opportunity to try and carry some of the pistols I owned, and I had an obligation to develop and maintain a degree of proficiency (although it was a fairly enjoyable burden).
When I took my initial qualification, I used my Glock G23, so I thought that it was the natural choice to CCW with. Maybe not. Never could find a holster that allowed me to carry it comfortably and conceal it effectively. I also bought a G-19, but they both went away for the same reason. Too fat, too heavy, and I never shot more than "reasonably well" with that trigger (246 of 250 on that initial Texas CHL test, which really isn't anything to brag about, but I was pretty satisfied with it at the time).
During that initial course of instruction, the CHL instructor talked quite a bit about how a j-frame was a very good carry weapon, and I ended up going through a series of them, in steel, aluminum and Scandium. Spent a lot of money on j-frames, but I never shot a j-frame very well.
In this time frame, I also tried a number of other revolvers ranging from .44Spls in steel (Taurus 431, S&W 696) and Scandium (S&W M-396) and .45 acp in Scandium (S&W M-325). Some were easy to shoot, none were easy to conceal. All are long gone.
I also owned several Para 45s, from small steel single-stack C-6s (two each) to the P-14. I shot them all well, but each was too big/too heavy/etc. All are long gone.
When I found the Kahr PM9, I discovered a pistol that I could pocket carry, I could shoot well, and I was happy...for a while. But I am fickle, and always searching for the Next Great Thing...so then I entered my Dark Period.
I saw the Kel-Tec P-11 and said hey, same size as my PM9, but 10+1 and about half the price of the PM-9...what's not to like? Picked one up. About the same time, a co-worker offered me a P3AT for a great price, and I also found a P-32 too cheap to pass up. Before it was all done, I had two P3ATs, the P-11 and the P-32. Only problem was, none of them worked..I spent a lot of time on KTOG, got to know F&B procedures pretty well, got to know a certain K-T CS guy by first name as he was shipping me springs-and-stuff every week...
Long story short, all K-Ts are long gone and it will be a cold day in a very warm place before I look at another one. Back to the Kahr PM9, and happy again....
However, the guy I shoot with owns a Kimber Pro Carry (steel 4" 1911), and one evening he let me shoot it. Suddenly I realized why his targets always looked better than mine, and had a nice neat hole punched out of the center. Yes, he's a good shot, but that 1911 made me look pretty good too. As I handed it back to him, I said something to the effect of, wish you hadn't done that. That's going to cost me a lot of money...
I bought my first Kimber about a month later, and have owned seven since then. Although I've owned at least a dozen 1911s, the only ones I currently own are Kimbers, and until I can afford a Wilson, I think I'll stick with them. I currently have two steel 5 inch ones that I take to the range, and two 3 inch alloy ones that are in the carry rotation. They all make me look good.
Since the Kahr PM9 had treated me so well, I added a P45, and started carrying it during what we laughingly call "Winter" (defined as any time a sweatshirt can be worn). An 18 oz .45 acp that works every time and also makes me look good...hard not to like.
Somewhere along the way, my revolver tastes turned more toward the larger frames...first Ks, then an L and finally the N-frames. I currently own 4" S&Ws in K-frame (.357) and N-frame (.45 LC, .45 acp and .41 Mag). These have also entered the "Winter" rotation.
I started reloading about three years ago, started shooting more frequently (trying for once a week, and not doing too badly) and regularly shooting larger caliber guns fairly well led me to the conclusion that I should regularly carry a larger caliber, if at all possible.
Last winter, I decided that when Springtime came, I would not transition back to the PM9 as I had been doing for the last three years. I stuck with the P45 throughout the summer. It has been relatively painless, and I have confidence in both my platform and my abilities.
The PM9 sits forlornly in the safe. It's the best pocket pistol I've ever owned, but I'd rather carry the P45. I also bought an LCP about a year ago, and have put probably 300 rounds through it, but have never carried it. At least it works, unlike all those Kel-Tecs...but if I can carry a .45, why would I carry a .380? Not to say that there will not come a day when the PM9 or the LCP won't serve a purpose...that's why neither of them has been sold, when so many others have.
I have skipped over a number of others owned concurrently...if I stopped and thought about how much money I have spent in the last five years looking for The Perfect Carry Pistol, I'd probably just declare bankruptcy and move on.
Better to just be thankful for what I have. As it stands, as of today
the carry pistols I cannot live without are:1. Kahr P45. Not pretty, not sexy. Light (18 oz), accurate beyond any reason, dead reliable.
2. Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry, with TruGlo TFOs and Crimson Trace, frame Cera-Koted like an Ultra CDP. Drop dead gorgeous, 24 oz, deadly accurate, almost too pretty to carry. Almost.
3. S&W M-25-2 in .45 acp. Cut down to 3", about 38 oz, smooth as silk.
4. S&W M-25-5 in .45LC, 4". Custom trigger, hammer, etc. by Hamilton Bowen. Nicest S&W trigger I've ever experienced. About 40 oz.
Note that the P45 gets carried more than all of the others combined, and tonight I managed a five-shot goup though one ragged hole at 21 feet. Yeah, I think I can live with that.
imthegrumpyone
New member
As a kid, it was my Dad's .22 bolt action Mossburg, which I still have. My first real encounters were in the Army M1s, carbines, mortars and my trusty .45. Hated it, don't know how many people had it before me, it was accurate, but so is throughing a rock sometimes. In the early 70s carried a Llama .38 super auto. Had a .38 derringer, a 12 ga. roit pump (still have)and at one time a Thompson M1A1 semi auto .45, vary impressive looking and a vary nice shooter. Traded my Llama and cash for S&W .38 super and than early 80s went looking for something new, look at Glock but didn't like machining ended up buying a stainless Baby Eagle 9mm, still have it. Mm most resent are a CW40 "dress up carry" an a Kel-Tec P-40 my work carry. Oh also have a .25 1918. "Better Half" has .380 and a Smith .38 spl Air weight, and we both carry 7 days a week every where ! The only change for me is one size bigger shirt, untucked with Clipdraws SOB 6:00. When I ride my scooter, my vest has carry pockets both sides. Bought bulk ammo before "shortage" have all we need for awhile. And I bought a "fun" gun, I bought a .177 Gammo Whisper, what a fun pellet rifle. Oh well off to work, you all be safe.
Uncle Billy
New member
I started out with a Llama .380 my father bought for me in a shoulder rig that a local gun leather shop made for me, but that limited me to times I'd be wearing a suit jacket or other sort of casual jacket. And the Llama wasn't all that accurate (or maybe it was me); anyway I wasn't entirely satisfied with it, but I judged it would work reasonably well at the ranges involved. It went everywhere with me when it was possible for me to CC it, and I shot it at least once a month at the range.
I added a Beretta 21A for the times I could stash it in a fanny pack or carry it on my person in an Uncle Mike's Cordura with a metal belt clip that I sewed a Velcro retention strap over the top of, when I was in casual summer clothes, or just put it in a pocket of loose sweat pants or jeans with a long shirt over the beltline. It wasn't the best setup- the grip is thick, and it's only a .22 (I felt better with more "horsepower" aboard, just my preference), but it worked ok- I could access the gun easily enough AND it never fell out on me at an inopportune time. I shot this one regularly as well, enough to sort out the FTF's that came with the gun. This setup was with me all summer.
I got a Walther PP which I adapted the shoulder rig to carry. This one was remarkably accurate over unexpected distances which put the Llama out of business. Once in a while, when I'd be in heavy clothes (our winters often require them) I had an Uncle Mike's "Sidekick" shoulder holster for my S&W 686 .357 Mag I'd take along, just because I could.
I got a Dutch police holster with a flap and a slot for a spare clip for the Walther which I'd open carry in the woods when we'd be at our summer place in the Adirondacks and hiking out in the forest, or if I was in the mood the 686 setup would go along instead.
But then it began to occur to me that I almost never needed a gun in all the places I went and all the years I carried- maybe twice in 30 years, and neither in a situation involving people. I also had a couple of awkward experiences when it was discovered I was carrying a gun- once in a tux, coming out of a Philharmonic concert, someone tipped a security guard at the concert venue, and I had to endure the embarrassment of being patted down and ID'd as my party stood by and waited for me; another when I met an old, dear friend I hadn't seen in years at a shopping center, who hugged me enthusiastically, then in a loud, excited voice said "Why are you carrying a gun?", which turned every face toward me for 20 yards around and led to another clumsy moment for me as I stood still for the inevitable security guard to show up and ID me. As I learned more about the practicalities and attendant issues of CC I came to believe that the legal burdens and threats were complicated, uncertain, situational and way too variable to not constitute a significant risk to my welfare and future if I made a wrong decision with a gun, which might be too easy to do. I didn't have enough confidence in my ability to quickly acquire enough situational awareness of every possible situation to cover all the pitfalls and meet all the requirements of the law, some of which weren't predictable. In balance, I concluded that the risks outweighed the benefits for me, so now I just CC when the situation that might arise is most probably going to be simple and easily grasped in a hurry, which amounts to not much at all in the parts of the actual world I inhabit.
I added a Beretta 21A for the times I could stash it in a fanny pack or carry it on my person in an Uncle Mike's Cordura with a metal belt clip that I sewed a Velcro retention strap over the top of, when I was in casual summer clothes, or just put it in a pocket of loose sweat pants or jeans with a long shirt over the beltline. It wasn't the best setup- the grip is thick, and it's only a .22 (I felt better with more "horsepower" aboard, just my preference), but it worked ok- I could access the gun easily enough AND it never fell out on me at an inopportune time. I shot this one regularly as well, enough to sort out the FTF's that came with the gun. This setup was with me all summer.
I got a Walther PP which I adapted the shoulder rig to carry. This one was remarkably accurate over unexpected distances which put the Llama out of business. Once in a while, when I'd be in heavy clothes (our winters often require them) I had an Uncle Mike's "Sidekick" shoulder holster for my S&W 686 .357 Mag I'd take along, just because I could.
I got a Dutch police holster with a flap and a slot for a spare clip for the Walther which I'd open carry in the woods when we'd be at our summer place in the Adirondacks and hiking out in the forest, or if I was in the mood the 686 setup would go along instead.
But then it began to occur to me that I almost never needed a gun in all the places I went and all the years I carried- maybe twice in 30 years, and neither in a situation involving people. I also had a couple of awkward experiences when it was discovered I was carrying a gun- once in a tux, coming out of a Philharmonic concert, someone tipped a security guard at the concert venue, and I had to endure the embarrassment of being patted down and ID'd as my party stood by and waited for me; another when I met an old, dear friend I hadn't seen in years at a shopping center, who hugged me enthusiastically, then in a loud, excited voice said "Why are you carrying a gun?", which turned every face toward me for 20 yards around and led to another clumsy moment for me as I stood still for the inevitable security guard to show up and ID me. As I learned more about the practicalities and attendant issues of CC I came to believe that the legal burdens and threats were complicated, uncertain, situational and way too variable to not constitute a significant risk to my welfare and future if I made a wrong decision with a gun, which might be too easy to do. I didn't have enough confidence in my ability to quickly acquire enough situational awareness of every possible situation to cover all the pitfalls and meet all the requirements of the law, some of which weren't predictable. In balance, I concluded that the risks outweighed the benefits for me, so now I just CC when the situation that might arise is most probably going to be simple and easily grasped in a hurry, which amounts to not much at all in the parts of the actual world I inhabit.
Spent most of my adult life in CA, so of course I didn't carry, tho I did own a couple of handguns and a Mossberg 500 for home defense. Moved to Texas in 2003 when I retired and a whole new world opened up ... the first thing I did when I'd been a resident for six months was get a CHL and started carrying everywhere it was legal ... first carry gun was a Kahr PM9, which is still my primary carry weapon, tho I also carry a Kimber UCII when it's cool enough to cover, and a j-frame ... now it's a daily part of my life ... leave the house, I'm carrying ...
I started in 1975 with a Astra Constable, a very nice pistol, I carried for several years.
Went to a 5 shot revolver when a co-worker begged me to sell him the Astra. My mistake.
Went to a Beretta 84 around 1992. An outstanding pistol. I still have it.
Retired the Beretta for a HK P2000sk in 2007.
Picked up a Seecamp to use as a pocket gun about 22 years ago. I still carry it too.
Went to a 5 shot revolver when a co-worker begged me to sell him the Astra. My mistake.
Went to a Beretta 84 around 1992. An outstanding pistol. I still have it.
Retired the Beretta for a HK P2000sk in 2007.
Picked up a Seecamp to use as a pocket gun about 22 years ago. I still carry it too.
I'm a fairly new CCWer, started about ten months ago. My husband and I had moved from California to Nevada a few months earlier. His brother is a cop and an *avid* second amendment supporter who always carries. My husband was in the Air Force after high school, and their father taught both of them to shoot as kids (he was a marksman/sniper in Korea and later a firearms instructor), but my husband had never owned his own gun.
Anyway, for whatever reason, early this year he decided it was time to take the plunge. So he hit the internet, did his research, and then hit the local Sportsman's warehouse. They didn't have the 9mm Glock he wanted in stock (this was during the great gun rush last February), so he bought a Springfield XD-M. He also signed up for a CCW class, and at my request, included me.
I asked mostly because I knew that I needed a refresher on proper handling of guns, and didn't want there to be a gun around the house that I did not know how to handle and make safe. I had grown up around firearms. My father hunted, owned a roomful of mostly long guns, and loaded his own ammunition. By the time I was six or seven, he had me in the room helping reload. I don't remember when I first shot a gun, but it would have been around that time. (I also don't remember which gun, but almost certainly a small .22 LR rifle.) I grew up in Texas, so learned marksmanship in Girl Scouts and at camp, even won a couple of trophies when I was in junior high school.
I don't deal well with loud noises, though (don't do rock concerts, etc.), and shooting wasn't important to me, so I pretty much gave it up during high school. As an adult, I shot maybe once every couple of years, when out at a range with a gun-owning friend.
I'm a human rights activist, however. Most of my work in that field has been focused at other countries; I was in Amnesty International for many years and we generally don't work on human rights issues in our own country. Like most human rights activists, however, I've always been interested in/concerned about civil rights issues in the United States. I'd also noticed with some unease that the right to keep and bear arms was coming under increasing attack in the last couple of decades. I didn't like it, and was already thinking about what I should do to oppose this trend.
After the CCW class, I came to the conclusion that I needed to start exercising my right to keep and bear arms. Where there is a trend not to value a basic liberty, the single most important and effective thing you can do is to *exercise* that liberty openly, in public, and challenge anybody who objects. I'd already been doing that for years when it came to first amendment issues: I actively defended the rights of people to freely express their opinions even when I think their opinions are hateful and evil (The ACLU and I agree on that issue, although not on everything.)
So I decided it was time to acquire a handgun for self protection, apply for and obtain my CCW, and carry, even though it was a bit expensive (I wasn't going to carry anything but a top-quality gun) and a nuisance (carry requires regular practice if you take the gun seriously and mean to be able to use it properly). I bought my first and so far only handgun, a Smith & Wesson Model 60 J-frame .357 revolver, the day after my 48th birthday.
My CFL permit came in about six weeks later, so I spent those six weeks practicing with the gun. The Model 60 isn't a particularly easy gun to shoot, although it handles very well for a smallish .357. Unlike most of the CCW-specific airweight type guns, it is made of solid stainless steel, which makes recoil a bit more manageable. My model has a 3" barrel, which makes it a bit large for easy concealment but also means it shoots *much* more comfortably. (Who'd have believed that inch extra on the barrel would make such a difference?)
Mine also had the sights slightly off when I bought it, and only after my husband purchased a laser bore sighter did we realize it. <blush> Amazing how having properly aligned sights improves your shooting!
After my permit arrived, I started carrying concealed, and learned that I'm not shaped like the guys who conceal along the waistline. Typical CCW holsters and tactics for guys just don't work well for me. ;-) Fortunately Pax's wonderful Cornered Cat web site has some excellent advice about different types of concealed carry that do work for women of all shapes and sizes. I've found three methods that I cycle between depending on what I'm wearing and what I plan to do.
I've also found that I like to open carry. That shouldn't have surprised me, actually, because I'm an activist and am used to doing things to make a point. Being a middle-aged female, I also don't look threatening to people, which means that people who tend to be scared by guns usually interpret my open carry differently than they do open carry by a large male. In the months I've been carrying openly, I've had some people approach me who were curious or asked questions, but only one was afraid and none were hostile. I like to think I calmed the fears of the scared one down sufficiently that she won't interpret the fact that somebody is openly armed as something to worry about in the future. ;-)
Anyway, that's my story in a slightly larger than average nutshell. Good thread!
Anyway, for whatever reason, early this year he decided it was time to take the plunge. So he hit the internet, did his research, and then hit the local Sportsman's warehouse. They didn't have the 9mm Glock he wanted in stock (this was during the great gun rush last February), so he bought a Springfield XD-M. He also signed up for a CCW class, and at my request, included me.
I asked mostly because I knew that I needed a refresher on proper handling of guns, and didn't want there to be a gun around the house that I did not know how to handle and make safe. I had grown up around firearms. My father hunted, owned a roomful of mostly long guns, and loaded his own ammunition. By the time I was six or seven, he had me in the room helping reload. I don't remember when I first shot a gun, but it would have been around that time. (I also don't remember which gun, but almost certainly a small .22 LR rifle.) I grew up in Texas, so learned marksmanship in Girl Scouts and at camp, even won a couple of trophies when I was in junior high school.
I don't deal well with loud noises, though (don't do rock concerts, etc.), and shooting wasn't important to me, so I pretty much gave it up during high school. As an adult, I shot maybe once every couple of years, when out at a range with a gun-owning friend.
I'm a human rights activist, however. Most of my work in that field has been focused at other countries; I was in Amnesty International for many years and we generally don't work on human rights issues in our own country. Like most human rights activists, however, I've always been interested in/concerned about civil rights issues in the United States. I'd also noticed with some unease that the right to keep and bear arms was coming under increasing attack in the last couple of decades. I didn't like it, and was already thinking about what I should do to oppose this trend.
After the CCW class, I came to the conclusion that I needed to start exercising my right to keep and bear arms. Where there is a trend not to value a basic liberty, the single most important and effective thing you can do is to *exercise* that liberty openly, in public, and challenge anybody who objects. I'd already been doing that for years when it came to first amendment issues: I actively defended the rights of people to freely express their opinions even when I think their opinions are hateful and evil (The ACLU and I agree on that issue, although not on everything.)
So I decided it was time to acquire a handgun for self protection, apply for and obtain my CCW, and carry, even though it was a bit expensive (I wasn't going to carry anything but a top-quality gun) and a nuisance (carry requires regular practice if you take the gun seriously and mean to be able to use it properly). I bought my first and so far only handgun, a Smith & Wesson Model 60 J-frame .357 revolver, the day after my 48th birthday.
My CFL permit came in about six weeks later, so I spent those six weeks practicing with the gun. The Model 60 isn't a particularly easy gun to shoot, although it handles very well for a smallish .357. Unlike most of the CCW-specific airweight type guns, it is made of solid stainless steel, which makes recoil a bit more manageable. My model has a 3" barrel, which makes it a bit large for easy concealment but also means it shoots *much* more comfortably. (Who'd have believed that inch extra on the barrel would make such a difference?)
Mine also had the sights slightly off when I bought it, and only after my husband purchased a laser bore sighter did we realize it. <blush> Amazing how having properly aligned sights improves your shooting!
After my permit arrived, I started carrying concealed, and learned that I'm not shaped like the guys who conceal along the waistline. Typical CCW holsters and tactics for guys just don't work well for me. ;-) Fortunately Pax's wonderful Cornered Cat web site has some excellent advice about different types of concealed carry that do work for women of all shapes and sizes. I've found three methods that I cycle between depending on what I'm wearing and what I plan to do.
I've also found that I like to open carry. That shouldn't have surprised me, actually, because I'm an activist and am used to doing things to make a point. Being a middle-aged female, I also don't look threatening to people, which means that people who tend to be scared by guns usually interpret my open carry differently than they do open carry by a large male. In the months I've been carrying openly, I've had some people approach me who were curious or asked questions, but only one was afraid and none were hostile. I like to think I calmed the fears of the scared one down sufficiently that she won't interpret the fact that somebody is openly armed as something to worry about in the future. ;-)
Anyway, that's my story in a slightly larger than average nutshell. Good thread!
Playboypenguin
Moderator
Sakeneko,
Very nice story. You almost had me up until the part where you said..."I'm a human rights activist, however. Most of my work in that field has been focused at other countries; I was in Amnesty International for many years and we generally don't work on human rights issues in our own country."
Everyone knows people who carry guns are just mouth breathing bubbas with a blood lust. No caring and considerate person would ever carry a deadly weapon. Especially not someone who is able to overcome there own self absorbed nature and actually selflessly help others.
Nice try... 
Very nice story. You almost had me up until the part where you said..."I'm a human rights activist, however. Most of my work in that field has been focused at other countries; I was in Amnesty International for many years and we generally don't work on human rights issues in our own country."
Everyone knows people who carry guns are just mouth breathing bubbas with a blood lust. No caring and considerate person would ever carry a deadly weapon. Especially not someone who is able to overcome there own self absorbed nature and actually selflessly help others.
Nice try...