suggestions for a carry gun

J

jbaham

Moderator
Hi I am new to the forum I am going to be getting another carry handgun I have a ccw I live in NY state. I currently have a s@w 9mm, a ruger .44 magnum super redhawk a ruger .357 mag and a ruger 22. the 44 and 357 are just to long to carry they are just hunting guns. I have between 400-800 to spend on a new carry gun I want something different than the 9mm maybe a larger caliber gun.

any suggestions will be helpful

thanks
 
You can never go wrong with a good snubnose revolver. Check out the Smith and Wesson 637 Airweight.

5 rounds of 38spl +p should take care of anything you'll run into as a civilian. You'll have to put in some range time though but thats true of any gun.
 
.44 Revolver

You seem comfortable with revolvers, Check out the Charter Arms Bulldog.
Last time I looked at them they fit into your price range easily.

Around 22 ounces with a 2.5 inch barrel.

Nice large Hole, looking at it from the Bad Guy End of the piece.
 
If you live close to a range where you can rent guns then that might be worth it to try out several different types. Maybe think of something that launches .45 ACP.
 
Carry

Always glad to help out a fellow NYer. I carry an Smith & Wesson model 340 MP, wife the 340 PD. Light wt, goes into my front pant pocket, loaded with 357 hollow pts - shot 38s at the range. Wife likes her's too.
 
S&W M&P 340 is a very fine choice for carry. .38 Special, .38 +P, .357 magnum and all points in between. Easy to conceal pocket revolver.
 
Consider a S&W airweight. I have a few carry handguns, but my S&W 442 gets the most carry time. Fits easily in my front pocket, almost as comfortably as my cell phone. Five rounds of .38 +P is likely to be enough. It is a great balance between comfort and firepower.
 
My recomendation is go to a few gun stores and handle a few. Just remember that it is going to be a carry gun. So get the one that you will be the most likely to have on you all of the time. A .32 that goes from your pocket to your hand will trump a 1911 that you left in the car because it was so hot you did not feel like dressing around it.
Pick the one you want, you are the one that is going to be carrying it.
 
Thanks for all the help. I like the looks of the smith and wesson 340 I like the thought that it is compact but holds .357 magnum rounds. I also was looking at charter arms I am not familar with these guns and if anyone is familiar with the taurus revolvers give me your opinion.

GaryBock i live south of rochester is there any stores there that carry the s@W 340 if so could you please let me know.

thanks again
 
I agree with going someplace that at least has a nice selection to fondle, and even better shoot. Pick what calls to you, not what someone shouts out to you. I think what you shoot best with, with what you currently own, would be a good starting place. I'm a firm believer in carrying what you shoot best with, which is usually the medium-full size guns. Except for the smaller pocket type pistols, there really isnt a whole lot of difference in size between many, if not most models, and when carried in a good IWB holster, just about anything reasonable can easily be carried if you dress appropriately.


I know a lot of people seem to like the small, lightweight revolvers, and I suspect most that do carry them, carry them a lot and shoot them little, especially the Airweight and lighter guns. If you do go that route, be prepared to spend a good bit of time practicing with them, and with ammo at a power level you intend to carry in the gun. They do take dedicated practice to stay on top of them, and its usually not a lot of fun practice. I shoot mine a couple of times a month, and a box of 50 at an outing is about all I can take anymore, and my hand isnt happy with me for a day or so after either. I would highly suggest you do shoot one with realistic ammo before you buy.
 
thanks again for all the help it is appreciated greatly I will be looking at several gun shops before I settle on a carry gun this way I can handle the different guns and see which one I like the most and which one fits me the best.


thanks again and I will let everyone know what I decide on.
 
Remember that any snubbie that fires 357's is likely going to be very unpleasant to shoot. That punishing recoil and muzzle flash may discourage you from practicing as much as you should.

Also, if I'm getting my facts straight 357 magnum loses alot of oomph out of a snubbie so your probably not much better of than using +P 38's. (Please correct if I'm wrong)
 
I totally agree with you about the recoil. I thank you for your advice I am going to look for something slightly smaller than my current 357 mag and 44 mag. the 44 has a 7.5" barrel and the 357 has a 6" barrel they are nice but somewhat hard to conceal. I held a smith and wesson 44 mag the other day that had a 4" barrel and was similar to what I am looking for. The S@W 44 I think would be a decent choice. I also saw a 357 mag with if I remember right a 4 or 4.5 inch barrel that I liked the feel of as a carry concealed gun.


thanks for your input and do you have any suggestions as to what would be a good carry gun I would greatly appreciate them. I am open to getting a semi auto I just feel more comfortable with a revolver.

thanks again
 
The 2 guns that I carry most often are a Glock M23,and a S&W 649.The S&W is easier to carry in a IWB all day than the Glock and is a lot easier on the hand than similar air weight guns.I really like the comfort of 13+1 vs 5 so the Glock is beginning to get more belt time.I don't think you will be happy if you try to carry a S&W 44.I have 2 at present 3 and 4 in barrels.The are great firearms but much too heavy and bulky for CCW.S&W M19/66 with 2 1/2 in barrel is about as large a revolver as most people are willing to tolerate as a CCW.In autos the small Glocks M26/27 are a lot of security in a relatively small package. Before I get jumped on,I know there are many similar sized guns made by other makers that would probably work just as well,these are just the ones that I have the most experience with and trust in.Whatever gun you choose,try as many as possible before you buy.It might save a lot of frustration.
 
thanks for the info the glocks are definitely nice guns and within what I can afford I notice they have a subcompact 45 auto the glock 36 this looks like a nice gun as well. I will definitely give the glocks a look at the gunshops when I go.


thanks
 
As mentioned, it's hard to beat a good snubnose revolver. Any S&W, although I prefer the Airweight 637, would serve you well.

The Ruger SP, although no S&W, would be a great choice too.

As far as Charter and Taurus, they seem to be pretty hit and miss with their QA and reliablity. You get what you pay for so don't let their lower price points be your guide.
 
You already have a Ruger. If you like it, the SP-101 would make a dandy companion piece. If you want the power of a full house .357 Magnum, the SP-101 would be the smallest and lightest gun I would pick.

Its heavy for pocket carry, but pretty easy to carry in your waistband or in a minimal belt holster. And, well, its a Ruger. It will outlive you.
 
Do yourself a favor- check out a Walther PPS. I have two in .40 and they're the best carry guns money can buy, imo. They're very very accurate, built solid, and they disappear when carried. For a slim, compact gun, it feels and shoots like a fullsize. I've carried and owned lots of guns, and for concealed carry, I believe the PPS 40 is the absolute cream of the crop. If you want a revolver, its hard to beat a S&W 640 in 357mag. Its solid but not a brick, and is the most comfortable, shootable way to carry .357 stopping power concealed.
 
The two best carry guns that work for me are the S&W Mod. 60 stainless snubbie in .357. And the Kahr MK9, stainless Elite in 9mm. 5 rds. in the Smith, 6+1 in the Kahr.

I'd really like a 20 rd. capacity 45 ACP about the size of a NAA Guardian. But all carry guns are a compromise between size, weight, capacity. Fortunately, open carry is legal here and so when I'm doing outdoor recreation I do open carry and a larger gun, XD 45 ACP "Tactical" (5" bbl. high capacity), or a Smith 629 in 44 mag.

It's likely that one carry gun won't serve for all situations. It's nice to have a few options.
 
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