what do you think about thisfor ccw?

B

bspillman

New member
Does anyone own or carry a smith and wesson sd .40. I likethis gunbut i think it maybe to big to ccw. I can also get a smith and wesson snubbie .38 but not sure if im comfortable with the caliber ( may be to weak ). Can anyone give any opinions?
 
I don't have a S&W SD .40 but I'll chime in anyhow...

I'm old, retired, and a non-LEO... Just an average citizen CCW-er living in an average neighborhood in an average American city. I don't feel the need to carry a high-cap auto such as the one you referenced. Don't get me wrong; I like big guns for range or home defense... but not for carry... I get tired of lugging one around for decades when the liklihood that I would EVER need to fire one in self-defense is so tiny... plus the average live-fire self-defense exchange is less than 3 rounds and 3 yards.

I usually carry light polymer single-stack autos (Kahr CW9, for instance) or, once in awhile, a light revolver with .38 +p's... or .44 special...

I don't feel a need for more.

Since you like .40... How about a small single-stack .40?... Kahr CW40 or Walther PPS in .40... ?
Just my 2 cents... Carry what makes you happy.
 
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Either one can be made to work. While the SD40 isn't a small gun, many people can and do conceal guns the same size or larger so long as they're willing to make the wardrobe modifications necessary to "dress around the gun". Similarly, while .38 Special is no power-house, a good loading such as Speer 135gr Short Barrel Gold Dot, Cor-Bon 110gr DPX, or Remington 158gr LSWCHP "FBI Load" make it into a more than capable defensive cartridge that is, IMHO, superior to most of the cartridge commonly found in pocket autos like .22 Long Rifle, .25 Auto, .32 Auto, and .380 Auto.
 
I do like the M&P Compact 40. Have fired several and really considering one of my own.

I don't feel the 38 rd is under powered at all for SD.

Whichever you choose, practice diligently.
 
no this is not my first gun I have worked in law enforcement for a few years, how ever other than an ankle holster I have never ccw. I have gained to much weight for the old amkle holster though.
 
I would think someone who has been in law enforcement for ant time should know firearms. Just saying!
 
I can also get a smith and wesson snubbie .38 but not sure if im comfortable with the caliber ( may be to weak ). Can anyone give any opinions?
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I have a 3 gun rotation for concealed carry. My favorite is a S&W 642 in 38spl. I feel very confident that it would serve very well if the need ever arose.

The other two are compact semiautos,

Modern 38+P ammo is available in some very effective forms these days.
 
Just because im in law enforcement doesnt mean I know about guns. I have handled glocks ar15 and the occasional shot gun. Im asking if anyone has any experiance ccw a smith and wesson sd. And if its comfortable. Not all cops are gun nuts.
 
bspillman said:
no this is not my first gun I have worked in law enforcement for a few years, how ever other than an ankle holster I have never ccw. I have gained to much weight for the old amkle holster though.
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I personally would go with a S&W 642/637/638 between the two and pretty much over anything else. I'm obviously biased but it's hard to beat the j-frame for a CCW. The Sigma is the clear winner for capacity, sight radius and sights in general. Unfortunately, all that comes at the price of a bigger, heavier gun. Also, since your a police officer I'm sure you know cops carried .38's for decades. That was before all the bullet innovations of today and it was still a formidable round.
 
Yes I am aware that law emforcement used .38 for a long time,un fortuneatly that was before my time. I think im going to go with the .40 just for the stopping power and the fact I can get free ammo. Thanks for all the replies.
 
I carry a S&W model 37 airweight snubbie in .38 spl. and I never feel under protected. I am not an LEO though so my strategy is to disengage any attackers with a couple of well placed shots and retreat to safety, not to get involved in a shoot out. I do not have to pursue and engage the bad guys. If I did, I would want a high cap auto in .40 or .45 caliber.
 
There are many people in the area I live that have CCws and most all start with the commando thought of a semi auto with a high cap magazineor a compact 45 acp which Is hard to argue with. But after a while they get small single stack compact 9mm semis or J frames that seem to dissapear when being carried.
 
bspillman, please feel no need to apologize for not being a gun nut. Time was when an LEO could count on going his entire career without having to draw the thing. I wonder how comfortable you'd be carrying the SD40... kinda large. Have you considered either the S&W MP 40C, the Glock 27, or the XD mini 40?
 
Cookie5: I read so many accounts that went that way, I started with an LCR just to short-circuit the process. Now I want to try a slightly bigger one. Am I going backwards?

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I have no experience with the SD line, but routinely CCW full size and compact M&P .45s. Thick, but manageable with a good belt, IWB holster, and cover garment.
 
It seems to me you passed over the 9mm.

Isn't the 9 in between the 38 spl and 40 cal?

There are the Kahr pistols - PM9, CM9, and the slightly smaller slightly heavier MK9.

There is the Rohrbaugh R9.

Ruger LC9...

But anyway, isn't the 158gr FBI load (also called the Chicago Load, BTW..) isn't it a +P ???
 
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