Really looking for the perfect weapon to use for CC. I have looked around and am having a lot of trouble deciding. I have though about .38's, .25 acp, 380's, 9mm, 40's, and .45's. Please just put in some input and help get me in the right direction. I would love to spend a reasonable amount on this gun considering I am still a college student enjoying the life of rent, bills, and student loans. Thanks.
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Need something for CC. What's Best?
- Thread starter Kbowers9
- Start date
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ThrottleJockey
Shooter
For CC purposes, your life depends on your ability to use it and on the stopping power it has. Get something that you comfortably shoot well and in a caliber that will stop an attacker.
I really dont want to carry anything too small, and most people say that a small gun will only make the other person mad. Well... while I really want to carry a large caliber pistol with me all the time, sometimes I just want it to be more comfortable rather than huge. What are some of the best lightweight weapons that can easily be concealed?
You are going to get a lot of replies that basically say:
First choose a weapon that you can shoot effectively. It does no good to have a large caliber handgun if you can't hit the broad side of a barn with it. (cut to movie Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, to scene where Harley miss bad guy and shoots Marlboro by mistake). Shoot as many different handguns as you can before you decide on model and caliber.
Second if you are going to CC the holster is key. Buy a good holster, be prepared to spend some bucks, don't cheap out on the holster. Please no Mexican carry. With a good holster you can CC a full size handgun.
Last - practice then train and then practice some more. You get comfortable with the weapon you are carrying and the CC life will be good.
First choose a weapon that you can shoot effectively. It does no good to have a large caliber handgun if you can't hit the broad side of a barn with it. (cut to movie Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, to scene where Harley miss bad guy and shoots Marlboro by mistake). Shoot as many different handguns as you can before you decide on model and caliber.
Second if you are going to CC the holster is key. Buy a good holster, be prepared to spend some bucks, don't cheap out on the holster. Please no Mexican carry. With a good holster you can CC a full size handgun.
Last - practice then train and then practice some more. You get comfortable with the weapon you are carrying and the CC life will be good.
Not totally for sure yet. I just can't make up my mind. So much to choose from and I'm sure when I find the right one I'l know it. I really want a pocket gun, and then some other part of me wants to carry more of a full-sized pistol. I really like the size and feel of several different .38's I've looked at. I really like the s&w's and some of the taurus revolvers as well. I like the lightweight feel these guns offer and the size as well. I'm pretty sure that I will most likely wind up purchasing a .38 but am still really interested in full-sized as well.
Like everyone else said look around and handle as many diferent guns as possible before you make a choice.
In Bloomington MCSports is a good place to go with a decent selection to look at. If you get a day when Andrew is there he will spend all day talking guns and letting you handle each and every one of them.
Another good place if you don't mind driving to Bedford is Cosners, sometimes it can take a while for them to get to you but they have a huge selection that changes often.
In Bloomington MCSports is a good place to go with a decent selection to look at. If you get a day when Andrew is there he will spend all day talking guns and letting you handle each and every one of them.
Another good place if you don't mind driving to Bedford is Cosners, sometimes it can take a while for them to get to you but they have a huge selection that changes often.
IndyGunworks
Grandmaster
my favorite CC, is a G27 (subcompact .40 cal, i never feel outgunned, and its always easy to carry)
There's no "best" gun for CC because all have different tastes. There are some poor choices, but none have been mentioned in this thread, so take a look at what has been suggested, and see what you like.
Pants go very well with t-shirts and hoodies. Please wear them.
I recommend a holster that fits your pants. The holster will depend on what type of gun you get, and how you want to wear it-inside waist band, outside waist band, tuckable, pancake, shoulder, whatever. I have had good luck with desantis holsters, but there are plenty of great ones out there: Crossbreed, Comp-tac, Galco, to name a few.
Pants go very well with t-shirts and hoodies. Please wear them.
I recommend a holster that fits your pants. The holster will depend on what type of gun you get, and how you want to wear it-inside waist band, outside waist band, tuckable, pancake, shoulder, whatever. I have had good luck with desantis holsters, but there are plenty of great ones out there: Crossbreed, Comp-tac, Galco, to name a few.
Pick the gun then the holster.
Thin is in. I like the Kel-tec P3At (380) for Pocket with a Desanti Nemesis , Taurus Slim (9mm) or Glock 36 (.45acp) for IWB with a Crossbread or Glock 19 (9mm) or S&W 1911 (.45acp) in a Galco Combat Holster for OWB or for deep concealment a Springfield XDM9 in a Smartcarry. As you will learn you will go through a lot of combinations before you find the one you like. You will no doubt end up with the proverbial "box-o-holsters" that are cheap because you tried to save a buck or two. If you spend $500 - $1000 on a gun to protect your life and $25 - $45 for 20 rnds of PD ammo and even more on practice ammo, don't cheap out on the holster (experience speaking). If it is not comfortable you won't wear it.
Thin is in. I like the Kel-tec P3At (380) for Pocket with a Desanti Nemesis , Taurus Slim (9mm) or Glock 36 (.45acp) for IWB with a Crossbread or Glock 19 (9mm) or S&W 1911 (.45acp) in a Galco Combat Holster for OWB or for deep concealment a Springfield XDM9 in a Smartcarry. As you will learn you will go through a lot of combinations before you find the one you like. You will no doubt end up with the proverbial "box-o-holsters" that are cheap because you tried to save a buck or two. If you spend $500 - $1000 on a gun to protect your life and $25 - $45 for 20 rnds of PD ammo and even more on practice ammo, don't cheap out on the holster (experience speaking). If it is not comfortable you won't wear it.
You've probably figured out that there are a lot of good options out there for CC and the right option for one person may not be the right one for another. What to carry depends on how you intend to carry, your physical size and a bunch of other factors. One that is often not mentioned is the cost of carrying. When you are deciding what you want to carry, consider the cost and availability of ammo and how much you will need to shoot to stay competent.
There are a lot of nice 380s on the market right now and they can make excellent pocket pistols but commercial 380 availability is hit and miss. Sometimes it's all over the place then a week later, nobody has it. Some places charge ridiculous amounts for 380 when they do get it. I'm not saying 'Don't buy a 380' but if you do, make sure you understand the ammo situation. Other pistols have ammo considerations too. 45's are great, but can be expensive to run if you plan to shoot a bunch.
In the last year, I've tried a bunch of different CC options. I pretty much CC 24/7 and always have at least a 380 on me. I started carrying a full size 1911 in an MTac IWB holster but don't carry that as much now due to the size. I switched to a Bersa 380 for summer carry both IWB and OWB under loose shirts and now usually carry a Bersa 380CC in a pocket holster. I picked up a Bersa 9UC (13 round) and carry that one the most right now. It's OWB under a loose shirt or in a shoulder holster. Today, I picked up a compact 1911 that will most likely be my IWB carry weapon once it's broken in.
For me, I like to carry a 45 because I'm a fan of condition one carry. I like my 9mms because I can carry higher capacity mags with those. I like my 380s because they let me conceal carry no matter what I wear. Where I'm going and what I'm wearing determines what I'm carrying. But, anything you carry should be exercised regularly.
There are a lot of nice 380s on the market right now and they can make excellent pocket pistols but commercial 380 availability is hit and miss. Sometimes it's all over the place then a week later, nobody has it. Some places charge ridiculous amounts for 380 when they do get it. I'm not saying 'Don't buy a 380' but if you do, make sure you understand the ammo situation. Other pistols have ammo considerations too. 45's are great, but can be expensive to run if you plan to shoot a bunch.
In the last year, I've tried a bunch of different CC options. I pretty much CC 24/7 and always have at least a 380 on me. I started carrying a full size 1911 in an MTac IWB holster but don't carry that as much now due to the size. I switched to a Bersa 380 for summer carry both IWB and OWB under loose shirts and now usually carry a Bersa 380CC in a pocket holster. I picked up a Bersa 9UC (13 round) and carry that one the most right now. It's OWB under a loose shirt or in a shoulder holster. Today, I picked up a compact 1911 that will most likely be my IWB carry weapon once it's broken in.
For me, I like to carry a 45 because I'm a fan of condition one carry. I like my 9mms because I can carry higher capacity mags with those. I like my 380s because they let me conceal carry no matter what I wear. Where I'm going and what I'm wearing determines what I'm carrying. But, anything you carry should be exercised regularly.
I still really like my keltec PF-9. I like at least having the 9mm punch. It's small, dissapears in the IWB holster. I try to shoot a mag full every week and that keeps me hitting what I aim at. It also works for a students budget.
