Question for gun enthusiasts.

I'm going to be taking a concealed weapons course and will be turning 21 in January. Which means I will be buying my first handgun. But I have no idea what to look for, so my question is: What type of handgun would work best for me?

The one that's comfortable and controllable in your hand. And stops them cold when used right.

Only you can answer that question. I am by no means an enthusiast! But I have an opinion anyway :) Before I purchased my gun, I borrowed several different guns of different sizes, etc. I went out over the course of two days and shot all of them several times. If I knew I hated it right away, I put it away and out of my mind. Eventually, I got it narrowed down to the one that was the most comfortable for me to shoot.

If you know someone who owns several hand guns that would take you shooting and let you try them all out, I'd recommend that route. More important than choosing your weapon is getting to know it after you've purchased it. It's fun at first, but you can't let the new wear off. Make sure you make time to familiarize yourself with it and shoot it as often as you can. Personally, if I go a long time between practices, I'm embarrassed at how long it takes me to get back to being able to move smoothly through the motions.

If it's for personal protection, it's not going to do you any good if you've forgotten how to use it.

I need to look and see if there are any gun ranges in the area with guns you can rent to shoot. So far that seems like my best option for figuring out what I should look into getting :) But I live out in the country with like 2 neighbors in a 2 mile radius, I know the farmers that own the field across from us shoot out there so I see no problem with practicing on my land. Which will keep costs of having to go to a range down.
And my mom just told me she would like to take the class with me :D

go to a gun shop or a pawn shop and put guns in hand to see what fits you the best. You need a gun that feels good first and mainly because you need to be very comfortable with a weapon you plan to carry and potentially utilize for self defense. You need to keep caliber in mind somewhat, but don't get a gun that is too big and causes you to have trouble staying on target should you need to get multiple rounds off quickly. Next, you need to consider what you could carry easily, focus on these guns when you are trying to find a good fit for your hand.

For example. A very thin and small woman would have a very hard time concealing a full size glock 45 ACP. But a much easier time concealing a Ruger LCP .380. Likewise, a large man could easily hide a .45 full size glock or 1911, however, a small .380 that could be pocket carried might be too small for his hands to be efficient enough with it.

.380 is a mininum carry load I would suggest. You can do life ending damage with this round without the need for extreme accuracy (unlike say a .22 bullet which would have to be shot either TONS or VERY accurately or both!). I always rec. going with at least a 9mm if you can find one that seems to fit you good, is easy enough to conceal, and fits your budget (there are some $$$ ones out there that feel GREAT in hand, and are easy for most people to conceal, money has to be considered - google springfield EMP for an example in 9, or a Kimber Pro Carry 2 in Stainless for a .45 example). Next would be .40, if you are comfortable with a gun and the recoil, you might want to make the bump to a single stack .40 like the Walther PPS .40. If you are VERY confident with a gun, then you can even consider going up to a larger single stack .45 like that Springfield XDS (my personal carry gun). Just know, these pack a wild punch and if you are not prepared, you will have high levels of difficutly with follow up rounds!!!

There are a ton of options and lots of things to consider. Just keep in mind that if you want to trust your life with it, you need to know it inside and out. You need to be able to keep it loaded on your body without fear of accident. You need to be able to react instantly using keen situational awareness. BUT MAINLY you needed to remember You are not a cop when you have a gun. It is your right to protect yourself, not hunt down bad guys. Get yourself to safety and phone the police. Never pull a gun on a situation where you have an out and your life is not in immediate danger

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me directly if you'd like, I have a wealth of information on this matter.

Cheers

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Originally Posted by reptileexperts

go to a gun shop or a pawn shop and put guns in hand to see what fits you the best. You need a gun that feels good first and mainly because you need to be very comfortable with a weapon you plan to carry and potentially utilize for self defense.

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this X2!! if you have one close, go to a gun store with a shooting range and they should let you try some out.

Thanks for that post, I'm aware that I'm not a cop lol. I just frequent some areas of the city that are high in crime rates and just plain dangerous (actually had a guy try to get into my car at a stoplight, but my doors were locked thank God) So for that reason I think it's in my best interest to carry multiple forms of self defense (since sometimes pepper spray or even a tazer is not enough.)

Lol, it's just a point they will enforce in your mind at the class. They want to make sure that you know that just because you can use your gun in a situatiun, does not mean you should. One of my first weeks carrying my gun, I had a group of beggers start harrssing me at my subaru when I was getting gas. I examined every situation and knew I had an out if they persisted - the out being get in the car lock the door. One older male came within what I defined as my safety bubble, and I told him to proceed no further. He proceeded explaining he just wants to talk - a tactic used to get inside your bubble of comfort so they can proceed with whatever attack they have in mind, be in robbery, stabbing, shooting, whatever. I jumped in my subaru, pulled my gun and set it loaded on my lap. The man approached and was about to try and put his hand on my door when he saw the gun and backed up peacefully leaving the area. I phoned the police to let them know they had potential robbers begging and harassing people at so and so gas station. They said to leave and they'd send a unit to investigate.

Carrying a gun is a privelage, and one that can be empowering to help you save your life or that of your family. It's understanding this kind of respondsibility every day you carry (which should be EVERY DAY). Don't only carry when you think you'll need a gun... The best gun is the one you have with you. I know this doesn't help decide on the model or type, but just wanted to get these few thoughts out to the OP.

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Originally Posted by Lupe

Thanks for that post, I'm aware that I'm not a cop lol. I just frequent some areas of the city that are high in crime rates and just plain dangerous (actually had a guy try to get into my car at a stoplight, but my doors were locked thank God) So for that reason I think it's in my best interest to carry multiple forms of self defense (since sometimes pepper spray or even a tazer is not enough.)

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I think the comment about not being a cop was for your benefit, not to imply that you'd become big-headed and on a power trip. I think he was just trying to drive home the point that you need to be very aware of when it's acceptable to shoot and when shooting makes YOU the criminal. You come home to find a man exiting your back door with your jewelry box...not ok to fire :)

Based on the rest of his post, I really don't think he meant any disrespect at all. I think he just wants you to be safe.

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Originally Posted by BrandiR

You come home to find a man exiting your back door with your jewelry box...not ok to fire :)
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haha, this situation gets brought up in the CHL class in Texas. There was a court case that actually says YES it is completely your right to stop with lethal force someone running away with your property OR your neighbors. However, the ethical delima becomes was that $300 in jewelry WORTH taking another humans life in that moment?? The answer should always be no - no matter the level of scum a person may be, there life is worth more than a $300 box of jewlery. Where you draw the line is up to you. And believe me, it's a line you must draw and stick to. Having a plan on when it's going to be ok and when its not is a big part of the challenge.

As Brandi did say though - no disrespect mean. Just driving home a very important point!

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Originally Posted by reptileexperts

haha, this situation gets brought up in the CHL class in Texas. There was a court case that actually says YES it is completely your right to stop with lethal force someone running away with your property OR your neighbors. However, the ethical delima becomes was that $300 in jewelry WORTH taking another humans life in that moment?? The answer should always be no - no matter the level of scum a person may be, there life is worth more than a $300 box of jewlery. Where you draw the line is up to you. And believe me, it's a line you must draw and stick to. Having a plan on when it's going to be ok and when its not is a big part of the challenge.

As Brandi did say though - no disrespect mean. Just driving home a very important point!

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I'm really glad you fully explained where you were going with that! Ha HA! I was like, "What? This guy thinks it's ok to shoot a dude over some jewelry or a VCR?!"

You are from Texas, so there's no telling what you would think is acceptable means to stop someone from taking your crap. You Texans be Crazy! I'd starve to death before I'd run the risk of being caught stealing a carrot out of your garden :salute:

Yep. Texas is very pro gun and property protection. We even have legal justification to shoot someone who is merely on your property after dark!

I live in a very rough area of Belfast in Northern Ireland! It's not legal to own a gun here unless you have a gun license, something which is very difficult to obtain, and only under very specific circumstances. Some of the areas that I pass through are very high crime areas where violent crime is frequent, and at no point in my life have I ever felt it necessary to have a gun! For me, any Joe Bloggs even owning a gun is a very alien concept, never mind carrying a gun concealed on your person in public! I suppose I just find the concept very hard to understand! I enjoy shooting, and when I'm in holiday in thailand I go to a range as much as I can but for me guns are something used by police, the military and 'bad guys'! I don't mean my views to offend just thought I'd give some input of a non US sort!


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That's just it - bad guys will always have guns. Citizens without protection are left as easy targets for these individuals. In Europe you guys have more knife injuries due to assault than in the US. It's not about carrying a gun to be a bad mamba jamba its about self defense and protecting your right to live.

Like everyone said go to range or gun store but at a gun story you can only see how it feels in your hand which is important but you need to feel how you like the trigger pull and recoil. I personally love my glock 22. I didn't like glocks until I shot one and I was sold. I also have a 1911 which I like but prefer the glock over it still except stock glock mag release and slide release there too short Imo. Glock amazingly easy to strip and clean :)

Love my p99, but am looking to get the pps from walther. A friend of mine has one in .40 and I love how thin it is. You can honestly not even tell he is carrying at all. These are my preferences though, and honestly the final decision is up to you. As mentioned before your best bet is going to ranges and gun stores to put your hands on as many guns as possible to find what best suits you.

I'm all for finding something that feels comfortable, but my Glock 22 didn't feel very good in my hands but now I shoot more accurate with it than anything else, but that's because I've shot 1,000's of rounds through it. I REALLY like the Smith & Wesson Shield. They have it in a 9mm and .40. I have a 9mm on order but its so backed up I dunno when I'll get it. They are pretty affordable being about $400. Kimbers are absutely amazing guns but you won't get one under $1,000.

I'd recommend an H&K MP 5 or UMP in .45 ACP or an HK 91 on a shoulder sling, lmao! Kidding, just kidding. As has been said, shoot anything and everything you possibly can before you make your decision. There is no "magic" caliber. When it comes down to it, a bullet is essentially a missile designed to penetrate, much like a knife, if you think about it. People die from gunshot wounds in one of two ways, generally speaking: either there is a massive disruption to the central nervous system (head shot, spine shot, etc.) that causes instant incapacitation or they bleed out and this causes their body to shut down from lack of oxygen, primarily through a lack of blood to transport oxygen to the brain and other vital organs. With those two factors in mind, I personally carry the largest possible caliber I can shoot accurately to place as many large holes as possible in the person threatening me or my loved ones with serious bodily injury or imminent death. And I practice, a lot, as you will lose the ability to think rationally and accurately when/if a situation occurs and will be relying on muscle memory when the proverbial hits the fan. Shooting accurately and gunfighting in particular is a perishable skill. As far as brands, you really can't go wrong with Glock, Sig Sauer, Heckler and Koch, Smith and Wesson (M&P line), Colt, Springfield XD's, Kimber, some Rugers are decent and I'm sure there are others that are proven weapons that I'm forgetting. Spend some money on whatever you get and don't be fooled into thinking cheap is necessarily a good thing, at least as far as guns go. For all the time you spend researching and picking one to carry, spend twice that time at the range practicing dynamic drills (moving while shooting, doing pushups to get your heart rate/respirations up to simulate an adrenaline dump, etc.) as well as punching holes in cardboard. Practice clearing jams/malfunctions. Have a friend load your magazines out of your line of sight and load a few spent shell casings in each to teach you how to clear a failure to fire or failure to eject. Then start learning the laws and legal requirements in your state for what justifies deadly force. A gun isn't a toy or an accessory or "swag"; it's an enormous responsibility that has life or death consequences if you don't respect it. I'm not trying to talk down to you, just saying know the law and your rights and you'll be fine. Another thing to keep in mind is how you plan to carry it. If you carry it on a holster on your belt, be aware of it "printing" through your clothing, either with an inside the waistband holster or an outside the waistband holster. You might have to buy jeans a size larger to allow for the gun or wear slightly baggier clothing, depending on how you choose to carry it. They cost a little more but night sights might be something you consider adding or buying already installed on whatever you get. Good luck and I hope you never have cause to use it but glad you're taking the time to do things responsibly and exercising your rights in the process. Take care!

http://www.crossbreedholsters.com/ for when the time comes and you do make a choice, I'd hikely rec. these guys! Their holsters are top of the line quality, easy to use, and just great all around! They help keep you from printing but give you quick access with little hassle :-)

I like the kel tecs I have the P-3AT and have carried both as a concealed carry and was my secondary LDE and day off carry when I was a state trooper. They are comfortable to carry, the pull is smooth with no bulky parts. For Home defense I love the KSG and the 12 round capacity http://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/shotguns/ksg/

Comfort in your had is the first priority as most have stated.
I think almost everyone hase giving great information.
My wife carries a S&W Mod 60 LS and loves it, two speed loaders and she is good with 14 rounds ;)
I bounce between a Ruger P89, S&W .40 Sigma or CZ Mod 83.
We are both thinking of getting our CHLs but the Castle Laws here are great and I chose to carry on me either way.

The biggest thing to remember is IF you pull your weapon you better be 100% clear that you are about to make someone stop breathing. If you cannot handle that though then you probably shouldnt carry a gun that will more that likely get taken from you and used on you.;)

Everyone here has covered everything you need to know I'm pretty sure, I didn't read every post though so I'll throw out my 2 cents.

Comfort is a biggy, if your going to carry concealed then you need to maintain a high percentage of carry because you never know when something could happen. Merely carrying when you go into a bad neighborhood is not enough. Comfort comes in to play here because many times people will carry larger caliber handguns but then end up not carrying them as often as they should because its uncomfortable or they do not have confidence that they can conceal it in certain high human traffic situations, like walmart on black friday.

Caliber selection, caliber is going to be up to you, I would recommend nothing less then 9mm but the differences in terminal ballistics between calibers with modern ammunition is miniscule. 9mm gives you more shots which is very important when your under stress. With that being said though, the best caliber is the one that you will carry all the time. If .380 is all you feel comfortable with carrying 100% of the time then thats better then carrying a .45 which you carry 75% of the time.

Like everyone else has said, go in person and talk to folks, try out different weapons at the range. Remember though shooting at a range and concealed carry are two entirely seperate things. I'd encourage you to take several concealed carry courses which put you under stress. Also, the biggest part of this is the mentality you have to take on when you choose to carry. Can you fire on someone, are you ready for legal battle after, being aware of your surroundings, etc. Most of this mentality you should gleam from the new crowd of people you will be around.

Arizona is the best state to live in imo because its an open carry state. I do have my concealed weapons license and carry my HK Usp 45 compact everyday concealed its comfortable for me to wear and i can always trust it. No fte or ftf. As for the op get a handgun that fits you. Imo Da/Sa is the only way to go. I hate glock dont let anyone talk you into buying a piece of crap. Lol :D Xdm is reliable i have one and at least you can tell when a round is chambered. Get what fits you best.

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Everything has probably been said already, but...

Find a friend who is knowledgeable and has a lot of guns or go to the range and try out different guns. This will give you experience and you will find that you will develop a preference to what you do and do not like.
If you are using it for concealment, bring along your holster you are going to use to find out if you can see it under concealment. They make a LOT of different holsters for different parts of your body.
For personal protection, I would get something larger than a 9mm OR plan on loading with hollow points. In my opinion, a .22mm or a 9mm is NOT going to be an adequate personal protection gun. You will want something with stopping power. If you are a large guy, you have more options for the gun and where to have it on your person. A woman who wears tight clothing is going to have less options. Ladies, DO NOT carry your gun in your purse!

Comfort with your gun is huge. I tried a Ruger LCR and liked it. I didn't realize I was trying it with reloads. I got it home and this thing is a HAND CANNON with regular ammo. I ended up selling it because I hated shooting it.

Get comfortable with your gun. Get comfortable with drawing from retention. Get comfortable with firing from prone. Get comfortable with reloading. Get comfortable with your gun.

The best thing I ever did was start competitive pistol shooting with International Defensive Pistol Association. You will get comfortable with everything about your gun, moving and shooting, shooting moving targets. It becomes muscle memory, which is what is needed in high stress situations.

Sorry, I am just very passionate about learning to be comfortable with your guns.

If you're new to varying get a revolver

If you're a new shooter, the first thing I'd recommend is some instruction. (Yes, before buying ANYTHING.) Find a reputable instructor local to you and let them know you're a new shooter looking to get some basic knowledge and exposure to different types of guns. They will likely have a whole pile of them for you to try, and the cost of a few hours of one on one time is probably less than or equal to the rental fees for all the guns you'd like to try, and you'll get to try many of them while getting instruction on proper technique and safety. That experience will give you a good framework to make a choice when you make your purchase.

Depending on your needs, there may be a lot of guns that fit you or only a few, but a good place to start, in terms of getting something affordable and reliable, is by looking at Glock (17 or 19), S&W (M&P series, Shield if you really need small/thin), and Walther (PPQ, P99 series, or maybe PPS if you really need small/thin). All three make high quality, reliable pistols at a reasonable price ($450-600 or so). If you're willing to spend more, H&K makes pistols to a higher standard than just about anything short of custom guns, but a P30 or P2000 will likely run you more like $900+, and to my mind, the price difference is better spent on practice ammo and/or a holster and extra magazines.

As far as what caliber to get goes, proper hollow points (Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST, Remington Bonded Golden Saber, etc) make 9mm basically equal to .40 and .45 in terms of effectiveness, but 9mm guns hold more ammo, the ammo is cheaper, and the recoil is less sharp. There's really not much to recommend about the bigger calibers unless you live in a state where magazine capacity is limited by law or hollow points are illegal (rare).

Once you've gotten some instruction and bought a gun, buy a case of ammo and get some practice, preferably with a friend so you can motivate each other both to get better and to continue practicing regularly. After that, if you're so inclined, look into IDPA and/or USPSA competition; it's good fun and can serve as a more interesting and engaging test of your skills than just practicing by yourself on a square range.

Before you carry you'll need to watch this. He has good points.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei8OK4WdoW0

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Originally Posted by aldebono

In my opinion, a [I].22mm[/B] or a 9mm is NOT going to be an adequate personal protection gun.

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I would never recommend a .22cal to anyone. 9mm will stop. Then again I dont mind buying quality ammo to carry either.
Range rounds are VERY different from what you want to protect yourself with.;)

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

I would never recommend a .22cal to anyone. 9mm will stop. Then again I dont mind buying quality ammo to carry either.
Range rounds are VERY different from what you want to protect yourself with.;)

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And you should pratctice with what you carry..

For women I like a .38 Colt Detective Special - snubnose and hammerless - with a light pull or a Smith & Wesson 642 .38 revolver - hammerless and stainless.

I hope you'll never have to pull it out.

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Originally Posted by JohnNJ

For women I like a .38 Colt Detective Special - snubnose and hammerless - with a light pull or a Smith & Wesson 642 .38 revolver - hammerless and stainless.

I hope you'll never have to pull it out.

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Khar CM9 and the Beretta Nanno are good Semi-auto ccw for Ladies or the smaller guy like me.

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Khar CM9 and the Beretta Nanno are good Semi-auto ccw for Ladies or the smaller guy like me.

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I do not recommend semi-autos for anyone, including men, unless they are proficient at the mechanics of them. Too many malfunctions with concealed semi-autos because they are not cared for properly and cleaned often. Revolvers are safer as carry guns for the average person. You have to be practical. Save the Rambo stuff for the range.

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Originally Posted by JohnNJ

I do not recommend semi-autos for anyone, including men, unless they are proficient at the mechanics of them. Too many malfunctions with concealed semi-autos because they are not cared for properly and cleaned often. Revolvers are safer as carry guns for the average person. You have to be practical. Save the Rambo stuff for the range.

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If you think you're going to hit in the first shot you are proficient enough to use a Semi . . . I mean seriously, in MOST concealed gun carrier shootings, the person carrying had to fire MULTIPLE rounds quite fast, it's rarely a one shot wonder. In Texas if you do your proficiency exam with a revolver, you will only be allowed to carry a revolver. You need to check with your class, but if the same applies to your state, ALWAYS do your class course with a semi-auto handgun, this gives you the legal ability to carry either a revolver or a SA handgun.

I have only ever experienced jams with poor ammo that I plink with on the other note. And even if you let your gun get filthy (which most people dont shoot it enough to get it that way), it's still going to be reliable if its one of the quality guns. To the OP, don't let this stuff detour you from choosing a powerful, fast gun. On one last personal note: Guns with safetys will get you killed - I dislike and try to never carry a gun that has a physical safety on it. I like hair triggers, and the only safety being finger off the trigger! Safeties are just a fault waiting to occur. my two cents.

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Originally Posted by JohnNJ

I do not recommend semi-autos for anyone, including men, unless they are proficient at the mechanics of them. Too many malfunctions with concealed semi-autos because they are not cared for properly and cleaned often. Revolvers are safer as carry guns for the average person. You have to be practical. Save the Rambo stuff for the range.

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Well that more of a user training issue than a gun design problem. The trade off between a wheel gun and a semi-auto are dependent on the user and where they feel the need to trade one aspect for another. It's true that revolvers are a simpler thing to operate, but you trade of ability to reload it for that ease of use. I think when it comes to CCW its a user preference concealable, round count, size of weapon and even caliber are all things that need to be taken into account.

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Originally Posted by reptileexperts

Guns with safetys will get you killed - I dislike and try to never carry a gun that has a physical safety on it. I like hair triggers, and the only safety being finger off the trigger! Safeties are just a fault waiting to occur. my two cents.

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Honestly, if you said the above in one of my classes my first reaction would be to ask you to leave. Most likely because I'm from NJ and we are so crammed together there's little room for error.

From my experience, concealed handguns do not get dirty from shooting. They get gummed up from dust, lint, bits of material, etc. I am not against semi-autos if you are willing to put in the time to stay proficient in it's care and use. Most people are not willing. YMMV

lol, that's why you keep them oiled . . . which is needed for any gun with metal IMO. But shooting dirty rounds is what ultimately will harm your gun as well. And yes, different opinions is fine, but if I can draw from concealment and get on target in under 1.5 seconds (I'd have to look up my last time trial but I think thats what it was) without having to worry about a safety, or this tough trigger pull, I am much better off than the guy who is scared, pulls out a gun points and pulls the trigger only to find the safety is engaged, then winds up dead on the ground because of it. Know your gun ultimately, but for me, I don't want to risk my life relying on a safety to be A) functioning properly, B) in the right position when I go to use it.

Note: I am not referring to trigger guard glock style safety - these instinctive safeties are fine and have an extremely low error rate . . . I'm talking about switch safeties!

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3366/5...56c76efa_b.jpg

My original carry that I still use from time to time. 1/10th inch reset, somewhere around a 3-4lb trigger pull, and the only safety is the trigger and your finger.

Cheers

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Originally Posted by olstyn

If you're a new shooter, the first thing I'd recommend is some instruction. (Yes, before buying ANYTHING.) Find a reputable instructor local to you and let them know you're a new shooter looking to get some basic knowledge and exposure to different types of guns. They will likely have a whole pile of them for you to try, and the cost of a few hours of one on one time is probably less than or equal to the rental fees for all the guns you'd like to try, and you'll get to try many of them while getting instruction on proper technique and safety. That experience will give you a good framework to make a choice when you make your purchase.

Depending on your needs, there may be a lot of guns that fit you or only a few, but a good place to start, in terms of getting something affordable and reliable, is by looking at Glock (17 or 19), S&W (M&P series, Shield if you really need small/thin), and Walther (PPQ, P99 series, or maybe PPS if you really need small/thin). All three make high quality, reliable pistols at a reasonable price ($450-600 or so). If you're willing to spend more, H&K makes pistols to a higher standard than just about anything short of custom guns, but a P30 or P2000 will likely run you more like $900+, and to my mind, the price difference is better spent on practice ammo and/or a holster and extra magazines.

As far as what caliber to get goes, proper hollow points (Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST, Remington Bonded Golden Saber, etc) make 9mm basically equal to .40 and .45 in terms of effectiveness, but 9mm guns hold more ammo, the ammo is cheaper, and the recoil is less sharp. There's really not much to recommend about the bigger calibers unless you live in a state where magazine capacity is limited by law or hollow points are illegal (rare).

Once you've gotten some instruction and bought a gun, buy a case of ammo and get some practice, preferably with a friend so you can motivate each other both to get better and to continue practicing regularly. After that, if you're so inclined, look into IDPA and/or USPSA competition; it's good fun and can serve as a more interesting and engaging test of your skills than just practicing by yourself on a square range.

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USPSA is where its at! Itll teach you control with your weapon and cut down your reaction time. Introductory classes recommended to get used to the rules but you will be hooked after that ;) i just wish ammo wasn't so expensive...

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Originally Posted by reddragonmorphs

uspsa is where its at! Itll teach you control with your weapon and cut down your reaction time. Introductory classes recommended to get used to the rules but you will be hooked after that ;) i just wish ammo wasn't so expensive...

Sent from my droid bionic using tapatalk 2

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cough* idpa * cough :p

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Originally Posted by JohnNJ

Honestly, if you said the above in one of my classes my first reaction would be to ask you to leave. Most likely because I'm from NJ and we are so crammed together there's little room for error.

From my experience, concealed handguns do not get dirty from shooting. They get gummed up from dust, lint, bits of material, etc. I am not against semi-autos if you are willing to put in the time to stay proficient in it's care and use. Most people are not willing. YMMV

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Safeties on CCW guns get people killed. You do not have time to fiddle with a safety when a guy is attacking you, you barely have time to draw.

Revolvers malfunction just as much as semi-autos do if they are not cleaned properly and crap gets in the wheel. I encourage you to watch some of the 1000 round glock shoots and take note of how many malfunctions happen with that weapon during the shoot and take note that 95% of them happen at the 500+ mark when the barrell could melt your skin off.

Also, don't most of your students drive a car? If they can operate a wheel, peddles, with eyes on the road, and eat a burger or do makeup AND under stress all at once I think they can handle operating a semi auto. Saying that the average person is too inexperienced to run a semi auto and master it requires evidence, evidence which I have never seen. 8 year old kids in Africa can run AKs and ARs with a high level of competency....

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

And you should pratctice with what you carry..

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I can agree with you in terms of the gun (ideally, you'd have 2 copies of the same gun - one to practice with, and one with a low round count and thus low wear to carry), but absolutely not the ammo. Carry should be high quality hollow points, and those are EXPENSIVE, even if you order them online (minimum of $0.50/round online, more like $1+ if you buy at retail). Practice, on the other hand, should be done with FMJ rounds that closely mimic the point of impact and recoil characteristics of your carry ammo; in that way, you effectively get the "right" practice, but spend a lot less money. Of course, you can save even more if you reload (I make my 9mm practice & USPSA ammo for about $0.14/round vs paying more like $0.30-40/round at retail). It can be done even cheaper than that, depending on powder choice and if you're willing to use lead bullets instead of FMJ, but I've got a recipe with my current powder that I'm comfortable with, and I prefer to minimize my lead exposure rather than save another couple of cents per round by using non-jacketed bullets. Sadly, lead-free primers are essentially unobtanium for individuals, or I'd use those too.

Oh, and one more thing I forgot to mention to the OP and anyone else who's curious - check out these two websites - they're full of good advice and good discussion (both run by the same guy, a well-regarded professional instructor:

http://pistol-training.com (Unfortunately, there's a bit of a hiatus on this one at the moment, as the guy who runs the site was just (re)diagnosed with cancer after several years of remission, but there's a lot of good info in his old posts.)

http://pistol-forum.com Tons of good discussion on all subjects relating to pistols.

I carry Hk USP 40 compact. Love this weapon. My wife has a Bersa Thunder 380 Deluxe. Slim and quite comfortable gun.

Not a fan of the bersa for myself as its far too small in hand. But it's a knock out gun. Super jealous of the HK carry though. Really looking Into an HK USP tactical 45 with suppressor.

I carry a Hk Usp 45 everyday. Wont carry anything else lols

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