Question for gun enthusiasts.

[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. 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