Conceal and carry gun...

Sparktrician · Feb 1, 2011

Ok, right now I have a S&W 9 MM model 39-2. I would like to get something more easy to carry....but a larger caliber. Maybe a 45? I know about guns, have been around them all my life, but not a "guru". What are some recommended models and approximate values?
Any input appreciated.....

Goose · Feb 1, 2011

Not larger, but I have a Ruger LCP .380 that's a neat little piece. It's small enough that I could probably drop it in my pants pocket and no one would know I was carrying it.

MSRP around $300. With about 500 rounds through it, it's been 100% flawless. Not one single misfire or jam.

Probably your best source of info is the popular handgun magazines.

C.R. · Feb 1, 2011

I have been kicking around the idea of picking up a revolver in .357 Mag. short barrel,like a chief's special,? or detectives special,unsure of the precice name , simple to operate,no magisine to loose and ammo is available everywhere.

TimV · Feb 1, 2011

Sparktrician: Boy, will the different opinions fly on this one! I ended up in a similar boat not long ago--I have a full NY concealed carry permit, but my 39-2 is hardly a concealed-carry gun, and in addition their alloy frame is not the best for long-term use of +P loads. I ended up going to a smaller 9mm--specifically, a Kahr PM-9. It's a beautiful, well-made, reliable, concealable gun, though at around $600, it's not cheap. Kahr makes several different lines of high-quality small-frame guns in 4 different calibers--.380, 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, which are favorites with police officers and similar people who don't mind paying a bit more for a dead-solid reliable backup piece. My reasoning in going with the 9mm is that every compact .45 ACP I've used has been difficult to control, and I'd rather get 1 or 2 hits than any number of misses. However, you'll find plenty of other people who are willing to trade size and controllability for the .45's undeniable increase in power--you pays your money and takes your chance. Jeff Quinn's interesting reviews and videos on Gunblast.com, (with many of them on Youtube as well) are a quick way to familiarize yourself with a broad cross-section of handguns and narrow your choice down from there. Bud's Gun Shop or Gunbroker are easy ways to get some idea of pricing. If you have specific models in mind, mention them and probably someone here has one they could share their thoughts on as I did with my Kahr.

CLTX · Feb 1, 2011

Some of the .40s come in a compact size. I have a .357 with a six inch barrel, but I don't intend to carry it on my person. I've thought about getting something smaller, but there are so many choices that it's mind boggling. What ever you do, try one out and see how it fits your hand; how it shoots. Get something you are comfortable with.

Bus Driver · Feb 1, 2011

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly. Blondie to Tuco: "You see in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig."

Mike (WA) · Feb 1, 2011

Check out the Kel Tec .380- lightest pistol on the market, I really like mine. I got it on gunbroker dot com- Paid $239, IIRC.

Paul Shuler · Feb 1, 2011

I have to 2nd Goose"s pick of the little Ruger. I have a Keltec in 9mm but I like the Ruger even better. I have a 45 and love it but it pulls my drawers down. Like having a brick in you pocket.

JR Frye · Feb 1, 2011

I have all ways carried a s&w snub-nose 38 off duity, I am a wheel man and all ways have been, even when I was a patrolman. I carried a s&W 38+P
It will get the job done and not to heavy to carrie. The last one I bought cost around I want to say about $375.00 give or take.
JR FRYE

Anonymous-0 · Feb 1, 2011

Kimber Ultra Carry II in .45 ACP 3" barrel, 1.25" wide 25 oz. empty. Sweet, sweet, sweet. $750-$850 around here, but I highly recommend the laser sight which can add several hundred more to the price.

WGWKy · Feb 1, 2011

I like my bersa thunder .380, got a glock 26 9MM carried it for awile then went back to the bersa, it is smaller and easier to carry.

the tractor vet · Feb 1, 2011

I will stick with my model 19 S/W in 357 mag with the 2 1/2 barrel , it has served me well for 43 years and has been used to do just that more then once .Hangs nice in the shoulder holster but showes in the belt holster with the larger grips but i will not go back to the stock grips . Sholder holster is not as easy to get to anymore due to the Taler Figure that has set in over the years.To much belley to reach around.

David from Kansas · Feb 1, 2011

.40 Cal seems to be the present craze. They make them (as well as the 9mm) in pretty small frames and are light weight. Most seem to be in the $400-$600 range. Don't have a permit yet, just took the course last Saturday and don't really have a carry firearm. Have a couple but the 1911A1 is like carrying a brick.

thurlow · Feb 1, 2011

Carry gun is a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug (5-shot .44 Special w/2 and a half inch barrel); weighs about the same as a Chief's Special, but makes a bigger hole. Have had it for a long time and have no idea of current price. The company's been in and out of bankruptcy and I don't know the current status.

kyhayman · Feb 1, 2011

I had the same dilema, ended ip with a Keltec .32 auto. Its a little smaller than I wanted until I got it and got to working with it. Now, I'd not go back to carrying a hand cannon on my person. I still keep a Sig P220 in .45 in the car. If I need it the .32 will let me get there at least. For what its worth, I wasnt a fan of polymer frames until I got this one. Now, any more handguns I get will be polymer.

ncpapaul · Feb 1, 2011

A Sig Sauer P229 in .357 SIG caliber carries real nice and packs a punch. Add night sites. Paul

Gun guru · Feb 1, 2011

A good friend of mine carries Always. He has 2 handguns. He just bought a .38 Sig sauer. He doesnt like the 9mm cause it only wounds the guy......He wants lots of uuummmppp in that bullet. He also has a Sig in .40 cal too.
I dont own any handguns, need to get em registered in the state of Mich. So I dont have one.....Yet.
That same friend of mine has been hounding me to get a license to carry for 2 years now.
That new sig .38 was $550, I think.
Go to gunbroker.com and look at all the prices models and surf the site.

MarkB_MI · Feb 1, 2011

I bought my wife a Smith & Wesson Airweight Model 642. Very concealable, reliable and simple. No, the .38 Special is not the most powerful cartridge, but in +P loadings it is comparable to 9mm and is about all most folks can handle in a lightweight pistol.

Sure, you could go with a compact .40 or .45 auto, but it's going to be bigger and less concealable than the Airweight. The Charter Arms Bulldog is a compact pistol that fires .44 Special, but it's quite a handful with factory ammo.

Herbert Johnson · Feb 1, 2011

Nothing in a larger caliber is going to be easier to carry than your M39. The secret is to get the best holster you can find.
You might want to look at a Kahr P40.

Randy Turner · Feb 1, 2011

"gun-guru"
Why would a buddy "hound" you to get a concealed carry license?

Randy

Gun guru · Feb 1, 2011

Well I dont really want a carry licence cause everywhere I go I cant legally have a gun on me.

Such as, My sons school.....No guns allowed in grade school.
I cant carry at work.
I cant carry into the post office
I cant carry into a bank.
I cant carry into church.
All those places listed are 95% of the places I go.
So I leave it in the car.
I work and live in a nice area, not much crime.
But my friend want me to get the license for the future and I will be grandfathered in.
See how he thinks.

hayray · Feb 1, 2011

I carry a Ruger GP 101 .357. That is pretty compact and a lot more punch then the 9mm. The 9mm is a good cartridge for CC. Like others mentioned, gonna sacrifice size,weight, and shell capacity as you go larger.

hayray · Feb 1, 2011

What is a .38 Sig Sauer, never heard of that cartridge. What are the ballistics compared to a 9 mm parabellum?

hayray · Feb 1, 2011

I have a buddy that is a pretty good mechanic and all of those .32 Keltecs and .380s that my friends have bought he has to work on, mainly the firing pin has some loctite on it and causes some failiure to feed. Any problems with yours?

RGMartin · Feb 1, 2011

More bang that a 9mm, but smaller in size than a S&W 39?

Glock 27 in 40 S&W, Glock 36 in 45 ACP...

Springfield XD subcompacts would be a good choice too.

S&W M&P Compacts

If you like revolvers S&W makes some J frames in 357, Ruger SP-100 in 357(but they are still darn heavy) Nothing wrong with a K frame like a 19, but your are starting to get as big as your 39.

bc · Feb 1, 2011

Our local gun guru range owner recommends a .380 for a powerful little pocket gun. If I want to carry my .45, it goes on my hip in a web belt and military holster. I got tired of carrying the M-1 in parades and instead started carrying the .45 when I marched in parade color guards.

bingo · Feb 3, 2011

I carry two,can get a permit to carry conceale d in Ms. for 5 years for $100.00. have to be fingerprinted firsr time you apply.one time cost of $30.00. I carry a c's spl 38 is loaded with plus p hol pts. in my pocket, have a ruger 22 mag. in my truk.

Conceal and carry gun...

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