How to chose a weapon for CC

Me personally I carry a .40 Glock. I dont trust anything under that caliber. Glocks are great because they are small and light and proven guns. They are also very simple. Best advice is to shoot a few different kinds, and different calibers. Get a good feel of the pistol and how each one shoots. Then go from there. Choosing a gun for yourself is a very personal decision. Good Luck.

Thanks...I guess I'm feeling out for ideas here. I also have pretty large hands... I'm not sure how that will effect my comfort w/ certain pistols.

akfodysvn said:

Thanks...I guess I'm feeling out for ideas here. I also have pretty large hands... I'm not sure how that will effect my comfort w/ certain pistols.

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Most people I know with larger hands dont like the Glocks, because of the smaller handle and its angle.

Trip McNeely said:

Most people I know with larger hands dont like the Glocks, because of the smaller handle and its angle.

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how ironic
i have medium hands and prefer the largest gripped glock there is
Glock 21
I also like all glock angles vs. say XDs
so there goes that theory! :usa2:

Go to a gun range and rent a few guns out with different calibers. Or better yet, offer to buy a few boxes of ammo and invite some of the guys on the board to the range to try a few different guns out.

I personally have no problems with a 9mm. I say go with the biggest caliber you can shoot comfortably and can hit what you aim at. I'd take a 9mm over a 10mm if I can shoot it more accurately (never cared for the 10mm round).

another vote for springfield xd9 or xd40. i've got both in s/c. i went and shot a few glocks and they feel weird in my hand. to me they shoot pretty damn close to what my xd's shoot like, but i prefer the xd's. i have decent sized hands with long skinny fingers. glocks feel too small to me, i like their size for CC but i dont like not having a place for my pinky to rest. i'll probably go shoot more glocks again later this week to confirm my feeling for them as im leaning towards getting one to add to the collection

best advise has been given

Go to the range or find some guys and shoot different pistols

I would recomend carry the highest cal you can shoot and handle accuratly and effectively I carry a 45 because I prefer the 1911 frame Have also carried a 40 in a sig P229, glock in 357 sig, smith revolvers in 38spl, and an H&K P7 in 9mm

The 9mm gets a bad rap because its a fast moving pointy bullet that has a tendency to go through rather than translate energy A good hollowpoint helps with this

I allways recomend a pistol that is comfortable but as small as posible also something light if you carry it all day it wears you out

Ruger LCR with 38 Special +p hollow points. A wheel gun will never, EVER let you down. Completely idiot proof, small, concealable, and shoots great!


I dont care what anyone says, a wheel gun will always be better than an automatic in terms of reliability.

futant said:

how ironic
i have medium hands and prefer the largest gripped glock there is
Glock 21
I also like all glock angles vs. say XDs
so there goes that theory! :usa2:

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Note: He said people with "large" hands, not medium.
I have "large" hands and dont like the glocks because their handles are to short. My pinky hangs off the bottom of the grip.

Craizie said:

Note: He said people with "large" hands, not medium.
I have "large" hands and dont like the glocks because their handles are to short. My pinky hangs off the bottom of the grip.

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I'm reading up, if you purchase the extended magazine on the glock, it gives you a place to rest your pinky. I love the idea of being able to carry 15rds, but maybe I'm just over thinking.

Thanks a ton for all of your advice everyone! I assumed firing different weapons would be a good idea, but wasn't quite so clear that it is "the" determining factor. Which ammo typically runs the highest out of these 3?(9mm, .40, and .45)
Are the night sights typically an option that can be had w/ just about any pistol?

akfodysvn said:

I'm reading up, if you purchase the extended magazine on the glock, it gives you a place to rest your pinky. I love the idea of being able to carry 15rds, but maybe I'm just over thinking.

Thanks a ton for all of your advice everyone! I assumed firing different weapons would be a good idea, but wasn't quite so clear that it is "the" determining factor. Which ammo typically runs the highest out of these 3?(9mm, .40, and .45)
Are the night sights typically an option that can be had w/ just about any pistol?

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The "determining factor" is what you are comfortable with. Not everyone is the same, hence the myriad of manufactures with expaded product lines.

Ammo is more expensive the bigger you get. So, 9mm is usually the cheapest, especially to practice with.

These days you can get night sights with anything, but rarely would you ever need them. If you are shooting in light low enough to see the sights, you will be temporarily blinded after the first muzzle blast and they will be worthless. Remember something like 90% of all gunfights are under 5 yards.

I'd go with a laser sight before adding the cost of night sights, JMHO.

I've got a Taurus Millenium Pro 9MM that will be my CC, I'm comfortable with it.

akfodysvn said:

I'm very green to the world of pistols, so I am asking for advice on chosing a weapon to CC. I am looking for something that will be easy to conceal (looked at some of the sub-compact Glock's). I want something that is light, and comfortable to carry. Also I am not sure on how to determine which caliber is for me. I do not want to spend a huge amount on the gun or ammunition (regularly), but I want to make sure that if needed I would have the ability to stop someone.

What I noticed about DFWstangers is they seem to stay away from the 9mm, but I don't know if that just comes down to the machismo of carrying something like a .45.

I am very open to any/all advice, and even some articles to read that would benefit me.

Thanks a ton!

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I carry a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm (C)

Compact 9mm, I love the .45 as well, but I keep the big hog at home for home defense. Sometimes it goes in the truck.

Get your hands on as many guns as possible, find a make/model that feels right. As far as caliber goes, that's a personal choice. I carry 9mm because the gun fits right, it's easy to conceal, I get a few more shots, and I'm confident enough in my shooting ability to make the hits count.

That being said, I'm looking at a compact Taurus .45 to pick up after Christmas.

i would go to a gunrange that lets you test fire. I was looking to get my wife a small gun for CC, but after test firing about 10 guns the most comfortable for her was an XD9 with a 3" barrel. While it is larger then some of the real little guns.. it is really comfortable in her hand.

Craizie said:

Note: He said people with "large" hands, not medium.
I have "large" hands and dont like the glocks because their handles are to short. My pinky hangs off the bottom of the grip.

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dude im not trying to make this into an arguement
the question i have is if you have large hands why not just get a decent sized gun?
shit im 5 6" 160lbs and I can conceal a large frame .45 pistol IWB.
Why not just get a bigger gun then?
I used to have a glock 27 subcompact like youre talking about, but I just got the extended part for the mag = no more problem.
It doesn't make sense to have big hands then pick the smallest gun you can possibly buy.

OP - as mentioned, go shoot several handguns first , then decide. Personally subcompacts are the absolute most difficult to shoot, short sight radius, etc. etc.
I prefer a reasonable sized pistol, to depend my life on. Easier to shoot=better.

futant said:

dude im not trying to make this into an arguement
the question i have is if you have large hands why not just get a decent sized gun?
shit im 5 6" 160lbs and I can conceal a large frame .45 pistol IWB.
Why not just get a bigger gun then?
I used to have a glock 27 subcompact like youre talking about, but I just got the extended part for the mag = no more problem.
It doesn't make sense to have big hands then pick the smallest gun you can possibly buy.

OP - as mentioned, go shoot several handguns first , then decide. Personally subcompacts are the absolute most difficult to shoot, short sight radius, etc. etc.
I prefer a reasonable sized pistol, to depend my life on. Easier to shoot=better.

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I agree for the most part, but the fullsize 1911 that sits at home of in the car because it's too big or heavy to carry is completely pointless as a ccw. A small 380 that you religiously keep in your pocket is better than the 1911 that stays at home.

Hit up Academy and get a feel for the guns in your hands...weight, balance, etc. Once you get some ideas, this will help you when you go to a range to test shoot.

I personally wouldnt go under .40, I carry a .45. Im 5'8" 175lbs and comfortably carry a XD45 in a crossbreed supertuck. The gun is a tad heavy fully loaded. Its a 10+1, so 11 rounds total. If you cant hit 1-2 guys in 11 shots, probably shouldnt be carrying to begin with. You get used to the weight and if you leave home without it, you feel like you are forgetting something.

The bigger grips dont bother me. I have med-large hands. I have shot a couple Glocks in 9mm and .40, and for some reason, I just dont like them. The gun feels cheap. The XD has a much more solid feel. I also like the grip safety of the XD.