I have never owned a handgun. I used to shoot my dad's revolvers as a kid and I have shot some friends' semi-autos over the years.

I will want this for a CHL weapon.
I will probably prefer a 9mm

Prioritized list of requirements
- Reliability/Safety
- Suitable for CHL weapon
- Fit, I wear large gloves (6'1" tall)
- maintainability/serviceability & spare parts
- Price

Just get me started with some models to research and I'll come back with more questions later.

Thanks!

I'm not a fan of 9mm. You can typically get a .40 S&W in the same weapons and it's a much more potent round for self defense.

My choice is a Sig P239 for carry. Potent 40 S&W round (you can get it in 9mm if you prefer), small size, but still big enough that it's comfortable to shoot at the range. Very accurate guns. I'm 6'4", XL gloves, and the grips on this gun are comfortable.


Sig is as reliable as they come, but they're pricey. Not sure what 239's are selling for now, but probably in the $650 range new.

I also have a S&W 442 and a 642 in .38 +P. Good pocket guns. Downside is they only hold 5 rounds. Grips are very small and gun is very light. Shooting +P out of these isn't a lot of fun, but for a pocket, self defense gun, they're hard to beat. These guns are so light and so small, I find that I almost always carry now. There is really no excuse not to when you own one of these.

I live in Leander. If any of these interest you and you want to try them out at the range one day, let me know and you can shoot them. I'm not selling them, but you're welcome to shoot them and see if they're something you may want to buy elsewhere.

I'd just as soon trust my life to a slingshot as a .380 or 9mm or even .38sp

Seriously I have both and have been seriously dissappointed in penatration. In all honesty I'd have just as much confidence in 22 lr.

And read the disclaimer below... I don't claim to be any kind of expert.

glock 19

Im a Sig fan but for strictly concealed carry I would go with teh Glock 26, if you just have to stick with the 9. I like the 40 much better though.

As for the 380, 9, and 38 thing, I once heard a special ops guy say "when I put two in the head and two in the chest it doesnt matter if I do it with a 38 or a 45" !!

Main thing is to get a gun you'll actually carry. When out of the house, a small .25 in your pocket is better than a .45 in your gun safe.

How do you intend to carry the gun? (IWB, OWB, Pocket, Ankle, off person, etc). What kind of clothing do you normally wear? The Glock 26/27 is a great all around carry gun, but if you wear an untucked shirt, a 19/23 is also fairly easy to conceal. The Kahr PM9 is a great gun for pocket carry, but is fairly expensive. I was very impressed by the Kel Tec PF9. It runs around $300 and mine was 100% reliable through several hundred rounds. It is good for pocket carry in loose slacks.

I cannot wear to work.

Probably mostly in the truck, but when I go somewhere I want it on me it will probably be under a jacket or on my waistband.

Really good question, btw

My opinion...Glock. I have several mfg pistols (no revolvers) and my Glock is the most dependable. I believe it is more forgiving if you limp-wrist a shot. My Glock is a full size 31 so it's not a CCW. My CCW is a Colt Defender .45. I know it sounds odd that I reccommned Glock and carry a Colt but I just haven't gotten around to shooting a Glock 33 (sub compact 45). If I like it, I'll trade/sell the Colt and carry a Glock.

As far as caliber, I believe a person should shoot as large a caliber as they can shoot well. The 40 S&W is tried and true. I love my 357Sig. It's the most accurate round I have. But out to reasonable ranges for CCW, the Colt 45 will put 50 rounds in a 1.5" circle and I dang sure wouldn't want to get shot with it.

454 capsul.. that ought to do ya.. jk....glock is good

Like KC siad check out the Kahr as well. Didnt think about them but they are great pistols.

Glock 23

If your stuck on a 9mm I would say the Glock 19 but I would recommend the same frame pistol in .40 cal which is the Glock 23.

Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm. Glocks don't like lead bullets and have weak firing pins. Don't think for a minute you are giving up anything with the 9mm cartridge. It killed lots of folks in several wars.

I carry a Firestorm Mini 9, made by Bersa (Same thing as the Bersa Thunder 9mm Ultra Compact). It has been flawless for me at the range with the 3 or 4 different types of ammo I have used in it. It is small enough that it is comfortable to wear IWB, but it isn't a pocket gun. Myself and friends have owned a few Bersa's and they have all been great shooters.

As for the 9mm, .40, .45 debate...I don't feel under-gunned with a 9mm. I think if I have to defend myself with a 9mm, the bad guy will be just as dead as if I used a .45. 9mm ammo is much less expensive, and for me, that means I will be able to practice more and be more efficient with it.

I like both 40 and 9mm. Honestly GOOD defense 9mm ammo will preform as well if not better than 40 in some cases. But w/ that being said i cant imagine where a shot would have to be that a 40 would work and a 9mm wouldn't.

A 9mm is not a bad caliber to choose. The important thing is that you choose the right bullet to do the job. Too many people think that any hollow point will do. You need to make sure that the round will not clog up and expand prematurely from heavy clothing lessening the penetration factor. A polymer tip hollow point is the way to go. Hornady critical defense rounds work great. I believe that they make them in 9mm but not positive. I carry a Bersa .380 with them and am more than confident they can get the job done. I own a S&W Sigma 9mm but if I carry a full size I prefer my Sig 220. There is nothing wrong with any of the other calibers mentioned previous this is just how I roll. The main thing is find one your comfortable with.

You can argue stopping power for days. This site is an interesting start that shows all the popular calibers. Another thing is to find the KE of each round. .40 and 9mm are a lot different.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/849728/posts

For shooting, 9mm ammo can be had cheap. For a SD round, the .40 is far superior. Either is a valid choice depending on your reasons.

That's what I have in my 9mm Bersa!

+1

"The smaller the gun, the bigger the man," as a great friend and teacher used to say.

There is a lot of practical value in a lot of different packages and everyone can give you a reason why each one is garbage. For the same reason people debate about the best North American game cartridge, they argue about the best carry piece. Plenty of things will get the job done depending on the situation. What kind of situation are you concerned about?

Revolvers have no feed problem, so you can shoot gravel, nails, and bed springs out of them. However, they have less capacity than auto-loaders and a wider profile in typical cartridges.

Derringers are even more capacity strapped but they are very concealable.

Small autos are the most concealable. All autos suffer from the need to shoot them in a technically correct fashion to prevent jamming. What if you are in a state of shock, fear, and surprise and accidentally limp wrist your auto and stove pipe but need a second shot for the first and only assailant? Wow, that will make you wish for a revolver.

Personally, I like snubbies and over under derringers.
http://www.snubnose.info/docs/M637.htm

If you have to leave it in your truck get something inexpensive, just in case a thief breaks in. A cheap 380 or 9mm comes to mind. May even consider a 38 revolver or 357. If you went the 357 route you could shoot 38's in it.

Especially if you rely on magazine writers for your information. Here's a little ditty from the FBI - page 12 is on the topic of knock-down power.

http://www.firearmstactical.com/pdf/fbi-hwfe.pdf

Borrow a 9mm or semi to qualify with. Then you can carry and or use either relvolver or semi auto

Go handle as many handguns as you can. Stick with the "names" (SIG, S&W, Springfield, Glock, Kimber, etc) and see which one is the most comfortable and your "natural pointer". Example, Glock is a reliable great pistol but from a draw and shoot I will shoot it high. My Xd fits my natural point better. You may be the opposite but only you will know the answer to that by trying as many as possible.

Start out with the 45 acp and you won't have to move up to it later. Get a pretty good one, shoot FMJ, and you're good to go. They come in all sizes, are easily concealed, and ammo is readily available and not expensive.