# Carrying handgun?



## Shane (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm looking to purchase a handgun in the near future. I would consider myself a beginner with experience. The main use for mine will be protection. I travel for work a lot and would keep it mainly in my car. Although I will carry it in my bag while traveling and also on me at certain times. My question is what to get? I really like SIG SAUER's and love their sub-compact .45. But I have also seen their .380 carry which is also nice. I'm worried that may not pack enough power. Does anyone have input for me? 
Thanks


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## Lateck (Jul 23, 2010)

You will get a number of different opinions here and on any board you post. :smt082
One thought is go BIGGER... carry only a .454 :mrgreen: 
Another is anything is better then nothing....

I have/do carry every thing I own at one time or another, from a small .25 up to my .45.

You should carry what you shoot best and have the most practice with, IMHO. :smt083
Your dress may dictate what you can carry, as if you have shorts on it is hard to conceal a SIG P220.
I have a Ruger LCP, LC9 for carry when I can't show much or don't have a bag/case to store a gun in.
My SIG 239 or Ruger SR9c are smaller guns when I have the chance to hide them well.

Theses are just my thoughts and are worth what you're paying for them . :anim_lol:


BUT, practice and practice......

Lateck,


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## recoilguy (Apr 30, 2009)

You have already gotten very good advice. Like the gun you buy buy the gun you like. Make sure it feels good when you hold it and that itfits in your hand how you are comfortable.

Everyone is different ..... thats probably one of the reasons there are so many choices.

I carry a 9mm I practice drawing and shooting a lot. It is second nature reaching for it for me and I am confident in my ability to shoot. I have not ever experiance the situation that I actually may have to use it and know it will not be the same as shooting paper or cardboard. I want everything else to be vert second nature so dealing with the adrenaline is the only unfimiliar thing in the eqaution.

Get a good gun practice with it and don't buy what your buddy has just because your buddy has one.

RCG


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## Tuefelhunden (Nov 20, 2006)

Welcome to the forum. I would recommend surfing through the brand specific sections such as Sig and read through some of the threads to get information about the various models you may be interested in. Lot of great information here. Secondly, I would recommend handling "and" shooting any models you think you may be interested in. Making your first selection should be based on what you shoot the best, ergonomics, how natural is it for you to manipulated all the controls, handling characteristics and lastly ease of carry. If you don't find information on a specific model posting a question here or in the brand specific section should get you some feedback.

380 will get the job done but it is at the bottom end of the service caliber range for adequate defense. 9mm or greater is generally considered to be optimal. Thing to keep in mind is all handgun calibers are a compromise compared to rifle calibers regarding power. Personally, I typically tend to prefer the 9mm as it strikes the best balance for me between power, capacity and shootability in the weapons platforms I prefer. However, others may prefer 40 S&W, 357 Sig, 45 ACP, 38 SPl/357Mag, etc. The goal is to find the happy medium for you in the platform you are comfortable with.


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## Glock Doctor (Mar 14, 2011)

Leaving the gun in your car isn't a good idea. If you're going to lose the gun, that's when it will happen. 

There are a lot of readily concealable 9mm' s out there. Generally, an EDC pistol shouldn't be one of the most expensive guns you can buy. The day might come when you have to surrender it up into a cold drafty evidence locker for an extended period of time. 

Suggest you see if you can't find something from either: Ruger, Glock, or CZ and go with that. Remember the smaller you go the harder it's going to be to shoot straight. Proper concealment begins with a strong gun belt and IWB/ITB holster. 

Whatever you purchase be sure you, 'verify' it with a good 300 rounds before you start carrying it for SD.


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## EliWolfe (Nov 20, 2010)

Shane;229269 EDIT I would consider myself a beginner with experience.[/QUOTE said:


> My standard advice for beginners who want to carry a pocket pistol "right now' is that they get a [email protected] 442 style internal hammer .38 revolver. Not sexy, but the Plus P .38 is a potent round, the gun is light, easy to conceal, and totally reliable. Though it only gives you 5 rounds, I would definitely take it over an 8 shot .380. Take a look a good look at some ballistic tables and you will see why.
> Good luck,
> Eli


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## bayhawk2 (Sep 25, 2010)

Shane-#1-I take it that you do have a CHL.Don't want to get caught with a handgun 
without that.#2-I'm all for the good guys carrying "NOW".As stated above get what you are comfortable with.Personally I carry a Ruger LCP
.380 almost all the time.They are about $300.
A nice (small) pistol to start with and as you get more comfortable carrying
go bigger if you like.My opinion.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

My recommendation is to buy a Glock 19 or 26, XD-9SC, or a Ruger or S&W snub-nosed .38 (or .357) and start carrying it every day. Carrying it is the only way to be sure you will have it when you need it, and the familiarity that comes with handling it every day, cleaning it regularly, and being continually conscious of having it on your body, will cause you to pay more attention to your surroundings and give more thought to how you will react, should you ever have to draw it.

It is a huge responsibility, and you might as well meet it head-on and not jump into the whole thing half-heartedly. Carrying a gun in a vehicle only makes sense if you are always in the vehicle. It does you absolutely no good if you are accosted by a bad guy, as you are going to your vehicle, and there is also a great chance that it will get stolen.

Any of the guns I mentioned, and dozens of others, have the potential to be adequate for self-defense, against a wide variety of human predators, regardless of how they are dressed. There is no need to continually agonize over which gun is best, when there are so many that are good enough. The FBI ballistic gel tests suggest that 9mm Luger (9x19) is the minimum effective round for every situation. Certainly, that is debatable, based on dozens of factors, but it is a decent a benchmark to use, probably better than most.

I just threw those guns out there because I like them, but the point is to go get _something_ with a reputation for reliability, and start shooting it, and getting used to carrying it. Just my opinion, of course.


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## chessail77 (Mar 15, 2011)

*CC weapon*

If you have a chance you might take a look at S&W 908, 6906 or 3913 as they make excellent CC pistols and can be bought at a reasonable price..


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## SMann (Dec 11, 2008)

I agree with Bisley. Buy something reliable, and start shooting and carrying it. The experience you gain will help you learn exactly what you need and want in a weapon, holster, caliber, etc. Learning through research will never surpass learning through application.


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## jem375 (May 8, 2006)

personally, I would not go below a 9MM or 38 special for carrying, I had a 380 and it was not the best pistol for me, it would only dent a piece of tin roofing....


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## charger5579 (Nov 6, 2010)

EliWolfe said:


> My standard advice for beginners who want to carry a pocket pistol "right now' is that they get a [email protected] 442 style internal hammer .38 revolver. Not sexy, but the Plus P .38 is a potent round, the gun is light, easy to conceal, and totally reliable. Though it only gives you 5 rounds, I would definitely take it over an 8 shot .380. Take a look a good look at some ballistic tables and you will see why.
> Good luck,
> Eli


I agree 100 percent!!


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

Notwithstanding an unearned reputation for recoil, I found that the ergonomics made it very easy to handle. I suspect it would be easier to shoot than the .380 (which I have not fired).

However I am not a big fan of single action pistols for novice shooters. I feel that a double action revolver makes the safest and best first weapon. A close second is a double action only semi-automatic.

Those thoughts would make the Sigs a good choice for a second weapon (after you have gained some experience) but a less desirable choice for a first weapon.

There is enough going on for you to deal with when you first learn to shoot; the more complicated battery of arms for the 1911 style single action only makes it more complex.

If I were to liken it to learning to drive, then the revolver is like the car with the automatic transmission, and the 1911 is like the Porsche with a conventional stick shift. It is easier to learn to drive with the automatic and then once the basic skills are mastered then you can hop in the Porsche.


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