need advice on a conceal and carry!!!

[nitsudredle]

starting off i bought a ruger p95dc about two months ago and about 1200 rounds later. or now . i have decided that i want something newer and smaller to take my concealed weapons test. test fired a glock 26 today. way to small. fired the full size sr9 and i like it. my range doesnt have a sr9c to test. sadly enough. and the g26 kinda made me sad as i have always wanted a glock. does the grip on the 19 any different? i just didnt feel like the 26 sat in the right spot in the web of my hand. in a nut shell i want something smaller. prefferably in the 9mm. no wheel guns please..... and thanks in advance! anyone with any kind of suggestions? im kind of new to guns but instantly fell in love.

[tigwelder56]

I believe that Glocks in general have the same feel in your hand. You either love them or hate them. Have you considered a Beretta? The PX4 is probably one of their nicest, best pointing pistols. They've had their ups and downs with pistol quality IMO but the PX4 seems to be top notch and extremely controllable. The Springfield XD is another one worth a look at, as is the S&W M+P. That ought to keep you busy looking for a day or two! Good luck!

[nitsudredle]

didnt like the smith and wesson. it too didnt feel right. though i am considring the xd. isnt it just a shorter barrel though compared to the full size? and i do like the grip safety. how concealable would it be? can you really conceal any gun? i spend more time on the range than anything right now. for some reason im stuck on the sr9 but i feel its too light as odd as that sounds. none of my friends have guns so i really had no one to turn to except for a forum. kinda sad i know. i just want to stay around the 5-6 hundred range. and i still want it to be fun at the range. i do alot of research online. then go spend hours at the local gun shops. i usually hit two or three every saturday. but only one rents guns. and its not that expensive. five bucks and you can change guns as often as you want. and it always seems like whichever guy i talk to he is stuck on one brand. i dont really care about brand as long as i coulndt walk out without it. and i really love how they tortured the xd's. but since i got all that out what should i look for in a gun? my ruger has no safeties at all and i do have a two year old son. and i keep it put away in the top of the closet but some how (heaven forbid) he gets it i would have to kill myself if something happened to him and it was ecause of the gun i got to protect my family.

[tigwelder56]

I find your comment about the SR9 being too light entertaining! At 26.5 ounces it falls into a very average weight class. It truly is an average weight, high capacity 9mm, that offers several safety features. I like the fact that all models come with a stainless steel slide, blackened or OD green along with standard brushed stainless. It seems to be a very well liked handgun by those that own them and trust me they aren't too light by any stretch. Since you're new into this sport, you have alot of things ahead of you and discovering the differing weights between different guns will be one of them.



If you're basing your decision on the available safeties on each pistol because of a concern for your son's safety, I think you should reconsider your gun safety priorities. There isn't a safety available on any firearm outside of a cable lock and no ammo that would be completely safe. I'm sure there are other examples but you get my idea. There are multiple quick access safes that you might consider if your current method isn't satisfactory. Keep in mind if you're going to use it for home defense, you'd better be able to get to it in a matter of seconds and have it ready to serve it's intended purpose. Consider your options before needing one.



As far as concealability, all pistols/revolvers can be concealed with the proper holster or method. A bigger consideration is what you plan to try to conceal it under. If you're able to wear clothing that readily hides what's under it, you're ahead of the game. Here in Florida, it's always hot and we can't rely on a coat or jacket to hide our carry gun. We live in shorts and t-shirts. Concealability is at times a real chore. So consider what you usually wear and make your decision from there. It all depends on what you decide to carry and how you would prefer to carry it. I use alot of pocket holsters and smaller caliber firearms here but carried in a shoulder rig or a OWB paddle when I lived up North. You'll have a lot of things to consider, don't make them overnight!

[nitsudredle]

i dont know i guess it feel so light because all i have right now is the ruger p95 and its pretty heavy and i also have my grandpas 1911 colt combat commander. love them both but both are too big to conceal. i think. my son never sees the guns unless they are in peices in the floor while i clean. i really looked into glock mainly because of their rep. and the lock you can have installed or ordered in the grip. so i could lock it and have no worries. but he is still so small that he can never get it aslong as i put it away. which im kinda picky about. its always put away gun on one shelf mags on opposite side of the closet. i have held but not shot the xd and i kinda thought it felt amazing but i also thought the same of the sr9. and when i shot the sr9 i never put all 17 rounds in the clip to conserve ammo. i shot 50 out of the g26, 50 out of the sr9, and another 50 out of my p95. i want to try the g 19 and the xd 3.8. but i too live in the humid south. charleston to be exact i wear shorts and a tee shirt all but four months out of the year so i thought the 26 would be perfect but i felt as if i had to correct my grip everytime i shot. it just didnt feel natural at all. would the houge sleave correct this i have one on the p95 as mine is so old and slick. it made it feel like a whole new gun. im not trying to rush this. but at the same time i am. i dont make alot of money and this is one of the rare months i get paid 3 time in one month. quiznos doesnt pay me that much. so i figure if i get the gun now by the time i scrape up the cash to pay for my cwp class i would be good enough to pass with the gun. i really appreciate all your input on this.

[nitsudredle]

i mean i would carry the p95 it wasnt so bulky i love it.

[tigwelder56]

Hey, it's a pleasure to help you out. That's why we're here and we like to do it! There are always differing ideas but our desire is to provide you with good information anytime we provide it. You're doing the right thing by asking questions. It's a practice that we all do and recommend. Keep it up!!



The Hogue Hand All grip sleeve is an excellent addition to the Glock IMO. I put one on my G23 and it made a great difference in not only the grip itself but it reduced the felt recoil and the palm swells and finger grip elevation made a nice improvement overall. I wish I would've invented them!



I lived in Hanahan for four years and we didn't have many ranges to choose from back then (1980). We didn't have any ranges that I'm aware of that rented firearms. I wish I would've had that luxury! I'm glad to hear that you're taking advantage of it. Don't be in too big of a hurry to buy something just because you can. Is there a specific reason why you can't save your money for an extra month or two to get exactly what you want? Never settle for something you really don't want simply because you have the money to afford it now. If you can wait another month or two to get what you really want is well worth the wait. A quality handgun is something you may have forever and that's how I treat every gun purchase I enter into. Be sure before you lay down your money that you've done all of your homework!



By the way, Quiznos is one of the best shops of it's kind! I love you guys!!! LOL!![

[nitsudredle]

beretta looks kinda different but is a highly reputable brand atleast to me. i hate working at quiznos been there for two years. and you mean hanahan sc? i hate driving through there cops dont like speeders there. but atp gun shop in summerville rents guns to anyone. five dollars and you can try as many guns as you want. good for me seeing as im stuck on a 9mm. my dad has a 22 38 357 and a 12 gauge. and i have my ruger(hasty decision) i got from a pawn shop and my grandpas 1911 which i could never carry. not a fan of loaded and cocked back i do like that beretta though due to the double action trigger. my dad is no help in this all he knows is wheel guns i had to show him how to take his own gun apart. next week i think ill go try the beretta and the xd. but i cant get the xdm riight as they dont make a compact? and i want to try the glock 19. they have 9mms on sale for $12 a box so i love trying them all. also trying to stock up on a deal like that.... lol ammo scare normally paying $20 a box... im still concerned about concealability though....

[tigwelder56]

Be grateful you have a job, there are many that would trade positions in a second! I understand your desire to advance youself and that'll happen in time. I hope it's sooner than later and believe it'll be delayed by the idiots in office now. The sooner we get rid of them the better.



You mentioned the XD M again and I think you should look into it since it has your interest. It's a good gun and I think you should give it a go at the range if they have it. You mentioned your concern over the Ruger SR9 being too light at 26.5 ounces, well the XD m 3.8 weighs in at 27.5 oz. So it truly is light considering what you're getting. It comes with two 19 (+1) round magazines. That's 39 rounds in a gun fight if you go through all of it!! That's huge and should be enough to handle any armed encounter that I'm familiar with. What I'm trying to say is that if the shear number of rounds you have readily available in your gun and an extra magazine are what's important, and (if) this isn't enough, you're in deep shit already.



As I said before, you have to make some serious consideration over your decision. If you can't get your head around an IWB holster, an OWB design with a cover jacket or a shoulder rig, then you have to listen to some common sense ideas as far as different calibers, pistol designs and carry options. Namely pocket guns and holsters. That's another conversation. Take some time and think about what we've discussed and get back. Later dude!!

[whitehood]

You might want to look into the CZ line of compact pistols. They're double action with a popular decocker variant, just like your P95 so if you've trained correctly using the double action as your initial shot, the mechanics will be the same. CZ usually means high quality at a good price, but they're not bargain based entry level pistols either. Otherwise the Bersa 9mm's give a very good value and good function to boot.