CCW
POSTED BY: Wulfenstar
UPDATED: Saturday, November 15, 2008 06:47
VIEWED: 3199
PAGE 1 of 1
Ok, so there are a lot of opinions on what to carry, and how...
Semi-auto:
Pros?
Cons?
Revolver:
Pros?
Cons?
Manufacturer?
Ammo type?
Caliber?
Im applying for a CCW soon and could use some advice. I shoot at least 1x a month, with my .40 and 9mm H&Ks and my .357 S&W...
Im willing to plunk down the cash for something in a smaller frame, but what and why?
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Ruger LCP in .380 seems to be getting decent reviews. I wasn't crazy about it when I tried one, because the trigger and trigger guard are so tiny that I could only pull the trigger with the tip of my finger, and then the recoil and the trigger-slap would smack the back of my finger against the front of the trigger guard, leaving it sore after only a few rounds.
But as something you can carry, it's not bad. Small, reliable, and *enough* stopping power to make someone think twice.
I have an old Grendel .380 auto, and that thing is pure trash. It can absolutely be counted on to jam (failure-to-eject or failure to feed - FTE & FTF) at least 2 shots out of every 3. If I ever had to use it for defense, I'd pull it out and yell, "Stop or I'll THROW!" - and then throw it at the attacker. If he were stupid enough to pick it up and try to use it against me, I'd have all the time I needed to get away!
I still love my trusty Ruger P85 9mm. It's not small, but it is dead-solid reliable, having pushed over a thousand rounds through it without a single issue. And the 15-round mag loaded up with "frangible" (fragmenting) loads means it's definitely got the power to stop someone dead in their tracks if the need arises.
Personally, I think you'll be fine with what you've already got, but that's no fun to hear, right? After all, what's the point of getting the CCW if you can't get a fun new toy to go along with it? :)
Good luck in your search, and I hope you find something you like.
Mike
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Nothing wrong with Kwicko's P85...Or , your H&K's .
But there's also a lot to be said for the stopping power of a .45 caliber acp...
One of the better compact .45's that can be found is the Kimber , what else , Compact .
http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/review/kim_com_rev.htm
You also may want to check out 'CZ' Firearms...
http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=83008
This one's Out-Of-Stock right now , for good reason , but you can get on an email wait list , or probably do a search , and find one elsewhere...
There's also the Ruger P90 , plus a newer Ruger compact .45 caliber design , here's a link :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruger_%22P%22_series_pistols
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Kathy's site has a great rundown on this...
http://www.corneredcat.com/FirstGun/which.aspx
My suggestion, however ?
Bersa Thunder .380ACP loaded with Corbon PowRballs.
Inexpensive, respectable quality, easy to use and completely adequate for most defensive applications.
Not sure I'd go with CCW straight out of the box however, a trip to a decent gunsmith can work wonders on fine tuning a pistol intended for CCW.
-F
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Ok, but revolver or auto?
Both have their pluses and minuses.
But from experience, if you were walking into a bad day in Bosnia, with only one or the other, which would it be?
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Gotta do what works for you, mano.
If you want a revolver suggestion...
Small-frame .357 Hammerless in stainless steel.
Here's a nice, inexpensive one.
http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=268&category=
Revolver
No hammer catching on stuff, no maintainence or mechanical worries, durable as hell and capable of feeding 38SPL, 38SPL+ and .357Mag depending on need.
-F
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I don't even have a gun. Thought about it some, w/ all the talk and all, but even w/ the threat that I won't be able to get one, I'm still not motivated to run out and buy one.
What the hell's wrong w/ me ?
It is not those who use the term "Islamo-Fascism" who are sullying the name of Islam; it is the Islamo-Fascists. - Dennis Prager
" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "
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Hello,
I will second the vote for Taurus stainless steel snubbies. I don't like the titanium ones because they are actually TOO light.
You can't get so nervous that you mess up and fail to fire somehow. You literally take it out, point it, and pull the trigger.
--Anthony
"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner
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Quote:
Originally posted by Wulfenstar:
Ok, but revolver or auto?
Both have their pluses and minuses.
But from experience, if you were walking into a bad day in Bosnia, with only one or the other, which would it be?
I like auto. Pretty much always have. When I was young, I had a .22 revolver, but when I got a chance to shoot a .22 auto, the revolver felt very... OLD. I've been a fan of semi-auto handguns ever since. Plus, I find it easier to slip a spare magazine or two in a jacket pocket, versus a bunch of loose rounds or speedloaders. The auto mags are slimmer than speedloaders, too, so less bulky in your pocket and easier to conceal.
As an added bonus, most autos give you anywhere from 10 to 15 rounds or more (7 in a .45 cal 1911, 17 in a Glock .45), where the typical revolver is still a 6-shooter (or 7 in some cases). Granted, if you need more than 6 rounds to get out of trouble, you're probably already in too deep, but the old saw still holds true: Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
As with most things, though, the choices are many, and the right choice is the one you're most comfortable with.
And 'Rap, not "getting" the gun thing doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. Some folks really like shooting guns, and some just find it noisy, dangerous, and scary. I'm one of the former, my wife one of the latter.
And by the way, if I were walking into a bad day in Bosnia, I'd want an AK, not a pistol. Much higher magazine capacity, much better accuracy out to 100 yards or so, and the fact that everyone else in the country is carrying the same weapon, so ammo is easy to find - just pick it up from your latest victim, and carry on!
Mike
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Oh no, a thread about guns ... 
------------------------------
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?
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Quote:
Originally posted by Khyron:
Oh no, a thread about guns ...
------------------------------
Hello,
Does it always nauseate you when a bunch of people who enjoy a topic gather together to discuss it?
--Anthony
"Liberty must not be purchased at the cost of Humanity." --Captain Robert Henner
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Quote:If that topic is guns, then yes.
Originally posted by AnthonyT:
Does it always nauseate you when a bunch of people who enjoy a topic gather together to discuss it?
------------------------------
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?
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Why fear and loathe a mere tool ?
(I mean guns, not AuRaptor )
That's all it is, really.
And no, I don't think anything's "wrong" with you if you don't wanna carry, Rap, or if you do - it's a personal choice I would never wanna force on someone or take from them.
A weapon itself isn't the end all be all of self defense, a workin brain is - a guy with a pencil, within 15 feet of an unprepared, distracted gunner, stands a way better than even chance of taking him out just by taking the initiative, and yet if the gunner sidesteps and throws a trashcan into his path, the odds turn the other way, quick.
The BEST thing to pack for a CCW is a BRAIN.
But a weapon helps, sure it does.
Last note, Wulf, in particular cause you are still workin through certain other issues, I highly, HIGHLY suggest you make the aquaintence of a mister Massad Ayoob.
http://www.ayoob.com/
That man, and his associates, seriously know their shit, and what they can teach you is worth it's weight in gold bullion, not just for keeping your ass in one piece, but keeping it out of legal hassle too.
Marc McYoung is a good guy to know, and his free advice is worth a holy HELL of a lot more than ya paid for it, especially regarding de-escalation and preventing it from ever even becoming an incident.
http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/index.html
Also useful as hell is knowing how to fire without sights, but fair warning, it DOES take a pre-existing knack for it, AND a shit-ton of practice.
http://www.bobtuley.com/pointshooting.htm
Make sure to pull your hand back a bit and NOT LOOK DOWN if you shoot left handed that way, or you'll get a rather hot and painful reminder not to do THAT ever again.
-Frem
It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
...Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
...Some folks really like shooting guns, and some just find it noisy, dangerous, and scary. I'm one of the former, my wife one of the latter.
Mike
I really like shooting guns...
Because they're noisy , dangerous , and scary...
Noisy , dangerous , and scary serve as a deterrent to the bad guys...So , all of those factors are a PLUS...
I like noisy , dangerous , and scary !
If you ever acquire a firearm that isn't noisy , dangerous , and scary , best not to consider using it for potential self-defense situations...
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Quote:
Originally posted by Khyron:Quote:If that topic is guns, then yes.
Originally posted by AnthonyT:
Does it always nauseate you when a bunch of people who enjoy a topic gather together to discuss it?
Then this probably isn't your thread...
Best go take an anti-emetic and lie down...
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Quote:
Originally posted by Wulfenstar:
Im applying for a CCW soon and could use some advice.
Practice with the gun you're going to carry - a lot. Practice drawing from the holster while in street clothes. Learn to find and shoot from cover.
Make sure your gun works reliably every time. Run a few hundred rounds of the ammo you'll carry through it. Any failure means a trip to the gunsmith for correction.
Learn the law concerning use of deadly force in your jurisdiction. Have a lawyer familiar with self-defense law on speed-dial.
Determine now whether or not you can use deadly force if necessary. If not, don't carry.
Before I moved to NOVA where CCW permits were nearly unobtainable, I carried a Browning Hi-Power. Not the gun for everyone, but I was shooting combat pistol matches with it weekly and was used to it. Since I bought it in '73 it has never failed to fire.
"Keep the Shiny side up"
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Quote:
Practice with the gun you're going to carry - a lot. Practice drawing from the holster while in street clothes. Learn to find and shoot from cover.
Make sure your gun works reliably every time. Run a few hundred rounds of the ammo you'll carry through it. Any failure means a trip to the gunsmith for correction.
Geezer, when you're right, you're right. Can't argue with a bit of that helpful advice.
Practice, practice, practice.
Mike
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I love .45ACP autoloaders.
I saw a defense .45ACP revolver, but the price was outrageous!
As far as the appropriate-ness of a gun thread on a Firefly Fan Board...well...there sure were a lot of gun carrying good guys in the Firefly 'verse.
The fact that firearms were depicted as an accepted tool for good folk to protect themselves was one of the things that drew me to the 'verse.
Mike
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Quote:
As far as the appropriate-ness of a gun thread on a Firefly Fan Board...well...there sure were a lot of gun carrying good guys in the Firefly 'verse.
Kinda what I was thinkin'...
Much as I hate to admit it, we live in a world that ain't exactly all that far from the raggedy edge.
Wulf:
Another one you might have a look at is the Springfield XD. It comes in Compact and Sub-compact models for easier concealed carry (available in 9mm and .40 caliber), and there are larger-framed .45 models available. Seems to be getting some good reviews and feedback.
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