Best concealed carry gun

Wow, so many options.

Admittedly, this is not entirely to indulge a cc fantasy...I'm looking into getting a ccw over the border in Michigan, so something small, light, restricted only and easily concealable is what I need. My 1911 is way too big and so is my Baby Eagle. A Glock or M&P seems like the way to go.
 
Urbansherpa said:
I can't imagine concealed carrying my 686 on my belt. It's 12" long and weighs enough to make you walk funny. I would trust it more than any other gun, though.
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Agreed, totally shootable, ultimately reliable. would need to carry a car battery on the other side to balance it out lol. And a giant winter coat to conceal it under.
 
Well, some interesting reading in this thread, but I will speak out for some reality checks on the entire "WTF would I carry if I could" conversation.

As some of your know, I live in SW Florida and both my wife and I have CCW permits. I never leave the house un-armed......because I can. I believe in my RIGHT to protect myself and my loved ones and I regularly exercise that right.

So for the reality part of the conversation, when you carry on a regular basis, some of the things you must consider are:

1. Weight
2. Profile
3. Holster
4. Presentation of the firearm, should the need arise.

Having a big 454 hog leg, or the massive auto with lasers and tac lights is nice to think about, but how are you going to feel after carrying them for 10 hours straight, if you can hide them in your shorts and t-shirt because it's 102 degrees with a humidity factor of 85%, let alone driving in your vehicle with the bastard digging into your hip.

Reality is that you carry a 5 shot S&W Airweight in 38Spl +P with a couple Bianchi speed strips in your pockets, giving you 17 rounds of hard hitting freedom to dispense should the need be required. Easy to hide, easy to carry, you don't even know it's there. Mine also has the Laser Grips so you really don't even have to aim, just put the dot on the perp and pull that smooth S&W trigger.

When I feel the need for more Freedom, I have my 17rnd 9mm that I carry off body, but still very handy and immediately accessible from by leather briefcase. I've only had to present this once to a maniac who was threatening me with a samurai sword (of all things) in a road rage incident. Once he saw my Freedom outweighed his, he ran back to his car and sped off through a red light. I didn't even have to take my Freedom Dispenser out of it's holster, just the sight of it was enough to de-escalate the situation.

Just some food for thought on the "if I could, what would I carry" conversation.

CS45
 
Problem cansoldier is most here cannot get a 2 inch J frame. Do you holster the Smith or tuck it in a pocket? Fla is hot and humid!
My pick would be a Baby Glock in a IWB crossdraw under a loose shirt. Great for access in cars and at least half the gun won't rust!
Congrats on the CC permit, you lucky dog!
 
Thanks for sharing that actual experience.

Just carrying full size autos and large framed revolvers in competition for several hours is enough. I think it would be fatiguing and impractical, given summertime clothing, sitting in vehicles, whatever reason to carry some of these. Of course, everyone has different lifestyles, and what a 5'2" woman can conceal vs. a 6'6" guy (or woman) is way different too.

Even LEO and military, carrying on cushioned 2" belts consider weight and size. Believe there is a hip and kidney condition attributed to carrying firearms for long periods. Interesting thread and points throughout.
 
I carry in the field and know that the size and weight of your handgun is vitally important. I carry a .454 Casull these days but whenever I can, I carry a .357 magnum as it is lighter.

CCW handguns are carried a lot and fired very little or never at all.

Six shots, best trigger in the DA revolver world, no safeties and only 20 ounces.

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Still alive said:
Problem cansoldier is most here cannot get a 2 inch J frame. Do you holster the Smith or tuck it in a pocket? Fla is hot and humid!
My pick would be a Baby Glock in a IWB crossdraw under a loose shirt. Great for access in cars and at least half the gun won't rust!
Congrats on the CC permit, you lucky dog!
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Yes, but the big if is if you could carry in Canada, you would hope that the stupid prohib rules would also go out the window, allowing for a reasonable choice of undercover hardware.

Stainless or alloys are also a big consideration due to the rust point you make, but in my experience stainless is very weighty.

CS45
 
Still alive said:
Is that a 2 inch K frame? Model 10/13? J frames hold 5 rds.
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It's a 2" Model 12-2 K frame with an aluminum frame and a steel cylinder.

The originals had aluminum cylinders and were used by US pilots during the Vietnam War.

Gun Review: Smith & Wesson Model 12 .38 Special

By Dan Zimmerman on October 30, 2013

I picked up my Smith & Wesson Model 12 .38 Special in 1999 after reading an article on a customized one that looked really cool. I knew I wanted to have one made up for me. Like most such plans, it fell by the wayside in the face of family, work and finances. I kept it around though, because I liked the way it handled and I shot it a lot. I qualified for my Kentucky CCW license with it and even attended an Advanced Defensive Handgun course with John Farnam of Defense Training International. I was the only revolver shooter in the class. The 2” medium frame guns seem to have fallen from favor in the tidal wave of small, featherweight revolvers and compact semi-autos that are the flavor of the month for concealed carry these days. But the model 12, and other guns like it, offer some advantages over the lightweight pocket guns .

The S&W model 12 was made from 1952 to 1986, with the first models offered made completely of aluminum alloy. It didn’t take too long before it was found that the alloy cylinders wouldn’t hold up to firing even standard pressure .38 Special loads, and the guns were changed to steel in 1954. The all-alloy guns, commonly called the ‘Aircrewman’ model, are highly collectable nowadays.

The Model 12 was offered with either 2” or 4” barrels, in blue or nickel finish, and with a square or round butt like the old mainstay of the Smith & Wesson line, the Model 10 service revolver. Mine is the blue 2” model. With the round butt and 2” barrel, it weighs 19 ounces unloaded. In contrast, my J-frame Model 642 Airweight .38 Special with its Barami Hip Grip weighs 15 ounces, but comes with a smaller grip, sights that are harder to see and one less round. The Model 12 came with the original skinny grips. I’ve tried several different grip options, finally settling on just adding a Tyler T-Grip adaptor to it. Gee, can we say ‘simple?’

The trigger is narrow and serrated, which goes against the current thought that revolver triggers ‘must be smooth and rounded for shooting comfort.’ Nope, I like the serrations. I like knowing my finger isn’t going to move or slide around and the serrations naturally fall into the first joint of my trigger finger. Coincidentally, I have the same kind of trigger on my Model 19 .357 Magnum, too. The fixed rear sight notch and serrated front sight ramp are the same ones used on the full size Model 10 heavy barrel service revolver, so there’s no surprise there.

Since they aren’t made anymore – and I don’t think I can replace the frame anytime soon – I don’t shoot any +P loads through it. I have in the past, but with the re-introduction in of the Federal 125gr Nyclad Hollowpoint, which was designed expressly for the short barreled .38s, I have no reason to beat up the gun with high pressure rounds.In my part of the country I can also find the Hornady Critical Defense 110gr Flextip jacketed hollowpoint round pretty easily. My reloads for practice and training are a standard pressure 158gr lead bullet and 4 grains of Winchester 231. Both loads were easy to shoot out of the short barreled K-frame, and were more than accurate enough for what it’s going to be used for.

In shooting for this article, I stretched things out to 15 yards just to see what the full-framed gun would do. Yes, that short barrel is made more for bad breath range, but getting on target with the Model 12 was a lot easier than shooting a J-frame at that distance. And the K-frame-sized grip gave me more leverage for double action, something lacking in the smaller guns. Besides, not all self defense situations are ‘up close and personal,’ and knowing my gun is going to be accurate farther downrange is a comfort.

My Model 12 served as my concealed carry gun for a while and I toted it around in an old Bianchi 3S Pistol Pocket IWB holster. Even in the heat of a hot Alabama summer, the finish held up fine. I shot it every week and the only sign of all that use is telltale ring around the cylinder. If the hammer were bobbed, it might make a pretty good pocket gun.

It may sound crazy, but no less an authority than Elmer Keith thought enough of the snubby K-frame to talk about it as a pocket gun in his book ‘Sixguns’ back in 1955. In those days though, men’s fashions were a little different, pants were roomier and coats were almost always worn. Elmer figured that if you were going to use a holster, you could just as easily carry a bigger gun and use a K-frame as backup.

If you are a fan of the K-frame guns, such as the Model 10, Model 15, Model 19, Model 66, etc., and use one on a regular basis, having one of these as a concealed carry gun makes a lot of sense. Most folks are more apt to carry the shorter, lighter gun anyway. Along those same lines, the speedloader for the six shot K-frames will also work with the Colt D-frame revolvers, such as the Detective Special, Cobra and Agent. This was a hot setup back when police officers still mainly carried revolvers, as they could use the same loader and ammo in both their primary or backup guns. It is still a viable technique today.

The concept of a medium frame, short barreled, lightweight revolver has been revitalized by Smith & Wesson with their Night Guard series, but the Model 12 is still an outstanding pistol in its own right. They’re still available out there on the used market, too. Check one out. I think you’ll find it useful.

Specifications:

Weight: 19 oz. empty
Barrel: 2″
Action: Double
Caliber: .38 special
Capacity: six rounds
Price: around five bills
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http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/20.../gun-review-smith-wesson-model-12-38-special/
 
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cansoldier45 said:
Yes, but the big if is if you could carry in Canada, you would hope that the stupid prohib rules would also go out the window, allowing for a reasonable choice of undercover hardware.

Stainless or alloys are also a big consideration due to the rust point you make, but in my experience stainless is very weighty.

CS45
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What's the recoil like with +Ps out of the Airweight? I had a regular all steel M36 back in the 80s and never dared shoot anything but target wadcutters thru it!
 
geologist said:
It's a 2" Model 12-2 K frame with an aluminum frame and a steel cylinder.

The originals had aluminum cylinders and were designed for US pilots during the Vietnam War.
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Ahh, the Airmen version. Beautiful and rare! If you didn't say 6 rds, I would swear it was a Chief's Special esp. with the Tyler T grips. Cool and collectible gun! Thanks for showing!
 
TT33 for me. Slim, packs a punch.

As for lack of safety, I've never used safeties anyway.
 
Paul_M said:
Wow, so many options.

Admittedly, this is not entirely to indulge a cc fantasy...I'm looking into getting a ccw over the border in Michigan, so something small, light, restricted only and easily concealable is what I need. My 1911 is way too big and so is my Baby Eagle. A Glock or M&P seems like the way to go.
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If you're not just indulging in fantasy, you want something uber-reliable, and small enough to carry. For a regular sized person a Glock 19 or 34 fits the bill nicely (as do many other guns). Considering that if you were in a situation that you need to use your gun to protect yourself or others your target is almost always going to be 10-15 feet away, the weapon's accuracy is pretty much not important -- if you can hit a man sized target at 3-5 meters that's good enough.

Whatever you chose, practise with it, practise drawing and firing it wearing your "street" clothes. Then when you've done that, practise some more.
 
Paul_M said:
if by some miracle your CFO issued you an ATC because there was a legitimate threat to your life, what restricted would you carry?
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….Glock 30S with a couple of extra mags (10 rounders only of course). Can't get much better than a "compact" 45ACP
 
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