Good First CCW

Shooting the gun you want is the best idea. I have a Glock22c (.40) a Ruger SP101 in .357, and a S&W .40 Shield. Many don't like Glock triggers, but I can hit where I'm aiming with them. Long, double action pulls take getting used to, as well.
I'm not too impressed with the trigger on my Shield. It seems to pull shots one direction or the other at distances I can hit with my other guns. I need more practice with it. Probably need a replacement trigger, which I've never done on any other gun.

 

Crossbreed is a great way to go. I own multiple brands with similar design, but the cb is my favorite go-to. If I were to describe ccw comfort (which is what I consider the key to true everyday carry), into just a couple of points, it would be keeping all possible holster hot points away from the body. And a good belt that will hold whatever you choose without sagging. A Crossbreed style for iwb, or a good owb as Horsewright mentioned.

I like Crossbreed's horsehide version. It breaks in quickly and wears forever. And their warranty is top notch. I noticed a little crack developing in a corner of my Kydex after years of wear. They asked no questions, and sent me a brand new rig.

But recently I've been carrying more owb than iwb. Jeans and untucked shirts. In a leather holster I made, also with all hot points molded only on the outside piece of leather. The inside piece left flat to mold to my body.



Oh, and on the gun... My first picks would be the Shield 9, or G43 as has been mentioned many times already.

 

I don't really disagree with your thinking. I know people that swear by the LCP for regular concealed carry. But he asked for a CCW handgun (not a range gun) and most of the small ones aren't comfortable to shoot for any length of time. As I mentioned in my original post which you partially quoted, I don't enjoy shooting these little handguns. I shoot them at 5-7 yds just enough to be comfortable and reasonably competent.

To be honest about it, I actually carry my little LCR in 22LR for protection at times and I like to shoot it. But I generally don't recommend a 22LR for personal protection. If someone chooses such, it's their decision and they accept the limitations.

 

Of course , if ok with 22Cal, there are a lot of ultra concealable options. This little guy (NAA Mini) carries 5 rounds of .22LR, .22Short, or anything between. I figured since this was purchased originally as a novelty, may as well add the laser and bayonet also.

 

I hope the OP understands the difference between a small concealed carry gun versus a larger "range gun" in terms of shooting them. I gave my suggestions. But honestly I would have both a larger range gun and a smaller more easily concealed handgun.

 

That is sort of the way I took your original post in terms of the range. I have to figure that whatever you end up with you're going to shoot it, familiarize yourself with its functions, and practice. Larger gun is easier to shoot and smaller gun is easier to conceal. There are always trade offs.

 

The first gun i bought was a Sig P250 compact. I shot it decently, but it was kind of bulky for daily carry. The second gun I bought was a Kahr PM9. I researched and found the smallest 9mm possible. It disappeared on my hip, but I didn't shoot it very well. Kinda snappy because of its size and back then I definitely didn't go to the range and practice enough with it.

I decided to look into something in between the two. My next carry piece was a CCO sized 1911. Springfield ROC. Barrel and grip length close to the P250 and single stack like a PM9. The size footprint on my hip felt negligible to the PM9. The weight was the biggest difference, but I had good belt so it didn't really matter. Being SAO I shot it better than the other two.

My next gun was a J frame, 638. This gun really taught me how bad of a shot I was. Heavy DA, small grip(I wear S-M gloves), very minimal sights, and most importantly, poor trigger control made my first range trip with that gun very disheartening. I bought some snap caps and dry fired the heck out of it. I brought it with me on almost every range trip since and put at least a box of ammo through it. Ironically, it might be the gun I've shot the most over the last couple years.


It's a long road ahead in finding the right carry pieces for you. Each gun and different holster is a learning experience. I've found my main carry guns, Springfield ROC and Sig P225A1. Both single stack fairly midsized guns. Great Balance between concealability and shootablity. J-frame when I want to carry something smaller and a P226 when I want to carry something bigger. Mostly all in Garrett Industries holsters.

Like others have said, try to handle as many as possible and shoot them too if you can. Good luck!

 

I already weighed in on page one, but with all this talk of the LCP...

A buddy of mine recently got his CCW and he started out with a Ruger American pistol in 9mm. He loved/s it, but just found he didn't carry it much due to the bulk and weight.
Fast forward, he found a Ruger LCP on sale for under 200 bucks and now he carries that thing everywhere.

I also found that I don't like carrying bigger guns for CCW. As a result, I often find myself in town with a NAA mini revolver and not much for extra shells. No big deal for me, I'm out in the sticks, the OP needs to learn what works for him.

 

My favorite carry gun is a GLOCK 19 with internals by Suarez International. Carried it for the better part of a decade. The Sig P229 is also very nice, but a different beast when it comes to manual of arms

 

J frames are usually my first recommendation for someone carrying a concealed weapon for the first time. Glocks are great pistols, just not for beginners.

 

Why are J frames your first recommendation to new concealed carriers?

Not that I disagree entirely, it took me awhile to learn how to shoot mine adequately. Do you recommend a specific model? I bought my second J frame this year a Model 60. That one i would recommend to a newbie, the 638 not so much I think.

 

I wouldn't recommend an Airweight J frame to anyone but an expert shooter. They are difficult enough to shoot well without dealing with the light weight. I carry a Model 60 and have for over 40 years. Revolvers are much easier for a new shooter to learn to handle safely, they don't have light trigger pulls (in DA) and are much easier to "make safe" than any semi auto. I've seen more than a few rack a slide with a mag inserted, remove the magazine, and not realize they had a live round in the chamber.

I've owned Glocks since 1985 so I'm very familiar with their pluses and minuses. I like them and carry one occasionally. It takes a lot of training to get fully comfortably with the Glock platform, safety wise. Awfully easy to put that finger on the trigger when it should be resting on the frame.

 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned lasers yet. A while back (quite a while) I got a .38+P J frame that came with a laser grip. Even though I still like my Kahr a lot, this is my pick for an EDC gun. The self-defense benefits of the laser are really wonderful - enough that I don't want to be without them anymore.

First, no sight picture required helps in speed on target, let's you make better use of cover, and allows you make shots from awkward positions or angles (this takes practice, though). Possibly even more important is the ability to keep both eyes open and scanning while maintaining muzzle on target.

Another benefit for the OP is that practicing with a laser will really show you what you're doing when you pull the trigger. I was a pretty decent shot before the laser and it has helped me tremendously - sometimes I wonder how I was hitting anything before.

 

I am the same size as you are. I struggled to conceal many of the larger-framed handguns. After about 10 different guns ranging from a S&W 442 to a Sig P938. The most comfortable and reliable handgun I have found is the Glock 43. I would swear clear form the G42 due to well documented issues. (Google "G42 limp wrist")

 

I also daily carry a Glock 19. It is a little on the large size for concealed and I'm thinking about getting a g26. But I'm comfortable with the 19 and that's important. You should never try to defend yourselfwith a weapon (gun, knife, club, whatever) that you aren't comfortable handling.

 

The G42 I own has been 100% reliable out of the box. My son is a factory trained Glock Armorer, he's seen a few brought in for FTE or FTF issues. When he shoots the recently manufactured pistols, they are flawless. There were some early issues, but I believe most have been resolved. The grip is really short and I can see some shooters having an issue with it.

 

Same boat here. Found a good deal on the LCP, and I fell in love with how it vanishes in a pocket. I have a little kydex IWB holster with the belt clip removed to act as a pocket holster/trigger safety, and even with that slight added bulk I can't tell its in my pocket most days. Loose cargo shorts or tighter jeans, it just fits well.

Throw a 3rd finger grip extender on the magazine and its got a pretty decent grip even with larger hands, too. I find I can pretty reliably hit a can/bottle at 10-12 yards. Accuracy on a man-sized target would probably suffer beyond 50 feet, but its got pretty reasonable accuracy for such a tiny gun.

 

Hands down the best ccw gun right now is the Sig 365. I was absolutely blown away. You will not regret it. People say that the firing pin might break due to primer swipe. They are misinformed since all compact handguns do that to some degree. In the unlikely event that something does break Sig will fix it for you no questions asked. I have 500+ rounds through mine with 0 issues.