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kyaddict_rivals308450

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I grew up shooting pigeons (real and clay) and skeet on a Winchester 870 12 gauge (still have it).
I started on a 50 year old .22 rifle.
I've shot a 9mm pistol a handful of times.
I've decided to get a ccw as result of the amount of stupid that's going down. Both nationally and with the chaos that happened as close as the St. Mathew's Mall. I never thought about, now I guess it's necessary.
I know nothing about pistols, holsters, etc...
Where do I begin?
 
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Crushgroove

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http://www.thehighroad.org/

Any question you have about guns, peripherals or paraphernalia has already been asked, answered, doubted, denied, refuted, corrected, refined and resubmitted here.

Also, learn the name Col. Jeff Cooper and read everything the man ever put to paper.
 
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theoledog

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I've been through the same thing... I felt the process was very much like finding golf clubs or a diver...
Lot of stuff out there... lot of good stuff but some will work better/feel better/look better to you...
There are pistols with varying "battery of arms"... You will have to decode which one suits you best...i.e., safety,revolver,safe action,decocker etc.....
Then there is the most critical decision... how you going to carry... /what size /weight/caliber? .... IWB, OWB, pocket, appendix....
As Brassow states, ...shoot some.... But... a person doesn't have to spend a lot to get reliability.... But.. you can if you want;)
 
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Johns721

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Like others said - DO NOT buy something based purely on reviews and recommendations - shoot it first. Go to a range with rentals and put rounds through it to see how it fits your hands, how it recoils, etc. Example - 900+ out of 1000 people on the internet will probably tell you "Glock is the bestest handgun evar!", but Glock ergonomics are not for everyone, and if it just so happens you are one of those people and you didn't go shoot one before you bought it, you just bought something you are not going to want to preactice/train with. Most ranges do rentals these days, and it is worth the added expense to try before you buy.

That goes double for the super small pistols like the 380's from Ruger, S&W, etc. - those are not designed for "recreational shooting" and can be really unpleasant to shoot for an extended period of range time, so finding one you can at least deal with practicing with is important. If you carry it but don't like to practice shooting it, you may as well buy a rock to throw.
 
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Bill@ModernThirst

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Johns721 said:
Like others said - DO NOT buy something based purely on reviews and recommendations - shoot it first. Go to a range with rentals and put rounds through it to see how it fits your hands, how it recoils, etc. Example - 900+ out of 1000 people on the internet will probably tell you "Glock is the bestest handgun evar!", but Glock ergonomics are not for everyone, and if it just so happens you are one of those people and you didn't go shoot one before you bought it, you just bought something you are not going to want to preactice/train with. Most ranges do rentals these days, and it is worth the added expense to try before you buy.

That goes double for the super small pistols like the 380's from Ruger, S&W, etc. - those are not designed for "recreational shooting" and can be really unpleasant to shoot for an extended period of range time, so finding one you can at least deal with practicing with is important. If you carry it but don't like to practice shooting it, you may as well buy a rock to throw.
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I'll second that. A CCDW does you no good if you get the license, and buy a gun that you aren't comfortable using and carrying. If you buy one you haven't tried, and wind up not liking how it feels on your hip or in your hands, you're less likely to carry it, and it's all been a big waste of time and money. That means it's vital you try something out and make sure you like it. There are a lot of considerations- from caliber to size of the handgun to whether or not it has (or you need) a manual safety. Go to a range and try some out.
 
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elwood_blue

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Go to a range like Bud's that lets you rent weapons to shoot while you are there. After shooting, you can take into account things like stopping power versus accuracy, comfort when carrying concealed, etc.
 
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TexasTimCat

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Great advice in this thread - and I like the golf driver analogy - they all do basically the same thing but work better/worse for individuals based on numerous criteria.

As stated above - Glock makes a great pistol - but the ergonomics are not for everyone. For pistols - size matters and bigger is not always better. I love my Glock 23 and S&W M&P .40 cals but prefer to carry the S&W Shield .40 because it is very comfortable when matched with the right holster. Regardless of holster I do not wear the other two as well.

Shoot a variety of weapons for your personal feel and then talk to more than one gun store sales person. One will steer you one way and another may send you in another direction. Neither may be wrong but only with appropriate and balanced information can you make the right decision for you.
 
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slick rick.ksr

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I have a S&W Bodyguard .380. It's small and surprisingly accurate at 10 yards. Don't worry about a laser unless its grip activated like a Crimson Trace.
It's not that punishing to practice with.
 
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kyaddict_rivals308450

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Great info guys, thank you!
I'm not too worried about my personal safety based on where we live and travel to. However, if my wife or girls were ever in any danger of any sort, there would be no hesitation.
Strange thing that I really never felt that way until the last year or so.
Unfortunate and sad.
 
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812scottj

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Apr 24, 2014
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I consider anyone who claims they don't like the Glock grip to be a bit of a gun snob. There are other adequate guns out there (I have several brands in my collection), but the fact is the Glock WORKS and that's what matters in a self defense situation. If it doesn't go BANG when you pull the trigger all that comfort stuff won't matter. My brother just bought his first pistol....a Colt 1911 (I have one and it's a phenomenal gun) but it's a horrible choice for self defense for an inexperienced user. S&W, Sig, and others make good guns but my opinion is that a Glock or a revolver is the only way to go for a beginner. First rule of thumb: Get one!!!
 
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Pope John Wall II

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812scottj said:
I consider anyone who claims they don't like the Glock grip to be a bit of a gun snob. There are other adequate guns out there (I have several brands in my collection), but the fact is the Glock WORKS and that's what matters in a self defense situation. If it doesn't go BANG when you pull the trigger all that comfort stuff won't matter. My brother just bought his first pistol....a Colt 1911 (I have one and it's a phenomenal gun) but it's a horrible choice for self defense for an inexperienced user. S&W, Sig, and others make good guns but my opinion is that a Glock or a revolver is the only way to go for a beginner. First rule of thumb: Get one!!!
Click to expand...
In what world is a 1911 a bad first gun?
 
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kyaddict_rivals308450

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anthonys735 said:
Ummm, what? You need a gun because some stupid kids got out of hand at a mall? Christ. I get home defense but that's ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Just a simple example of the large amount of stupid that seems to be more and more prevalent in the world that my little girls are going to have to deal with. :rolleyes:
 
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Crushgroove

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812scottj said:
I consider anyone who claims they don't like the Glock grip to be a bit of a gun snob. There are other adequate guns out there (I have several brands in my collection), but the fact is the Glock WORKS and that's what matters in a self defense situation. If it doesn't go BANG when you pull the trigger all that comfort stuff won't matter. My brother just bought his first pistol....a Colt 1911 (I have one and it's a phenomenal gun) but it's a horrible choice for self defense for an inexperienced user. S&W, Sig, and others make good guns but my opinion is that a Glock or a revolver is the only way to go for a beginner. First rule of thumb: Get one!!!
Click to expand...
- I (like a lot of folks) can't find consistency with a Glock b/c of ergonomics/severe grip angle. Never could. The smaller the frame the worse my control gets. Raked grip angle causes me to inherently point it downward and this creates a situation where I can't get the muzzle back on target as fast with subsequent shots. Same for the little Ruger P9-types. Too small, lost in my hand. To really feel how off the Glock grip is, since you are used to one, grab a CZ-75 with a beveled grip/frame and more vertical grip position. As odd as that feels to you is how bad a Glock feels to me, but I can be more accurate with a CZ, and that's all that matters.
- Prefer not to use/carry a striker-fired weapon. I like the added control/safety a physical, external hammer allows.
- Lots of guns "just work." Glorifying Glock for reliability over any other established and reliable brand is snobbish and myopic. They ALL have issues. There is no perfect gun that never FTF. Speak to enough LEOs and they're split right down the middle on Glock. Speak to enough Navy guys that just got forced to accept Glock over their old Sig P226s and they'll be just as divided.
 
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drxman1

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anthonys735 said:
Ummm, what? You need a gun because some stupid kids got out of hand at a mall? Christ. I get home defense but that's ridiculous.
Click to expand...

Please explain how you know in advance when and where your life will potentially be threatened, you got an app for that?
 
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KopiKat

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kyaddict said:
I grew up shooting pigeons (real and clay) and skeet on a Winchester 870 12 gauge (still have it).
I started on a 50 year old .22 rifle.
I've shot a 9mm pistol a handful of times.
I've decided to get a ccw as result of the amount of stupid that's going down. Both nationally and with the chaos that happened as close as the St. Mathew's Mall. I never thought about, now I guess it's necessary.
I know nothing about pistols, holsters, etc...
Where do I begin?
Click to expand...

You begin at the shooting range. As a previous poster suggested, find one that rents handguns. Take a day trip if need be. Blow some coin and have fun. This is your protection you're investing in. Don't look to be cheap when you're already being smart.

Make an honest decision about ownership of handguns. For the person devoted to concealed carry, owning more than one handgun is almost a given. One that will be carried. Another that will be shot. Often, these are of the same caliber. Caliber is often a choice based on a variety of factors, not the least of which includes the size of the shooter's hand and the size of his body (for concealment). Larger caliber = larger gun.

But I will not walk away from this post without making a recommendation, and since you have experience with 9mm, I will recommend a cost-entry semi-auto 9mm on the market that is practical for possibly both concealed and other purposes. Kahr CT9. This is a magnificent value pistol. However, the magazine can be a bugger to thumb rounds into. It will cycle and protect. You can probably find one a little more than 325 if you look around. Tremendous value at 350.

For holsters, you will learn more about this when you take your CCW training. No need to get ahead of yourself. I do recommend owning your own firearm before attending CCW training. You can take classes and have a pistol provided to you, but it is best if you provide your own, and your own gun cleaning supplies, as well as be familiar with your firearm for disassembly / cleaning purposes during the training course.
 
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anthonys735

anthonys735

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kyaddict said:
Just a simple example of the large amount of stupid that seems to be more and more prevalent in the world that my little girls are going to have to deal with. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Civilization is by far more intelligent than it ever has been FOXNews just doesn't make money selling that.

Look, you like guns. That's awesome. Thankfully you live in a country you have an option to purchase them. Stop with the BS, "you better be prepared to kill, I got it because a bunch of teens at a mall got out of hand." The purchase is no different than a new TV or SUV.

Btw, no one was injured or arrested in the mall incident.
 
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drxman1

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anthonys735 said:
Look, you like guns. That's awesome. Thankfully you live in a country you have an option to purchase them. Stop with the BS, "you better be prepared to kill, I got it because a bunch of teens at a mall got out of hand." The purchase is no different than a new TV or SUV.

Btw, no one was injured or arrested in the mall incident.
Click to expand...

Convicted felons can purchase TV's and SUV's. So no, it's not exactly the same.

Whether or not anyone was arrested at the mall is trivial.
 
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812scottj

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A 1911 is fairly complex for someone who's not dedicated to learning to maintain and operate it. I own Smith & Wesson, Colt, Springfield, Ruger, Sig....not impugning any of them, but my life on the line with everything riding on one shot: Glock. In a self defense situation (7 yards or less) grip angle will be the least of your worries.
 
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TexasTimCat

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812scottj said:
A 1911 is fairly complex for someone who's not dedicated to learning to maintain and operate it. I own Smith & Wesson, Colt, Springfield, Ruger, Sig....not impugning any of them, but my life on the line with everything riding on one shot: Glock. In a self defense situation (7 yards or less) grip angle will be the least of your worries.
Click to expand...

Glock hate is just fashionable.

Again - per my post above Glock is not right for everyone - but no one pistol is.

I have ran over 1500 rounds of every type through my Glock 23 and never a FTF, FTE, etc.

Very accurate out of the box and when you pull the trigger it goes bang.
 
BlueBleedingMarine

BlueBleedingMarine

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I bought a cheap ankle holster from amazon, after wearing it an hour or so it doesn't even feel like you are wearing it. Great feel actually
 
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