Choosing the BEST Gun for Conceal Carry

BY PGF
1 year, 10 months ago

This topic is important to me because I’ve had five or so concealed carry guns and nine or ten holsters. I spent money I shouldn’t have to find the right weapon and manner of carry for me. Most of the training about how to find a carry gun is terrible, as the video points out.

He waits until the 13th minute to discuss what really should be the very first thing any trainer touches on with regard to this topic. If you want newbies to have fun and be comfortable, that’s a good start but what we want in order to make new freedom lovers who take the defense of self and family seriously is confidence.

Building confidence from the start is key. If somebody with minimal experience doesn’t have confidence in the weapon and themselves, they won’t practice or carry the firearm.

The first confidence-building step is to rent guns, lots of them, to find the one they can hit with. This might mean more than one trip to the range, returning to narrow down the two or three that seemed good to the new shooter.

We should never talk new shooters into buying features they don’t want, such as safety, specific types of sights, caliber, etc. Speaking of which, caliber doesn’t matter if they have no confidence in the gun and no confidence in their ability with it because they won’t carry it in that case. A small caliber gun you can hit with and have confidence in is better than a bazooka left in the safe because you won’t carry it.

How a firearm feels in your hand is a sales counter technique, not a serious-minded way to find the right gun. You must shoot the guns to find the one you will have confidence in and carry every day.

He does address the ability to hit, draw-ability, and biomechanics, but really, the ability to hit is primary because from that comes the confidence to practice all other aspects. Even if you’ve owned several handguns, rent, before your next concealed carry purchase, rent several firearms.

Be flexible in how you will carry. Most people get a picture in their mind of how they will carry; then they buy the tools for that style only to find it doesn’t fit their job, or around children, any number of factors, or it hurts their back, etc. Find the gun you can shoot, then find the carry method for that gun that is appropriate for your life circumstances.

I ended up going with outside the waistband carry under an untucked shirt because that’s the best way for me to carry the weapon I can hit with. I never wanted to or thought I would end up carrying this way. But I can draw and hit; confidence in shooting is why I carry what I do the way I do. I don’t care one iota what gun or holster or carry method or caliber or features all the counter salesmen and high-speed operators think are good, and neither should any newer shooter. Find what works for you through actual shooting!

The video shows a lot of guns and a lot of information, but there are nuggets of good info.


Comments

  1. On January 8, 2023 at 11:42 pm, Herschel Smith said:

    I saw John’s video. He makes some remarks about .45 ACP that I think don’t clearly articulate why people carry it, and he takes a dismissive stance claiming that capacity outweighs everything else.

    I carry .45 ACP (not always) because it pushes rather than flips or bounces the nose of the gun. I shoot it better, and it’s not because I don’t shoot 9mm or because I haven’t done enough training with pistols.

    He also makes remarks concerning one gun manufacturer coming into modern times and making a striker fired gun. Yea, whatever. If you like crunch and the feel of rubber bands and springs getting tangled up and snapping. The tactile feel of the sear dropping the hammer can’t be compared, and he knows it.

    Even the 9mm guns I own are hammer-fired.

    It’s a choice. He makes his, I make mine. I don’t defer to him, any more than you do.

  2. On January 9, 2023 at 9:22 am, Thomas Madere said:

    After taking a defensive pistol class one weekend using my Colt 1911 in 45ACP, I was the only one shooting a 1911 out of 12 students. While everyone else was still shooting I was reloading. I decided I would rather be shooting than reloading, especially in an actual gun fight.
    Most were shooting high capacity striker fired guns in 9mm. That’s when I decided look into a high capacity 9mm. I chose the Glock 19. I am no more accurate at 10 yards with the 1911 than the Glock. I am slightly better at 25 yards with the 1911 and beyond because if of its trigger.
    I rarely shoot my two 1911’s now and one I have owned since the 1970’s.
    I didn’t arrive at this by looking at a video. I arrived at it by seeing the advantage of high capacity for myself.
    If I could buy the guns used in the movies I would, you know the ones you never have to reload.

  3. On January 9, 2023 at 10:20 am, George said:

    John is not a fan of the 1911.
    Thomas: Since you are now dissatisfied with your 1911s, you wanta sell ’em?

  4. On January 9, 2023 at 11:03 am, Herschel Smith said:

    @George,

    You took the words right out of my mouth. I’ll buy them. We may end up in a bidding war.

    John doesn’t just not like 1911s. He doesn’t like anything that’s not striker-fired because, “Well, that ain’t what we did in the Rangers.”

    Ignore the fact that the most prevalent pistol now in use in pistol competitions today around the world is the CZ Shadow 2, a hammer fired gun. If it ain’t Ranger, it ain’t right.

  5. On January 9, 2023 at 11:38 am, Latigo Morgan said:

    I CCW’d a 1911 for years. Never felt undergunned, in the least. Then, I was given a XD45 – striker fired and more capacity. I did alright with it, and had every bit of confidence in it but just never enjoyed it as much as the 1911, which means I didn’t practice as much with it. I liked that it had higher capacity and was lighter on my belt, though. Tried several others from the micro .380’s and 9mm’s, but just didn’t take to them. Glocks just never clicked with me – couldn’t hit jack or chit with one, don’t know why.

    Then, I got ahold of a CZ P01. Love at first grasp, I tell you what! Hammer fired, 15 round flush fit mags, can use 18 rd. CZ-75 mags. Alloy frame is light weight compared to what I used to carry. Roughly the size and weight of a Glock 19. Since I bought it used, I’m not sure what other mods were done to it besides the tritium night sights and stainless guide rod but I have no desire to do any other mods to it, either.

    CCW entirely a personal decision and selection. What works for me, may not work for you, which is why I don’t try to talk anyone else into my personal selections like some folks seem prone to do.

  6. On January 9, 2023 at 12:42 pm, Herschel Smith said:

    The CZ P07 is also a nice shooting hammer fired 9mm high cap pistol.

  7. On January 9, 2023 at 12:54 pm, george 1 said:

    As far as the 45 vs 9mm, that issue was put to bed in the Gun Digest article that was featured here on TCJ. The 45 ACP was, in fact, the only standout in one shot stops in a huge survey of actual shootings.

    I have nothing against the 9mm, it is what I carry most of the time. However you can make a good argument for 45 ACP as a CCW caliber over the 9mm due to the average number of rounds fired in a self defense scenario vs the power of the 45ACP.

    If five rounds fired in a defense situation is significantly over the average then it might be good to have verified great man stopper round.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment


You are currently reading "Choosing the BEST Gun for Conceal Carry", entry #33664 on The Captain's Journal.

This article is filed under the category(s) Guns and was published January 8th, 2023 by PGF.

If you're interested in what else the The Captain's Journal has to say, you might try thumbing through the archives and visiting the main index, or; perhaps you would like to learn more about TCJ.

26th MEU (10)
Abu Muqawama (12)
ACOG (2)
ACOGs (1)
Afghan National Army (36)
Afghan National Police (17)
Afghanistan (704)
Afghanistan SOFA (4)
Agriculture in COIN (3)
AGW (1)
Air Force (40)
Air Power (10)
al Qaeda (83)
Ali al-Sistani (1)
America (22)
Ammunition (285)
Animals (297)
Ansar al Sunna (15)
Anthropology (3)
Antonin Scalia (1)
AR-15s (379)
Arghandab River Valley (1)
Arlington Cemetery (2)
Army (87)
Assassinations (2)
Assault Weapon Ban (29)
Australian Army (7)
Azerbaijan (4)
Backpacking (3)
Badr Organization (8)
Baitullah Mehsud (21)
Basra (17)
BATFE (229)
Battle of Bari Alai (2)
Battle of Wanat (18)
Battle Space Weight (3)
Bin Laden (7)
Blogroll (3)
Blogs (24)
Body Armor (23)
Books (3)
Border War (18)
Brady Campaign (1)
Britain (38)
British Army (35)
Camping (5)
Canada (17)
Castle Doctrine (1)
Caucasus (6)
CENTCOM (7)
Center For a New American Security (8)
Charity (3)
China (16)
Christmas (16)
CIA (30)
Civilian National Security Force (3)
Col. Gian Gentile (9)
Combat Outposts (3)
Combat Video (2)
Concerned Citizens (6)
Constabulary Actions (3)
Coolness Factor (3)
COP Keating (4)
Corruption in COIN (4)
Council on Foreign Relations (1)
Counterinsurgency (218)
DADT (2)
David Rohde (1)
Defense Contractors (2)
Department of Defense (210)
Department of Homeland Security (26)
Disaster Preparedness (5)
Distributed Operations (5)
Dogs (15)
Donald Trump (27)
Drone Campaign (4)
EFV (3)
Egypt (12)
El Salvador (1)
Embassy Security (1)
Enemy Spotters (1)
Expeditionary Warfare (17)
F-22 (2)
F-35 (1)
Fallujah (17)
Far East (3)
Fathers and Sons (2)
Favorite (1)
Fazlullah (3)
FBI (39)
Featured (190)
Federal Firearms Laws (18)
Financing the Taliban (2)
Firearms (1,801)
Football (1)
Force Projection (35)
Force Protection (4)
Force Transformation (1)
Foreign Policy (27)
Fukushima Reactor Accident (6)
Ganjgal (1)
Garmsir (1)
general (15)
General Amos (1)
General James Mattis (1)
General McChrystal (44)
General McKiernan (6)
General Rodriguez (3)
General Suleimani (9)
Georgia (19)
GITMO (2)
Google (1)
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (1)
Gun Control (1,674)
Guns (2,341)
Guns In National Parks (3)
Haditha Roundup (10)
Haiti (2)
HAMAS (7)
Haqqani Network (9)
Hate Mail (8)
Hekmatyar (1)
Heroism (5)
Hezbollah (12)
High Capacity Magazines (16)
High Value Targets (9)
Homecoming (1)
Homeland Security (3)
Horses (2)
Humor (72)
Hunting (41)
ICOS (1)
IEDs (7)
Immigration (114)
India (10)
Infantry (4)
Information Warfare (4)
Infrastructure (4)
Intelligence (23)
Intelligence Bulletin (6)
Iran (171)
Iraq (379)
Iraq SOFA (23)
Islamic Facism (64)
Islamists (98)
Israel (19)
Jaish al Mahdi (21)
Jalalabad (1)
Japan (3)
Jihadists (81)
John Nagl (5)
Joint Intelligence Centers (1)
JRTN (1)
Kabul (1)
Kajaki Dam (1)
Kamdesh (9)
Kandahar (12)
Karachi (7)
Kashmir (2)
Khost Province (1)
Khyber (11)
Knife Blogging (7)
Korea (4)
Korengal Valley (3)
Kunar Province (20)
Kurdistan (3)
Language in COIN (5)
Language in Statecraft (1)
Language Interpreters (2)
Lashkar-e-Taiba (2)
Law Enforcement (6)
Lawfare (14)
Leadership (6)
Lebanon (6)
Leon Panetta (2)
Let Them Fight (2)
Libya (14)
Lines of Effort (3)
Littoral Combat (8)
Logistics (50)
Long Guns (1)
Lt. Col. Allen West (2)
Marine Corps (280)
Marines in Bakwa (1)
Marines in Helmand (67)
Marjah (4)
MEDEVAC (2)
Media (68)
Medical (146)
Memorial Day (6)
Mexican Cartels (41)
Mexico (61)
Michael Yon (6)
Micromanaging the Military (7)
Middle East (1)
Military Blogging (26)
Military Contractors (5)
Military Equipment (25)
Militia (9)
Mitt Romney (3)
Monetary Policy (1)
Moqtada al Sadr (2)
Mosul (4)
Mountains (25)
MRAPs (1)
Mullah Baradar (1)
Mullah Fazlullah (1)
Mullah Omar (3)
Musa Qala (4)
Music (25)
Muslim Brotherhood (6)
Nation Building (2)
National Internet IDs (1)
National Rifle Association (97)
NATO (15)
Navy (30)
Navy Corpsman (1)
NCOs (3)
News (1)
NGOs (3)
Nicholas Schmidle (2)
Now Zad (19)
NSA (3)
NSA James L. Jones (6)
Nuclear (63)
Nuristan (8)
Obama Administration (221)
Offshore Balancing (1)
Operation Alljah (7)
Operation Khanjar (14)
Ossetia (7)
Pakistan (165)
Paktya Province (1)
Palestine (5)
Patriotism (7)
Patrolling (1)
Pech River Valley (11)
Personal (73)
Petraeus (14)
Pictures (1)
Piracy (13)
Pistol (4)
Pizzagate (21)
Police (657)
Police in COIN (3)
Policy (15)
Politics (982)
Poppy (2)
PPEs (1)
Prisons in Counterinsurgency (12)
Project Gunrunner (20)
PRTs (1)
Qatar (1)
Quadrennial Defense Review (2)
Quds Force (13)
Quetta Shura (1)
RAND (3)
Recommended Reading (14)
Refueling Tanker (1)
Religion (495)
Religion and Insurgency (19)
Reuters (1)
Rick Perry (4)
Rifles (1)
Roads (4)
Rolling Stone (1)
Ron Paul (1)
ROTC (1)
Rules of Engagement (75)
Rumsfeld (1)
Russia (37)
Sabbatical (1)
Sangin (1)
Saqlawiyah (1)
Satellite Patrols (2)
Saudi Arabia (4)
Scenes from Iraq (1)
Second Amendment (687)
Second Amendment Quick Hits (2)
Secretary Gates (9)
Sharia Law (3)
Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahiden (1)
SIIC (2)
Sirajuddin Haqqani (1)
Small Wars (72)
Snipers (9)
Sniveling Lackeys (2)
Soft Power (4)
Somalia (8)
Sons of Afghanistan (1)
Sons of Iraq (2)
Special Forces (28)
Squad Rushes (1)
State Department (23)
Statistics (1)
Sunni Insurgency (10)
Support to Infantry Ratio (1)
Supreme Court (62)
Survival (202)
SWAT Raids (57)
Syria (38)
Tactical Drills (38)
Tactical Gear (15)
Taliban (168)
Taliban Massing of Forces (4)
Tarmiyah (1)
TBI (1)
Technology (21)
Tehrik-i-Taliban (78)
Terrain in Combat (1)
Terrorism (96)
Thanksgiving (13)
The Anbar Narrative (23)
The Art of War (5)
The Fallen (1)
The Long War (20)
The Surge (3)
The Wounded (13)
Thomas Barnett (1)
Transnational Insurgencies (5)
Tribes (5)
TSA (25)
TSA Ineptitude (14)
TTPs (4)
U.S. Border Patrol (6)
U.S. Border Security (19)
U.S. Sovereignty (24)
UAVs (2)
UBL (4)
Ukraine (10)
Uncategorized (99)
Universal Background Check (3)
Unrestricted Warfare (4)
USS Iwo Jima (2)
USS San Antonio (1)
Uzbekistan (1)
V-22 Osprey (4)
Veterans (3)
Vietnam (1)
War & Warfare (419)
War & Warfare (41)
War Movies (4)
War Reporting (21)
Wardak Province (1)
Warriors (6)
Waziristan (1)
Weapons and Tactics (79)
West Point (1)
Winter Operations (1)
Women in Combat (21)
WTF? (1)
Yemen (1)

December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006

about · archives · contact · register

Copyright © 2006-2024 Captain's Journal. All rights reserved.