The never ending journey to the perfect CCW.

camsdaddy · January 21, 2012, 08:07 PM

THis is from a thread on our local forum. Its sorta babbling but feel free to follow if you will.
For 10 years the only carry gun I owned was a 3913. Over the past year I have found myself in a never ending tailspin. I had a SP101 w/ 3" barrell to buy a Glock 19 because I had a 642 and a Glock 26. I sold the 642 to buy a CM9 later to trade the Glock 26 for a LCR w/CT grips. I guess Im now full circle and cant remember what I didnt like about the SP101. I am reconsidering buying another SP101. I am also considering selling the LCR just because I find myself carrying the CM9.Wow after typing all of this out I think I need an intervention. Does the perfect carry gun exist.
I really like my 19. I carry my CM9 when I need something smaller. I know a 21 isn't it anything physically bigger than my 19 gripwise won't fit my hand. I have considered a 1911 just because I've never owned one. I also considered another SP101. I want comfortable shooting magnums so I guess it wouldn't be different than my LCR. I've considered a k frame snub just because I was quite accurate with the one I had. Yeah you guessed it sold it. I guess its all part of the game.The perfect EDC would be a single stack the size of a the height and length of a Glock 26 due to appendix carry with a smooth crisp trigger. I don't like DA/SA. Striker fire seems spongy. Never could shoot my 26 well. I shoot my 19 fairly well. I understand "combat accuracy" but I also realize there may come a time an armadillo is at 25 yards that needs to die. I thinking maybe a 1911 in 9mm. Maybe not as a EDC but on days when I can carry a little more. Then again on those days I can carry my 4" k frame which I do shoot quite well. Maybe a 2-3" k frame is the answer.If I could find a little smaller than a 19 that I could shoot as well as I shoot my 22A I would be perfct. Typing that what read was if I find a gun that the size of a 26 that feels like my 22A and I shoot it as much as I have my 22A I will have found the perfect gun.ve considered an M&P9C and lots of ammo. Focus 90% of my shooting and training on that single gun. Ive also thought of going back to my 642. I shot it well and cant imagine how much better I would be if I shot it more and maybe took Mr Ed Lovette's class next time he is in town. Then again I guess I have an LCR and could go the SP101 route. I just find a J frame at the limit of pocket carry and sometimes thats how I choose to carry. Ive also thought of a CW9 or a 3953 which would be a lot like my 3913 but DAO. I think its funny my dad has a 2" Model 19 K frame and a 2" model 36 J frame my grandfather only a Model 49 neither have ever felt undergunned.I really think had I been more accurate with my 26 I would have found and settled at the one. At least that and the combo of my 19. I think if I was able to carry in the 4 o clock position daily I would be perfectly satisfied with my 19. However for more discreet carry I use appendix carry and find the 19 just a little long. I have thought that since I shot the K frame snub that I had quite well that maybe the S&W 19 & Glock 19 combo may be perfect for me. Then again if I found a 2" SP101 that would put me between the J and K frame. Ive just about (yeah right) decided to sell my LCR and devote my practice time to my 19 and CM9 and stay with that combo. I have never been satisfied with "combat accuracy". I find the CM9 and the 19 better than that and Im sure with range and carry time I could improve still.

camsdaddy · January 21, 2012, 08:08 PM

Well looks like I am adding a M&P9C. I really liked my M&P fullsize it was just a little larger than I cared for. I figure the 9C will fall size wise between the 26 and the 19. The M&P fits my hand better which I feel will lead to better shooting. Worse case scenario I get it shoot a new toy and will have an excuse to buy and sell for something else in a few months. Eventually I see my carry rotation going to 9C and CM9 for carry and selling my LCR and getting a 637 or 642 for pocket carry

Carry_24/7 · January 22, 2012, 09:45 AM

The perfect CCW for me is the PPS....

bossman · January 22, 2012, 10:52 AM

Hell, he had the best of the bunch to start with. The S&W 3913 is the perfect single stack 9mm. Sounds like he had fun and spent a lot of money though.

Deaf Smith · January 22, 2012, 11:02 AM

Situations change. Dress options change. Needs change.

There is no perfect CCW.

Deaf

tubeshooter · January 22, 2012, 11:28 AM

Part of it is too many choices nowadays. I'd imagine 60 or 70 years ago people just got a snub-nosed revolver and called it good; wasn't too much else. Even back then there were still a few "vest guns" and derringers around to muddy the waters.

Part of it is what's a dealbreaker for you. This is up to the individual.

Part of it is the information overload. If you read too much into most firearm/SD forums, you'd think you just have to have something that will stop a bear and weighs less than a pound. They actually make a few guns like this; I don't think most people end up keeping them.

Deaf Smith has it right.

Sparks1957 · January 22, 2012, 11:44 AM

Quote:

There is no perfect CCW.

The fun is in the journey, not the destination.

richardcorey · January 22, 2012, 11:50 AM

There is a country-western song that references to Tequila (but should be about handguns) that says " One is one too many and another ain't never enough." We all have our "Some day I'll have a ...(fill in the blanks) list, but what is life about if not for dreaming???

TxFlyFish · January 22, 2012, 01:43 PM

Apple just released the iGun it will totally change the way we view firearms. Its even thinner than the Walther PPS and has LED backlit control. Yes thats control without the "s" because for the first time ever the slide release, safety, and decocker is combined into a single "Home" button. Comes with 2yr apple care that covers up to two accidental discharges. Since they just announced it they are still working on Siri integration, especially in the Australian market

fourdogs · January 22, 2012, 03:11 PM

Fish...very funny. Obviously there's no perfect cc. Carry what anyone feels is right. Me...I carry a FA 454. Sure it's slow, but I wouldn't want to catch the first round.

My cousin who's a retired cop carries his duty gun. A 16 round 40 Sig. I carried an M14 in Vietnam, but truth be told I traded it in for a M16 when my weight went from 165 to 130. We all need to do what we need to do, but remember we are all just dust blowin in the wind....

B.N.Real · January 22, 2012, 06:43 PM

It all starts with the 642 for me.

I guess I better buy one.

Like the MP9c too-GREAT grip,not too small,should be no kick either and cheap to shoot as well.

Looks like Smith will be getting alot of my money when the money tree jumps out and smacks me over the head.

TxFlyFish · January 22, 2012, 07:29 PM

if you have not tried I HIGHLY recommend the PPS, especially one with BB date code...even hickok45 loves it!

egor20 · January 22, 2012, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Sparks1957

Quote:

There is no perfect CCW.

The fun is in the journey, not the destination.

Zen, and the art of gun purchasing

dalegribble · January 22, 2012, 07:58 PM

the perfect ccw is the one you have in your hand when you need it not the one you have in your mind when your dreaming.

skoro · January 22, 2012, 08:03 PM

... but among my 3 carry weapons, I like my 642 the most.

whippoorwill · January 22, 2012, 08:05 PM

There is no perfect CCW... for all folks.

However, there are perfect CCWs out there... for particular individuals.

TxFlyFish · January 22, 2012, 08:25 PM

The moment you find the perfect one*, you will stop purchasing new guns

*gun or wife

Hogtown · January 22, 2012, 08:42 PM

dont know a thing about it so check out the DoubleTap by HeizerDefense.com This just might be the last 45 you`ll ever buy!!!

sgms · January 22, 2012, 10:07 PM

There isn't one. That why we always have to keep searching and buying to get what will work for what we are doing know. At one point a BHP with 4 spare mags. was a daly thing (yes 4 mags. the situation would require forting up till the cavalry arrived) now a P-11 in a pocket holster works just fine.

C0untZer0 · January 23, 2012, 12:24 AM

uh....

Rohrbaugh R9

and

Try the PM9 with the enhanced trigger when it comes out...

230therapy · January 23, 2012, 01:59 AM

Training is the answer...just like I said on the other forum. Choose one of your guns and resolve to shoot 5,000 rounds through it by December 2012. Follow the course progression I gave you. You will find you're a very fast and consistent shot after that training.

kalevatom · January 24, 2012, 09:03 AM

I believe I found my perfect carry piece, the 3913.

Magnum Wheel Man · January 24, 2012, 09:37 AM

my 1st was an air weight J Frame 6 shot in 32 H&R magnum... 2nd a CZ-75 Compact, 3rd an air lite K frame 5 shot 44 special, 4th & 5th were antique top break S&W's in 32 & 38 S&W, 6th was a Taurus TCP in 380, 7th is a custom stainless Ruger Montado snubbie in 45 Colt...

I love them all & still actively carry them all in specific situations... my newest Ruger single action snubbie is my favorite, but that super light K frame S&W 44 special is probably the most practical

I found I like collecting CCW "type" guns, & have about 3 dozen different black powder era cartridge revolvers in "pocket size"... my lil 32 S&W snubbie chopped & renickeled long long ago, is one of my favorites... not worth much to "normal" collectors, but because someone 75-100 years ago needed a more compact gun, & thought enough of the lil S&W # 1.5, to customize it for CCW, made it interesting to me... I reload the cartridge, & shoot it often... in fact, I requalifyed for my carry license last year using a custom S&W #2 spur trigger single action in 38 S&W... 1st time that instructor ever had anyone qualify with anything like that... I had no trouble with the range qualification

mes228 · January 24, 2012, 09:39 AM

Very hard to improve on the Glock 19 for a 9mm. The 9mm is the smallest caliber I'd carry. The Model 19 for size, weight empty & loaded, capacity, accuracy, reliability, cost, resell value, parts, simplicity, durability - it's very very hard to beat.

Boncrayon · January 24, 2012, 10:07 AM

I had begun my CC with a Walther PK380. But I found it's length difficult to pocket carry. I finally settled on a Ruger LC9 which has the greater power over the 380 and goes with me unnoticed just about everywhere. I'm really sold on my LC9.

January 21, 2012, 08:07 PM	#1
camsdaddy Senior Member Join Date: October 5, 2007 Posts: 397	The never ending journey to the perfect CCW. THis is from a thread on our local forum. Its sorta babbling but feel free to follow if you will. For 10 years the only carry gun I owned was a 3913. Over the past year I have found myself in a never ending tailspin. I had a SP101 w/ 3" barrell to buy a Glock 19 because I had a 642 and a Glock 26. I sold the 642 to buy a CM9 later to trade the Glock 26 for a LCR w/CT grips. I guess Im now full circle and cant remember what I didnt like about the SP101. I am reconsidering buying another SP101. I am also considering selling the LCR just because I find myself carrying the CM9.Wow after typing all of this out I think I need an intervention. Does the perfect carry gun exist. I really like my 19. I carry my CM9 when I need something smaller. I know a 21 isn't it anything physically bigger than my 19 gripwise won't fit my hand. I have considered a 1911 just because I've never owned one. I also considered another SP101. I want comfortable shooting magnums so I guess it wouldn't be different than my LCR. I've considered a k frame snub just because I was quite accurate with the one I had. Yeah you guessed it sold it. I guess its all part of the game.The perfect EDC would be a single stack the size of a the height and length of a Glock 26 due to appendix carry with a smooth crisp trigger. I don't like DA/SA. Striker fire seems spongy. Never could shoot my 26 well. I shoot my 19 fairly well. I understand "combat accuracy" but I also realize there may come a time an armadillo is at 25 yards that needs to die. I thinking maybe a 1911 in 9mm. Maybe not as a EDC but on days when I can carry a little more. Then again on those days I can carry my 4" k frame which I do shoot quite well. Maybe a 2-3" k frame is the answer.If I could find a little smaller than a 19 that I could shoot as well as I shoot my 22A I would be perfct. Typing that what read was if I find a gun that the size of a 26 that feels like my 22A and I shoot it as much as I have my 22A I will have found the perfect gun.ve considered an M&P9C and lots of ammo. Focus 90% of my shooting and training on that single gun. Ive also thought of going back to my 642. I shot it well and cant imagine how much better I would be if I shot it more and maybe took Mr Ed Lovette's class next time he is in town. Then again I guess I have an LCR and could go the SP101 route. I just find a J frame at the limit of pocket carry and sometimes thats how I choose to carry. Ive also thought of a CW9 or a 3953 which would be a lot like my 3913 but DAO. I think its funny my dad has a 2" Model 19 K frame and a 2" model 36 J frame my grandfather only a Model 49 neither have ever felt undergunned.I really think had I been more accurate with my 26 I would have found and settled at the one. At least that and the combo of my 19. I think if I was able to carry in the 4 o clock position daily I would be perfectly satisfied with my 19. However for more discreet carry I use appendix carry and find the 19 just a little long. I have thought that since I shot the K frame snub that I had quite well that maybe the S&W 19 & Glock 19 combo may be perfect for me. Then again if I found a 2" SP101 that would put me between the J and K frame. Ive just about (yeah right) decided to sell my LCR and devote my practice time to my 19 and CM9 and stay with that combo. I have never been satisfied with "combat accuracy". I find the CM9 and the 19 better than that and Im sure with range and carry time I could improve still.

January 22, 2012, 10:52 AM	#4
bossman Senior Member Join Date: November 16, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 996	Hell, he had the best of the bunch to start with. The S&W 3913 is the perfect single stack 9mm. Sounds like he had fun and spent a lot of money though. __________________ NRA life member When the going gets tough, I just open another beer.

January 22, 2012, 11:02 AM	#5
Deaf Smith Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2000 Location: Texican! Posts: 4,453	Situations change. Dress options change. Needs change. There is no perfect CCW. Deaf __________________ “To you who call yourselves ‘men of peace,’ I say, you are not safe without men of action by your side” Thucydides

January 22, 2012, 11:50 AM	#8
richardcorey Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2009 Location: SW Ok Posts: 113	There is a country-western song that references to Tequila (but should be about handguns) that says " One is one too many and another ain't never enough." We all have our "Some day I'll have a ...(fill in the blanks) list, but what is life about if not for dreaming??? __________________ sometimes your shadow leads, sometimes your shadow follows, BUT when your shadow says "Cuidado!!" LISTEN!!!

January 22, 2012, 07:58 PM	#14
dalegribble Senior Member Join Date: August 4, 2007 Posts: 861	the perfect ccw is the one you have in your hand when you need it not the one you have in your mind when your dreaming. __________________ Waltzes with woofs

January 21, 2012, 08:08 PM	#2
camsdaddy Senior Member Join Date: October 5, 2007 Posts: 397	Well looks like I am adding a M&P9C. I really liked my M&P fullsize it was just a little larger than I cared for. I figure the 9C will fall size wise between the 26 and the 19. The M&P fits my hand better which I feel will lead to better shooting. Worse case scenario I get it shoot a new toy and will have an excuse to buy and sell for something else in a few months. Eventually I see my carry rotation going to 9C and CM9 for carry and selling my LCR and getting a 637 or 642 for pocket carry

January 22, 2012, 09:45 AM	#3
Carry_24/7 Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2011 Posts: 801	The perfect CCW for me is the PPS....

January 22, 2012, 11:28 AM	#6
tubeshooter Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2000 Posts: 228	Part of it is too many choices nowadays. I'd imagine 60 or 70 years ago people just got a snub-nosed revolver and called it good; wasn't too much else. Even back then there were still a few "vest guns" and derringers around to muddy the waters. Part of it is what's a dealbreaker for you. This is up to the individual. Part of it is the information overload. If you read too much into most firearm/SD forums, you'd think you just have to have something that will stop a bear and weighs less than a pound. They actually make a few guns like this; I don't think most people end up keeping them. Deaf Smith has it right.

January 22, 2012, 01:43 PM	#9
TxFlyFish Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2011 Posts: 1,246	Apple just released the iGun it will totally change the way we view firearms. Its even thinner than the Walther PPS and has LED backlit control. Yes thats control without the "s" because for the first time ever the slide release, safety, and decocker is combined into a single "Home" button. Comes with 2yr apple care that covers up to two accidental discharges. Since they just announced it they are still working on Siri integration, especially in the Australian market

January 22, 2012, 03:11 PM	#10
fourdogs Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2008 Posts: 152	Fish...very funny. Obviously there's no perfect cc. Carry what anyone feels is right. Me...I carry a FA 454. Sure it's slow, but I wouldn't want to catch the first round. My cousin who's a retired cop carries his duty gun. A 16 round 40 Sig. I carried an M14 in Vietnam, but truth be told I traded it in for a M16 when my weight went from 165 to 130. We all need to do what we need to do, but remember we are all just dust blowin in the wind....

January 22, 2012, 06:43 PM	#11
B.N.Real Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Posts: 4,092	It all starts with the 642 for me. I guess I better buy one. Like the MP9c too-GREAT grip,not too small,should be no kick either and cheap to shoot as well. Looks like Smith will be getting alot of my money when the money tree jumps out and smacks me over the head.

January 22, 2012, 07:29 PM	#12
TxFlyFish Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2011 Posts: 1,246	if you have not tried I HIGHLY recommend the PPS, especially one with BB date code...even hickok45 loves it!

January 22, 2012, 08:03 PM	#15
skoro Senior Member Join Date: April 30, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 1,952	It ain't perfect... ... but among my 3 carry weapons, I like my 642 the most.

January 22, 2012, 08:05 PM	#16
whippoorwill Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2008 Location: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Posts: 521	There is no perfect CCW... for all folks. However, there are perfect CCWs out there... for particular individuals.

January 22, 2012, 08:25 PM	#17
TxFlyFish Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2011 Posts: 1,246	The moment you find the perfect one, you will stop purchasing new guns gun or wife

January 22, 2012, 08:42 PM	#18
Hogtown Member Join Date: October 17, 2011 Posts: 44	dont know a thing about it so check out the DoubleTap by HeizerDefense.com This just might be the last 45 you`ll ever buy!!!

January 22, 2012, 10:07 PM	#19
sgms Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2010 Location: Arizona or Ohio depending Posts: 1,021	There isn't one. That why we always have to keep searching and buying to get what will work for what we are doing know. At one point a BHP with 4 spare mags. was a daly thing (yes 4 mags. the situation would require forting up till the cavalry arrived) now a P-11 in a pocket holster works just fine.

January 23, 2012, 12:24 AM	#20
C0untZer0 Junior member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,555	uh.... Rohrbaugh R9 and Try the PM9 with the enhanced trigger when it comes out...

January 23, 2012, 01:59 AM	#21
230therapy Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2008 Posts: 116	Training is the answer...just like I said on the other forum. Choose one of your guns and resolve to shoot 5,000 rounds through it by December 2012. Follow the course progression I gave you. You will find you're a very fast and consistent shot after that training. __________________ Does anyone actually believe that the Founders were sitting around in John Adams' tavern UNARMED because they believed a bar should be a gun free zone?

January 24, 2012, 09:03 AM	#22
kalevatom Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2010 Location: northwestern Michigan Posts: 198	I believe I found my perfect carry piece, the 3913.

January 24, 2012, 09:37 AM	#23
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	my 1st was an air weight J Frame 6 shot in 32 H&R magnum... 2nd a CZ-75 Compact, 3rd an air lite K frame 5 shot 44 special, 4th & 5th were antique top break S&W's in 32 & 38 S&W, 6th was a Taurus TCP in 380, 7th is a custom stainless Ruger Montado snubbie in 45 Colt... I love them all & still actively carry them all in specific situations... my newest Ruger single action snubbie is my favorite, but that super light K frame S&W 44 special is probably the most practical I found I like collecting CCW "type" guns, & have about 3 dozen different black powder era cartridge revolvers in "pocket size"... my lil 32 S&W snubbie chopped & renickeled long long ago, is one of my favorites... not worth much to "normal" collectors, but because someone 75-100 years ago needed a more compact gun, & thought enough of the lil S&W # 1.5, to customize it for CCW, made it interesting to me... I reload the cartridge, & shoot it often... in fact, I requalifyed for my carry license last year using a custom S&W #2 spur trigger single action in 38 S&W... 1st time that instructor ever had anyone qualify with anything like that... I had no trouble with the range qualification __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 24, 2012, 09:39 AM	#24
mes228 Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2005 Posts: 628	Concealed Very hard to improve on the Glock 19 for a 9mm. The 9mm is the smallest caliber I'd carry. The Model 19 for size, weight empty & loaded, capacity, accuracy, reliability, cost, resell value, parts, simplicity, durability - it's very very hard to beat.

January 24, 2012, 10:07 AM	#25
Boncrayon Senior Member Join Date: March 24, 2008 Posts: 920	The never ending journey to the perfect CCW I had begun my CC with a Walther PK380. But I found it's length difficult to pocket carry. I finally settled on a Ruger LC9 which has the greater power over the 380 and goes with me unnoticed just about everywhere. I'm really sold on my LC9.