The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: General Handgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old January 15, 2013, 12:48 PM   #26
Mr.Bluster
Member
 
Join Date: April 24, 2011
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 28
1) comfortable to wear, therefore, must be small and lightweight
2) ease of use
3) capacity

For me, it all adds up to a Ruger LCR revolver. 15 ounces (unloaded), goes bang every time (nothing to rack, unlock, or jam), eight round capacity. Yes, in .22 caliber. Don't need a howitzer. Don't need a laser or special optics. You're not going to aim so much as point. I figure if it is in self-defense you are at close range. (Otherwise, your best bet is to seek shelter.) You want to get your shot off before he aims at you. A .22 bullet to the gut/head, etc. is enuff to discombobulate anyone, even someone high on angel dust. Bullets cheap and (relatively) plentiful (normally). Fun to shoot at the range. Made in America. Kinda cute.
Mr.Bluster is offline  
Old January 15, 2013, 01:17 PM   #27
Tactical Jackalope
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 5, 2010
Location: Miami, Florida
Posts: 6,429
Quote:
I really wonder if all those carrying today really go through all the hoops detailed in this thread.
You're right, we're all lying. Lying to a bunch of people we've never even met before behind usernames and such to appear to be someone special.


If this was a basket weaving forum and people were talking great lengths about their carry gun, fine. This is a gun forum with people talking great lengths about their carry gun.
Tactical Jackalope is offline  
Old January 17, 2013, 07:38 PM   #28
Niner4Tango
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 28, 2007
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 287
3-400 rounds sounds about right to build some confidence in reliability.

There are a few weapons I have a lot of confidence in just from past experience, though. A new-in-box XD, S&W revolver or a Beretta M9 just needs a half a box run through and I'm happy.
Niner4Tango is offline  
Old January 17, 2013, 11:33 PM   #29
Big-Blue
Member
 
Join Date: January 10, 2013
Location: Atlanta, GA USA
Posts: 75
I LOVE JohnKSa's response "I'm not relying on the gun primarily as a talisman." Amen!

My assumption is that in the heat of battle I'm not going to be as effective as I am on the range. I'm going to be shocked and scared. I want enough bullets to get me and my loved ones out of danger. I practice each weekend in hopes that I will minimize the number of innocents I hit behind the bad guy, but make no mistake--he's going down.

Talisman--that says it all. These thin 7 bullet guns are for comfort, not for defense, UNLESS the carrier practices swapping out magazines as well as shooting at targets. Here's how good I want to be if I'm carrying a skinny gun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raGgNe0MgLM

Last edited by Big-Blue; January 18, 2013 at 12:00 AM.
Big-Blue is offline  
Old January 17, 2013, 11:57 PM   #30
Big-Blue
Member
 
Join Date: January 10, 2013
Location: Atlanta, GA USA
Posts: 75
I like what Mr. Bluster said about the .22, but my understanding is that unless you make a headshot or sever the upper spine, your only hope of survival is to make the bad guy bleed out enough so he loses consciousness. The FBI paper on handgun effectiveness says a determined aggressor can continue his attack for 10-15 seconds after having received a mortal wound to the heart (http://www.firearmstactical.com/pdf/fbi-hwfe.pdf). I would not expect most people to have the ability, in the heat of battle, to shoot the guy's head or sever his upper spinal cord. Without regular threat training in which the adrenaline is elevated and the vision's focus is narrowed, I don't think a person can count on their range training experiences alone. I believe I need to make the biggest wound possible to ensure rapid blood loss. That means multiple big caliber holes.
Big-Blue is offline  
Old January 18, 2013, 01:33 AM   #31
MarkDozier
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 1, 2010
Posts: 363
i found my way to the ye.nay of carry.
stick in the holster and wear it on my belt for a day. Having a BUG in case
If comfotable 0 range time and at least 300 rounds in an hour for reliaiblty.
Take it home clean and then back too see it anything came lose.
My XD passed with no failures.
Then acuracy test wuth defense loads XXX all 20 rings at 35 feet..
MarkDozier is offline  
Old January 18, 2013, 05:32 AM   #32
Nanuk
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 2, 2005
Location: Where the deer and the antelope roam.
Posts: 3,082
Quote:
A .22 bullet to the gut/head, etc. is enuff to discombobulate anyone, even someone high on angel dust.
Have you ever fought someone on "Angel Dust". The goal is to "STOP" an attack. Do not confuse lethality with hitting someone intent on harming you hard enough to make them want to be elsewhere.
__________________
Retired Law Enforcement
U. S. Army Veteran
Armorer
My rifle and pistol are tools, I am the weapon.
Nanuk is offline  
Old January 18, 2013, 07:03 AM   #33
alex0535
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 4, 2012
Location: Georgia
Posts: 908
I still need to get my ccp, when I get one I will be looking for a carry handgun.

My considerations going into it are reliability, ease of concealment, accuracy, and stopping power.

An XD-S is an object of desire. Little gun, lot of punch. I wish the capacity were a little higher but its a little gun, and the capacity is the same as my other immediate option, an old S&W Model 36 .38 special. I have a feeling that I would rather have the XD-S if a situation occurred that I felt I needed it.

I would want to put a a few hundred rounds through it before I started to carry it, both to familiarize myself with it and I would reconsider it as a carry piece if it gave me any hint of not being reliable.
alex0535 is offline  
Old January 19, 2013, 05:05 AM   #34
Justice06RR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 21, 2010
Location: Central FL
Posts: 1,360
For me, I shoot it straight out of the box without cleaning and lubing the pistol. If it shoots a 100rds that way, i'll take it home and clean/lube it. Shoot it again a few hundred rounds and if it does not malfunction in anyway, then I consider it reliable for daily carry.

Magazines are the other thing I check out first hand. If I can't reliably load or cycle rounds in the mag (in the case of some Keltecs), I will not carry it.
Justice06RR is offline  
Old January 22, 2013, 01:42 AM   #35
Ben Towe
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 6, 2009
Location: Middle Tennessee
Posts: 1,128
I feel like it needs to go through 250 rounds reliably from a state of being clean. Why that criteria? My carry gun has match grade components and is very tight, which is conductive to excellent accuracy. It also means that after 250-300 rounds of range ammo stuff gets sticky, though I never had it malfunction, it gets slow. I keep my gun clean, and since I don't carry 300 rounds with me, it's unlikely I'll shoot it to the point of malfunction.

Some may feel my little test isn't enough, but since I'm not on a battlefield, I believe it's plenty. Few of us carry enough ammo for an extended firefight, even in our vehicle, and you have a better chance of hitting the lotto and being struck by lightning on the same day than getting into such an encounter.
__________________
'Merica: Back to back World War Champs
Ben Towe is offline  
Old January 22, 2013, 08:58 AM   #36
Picher
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 14, 2004
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,694
I'm an older guy, former police firearms instructor, police combat match shooter, gunsmith, court-recognized firearms expert and long-time hunter. That said, I try to avoid places where there may be higher than normal risks; dimly-lighted areas, bars, out at late hours for drinks, etc.

Regardless of due diligence, there may be an incident in a careful person's lifetime that may occur, needing quick and effective lethal response. That response may not be necessary at ranges exceeding 5 yards. A very high percentage of defensive shooting situations occur within 5 yards. If a person shoots someone at 25 yards or more with a CC handgun in an urban situation, there will be serious legal doubts about the need to shoot (except maybe for mass shooting scenes, the chances of which are slim and the effectiveness of a pocket pistol questionable, except to call attention to the owner).

So, living in a rural/suburban area of one of the safest states in the union, and being mindful of the chances I'll probably never have to use it, I don't want to carry a gun that feels like an anchor, or is noticeable by people in my party when going out to a restaurant, etc.

Therefore, I usually carry a S&W 642 Airweight in a Desantis pocket holster (front pocket) and am comfortable with it. I can hit a 3" circle at 30 feet and know how to quickly disable an opponent with a moderately-powerful carry gun/ammo.

Being a hunter and having killed hundreds of wild animals, I'm cognizant as to the locations on a body that result in a very quick kill or disablement. When I go hunting I certainly intend to find and harvest animals, but never go out looking for trouble with people. If it comes and avoidance isn't an option it probably won't be a good day for anyone involved.
Picher is offline  
Old January 22, 2013, 11:01 AM   #37
ZVP
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 20, 2009
Posts: 1,102
The primary reason to carry a gun is "need".
I carry which ever handgun it is that fits my needs, for instance a couple weeks ago I needed to carry a large amount of money from my Bank to my home. Now entering a Bank with a huge "bulge" invites trouble from Security, Tellers, and Patrons with phones. So what do you do?
Simple carry the smallest gun that you can discreetly carry that provides an adequate response that will get you out of trouble.
I chose my Beretta 21A .22lr carried inside a Jean Jacket pocket and also carried a backpack (to use to hit my opponent or his gun away from me. My checks were inside the Backpack and I made a conscious effort to converse with the Teller and joke about caarrying my "purse" to divert attention away from my body and any attention to the small bulge in my front of the coat.
Tactica are as important as which weapon to carry.
Noone even paid attention to me, or my handgun.
I placed the Backpack on the counter and opened it wide to show the tellet it was empty except for papers.( DIdn't want to scare the Teller).
OK Tactics and Handgun worked.

Yes I would have preferred to have my S&W Chief along but it didn't fit the "Need"!
HTH,
ZVP
ZVP is offline  
Old January 22, 2013, 07:41 PM   #38
BGutzman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 4, 2009
Location: Frozen Tundra
Posts: 2,414
Is it a Sig, H&K or other known reliable brand?
Is it accurate?
Are the sights easily visible in the dark?
Is the trigger smooth, not a lot of uptake, quick reset?
How many internal and external safeties and do they block the firing pin if the weapon is dropped? I prefer less or even no external safeties so long as the internal safeties are up to the job?
Does it carry the number of rounds needed?
How does it feel in the hand?
How does it feel on the range?
Is it sufficient caliber?
Lastly will I be embarrassed to be seen with this thing at the range?
__________________
Molon Labe
BGutzman is offline  
Old January 22, 2013, 10:03 PM   #39
oldgunsmith
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 9, 2013
Posts: 278
Not A Taurus

No major Police Dept. allows officers to carry a Taurus on duty. In Oklahoma a CLEET qualification match is 300 rds. You fire 2 matches and get the highest score. I've been a range armorer long enough to know that it's quite common for a Taurus new out of the box to be worn out of time in less than 600 rds.
oldgunsmith is offline  
Old January 31, 2013, 08:09 PM   #40
Munkster
Member
 
Join Date: January 20, 2013
Posts: 25
Aside from the common answer that is to check that it is reliable with in X amount of rounds to me i need to gun meet three criteria, first i need it to conceal well with how i dress because i dont live in a open carry state, second i need to be proficient with my weapon, anything that comes out of your barrel you are responsible for so it is import that i can shoot it well, and finally and this is probably one of the most important for me is that it draws easily, that is part of the reason i sold my lcp i had trouble drawing my gun quickly eith iwb or from the pocket so it had too go. I wish you good luck and fun shooting
Munkster is offline  
Old February 9, 2013, 09:31 PM   #41
tristar viper
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 8, 2009
Location: Ohio
Posts: 889
If it says Glock on it (Gen 3) or Sig 226. If you have those two things, you're golden.
tristar viper is offline  
Old February 9, 2013, 11:00 PM   #42
Tactical Jackalope
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 5, 2010
Location: Miami, Florida
Posts: 6,429
Quote:
Originally Posted by tristar viper View Post
If it says Glock on it (Gen 3) or Sig 226. If you have those two things, you're golden.
I'm golden


Sent from my phone...expect typos.
Tactical Jackalope is offline  
Old February 10, 2013, 12:08 PM   #43
smith357
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 19, 2005
Posts: 270
#1 Reliability - a gun that does not work is nothing more than a blunt object
#2 Ergonomics - if it does not fit you won't shoot it well, and missing the target can be dangerous to innocents.
#3 Power - you don't want to get your attacker mad, you want him dead
#4 Size - with the right rig and garment a sub machine gun is concealable.
smith357 is offline  
Old February 10, 2013, 03:16 PM   #44
Cheapshooter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 2, 2007
Location: Missouri
Posts: 8,306
Where many have turned this into "What is your criteria to choose a CCW or HD firearm", I believe the question was about how do you determine that a gun that you have already decided to purchase is ready for duty.

Quote:
How Do You Decide A Gun Is Worthy To Be A Carry Weapon.
For a new firearm, I turn to run about 300-400rds through it without any hiccups before carrying it. I was wondering what criteria others use to determine that a particular firearm is carry worthy.
I don't call it break in, but rather shake down. 100 rounds of FMJ range ammo, then try several candidates for carry rounds. With no malfunctions, the most accurate of the carry rounds is chosen, then another 20-50 rounds are fired to make sure. So it is probably around 200 or so total rounds before I feel confident to carry a particular firearm.
My CCW firearms have all been semi-autos so far, and I don't thimk it will be necessary to shoot my new LCR quite that much to "prove" it. But will probably do so anyway just 'cause I like to shoot!
__________________
Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!
Cheapshooter is offline  
Old February 17, 2013, 04:28 AM   #45
ClydeFrog
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 1, 2010
Posts: 5,797
Carry pistol requirements...

For a duty or carry/protection type semi auto pistol, it should meet these requirements:

Can be field strip w/o any tools or special parts.
Feeds & cycles with all factory type rounds 100% of the time or has a 0 fail rate.
The pistol magazines drop fully loaded or unloaded. No problems or jams.
3 dot or tactical night sights. Novak or non snag design.
Has a ambi magazine release or can be converted(I'm left handed).
The trigger is in one part ideally. Newer designs have wierd systems with triggers that are in sections.
Has second strike or can be fired a second time if needed to discharge a round.
Is DA only or a striker fired system that has no hammer spur.
Has a 1913/tactical rail for laser-aimers/white lights.
Has a round or curve style trigger guard but wide enough for winter gloves, tactical gloves.
Must have no rough textures, sharp edges or ridges that could cut the skin or tear clothing/leather.
Must have a chrome lined barrel.
Must safely fire +P or +P+ rated ammunition(within limits/regular use).
Must be a well made, respected brand & in documented use by military forces or sworn US law enforcement(meeting contract standards or passing T&Es).
No history of recalls, complaints or design flaws with the pistol model.
Can stand up to environmental factors & real world conditions w/o problems; snow, sand, grit, lint, dirt, mud, sweat, etc.
Is balanced & has a solid fit in either hand(loaded).
Has holsters, spare parts, gear, etc available for it in the USA.

ClydeFrog
ClydeFrog is offline  
Old February 20, 2013, 09:41 PM   #46
Bill56
Member
 
Join Date: February 14, 2013
Posts: 28
Realiability, good feel in MY hand, ability to feed various types of SD ammo without difficulty. I also prefer a full size handgun as I just shoot better with them and don't have a problem carrying them.
Bill56 is offline  
Old February 20, 2013, 09:55 PM   #47
eldermike
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 24, 2013
Location: NC
Posts: 545
When I purchase a new handgun I shoot it until the new wears off. With every semiautomatic, I mean everyone, that means clearing some jams. Name a brand, I have cleared a jam. So I carry a model 60 S&W.
eldermike is offline  
Old February 23, 2013, 03:22 AM   #48
JimmyR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 4, 2012
Posts: 1,273
I am actually doing this right now with a new gun I purchased that may become one of my EDCs- Beretta PX4 Storm D-type.

Step 1) Right out of the box, I took it to the range, and put it through the paces, looking at both accuracy, grouping, and reliability. I used 4 diferent brands of ammo (including a old box of Winchester Super X from Lord-knows-when). 200 rounds with no malfunctions with both magazines, and it's well on its way.

Step 2) Holster selection- as others have said, a worthy carry gun has to be able to be carried effectively. That means accessories, whether they be extra magazines, holster, etc. This is next on my list, and I'm looking at an OWB custom kydex for this one.

Step 3) Practice. Do I feel comfortable drawing, aiming, and using the gun. Does it feel "right" in my hand?
JimmyR is offline  
Old February 23, 2013, 05:41 AM   #49
ClydeFrog
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 1, 2010
Posts: 5,797
Loaded chamber indicator...

A good feature for a carry pistol or sidearm is a loaded chamber indicator that can be used by sight or feel. That way you can check it in low light.
I like the Springfield XD format but there are others...

Clyde
ClydeFrog is offline  
Old February 24, 2013, 10:16 AM   #50
cryogenic419
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 29, 2009
Location: NW Ohio
Posts: 569
My first CCW pistol I just ran 2 boxes of FMJ through it without any feeding, ejection, or accuracy issues, ran a box of 20 of what my carry load was going to be. For me that seemed like enough "testing", accuracy was acceptable and no jamming or ejection issues with those loads. Took it home, cleaned the gun and mags, loaded the SD ammo in a mag, and put gun in the holster and considered it good to go. I did later on get practice drawing and firing, but did not do this prior to carrying.

I later switched to a more powerful caliber for my CCW, went through the same process. First 100 rounds were low powered factory ammo, ran 20 rounds of SD ammo through it and wan't impressed with accuracy of the SD ammo. Loaded up some hotter FMJ rounds and ordered up some different SD rounds to try out. Ran the hotter FMJ rounds without issue and found the SD load that had a nice balance of power and accuracy. Loaded up some more FMJ loads and some hot HP loads, and went out to the range with the holster and got practice drawing from the holster and shooting. That was something I didn't do with my first CCW pistol prior to carrying it. Once I was comfy with drawing and firing I cleaned the gun and mags, loaded the mag with SD ammo, put in the holster and considered it good to go.

Some things I guess I just take as a given for choosing a gun for CCW. One being comfort in the hand. If I pick up any gun at a shop and it doesn't feel good in the hand, I won't buy it. If it isn't comfy just holding it, its not going to get better when you are firing it. If I can't easily get parts, magazines, ammo, etc I will not buy it. I spent ALOT of time researching holsters and what features I liked and didn't like when I got my first CCW. When it came time for a new CCW pistol, since I loved the first holster it made choosing the new one pretty easy.
cryogenic419 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:14 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.13217 seconds with 10 queries