Best Carry Pistol........For Me?

[jkar4242]

I enjoy reading the different forums and I have learned much from them over the years. Many magazines, gun forums and YouTube postings ask that old question, "what's the best carry gun"?
I am no expert at the specifics and the various points of manufacture that make a pistol the best. So I decided to add to that question this thought "for me". I have mentioned before that I have been at this shooting thing for over 50 years and have been a member of a gun club for over 30 years. So what difference does that make. I have had a lot of time to ask questions, listen, and sometimes learn from some fine shooters and have had the opportunity to shoot many different firearms. We all can agree that we enjoy the sports part of it but in today's world the need to protect home and family has become one of the major factors in the growth of the fire arms industry. The hard fought battle to obtain permits that allow us to that, by carrying a firearm if we wish, has saved many lives and I am sure made some of those who spend their time taking from others think twice. SO... at the ripe old age of 71 I have decided to answer the question "what's is the best carry pistol?". The best carry pistol is the one that goes bang every time you pull the trigger and hits what your aiming at. The most important factor in this self-defense thing is what works best for you. You can start with a High Point and go from there, $199.00 or $1500, the point being that the price does not impress the bad guy, getting shot does. I have been downsizing and using the goal of self-defense as my yard stick. To me self-defense is any dispute that can be settled in five or less shots, anything more is a war. Now here is the point to all this. For the last 18 mo I have bought, traded and fired as many different pistols I could that meet the CC specs. I am down to the Khar CM9, which is my EDC and I just bought a Sig Sauer P290RS. I took the Sig to the range today, 100 rds no problems. Remember that the standard to be met is which pistol works best for me, price, brand, and lights and whistles don't count. I plan to run at least 200rds through the Sig then carry it for awhile if it prove to be dependable. I have shot a lot of pistols guys and I am down to these two.

jkar

[DanTana]

A friend of mine just asked me what is the best conceal carry gun. I rattled off a few brands and said most were decent guns. He asked me about Sig and I said, well they are metal rather than polymer like the Glocks and most other modern pistols and he says, I want a metal gun, not a plastic one. I told him, go rent some at the range or I can take you shooting and you can shoot my Sig P229 and a few others I have including my Kahr CM9 and M&P Pro and maybe that will help you make up your mind. When it comes down to it, it's an individual thing and only the person who has to shoot it and carry it knows what's best for him/her. I've changed my own mind several times. Luckily, most the guns I do have I would trust in any situation.

Good luck in your quest, I think either gun will be a very good choice.

[marcinstl]

CM9= 16oz. for gun and mag. the CM( can be a 6,7, or 8 +1) (9mm. =.42oz. each).
Sig290= 20.5oz for gun and mag. 290 can be 6 or 8 +1.
so now it comes down to how does a gun feel in the hand, how does it come out of the holster for you? which trigger works best for you?
pull the gun out of the holster, as you raise it get your other hand on it in your combat grip, lock those elbows in to your sides and take the first shot. jam the gun out in front of you, look over the gun and take the second shot. for the third shot go ahead and use the sights as fast as you can. this is combat shooting, not bullseye. do that a couple of times with each pistol. tell us which one you like the best.

[berettabone]

Sounds like two good choices to me....................you'll have to let us know how the Sig is working. The weather isn't cooperating, so I haven't been able to try out my new toy. How's the trigger on the Sig? I am spoiled by my MK trigger, and I am curious about the 290 trigger. I have been eyeing them up for a while.

[ohio lock]

It all comes down to what feels good in your hand, the reliability of the gun (IMHO you must put at least 500 rounds through your carry gun to get a good feel for the trigger, its reliability, etc.) and how and when you will be carrying the weapon. I have 3 guns in my rotation - a Kahr pm45, mostly carried in the fall/winter in an OWB holster, as it can be more easily concealed under more layers of clothing, a Walther PPS 9mm (my personal favorite), and a Smith and Wesson .38 special revolver for summer time carry. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

[muggsy]

For CC I'm a fan of the PM/CM9 or a J frame S&W. I'm never without my P380 as a backup gun.

[b4uqzme]

"For me" is what really counts IMHO. Good for you. :) I also add to your excellent standards the KISS method of SD: draw, point, shoot. No safeties or complications. That led me to DA revolvers, DAO Kahrs, and one DA/SA CZ (with decocker).

[deadeye]

Asking a question like yours is like asking which woman is better. Kinda what ever suits you best. Try a few before you decide. (Difference is you can always trade or sell a gun. It's a little different with a woman! I found some of them have no sense of humor at all.) I finally decided on a CM9 and it has been my constant companion. Have been buying, selling and collecting for over 60 years. The CM9 stays. So has the woman I chose. Going on 50 years.

[b4uqzme]

^^^ are you a leg or a breast man? Try a few before you decide. ;) I'm talking fried chicken fellas...get your mind out of the gutter. :rolleyes:

[Bawanna]

Wow, finally something I'm ambidextrous at, I like legs and breast! Original recipe or barbecue, not extra crispy.

[b4uqzme]

Yeah......extra crispy would stink. Again: chicken!

[jeepster09]

I really like the Sig 290rs, I added to mine a Galloway trigger, recoil spring and stainless guide rod. It now has nice trigger and is dependable. Never heard of the SV model however?

http://gallowayprecision.com/sig-sauer/p290/

[jkar4242]

Sounds like two good choices to me....................you'll have to let us know how the Sig is working. The weather isn't cooperating, so I haven't been able to try out my new toy. How's the trigger on the Sig? I am spoiled by my MK trigger, and I am curious about the 290 trigger. I have been eyeing them up for a while.
Only have a 100 rds at this point, going back Friday. The trigger has a long pull but is smooth and I was able to maintain a decent group at in a large pie plate at 10 yards. the one thing I can say is that the trigger pull on this pistol is manageable and with time should prove to be no obstacle to accuracy or smooth operation. Plan on posting my progress with this pistol after each range trip.
jkar

[kahrnut1]

i love sig guns have several. but only carry one of the 7 kahrs that i own. not because they are necessarily better than sig but they are hammerless. when i used to play cop many years ago i allways wore windbreaker or vest with hammerless backup in pocket. i hae gone to salvation army and gotten junk jackkets several times and shot 1st shot from pocket. you can be pretty damn accurate at say 5 yards shooting like that. if i am in a place where i am worried at all about whats around me the pm9 or p380 temporrarily moves from pants pocket to vest pocket. it sure feels better 2 know u are ready 2 go while say walking in dark parking lot . just my two cents

[marcinstl]

i love sig guns have several. but only carry one of the 7 kahrs that i own. not because they are necessarily better than sig but they are hammerless. when i used to play cop many years ago i allways wore windbreaker or vest with hammerless backup in pocket. i hae gone to salvation army and gotten junk jackkets several times and shot 1st shot from pocket. you can be pretty damn accurate at say 5 yards shooting like that. if i am in a place where i am worried at all about whats around me the pm9 or p380 temporrarily moves from pants pocket to vest pocket. it sure feels better 2 know u are ready 2 go while say walking in dark parking lot . just my two cents

thank you for posting that. I like to see strategy and tactics. situational awareness is the primary weapon, the gun is a backup. I have a couple of favorite guns for carry and a drawer full of holsters. right now I'm favoring a small, light gun in a IWB holster, "appendix carry", comfortable and fast draw. when I get in the car and buckle up, the gun is on the console. when I get out of the car I discretely reholster. the gun is my little secret, I didn't bring it for show and tell. in the winter the gun will go in a coat pocket. I'm also looking at designs for "man bags"(it's not a purse!). a quick access bag with a cross chest strap would allow me to carry larger guns and allow me to have a hand in the bag, on the gun. the goofy person walking thru the parking garage texting is the victim-- we aren't.

[DavidR]

For ME it's a pocket 380. I'm about 5' 7" and 160 lbs with little body fat. I live in a sub-tropical climate and wear close-fitting summer clothes year round. I've not been able to effectively conceal IWB. I pocket carried a CM9 for a while and some days it's okay but others it bothered me. I can effectively conceal a 380 in my front pocket and find it very comfortable.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/David-R/97DD1AFD-5006-44AA-A9AE-8C49DF2355BC_zps7mhvs3vk.jpg (http://s32.photobucket.com/user/David-R/media/97DD1AFD-5006-44AA-A9AE-8C49DF2355BC_zps7mhvs3vk.jpg.html)

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d33/David-R/EC4E623E-8E63-427B-81B3-5FAE318FD443_zpsxonamlkl.jpg (http://s32.photobucket.com/user/David-R/media/EC4E623E-8E63-427B-81B3-5FAE318FD443_zpsxonamlkl.jpg.html)

[JohnR]

To me self-defense is any dispute that can be settled in five or less shots, anything more is a war.


I tend to agree.

[SlowBurn]

For ME it's a pocket 380. ...I can effectively conceal a 380 in my front pocket and find it very comfortable.

Me too for the same basic reason. I'm just not going consistently to trouble with carrying something larger.

Dunno about the 5 shot thing though. For me the only reason I occasionally carry a G17 is so 17 are available if TSHTF.

[muggsy]

^^^ are you a leg or a breast man? Try a few before you decide. ;) I'm talking fried chicken fellas...get your mind out of the gutter. :rolleyes:

I knew you were talking chicken, b4uqzme. No woman in her right mind would have you. :) (Remember that you opened the door.)

[b4uqzme]

^^^ that explains Mrs b4. Thanks! :rolleyes:

[ripley16]

The best carry pistol is the one that goes bang every time you pull the trigger and hits what your aiming at.

Amen. Amen.

I first began carrying a gun in 1975. In that time I've looked at them all, bought way too many, but only carried a few. I pretty much only carried three guns in that time, (four if you count the one I only had for a few years). If I like it and shoot it well, I see no reason to change. Find what suits you well and stick with it. No "gun rotation", no seasonal carry. Familiarity and reliability - that is what matters.

[RRP]

Amen. Amen.

I first began carrying a gun in 1975. In that time I've looked at them all, bought way too many, but only carried a few. I pretty much only carried three guns in that time, (four if you count the one I only had for a few years).

Care to share what those 3 or 4 guns have been?

[ripley16]

Care to share what those 3 or 4 guns have been?

My first was a 5 shot, 38 spl revolver that I usd for a short while, but couldn't shoot real well.
I next used an Astra Constable .380. A very reliable pistol.
My next in 1991 was a change to a Beretta 84f. I handled this one very well. Easy to shoot well and it never, ever failed.
In 2007 I changed radically to an HK P2000sk. The best gun I've ever used.

I should mention that I also carry a Seecamp. It is also too good to ever stop using.

I guess that's four and one also ran. The Seecamp is so tiny and been with me so long, I forget it's there.

[RRP]

Thanks.

I should give that HK another look. The feedback I've seen for that gun has been overwhelmingly positive. I fondled one once and quickly dismissed it because of the non-trad mag release. I was afraid this old dog could not be taught a new trick. I'll check it out again, sometime.

[hardluk1]

I cc'd a 38sp ss snubby for 20 years when building homes. It was something I could pocket holster and not worry about it. Met a guy at a public range that was pitching a fit over a new cw9 kahr and wanted to sell it. price was cheap enough . It was good for me and bought a couple more, smaller and larger . Daughter now has one of them . After hand surgery I am finding my kahrs no longer enjoyable to shoot do to hand issues. CC'd my wifes m&p core for a couple months and back to my tp40 with some light loads but looking at the m&p full size or cz p-01 as a full time . I'm retired and only need one carry handgun now.

[zeker]

During my 67 years (and being a gun nut) I have owned just about every pistol known to man at one time or another. When Virginia became a "Shall Issue" state I tried to carry the ones that I thought would work for me and finally decided on the compact H&K .40 P2000sk. I carried it for several years until the sight picture got too fuzzy. I now carry a Kahr K40 IWB with a CT laser grip and sometimes slip a PM9 (also with a CT laser) in my pocket. With all the news about terrorist cells and such, I began carrying an extra magazine or two in my pocket.

[ltxi]

My first concealed carry gun, back in the 60's was a J-frame Smith. My current most used concealed carry gun is a J-frame Smith. Soon, tho, I be thinkin' I'm gonna get one of them there newfangled cell phone thingys to carry along with it.

[O'Dell]

My first carry gun back in the 60's was a Browning HP. The Navy tried to issue me a S&W 38, but I wouldn't take it. Today the choices are much better. I can carry any of my four Kahrs, a SIG C3, either of my two compact HK 45's, a S&W CS45, or a Kimber, STI, or Detonics compact 1911. All are smaller and lighter than that HP and all but two of the Kahrs are 45's. It all depends on what I'm wearing and what I can cover.

BTW, I prefer Mary Ann.

[Pointblank]

For CC I'm a fan of the PM/CM9 or a J frame S&W. I'm never without my P380 as a backup gun.

It scares me sometimes how much Muggsy and I think alike.

[muggsy]

It scares me sometimes how much Muggsy and I think alike.

It's the Cleveland connection. :)

[Armybrat]

Whenever I get my new CT380 through the break in process, it'll be my EDC in the new Remora:

http://images.yuku.com/image/jpeg/47f3580943b1d2661d78b8ae09aff1d1c65629b.jpg

[thefirearmguy]

I've always been a CM9 guy. The weight and the reliability does it for me. Having said that, the Sig P290 interests me. The size is right as well as the price. Haven't shot it yet but heard and read many good reviews on it.