When choosing a concealed carry handgun, a great deal of care may be needed to ensure that it is a firearm suitable to your needs. With a massive selection of options, you can be particular about what you want. Let's get started with size.
Size is often the first criteria people use to see if the handgun is suitable for their needs. After all, if we can't conceal it due to its size, it's not as useful is it? I have always said that the gun you carry should be as close to a 100% all the time carry gun as you can get. If you can see an excuse not to carry it while handling it in the store, you will certainly find a reason to leave it at home when living your life. The goal of a carry gun is to choose the most effective tool we can that we will carry ALL THE TIME. Size matters. Make sure it fits.
Weight can also be a closely related factor. Heavy guns are harder on the hips during belt carry and can become uncomfortable throughout the day.
In opposition to the desire to get a small, lightweight pistol is the fact that lighter guns have significantly more felt recoil than their heavier counterparts. Couple that with a grip that is so short that your pinkie finger hangs off the end, and these guns can become noticeably harder shoot. Nothing is for free, and we all have to strike a balance with shootability and carry comfort.
You will notice I didn't mention caliber right away. Yes, carry a law enforcement (duty) accepted caliber if you can. If you cannot, pick the best guna and ammo combination you can get.
Finally, but definitely not least, I always want a carry gun to be at least shootable enough to train with from time to time. By this I mean you should be able to shoot 50-100 rounds of ammunition in a range session without significant fatigue or pain. You don't have to be able to run a thousand rounds through the gun in a weekend, but you must be able to shoot the gun enough that your skills are sharp should you ever need it. After all, don't we want to be proficient with the gun that we rely upon to save our life?
Stick with us through this series. We have more on home defense guns and well as outdoor defense guns coming up.
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