Help me. Decide on CC Handgun?

[OhChit]

 Help..
 I'm trying to decide on what handgun I feel comfortable as a dependable conceal carring gun. It's not just the cal or the gun but rather the entire fit & package that I'm trying to settle on. I know of a few friends that swears that bigger is better even one who uses a 50 desert eagle talk about big. Most of those big boys are worn under jacket on a shoulder sling, not exactly my idea of a nice everyday conceled handgun that will become a part of me. But my delemia is that I'm seeking the right piece with a good fit.
 Of the many pistols I have I feel that most are too large of a frame for a comfortable CC gun. I really like the feel and weight of my sig 229, 40 cal but it just feels too bulky when considered as a CC piece and trying to hide and access quickly, but as a open carry piece I'm very comfortable with this gun and it's features. I've been gun hunting and when all things are taken into consideration, Gun, Cal, Price, and gun type revolver, or semi etc it truely does become a real hunt. I like the new ruger LCR 38/357 mag revolvers 5shot, but they are the new versions of the old fashion snub nose's maybe 2" barrel if that could be a real handful in a 357mag. Also like some of the smaller frame 40 cal semi auto's, may also consider the right fit 9mm. Another factor is if I ever needed to carry extra ammo a spare clip is much slimmer and easier to load and carry then a speedloader. Added problem that I'm facing is most of us buy something that feels or looks right but we also don't really know what a gun shoots like till we take it out to the range a few times. Thus why so many of us owns so may different guns.
 Plus the fact that as we get older our night vision lessors, so another consideration are Lasergrips that some of the newer handguns come with. It could be a good option for low light or hopefully not if needed for a real night gun fight when most attacks seems to occurs. If in the event of quick need and in the dark what would we do 1st turn on the lights or grab your side arm?
 Id like to try to get this right the 1st time. 

 Any Ideas or Help would be greatly appricated.

[Moosie]

My own personal opinion (please don't take this the wrong way) but screw your friends and their cannons.  You have to think realistic.  How many accurately placed rounds are you going to get off with a 50 cal when your adrenaline is pumping? On top of that, but you're going to print more with a ginormous framed gun like that. 

First, YOU are the only one that has to be comfortable with the gun you carry.  You need to choose something that suits your size ( your frame), your confidence in the caliber, make, model etc.  I am not a fan of the shoulder rig.  I feel (this is just my opinion) that you can't get your gun out of the holster and in a ready to fire position is as fast as a strong side holster.  There are some who swear it doesn't matter. 

I carry a variety of firearms. It all depends on what I'm wearing that day.  For the evenings I'm in a cocktail dress... my .380 is perfect to tuck into my purse.  If I'm wearing my big bulky jacket then I'm carrying my Sig 229 or my Glock .357. 

Don't waste your time on laser sites. (again, just my opinion) but I find it to be harder to find holsters for.  Get yourself a good flashlight and then train with it.  As Sig will tell you, at night the best thing you can have next to your bed (aside from your gun of course) is a good flashlight (and your cell phone). 

As for an extra clip, find a nice leather clip holster.  They're attractive and most folks think its a pocket knife mounted on your belt if they see it. 

The main thing is to practice and run through scenarios in your head and see what you'd do.  See what your focus is on, etc.

I know others will chime in here, but there's my .02. 

Moosie

[oldgraygeek]

When I don't care about style, I carry a 10mm Glock 29 and a spare magazine in a Safepacker. It hides very well in plain sight, and it's enough gun for anything short of Die Hard 5.
In the corporate world, I carry a S&W J-frame .38 in my front pants pocket. Nobody notices it, and it should prove adequate for most likely close-range scenarios.

The bottom line is: you should carry the largest gun you can, but it needs to be small enough that you will actually carry it. I carry the J-frame because I can get away with it: if my only carry rig was the Glock, I'd be unarmed most days, and I rarely decide to be unarmed.

I'm not a fan of laser sights. I was trained to focus on the front sight... looking for the laser dot on a moving target, while essentially shooting from the hip, feels wrong to me.

[Sigarms12]

I love my Sig P228 but ccw I'm carrying a M&P 9c. Its easier to conceal and better on my back.

[Schmenge]

I'm a fan of the Ruger LCR, I carry mine in my front pants pocket in an Uncle Mike's #3 pocket holster year round. It hides very well, even in the summer with my shirt tucked in. The speed loader hides a lot better than you think too. For a back up, I sometimes carry a Beretta 3032 in an Uncle Mike's ankle holster. It's incredibly comfortable, I can wear it all day.

During colder weather I sometimes carry a Colt Commander on my hip. It hides well under a jacket. I've even carried my XD45 tactical on my hip under a jacket, but I just did that to see if it was doable. I got away with it though.

I think I'll stick with the LCR for everyday carry. It's small, light, easy to hide and shoot, and a 125gr JHP at 1000 fps will do the job well enough.

I've heard good things about the Kel-Tec PF9 and the Taurus Slim.

Remember, there is an upside to buying the "wrong" gun. You have to buy another!

[Hawkeye]

I do not know about the upstate ranges but the gun store in Dover will rent handguns for you to try out. That way you can get the feel of the weapon before buying.  It is good to take others' advice when deciding on a carry gun but you have to make the ultimate decision yourself.  You have to have complete confidence in your choice.  If you decide on one particular handgun because someone else said they like it then that is the wrong reason.  Do you want an external safety? How small of a caliber are you willing to settle on for the sake of comfort?  Do you want high capacity capabilities because the bigger the caliber the fewer rounds you can get in a magazine?  You might be surprised at how large of a handgun you can carry discretely and comfortably in a quality IWB holster. 

I would suggest that you write a list of what you must have in a carry gun and what functions you can live with or without.  Once you have done that you can disregard what does not fit your preferences and you can focus on what does.  When it comes down to how much reliance you place on listening to others remember this, if and when the need arises it will be you (not them) who may live or die by your choice.

Good luck and let us know what you decide on.

[czer]

I go back and forth between a very small semi-auto, my Kel-Tec P32, and my Kahr CW9 for carry. The P32 might seem light for some but that is the point, I can carry it in the summer without printing, or in a front pocket holster, if I am in a hurry. The CW9 is larger but still small enough for CC. Both of these are sleek, draw easily (from DeSantis leather IWB holsters, carried at 4:00) and have proved dependable. I know many will say that the .32 caliber is very light for a carry piece, but as I say, I carry it when I am convinced anything else will print. At 10 ounces I forget I am carrying it. This thing has very minimal sights, but its purpose is to be very close-range. And after about 300 rounds and faithfully practicing with it several times a month, my accuracy is "very good" at 15 feet - its maximum intended range. With the CW9, after maybe close to 1,000 rounds over many months, I am very accurate out to 30 feet. This gun is an ideal balance between accuracy, soft recoil for a 9mm, and ease of carry. But see the gun review on this site, where I talk about the saga of repairs I had to go through to attain dependability. The P32 has never had a feeding problem from day one. I would say, get a gun that you are comfortable handling, then HANDLE IT! Practice drawing, dry-firing at home, from various positions, then practice alot of live fire. Know your limitations of accurate fire at different distances and if you are ever in dangerous situation, run like hell, unless you or your loved ones are cornered, then hopefully your training will be automatic.

[OhChit]

 Thanks everyone for your sugestions and advise, I truely appreicate the helpful info.
Some updates. In my travels I have stopped in a few shops and now seem to be leaning towards the compact Semi's and if so i have kind of narrowed it down. I like the feel of the new Ruger   SR9c
  http://ruger.com/products/sr9c/index.html   I realize that the earlier models of these had some issues that were quickly addressed and the problem now corrected. This seems to be a great CC piece and although I haven't shot one yet they seem to have a fast growing and rapid following. I'm asking for anyone who has experience with this model for some helpful input..

 Although I was considering the 38 snubnose I found that that the SR9c barrel is almost 2" longer and carries 6 more rounds then a snubnose plus after doing some ballists searches I have found the following info on +p ammo. This really took me by surprise.
Here is what I found comparing 38 P and 9mm P ammo these are not my test results but rather the specs from the bullet makers.

38P                                    9P      

125 gr HP                                124 HP
1017 fps                                 1180 fps
289 ft lbs                                384 ft lbs

38 5 shot                                9mm 10+1 shot

Size and weight is very close on both guns. But after I did this ammo research I found that the 9mm Ballists and shell count the SR9c  semi has it's advantages, plus being voted handgun of the year helps.. I'm not totally counting the 38 snub out but at this point the 9 has it's advantages. Although I do like the simplness of a revolver. Inshort the SR9c carries 6 more rounds, longer barrel, slimmer profile, and more forgiving shock absorbing abilities.