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Hi from Clinton, Utah

4K views 20 replies 19 participants last post by  Tarzan1888 
#1 ·
I have a S & W 9mm and a few other guns, mainly, rifles and shotguns. I am in the military and proud that we have laws that grant us the rights that we have. I am not a know it all gun guy. I just bought my first handgun a little over a year ago. I am totally hooked!!!!

Well I look forward to hearing from all of you through your postings.
 
#6 ·
I have applied and the account has been charged. I am anxiously awaiting it.

A little background...

I have a 15 month old and safety is a huge factor with a handgun.

I am leaning towards a XD 3" for my conceal carry weapon. I really believe that comfort and ease of carry will encourage me to have it on me; if I ever need it. I have a lot of faith in a revolver but the chance of my daughter getting a hold of it scares the **** out of me. I like the safeties built in to the XD. I prefer not to have to flip a switch also when someone is trying to attack me.

I plan to carry IWB as I am a decent sized guy. I have the room in my pants for a gun to fit. I have also carried around the house many times IWB and have found it very comfortable.

I am open to suggestions on a possible side arm. Let me know what you think.
 
#9 ·
scuba_steve said:
I have a 15 month old and safety is a huge factor with a handgun.
I agree completely. My kids are a little older, and have enough experience with firearms to be safe, but I still think it's a good idea to be careful.

Here's my approach: I keep all my weapons locked up all the time, except when I have control of them. My long guns are in a gun cabinet in the basement; not useful for self-defense. My handgun (I only have one, so far) lives in a small gun safe right next to my bed. It has an electronic combination lock with four big, soft buttons that have to be pressed in the correct sequence. I can open it in less than two seconds, even in the dark, so it's very accessible. Inside, my weapon is loaded with 16+1 JHP rounds, with a couple more loaded magazines sitting next to it.

I'm eventually going to get a shotgun for home defense (I have a couple of bird guns but I want something smaller) and I haven't yet figured out how to secure it so that it's both safe and accessible.

scuba_steve said:
I am leaning towards a XD 3" for my conceal carry weapon. I really believe that comfort and ease of carry will encourage me to have it on me; if I ever need it. I have a lot of faith in a revolver but the chance of my daughter getting a hold of it scares the [auto-edited] out of me. I like the safeties built in to the XD. I prefer not to have to flip a switch also when someone is trying to attack me.
My carry is an XD sub-compact in 9mm. I think it's an excellent choice :)

If you're going with a .45 (I got a 9mm so I could afford to shoot it more), you might consider the compact. It has the shortened grip like the sub-compact, but a 4" barrel. I don't think the extra inch makes that much difference for concealment, and it does add some accuracy. So far XD only makes the compact in .45.

scuba_steve said:
I plan to carry IWB as I am a decent sized guy. I have the room in my pants for a gun to fit. I have also carried around the house many times IWB and have found it very comfortable.
I find it's good to have a variety of options. I carry OWB, IWB and SmartCarry, depending on the circumstances. Most of the time I carry OWB in a Blackhawk CQC Serpa retention holster in the 2 o'clock position, usually openly although I can conceal just by throwing on a cover jacket. I occasionally carry IWB with a Galco holster at 5 o'clock. More often than IWB I use the SmartCarry; it's more comfortable and better-concealed. The downside of the SmartCarry is that it's a little slower to access. Not that slow, but it is a two-handed draw.

On a completely different topic, what kind of diving do you like to do?
 
#10 ·
:agree:
A GunVault type safe would be a great idea to protect a self-defense sidearm from little children.

Good choice of sidearm by the way, compact handle is the most important. A sub-compact helps and allows you to carry in a SmartCarry more easily. But, if you are going to carry on your strong side, you could also handle a longer gun (4 or 5" compact). Springfield XDs are very reliable and are excellent for self-defense. They're a good choice.

swillden said:
The downside of the SmartCarry is that it's a little slower to access. Not that slow, but it is a two-handed draw.
What the? The guy in the video has a blue tooth ear piece in, bet he never takes it out - what a ding-dong.
 
#12 ·
Welcome to the forum and for your military service. What branch are you in. My Father-in-Law was Air Force.

Practice safe firearm handling and storage and teach your children gun safety. I am more worried about friends my kids bring over. I keep firearms locked in a gun safe and ammunition in the back of the closet in ammo cans that are so full, none of my kids can move them. My carry pistol is on me, in the safe or in the drawer next to my bed at night.
 
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