[knayrb]

When I purchased my CC gun I did a lot of soul-searching on choosing a particular gun. I totally realize that everyone has different reasons for choosing their weapon - heck, many here have more than one CC gun. I spent months reading, studying, testing firing, and thinking about my CC gun. I finally had to write down my list of factors and weigh them from most important to least important. I was cleaning out my briefcase today and found my decision matrix. In order of importance here is what I wrote down.

Type of gun (preference on a revolver or pistol).
Ease of concealability.
Physical size and/or weight of gun.
Caliber and/or type of round desired.
Accuracy, controllability.
Holstering options or methods.
Number of rounds held in magazine or cylinder.
Weapon brand.
Ability to add options (scopes, laser sights, lights, etc.).
Other misc. warm & fuzzies.

I'm curious as to what the rest of you feel are your top reasons to choosing the gun(s) you use? This is totally subjective because we all have different situations, jobs, locations, and lifestyles.

 

[bane]

I like this topic very much -- can't wait to see other responses!

For me:

STUFF I INSISTED ON:

Type of gun -- revolver was out of the "?" since it's harder to unload/reload and holds less rounds

Caliber -- I didn't even look at other calibers, pretty much set on a 9mm from the beginning due to it's relatively smaller size and my personal opinion that it's enough for anyone not likely to be the target of a professional

STUFF I LOOKED FOR:

Accuracy/Controllability/"FIT" in my hand -- Kept trying Glocks, kept hating them in this regard, kept shooting Berretta's, kept liking but not loving them, picked up an XD, loved it from the minute my hand wrapped around it! (this, along with shooting it, was the point of sale, for me!)

Ease of concealability -- I wanted the most compact 9mm pistol I could find that fit all of the other above criteria

Physical size/weight -- Other than reasons inherent in the above, I didn't otherwise care about this aspect.

Number of rounds -- Again, other than the fact that most 9mm pistols hold more than revolvers, this didn't matter to me; in other words, it was the fact that most pistols offer at least 8 rounds if not significantly more and that I can reload quickly that I was looking for, but after that I didn't much care if I had a 10 round magazine or a 12 -- it was just an added bonus that the XDsc fit my hand better with the 16-round mag!!!

STUFF THAT I DIDN'T EVEN CONSIDER:

Holstering options/methods

Weapon brand

Options

Warm fuzzies (well, though I'd already decided on the XD, I do like it's look better than a lot of other guns and I did choose the chrome-colored slide over the black one b/c it looked less Glock-like) 8)

 

[natehunts]

I have always been into firearms, rifles mostly. I bought a .44 mag in a Ruger Super Redhawk when I was 17, sold that after about a year. I didn't buy another handgun until about 5 years ago. I had just gotten married and I wanted a handgun in the house, and for fun too. I didn't know much about semi-autos except that glocks were supposed to rock. So I went to the store to purchase a glock and the clerk showed me a XD. I immediately fell in love with the gun. It felt so good in my hands. That's why I bought that over the glock. Since then I have learned how great a gun that it is. I sold that gun and bought another in the .45 compact version to carry. I love that it fits well in my hands, it's accurate enough for me, reliable, and concealable for me as well.

 

[knayrb]

Oh I also forgot to tell you what I picked. I went with a S&W 642-2 revolver, Crimson Trace LG-405 grips, and carry Federal P38HS1 .38 Spl +p hydra-shok JHP rounds.

 

[Car Knocker]

In my case, the primary factor was reliability; I can work around anything else. A defensive weapon that is anything but absolutely reliable is worthless to me - it doesn't matter whether it's a knife that won't lock open reliably or a handgun that won't go bang every time I pull the trigger.

Size and weight was an issue; weight because I have a back injury and size because if it's not relatively easily concealable, I'm going to have some reluctance to carry it at all times. An excellent holster is invaluable when carrying concealed.

Caliber was a lesser factor; I'm a placement and "shoot 'till they stop" kinda guy.

I ended up with a Kimber Ultra Carry .45ACP that has been absolutely reliable for the last 2,500+ rounds and is small and light enough for me to either pocket carry or disappear in a IWB holster.

 

[althor]

For starters, I already had a 9mm pistol before I got my CFP. When it was time to buy another I decided to stick with the 9mm because I liked it, reloaded for it and believe it to be a good choice for personal defense.

I don't really find myself drawn into the 'caliber wars'. In my opinion, neither side has an overall compelling argument to sway me one way or the other. I think that everyone needs to evaluate what's important for their situation and go with it.

Semi-auto vs. Revolver: They both make good choices, but I've never shot a revolver that was all that comfortable to hold. They just don't fit my hand right, either that or I just don't know how to properly hold one. Its got to be a semi-auto for me.

My first 9mm was a Daewoo DP51. I'd call it medium size. While carrying it I decided that an average person can conceal quite a lot of gun. So size was not the ultimate consideration for me.

I replaced my DP51 because it began to malfunction. Partly due to this I wanted to go with a big manufacturer so that I could count on support if necessary.

I chose a Beretta Cougar F. I had shot a model 92 quite a bit and was already comfortable with the controls. The Cougar is somewhat more compact and has an exellent grip which fits my hand very well. It came out after the Crime Bill, so it had two 10rd magazines. I bought it because I was sure it would use model 92 magazines. It turns out that they had to be modified a bit, but they weren't hard to find. I do like the 15+ round capability and have since purchased several factory LEO/Gov stamped mags.

Not important: I don't need rails, lasers, scopes, chamber loaded indicators etc... In fact I would choose not to have them if it were an option.

Later I decided that I needed a gun for situations were I desired greater concealability. I bought a Kel-Tec P32. I would have gone with the P3AT, but it wasn't out yet. This is a go anywhere gun, small but easy enough to shoot. I think a good pocket gun is a plus and gives you options that you otherwise wouldn't have.

Things to consider for my next gun:

No safety. I've modified my Cougar to function like a G model; Decock only no safety. It was an easy modification. I just don't see the need for a safety in a carry gun other than the firing pin safety. This is mostly due to removing my pistol at the end of the day and finding the safety on when I thought it was off the whole time. I try to condition myself to check, but I don't want to. Other passive safeties are OK (grip, trigger...) so long as they don't compromise reliability. I don't ever want a gun that won't fire without a magazine... magazine safeties are just silly in my opinion.

Really what I want is an XD in 9mm, but I can't decide between the 4" and 5". I've shot them a few times and they point as well as my Cougar. I'd also consider the .45 with the 5" barrel, just to have another choice.

Of course it will probably be a while because I might find myself picking up some more NFA items first. I guess I'll see.

 

[Hunter]

Getting a firearm is a personal choice. What may work for someone else may not work for you.

I want a gun that works everytime I pull the trigger, one that I'm accurate with, one that is low maintenance, one that holds a lot of ammo, one that I can use magazines from the bigger framed models in the smaller models, one that I can easily get a wide variety of accessories and parts for cheap, and one that has a light rail for a weapons light.

Go to a gun store that has an indoor range and that rents handguns. Shoot the ones you are interested in and then decide which one is the best for YOU. YOU are the one that is going to have to live with the decision.

 

[apollosmith]

I went with the XD 9mm subcompact for my carry gun because it felt so fantastic in my hand and has a great track record for reliability.

Another big consideration was that I wanted to shoot it a lot and be VERY comfortable and familiar with the gun. I knew that I wouldn't shoot a .45 or even a .40 as regularly because of the ammo costs, so I went with 9mm and as a result shoot A LOT more than I would with a larger caliber.

 

[Guest]

I like the way you think Appalo, that was a factor in my 9mm choice as well. Another factor in my decision is I dont play the caliber war or listen to much hype about bullets and stopping power. Shot placement shot placement did I mention shot placement? The best handgun you can buy in the biggest caliber you can control, is still, as the late Jeff Cooper put it "a hand gun is a piece of ......"

My criteria; the shortest grip I can get four fingers around, thin, at least 9mm, reliable, quality, and "accurate."

I have shot the chopped three finger guns and I find them uncomfortable and difficult to shoot at speed. I might seem odd that say at last after my previous statement but, I am of the opinion that anything less than 9mm is to feel like you are armed. Thin, when 32 in pants fit loosely enough you need a belt to keep them up without gun, you need a thin gun. I also wear shirts tucked in most of the time and thick just doesn't work well for that on my frame. Reliability and quality, you start with a reputation and a case or two of ammo and prove it to yourself. Accurate is a relative term wen it comes to a compact pistol. To me (in this context) accuracy means fist size groups at a shot per 1/2 second at 30 feet or less and, being able to hit a standing silhouettes with reasonable accuracy at 300ft. Kneeling I can hit at least 75% of my shots from a pistol at 100 yards.

I choose a Kahr P9.

 

[Guest]

I carry guns I know well with which I am proficient and have proved reliable. I like 1911's so that is what I carry; 5" 1911's.

 

[xmirage2kx]

My first carry gun was what I could afford at the time, Hi-point 9mm. Some people freak out at Hi-points, but I found them to be a good gun (after a little tinkering). I have moved on to a slightly better collection now, but will still carry my Hi-point when I OC (have yet to buy a good OC holster for other guns)

 

[Cinhil]

I looked long and hard for a gun that fit my hand easily. Having smaller hands I needed something that didn't feel so fat in the hand and where I could easily manipulate both the safety and clip release. Affordability was also a key factor, not just for the weapon, but for the ammunition as well.
I also wanted it to be easily concealed and not too heavy. I chose a Taurus Millenium 9mm after they first came out. Always has worked well and is easy to fit my hand and comfortable to wear and fire.
I watched, read and learned over the years since that decision and have found that I like the XD-9 probably much better and may one day get one for my own use. Like most things though, improvements are always going on and though this may be a great weapon today someone else may develop one which may feel better, perform better or fit better.
I still like my first choice and am pleased with it and will be until I can afford the XD-9.

 

[Walther]

I have a few that I like alot but the one I liked the best and carried the most was my P10, but with 11 rounds of .45's in a steel frame I always knew I had it on me, it was too heavy. But I still liked it the best.

Anyway, when I got an offer to go to Front Sight for free this last February, I thought it was a good reason to purchase another gun. :wink:
I had heard nothing but good about the XD's and went with the intent on buying one, they felt great and thought I would get one, but hey, I was gun shopping so I wanted to try out alot of different ones, nothing felt as good as the XD until I tried the Sig, so I was trying to justify the money difference when the guy at the store asked if I had tried the Walther P99, when he handed it to me it was love at first grip, I thought, they designed it for my hand, perfect fit, perfect balance, I LOVED IT :!:

It is my constant companion and it has yet to have a malfunction that I have not created on purpose for practice.

Side note: I still shoot my others so they wont get lonely. :lol:

 

[James]

Caliber 44/45
Weight
price
availability

I found a good buy on a Taurus Titanium revolver in 44 Spl. This gun is light; 1 lb. 8 oz. fully loaded. It is something I can carry all day comfortably.

 

[DBL Tap]

I'm a fan of the 45 and I like single action (cocked/locked). My primary carry weapon is a Kimber Pro CDP II. It fits in my hand great, the 4" barrel makes it a little easier to hide and draw from a concealed carry and it goes "BANG" every time I pull the trigger. I also have a Sig P220 carry SAO but I don't have as many holster options for it. I just ordered a SmartCarry holster for the Sig so that should allow ease of carry in most clothing options.

 

[rdoggsilva]

I like my Rossi 971 in 357 which I got in the mid 80's have put around 15,000 rounds through it. I really like my Taurus pt1911. When I get my cfp I will carry both, but not at the sametime :ROFL:

 

[ammosargeant]

What i wanted in a cc gun was accuracy and firepower which is why i carry an xd 40 and a glock 38. I like both guns very much and cant wait to get my xd45 and pt1911. I carry an FN fiveseven sometimes also but it is pretty dangerous. I want a gun that will be very reliable and that is nice to shoot and i found that the xd and glock function very good they are accurate and easy to conceal. I went with these two guns because i want some stopping power and they hold more rounds than a revolver although i like a good 357 also.

 

[Car Knocker]

I carry an FN fiveseven sometimes also but it is pretty dangerous.

Would you expand on that, please?

 

[mom of 3 angels]

Got my gun 6 years before my CFP, and didn't know much at the time. Bought the only gun that I liked the fit of in my hand (colt mustang .380) and have been quite happy with it as far as reliability and size. There are smaller .380's out there which I have thought about if I'm going to continue to carry this caliber, a smaller gun would be a bit easier to conceal than my colt, but I also like the weight of mine for recoil/control purposes, so not sure I'd carry a smaller .380 anyway. The only serious consideration in changing guns I have had is looking at a larger caliber pistol, but have yet to find one I like (don't spend a lot of time looking) that I can get my hand around (very small grip) and conceal (small person as well). One thing I don't have a lot of choice in is number of rounds as the doublestack pistols are all too large in the grip for me, so that's not on my list of criteria. Size/fit/comfort, reliablility, caliber, I guess those are the most important for me.

 

[Guest]

I bought the Kel-tec pf9 for concealed carry. I did so because it is reliable, it shoots a respectale load (9mm) can handle shooting some +p and very important to me was ease of concealability. It is thin and easy to conceal, particularly w/ the belt clip.