Posted on 09/20/2008 8:15:55 PM PDT by LiberalsSpendYourMoney
I'm strongly considering buying a handgun to carry concealed. Live in Upstate NY, 26 years old, male, attorney. Married - no kids yet so don't have to buy a gun safe.
Getting the license unrestricted won't be a problem because I'm good friends with the judge who issues them. I will have to take a safety course before applying, however.
Don't know a huge amount about handguns or guns but probably about as much as the average American male. Went hunting with my uncle a couple times as a kid and I've fired a 1911 at the range once before.
Am open to either a semiautomatic or a revolver. Have looked at the Glock 26 and Kahr PM9 so far in local gun shops. I am looking for more suggestions and/or opinions on those two models - I don't really want to carry a full-sized handgun like the 1911 though. I want something that I can ideally tuck inside the waistband without printing and something that won't weigh me down because I'm on my feet about half of every workday. I know that New York still has its state version of the assault weapons ban in effect, so I believe all magazines manufactured after the ban that have capacities of more than 10 rounds are still illegal. I could conceivably purchase a large-cap mag that was manufactured before 1994, but federal and state gun laws are not my area of expertise, so I would have to look into the legalities of that. I'm not even really sure if I need a magazine larger than 10 rounds though if I'm going to be carrying a compact or subcompact pistol.
Thanks!
ACP: Automatic Colt Pistol
L
First,
generally speaking, it is always nice to hold as many bullets as possible. Remember “10” is a forced limit from the Clinton era.
Second it depends on what you feel comfortable with, and how hard it would be to conceal and retrieve quickly.
There are a lot of great handguns out there. I personally have enjoyed Ruger’s firearms. I also like Smith and Wesson semiautos. Lots of people here like Glocks. I’d say test a few different models out. Gun stores that have indoor ranges usually have models you can use to test fire to see how you like them.
The bigger they are the harder they are to conceal. It may also make a difference in what kind of holster you’d have to use to conceal them more effectively.
Good pocket gun.
LCP is I believe Ruger’s acronym for “Lightweight Compact Pistol” and ACP harks back to the original Colt which when adopted by the Army became the “Automatic Colt Pistol” - and with the military’s love of all things with an acronym, it became ACP... ;-)
You have a lot of options. I personally like the Kel-Tec P-11. I have also carried the Glock 27. The key is finding something that you can conceal easily and shoot accurately and reliably. Whatever weapon you choose make sure to know what load it likes the best and practice with that load. I like at least a 9mm load.
Take an NRA sanctioned firearms safety course and then ask. You put the last question first.
Believe it or not, open carry of handguns in Texas is illegal. Only legal carry option for handguns on your person is licensed concealed carry.
The Glock 26 is small, light and easily concealable. I carry it in a Cobra Gunskin (waistband tuck-in) leather holster which I've used since the early '90s. Can't recommend the Cobra holster enough.
Nothing wrong, BTW, with conceal-carrying a revolver. Easier, less complex to handle, and you don't have to worry about the weapon jamming or not being in-battery.
Hope this helps.
He clearly stated that he was getting a concealed carry license. What more do you want?
“15” and “22” beat me to the punch.....;)
As for carrying guns in open sight, not handguns with a CCW. I do believe gun racks are still legal (?) here so in this since, yes, carried in the open or at least they use to be on a routine basis.
For me, for pure self defence, I prefer a revolver over a semi-auto. Yes, semis are very reliable and do have higher magazine capacities, but nothing is simpler and easier to use in a pressure situation IMHO. Call me old-fashioned, I know. I have a little Taurus .38 that is my favorite for this and makers like S&W, Charter Arms, etc. make similar and most of them are very affordable.
They're incredibly well made, utterly reliable, slim, light, and extremely accurate.
L
It seems like the 9MM up to the 45LCP is the best range for these type of weapons.
Revolvers are a whole nuther topic.
If you want a Glock 26, get a Glock 27 instead. It’s the same frame, but with the more potent .40 S&W. For <100 bucks you can grab a 9mm conversion barrel to let you shoot at the range for cheap, let the wife/girlfriend shoot with a little less kick, etc.
It’s literally a <5 minute drop-in with no other parts besides a 9mm magazine. You can’t do the reverse (put a .40 barrel into a 26) because the 9mm is smaller.
Also, you can get grip extensions that fit to the bottom of the magazine to let you get your whole hand on there, and extend the magazine by 1 or 2 rounds.
Last thing...there’s no such thing as a “high capacity” magazine. That’s doublespeak the gun grabbers came up with. Before they renamed everyday pistols as “assault” weapons, they were just standard, un-castrated, normal mags. Just call them “standard capacity” or “full capacity”.
I see what you are saying about not letting guns fall into the wrong hands, but what good will my gun locked in a gun safe do me if someone were to break into my house? I’d much rather have the gun in my nightstand drawer.
A good starter pistol type is the revolver. They are easy to clean, not complicated to take apart to clean and don’t have the jamming potential of the semi-autos.
Leaving the shell casings behind, after firing, is not desired in some situations for some people so semi-autos is not a good choice for those having those concerns.
Didn’t you post a similar topic last week? No one should decide for you. You need to figure that out for yourself by trying out different models/types. You need to do your homework first. There is actually a series of several important decisions to make if you want your first purchase to be successful and not wind up being a trade-in after 3 months.
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