Poll - Best Hand-gun for Concealed Carry Thread

[Mr. Harley]

Since one of our loyal posters - Che - has mentioned an interest in concealed-carry, I am continuing the great Apolyton tradition of a serious best handgun for concealed-carry purposes. Please note the criteria.

1) stopping power
2) maintaining site picture - i.e. accuracy of follow-up shot given average wrist strength
3) ability to accurately take off-hand shot, i.e. one handed. I know that in law enforcement 80% fo all incidents where the officer has to discharge his gun fulfill this criteria.
4) usefulness for the amateur - pro's will not need this thread
5) expense - weapon and ammo
6) how well it can be concealed

edited because part of number (3) was deleted and to renumber criteria

[chequita guevara]

You forgot one of my requirements. Not inflicting a self-induced wound when retrieving the weapon.

I'm voting banana cuz I have no opinion and I wanna see the results.

[Mr. Harley]

Don't worry, Che. Safeties, the feature on most firearms designed to prevent accidental discharge, are by and large effective. There might be a few handguns where they are less than effective, but I don't know individual models that well to know which are less safe - I'm a rifle and shotgun man anyway.

My new rig will be a Smith&Wesson 9mm Sigma (purchased on sale new for $289 just before my last round of medical problems) in a left-handed paddle holster (it clips to the belt). 1000 rounds of ammo is quite inexpensive, plus if I purchase the dies I can use my current reloading equipment afterwards. 1000 rounds should cost you somewhere between $120-$150 plus the holster will easily cost you $70-$90, though you can get them for less.

[Dis]

handguns should be banned

[Imran Siddiqui]

Dissident should be banned

[Dis]

in the spirit of the Bill of rights created in the 18th century. All guns that are technologically superior to guns made in the 18th century should be banned.

I have no problem with gang bangers walking around with flint-lock muskets. This would reduce innocent deaths from missed shots in drive bys. As they take long to reload and it's difficult to reload in a moving car.

[Space05us]

Che should attend classes for handgun safety and classes (usually taught by crazy white supremacists) about how to effectively use your handgun in a fight.

[Atahualpa]

banana launcher

[Dis]

basically you are going to want at least a .40 for stopping power. Though 9 mm hollowpoints aren't too bad. Then the trick is finding a .40 small enough to suit your needs. It all depends on where you are going to conceal it.

[axi]

Depends in which country.

In Iraq f.e., the best concealable weapon is a sawn-off AK47 rifle.

[Dis]

actually in Iraq it's an IED.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

A sawn-off, double-barrelled 12-bore shotgun.

[Lazerus]

1000mm dora if we're gonna start naming daft stuff.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
You forgot one of my requirements. Not inflicting a self-induced wound when retrieving the weapon.

I'm voting banana cuz I have no opinion and I wanna see the results.

First, learn to handle the weapon correctly and safely. The dumbass at the beach a few weeks ago shot himself with a Glock, which has a handgrip safety - you've got to be exceptionally stupid to do that.

Second, realize that if you carry concealed, but have to jack a round into the chamber and flip the safety off, and the ******* you want to take out is ten feet away from you, you're in a bit of trouble. A dumbass will run, I'd make sure you never got to get that piece into action.

Third, realize if you go for large caliber in a small frame, it'll kick like a mother****er, so you need to spend some range time to make sure you don't flinch.

My personal recommendation is the Sig-Sauer P229 in .40 S&W. I personally prefer the .357 Sig version, but the ammo is more expensive, so I picked the .40 as an alternative for you. .45 ACP is too big for a compact frame auto - if you're not used to it, you'll have a dent in your forehead to match the ringing in your ears if you ever have to fire in a combat situation.

You don't want full metal jacket (FMJ) rounds for live combat firing, because if you miss, they have too much potential to do downrange damage.

Get Glaser safety slugs - they're partly jacketed, nylon capped and have 300 or so tiny little steel balls. They break apart on contact with the first thing they hit (so no downrange penetration of a buiding if you **** up and miss they guy you're trying to shoot), and they'll deal serious damage (full kinetic energy transfer) to your target.

Learn to shoot accurately, and to clean and maintain your piece to perfection, and make them both religious practices. If you ever need it, you want it to do the job and hit the target you wanted to hit.

Whatever you do, don't buy a cheap piece of **** - if you haven't got the budget, don't bother, because you're dealing with life and death, and once you draw on someone, the stakes for all parties go up drastically.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

What's daft about the shotgun?

1) stopping power- They're going down.
2) maintaining site picture - i.e. accuracy of follow-up shot given average wrist strength- you're a darned sight less likely to need a follow-up shot.
3) ability to accurately take off-hand shot, i.e. one handed. I know that in law enforcement 80% fo all incidents where the officer has to discharge his gun fulfill this criteria.- OK, this might break your wrist.
4) usefulness for the amateur - pro's will not need this thread- can't hit a barn door? Get a shotgun.
5) expense - weapon and ammo- Cheap.
6) how well it can be concealed- OK, it's not the best.