My 386SC/S and/or 340PD covers just about any situation for me.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

No I haven't found the PERFECT one - though I have found several darned good ones.
But if I ever did, what fun would that be? I'd have to stop looking and stop acquiring new ones to try....

In fact I have found several perfect handguns.

My super light .357 capable AirLite PD is the most concealable, easiest to carry, and fastest to deploy from AISW carry. It's my primary carry gun. Once I put Crimson Trace rubber laser grips on it the 11.4 oz gun became much more pleasant to shoot and easier to aim.

Newly acquired is my Shorty Forty. Performance Center perfection in a semi-auto. With a Briley barrel bushing and hand fitted oversize slide rails it's a precision instrument. A holly grail I can hold in my hand and enjoy shooting.

For general woods carry, hiking, hunting, and unparalleled beauty, my model 69 is the pick. 5 round .44 Mag in "L" frame. The gun just looks and feel great. Like the AirLite, a Crimson Trace laser grip cushions recoil and adds laser aiming.

Digiroc

Not sure, most of us never really know until we handle it enough and shoot it enough.
However there are things we can rule out or in.

For me what I have discovered is, if I'm going to carry on my person it has to be in the front pocket and I will no longer make any concessions on that point.

Next, it has to be at the very least somewhat enjoyable at the range beyond just remembering how it handles and feels to shoot it.

And those two points right there has been somewhat of a dilemma for me. Because I don't really trust semi-automatics but they carry nicer than a revolver, but at the same time when I carried my 642 which carried nice enough it wasn't that fun at the range.
Nothing brutal but surely could be approved upon as I would like to develop one handed shooting skills and from even the weak hand/off-handed.

However, I could be on to something as I just ordered a new Sig P290 in the .380 version. Smaller than the 642, double action only which is what I like and almost half the ft. lbs. of recoil of the 642.

It does weight a a little more but nothing radical and it will ride good. So, if this latest scheme of mine pans out I'll be golden.
I'll have BIG Hoss my Governor on off-body carry and house duty and the Sig for the quick draw.

This trial and error jive has cost me literally into the 4 figure range,
the Sig will be the 9th (10 one refusal at the FFL) gun in 19 months.

__________________
Mulebuk Sam and the Governor

I have two carry pistols depending on weather and clothes I'm wearing. I have a S&W Model pre 36 and a Sig P228.

S&W Pre 36

P228 9mm

30+ years of LE and literally 100s of handguns later (not all cc practical though), I keep coming back to what I started with a J frame and a 1911. My last and best years as a cop was as a detective sergeant with my Les Baer Thunder Ranch and a 442.

Now that I'm retired my role, and subsequently, the role of my EDC has changed. My always handgun is a 638 loaded with BB 158 SWC LHP. My 1911 has shrunk to a Kimber Commander length stainless slide and Officers Model aluminum alloy frame (Compact Carry II Stainless?) loaded with Win Ranger 230 JHP. I just bought a Kahr CW9, so that could replace the Kimber.

My truck handgun alternates between a M&P mid-size .45 and a Model 69 loaded with 44 Spl BB 240 LSWC. My truck rifle changed from an evil AR to a wholesome Chiappa Model 92 in .357.

I daily carry a close relative to the 442/642 Centennial...




Product: M&P BODYGUARD(R) 38 Crimson Trace(R) Integral Laser

__________________
David
CW3 USA (Ret) 1968-1990

I have several "Perfect Handgun(s):"
1. My "perfect backup gun," or "always gun," is my S&W Model 642-2.
2. My "perfect concealed carry gun" is my 3 inch S&W Model 13-3 round butt with Bianchi Lightning grips.
3. My "perfect open carry/woods walking gun" is my tapered 4 inch S&W Model 10-5 square butt with factory magnas and a Tyler T-Grip.
4. My "perfect carry gun," meaning the one I'm most likely to carry as primary off-duty is my 2 inch S&W Model 12-2 round butt with factory (serialed to the gun) magnas and a Tyler T-Grip.

I don't have a "perfect duty gun," yet, but I'm carrying a 4 inch Model 686-6 with round butt Hogues on it right now. It'll do. If I retire and start working for myself, I'll be looking for a 5 inch S&W Model 327 TRR8.

__________________
CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36

Most often carried nowadays is my Kahr CM9. It carries nicely either IWB or front pants pocket and holds two more rounds than my M36 which is a worthy alternate for at least 40 years. The ultimate hideaway is the little LCP which is always in my pocket when in the house.

__________________
S&W Armorer
Lost in the 50s

Too right. I never thought a tiny pocket pistol could ever shoot well enough to carry for defensive purposes. Still I lugged too much iron too many years on the job and came to hate weight so I took a chance and got a Ruger LCP Custom. Not much of a powerhouse but I figure its more important to have it on me in the first place as priorities go.
When I first shot the thing I was amazed . Sure it kicks but the trigger was better than the HK P 2000 they last forced on me. After a box of shells you have had enough but the recoil is still reasonable and follow up shots are natural and fast.
When I last shot my HR214 Qualification I decided to shoot fast just like the real thing. They weren't really scoring anyways so I blasted away like I did at agency qualifications in the past. I wanted the training more than the score so went all head shots out to 15 yards. Darned if I didn't hit every one if you include an ear shot. Still, rapid aim and fire results like that with a gun you can't even get a full grip on is sort of comforting. After 15 yards I decided to go center mass as my shootin aint all that great.
I guess I was most impressed with the trigger. Sort of long but buttery smooth. The real sights are a tad high but don't drag for me in a Desantis holster. The only thing I don't like is the lack of an empty chamber slide lock . The best thing is while in its holster it is so small I can't tell it from my smart phone or wallet. That's worth something. The more I shoot it the more impressed I am with this tiny pistol. I trust it (as long as its in the holster) plenty enough to keep one in the tube.

Same here.

I know quite a few folks at the club like me with lots of full size and so-called compact guns in the safe with a ton of holsters... rarely carried. It's the small guns that get carried.

Just a few weeks ago a good friend told me about this great custom holster he was getting for his Browning Hi-Power. Supposed to be the most comfortable holster ever invented... (as we all want to believe when buying yet another new holster for guns we don't carry). So he gets the magic comfort leather and says he can't believe how great it is... at first. I see him a week later and ask how's that new leather working. He says he really likes it but is back to carrying his LCP.

Drop an LCP in the pants pocket in the morning and it stays there till bedtime.

It used to be that I never stepped out of my house unless my SW M-340SC was attached to me somewhere. Times have changed. More often than not these days my Glock M-23 Gen 4 is hidden on me along with a spare mag. During the hotter months I've been cc'ing my Glock 43 with several spare mags.

As far as the perfect gun I still say that if the magical "you could only have one handgun" rule appeared, I would opt for my 4" SW 686 (no dash) above all others.

I've gone through several, but I think I've settled on a Ruger LC9s. It's small, but big enough to get a grip on. It's light...I'm too lazy to carry a heavy gun. I shoot it better than I do any small revolver I've ever owned. Maybe a little too big for pocket carry, but I don't like that anyway. It's dead nuts reliable...I don't think it has ever malfunctioned.

It's purple...so I got it for a really good price. Since then, everything else is for range use.

__________________
John 3:16 .

I have holsters for most of the guns that I carry but they are all collecting dust because the LCP fits to easy in the pocket!

I love my HiPower, but my new Kimber is mighty good looking.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

............ not yet, but my 19-4 snub is pretty close to perfect

That was funny. Now show the pic of the good looking one.

__________________
Freedom isn't free.

It matches my '55 Chevy Bel Air beautifully!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Right now my perfect handguns are a 637 in the warm weather or a Glock 26 when it is cooler, and I can conceal with a light jacket.

The 637 is loaded with the Speer 135 gr. SB while the 26 is loaded with the Winchester Ranger T-Series 127 gr. +P+.

Nothing fancy but they work.

Yes I have......for about the 8th time now....check again in another week or so

__________________
Hipcocked45

Started off back around 1978 with a Model 15, in a Bianchi X-15 shoulder holster when dressed for it at work and in a nice pancake made by a local officer when off work. Summertime, started with a lightweight Bodyguard, then got a Model 60, both in an ankle holster. Woodswalker was a 4" Mod. 66.
Nowadays, being retired and able to dress pretty much as I please, my edc is a Glock 26 with a Glock 17 mag for reload when I'm lightly dressed, and a Sig P226 when clothed to cover it. None of them perfect, but then I'm not perfect either.
Just got a couple of used .45 sig P220s--one full sized 8-round and one compact edge-melted 6-round. 10-round extended mags for reload on both. If I like the pistol and find a good holster, the compact .45 may be my next summer edc.

__________________
de minimus non curat lex

I have grown fond of the Ruger LCR chambered for the .327 Federal Magnum. Carries SIX rounds and is just below being as powerful as a .357 Magnum with less felt recoil to boot. This revolver will shoot the .327 Mag, the .32 H&R Mag., the .32 S&W Long and the .32 short. Another plus is the trigger pull which allows most Men & Women to pull the trigger without causing movement from the target. Double action only.
Sure hope S&W finds it in its Heart to resume production for this caliber in the J & K frame revolvers and is competitive. This CALIBER should be allowed to live!

__________________
Sam
S&WHF 333 S&WCA 2198

I finally found what to me is my PPP-it is a S&W shield 40 from the performance center

S@W Model 65, 3inch, Hammer spur removed, smoothed action but not lightened, Pac. grips. chamfered cyl,.
Jim

Yes, my Shield 40, 2nd Glock 23, 3rd Talo 686+ 3" others I have for range work only.

Three amigos!

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk

__________________
CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36

Open carry : Series 70 1911 w/ 2 spare 8 shot Meggar mags with 185 gr HP +P's .
Concealed : Colt Cobra loaded with Winchester 125 gr lead SWC HP +P's and 2 speed loaders of same.
Most perfect all around handgun for me would be the Triple lock .44 SPL Target and Colt Single Action in .44 SPL. Got the Colt and hopefully one day will get the S&W.

Eddie

I think so...
For over twenty years I carried a 640 no dash. Every now and then I tried something else but always came back to the little 38. Just bought a M&P340 that comes in at almost half the weight and much better sights. The 340 just may be what I needed.

I've found the perfect handgun many times This time it's this one. Build it perfect, and very accurate!

Dam Wesson CBOB

Yes, about 15 of them...

A handgun itself is a compromise. An EDC handgun for sure is a compromise. In my relatively low-to-no-threat environment, my Improved Model 56, AKA 2" Model 15, is the best compromise, loaded with Nyclad FBI loads. My second best gun is my other Improved Model 56, same loads.

If the threat from humans seems greater than near zero, my stainless Gov't Model Series 80 has proven reliable and tolerable all day long. Likewise my BHP Mk2, but its safety does not disengage automatically like the John Moses Browning design. It can probably be altered to do so, but I have not yet done that.

In my home environment, I sometimes carry only a 642 in the summer. That has nothing to do with perfect.

If you allow me three: When I worked---BHP and model 36 backup. Now retired---649-2 pocket carry.

I carry an M&P45 on duty and off duty I carry a Model642, I just got a holster for my newly acquired Model65-3 and plan on carrying it as my "cooler weather" gun.

Here lately, I have been relying on an ex-PD 3953 and am taking a surprising amount of pleasure in the DAO action. This is one of the surplus "N.P.D." guns sold recently:

I've recently reconsidered my choice in carry pistols. In cold/winter carry I'm carrying a CZ 75D PCR.



My warm/hot weather carry gun is a Glock 43. I can shoot it well, but I don't enjoy it one bit. I liked the G43 over the Sig P938, but I've come to realize that a small semi-auto might not be for me.

__________________
-John

My perfect CCW gun is my Glock 17. Long sight radius, 17-20 shots, hard-hitting. I OC here in VT/NH.

As far as self defense is concerned, hands down, one of these two

__________________
John

I would also posit that the right holster relative to the carrier is a major contributing factor in the perfect carry handgun debate. Given the wide variety of handguns, it is possible for anyone to find the handgun that feels perfect in their hand. Put that pistol in a holster that does not fit the user just right, and that that perfect gun in the hand won't carry well.

__________________
-John

My 2 1/2" Model 66 is very close:



But I don't mind the 4 extra ounces, extra round and the (aftermarket) Meprolite Night sights on my 686+, which gives it the edge for revolver carry with .357 Magnum loads:



For semi-auto carry my favorite is the CZ 75 Compact:



Although I carried and FN SFS Hi Power for years and I still like it a lot - it's just a little too large for concealed carry.



However, when size does matter and I need something smaller under a tucked dress shirt with no jacket, these two are my favorites. I prefer the accuracy of the PPK/S, but the compactness and weight of the Kimber Micro:

Have I found the perfect handgun maybe but I doubt I'll ever stop looking.

I have found one for everyday carry that is darn near perfect and that is the new Smith & Wesson M&P 45 Shield. I bought a 9mm Shield for the wife and it is okay but just never fit my paw. I've had a S&W 642 for years which is just so nice to toss in your pocket but I've always felt just a little under gunned.

The 45 Shield is one of those guns that when I first held it it felt just right in my hand. The Browning Hi-Power, along with commander size 1911s with a Ed Brown bobtail and my old 4 inch S&W transition .44 Special all have that feel. They all just feel comfortable and right; like an well worn pair of boots or dungarees. It shoots as good as it feels. It has a caliber that begins .4 which is what I prefer. On my belt it disappears.

__________________
Bill Bates

Ok, here is my daily concealed carry, but first let me describe why.
I'm a 78 year old retired Federal lawman.
I got to keep my duty weapons when I retired.
My daily carry concealed weapons were the ones I carried on the job.
They are old and reliable.
I wear bathing trunks, T shirt, sneakers, and a ball cap with my favorite tractor on it everywhere I go unless it is something special like a County Meeting or an Alumni meeting.
My old issued KEL-TEC P-11 has their waistband clip on it.
It clips securely and does not fall off or anything.
Mt "T" shirt is never tucked in, but worn over the waistband.
That is 12 rounds of 9mm Luger hypo hollow points available instantly.
That is a lot of firepower.
If I feel the need for more "oomph", then I carry my Kel-Tec P-40 with waistband clip, holding 10 rounds of 40sw hollow points. I have qualified with both.
They are my old friends from the early 1980's and used by me back then.
In my collection, I have other weapons that qualify as a "carry" piece.
But for my daily attire, I trust what I has protected me in the past and let me be able to attain my present old age.
Yes, I have other snub-nose revolvers and holsters for concealed carry, but my favorites are the "Kel-Tec's" with the waistband clips.

Kel-Tec didn't start making the P-11, or anything, until 1995 . . . ?

Also, I'm unaware of a federal agency that has ever issued Kel-Tec. Not saying somebody didn't, just curious to hear who it was . . .

__________________
Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I keep going back to a j frame for carry.
But inside my home there are other choices.

No - and I hope I never do. It will justify further acquisitions as I continue my "quest."


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Does hickory count?

Hand gun perfection defined

__________________
John

an LCP is a daily and constant in my EDC. that said, a Glock 36 with +1's on mags is my go to these days. love and cherish my Hi-powers, 1911's and J's, but like the warm fuzzy i get from .45acp...

__________________
why? why not?

My best carry gun is confidence, caution, being aware, practice to the point it comes natural, speed, agility, reading a situation, and whatever I have with me.

Attached Images

uzi suitcase.jpg (83.5 KB, 32 views)

I've wanted to carry 1911's, various Glocks, Sigs, 357 mags, 38 specials, etc., but for my lifestyle an LCP in my pocket has proven to be the one. I just don't want to carry fanny packs, or wear vests, funky cover garments etc. And hard as I try, a 38 snub in most of my paints pockets just bulges too much for my tastes when I'm sitting.

Dont think i have found my perfect carry gun but have found some that come darn close for my purposes. My lcp w/ crimson trace laser is my go to carry gun. Kahr K9 is my second most carried. My Glock 19 is probably next in line.