From IL, will be concealing, using on the job in multiple locations and driving a lot. More for personal protection during work.

Haven't shot a gun in years since my time with a Baretta 9mm in military. Need something easily concealable for my body type (5'10, 175 lbs, avg body size).

Was told S&W MP 40c 4.5" would be a good start.

Any suggestions or help is greatly sppreciated...

Zim's Samsung Tablet

Go to a range where you can rent several different handguns. Try different manufacturers, full size, compacts, sub compacts, in 9 mm and .40. Do a little research regarding what kind of customer support you can expect from the manufacturers, availability of accessories like holsters, etc. Having done all that myself, I decided on an M&P 9 compact which IMO is a great self defense pistol, before recently migrating to a M&P Shield 9, which is equally great but more easily concealed and more comfortably carried all day. But don't take my word for it. Rentals are relatively cheap, so go try several, get something you are comfortable carrying and shooting, have confidence carrying, and reliably goes bang when you pull the trigger. Your life may depend on it!

Shoot straight and be safe. And welcome to the forum!

The M&P compacts are nice, but I find them to be neither fish nor fowl. Too fat for any type of carry you cannot do with a full size pistol, yet barrel too short for good practical accuracy (I am not talking about accuracy from a Ransom Rest or a sandbag).

Personally, I think the Glock 19 or 23 is a better choice for what you need. The 23 is the current gun issued to all FBI agents, and they have to conceal.

The M&P Compact is more like a Glock 26 or 27, thus more like a back-up than a primary weapon. Your main gun should be a primary weapon that is capable of both concealment and practical accuracy even out to 15 to 25 yards. I think S&W is missing a trick here by not offering another size that is between the Compact and present full size.

Try out some revolvers if you can, you might be pleasantly surprised. I'd bet on it, in fact. Its unlikely as a civillian you're ever going to need more than 2 or 3 shots in any SD scenario. Focusing solely on semi auto pistols might limit your personal abilities, and be a mitake.
For out of the box, pin-point accuracy at 25 yards, IMO a revolver is a far better gun than any Glock or new M&P.

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Geoff. Since 1960.

Most self defense shootings (including police/Govt Agent shootings) are well withing 7 yards (21 feet). I've been on the job in a major city for 23 years and with the exception of the rare "accidental" long range hit (AKA stray round hitting an unintended target), the fact is, most SD shootings take place between 7 feet and handshake distance. You don't need a tack-driving handgun to accomplish this. I have seen magazines emptied at these distances with only peripheral hits to the arms or legs.

What the OP needs to do is rent several different handguns like Mumbleypeg1 mentioned and see what fits him best AND what he is most capable with. One of the training scenarios we do is to try to put three rounds center mass in two to three seconds at ten feet (that's a LOT of time) from the holster, this is a good exercise to practice to learn control/accuracy under stress. MAKE SURE TO NEVER FORGET THE CARDINAL RULES OF GUN SAFETY AND START OFF SLOWLY TO AVOID AND ND'S OR OTHER UNDESIRABLE OCCURRENCES...this is not about fast draw, it's about control and accuracy.

Last of all, don't discount a weapon (9, 40 or 45) because it is a compact, I actually shoot better with my 9c than I do with G21, although I have had the G21 issued to me since 1999 and I've done a lot of shooting with it and I've only had the 9c a few months.

Revolvers are also a valid option, but IMO need more dry-fire practice because of the long heavy trigger pull. If you plan on cocking the gun to go SA, train on using your left thumb (if right handed) to cock the hammer, so your strong hand can keep the gun pointed in the intended direction.

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Don

Welcome aboard mrzim. I agree with trying several models of auto and revolver to see what you like. This is something that when carried all day in different body positions, that has to be as comfortable as possible. Holster choices will be exhaustive as well. I have no problem with accuracy from my Shield, my avatar pic is from one of my range sessions. All said and done, it is a huge personal choice for you and you alone.

Bob

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Bob

I conceal carry a mp40c in a raven phantom holster. It's not hard to conceal. I carry OWB because IWB just isn't comfortable for me. I love this gun and have found it to be very accurate once I learned to shoot it. I also prefer the mag with the pinky extension. As others have said try a couple different guns and see what feels best to you. If you like the mp40c you can't go wrong with it. It's a great little gun.

I'm probably going to get flamed for saying this, but, you do realize that it's illegal to carry a gun concealed in IL, right?

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Freedom isn't free.

Why flamed? That is great information for a new shooter! I went to wiki (so obviously check this else where, I am lazy.) and found this annotation at the bottom:

Long, Ray, and Ruthhart, Bill (June 1, 2013). "Lawmakers Pass Concealed Carry Rules", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 1, 2013. "A $150 concealed weapons permit valid for five years would be issued by the Illinois State Police to applicants 21 and older. Law enforcement could object, and those denied could appeal to a seven-person board designed to have members with credentials such as former judge or FBI agent."

Great info from all. IL did pass carry n conceal. A friend of mine is a PI in IL and has carried several hand guns and recently bought the MP 40c with crimson grip and absolutly loves it. Reason he went with 40c over 9c, he feels .40 ammo is more readily available.

I do plan to shoot multiple guns prior to purchasing.

Zim's Samsung Tablet

More accurately, concealed carry passed the House and Senate in Illinois but has not been signed by the Governor and it is not clear when it will go into effect but it is not now in effect. There will be classes and fees and in Illinois you can bet you will be screwed any way they can and the process will drag out. Don't start yet!

I carry a full size M&P 9 every day, with an IWB holster. And I havent had any problems with mine as far as concealing it goes. Now I have a pretty stocky build at around 5'10 240lbs. So I wear a larger shirt which helps to conceal. But havent had problems with the weight of the gun what so ever. And I actually feel more comfortable with the full size gun. But some of these guys have said, go to a range where you can test different guns with different sizes. Your preference could differ from mine, but you also might find that you like a full size gun. Dont let someone sell you something that your not comfortable with. After all, your the one who is going to carry it, not the dealer.

Thank you for your service as well!!! Hope you find the gun that you're looking for!

I not only carry my M&P9 Compact daily, but shoot IDPA with it and have no problem hitting targets, or the popper at 25 yards or farther and so do others I shoot with who have one. It's less than a half-inch shorter than the Glock 19 and that small difference in sight radius doesn't seem to make much difference in shot placement at those distances. Besides the grip angle seems to be more conducive to fast target acquisition for me.

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NRA R.S.O. & Life Member