What are the things you value most in a carry gun?

BabaBlueJay

BabaBlueJay

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I'll admit I'm a relative novice compared to the wealth of experience we have here on the forums. Unlike many of you, I did not grow up with guns, and some of you have been shooting longer than I've been breathing. Which is why I enjoy asking questions here to benefit from your experience and help to expedite my growth as a gun owner.

In my short time as a gun owner I have found that I am very particular about my handguns. Long guns I've been far less picky about, but for some reason my CCW guns have come and gone like the wind.

When I started out my priorities were
1. Reliability
2. Accuracy
3. Ergonomics
4. Trigger
5. Sights

Part of being dumb is you are eventually dumb enough to slowly acquire some wisdom hopefully. With enough problems and waffling I've come to prioritize availability above all as the best ability. A gun can be exceptional at all 5 of those things but it's meaningless if not on my person. This has become #1 for me now when considering a carry gun.

I am just curious what more experienced members of the forums value in terms of their EDC guns? No need to list them in rank as I have, I would just like to learn more. Thanks in advance!
 
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1. Reliability
2. Weight
3. Accuracy
 
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I agree with practice, practice, practice. Most handguns are more accurate than the user, so familiarity with whatever is in your hand is at least as important as what is in your hand.

I have two handguns I regularly carry, dependent on what I'm wearing (concealability). One is a snubbie revolver (.357M), the other a Commander size 1911 (.40S&W) The disparity between their design doesn't matter if you're intimately familiar with both. It's easy to know which one you have in hand simply by the way the grip feels.

Both are about the same weight (M66-1 is 2-1/4 pounds loaded and 1911 is 2-1/2 pounds loaded). Weight is somewhat important, but those are light compared to a full-size 1911 or a larger revolver. Maybe a small polymer pistol is lighter, but I don't mind the weight of my carry pieces.

Both guns are quick and easy to draw, and quick to point. Both are immediately ready to fire; I carry the 1911 in Condition 1 and the safety is thumbed off as I draw the pistol. I'm not all that concerned about capacity, but I do carry an extra magazine or a speed loader if I feel the threat is greater in whatever place I plan to go.

How you carry is important, both for comfort and accessibility. I don't carry IWB, both my handguns are carried 4 0'clock OWB, which for me works well both for concealment and for speed of draw. I can draw faster from a just left of midline carry (I'm right handed), but concealment and comfort when sitting is a much bigger problem there, and I don't open carry. Not for legality, but for public comfort and less provocation potential.

Accuracy is a relative thing, for defensive shooting I think being able to hit body mass at 15-20 yards is plenty good, and quick target acquisition is just as important as accuracy.

These are my biggest considerations for what I carry and how I carry it.
 
The ability to hit what I'm pointing at.

That's it in a nutshell.

When I began I was issued a Model 10 with a 4" barrel. I had no choice. I had to become proficient with it in a hurry or faced being washed out.

Well, I got past the first hurdle and qualified with it.

The next hurdle to get past was the requirement was that I be armed at all times. Uh, with a full size service revolver? Well, that was my problem. Suck it up buttercup or lay out the jack for a smaller revolver that was on the department approved list.

It took me a while to squeeze out a few bucks a paycheck to get a Chief Special.

I'm not advocating this approach for anyone else. I'm just pointing out that this approach removed all the static and confusion from my process. I didn't have to think about ANYTHING ELSE but learning how to become proficient with the revolver that was handed to me.....then how to carry it.

Somewhere early on I learned about how convenient stainless steel revolvers were. Model 60s were unobtainable, both in price and availability but I found a way to get a Model 67....and I did.

So, it's probably not surprising that decades later I still carry that Model 67.

Today, a new guy has a maze to navigate. The "static" is loud and distracting. It's quite apparent that the primary focus has shifted from proficiency to ease of carry. Small, lightweight guns that are difficult to shoot really are not rewarding for a newbie.
 
For me, it has to be completely reliable with the ammo I'm using and has to hit to point of aim with that ammo.

As far as ergonomics, weight, and concealability, figuring that out is part of the purchase decision. Most current handguns are decently accurate.

I'm not too worried about "stopping power". Shot placement is more important. That said, I carry ammo that has been proven in use by LE agencies rather than el cheapo ball.
 
A carry gun is a balancing act. IMHO the primary requirement is that it must be as close to 100% reliable with your carry ammunition as is possible. It must also be sufficiently powerful to do the job and sufficiently "carryable" that you will carry it and not leave it at home. Also the weapon/ammunition/operator combination must be capable of adequate shot placement.
 
Reliability is number 1. If I can't trust the gun to work when I need it nothing else matters.

Suitability I'm not even sure if that's a real word but I can have the most reliable Walker Colt ever built but it's not suitable for concealed carry.

Ammunition availability. My wife used to carry a CZ82. It was a great gun. It was easy to shoot accurately. It was easy to carry. My wife loved it but we could not find 9mm Makarov JHPs to save our life.

Accuracy? Unless there's something actually wrong with the gun, accuracy is usually more of a you problem than a gun problem.

Everything else is kind of operator headspace. You're either going to commit carrying wherever legal or you're not.
 
Reliability
Weight
Concealability (if carrying concealed v open)
Shootability

Reliability needs no explanation.
Weight because, imo, less weight is better, at least to a point. Lighter weight means for me that I’ll carry it, when a heavier gun might be at home or in the small safe in the truck.
Concealability is important in my predominantly mixed urban and suburban settings, in liberal land.
Shootability for me combines ergonomics, trigger, appropriate power v weight v threat, sights.
 
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