Good Advice for 1st-Time CCW Buyers

[Mediumbore]

I've been CCW as part of my profession for 11 years. I will say that asking cops about CCW comes with a caveat. Some don't and some don't care whether they get made. You need to cultivate your source a little longer than just checking for a badge.

Belts: I will recommend a first quality belt like was mentioned previously. I would rather carry a $20 holster on a $70 belt than the other way around. Most good holster makers have a good belt. Figure on getting a belt made in either 1.25" width or 1.5" width. Dress pants will require the narrower width, but if your wardrobe is all jeans and khakis, get the 1.5" first.

In holsters, I will recommend four for the Glock 19, a gun I have a good deal of experience carrying.

OWB: The Galco Fletch if you like a thumb-break design and the DeSantis Model 086 if you prefer open-top. Both fit snug to the body and have a forward cant to prevent the butt from printing to the rear.

IWB: I like the BladeTech IWB because the Kydex keeps it thin and the rubber belt loops really keep it in one place. The other option is the Galco Summer Comfort. It's a good rendition of the Summer Special style of holster. Remember, an IWB will need slightly loose pants to be comfortable.

These are my choices based on personal experience. Other manufacturers make good stuff, even identical versions of the ones I've just mentioned. You can't do this right without jumping in with both feet. Get to it!

 

[50Meter]

Mediumbore's observation is correct---everyone in law enforcement that I know always recommends belt scabbards. For them, this is no problem, but for those of us who may want to take off our jackets, or do not want to cause a big panic, get shaken down and erroneously arrested for "brandishing", or some such, IWB, pocket, or some other method must be employed. I have seen some use kydex holsters and they can be the slickest things---but I ordered two from BladeTech and couldn't get my guns out---even after releasing the tension screw all the way! Big disappointment, as I've seen people use 'em with their Glocks and they draw like all-get-out. A cop I train with wants me to get rid of my S&Ws and get a Kahr K9. He says this is the only "modern", "sensible" design out there, with DAO and striker mechanism. He loves that gun. Trouble is, it has NEVER worked right and he has to cleverly clear it and tap-rack all the time. Kahr was not able to get it to work for him, so he's gotten so he can clear the gun on a continual basis so smoothly that a casual onlooker doesn't notice he's doing it. He's been in this state of denial for several years. I tried the gun & decided it was just too unreliable---my "old fashioned, out-dated" Smith 3rd generation guns (and revolvers) have never malfunctioned. When I mentioned it, he just says that no gun is 100% perfect & that the key is to be able to deal with problems as they arise. Fair enough, but the only thing I'd use that Kahr for is demonstrating how to deal with such problems---I'd never rely on something like that as a CCW...

 

[Deltaboy]

Try as many guns as you can and get one that fits you. I carry my 9X18mm Mak more because it fits well to my short round body. I will carry my Sigma as soon as I get a good Holster and belt for it.

 

[kennyb]

another point to consider as far as checking with law enforcement....in many departments for on duty they carry what is issued...period...in many cases this same weapon is to be carried off duty...some will permit differant weapons for off duty carry if you qualify with it.....the last one issued to me was the beretta 92d...and thats not my choice....off duty i carried my model 36 in an ankle holster...
another point....checking with law enforcement in most cases will limit you to semi-auto's....i do not know of any departments that carry revolvers....and thats sad...
hope this helps!

 

[badam0112]

IMO the best carry gun is the one that you can comfortably carry everyday. A 5 shot j-frame in your pocket everyday is much better than the semi auto, Fill in the blank here, that is too uncomfortable/heavy for daily carry and locked in your safe. Questions to ask yourself prior to buying.

1) How do I dress for my daily routine?
2) Is deep concealment an option?
3) How much weight can I carry comfortably?
4) Have I narrowed my search to style of handgun?
5) Have I shot this style of handgun?
6) Have I studied how others carry the style of handgun I have narrowed my search to?
7) Does this handgun allow for different styles of carry? Pocket, IWB, OWB, Ankle etc, etc.
8) Have I determined what the average selling price is for the handguns I am considering?

My personal experience is/was that I wanted the firepower/capacity of a sub compact semi auto. What I discovered after the fact and the purchase of a $500 plus Glock 27 and several concealment holsters, was the fact that it was too heavy for daily carry for my standard daily routine and style of dress. IWB was uncomfortable for me and OWB was never even a real option. Ankle carry still printed for me no matter what I tried. Pocket carry became the obvious answer for me. Weight and printing then became the issue. In the end, a 637 j frame more than met the daily need. Later the 642 replaced the 637 because the hammerless version comes out of the pocket snag free everytime. The Glock 27 was traded away at a loss although another one was recently added to the safe for home defense. The bottom line for me is that I spent a lot of $ learning the hard way what doesn't work for me. I did the trial by error purchase of hand guns as well as concealment holsters. I ended up selling most all of these purchases for a loss of taking a beating on trades to try something else. Now don't get me wrong I enjoyed most of the learning experience. But financially I wasn't very efficient getting to my current final solution.