new to ccw

[hooks742010]

I'm a proud owner of a m&p .40 compact.my First s&w, have shot it a few times (not my first gun ) . Is my first auto with no safety . Purchased a holster kings holster , if noone is familar it is a univeral holster . Works surprising well but the side can b slightly pushed back while holstering if not carefully watching it.how long before ur truely comfortable with carrying such an easily discharged weapon on ur hip . Thought no safety was best but now it is constantly on mi mind. Especially with a 2 yr old

 

[venomballistics]

kinda like the exposed hammer of the 1911 .. these things can take a while and some cannot be resolved for all people.

 

[Bratastic007]

Ideally your two year old will not be getting his/her hands on your firearm if you are doing your job.

That said, I know what you mean about nerves. When I first started carrying, it was a DAO (no safety) .40 HK P2000. Carrying with one in the chamber seemed really risky to me. Needless to say, I got over it in time. You will too.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

I've tried that pistol and liked it; however, to be honest I own quite a few guns and they are all revolvers. One of the reasons is what you mentioned. For over 50 years wheel guns are all I've known and I just don't feel comfortable with anything else. That said, if you practice enough to become proficient there's no reason this gun won't serve you well. I might suggest you consider finding a firearms instructor who's familiar with this gun and receive some instruction. I'm sure guns like yours have there own little "quirks", things to watch for and be aware of. Instruction and practice are the most important components of handgun ownership.

 

[Mphstiger1981]

O/P

Just remember the only true safety is the one between your ears. Keep your booger-hook off the trigger until you're ready to shoot and everything will be fine. I've never heard of a gun going off on its on just sitting there in the holster.

 

[BobR1]

My 2 Cents on a couple things.

Make sure the holster cannot get wadded up against the trigger, especially when holstering. Generally not an issue if the holster is made for the gun you are using.

That Bogger Hook off the Trigger is even more important when holstering a safe action handgun. It is only safe as long as your finger is off the trigger.

The M&P is about as good as Combat Tupperware gets in 2012. It is plenty safe as long as you do your part.

Bob

 

[ContinentalOp]

I would suggest you try and find a holster that is made for your specific gun. I'm not familiar with the model you mentioned, but universal holsters tend to be less secure and more prone to excessively wear a gun's finish.

As far as getting comfortable while carrying, here's a simple technique. Take your gun and triple check to make sure it's unloaded. Rack the slide to pre-cock the striker like you would carry it if it were loaded. Carry the unloaded gun in your holster around the house for a week or so. Whenever you go to take the gun out of the holster, check to see if the trigger's been pressed. Chances are you'll find that it is still pre-cocked, which confirms that you don't have to worry about the gun going off while holstered. Unintentional discharges involving a holster usually involve someone holstering or drawing a gun with their trigger finger on the trigger when it shouldn't have been, or something obstructing the trigger while holstering. As others have said, practice safe gun handling, i.e. keep your finger off the trigger unless firing and make sure nothing gets caught in the trigger guard when holstering, and you'll be fine.

 

[venomballistics]

now that I dont have the wife dragging me away .....
lemme take another crack at this.
every gun has some kind of issue ... from these issues you pick the poison that leaves you the least sick.
Glock, M&P's XD's the safe action, as your aware, have no traditional safety (well some models of the M&Ps do)
the upside of this arrangement is that they are fight ready right out of the leather ... downside, there fight ready in the leather too.
DA revolvers ... same basic arrangement as a safe action but the trigger pull is far stiffer ... many like this trait for carry and it has a long history as one of the safest carry guns rolling. down side is that the trigger pull is detrimental to shot placement without LOTS of practice to master the trigger.
SA autos, the 1911 type ... fine weapons but being designed to be carried with the hammer back and a round in the pipe, it can make anyone paranoid. Mostly due to the hammer being visible. Most long arms are similar in operating principals and we think nothing of cocked and locked carry ... because we cant see that hammer. the upside is that they have full accuracy potential first shot to empty mag and usually a great trigger to work with.
then we have SA DA autos ... one that comes to mind is the HK USP. it is designed to be carried in several modes .. hammer down and locked, cocked and locked and IIRC decocked and unlocked to be treated as a safe action. a noble attempt at a one size fits all gun but the flavor of the day can really lead to confusion in the clutch.
give your M&P a good proper chance .. if you cant get used to its idea .. try something else ... better still .. start a collection

 

[pawncop]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What he said!

Try as many as you can to get a good feel of what you like.

Choose the largest caliber that you can consistiently deliver the round where you want it.

Practice, practice, practice.

A collection is a good thing.

Finally, the joy is in the quest.

 

[sipowicz]

I have a 3 year old boy and a six year old girl....so I practice put away memory the same as muscle memory...even if I am home alone, the gun goes on the top shelf of my closet when I take it off or in the safe...if you think, oh well, no one is home, I'll leave it on the counter or table until I go back out, you might one day forget it....and one time is all it takes for a lifetime of regret.

Now I know some might poo poo this, but if are new to carrying and have the child's safety on your mind while doing so, leave the chamber unloaded until you are in a routine where you feel totally comfortable with it hot and ready to go.


As for striker fired guns, yeah, I know it's all about keeping your finger off the trigger but I am more comfortable with my P2000....I like the longer trigger pull of the LEM and the comfort of putting my thumb on the hammer when holstering....just practice with it, use a good holster, and in time putting it on should feel as natural as putting on your shoes.

 

[hooks742010]

Wow.... Surprised at the responses, as in how many of u did. Thanks to everyone all good ideas. Practiceing unloaded checking for dry fire sounds like the ticket. Atleast wld maybe ease the nerve. Sold my .38 recently in hopes to buy a .357 sp101. Just havent yet. Wld feel more comfotable with a wheel gun for carry (as far as accidental fire ) but its the .40 c for now . Thanks again ..

 

[CowboyKen]

My EDC is an SA XD subcompact. I feel very safe carrying it fully loaded and ready to go.

A couple of the reasons I feel safe with it are:

I carry it in a good holster that was made for my gun. I use either a Tucker Texas Heritage, for iwb, or one made by Andy Arratoonian
(Holsters for Handguns, Firearms and Concealment at holsters.org) for owb. These are expensive and you may have to wait a long time to get one but the quality, safety, is worth both the wait and the price. Find a good holster, and belt, that is made for your gun and fits you and how you carry.

Second, The XD has a grip safety. In general I do not see any need for a mechanical safety on a self defense sidearm, however the grip safety is useful when putting the gun in the holster. I practice keeping my hand off of it, and my thumb on the back of the slide to ensure that it stays in battery and goes all the way home, when holstering/reholstering my XD. This helps limit the possibility of one of the most common accidents.

Good luck.

Ken

 

[hooks742010]

Thanks ken....I like the fobus style holsters . Seem like they fit great and like how it snaps in but hard to conceal from what I seen. I like the pancake holster but do they have one for the .40 style like the m&p or xd. Most of my jeans r tighter fit boot cut kinda jeans no real room for iwb. Just thought is ask since u brought up holsters. What do u think

 

[bharner]

Check out Crossbreed holster IWB stuff. The Galco King Tuck is also nice. It's what I carry my M&P 9c in. Comfy, secure, not floppy. The gun locks in just like a fobus, too.

Edit: just saw the not IWB comment... check out Galco and El Paso Saddlery for pancakes.

 

[24spenser]

What he says:

Clip - Black Hawk Down - This is my safety - YouTube

 

[hooks742010]

What he says:

Clip - Black Hawk Down - This is my safety - YouTube

Lmao ! Awesome

 

[CowboyKen]

Thanks ken....I like the fobus style holsters . Seem like they fit great and like how it snaps in but hard to conceal from what I seen. I like the pancake holster but do they have one for the .40 style like the m&p or xd. Most of my jeans r tighter fit boot cut kinda jeans no real room for iwb. Just thought is ask since u brought up holsters. What do u think

hooks,

The XD 9mm and .40 caliber are the same size and fit perfectly in the same holster. Both Tucker and Arratoonian make many holsters of various kinds, including pancake style, for all of these guns. They have lists on their web-sites and you can e-mail them with questions. My experience is they will respond within a reasonable time.

Ken