The Ultimate Carry Gun?

[SuperMan]

Colt (or any good quality) Commander in .38 Super....

31 oz loaded with 10 rounds of .357 Magnum velocity rounds... Hits where I look... Modest recoil...fast followup shots. Slips into the waistband with no discomfort...

Just works for me...every day since 1980...

Bob

 

[ladder13]

P365 or LCP MAX work for me. To each their own.

 

[URIT]

My ultimate carry gun needs to be the best choice for me for concealed carry; so, holster choice, carry position, carry comfort, ability to get a solid combat grip on the draw, weapon mechanics, capacity, and caliber were all evaluated before my decision was made.

I carried revolvers on and off duty for more than three decades. When I decided to conceal carry, I opted to try out pistols. I bought more than twenty to help evaluate my best choice.

I bought a Walther PPS40 and a Remora holster. I moved it around the waistband until I found my best conceal carry position - just in front of my strong side hip bone.

At this point, I fell victim to the capacity hype that more was better and bought my first of many S&W Gen3s - a 910.

I really like the Gen3s!!! The TDA pistols were nice for the range but my years of revolver use left me feeling less than 100% comfortable.

I never considered a DAO choice until I saw a model 3953 being offered on this forum. I bought it and it was like a match made in heaven. It fit my hand perfectly so I could get a solid combat grip. I like the fact that I didn't have to deal with the a safety and the great revolver like trigger and simplicity of the pistol raise my comfort level to satisfied.

I have another forum member to thank for his advice on the best holster choice for me. I had seen him post about the Don Hume H715-M holster several times so I bought one for my 3953. Another marriage made in heaven and I now had what I believe is the perfect concealed carry rig for me.

I own a 4053 that has it's own H715-M if I want to carry a larger caliber pistol for walks in the woods.

A word about capacity. My firm belief about capacity was instilled by my department's range master who repeatedly stated that "if you can't get the job done with 4 or 5 rounds - then RUN". He attributed this comment to his leather slap competition buddy, Jeff Cooper.

The best choice is the one that has you feeling and acting confident and competent.

 

[diyj98]

According to my favorite gun writers, it's whatever company is pouring the advertising dollars into their employer and inviting them to weeklong fully paid getaways to evaluate their products!

 

[youngolddude]

I read a lot, even those articles and postings mentioning "best" or other similar labels just for fun. Someone's opinion, poll results, popularity contests, Supreme Court rulings, whatever? Everyone is different. Taste, preferences, experience, intelligence, strength, hand size, etc. If you wish to use something I consider to be bloody awful, go for it. I have several nice weapons that are perfectly fine, I cannot at this point say one is at the top of the heap.

 

[vinn]

ruger "LC's ;

Ruger LC9s Pro. Very reliable, plenty accurate and and easy to carry.

they are good, but without " a safety ", i put them in the same class as "others with out a safety. i'll buy an LC .22 for practice.

 

[dave1918a2]

New Kimber Pro CDP II 45ACP. should work fine.

 

[LCC]

For those that spent their adult lives carrying, their choice will likely be the one they are most comfortable with, often the weapon they were either assigned or limited to.
For those of us who came to carry late, it starts at the LGS counter, getting advice and handling the suggested, and then at the range, finding what weapon points most instinctively and hit center best, and a few things become clear to the novice through this process.
Carrying EDC for the first time, besides requiring a good belt, is much like selecting what sized tumor you would like attached to your body, and where.
If you were not teethed on the 1911 manual of arms..good luck.
Shooting a J-frame, especially an alloy one, accurately and with fast enough reloads is a slow learning process that is frankly a struggle for most novices.
Pocket carry for the newbie is best done with either DOA or MS.
There are good reasons why the latest generation of micro 9's are such a hit, they are highly compact, have excellent ergonomics, are accurate, easy to carry, and can be reloaded effortlessly. Which for someone relatively new to EDC, checks all the box's.

 

[Johnrh]

There is no ultimate carry gun. It's what ever you can draw fast and shoot straight. It's like chasing the best golf ball when the new ones come out, you'll just end up with a bag full of old balls and not shoot any better. Anyone want some golf balls.

 

[Rustyt1953]

There is no ultimate carry gun. It's what ever you can draw fast and shoot straight. It's like chasing the best golf ball when the new ones come out, you'll just end up with a bag full of old balls and not shoot any better. Anyone want some golf balls.

Preach it!

In an earlier life, when my handicap broke into the teens, I succumbed to the call of the golf sirens. I went through drivers, wedges, putters and balls hoping to find Roy Hobbs' "Wonderboy". I eventually realized that it was all on me not the hardware.

A pool shark can beat you with a broom handle.

 

[Drm50]

I opt for a Win m70 300mag / 16x scope. Take out the threat when it pokes its head up over the horizon.

 

[sipowicz]

You are on camera just about everywhere you go today. I'd rather be filmed pulling out an old school DS than some polymer wonder gun. I am in Hollywood after all.

 

[John Patrick]

You are on camera just about everywhere you go today. I'd rather be filmed pulling out an old school DS than some polymer wonder gun. I am in Hollywood after all.

Definitely best to go down lookin' good...!

I mean, can you imagine the embarrassment when the onlookers gasp, "He put down that drugged up attacker with two to the chest and one to the head, but jeez, did you see that gun?"

 

[Llance]

With one exception my carry guns (EDC's) are based on the 1911. Some are smaller than JMB's original, but all have the same type of action. That way I can change from one to another based on need, location, etc., without having to modify my training. The only exception is my double action only AMT Backup in .380 auto. And it is carried as a backup only.

If I'm going into the deep woods hiking or hunting, then it is a double action or single action revolver in a large caliber, heavy frame model. The AMT is still tucked away but right handy.

Steel and wood rule in my house with respect to handguns, with the possibility of some plastic grip panels.

 

[malph]

As others have said, there is no ultimate carry gun. There are only guns that work well for you (and probably some that don't).

I don't read gun magazines anymore but when I did, it seemed every month they were promoting some gun or other as the ultimate.

Don't get caught up with marketing. Shoot a few different guns and see what you like and what you don't.

Once decide on a gun, put the time in to get good with it.

Getting good with the gun is ultimately more important than some perceived enhancement as touted by some marketing department.

 

[Xfuzz]

Hit the streets of the Naked city in the fall of 1972.
We had to buy our own sidearm which were model 19's.
Noticed alot of the older dudes were packin 1911's.

Few old WWII vets, Korean and Nam.
That got my attention.
Bought one after I cleared probation.....Never been without one
since.
Government Models, Commanders liked them all.

As I have aged....the lighter the better.
Normally, there is a Colt 1911 within easy reach.

I favor the Lightweight Commander for my "ultimate".
Loaded with the hard to find "Majic" bullets....

 

[jag1954]

Well, for the ultimate carry gun(s), I think that either one of these should handle anything, 2 legged, 4 legged, the zombie apocalypse and planets beyond...

 

[wrkerr]

I'd prefer the M&P 2.0 Compact 9MM but sciatica limits me to a 340PD. The "perfect" gun is the one you have with you when the ballon goes up. Select something that can always be with you. If you're a newbie get some professional training and commit to regular range time.

Yes. Motorcycle crash and being in my 70's has not been kind to my back and hips. The gun that is my "always" is my decades-old M49. It worked for me in the 80's and still works in 2022!

Pick what works for you and practice!!! Don't have a ccw 'rotation'. Use the same gun, same holster, in the same location always. Just my $.02.

 

[heeter3]

I rotate between a 3 inch j,detective special,old cobra but the ultimate is an early 90s 442 that I carried on the job in dicks that has little to no bluing left,a butter smooth action (from shooting it so much) and herrett grips.I can hide it anywhere ,from pocket to shoulder to ankle to small of back to inside or outside the belt.Its truly my little buddy.

 

[John Patrick]

I get a hoot out of the "marketing departments" bashing. It's the marketing departments' job to make as many potential customers aware of advancements, or at least perceived advancements, as possible.

And there have been some remarkable advancements, especially relatively recently. Remarkable enough that a couple of manufacturers have managed to make some of their top sellers all but obsolete insofar as EDC is concerned.

For instance, an ~ 18oz pistol (empty, about 24oz loaded) with a good trigger, a 1911ish safety in a package thinner and smaller than a J frame with a capacity of between 10 and 14, your choice. That has night sights, is easier to shoot well, has substantially reduced perceived recoil while shooting more effective ammunition.

No matter how you define it, that's progress.

You may chose, for your own good reason, not to embrace that progress, and that's fine, but to ignore it, pretend it progress isn't good or to denigrate it is foolish.

Thank the Lord we aren't still carrying cap and ball revolvers, eh?