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First CC gun

3K views 58 replies 20 participants last post by  MrMorden 
#1 ·
I plan on applying for my CC permit either this week or the next. Hopefully that means that I will be legal sometime in December. A friend has informed me that there is a pretty good gun show in the Atlanta sometime early December.

So, my question is, what should I get? My friend carries a G30, which I really like, but it has been a long time since I've fired it, and the last time I held it in my hand the double stack clip made the grip feel too thick in my hand.

I'd really like something of similar size and power to the G30, but perhaps with a smaller grip. So what would be a comparable gun as far as size, power and quality in the $500 range?
 
#4 ·
My primary CC guns are a G30 and a G19. They are basically the same length and height but the G19 is slimmer. Of course, you are looking at a .45 (10+1 capacity) vs 9mm (15+1 capacity). For a CC gun I wouldn't get caught up in the "knock down power" perception. Most on this board will agree with that statement from what I have read. As BREAD suggested, the G26 and G27 are also good choices. Whatever you decide, just make sure you are comfortable with it and can shoot it well. Don't make a decision based on caliber alone, consider all the other factors we well - concealability, weight, comfort, accuracy, etc.

Here is a good thread Ken started a while back which might be of interest.

http://www.georgiapacking.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5698
 
#5 ·
I would suggest not buying anything for a few more weeks. Sign up for the GCO fall luncheon, and shoot some of our guns. That you you will have a feel for what you like as far as caliber, barrel length, grip size, polymer/aluminum/steel framed. Diferent guns fit different people differently. What feels natural for one person to shoot, may be awkward for another and vise versa. At our shoots, we are more than willing to let others shoot our guns, and it's a great opportunity to shoot multiple brands, types, sizes, and calibers of guns without paying range rental fees.
 
#6 ·
Adam5 said:
I would suggest not buying anything for a few more weeks. Sign up for the GCO fall luncheon, and shoot some of our guns. That you you will have a feel for what you like as far as caliber, barrel length, grip size, polymer/aluminum/steel framed. Diferent guns fit different people differently. What feels natural for one person to shoot, may be awkward for another and vise versa. At our shoots, we are more than willing to let others shoot our guns, and it's a great opportunity to shoot multiple brands, types, sizes, and calibers of guns without paying range rental fees.
Great idea! :wink:
 
#7 ·
Adam5 said:
I would suggest not buying anything for a few more weeks. Sign up for the GCO fall luncheon, and shoot some of our guns.
:righton:

And once you try an Hk, you will adjust your budget up a little . . . :lol:

Seriously, though, you will be welcome to try most of them with nothing more than asking . . .
 
#8 ·
Malum Prohibitum said:
Adam5 said:
I would suggest not buying anything for a few more weeks. Sign up for the GCO fall luncheon, and shoot some of our guns.
:righton:

And once you try an Hk, you will adjust your budget up a little . . . :lol:
Come on now MP! We all know that my new Kimber is going to be the star of the show!
 
#10 ·
VOLGRAD said:
My primary CC guns are a G30 and a G19. They are basically the same length and height but the G19 is slimmer. Of course, you are looking at a .45 (10+1 capacity) vs 9mm (15+1 capacity). For a CC gun I wouldn't get caught up in the "knock down power" perception. Most on this board will agree with that statement from what I have read. As BREAD suggested, the G26 and G27 are also good choices. Whatever you decide, just make sure you are comfortable with it and can shoot it well. Don't make a decision based on caliber alone, consider all the other factors we well - concealability, weight, comfort, accuracy, etc.

Here is a good thread Ken started a while back which might be of interest.

http://www.georgiapacking.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5698
That thread was a pretty good read, but I'm still not any closer to having an idea of what I want/need. There doesn't seem to be any general consensus on whether big/few is better than small/many.

I won't be able to get to that luncheon, but I am going to try in the next few weekends to go to a range called 'Hot Shots' and rent a few different ones to try out.

Another question in regards to caliber which I am sure has NEVER been discussed here before. :roll: Have there been any documented cases of 9mm failing to stop a BG when .45 would have? I know this is sort of hard to reproduce in a lab setting under repeatable conditions, but I think you get what I'm trying to ask.
 
#11 ·
Bad Co. said:
Another question in regards to caliber which I am sure has NEVER been discussed here before. :roll: Have there been any documented cases of 9mm failing to stop a BG when .45 would have? I know this is sort of hard to reproduce in a lab setting under repeatable conditions, but I think you get what I'm trying to ask.
:lol:

Like you said, how would one know?
 
#12 ·
USMC - Retired said:
Adam5 said:
I would suggest not buying anything for a few more weeks. Sign up for the GCO fall luncheon, and shoot some of our guns. That you you will have a feel for what you like as far as caliber, barrel length, grip size, polymer/aluminum/steel framed. Diferent guns fit different people differently. What feels natural for one person to shoot, may be awkward for another and vise versa. At our shoots, we are more than willing to let others shoot our guns, and it's a great opportunity to shoot multiple brands, types, sizes, and calibers of guns without paying range rental fees.
Great idea! :wink:
:lol:

***********

To the OP, Bad Co.:

Just for clarification, it isn't a concealed carry permit. You're able to carry open, as well. Not sure if you knew this already or not, but I thought I'd pass it along. :righton:
 
#13 ·
Malum Prohibitum said:
:lol:

Like you said, how would one know?
What I meant was are there significantly more cases of 9mm ammo failing to stop an assailant than .45? I'm still new to this whole thing, so all I have to go on is what 'informed' sources have told me. Hollywood, too. :wink:
 
#14 ·
ptsmith24 said:
To the OP, Bad Co.:

Just for clarification, it isn't a concealed carry permit. You're able to carry open, as well. Not sure if you knew this already or not, but I thought I'd pass it along. :righton:
No, I didn't. I was under the ASSumption that anyone could carry openly. Don't know that I ever would, legal or not. It just seems like inviting trouble.
 
#16 ·
Bad Co. said:
ptsmith24 said:
To the OP, Bad Co.:

Just for clarification, it isn't a concealed carry permit. You're able to carry open, as well. Not sure if you knew this already or not, but I thought I'd pass it along. :righton:
No, I didn't. I was under the ASSumption that anyone could carry openly. Don't know that I ever would, legal or not. It just seems like inviting trouble.
Oh, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, let's not start the OC vs CC debate again. We just put that baby to sleep once again. Let's let her get some much needed rest.

As far as caliber debates.....I am in no way an expert. However, I will admit that when I purchased my first handgun I thought the bigger the caliber the better off I was. It was a machismo thing, nothing more. I gave no thought at all to magazine capacity, how well I could shoot it, how comfortable it was, concealable, etc. I scoffed at 9mm. I figured since most police agencies were moving away from it, toward .40 caliber, that must be the best. I bought the G22 I have for sale on this forum. Luckily, the gun was fantastic. It worked out well for me.

However, since I have matured (with time) and have started reading this forum I have learned a couple of things. One is that all the factors I mentioned in the previous paragraph are VERY important. I have actually purchased 2 9mm recently (3 actually, but traded one away already) and love them. I don't think I will ever get rid of my G19. The only reason I might ever get rid of my 226 is if I traded it for a fancier version of the same pistol. What I am saying is that you need to weight all these factors before you make a decision.

If you don't want to weigh them or just don't know how then I will post my recommendations. You can take them for what they are - FREE advice. Keep in mind - I love Glocks and Sigs. I have had others but keep coming back to only these two makers.

For a first pistol I recommend;
Glock 19 (9mm, easy & cheap to shoot, high capacity, concealable, long enough barrel & sight radius for good accuracy, good price used or new)
Glock 23 (if you just can't give up on the idea of a bigger caliber, it is the same as the Glock 19 but in .40 cal.)
Sig 229 (can get in 9mm, .40, .357, compact size but not too easily concealed though and is heavy, good for home defense and target shooting)

There are other good ones out there, but you asked for recs. I would also suggest a double-action only for a first pistol. None of these have an external safety. If you want one of those your choices will be somewhat limited.
 
#20 ·
USMC - Retired said:
[quote="Malum Prohibitum":2zp2mvdi]
Adam5 said:
I would suggest not buying anything for a few more weeks. Sign up for the GCO fall luncheon, and shoot some of our guns.
:righton:

And once you try an Hk, you will adjust your budget up a little . . . :lol:
Come on now MP! We all know that my new Kimber is going to be the star of the show![/quote:2zp2mvdi]
I know I want to shoot it.

If you let me shoot your 1911, Gunny, I promise I won't make any negative comments about you for three whole days.
 
#21 ·
Most ranges have rental guns. Bullseye in Cumming does. If you can meet with some of the members from here, even if you can't make the luncheon, you would have the opportunity to try out several different pistols w/o paying the rental fee.

If you're anything like budder, you'll even do it using someone else's ammo...

I can't speak to Glock vs. Sig vs. HK as I don't own any of those brands, but Glocks do have the reputation for being extremely reliable. If you're new to guns and not just to ccw, reliability and simplicity are going to be extremely important to you.

For that reason, allow me to suggest you look at revolvers. S&W, Charter, Taurus and others make nice, easily concealable snub-nosed revolvers. I personally carry the S&W model 60LS in .357. It only holds five rounds, but if I can't eliminate the problem with those five rounds, I'm well and truly screwed anyway!

Welcome to our happy little group of gun nuts, 2A nuts, social outcasts, malcontents and just plain weird (you know who you are....... and so do we!!!) nuts.

[-o<
 
#22 ·
VOLGRAD said:
For a first pistol I recommend;
Glock 19 (9mm, easy & cheap to shoot, high capacity, concealable, long enough barrel & sight radius for good accuracy, good price used or new)
Glock 23 (if you just can't give up on the idea of a bigger caliber, it is the same as the Glock 19 but in .40 cal.)
Sig 229 (can get in 9mm, .40, .357, compact size but not too easily concealed though and is heavy, good for home defense and target shooting)

There are other good ones out there, but you asked for recs. I would also suggest a double-action only for a first pistol. None of these have an external safety. If you want one of those your choices will be somewhat limited.
Well, now I may be starting to sway to the 9mm side of things. I do know that the recoil is significantly less (hence the easier to shoot). What is the overall difference between the .40 and the .45?

Double action means that it cocks the hammer as you pull the trigger, right? Single actions are the old revolvers that had to be cocked then fired? I thought that my friend's G30 had some sort of lock on the left side above the grip that was a safety of some sort.
 
#23 ·
:eek:fftopic:

Speaking of budder and shooting other people's guns...

Thanks a lot butter!

I finally got all the pistols cleaned. Ya know. The ones you pulled out of my range bag on Saturday.

Most people wait until it's offered to them before shooting someone's guns.

Or, at least, they ask permission.

Or, hint around they would really love to shoot one of those...

Or, something like that.

Because, most people people consider it's just basic politeness and common courtesy.

Well, that's most people.

As those of us who know and love the boy can attest, butter definitely isn't like most people!!! :wildeyed:

Not even close! :twisted:

:devil: :evil:

:censored:
 
#25 ·
Come on up to Cumming for the next get-together, everyone will practically be forcing their pistols on you for you to try. Plus, Bullseye Marksman will give any number of rentals for $10 (I bellieve) on top of your lane rental.

I've found my S&W .40 is much friendlier to my hand than my old Glock. But a single stack is friendlier still, if you can find one that fits you and your budget.
 
#26 ·
Bad Co. said:
......Double action means that it cocks the hammer as you pull the trigger, right? Single actions are the old revolvers that had to be cocked then fired? I thought that my friend's G30 had some sort of lock on the left side above the grip that was a safety of some sort.
In semi-automatic pistol terms --
Double Action means that the trigger does double duty in both pulling back (cocking) and releasing the hammer.
Single Action means that the trigger only releases the hammer which has been cocked back by the previous shot. (or by your trusty thumb for the first round)

On a Glock, the only thing you should really notice on the left side is the slide stop/slide release.
 
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