So I have finally decided to get my CCW and to carry a personal defense weapon.  It’s been in my mind for a few years, but recent events have got me on track.  So what to carry?  Revolver, large frame, small frame, what caliber?  You could spend weeks trying to search for the right answer. Problem is, only the individual who is going to carry a weapon can make the choice for them.  So I looked at various makes and models for my decision.  Some folks say bigger is better, and I tend to agree to some point.  Others say don’t use anything less than a certain caliber.  

Where will it be carried?  Carrying concealed is a life changer.  Your wardrobe must change, and most importantly your mind set has to change. Well, my mind is squared away. I have been on a few deployments, so I know what it’s like to be out there with a weapon and a combat load.  Being aware of your surroundings, looking for that one guy who looks out of place is part of the program out there.

So what’s my weapon of choice here?  I was looking for a small 9mm semi-auto, maybe a snub nose revolver, or even a .380.  My first thought for a good pistol to carry was a hammerless snub nose.  A small, concealable, and reliable piece of hardware. Outside or inside a pocket it will go “BANG”.  No snags and worry free.  A semi-auto fired from inside a pocket is a different story. Will the material snag after the first round is fired off? It may get stuck with the slide pinching the material.  Now I for one don’t want to look goofy with two hands inside a pocket trying to get my pistol out.

So the conclusion I came to was this…. I have a very active lifestyle. From just getting up and going to a store to fitness trails, my family and I are always on the go it seems. I understand that carrying a weapon takes a lifestyle change, a wardrobe change, a little bit of a different mindset and the taking care of not printing that weapon. I choose the smaller LCP .380 over a snub nose, baby Glock, the LC9, and the Keltec PF9.

These were just a few of the weapons I considered. The LCP can fit just about anywhere. A good pocket holster and a dedicated pocket for my new pistol fits MY style. Again, MY style. It’s a personal choice altogether. With the varied holsters these, I will have no problems with putting this in a front or back pocket, appendix carry or even a cargo pocket. Again, this fits my life style with the ability to carry some rounds that will stop or slow down a bad guy. Besides, this is the weapon I choose to carry on me. It is main intention is to allow me to get back to my vehicle where more fire power will be! But that’s a different article altogether.

At the range, I only had the one factory magazine. It’s easy to load and I ran PMC 90 gr. FMJ rounds. I fired off the box of 50. I had one fail to eject, two that stove piped on me. Still not sure why that all happened. Temp was 27 degrees, a slight wind. It was my first time shooting this small of a weapon. I set up a target at 7 yards, loaded up a magazine and fired away. No rest, just two hands. It shot true to where I aimed it at that range. After two magazines and a learning curve on how to shoot this smaller pistol, I was feeling pretty comfy with it. By the end of my shooting time, I was popping steel targets fairly quick and I was pretty impressed with this small caliper gun and how it fit me once I learned to hold it in my big meat hooks. So I’ll continue to practice drawing it from different holsters, and shooting with it. I’ve already bought some accessories like Pierce grip extensions and a Hogue wrap around grip.

So far I enjoy my new pistol. It’s very light, compact, and it fits MY lifestyle. What fits yours?

By: Ron Burke

 

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Tactical Gun Review, along with Texas Outdoors Network, is published by Michael Coker and Charles Coker.

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