I too agree with all the above posts. You have one thing working against you and that is experience. Carrying a Gun is a major responsibility that requires a very mature thought process. You must learn to walk and look away from confrontations. Whether it be on foot or in a car. Be aware of road rage. Not from you, but from others. You will be tempted to want to engage that jerk that cut you off and then flipped you off, but you can't!! No way!!

With that being said, I too am a large frame man. I have been carrying for almost 7 years now. I haved carried everything in every caliber. The first gun that probably everyone told you to get is a Glock of some sort. Great gun, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone of your experience. With the lack of a "True" Safety you might want to stay away from a glock until later. And don't think that you just won't carry the semi auto without a bullet in the chamber, if so, so might as well just carry a big rock. (one in the chamber is called - Condition 1) I would suggest a S&W 638 Bodyguard (.38 Special +p) Skip the Crimson Trace (ctc) laser grip for now also, save your money. There are many great holsters for the J-frame. I carry in a pocket holster most times, but also have many Inside waist belt (IWB) and even an ankle rig. With chukka boots on, you never even know that there is a gun on your leg.

Good luck and be careful

steve

H&K USP 2000....in an ankle holster. Just a thought.....

Ok... having been a cop, worked corrections and been a firearms instructor I'll tell you now, do not buy anything.

As many (LOTS of very good advice from this group) have said, get training and try out several things. I've packed a S&W Mod. 29 .44 with a 6.5 barrel as well as a tiny .22 - it was all about my situation then and what worked best for me and the conditions. Right now I've got a custom .45 auto with a custom holster that's not light but is very good for what I want/need and I have three variations in the gun safe.

You will be different.

You will also need to confront what violence is all about. It's not like the movies or books and being involved in a shooting is very traumatic. Before ever making the decision to carry, you need to make a lot of very personal moral and ethical decisions and what it will all mean to you and the people in your life. Go talk to your spiritual advisor, Rabbi, Priest or whatever, talk to those in your life who may have to also deal with the decisions you make and really be sure you've thought this out completely.

Once you are really sure, get some trusted and experienced advice - seek out a friend or link through friendships to someone trustworthy who has experience with this topic - not a gun-shop-guru or mall ninja but a working cop (lots of federal agents come to mind) or someone with several years of firearm concealed carry to provide you some feedback and advice. Then you will be prepared to make some choices on what to carry... not until.

Paul -

I don't know if I'd ask a cop. Two reasons:

Asked out of the blue, it is a strange question.

And a lot of cops, in my experince, are no more gun savvy than they are experts on the law. Some are one or the other, a few are both, but by and large, they do what they are told, and carry what they are issued.

To reinforce what ironraven said previously, don't cheap out on a holster. You need a good one. No matter how you decide to carry. When I was talking about pocket carry earlier, I was assuming you knew that you only do that with a proper holster. I didn't state that specifically, so I'm correcting myself and stating it now. Chances are, "good holster" means "buy online". Most local stores I've be into only carry soft nylon one-size-fits-most type of holsters. Those may be fine to hold your firearm while practicing at the range, but fall far short of what you need for day to day carry. Not all of them fall short, but you won't know which do and which don't until after you have some learning and experience under your belt. Oh yeah, you'll need a good gunbelt too. That whiz-bang special from WalMart won't cut it for long. It will stretch and sag in no time supporting the added weight of a firearm.

Especially given your lack of experience, I would stay away from holsters with thumb breaks (a strap that goes over the top of the firearm to help retention). My opinion is that these are more aimed at police officers who might be at risk of someone snatching their gun out of the holster. With concealed carry, that should not be an issue (if it is, you're not concealing well!) And those thumb break straps can promote accidental discharges on reholstering if you're not careful. Especially with light trigger, no external safety guns like Glocks (the strap can flip over into the trigger guard during reholstering, and then press the trigger as you seat the gun in the holster!)

These are things you will learn in a basic firearms class, in a CCW class, in range classes, and yes, by researching on the internet. My point is - don't buy until you know what you're buying and why you're buying that particular model (be it a holster, or a firearm, or defensive ammo for that firearm).

As a novice, it is really hard to go wrong with a .38 revolver.

Versastile, reliable, not fussy about ammo, enough clout but manageable, easy to carry - after a .22 it's absolutely the next step for most people.

Doesn't mean you won't end up graduating to something more sophisticated later, but this would definitely be my first step.

(PS - the advice about talking to a lot of people and trying a lot is also good - but my advice still holds)

As a firearms safety instructor I have often been asked this question and it's type..."What is the best....."

I agree with all previous posts that say "Whatever is right for you." I personally do not like the Glock line.....Don't jump down my throat yet.....read on. The Glocks are EXCELLENT firearms.....I just do not like how they fit my hand.....they feel akward to me...I have friends who swear they are the best feeling firearm that they have held....it is all PERSONAL....

About the training.....ditto with the suggestions of finding an instructor that will 'teach' you and not just put you through a CCW class. My suggestion to all the mental/physical/equipment preparation is to read the following books:

In the Gravest Extreme

Stressfire (there are 2 of them start (obviously) with #1)


They are an excellent starting point. They talk about the various aspects of CCW (including but not limited to:type of gun, concealed carry, holsters, physical and mental reaction, legal considerations....)

I wholeheartedly recommend them to everyone as a starting point.

Good luck.....

Several of my LEO friends bring a lot of gun questions to me. One of them made a funny observation years ago. He noted that everyone asks cops about guns (that they always wear but use infrequently) but they never ask cops about cars (that they use eight hours a day). lol

That said, I do know officers that are extremely knowledgeable in the field.

I like the Glock 27 in an Uncle Mike's pocket holster for my primary means of carry. I also have a Glock 30 in a tuckable Inside of the waist band holster that I sometimes carry. But, the 27 is so comfortable in my 5:11 front pockets that I almost always carry it.

David

In some cases they know about as much about how a gun works as they know about the internals of the radios they carry. You don't see many cops competing in the Practical Pistol (ISPC or IDPA) matches.

Learning how to shoot and about how to handle guns is to be applauded.

Don't commit to buying anything until you've got some hands-on experience with handguns. Don't believe anything you think you've learned from TV.