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#150576 - 10/01/08 12:36 PM Re: Best Concealed Handgun [Re: unimogbert]
benjammin Offline
Rapscallion
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/06/04
Posts: 4020
Loc: Anchorage AK
I will go with Ironraven and recommend a revolver, but would suggest a 357 magnum with a 4" barrel and adjustable sights. Here's my reasoning.

You said you were a bigger fellow, and so should be able to handle 357 magnum loads okay, with practice. That being said, you can start out with good 38 special loads, which can be an effective self defense round just as any 9mm could. I lean toward a revolver because of simplicity and durability in general. Any decent model will take a fair amount of abuse, and the operation is as intuitive as it gets. As your proficiency and comfort with the weapon improve over time, you will be able to take greater advantage of the additional capabilities.

I've toted all kinds of pistols concealed, from a little Grendel 380 pocket pistol up to a Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 magnum. My two most preferential carry pistols were my Glock model 21 in 45 acp, and my Dan Wesson 357 mag with a 4 inch barrel. Neither one was any more difficult to conceal. Those little 22 mag pocket revolvers are too tiny for me.

As with the rest of the folks here, the holster will make or break the deal.
_________________________
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)

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#150579 - 10/01/08 01:10 PM Re: Best Concealed Handgun [Re: colbyhouse]
Am_Fear_Liath_Mor Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 08/03/07
Posts: 3078

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#150582 - 10/01/08 01:51 PM Re: Best Concealed Handgun [Re: Am_Fear_Liath_Mor]
unimogbert Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 08/10/06
Posts: 882
Loc: Colorado


I have one and love it for backpacking & dayhiking but......except for the barrel length, it's slightly bigger than a "service revolver" which makes it difficult to conceal.

To each his own I guess :-)

I carry a Ruger SP101 when I carry concealed.

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#150589 - 10/01/08 02:29 PM Re: Best Concealed Handgun [Re: unimogbert]
Chris Kavanaugh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
I like the way everyone jumped from 22 MPH to 357MPH here.
A .22 is MANDATORY training before you even pick up a centerfire carry piece. I owned a 5 screw K 22 Smith and Wesson 6".It was paired with a K 38 5 screw 6" tube. I lost track of the experienced handgun owners who revealed multiple shooting faults with the 22 and then IMPROVED shooting the 38.

I even discovered a few of my own with the rare chance to use a Walther PP in 22 alongside my 32.

There was a time in the industry many fireamrs came with a 22 counterpart or even conversion kit.It still makes sense and better shooters.

lays Webley-Fosbury .455 with custom manstoppers on computer desk. This is my prefered weapon in this spontaneous butterfly hatching of calibers and platforms.


Edited by Chris Kavanaugh (10/01/08 02:30 PM)

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#150594 - 10/01/08 03:23 PM Re: Best Concealed Handgun [Re: Chris Kavanaugh]
haertig Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/13/05
Posts: 2322
Loc: Colorado
.22's are nice to have because they're cheap to shoot and a good training aid if you want to fire larger calibers. They're fine in and of themselves too, not just as a training gun for something larger. I don't necessarily agree that they are absolutely mandatory however. For children I'm more inclined to agree. Nobody would recommend a .22 for a concealed carry firearm.

Certainly, nobody should be asked to learn first time on a .357 snubby, but there's nothing wrong with learning using a fullsized Glock with standard pressure 9mm or a K or L-Frame S&W with standard pressure .38's. These are very mild to shoot and would serve fine as a first time gun for an adult IMHO. But full sized firearms are not generally the norm for concealed carry. Some do it, but most opt for something smaller and lighter. Smaller/lighter means more recoil, less controllability, and less accuracy (usually).

Once the new shooter learns the price of centerfire ammo, they'll probably make haste for a .22 or even a good quality airgun for cheaper practice.

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#150597 - 10/01/08 04:05 PM Re: Best Concealed Handgun [Re: haertig]
nursemike Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 870
Loc: wellington, fl
This is about the stage in the standard handgun discussion thread when the debate turns to vitriolic comparisons of stopping power, ballistic gelatin performance, and side by side wound track comparisons on sacrificial goats. This line will carry the thread to 7-10 pages, culminating in the conclusion that handguns are pretty unreliable defensive weapons, and that the serious concealed carry enthusiast should emulate Yancy Derringer's associate Pahoo, and modify their clothing style to accommodate a short shotgun. It also suggests that, since all handgun calibers are poor choices for self-defense, the unsuitability of the .22 rimfire is relative, not absolute, and that it might actually be a good ccw choice for an individual who is proficient with it, or who is less proficient with larger calibers. This position is further suggested by the availability of
.22 RF subsonic sniper ammunition.
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Dance like you have never been hurt, work like no one is watching,love like you don't need the money.

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#150606 - 10/01/08 05:51 PM Re: Best Concealed Handgun [Re: Chris Kavanaugh]
Leigh_Ratcliffe Offline
Veteran

Registered: 03/31/06
Posts: 1355
Loc: United Kingdom.
I was going to say Smith & Wesson 629 in .44 Magnum smile

But, Every one is wittering on about caliber, but has it occurred to anyone that at OS distances the big issue is going to be over penetration. You are not going to have the time to worry about who/what is behind the goblin.

So I strongly suggest that you stoke it with MagSafe's or Glazers.

One shot stop, uniformly fatal anywhere in the torso and no possibility of over penetration.
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#150607 - 10/01/08 06:05 PM Re: Best Concealed Handgun [Re: Chris Kavanaugh]
benjammin Offline
Rapscallion
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/06/04
Posts: 4020
Loc: Anchorage AK
I believe the thread's originator specifically said he needed something bigger than a 22 caliber, and wasn't inquiring about training, but about what is a suitable firearm for concealed carry. While a 22 can and will serve as a suitable concealed carry self defense weapon, within it's limitations, a 357 magnum loaded with a good 38 special is a much more effective and suitable, if not desirable choice, with the variables being consistently applied to both (such as level of expertise of the shooter, economics, etc).

Training is a separate issue altogether from what was requested. Although for what it's worth, I am a strong advocate of practice and the 22 is a most worthy, if not ideal, selection for the purpose.

If a full grown man can't hit a target with a good 38 cal revolver shooting a moderately loaded cartridge (the usual 38 special, non-plus p type for instance), then he most likely won't hit it with a comparable version in 22 cal either. Factoring out the necessary marksmanship requirements for either firearm or cartridge, which in my opinion are identical requirements for either to be considered effective, you are left with empirical evidence that a 38 special is going to be much more effective as a self defense round than any 22 lr.

In other words, a center mass hit from a 38 special at a given range is most likely going to have a much more desired effect on the opponent than will a 22 at the same range. There are going to be anomalous exceptions, to be certain, but for the most part, the bigger, heavier bullet at roughly the same velocity is going to do more damage and hit with greater force. A miss is a miss, regardless of caliber or bullet size, in the practical realm at least.

This, I believe is why the recommendations for bigger than 22 cal were offered, as it addressed the question more succinctly, which takes nothing away from Chris's point in the least. Good advice, whether solicited or not, is still good advice.

smile
_________________________
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)

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#150637 - 10/01/08 09:16 PM Re: Best Concealed Handgun [Re: ]
Chris Kavanaugh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
I got in deep trouble with the ventura County rangemaster once.I had this brief flirtation with being an insecure security officer in College. I arrived with a prewar , 6" model 10 with the old long action and two boxes of Peter's 200 grain Super Police loads.
I set the day's best record and had half the participants begging to buy my smith, reveal my magic load and asking about the funny, one handed stance I took.
Rangemaster had 3 academy recruits driving him nuts with requests for 200 grain loads in 9MM parabellum, trying to shoot Camp Perry style vs Wever squat and wanting to book this 'Ed McGivern' guy to guest lecture.
I know of a guy in Arizona convinced the CCW instructor his SAA was more than adequate- after being firmly rejected to use a .44 Army 1860 reproduction.

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#150642 - 10/01/08 09:28 PM Re: Best Concealed Handgun [Re: Chris Kavanaugh]
7point82 Offline
Addict

Registered: 11/24/05
Posts: 478
Loc: Orange Beach, AL
Two words... Noisy Cricket. Easy to conceal and plenty of power.
_________________________
"There is not a man of us who does not at times need a helping hand to be stretched out to him, and then shame upon him who will not stretch out the helping hand to his brother." -Theodore Roosevelt

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