Ayeeeeee!!

Just got my CHL in the mail today.

So the question is for all yall Texans:  

What is the Best Hand Gun for Conseal & Carry?


Semi?

Revolver?

I figured you guys would have the all info on this.  

Any Info will help.

I do like my Sig 239 for cc.  

It really depends on your lifestyle and workplace.

I'd like to carry a shotgun to work, but I'm not allow to have a picture of a gun in my office.

The more I carry the smaller I get. I need to be very careful that I never print.

For the last couple of years, it's been a Springfield Ultra Compact 9mm lightweight. I don't think they make them anymore. It's about the size of a Colt Defender, but thinner and lighter. It's very flat. Some of the edges get to me at times, and it doesn't hide well under a t-shirt. At work in the summer, it's in an ankle holster, but it can get uncomfortable if you spend time outside. It doesn't work well as a pocket gun.

I just picked up a S&W 642CT. 5 short LW J-Frame with factory Crimson Trace grips.  Light enough to conceal well in a pocket holster. I may dump the grips and go with something shorter to better conceal.

You may work outdoors or wear a jacket everyday. I usually don't. We get more than our share of screwballs and sometime I work in less than the best parts of town. I did Oak Cliff , Fair Park, and the area around JPS in FW in the past week. I also did N. Dallas, the Galleria, and the Bass Hall during the same time.

Sometimes it's a toss up between carrying and leaving it in the vehicle or carrying.  I rather have something more powerful, especially while driving around late nights/early mornings.  I have to judge the risk of having my vehicle broken into while I'm there or relying on the small handgun I carry.

If I could carry without the risk of getting fired, I'd have a G17 on one hip, G26 on the other, and a shotgun or AR in my car. Many times it's just a knife or leatherman and some prayer.

Desert Eagle .50AE.  

Quoted: Desert Eagle .50AE.

Man, you and I must have ESPN or something.

I was just thinking the same thing

Sig P226 in .40.  Remember, second place does not count in a gun fight.

Glock, Glock, Glock

FireBlade

I carry a Glock 27...I need a mag extension because of my big azz hand.

Browning Hi Power
1911 Gov't Model

Jeremy

Quoted: Ayeeeeee!! Just got my CHL in the mail today. So the question is for all yall Texans:   What is the Best Hand Gun for Conseal & Carry? Semi? Revolver? I figured you guys would have the all info on this.   Any Info will help.

Find the largest caliber pistol that you can handle/shoot well and still conceal. It does no good to have a CHL and then buy a $1,000 Kimber .45  that you can't hide.

Semi-autos tend to be thinner than revolvers. How big are you and how easy is it to hide a pistol on your person? How large are your hands? Sometimes the small thin semi-autos don't shoot well with someone that has large hands.


Small revolvers like the Smith J-Frames are great guns and are great for carry IF you can hide it because are a little wider than most small semi-autos. Otherwise you might go with the Sig 239, Sig 232, the Kahr MK9/PM9, or Glock 27/26. Although I carry the full size Glock, the micro's are just as wide as the full size, making them harder to conceal. All are quality firearms.

How much do you plan on spending. There are some good reliable pistols on the market that will go bang but then are not the smoothest or the prettiest. Personally I would decide how much I intend/can afford to spend and get the best available for the price range.

Can you afford two pistols? A lot of people have a very small semi-auto (bug gun/mouse gun) for times when they are in the Texas heat and don't have a lot of places to hide a pistol. These pistols you can generall hide easily and even just slip them in your pocket. At times in the fall (is there a fall in Texas?) or winter when they are wearing a coat, you might be able to hide a cannon.

Shirt usually tucked or untucked?  Always my delimma.  As long as I can cover it in the back, my Kimber CDP is just fine by me.  Also, like most the guys would mention here.  You might as well carry a brick if you can't hit sh"t!

Hey, tvone, hope your wife enjoys that Smith!

When I first got my CHL I was broke and carried a Bersa Thunder 380.  Qualified with a perfect score with it.  Good shooting little guns.  My wife loves hers. One problem. I cant stand the thought of a .380.  I got a Bersa Thunder .45.  Also a good shooting gudn, LOUD.  I am 5'7" 120lb clothed, wet, with boots on.  Hard not to print.  Both the Bersas were the most comfortable to carry.  I now have a XD-357 Love it.  Hard for my scrawny azz to hide though.  Have had many other hand guns.  Still looking for the ultimate CC HG for my frame.

glock 23, 27 in milt sparks vmII

beretta tomcat ss in don hume  in the pocket.

I daily carry a Glock 30 in an RM Lowrider IWB holster or a bellyband.

Length isn't as big an issue as height if you wear it on your waist muzzle down.  The frame sticking out past the curve of your body at your waist is much more of a problem then the muzzle pointing down your leg.

Thin is good.  Big bulges tend to be bad.  But this can be worked around easier then something with too long a grip.  If you wear your thick handgun IWB the pants hide the width OK if you have a good cover garment.

What do you like to shoot?
Ya like single actions?  Thin, short 1911's are all the rage, and can work pretty well (please test anything you will be betting your life on).  You can find them mainly in .45 ACP, but they can be had in 9mm and .40 from some companies.
Wheel guns work good.  I'd stick with a 5 shot personally, 6 max.  Those 7 and 8 shot Smiths are mighty thick.
The Sig P239 is mighty thin and compact, and can be had with a traditional double action trigger or their new DAK trigger.  It comes in 9mm, .40, and 357 SIG.  They also make the only PPK knock off I'd carry, the P232.  Good gun for .380.
Beretta Mini-Cougars are pretty good.  I can't stand their DAO triggers, but the Double/Single is tolerable.  They 9mm, 40, and .45, though the .45 is a bit bigger.
H&K makes some compact handguns, but I haven't played with any really, so no suggestions on model numbers.
Kel-Tec just announced their single stack 9mm.  I'm very interested, though if the triggers like their .380/double stack 9mm, it sucks.
I'm a Glock guy, but the only way to get a thinner Glock is to get the Glock 36.  But they always work, don't rust, and you generally can't hurt them at all.  Bone dry and full of lint they still work. Soaked in sweat, no problem.  Dripping hydraulic fluid, not an issue.  Good stuff.
The XD's are think like Glocks, and generally comparable size.  The grip safety is a plus for some.  They rust though.
Ok, I'm out of ideas.

Yo! You gots to roll wit th' DEAGLE, yo!

i got a 1911, 6"629, Taurus 38 5 shot, Kel-tek 380.  it's all in what you can hide.


and in the end you want the biggest gun YOU can successfully hide.
Screw what I like and what I can do with what I like…
What do you like?  What fits you the best?  What do you shoot the most?
That is the gun I would suggest you carry.  That’s the hard part.  the easy part is to find a way to hide it on our about your person.  

Good luck.

I carry an XD357(iwb 3:00), or a snubby 357(front pocket), or a pm40(front pocket).  It all just depends on the cituation and clothing.  357 snubby is always in the console also

Quoted: Glock, Glock, Glock FireBlade

+1  !  

Quoted: I carry an XD357(iwb 3:00), or a snubby 357(front pocket), or a pm40(front pocket).  It all just depends on the cituation and clothing.  357 snubby is always in the console also

Hey Jeff you forgot about the BMG 50 in the Jeep in case it gets real sticky...

For me, it all depends on what I'm wearing.  If it isn't 1000 degrees out in Houston (which rules out 9 months of the year), I pack my Sig P229 in .40 S&W.  I am a darn good shot with that thing, and love it.  Double action with a good medium to heavy trigger pull.  I am happy to have a round chambered with the hammer down.  I can double action it directly, or cock the hammer and single action it.

I have a tiny OMC .380 Auto that slides into my pocket without any problem at all.  For nice deep carry on a hot day while wearing shorts or whatever, I have an AMC in .45 ACP.. smallest 45 I've ever seen, and I'm pretty accurate with up to say, 20 feet or so.  It's a 5+1, and has a mega heavy double action only trigger on it.. so I carry one in the chamber without worry of shooting Mr. Happy off if I had to quickly draw it from deep concealment..

My only issue with the Glocks is that they are single action only (atleast my Glock 36 is, and I think all others are, right?).  Personally, I wouldn't carry if I couldn't have a round in the chamber.  But to do this with a Glock, the gun is now cocked and ready to fire.. meaning 1) I fear I might blast myself while drawing it, and 2) prolonged periods of potential energy on the spring can't be good for it.  How do other Glock carriers feel about my issues with Glocks?

Quoted: My only issue with the Glocks is that they are single action only (atleast my Glock 36 is, and I think all others are, right?).  Personally, I wouldn't carry if I couldn't have a round in the chamber.  But to do this with a Glock, the gun is now cocked and ready to fire.. meaning 1) I fear I might blast myself while drawing it, and 2) prolonged periods of potential energy on the spring can't be good for it.  How do other Glock carriers feel about my issues with Glocks?

1) Don't carry it unless it's in a holster that covers the trigger guard.  When you draw, don't put your finger inside the trigger guard until you are on target.  This goes for any gun, not just a Glock.

2) Not an issue.

Semiautomatic: Glock 26 carried IWB in Comp-Tac C.T.A.C

or Kimber UltraCarry

Revolver: NAA Mini (for when it is too difficult to conceal much)


-Semper Yut

Glock 20.

There are alot of good suggestions here. If I can add my $.02 I would view 9mm and 38 special as a minimum caliber for a primary carry gun.  

Quoted: My only issue with the Glocks is that they are single action only (atleast my Glock 36 is, and I think all others are, right?).  Personally, I wouldn't carry if I couldn't have a round in the chamber.  But to do this with a Glock, the gun is now cocked and ready to fire.. meaning 1) I fear I might blast myself while drawing it, and 2) prolonged periods of potential energy on the spring can't be good for it.  How do other Glock carriers feel about my issues with Glocks?

Uhm, Glocks are NOT single action and they are NOT cocked. There is a striker block that prevents the firing pin from going forward UNLESS the trigger is pulled and the center safety tab of the trigger prevents the trigger from being pulled by any process that doesn't also move the safety tab.

The action of a Glock is more like a double action only handgun.  Pulling the trigger 1) presses up on the striker block and 2) pushes (cocks) the striker to the rear where 3) the disconnector pushes the trigger bar down 4) dropping the sear from it's engagement with the striker tang surface 5) releasing the striker. BANG, the action cycles and re-engages the striker tang with the sear surface of the trigger. Only partial tension is on the striker because of the engagement of the surfaces. It is NOT cocked!

Cool. glad I asked about more Glock info.  I figured with so many people carrying them concealed, that they are not a bad choice, even if I prefer my Sig P229 ...

Thanks for the explanations, of course.  Maybe I'll reconsider my G36 for concealed at some point, as well.

Quoted: Cool. glad I asked about more Glock info.  I figured with so many people carrying them concealed, that they are not a bad choice, even if I prefer my Sig P229 ... Thanks for the explanations, of course.  Maybe I'll reconsider my G36 for concealed at some point, as well.

If you are the DFW area, IM me and I'll provide the name/address of our shop.  We have a couple in stock, new and some "previously gently driven by a little old lady on Sunday". One includes 5 or 6 mags.

Quoted: Quoted: Cool. glad I asked about more Glock info.  I figured with so many people carrying them concealed, that they are not a bad choice, even if I prefer my Sig P229 ... Thanks for the explanations, of course.  Maybe I'll reconsider my G36 for concealed at some point, as well. If you are the DFW area, IM me and I'll provide the name/address of our shop.  We have a couple in stock, new and some "previously gently driven by a little old lady on Sunday". One includes 5 or 6 mags.

I tried to IM you, but the system said you don't accept IMs..

Anyay,  thanks for the offer on the Glock for concealed.  I'm down in Houston, actually.

A couple of years ago, I bought a Glock 36 specifically to carry. I even bought a deep carry holster (which I found a bit tight inside the belt; I could barely sit down with it - I blame the holster, not the Glock on that score, though - but part of my worry of shooting my willy off was how I carried it).

My father currently has my G36. I'll get it back eventually, so probably won't be buying another anytime soon.  I have to admit that I am still in love with my Sig P229 for concealed carry.  Even more so since I actually bought it while I was living in California.  Since I can now actually carry the thing (I lived in San Francisco, of all places) legally, it makes me smile about my choice of coming to Texas every time I have it on me..

Thanks anyway, I learned a couple of things about Glocks, so I'm happy,

Brian

Quoted: My carry gun is a STI in .38 Super with a commander sized slide. 17+1 rounds. Mostly Ed Brown parts with Novak tritium sights. The finish is Black-T by Birdsong. I really like the .38 Super round. You get the high capacity of a 9mm with the power of a .45acp. Here it is: i8.photobucket.com/albums/a6/talonarms/STI38Super.jpg

What is the price on that bad boy.