What's your go-to Concealed Carry weapon?

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Half Fast said:
Notice that no one has endorsed tiny guns like derringers or the NAA .22 mini revolvers? They’re often marketed for deep concealment, but they seem like they’d be very hard to handle and are really “contact” weapons. I’d be interested I hearing from anyone who has tried them.
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First NAA mini I owned, decades ago, was impossible. You would have to aim at the toes to hit the torso. The Pug, which I was very fond of before the unfortunate boating accident, is different. It has front AND back sights, which work finally. And a large grippy handle. It shoots .22 magnums which make an impressive noise. Probably would hurt if you got hit with one.

https://northamericanarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Pug-Mag-Tritium-Conv.jpg
 
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Piperonca said:
First NAA mini I owned, decades ago, was impossible. You would have to aim at the toes to hit the torso. The Pug, which I was very fond of before the unfortunate boating accident, is different. It has front AND back sights, which work finally. And a large grippy handle. It shoots .22 magnums which make an impressive noise. Probably would hurt if you got hit with one.

https://northamericanarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Pug-Mag-Tritium-Conv.jpg
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I'm sorta tempted to get one of these

http://www.amderringer.com/m1.html

just cause they're sorta cool looking and I like the company. Probably break my hand to shoot it, but it might be handy to have up my sleeve when my retirement fund goes south and I have to take up poker to pay the bills. :)
 
Half Fast said:
I'm sorta tempted to get one of these

http://www.amderringer.com/m1.html

just cause they're sorta cool looking and I like the company. Probably break my hand to shoot it, but it might be handy to have up my sleeve when my retirement fund goes south and I have to take up poker to pay the bills. :)
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Interesting website…quite the story that lady has. Reminds me of Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke.
 
DavidWhite said:
Because grandpappy had a hammer on his 1911 and everyone knows that in the last 110 years there haven’t been any advances in technology.

Most people are luddites.

I will say though, I haven’t shot any striker fired pistol with a trigger pull nearly as nice as a 1911.
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I prefer hammer fire, short travel and crisp light trigger.

For the strikers people have said some very nice things about this, it won’t make it into a competition hammer fire, but a step in the right direction.
https://timneytriggers.com/glock/
 
There is a big difference in an EDC conceal weapon and a fun range toy. Striker fired integrated safety weapons such as the glock or Springfield XD are great EDC carry weapons. They are not fun at the range for me. That’s when the full frame hammer and nice trigger toys come out.

tactical use of a weapon for self defense will be a point shoot high stress environment and most likely at very close range. Most likely wouldn’t matter if the thing even has sights installed.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
tactical use of a weapon for self defense will be a point shoot high stress environment and most likely at very close range. Most likely wouldn’t matter if the thing even has sights installed.
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Doesn't matter with Seecamp:

img_7243.jpg_thumbnail1.jpg
 
I have a NAA mini. To me the primary disadvantage isn't accuracy. The disadvantage is that it looks like a toy. It doesn't have any value as a deterrent or to de-escalate a situation.
Far from a toy, though. Mine is surprisingly accurate, and it's reliable. I don't understand the magnum version. I would expect it to be much more noise and flash, but not a lot more velocity.
 
Daleandee said:
Reportedly the "thick as a brick" Glocks will fire underwater. Not sure why anyone would need that feature but someone will be along shortly tell us. o_O
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Not exactly. A part can be installed to allow water to drain from a Glock if submerged. It’s used by military units that are likely to get their pistols wet, but there isn’t any design intent for Glocks to fire underwater.

The firing underwater myth was already going around when my department went to Glocks in 1990. The info in the above paragraph comes straight from the Glock factory trainers who taught the armorer’s courses I went to. (It was a great course - Glocks are seemingly designed to be serviced by someone of my mechanical skills, which are just a micron above a learning-disabled howler monkey.)

Oh, as for the original topic: I currently carry a S&W M&P Shield 9. I shoot it just a bit better than the Glock 43 that it superseded. Both are great, but the M&P was a retirement gift from my fellow firearms instructors so I went with that. Before the G43, my off-duty weapons went from a Taurus five-shot revolver to a G27 and then G26.

Duty weapons started with a S&W M66, then G19, G22 and ended with a G17. The Glock 19 is my all-time favorite handgun - it shoots better for me than anything else.
 
Albany Tom said:
I have a NAA mini. To me the primary disadvantage isn't accuracy. The disadvantage is that it looks like a toy. It doesn't have any value as a deterrent or to de-escalate a situation.
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That tradeoff I'll accept, due to the value of concealment. My plan is to shoot only if I have no other choice of de-escalation or escape. And be the first to call 911 with my side of the story. In a high-threat area, I think we all want something more than a midget revolver.
 
ateamer said:
Not exactly. A part can be installed to allow water to drain from a Glock if submerged. It’s used by military units that are likely to get their pistols wet, but there isn’t any design intent for Glocks to fire underwater.
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There's a few videos showing this happening so it can be done. Reliably? No! Smart? Nope! Would I ever fire any firearm underwater? I pray there is never a reason for me to consider doing so.

I've learned in life to "never say never, and never say always."
 
Daleandee said:
There's a few videos showing this happening so it can be done. Reliably? No! Smart? Nope! Would I ever fire any firearm underwater? I pray there is never a reason for me to consider doing so.

I've learned in life to "never say never, and never say always."
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Yes, it can be done. But the purpose of the Maritime Spring Cups is to allow water to drain following submersion.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Why would the lack of a hammer be a complaint?
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I must have conflated a few vids together but this self defense expert with the bad rug has things to say about them AND safeties. Having never been in a citizen shooting I dont know, but Id like to think I have the muscle memory to sweep the safety and/or cock the hammer on a SA auto. I believe the quick draw, split second savior to be a myth...well anyone good enough to be successfully at it can sweep it off on the initial grip and presentation.
Compelling arguments for a safety and since everyone likes 1911's...

 
ateamer said:
Yes, it can be done. But the purpose of the Maritime Spring Cups is to allow water to drain following submersion.
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That's a good deal but if I had one I don't believe I'd ever need it under water. :D
 
Robert Gee said:
You got me there but I meant more like a person targeting you directly in the moment.
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Yeah, if someone has the drop on you, with premeditation, not much you can do about it, unless they miss, or make a mistake, and that does happen. But if there are other around, it's possible they can do something to stop it. Deterrence is also a thing. If police officers patrolling a place works, I don't see why a civilian open carrying isn't also a deterrent.
 
Robert Gee said:
You got me there but I meant more like a person targeting you directly in the moment.
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Obama had a CDC study done on this

“Studies that directly assessed the effect of actual defensive uses of guns have found consistently lower injury rates among gun-using crime victims compared with victims who used other self-protective strategies”

“Almost all national survey estimates indicate that defensive gun uses by victims are at least as common as offensive uses by criminals, with estimates of annual uses ranging from about 500,000 to more than 3 million per year... in the context of about 300,000 violent crimes involving firearms in 2008.”

https://www.nap.edu/catalog/18319/p...reduce-the-threat-of-firearm-related-violence
 
Ok, Im not too proud to back track...insert, where a safety or hammer cocking makes a difference, either nano or a couple of seconds.
RyanShort1 said:
Yeah, if someone has the drop on you, with premeditation, not much you can do about it, unless they miss, or make a mistake, and that does happen. But if there are other around, it's possible they can do something to stop it. Deterrence is also a thing. If police officers patrolling a place works, I don't see why a civilian open carrying isn't also a deterrent.
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Can anyone tell the difference between a psycho on a suicide mission, ala FTW Church, or the various types of criminals looking for an easy score that are actually afraid of a murder charge or the hardcore coordinated types in a group? I can imagine open carrying being likely to make you a target, even just to take your nicely displayed weapon stainless Kimber, or to make you the first threat taken out.
We might all enjoy certain sights on the beach etc., but do you want your young daughter to see such exhibitions in the grocery store?
 
Robert Gee said:
Ok, Im not too proud to back track...insert, where a safety or hammer cocking makes a difference, either nano or a couple of seconds.

Can anyone tell the difference between a psycho on a suicide mission, ala FTW Church, or the various types of criminals looking for an easy score that are actually afraid of a murder charge or the hardcore coordinated types in a group? I can imagine open carrying being likely to make you a target, even just to take your nicely displayed weapon stainless Kimber, or to make you the first threat taken out.
We might all enjoy certain sights on the beach etc., but do you want your young daughter to see such exhibitions in the grocery store?
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Condition 1, none, whatever the time to thumb the safety down on the draw would be made up with the short trigger pull, I’ll have the safety off before I have my front blade on target, its the flow of the draw.
 
A somewhat long-ish, smooth, but not lightened double action trigger pull on a snub nose revolver is an effective safety.

So long as the cartridges were properly crimped I imagine it would fire underwater as well, since water could enter all parts of the weapon rather easily.

No, I don't intend to test this supposition with one of my revolvers. :)
 
Robert Gee said:
Ok, Im not too proud to back track...insert, where a safety or hammer cocking makes a difference, either nano or a couple of seconds.

Can anyone tell the difference between a psycho on a suicide mission, ala FTW Church, or the various types of criminals looking for an easy score that are actually afraid of a murder charge or the hardcore coordinated types in a group? I can imagine open carrying being likely to make you a target, even just to take your nicely displayed weapon stainless Kimber, or to make you the first threat taken out.
We might all enjoy certain sights on the beach etc., but do you want your young daughter to see such exhibitions in the grocery store?
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Seeing that I'm the one guilty of open carrying in the grocery store, it doesn't bother me. In fact, I've been doing it ever since it was legal in Texas. I'm usually both open carrying and concealed carrying, lol, but you'd be shocked how little it gets noticed. People have pulled that old saw out about open carrying making you a target, but last I checked even the police who open carry are generally only a target for the worst of the worst. Most people just don't bother, and those that are bothered by it are vastly more likely to verbally harass you (ironic that they feel safe doing so!) than physically threaten your space. I just do my best to ignore them, deescalate, and move on.
As far as striker vs hammer, I don't really care which, but I often carry a CZ P-07 which is a hammered double-action, so you can fire it just pulling the trigger, or if you have time, a much nicer trigger pull if you have time to cock it.
 
Albany Tom said:
I have a NAA mini. To me the primary disadvantage isn't accuracy. The disadvantage is that it looks like a toy. It doesn't have any value as a deterrent or to de-escalate a situation.
Far from a toy, though. Mine is surprisingly accurate, and it's reliable. I don't understand the magnum version. I would expect it to be much more noise and flash, but not a lot more velocity.
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I would just as soon not carry anything than carry a .22lr with a 2” barrel. Probably about the same muzzle energy as a pellet gun.
 
Robert Gee said:
I must have conflated a few vids together but this self defense expert with the bad rug has things to say about them AND safeties. Having never been in a citizen shooting I dont know, but Id like to think I have the muscle memory to sweep the safety and/or cock the hammer on a SA auto. I believe the quick draw, split second savior to be a myth...well anyone good enough to be successfully at it can sweep it off on the initial grip and presentation.
Compelling arguments for a safety and since everyone likes 1911's...

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The poster of the video sells 1911’s…

of course it’s the most awesome carry gun ever.

I have both and see benefits to each design. If I ever decide to get a CCW again I’ll carry one without a hammer and an integrated safety. Just my preference.
 
Robert Gee said:
I can imagine open carrying being likely to make you a target, even just to take your nicely displayed weapon stainless Kimber, or to make you the first threat taken out.
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If I were going to carry I would not carry openly. I don't see the point in making myself a target and being the first one shot at when the bad guy decides to start shooting. If I'm gonna carry a firearm it's gonna be concealed and only be seen when I feel I must use it to save my own life.
 
Daleandee said:
If I were going to carry I would not carry openly. I don't see the point in making myself a target and being the first one shot at when the bad guy decides to start shooting. If I'm gonna carry a firearm it's gonna be concealed and only be seen when I feel I must use it to save my own life.
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1. For 2/3rds of the arc around you people can't see it. It doesn't automatically make you the first target.
2. For my own life, I don't expect to use it, honestly. If someone's directly threatening me, it's probably too late, or I hopefully can de-escalate, I think maybe 25% of potential scenarios I can think of I'd risk a close quarters pull to a direct assailant to trying to get to cover, or actually running, but it's a LOT easier to pull from open carry than most concealed carry positions.
3. I personally think it's far more likely to be needed to intervene on behalf of others, as the guy at West Freeway did. I do NOT presume that I'm the first target in any number of scenarios.
 
RyanShort1 said:
1. For 2/3rds of the arc around you people can't see it. It doesn't automatically make you the first target.
2. For my own life, I don't expect to use it, honestly. If someone's directly threatening me, it's probably too late, or I hopefully can de-escalate, I think maybe 25% of potential scenarios I can think of I'd risk a close quarters pull to a direct assailant to trying to get to cover, or actually running, but it's a LOT easier to pull from open carry than most concealed carry positions.
3. I personally think it's far more likely to be needed to intervene on behalf of others, as the guy at West Freeway did. I do NOT presume that I'm the first target in any number of scenarios.
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No argument from me as you make some reasonable points and we all get to choose what we believe will work best for us.

I really do pray that I never need to use a weapon of any kind against another human to injure or, God forbid, take another life. One of the reasons I would prefer to always carry concealed is that I'm assumed to be an unarmed and innocent victim. Like you I would always try to de-escalate or just break and run. If the criminal can see I'm armed then I'm part of the game whether I want to be or not.

There are some concealed carry positions that are pretty quick to draw from but I'm not looking to get into a quick draw battle with anyone. If another second is the difference between life and death, I'm prepared to meet my maker.
 
Daleandee said:
There are some concealed carry positions that are pretty quick to draw from but I'm not looking to get into a quick draw battle with anyone. If another second is the difference between life and death, I'm prepared to meet my maker.
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I’ve heard the same reasoning on why not to carry one in the chamber. You’re far more likely to have a negligent discharge and get yourself in trouble than to get out drawn by the second it takes to rack the slide.

I’ll reiterate, it’s an emergency tool. Like the windshield hammer, I hope I never have to use it.
 
bflynn said:
I’ve heard the same reasoning on why not to carry one in the chamber. You’re far more likely to have a negligent discharge and get yourself in trouble than to get out drawn by the second it takes to rack the slide.

I’ll reiterate, it’s an emergency tool. Like the windshield hammer, I hope I never have to use it.
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Carrying in a ready condition is not about quick draw. It’s about not forgetting to rack a round when you’re stressed in an unexpected life and death scenario. With modern striker fired weapons such as the glock negligent discharge is because of people playing with it when they shouldn’t be 99.9999% of the time. They just don’t fire unless the trigger is pulled in a normal manner from the face of the trigger.

just something to think about.
 
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Tarheelpilot said:
Carrying in a ready condition is not about quick draw. It’s about not forgetting to rack a round when you’re stressed in an unexpected life and death scenario. With modern striker fired weapons such as the glock negligent discharge is because of people playing with it when they shouldn’t be 99.9999% of the time. They just don’t fire unless the trigger is pulled in a normal manner from the face of the trigger.

just something to think about.
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There are instances where the time to rack would make a difference, also instances where the other hand is being used to fend off the attacker or hold a kid, or the wheel of a car

Most modern single actions have firing pin block tied into the thumb safety, even if somehow you could get the hammer to drop, with the firing pin block it’s not going to impact the primer, and won’t fire the bullet.
 
BladeSlap said:
There are instances where the time to rack would make a difference, also instances where the other hand is being used to fend off the attacker or hold a kid, or the wheel of a car

Most modern single actions have firing pin block tied into the thumb safety, even if somehow you could get the hammer to drop, with the firing pin block it’s not going to impact the primer, and won’t fire the bullet.
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Yeah. That’s why I carry weapons without hammers or thumb actuated safety. The safety is integrated into the trigger. Remove weapon from holster, point and squeeze the trigger. Very simple. No hammer to snag when removing from deep cover, no safety that requires more than squeezing the trigger and a round in the chamber so no futzing with having to load the weapon. In my mind a pistol with ammo in the magazine and nothing chambered is essentially not loaded. Seems pointless to carry an unloaded pistol.
 
Here’s our first line of defense….even as a puppy he's rather effective. Barks and growls.... o_O
 

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Tarheelpilot said:
Yeah. That’s why I carry weapons without hammers or thumb actuated safety. The safety is integrated into the trigger. Remove weapon from holster, point and squeeze the trigger. Very simple. No hammer to snag when removing from deep cover, no safety that requires more than squeezing the trigger and a round in the chamber so no futzing with having to load the weapon. In my mind a pistol with ammo in the magazine and nothing chambered is essentially not loaded. Seems pointless to carry an unloaded pistol.
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I have never carried without a full mag + 1, but the thumb safety is just how you train, for me I can draw and put rounds on target as fast or faster than a striker, and without the excessive trigger weight and slop, most of the highly competitive 3 gun guys use single actions, as long as more people carry it’s whatever they are most comfortable with
 
BladeSlap said:
I have never carried without a full mag + 1, but the thumb safety is just how you train, for me I can draw and put rounds on target as fast or faster than a striker, and without the excessive trigger weight and slop, most of the highly competitive 3 gun guys use single actions, as long as more people carry it’s whatever they are most comfortable with
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Three gun doesn’t matter with these decisions for most people. That’s range competition. Not tactical. When someone has a weapon pointed at you you won’t notice that spongy glock trigger. In fact it turns into a feature not a flaw.

I’m not saying you a wrong. Just that you are not right. There is not right answer for everyone. It’s like buying underwear. My only advice is to practice a lot and practice in a practical manner. Self defense training is paramount. Activities such as three fun are great for overall confidence handling a firearm and practically useless in regards to tactical use. Also learn the laws everywhere you carry.

It’s a lot of responsibility. Don’t blow it off.


Just my thoughts in general. Not necessarily in response to anything you’ve said.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
Three gun doesn’t matter with these decisions for most people. That’s range competition. Not tactical. When someone has a weapon pointed at you you won’t notice that spongy glock trigger. In fact it turns into a feature not a flaw.

I’m not saying you a wrong. Just that you are not right. There is not right answer for everyone. It’s like buying underwear. My only advice is to practice a lot and practice in a practical manner. Self defense training is paramount. Activities such as three fun are great for overall confidence handling a firearm and practically useless in regards to tactical use. Also learn the laws everywhere you carry.

It’s a lot of responsibility. Don’t blow it off.


Just my thoughts in general. Not necessarily in response to anything you’ve said.
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Been carrying since I was old enough, it’s what you’re used to, learned to shoot on my dads 1911 as a kid, all the auto pistols I’ve owned have been a single action auto, less a couple token strikers, a hammer fired auto feels like more of a extension of me than a plastic striker gun, but that’s just me. Agree, my underwear might not fit you :)

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/resources/ccw_reciprocity_map

It was refreshing to see how many pilots are into shooting
 
If you can find one, I highly recommend a Makarov pistol. My favorite handgun and the size/shape is the best out of dozens I've tried for carrying. A little heavy compared to more modern alternatives, but I like that aspect of it. Got a Russian iwb leather holster for it that has held up well and works great.
 
T Bird said:
If you can find one, I highly recommend a Makarov pistol. My favorite handgun and the size/shape is the best out of dozens I've tried for carrying. A little heavy compared to more modern alternatives, but I like that aspect of it. Got a Russian iwb leather holster for it that has held up well and works great.
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A dozen years ago I bought a CUGIR .380. Basically it's a Romanian copy of a Walther PP. Very nice if you can find one.
 
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