How to Choose A Gun For Concealed Carry

Carrying a concealed firearm everyday can be a difficult thing to accomplish. Your gun becomes part of your wardrobe and, by law, it must be concealed. Before I obtained my concealed firearms permit from the State of Florida, I had visions of carrying a gun like Dirty Harry. It doesn't take long to face the reality of the task. Harry wore a suit everyday. He carried a 6 inch or 8 3/8 inch barreled S&W Model 29, a huge gun, in a shoulder holster. It was OK for Harry to take his suit jacket off because he was a cop. You're not. This procedure is more like a list of do's and don'ts. But I went through this process myself and I thought I would share my knowledge and save you some time and money.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Concealed firearms permit

1. 
    
   Full Sized Colt 1911 Pistol in .45 Caliber

   In the beginning, before I obtained my permit, I owned a Colt 1911 .45 and a Ruger Security Six with a 6 inch barrel. I intended to carry these guns and proceeded to buy a variety of holsters to wield these weapons: inside the pants, belt, shoulder, etc. None of these combinations worked. The guns were too big and too heavy to "conceal" all the time. A shoulder holster is great while you're wearing a jacket or coat. What do you when you get inside? Do you leave your coat on? Legally, you must, because the gun must remain concealed. I spent a great deal of money on leather rigs to carry guns that were great for cops, but real bad for me. I learned quickly that there are only two reasonable places for a civilian to carry a concealed firearm: pocket and ankle.

2. 
    
   Compact Glock in a Typical Ankle Holster

   Choose a gun that can be concealed in an ankle holster. Obviously you would have to wear full length trousers and it takes longer to get to a gun on your ankle. You'll have to learn to anticipate potential deadly force situations and move the gun temporarily to your pocket, like at a poorly lit ATM at night. The beauty of the ankle carry is that it covers almost all your wardrobe situations. You can carry it at almost all times, which must be the goal.

3. 
    
   Black Widow Mini Revolver in .22 Magnum

   Choose a gun that is small enough to fit in your pocket (the ultimate concealment place). You can wear this gun even if you are wearing shorts. Not every small gun can fit in your pocket. Plus you will want to have a pocket holster to keep the gun from moving from a vertical ride position.

4. 
    
   Hammerless Model 40 S&W

   It's ideal if the same gun can be used in pocket and on ankle. If you're a big bore guy then a compact Glock in .40 will work. If you're of the opinion that any gun is better than your fist, then you might choose a S&W .38 hammerless revolver. I currently carry a North American Arms Black Widow revolver in .22 Magnum. The gun never leaves my pocket holster.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't waste a lot of time and money trying to carry that Desert Eagle .50 or that Berretta 9 mm. You will end up leaving it home the majority of the time. Having a carry permit with the gun in your dresser does no good.
• Choose a small gun, become proficient with it and carry it everywhere that it is legal to do so. You never know.
• You can ignore all this advice and carry a gun in one of those belly bags or a purse. Finding a gun in a purse can be difficult and maybe life threatening. And nobody carries those bags around the waist anymore.
• Carrying a gun is not a license to kill. It provides the ability to use deadly force to protect you and your family, if necessary. You owe it to yourself to read everything there is to know about the use of deadly force. A great book on the subject, if you can find it, is Massad Ayoob's "In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection".

[someonegetmygun]

on 2/9/2009 I like your article. I have a Colt 45 1911 and yeah it is too big to carry as a concealed weapon. (not that I would ever do that seeing as how I live in Canada....) In as much as size does matter, a skilled marksmen with a 22 caliber, at point blank range, can be quite effective.

[dukeofnuke]

on 10/8/2008 I don't necessarily disagree with your comment. My primary carry gun is compact Glock in .40. My point is that I've carried larger guns and they are much more difficult to carry. With the full size auto in an inside the pants holster, the gun would have a tendency to ride up or would have to be moved when sitting down. I know many people who declined to carry rather than carry these large guns. My recommendation is to carry something smaller so you carry it all the time. In the famous words of Christian Slater in True Romance, "It's better to have a gun and not need it, then to need it and not have it". Good comments. Thanks.

[Urimaginaryfrnd]

on 10/4/2008 First you carry a handgun solely to defend your life or the life of others. Size matters - guns that are too small simply will not stop an armed agressor. .38 and .380 are the minimum and the rule is if the caliber doesnt have a 4 or a 5 in it it's not enough gun for a gunfight. A Smith and Wesson .38 revolver or a .380 PPK in an inside the pants holster on the strong hand side is something you can get to and conceal. Eaven a large semi auto can be carried in a inside the pants holster with a shirt tucked over it.