go to carry gun

[urduja]

Hi ladies,

I am sorry if there is already another thread on this topic, but I was not easily able to find it.

I am looking to get my CCW this spring or summer and am looking at different options of carry guns.

If price was not a factor (because technically off-roster guns are available if you want to pay the CA premium), which carry gun do you use/want and why.

The M&P Shield seems to be popular, but what else is out there?

Also, I do not tend to carry around a purse, so preferably something that i can wear. It seems to be a bit different for us because our clothing runs toward more form fitting vs the guys, which is why I am asking this here.

[71MUSTY]

Not a lady, but

Wife carries a KAHR PM-9 or a KAHR P-380.

Both are smaller then the Shield, however my sister carries a Shield and loves it.

[movie zombie]

it is impossible for me to get a CCW in this county but I did shoot a low caliber Kahr one....and only once. hurt my hand. however, as noted above, many do like it.

[trackcage]

I work part time at a gun store and the women I see who carry on their person often carry a sig p238.

[scotty99]

Second for the Kahr P380. Small enough to carry all the time, big enough to shoot decently.

[urduja]

I do like the look of the p238. I currently have a S&W airweight 638 revolver, but it hurts my hand when i shoot it and so I tend to not want to practice with it too much. So, I totally understand the "hurt hand" problem.
The cylinder is also a bit bulky, so a bit hard to conceal under clothes. It has been a reliable firearm though being a revolver and all, but I don't think I want it as the main carry.

[71MUSTY]

I do like the look of the p238. I currently have a S&W airweight 638 revolver, but it hurts my hand when i shoot it and so I tend to not want to practice with it too much. So, I totally understand the "hurt hand" problem.
The cylinder is also a bit bulky, so a bit hard to conceal under clothes. It has been a reliable firearm though being a revolver and all, but I don't think I want it as the main carry.

I got both my wife and my sister a small rubber ball to squeeze 100 times every night when they go to bed. Now they only complain about a hurt hand after 4 days at FrontSight and both can work a slide

[BadKitty]

Notice: This post is in the Womens Forum

urduja, speaking as a woman with a CCW weapon.....you need to go to the gun store and try out a bunch yourself. Grip them in your hand and, if the salesperson is ok with it, try and see how it might fit in your waistband. For some the S&W Shield is great, some the Glock 43, some the P238 and some the Khar....but it all depends on what works for *you*. I had someone suggest the XDM 9mm to me and he genuinely thought it would be a great choice. Nope...unfortunately, it was too "chunky", both in my hand and in my waistband. So, the best you can do is pick them all up and see how they fit. Then, take a couple shooting if the range offers them as rentals.

Good luck!

[movie zombie]

was just about to suggest what BadKitty stated. first top is the gun store to handle as many pistols as you can. next thing is to rent at a gun range or go with a friend who will let you shot her/his pistol. handling a pistol just is not the same as firing a pistol. if you have a lot of semi-auto pistol experience you might be able to skip the gun range. I could not have done that when I first started purchasing pistols.

unfortunately, there is no one right answer that will work for every woman whether it be for CCW or not.

[Accounting_mom]

The P 238 is popular among my friends who carry. Small, well made (reliable) and pretty easy to shoot. I agree on the Kahr; I shot one once. One round. Ouch!
My go-to is a Ruger LC9s. Easy to conceal appendix or in purse, although so is the P 238. However the Ruger is 9mm, and carries 7 rounds +1. The original LC9 has a very long trigger pull, but the S model is shorter.

The Shield was not comfortable for me to shoot until I added a Hogue Handall grip. Huge difference. If I didn't have the LC9s I would carry the Shield.

Zombie and Kitty are giving you the best advice: try before you buy.

[pink_toaster]

for me i LOVE my p238 for CCW. i use it 95% of the time. i love my cz p-01 but she's much harder for me to conceal unless i have a huge sweatshirt or over-sized t-shirt on.

i agree that you need to try various guns. i had narrowed my first gun down to a p238 and shield "on paper" but once i shot them, i ended up with the p238.

more specific to this thread question, when deciding which guns to put on my permit, i had the option of hubby's shield, my glock 19 or and EMP. i ended up putting hubby's EMP (mine was at springfield for warranty work so couldn't put it on m permit at the time) because the 19 was too fat (wider than the p-01) and i just personally don't like the shield. once you get recommendations, you'll need to shoot them and test conceal them.

[tomrkba]

The correct answer is that you will need at least three guns and at least two methods of carry per gun. For example, (not sure about the roster for these), a good combination of guns: Ruger LCP, Kahr PM9 and Glock 26. Revolver wise, an S&W 442 or Ruger LCR, S&W 66 Carry Comp, and S&W 686 Plus 3” would cover most needs.

[urduja]

Thank you. It gets a bit tough renting out a mass of guns at the range, so if I'm able to narrow down some that has worked well, I can start with those.
So far the P238 is on the top of the list. I'll add in the Glock 26 because that seems like a popular choice too and the EMP because I really like the 1911 feel.
I know it's off roster here, but has anyone tried the Sig P320 sub compact? It is on favorite carry lists on the webs.

[shootsocal_dave]

I carry a Glock 19Gen5, Glock 33 .357 sig, MP Shield 9, and a SW MP 340 revolver. I tend to carry the J Frame revolver most after a couple years of going back and forth with the Glocks and shield, the revolver seems to be the most comfortable.

[Accounting_mom]

I should have added to my original post, the Ruger LC9 and LC9s are not on roster. Another off roster gun I would put on my permit (if I had room) is the Ruger SR9-C. It has rounded corners like the LC9s, smallish, points naturally (for me), and carries 10 rounds. They show up sometimes on the for sale forum, as do LC9s. Understand that I prefer a manual thumb safety and try to standardize on self defense guns that have one.