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I catch a lot of flak from my friends and even the occasional stranger, with regard to my preference in concealed carry firearms.
First and foremost I need to explain that I'm 70 years old and have carried a concealed handgun since I was 21. A long time ago it was a little unusual for folks to be packin' pistols, but after my initial service in the USMC it just seemed like the thing to do. I trusted my own instincts and judgement more than I did statistical data.
I have carried revolvers, mostly. Usually a S&W Model 19 with a 2&1/2" barrel. Of course I was a lot smaller (around the waist) back then and the weight of the weapon was of no concern. Then a few years as a sheriff's deputy caused me to reassess my choice of weaponry and I opted for volume of fire as opposed to shear knock-down ability. Concealability became an issue too as I was now required to be armed at all times. I was a good shot and certainly not trigger happy, nor hoping to have an opportunity to draw and fire my weapon. I learned very early on (actually in the Marines) that a sidearm is purely a self defense weapon. I remember being promoted to sergeant and being told to turn in my rifle and draw a 1911-A1. No way! I can't remember when I switched to an auto loader as my primary concealed carry weapon. I think it was back in the days of the Crips and Bloods making their presence known in Portland. They seemed to like the old MAC 9's and 10's. I started with a Glock 19 with two 17 round (they have Plus 2's on them) magazines. The dependability and high capacity seemed to make the "black gun from Austria" a no brainer. I still have lots of different holsters to pick from, depending on the weather and what my wife wants me to wear.
As I moved from the mainstream of life into retirement, I started looking at .380 semi-automatics. Many of them were re-hashed .25 Cal. or .32's. I've had Kel-Tecs, Bursas Llamas and a whole host of others. Why the .380 you may be asking? Well, back when I was a cop (the earth was still cooling and when you shouted "stop in the name of the law" and they did) every cop in every jurisdiction carried one or more "back up" guns. They were small easily concealed and gave you that little extra measure of comfort when you knew that your closest back up was 12 minutes away. We called them "Get Off Me" guns. They were meant to be used when a sight picture and trigger squeeze weren't in the equation. They were to be used when you couldn't get at your service weapon (because you dropped it and this miserable piece of bubblegum that you were wrestling with was trying to pick it up) and you were going to die if he got to it before you did. A .380 loaded with seven hollow point rounds will absolutely stop even a drug addled gang-banger, if you are trying to get out from under him. It will even make his saggy pants wearing friends head for the hills.
As an old man that travels all over Arizona and parts unknown, I slip my Ruger LCP in my pocket and I'm good to go. I'm one of those guys that is carrying and you won't know it. I'm the old "codger" in the overalls buying potato chips at the grocery store. I'm the "wheezing geezer" walking his wife of 50 years to the car after watching a "G" rated movie.
I don't want to hurt anyone, but I will kill you if you attack me or mine. I'm too old and fat to run very far. I get out of breath easily. So if you come at me and threaten me, I'll give you my billfold. There's no money in it, I'm married. Just don't make any move that makes my one watt brain think that you're stupid enough to damage my already busted up body. If you even look weird at my lovely wife the last thing that you will ever see is a ball of fire coming at the center of your body mass. I like the .380 caliber or 9MM Kurtz as the Germans call it. There are lots of factory loads available for it. The costs are very reasonable and since the only time it should ever be used is in defense of your own life or someone else. You don't need adjustable sights or huge magazines. You just need something that you can carry in your waistband or pocket that you can draw quickly if some deranged screwball comes after you.
In closing, I should also point out that I'm partial to .38 Specials (snubbies) too. My wife has Arthritis pretty bad and can't pull the slide back on an auto-loader. I taught her how to load and fire her Taurus M-85 (liteweight) and she's pretty happy with it.
 
Since the late 80's up until about 7 years ago I used to consistently conceal carry my 92F and a total of 75 rounds, then a G30 with a total of 30 rounds... LOL.


Now I usually sport a G19 or a G43 and sometimes one or two spare mags depending on where I'm going, or my "creepiness radar" dictates otherwise.
 
Saw an open carry guy a few months ago in Dollar Tree, sporting a large-ish double-stack semi-auto on his right hip, with at least two more 15-16 rd mags on the left.

Built like a pudgy pit bull, he had that strut usually reserved for short, muscle-bound guys with arms sprung out a bit from his sides - or maybe an old western movie sheriff ready to un-holster dual hoglegs and smoke down a pack of surly train robbers.

His wife/GF was not pretty or plain, but "edgily" dressed and getting her share of attention. The gun guy's facial expression was not quite Manson-like, but his anxious gaze darted from person to person in the store, silently screaming "We got some sorta problem here???"

Vivid images stick with me for weeks, sometimes years.

On the other hand I don't think anyone there would recall, even a minute later, that Mrs. Teflon and I were in the store too, what we looked like, what we were wearing, what my attitude might've been, or the fact that I had a small revolver concealed under my shirt. Hopefully enough to help us escape quickly from a jam should the SHTF.
 
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