First handgun purchase... concealed choice of caliber?

[Dell_dude]

Not necessarily, .25, .32, .380 all cost more than 9mm. .45 can be had for less than .38 or .357. The 180 gr .40 I buy doesn't cost any more than the 165gr stuff.

That's part of the supply/demand bit that I mentioned. I'm sure there are metric a** tons of 9MM produced, which offsets the price a bit. Where do you get your .40? Mine is always a few bucks more for 180.

Another thing to consider is availability. While generally you can pretty much find FMJ for any caliber now (not so much for the last couple years) you can almost ALWAYS find any variation of 9mm ammo you may want while some of the other calibers will have limited selection.

That's a really good point, and not at all to be taken lightly.

I remember that the local Sportsman's Warehouse (when it was still that) had bare shelves for MONTHS on end. When things did come in, it didn't stay on the shelf for even a day.

 

[cyclesarge]

That's part of the supply/demand bit that I mentioned. I'm sure there are metric a** tons of 9MM produced, which offsets the price a bit. Where do you get your .40? Mine is always a few bucks more for 180.

My bad, I thought you were talking about the obscure rounds like .50 AE or .50 GI (which also have heavy bullets too) when you mentioned supply and demand. I get my .40s at BiMart although it's been awhile since mostly I buy 9mm lately.

 

[Dell_dude]

My bad, I thought you were talking about the obscure rounds like .50 AE or .50 GI (which also have heavy bullets too) when you mentioned supply and demand. I get my .40s at BiMart although it's been awhile since mostly I buy 9mm lately.

Nah.

Supply and demand works for most everything to some varying degree.

The difference in price between 9MM and .45 is some balance between more metal and amount produced/sold. Where is that balance? No idea. But it's there somewhere.

 

[toddt36]

my everyday carry is an lcp and cannot say enough about i forget its even there, can't get any smaller without going to something with alot less stopping power. Sometimes I like to carry my taurus mill pt-145. can't say enough about that one either, once borken in with about 200 rounds, it functions flawlessly and is very accurate for a subcompact. Build quality seems very good as well. Heard to stay away from first 2 gens of the Mill though. But like the positive safety, accuracy, 45 stopping power, 10+1, quality, oh yeah price is great too. 9mm is cheap to shoot though and still has adequate stopping power, I just prefer 45 personally.

 

[iamme]

You should just get a “his and hers” pair of Glock 19s and be done with it. Then get some real deal training. That will overcome any issues with “appearance”. Don’t by a weapon for its looks buy for its performance.

9mm is readily available in a wide selection of loads and is cheap enough to do a lot of shooting. BTW, pistol caliber stopping power is a myth. All realistic fighting pistol calibers suck when it comes to stopping a dedicated violent attacker. Don’t buy into the whole 45 “death ray” nonsense. .451” vs. .355”, sorry I just can’t get excited over .096” in the real world. I choose the one that allows me to train the most for my money and throw the most lead on target with a reload.

+1 G19 really is one of the best guns out there.

 

[laney1566]

Any of you .380 bashers ever had one pointed at you for real?
I have.....Stopped me dead in my tracks. I was robbed at gunpoint as a pump jockey...I carry a Walther PPK/S and feel quite protected. Shoots well and is small.
A woman being attacked is more than likely gonna be up real close....Close enough that aiming is probably not going to be all that important. Greater odds say that it will be point blank and a .380 hardball will penetrate x 7+1, not to mention draw quite a bit of attention to the situation.

That being said....My wife carries a Charter Arms .38 snubby 5 shot. It's small and jam proof!!!

 

[James1300]

I guess this is two questions actually... My wife wants her first carry handgun but doesn't want a bla polymer constructed one.. something easier on the eyes that has some style to it. Any good reccommendations that are on a sub $600 budget or so?

Second question - I'm in the market for a 1911 most likely- but if I go with a shorter barrel it IS something that could be a carry gun correct? Other than Kimber, what other manufacturers do you reccommend in terms of appearance and quality?

Lastly (crud there's three questions!) in terms of caliber - which should I avoid due to high ammo costs, and which are budget friendly for the range?

Both of you need to go to a Defensive Carry class BEFORE you buy anything.
Learn what the laws are prior to investing any money in handguns.
Be aware of what happens to your lives after a weapon is used.
Know your rights.

For her buying a gun because it looks cool is not a good idea.
Going to school and learning what options the two of you have is a good thing.

 

[zaxx]

HappyValley,

I'd like to offer these considerations, if I may...
-- have a serious conversation with your wife about how and where she wants to carry, i.e., on her person, in her purse, etc. How much handgun can she comfortably manage including recoil recovery?
-- be mindful that form follows function more often than not. For instance, a 'Vette looks great cruisin' the hi-ways and by-ways, but it's probably not the rig of choice for elk camp. The right tool for the job.
--K.I.S.S. For operational purposes, revolvers are about as straightforward as you can get. Facing a threat is not the time to try to recall operational idiosyncrasies of the weapon. A spurless or hammerless, 5 shot, .38 Spcl might be worth considering.
-- Training, training, training....

 

[clearconscience]

I like to stick with the 9mm for carry. The .380 I think is enough power, but it's expensive and can be at time hard to find. I think the 9mm is best because it's cheap to buy and I think the carry weapon should be practiced with more than any other gun. Especially in Oregon or Washington with the liberal media and courts. You need to be deadily accurate and more than justified. The .40 and .45 are a bit snappy for some guys and girls. And revolvers just don't carry enough in my opinion. But they are the most compact and easy to carry.
Overall I would go with 9mm, for cost, effectiveness, and capacity.

 

[toddt36]

HappyValley,

I'd like to offer these considerations, if I may...
-- have a serious conversation with your wife about how and where she wants to carry, i.e., on her person, in her purse, etc. How much handgun can she comfortably manage including recoil recovery?
-- be mindful that form follows function more often than not. For instance, a 'Vette looks great cruisin' the hi-ways and by-ways, but it's probably not the rig of choice for elk camp. The right tool for the job.
--K.I.S.S. For operational purposes, revolvers are about as straightforward as you can get. Facing a threat is not the time to try to recall operational idiosyncrasies of the weapon. A spurless or hammerless, 5 shot, .38 Spcl might be worth considering.
-- Training, training, training....

I would totally agree with this, a lightweight hammerless .38 IMO is the best option for someone, man or woman, who wants a super reliable, almost no maintenance needed, goes off everytime, easy to carry self defense weapon. Period!