brigond

My wife and I are waiting for our cc licenses. Im looking for a Ruger or any other brand (American made) carry weapon. I have narrowed it down but would like to hear everyone's opinion as to what model,revolver ,semi auto , caliber and WHY. Weight, round count , reliability and size are things I'm considering. Though I'm not gonna buy sooner than 3 month give or take ,max cost $600 and preferably less. Main use would be conceal/carry and range practice. Thank You , R.F. friends.

Brewster

I love my sr9c for CCW. I find it easier to shoot than the smaller lc9 model or any small 9mm for that matter( that is if you are considering 9mm). How is your wife plannning on carring hers? If it's in the purse I'd suggest a revolver this way she could fire through her purse without a slide catching her wrist or getting caught up by items if her purse.

Jesters Dead

It really depends on what works best for you and your wife. The best advice I can give you is to go to a gun range that rents guns and take a few that appeal to you and your price range and take them for a spin.

A gun that works for me, may not necessarily work for you. It's a subjective thing.

I would advise starting in 9mm. It's a good entry-level SD/HD caliber and there are a wide variety of weapons available in the caliber. That being said, go test drive a Ruger SR9, Glock 17/19, CZ 75B, SP-01 or Compact, Springfield XD or XDm, Sig Sauer SP2022 and S&W M&P 9. The S&W M&P Shield 9 is a fantastic carry gun, but offers less in the HD role as it has limited capacity.

A revolver is another thing. J-frames make great carry guns, but lousy range guns. The larger frame revolvers are more difficult to carry, but are better HD weapons than smaller-frame wheel guns. The Ruger LCR is a j-frame-size revolver and would make an excellent carry gun. It's even fun to shoot at the range. I'm a fan of the LCR 357, which gives the user the option of shooting everything from soft-shooting practice .38 special loads all the way up to full house 357 SD ammo.

If you don't have a gun range that rents, ask some friends if you can test fire their weapons. If that doesn't work, go to a gun store and handle some guns - both semi-auto and revolver. Chances are, the gun(s) that fit your hand best, the ones that point naturally for you, will be the one(s) you shoot best.

Good luck. Good hunting. Be safe.

bwinters

If you are newer to firearms than I would go with a medium frame auto or a medium frame revolver. The smith K series model 10 model 64 etc is not hard to conceal and easier to shoot than a small frame. In a semi auto I would go with a ruger 9 compact or the p series in 9 mm.

TMB

This is good advice. I'd check p series out.

ExArmy11b

I used to carry larger handguns, usually a 4" Service Six or a S&W 64.

Heavy guns can be tiresome to carry in an IWB holster and I got tired of dressing around larger guns all the time, especially in the summer.

My 2 3/4" Speed Six will carry nicely in an IWB when the weather gets cooler and I wear sweatshirts and stuff like that. Even under a longer t-shirt it can be a bit much.

I am a revolver nut and I usually carry a .38 SP101, but even that can be a heavy piece when you're wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

The LCR looks to be a top choice, I would recommend looking into that. I am looking into smaller, lighter CC guns frankly because I'm getting tired of toting around heavy pieces for CC. There are times when I'm just running around town where I don't want to put on a 3 lb. revolver.

It also depends on what your wife's preference is. My wife doesn't like revolvers, but she has shown interest in the LCP when she gets her CC license. She has fired my SP101 and had a hard time pulling the trigger in DA. Women's wardrobes make them have different carry needs. Women, unlike most of us men, don't often wear long t-shirts, polo shirts, etc. A small auto can be a good choice, as long as she is proficient with it.

I looked into getting my mom a .22 WMR S&W J-frame, or a J-frame .327 loaded with .32 H&R mags.

NAA makes the "Guardian" series, they are DAO micro autos and they get great reviews. The .32 is smaller than the .380. They retail for about $350 and many say they are a lot of gun for the price. An NAA .22 LR mini revolver is in my pocket right now.

JimB120

With the specifications you list I would suggest a 3" SP101 38/357.

Short enough to be concealable, heavy enough to absorb recoil for shot placement which is the gold standard for self defense.

Three inch barrel with a good SD ammo like Speer Gold Dot +P Short Barrel makes the .38 Special potent enough for the task, and more accurate for range play. It is still short enough to be easily concealed. Only drawback is that holsters are not as easy to find for the 3".

Unless you are LEO, you are unlikely to ever fire a shot in defense, and if you do will statistically expend no more than 2 rounds, so a 5 shot revolver is more than adequate for the task.

The revolver is simple to operate which is a benefit under pressure; point pull repeat if needed.

Well under $600 even with a good holster, durable, dependable.

Just my opinion. Good luck with your decision.

Lead Slanger

That's a decision only you can make. Some guns work for some people & some don't. If you have three months, that should give you plenty of time to search the shops and make a decision based on your own opinion & not someone elses. Use everyone else to find out what kind of luck they have had with which ever gun you are looking at, but in the end, buy which ever gun that fits you best in the caliber that you think is sufficent. Everyone has an opinion on that and you know what they say about opinions.....

Spike12

Well, your requirements are pretty broad...

CC: Don't care too much about shooting comfort. Small is good.
Range days: Care a lot about shooting comfort and large is good.
Home defense: Some different possibilities again.

There is also big differences between male CC and female CC.

I think the best gun to fit all those needs (jack of all trades, master at none) is the SP101 per an earlier comment. 4" or smaller.

I can't think of a pistol or revolver that's a better fit. As your experience grows and your knowledge and style grow and gain definition, you'll want to change. But for now the SP is the best and cheapest starting point. Don't buy something real purpose built for one task only - you're going to change.

Amishman44

Well stated!

The wife and I have been going through this lately as we seek to be able to carry the same round! She is much more comfortable with a 9mm than .40 or .45 calibers...I would rather carry 9mm to match her than have her hesitate with a .40 or .45 in a time of need. Since I am actually comfortable with the CorBon 115 & 125 Grain JHP's in 9mm, as well as with Hornady's FTX JHP's (whereas the wife prefer's something somewhat 'lighter' in felt recoil) carrying 9mm is something I am willing to do. Fortunately, we both have Glock pistols, hers is a 19 and mine is a 23...so I'm looking to buy a 9mm conversion barrel and additional G-19 mags. That's one thing nice about the Glocks...they are somewhat interchangeable in that category.

We have other friends who have done the same thing...and carry a Glock 19 & 26 (both 9mm) respectively. Josh had a G-27 in .40 and went to the G-26 to match up ammo with his wife.

I highly recommend selecting the same caliber and, if possible, the same pistol so that everything interchanges if needed! I've held an SR9 & SR9c (as well as SR40 & SR40c) and the compact models feel great in my hand. I would like to try one of those...but just don't have the $$ to spend right now.

If you decide to go with a revolver, I HIGHLY recommend the Ruger SP101 in .38 or .357mag! With the .357 mag, you can also shoot .38's...but they use the same speedloader, so you can always carry .38's as back up! A friend of ours has an SP101 in .38 and she absolutely LOVES her gun!

With the variety of different grips available (Hogue, Trausch, Badger Custom's, etc.) and a few different Tritium Front Night Sights (Meprolight, Trijicon, XS Sights, etc.) you can trim it out to fit each individual's hand better, and yet still be using the same gun / caliber! There are several different holsters available as well from Bianchi, Galco, DeSantis, etc...that provide a variety of different carry methods and positions, making that comfortable as well!

Good luck!

tshark

I agree with what JimB120 posted. You can't go wrong with an sp101 in a three inch barrel. Big enough to shoot well, small enough to conceal. You can shoot light .38's, +p.38's up to .357 magnum.

actionexpress

I'd give Kahr a close look. The CW and CM models are reasonably priced and they're very, very popular for carry as they're thin, light and from my experience reliable. I have a CW9 that's not a bad range gun, and has a heavier trigger which is important on a carry weapon.

Think it was $369.99 when I bought it. The manual said it needed a couple boxes through it to be "broken in" but mine was great right out of the box.

brigond

Thanks for your input. Ive checked out suggested models. At this point it gonna be a revolver. I've checked out all the Ruger models. Now I'm gonna research other brands .

ikar

Since I got my permit about 4 years ago I have been carrying a SP-101 snubbie. I've been trained on revolvers, carried them as a duty weapon for many years and never had a single problem with any that I've carried.

The revolver is simple to use which will make it easier if you ever end up in a situation.

I have never seen one jam, but have had thevery rare ammo problem.

They can sit for years if necessary and still work when needed, unlike their semi cousins who have mag springs that need to be mothered.

jlh820

Glad you're checking out these guns as only you can figure out what's best for you. Don't stop looking around once you've made your purchase. Besides SD/HD shooting is a great sport. In my area there are gun ranges that rent guns. This is a great way to continually check out the market and see what's out there.

Good luck and enjoy!