First concealed carry

[BigManAC]

I turned 21 in Feb. of this year and the first thing I wanted to do was go get my concealed carry. My mom and I go shooting a lot and I already own a XDM 9 and love it so I was looking at the XDS for the carry. I'm a pretty big dude, 6'-5" 260lbs and I'm wanting something just small enough for me to conceal it but it not be too small in my hand. Are there any other guns that you all would recommend me looking at?

[mgameforever01]

if you have already had experience with that gun and you love it use to it then i would say stick with that. When you have a ccw weapon you want one that is comfortable, one you know inside and out and have experience shooting and know what you can do with it. Yes there is other guns, Kimber pro carry is good one, being a bigger guy most guns will not be a problem for you to conceal unless you wear tight clothes ( not saying you do just a statement) but the last thing you want to be is in a situation life or death with a gun you are not familiar with. Best thing to do is just go gun range find what you like best try different gun with different holsters until you find right combination. its all about what is comfortable for you

[poorfish88]

Walther pps, Just about any Karh, Lots of guys carry Kel-tec pf9, p3at I wouldn't but alot do,beretta nano, 1911, rugur 380, rugur lc 9,and snub nose SW pre lock 38 and or magnum

[Cheapo]

I was just in the same boat my friend. Turned 21 back in august and had my permit in less than 3 weeks. I, unlike you, have the figure of a 5th grader at 5'7 and 140lbs. I carry a Kahr CM9. I strongly suggest looking in to the Kahr CW9 (has a bit more frame to hold on to, as well has having a slightly larger capacity). I looked at so many firearms when deciding my first EDC it was nuts. Heres why I settled on the CM9 (CW9 or CW45 have essentially the same features as the CM9)

1. No external safety. On my EDC I decided I want the fewest man made devices in my way of possibly preventing that round to go down range when I truly need it. That means no grip safety (XDMs), no slide safety, nothing. Flicking off a safety is another step in the process that your body may forget to do under stress. Even if you do remember to do it, there is always that chance of it failing and you pull the trigger and nothing happens. Speaking of the trigger,

2. Long, AMAZINGLY CRISP, trigger pull, every time. Its consistent. And for not having any external safeties, really makes it hard to have a negligent discharge. Its a consistent feel and I'm telling you, get on in your hand and its an amazing trigger.

3. Very slim profile. Kahr does a great job with making their firearms slim. I figured, if I didnt get something extremely comfortable to wear, I wouldn't wear it! Why get something you dread to take with you? If you do, you will find yourself carrying less and less. Kahrs with their single stack mags and slim frames add very little for IWB carry. Yes it hurts you capacity, but I carry an extra higher capacity mag with me if I were to really need it.

4. Reliable. Reliable. Reliable. Did I say Reliable?

5. Eats any ammo.

6. Awesome customer service. I was loading a mag one day and somehow broke the follower. Called Kahr and about 3 days later, had one at my front door. Free.

7. Price. Now Kahr does offer an expensive line, such as the PM9. My carry pistol (CW9) cost me 429 out the door, and some say that was a bit much. The CW9 that I recommended for you is not much more I dont believe. Beats paying 600 for a Glock. Not that there is anything wrong with Glock, let me say.

I really suggest you look in to Kahr. From one new permit holder to another, it will be worth your time.

[BigManAC]

Alright thanks guys for the input. I'm going to the range this week so I'll check out these other guns. Hopefully I'll have something picked out before too long.

[poorfish88]

I can't believe I left out the the Browning Hi-power. Karhs are great weapons, but calm down on em they aren't the greatest thing known to man. Plus that cw9 you love so much has shitty plastic sights. Never trust a combat weapon with plastic sights. I may or may not know someone who put trijcon night sights on their cw9. Karhs can be made reliable some right out of the box, but theirs a reason they need 200 rounds to become reliable. They have a little quirky thing on loading the pistol. Where the slide needs to be pulled back prior to inserting a fully loaded mag. Other wise the top bullet gets knockdown and won't load. The slide release needs of be used on a full magazine, these pistols when new are tight and any small riding the slide will result in ftf. They don't have an encapsulated spring so having them fly threw the air is a real possibility when cleaning. CW9 uses the old twist barrell and only comes with one magizine. The glock that costs 600, old Gen 3 of course says come at me.

The CW9 maybe great for one, but it is in no way the perfect pistol for all. Not to say I don't like them myself but when rookies fall they fall hard. After the CW9 got built up so much by a nuthugger I felt it needed to be put in it's affordable place.

[Cheapo]

I can't believe I left out the the Browning Hi-power. Karhs are great weapons, but calm down on em they aren't the greatest thing known to man. Plus that cw9 you love so much has shitty plastic sights. Never trust a combat weapon with plastic sights. I may or may not know someone who put trijcon night sights on their cw9. Karhs can be made reliable some right out of the box, but theirs a reason they need 200 rounds to become reliable. They have a little quirky thing on loading the pistol. Where the slide needs to be pulled back prior to inserting a fully loaded mag. Other wise the top bullet gets knockdown and won't load. The slide release needs of be used on a full magazine, these pistols when new are tight and any small riding the slide will result in ftf. They don't have an encapsulated spring so having them fly threw the air is a real possibility when cleaning. CW9 uses the old twist barrell and only comes with one magizine. The glock that costs 600, old Gen 3 of course says come at me.

The CW9 maybe great for one, but it is in no way the perfect pistol for all. Not to say I don't like them myself but when rookies fall they fall hard. After the CW9 got built up so much by a nuthugger I felt it needed to be put in it's affordable place.

Sure Browning Hi power makes a nice firearm, but for a CCW I personally would not doing anything other than a striker fire pistol with no external safeties. Just more man made things to go wrong.

And an octagon barrel will really not do a whole lot for you when it comes to a short barrel semi auto.

But hey do some more research online, tons of people carry Kahrs, and I have to believe more people carry them over old Hi powers.

[Robert8252]

Little experience with different guns but I settled on a M&P9 Compact for my first gun to carry. Use a supertuck holster and really never notice it. Comfortable sitting on the couch, driving in the truck, hell even laying on my back with it holstered isn't that bad. But all said, if I had to do it again I would get a full size, the barrel isn't much longer and using a full mag instead of the compact one with pinky extension doesn't add that much in length and size to it. I'm 6'0 and 240lbs. Also I've put 800 rounds through it since I bought it in February and haven't had a single FTF or FTE so it is reliable as can be so far.

[poorfish88]

You just said it yourself for YOU, there are other great firearms newbie. Ever heard of a HK P7 may have the best factory trigger ever on a hand gun.

Maybe the OP want's a 1911 safety who's to say, maybe he want's to carry it cocked and locked. There's tons of people who can manage a safety on a firearm just fine. You didn't address any of the other CW9 flaws why? You, nuthugger need to do some research and not online. All my knowledge is first hand with the weapon.

The superior barrel on some other firearms and adding an extra mag increases the price. Just because the difference is barrels can't be noticed by a newbie doesn't mean there isn't a difference. Did you not see where Karhs were on the list to check out?

[MREYNA]

Shit im 25. Weigh 200 5'8" . I am lookin to buy my first one too . A ruger sr1911 they're about 829 around that price