First Carry Gun

The First Carry Gun

There are generally two kinds of guns in this world: those one will carry, and those one will not. Among these two categories can be derived several subcategories. When the time comes to pick out our first carry gun we must ask ourselves what guns fit where, and which one we will choose.

Choosing a first carry gun is much like choosing your first car. You’ve probably already got something in mind that you have been lusting after in your dreams for many months now. It might be shiny or black, big or little. Heck it might be pink with purple polka dots. Whatever it is, you want it, and you want it yesterday. But I implore you to treat the purchase of your first carry gun not so much like a 16 year old boy getting your first muscle car, but rather like buying your first family car with the wife and kids in tow. You see, your carry gun isn’t going to be around to show off to your friends, make you feel macho, or pick up girls. Your carry gun is going to be there to quietly stand ready as a vital tool for you to be able to defend the lives of your family and yourself. Your carry gun will be your constant unseen companion on many walks through the park, trips to the grocery, and dates to the movies. Such events do not call for the foolish angst of teenage boys. Instead they call for the decisive decisions of a seasoned and worldly man with more stake in this world than just his own self. So let us now look at those two kinds of guns, and what may be contained in each.

Guns You Won’t Carry

Anyone who has more than a passing fancy for firearms probably has one or two guns in the safe that will never be carried. Such guns are usually either too large in size or caliber, or too small to be effective. Some are flatly unreliable and can’t be depended on in a life threatening situation. Take that old Iver Johnson that your grandfather gave you years ago as one example. That old break top 22 is not only a somewhat less than ideal caliber for stopping a lethal threat, it’s so fragile that it may not stand up to the day to day rigors of concealed carry. Leave that old piece in the safe and save it for target practice with your kiddos. Now let’s look at that beautiful piece of craftsmanship that is a Smith & Wesson Model 29 with an 8 3/8” barrel which so wonderfully graces a lone shelf in the big steel box. Dirty Harry may have dominated the streets of San Francisco with such a mighty piece but it is an impracticably large firearm for most to carry. In addition to the size of the gun, there is the size of the cartridge to consider as well. Many smaller framed (and some larger) can’t very well manage the punishing recoil of these large caliber firearms. Maybe this piece too should be kept secure in the vault until hunting season arrives and some fresh Elk is desired on the table.

Guns You WILL Carry

While the lines between what you will and won’t carry can be hard to see sometimes, I’m going to attempt to lay out some guidelines to help you pick out the type of gun you might be willing to carry every waking hour of your life. I have found over the years that most people, me included, tend to like a daily carry gun to be relatively small, light weight, thin, simple to operate, light in felt recoil, of a powerful cartridge, and 100% reliable. Many of these things are mutually exclusive, and this is where the problems come in. A powerful gun that is light weight and small will usually feature punishing felt recoil. Your hand will sting, your wrist will ache,

and you wont be willing to practice with it enough to be effective, let alone competent. A gun that is powerful, easy to be accurate with and is pleasant to shoot is probably going to be so large that it will fall into our previous category. A balance must be struck that gives you the most powerful handgun you can shoot accurately and with speed, and still not drag your pants on the ground. There’s no medal given for the guy with the biggest gun, especially if he left that gun at home.

Many folks like to debate the various merits of revolvers and semi-automatics. Let’s get this right out there; both are just fine, don’t depend on a high round count, it takes training to shoot either, and you can conceal whichever you choose. That said, revolvers tend to be more reliable on the whole, and present a ‘bulk’ that many people find hard to hide. Semi-autos tend to be smoother in the waist line, and somewhat more complicated in their basic operation. The one true advantage I see semi-autos to have over revolvers is that you can still fire the gun during the reloading process. With a revolver this is not the case because the cylinder is opened and all rounds are effectively out of the gun. This assumes that you have not made the mistake of buying a pistol with a magazine disconnect, in which case it’s the same as the revolver.

My best advice is this: try a LOT of different guns in a lot of different calibers and see what you like. Try to find a gun that is slim, easy to shoot well, and agrees with your lifestyle. Be sure it is of a reputable brand and can fire through a few hundred rounds without a malfunction. Check to see that you can get a wide variety of holsters as this is something you will most likely end up with a large collection of before it’s all over.

So there it is. Be it a Glock, Springfield, S&W, 1911, or any number of other manufacturers, be sure of the purchase you’re making. The life you save could be your own, and it could be your child’s.

Reputable Brands

Smith & Wesson

Colt

HK

Ruger

Springfield

Sig Sauer

Glock

Common Major Calibers

9mm

40S&W

45ACP

38spl

357 Magnum

44 Magnum

Holster Makers

Galco

Sidearmor

Milt Sparks

Mitch Rosen

Twistedwire Tactical