recommend an inexpensive Con-Carry handgun

[bruiser]

Doesn't anyone carry a 10? I've been looking at some myself. The Glock 29 comes to mind.

[safecracker]

I carry from time to time, my XDM 5.25, 9mm. I really like this pistol. It is not very eay to conceal in the summer time. Winter time with a jacket no problem. My nephew has 2, 9mm pistols. one is a s&w and the other is a very compact S&W, 5 shot. After shooting that little pistol thru 20 rounds, I had enough. I could only put 2 fingers(index and ring finger) around the grip. I did not care for it. It did shoot well. Hi Point, 9mm shoots ok. you just can't use cheap(real) ammo. Just my 2 cents worth.

[spyder3]

Waiting for nj to get off its a@@ and approve my permit to buy. CCW in nj just doesn't happen.....the glock 21 gen 4 .45 acp has got my attention right now-)

[PrairieSpyder]

I think the Wilson Combat 9mm I held was a Ms. Sentinal. Has anyone here used one? Whaddya think?

[Bob Denman]

The Missus tried one out; It's scary what she can do with a sidearm! If I turn up leaking from several well-placed ventilation holes; you'll all know two things: First; I deserved it! Second: she did it! (She still prefers her Glock 19... Or for VERY concealed carry: her Beretta Minx.)

[muonwhiz]

Those home invasion stories are scary. If anyone is idiot enough to try and get in my house, he would face 2 large, angry adult dobermans first. They are great watch dogs and will not let anyone on the property without my OK. If necessary (and anything was left) I always have my trusty Glock!

[currin20fan]

I've been looking for the Ruger 38 LCR-5401. It seems like a popular revolver and everywhere I've checked they seem to be on backorder. I've been to the range several times and have my CW license. Just gotta find that Ruger.

[Bob Denman]

Take a look in gunbroker.com

[mowin]

Ive got a Keltec 9mm thats a b***h to shoot. Its got a 8lb trigger pull, and LOTS of travle. Cant hit the broad side of a barn
even if I was inside it.

[bruiser]

I've been looking for the Ruger 38 LCR-5401. It seems like a popular revolver and everywhere I've checked they seem to be on backorder. I've been to the range several times and have my CW license. Just gotta find that Ruger.

I can look up here for you. I think they may have one at the Base Exchange. I'll PM you if I find one.

[cjackg]

Waiting for nj to get off its a@@ and approve my permit to buy. CCW in nj just doesn't happen.....the glock 21 gen 4 .45 acp has got my attention right now-)

Take a look at the new very compact Springfield Arms XDS .45 ACP. Weighs just 20oz or 26oz loaded with mag & big bullets yet small enough for a pocket. Has nice safety features and is a very accurate shooter.

XDS.jpg

[ulflyer]

Bottom line is, its gotta be something your wife will be comfortable shooting...not just carrying. The very small light ones kick the crap outta your hand and most people then don't shoot them enough to become reasonably proficient.

Another thing to remember is ease of handling. My wife had never fired anything but decided she needed to learn. Tried her out on a Walther P22 semi-auto since i figured anything bigger to start would intimidate her. She didn't like a semi-auto...."too fussy"....was her reaction to putting in mag, racking slide, taking safety off, etc.

I'd begun carrying an LCR 38+P as its so light I hardly know its on my side, and also because it has one of the best grips I've ever encountered on a light weight. Still has a good kick and not much fun to shoot a lot even with reg 38's.

I let her try that and after a few shots she turned to me and said "whats the big deal?"...referring to the kick! Said she wanted one so I got one for her.

If you can, find some place to rent a couple for her to try.

Even an LCR in 22 cal is better than no gun at all and you can load it with Velociter (sp?) ammo that is more high powered than reg 22 ammo.

[serf]

I like my wife's bersa thunder .380. Can be had for around 300 New.... big upgrade from a hi point.

since i'm home i will add that she looked at several guns online before i bought it for her. she had a taurus picked out online, so i took her to a local gun shop, and she didn't care for it much. we didn't want to spend much so when a second gentleman showed her the bersa she fell in loves. its a bit heavy (about as heavy as a full size m&p or glock) but its got more metal. the gun is very accurate and reliable.

that being make sure you see the guns in person and get to handle them (try one out if possible).

[dave711]

I have come across HiPoint and Taurus and Keltec. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Or any experience with the ones mentioned. probably a 380 but I am up for suggestions. my wife will be the primary one to carry it.

Sig p238 (colt mustang design) if you can't afford a kimber or sti 45. the hipoint and taurus are junk, but the keltec is very reliable but too light.

try all of them and you will see why!

[KCPete]

The wife picked up a nice little Smith j-frame Ultralight .38 Spl +P a while back. Added a $15 Hogue grip just a bit longer than the factory one, and now she's putting 5 shot groups inside a 6" circle at 15 yds with Federal JHP. She had a Ruger LCP .380 but had trouble with racking the slide with her small hands & lack of finger strength. The RUger likely to end up being my pocket gun, though the Smith is a really sweet shooter for a DA-only. (Fully shrouded hammer, nothing to snag)

I generally carry a Taurus PT 1911, a Rock Island Armory 1911 Officers, or a Taurus PT145 Millenium, (all in .45ACP) depending on the occasion.

[SllimG]

Take a look at the new very compact Springfield Arms XDS .45 ACP. Weighs just 20oz or 26oz loaded with mag & big bullets yet small enough for a pocket. Has nice safety features and is a very accurate shooter.

XDS.jpg

I've got one and they are really sweet. I don't carry it, but I put a light on it and keep it in my bedside safe, right beside the Kahr CW9 that I have there for my wife.

[Bob Denman]

The wife picked up a nice little Smith j-frame Ultralight .38 Spl +P a while back. Added a $15 Hogue grip just a bit longer than the factory one, and now she's putting 5 shot groups inside a 6" circle at 15 yds with Federal JHP.

The only problem with wheelguns, is that the cylinder makes concealment a bit tougher...
But I've got two J-Frames that I wouldn't part with for anything!

A 60 with a 3" Full shroud barrel, and a blued 36 flat-latch.

[PrairieSpyder]

The wife picked up a nice little Smith j-frame Ultralight .38 Spl +P a while back. Added a $15 Hogue grip just a bit longer than the factory one, and now she's putting 5 shot groups inside a 6" circle at 15 yds with Federal JHP. She had a Ruger LCP .380 but had trouble with racking the slide with her small hands & lack of finger strength. The RUger likely to end up being my pocket gun, though the Smith is a really sweet shooter for a DA-only. (Fully shrouded hammer, nothing to snag)

I generally carry a Taurus PT 1911, a Rock Island Armory 1911 Officers, or a Taurus PT145 Millenium, (all in .45ACP) depending on the occasion.

I had a S&W J-frame Airweight made of titanium. It really tore up my hand from shooting very much. Even though it was a model in demand because they quit making them, I sold it. I may go to a different revolver, though. Need to carry a speed loader with it.

[FaranH]

My wife carries a P 238 and she loves it. The greatest selling point for women is the ease of the slide. Nothing else like it. Worth every penny.

+1 Agree!

[Farmbanker]

I'm certainly not an expert, but I will say I LOVE my Glock, but it's not easily concealable for me.
So, at the recommendation of my firearms instructor, I bought a Taurus .380
It is very concealable . . . but I don't like it. I've had a number of misfires with it
(and yes, I know it's probably because I don't have a firm enough grip, or whatever,
but my Glock has NEVER misfired.)
So, I'm looking at a Ruger LCR22 (8 shot).
ALL the guys at the gun shop have the Ruger .380 and love it,
but I'm considering the 22 because it's a lot cheaper to shoot.
Haven't made a final decision yet, but from what I'm hearing,
there's gonna be a 3 to 6 month wait regardless what I order.

Anyway, do some checking before you buy a Taurus
Some people swear by them. Others, not so much.

Good luck! And whatever you do get, wear it in health!

I have the Taurus 380 and found it is very finnicky in terms of ammo. For some reason it hates Remmington but loves Winchester.....

Best gun is one you WILL carry.....

[Plyrod38]

I have a Keltek 9mm for carrying in the cage. It does have a heavy pull but I've done some spring work and added a pad to the trigger which makes it more tolerable. It's not a target pistol but it will serve it's intended purpose, not trying to hit a bullseye at 25 yards.
The wife carries a .38 S&W stainless 5 shot wheel gun but, as mentioned before, difficult to conceal.
I carry a Colt Mustang .380 when I'm on the byke. It's real comfortable to carry and is not noticeable when wearing a t shirt and jeans using a cell phone holster.

[bruiser]

bth_50CalDesertEagle.jpg I just tried this one out today.

[dave01]

Sig p238 (colt mustang design) if you can't afford a kimber or sti 45. the hipoint and taurus are junk, but the keltec is very reliable but too light.

try all of them and you will see why!

I have over 5000 rounds thru my Taurus 709 with zero issues. Kimbers are nice but overrated. I have 3 and they are just ok.

[Bob Denman]

There's been a lot of guns mentioned in here; I'd like to mention a couple of things...
DON'T carry more gun than you are 100% comfortable with.
In that "Oh Crap!" moment, you'll be lucky to have enough time to pull, point and fire. You won't have time to stare down the sights at the baddies as you double-tap them through the heart.
It'll all be instinctive shooting; practice from various stances without using your sights.
ANY sidearm that isn't 100% reliable should be treated as garbage. You're betting your life on it working.... It it's acting up at the range, why is it with you now?
Very few of us in here are LEOs; we don't need to carry fight-stoppers. We only need enough gun to make the decide that we'll be more trouble than we're worth.
If you pull it; be 100% certain that you can use it!

[bruiser]

There's been a lot of guns mentioned in here; I'd like to mention a couple of things...
DON'T carry more gun than you are 100% comfortable with.
In that "Oh Crap!" moment, you'll be lucky to have enough time to pull, point and fire. You won't have time to stare down the sights at the baddies as you double-tap them through the heart.
It'll all be instinctive shooting; practice from various stances without using your sights.
ANY sidearm that isn't 100% reliable should be treated as garbage. You're betting your life on it working.... It it's acting up at the range, why is it with you now?
Very few of us in here are LEOs; we don't need to carry fight-stoppers. We only need enough gun to make the decide that we'll be more trouble than we're worth.
If you pull it; be 100% certain that you can use it!

Agreed 1,000% By the way, my wrist hurts this morning.