I apologize ahead of time for the length, selecting the correct carry pistol is more in depth than choosing a color or name brand.

1. Always keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction 2. Be sure of your target and what is beyond your target 3. Always keep the pistol holstered when being carried 4. Eye and Ear protection ALWAYS !

Your first consideration would be the size. If you want to carry a full size pistol then the options are limited only by your bank account. Go to a gun shop pick up a pistol and hold it in your shooting hand out in front of you, now with you other hand pull the slide back. Do you feel the pistol torqueing back in your hand ? It is going to feel like that each time you shoot, what you’re feeling is the slide compressing the recoil spring and possibly cocking the hammer. Each time you shoot the slide will accelerate to the rear and stop which causes the muzzle to rise and then with the spring fully compressed the slide will go forward loading another round and drive the pistol forward and down. This is recoil and a normal function of the gun. A full size pistol is comfortable to shoot and can be easily tailored to a particular load. Each pistol will prefer a particular brand and bullet weight over all others. For the purpose of defensive carry, when you buy your pistol, buy one box of ammo from each manufacturer that is on the shelf. Let’s say you bought a glock 19 . Buy a box of Federal, Remington, Winchester and Hornady all in the 115 grain bullet size. Now take those to the range and at 15 yards you’ll find that your pistol likes one of those better than the rest. Now to tune the pistol to the round it likes best, load a mag and at 7 yards fire a shot and after the shot pay attention to the sights. Did your sights come back to the spot on the target where you were holding before your shot ? Chances are they didn’t, they will be either high or low. This is all relative to your grip strength and the recoil spring. If the sights are low of the target following a shot then you will want to change to a lighter recoil spring, if they settled high of the target you’ll want to increase the recoil spring weight. When I say weight I don’t mean weight in mass I mean weight in resistance. This spring makes the pistol function. It also has a large impact on felt recoil. More than the caliber of the round. Different weight springs are available from wolff spring or ISMI, personally I am partial to the ISMI .

Let’s get into the smaller carry pistol. The concealable cute little blaster that can accompany you anywhere in a small pocket holster, your purse or tucked in a flash bang holster attached to a bra. The biggest thing to remember about these is they are not really comfortable to shoot. Pay attention to the one maybe two fingers you’re able to get around the grip and the weight of the recoil spring.They are meant to be available when you are in a true defensive situation, something under 3 yards. You pull it out and with only one hand , you are shooting. When I say small I mean the Taurus TCP, Ruger LCP and Kel Tec’s in 380, 32 . I carry the Ruger LCP and my wife prefers the Taurus TCP. Practice with this little guy is not the most wonderful experience, but I can keep my shots where they need to be out to 10 yards. The mechanics of shooting are best maintained with a 22. I use the Browning Buckmark, I love everything about that pistol. For a new shooter wanting to carry they first need to learn the basics, and that level of confidence and marksmanship is gained with a low recoil and quiet 22. I use standard velocity ammo without any issues. After a hundred rounds of 22 then take a break for a little bit, go have lunch and think about what was happening. Repeat this until the shooter is comfortable with the function of the pistol and any malfunctions that may occur. Before transitioning to a pistol using centerfire, reinforce that there is going to be a noticeable difference in control after each shot. This is normal and a function of the pistol. Counter the increased recoil with a slight change in grip pressure but always maintain a smooth trigger pull using only tip of finger. That means from the first joint to tip. Never wrap your finger around the trigger.

Revolvers are a whole different ball game. The semi auto handguns are a little easier to control recoil because the center of the bore is closer to the plane of your arm. Revolvers will seem to torque a bit more in your hand because of the height of the bore above your arm and also there is no reduction in recoil. With a Revolver you’re getting all that the caliber has on both ends. Revolvers for me don’t point as quickly for the same reason. The sight plane is higher than that of a semi auto. If you want to carry a revolver you should also buy a 22 revolver in as close to the same configuration as the one you will carry. Revolvers have a great safety record, they require a real intent on your part to fire, they also don’t jam as often as semi auto handguns. If you have a misfire just squeeze the trigger again. They are not as concealable as a small semi auto, but they redeem themselves in reliability. If you don’t think they offer a fast follow up shot, just look at a youtube video of SASS competition. These guys smoke with the revolvers.

That’s a lot of information to digest. So take just a couple things from it, first find something you’re comfortable with shooting, and always always always carry it in a holster that completely covers the trigger. Seek competent instruction on shooting and maintenance of your pistol. If you have an option on the range you’re going to use, it is always best to be outside. Indoor ranges stink and are extremely loud which is a distraction for a new shooter.

My preferences on a pistol for carry are the SIG p250 in 45, glock 21, glock 42 and the Ruger LCP.

Curtis mcmahon

615 516 9869

This is my original material, it is yours to read. Not to distribute without written authorization.