I just can't decide!


New member
I would recommend a officer size 1911 that's just personal feelings. And you can get them from .380,9mm, 40 cal 38 super and of course the best .45 acp the best man stopper of all time


New member
Oh wow, how did I not know about that sr9c?! From the looks of it not only is it pretty compact and concealable but a +7 mag extension for range shooting?! Gtfo! Think that might have just solved my problem, thank you sir. Sorry to hear about your issue, however with Ruger you can expect it to get fixed and have a long lasting gun.

On a side note I love Oregon, seeing you add those taxes in made me cringe!


New member
There are several reasons I chose the SR9C. You get a 10 rd and a 17rd magazine that has a sleeve on it that basically turns it into a full size SR9. The little 10 rd magazine comes with that little pinky grip extension on it which, to me, adds a comfort level. I saw a video yesterday about a guy who also has an SR9c and his hands are kinda small so her doesn't feel that he needs that extension. It has a reasonably small profile. Even though some folks don't like the slide safety, except on the 1911's, I felt that my wife would feel "safer" if the weapon I chose had one. Easy take down, but then if you look at the other choices I had listed, all of them had a relatively easy take down. Here's a biggie, adjustable sights. And then there is the last biggie. The price point. You get a great little pistol with a great reputation and the capacity to hold 17+1 rds for less than $420. Can it get any better than that? As for taxes, here in the Great State of Texas, we don't have a state employment tax, but we do have an 8.25% sales tax. Gotta pay for them roads and other stuff somehow.


New member
I've been told (by friends who own one) sr9c needs about 200 rounds ran through before it shoots consistently without hick-ups. I prefer the p95 holds 15 and conceals well.


New member
Simple. Go to your local range and try a lot of 'em out until you find the biggest caliber that you can shoot and carry well. Buy that one. I didn't expect to like any polymer gun (I hate Glocks because I can't hit the side of a barn with one but that's just me and I readily admit they are great guns for those who they 'fit') but when I tried the Beretta PX4 .40 it was love at first shot. Lastly, check out Bud's Guns. With your $500 max, you will be surprised at what you can get.

aj's 40 cal

New member
im a bigger guy 6'2 250 i carry a springfield XD-subcompact .40 in a crossbreed supertuck. for me cant beat it, but it might not be for you. look into glocks, springfield and S&W M&P line..


New member
Oh yeah, I kind of considered the S&W M&P9C and the S&W M&P40C as well. I don't know why I didn't go that direction. If I'm not mistaken, those guns are a little cheaper than the SR9C even. I have heard that they are very good guns to have. If you decide to go the Beretta PX4 route, just do your research on the take down pin issue that I have read about somewhere. Other than that they have gotten great reviews.

To the person who mentioned having to fire 200 rds thru the SR9C, you are correct. I have heard the same thing. But, I have that about any brand new gun. 200 or so rds through any new gun is supposed to "break it in" and help work out some of the slide and trigger stiffness. In the research I have done, the recommendation is to fire 200 rds of FMJ through it followed by your choice of 50 self-defense JHP rds. That is to make sure your brand new pistol like the ammo you have chosen for it, because some firearms for whatever reason do not shoot certain brands of ammo well.

Either buy your gun at a gun show or from Buds. Buds has some really good prices on just about everything.



New member
I agree with the M&P40c/crossbreed recommendation (my CCW rig, altho I use a Minitaur holster) but don't think you can get there for $500 ($600 maybe - depends on how many mags S&W is throwing in when you buy it)... if the budget's tight consider the M&P9c - a lot cheaper to shoot...


New member
Going back to Cotillion's original question, a couple things mentioned in his criteria were "concealable" and "pocket carry." Unless you're Captain Kangaroo, some of these guns mentioned are not real concealable in a pocket. It's turned into more of a list of everyone's favorite gun rather than addressing the original question. Cotillion, you can't beat hands-on. Go to a gun dealer with a good inventory or to a gun show and feel a bunch of them in your hand and see how they fit your idea of "concealable."

Even then, the best way to decide is to shoot. I wanted a small revolver so I did some looking around. My wife has a Ruger LCR which felt too small in my hand. I handled a S&W .38 Special Bodyguard at a gun show and it felt better to me, so I bought one. Then I took it to the range and I hated it. After I got my Ruger LC9, which I like very much (and won on this forum; thanks, Luke), I traded the Bodyguard for a S&W M&P40, which is my office desk gun and will be my winter (under a coat) carry gun. It's too big to conceal in the summer.


Talk is Cheap!!
I have an M&P9c and couldn't recommend it simply because out of the box the trigger sucked bad. After installing the Apex trigger parts (an extra $100 or so there) the trigger smoothed out tremendously but even then the trigger pull feels a mile long due to the hinged trigger and the reset is almost unnoticeable.

That is just my $0.02, though. Many love the M&P9C. I bought mine last year - the newer ones may have better triggers.

Personally, my vote is for a G26 with a good kydex holster.... and lots of ammo and practice and training. ;-) Ultimately the practice and training matter infinitely more than what particular gun you carry anyway.


New member
I've held just about everything, unfortunately there's no rental places here! I was shocked being from tacoma where they had one but not here in southern Oregon! I go every few days and re-look over everything which is a bummer because I have to gauge what's comfortable to shoot and recoil off other peoples opinions.


New member
I went and checked out the sr9c today and was VERY impressed, its definitely going to be my purchase. I liked the m&p also but the Ruger was for me. Thank you again for the suggestion


New member
Cotillion:229619 said:
For the past 2 months I've decided on 10 different guns and I just can't settle on 1! Unfortunately my budget doesn't allow purchases like guns very often so I need to make this one count! At first I was thinking lcp or tcp to make pocket carry easy, but being a bigger guy those little pocket 380s aren't to fun to shoot and id rather have a 9mm. So I thought kel tec Pf-9, but they are snappy little guns and I'm not sure if it will last as long as I need it too considering I can't purchase guns a lot. So then I thought the new kahr cm9, better quality, yet still gonna be pretty snappy as a single stack 9mm. So what's left, glock 26? I really don't want to get much bigger than that since it will be my cc :/

So, you have around 500 bucks, no gun and need an EDC and concealable, what would you get?!
Get the Glock 26. Its dependable, reliable and affordable!


New member
You cant decide.....

I owned a Glock 23....it is a subcompact, NOT a pocket weapon...BUT you will find that the shorter the barrel, the harder to hit the target is.....yeah i know practice will make you better....the Glock 23 afforded me 13 rds standard, and 15/17 clips will also work....it is long enough to comfortably fit your hand, and quite honestly, i fired almost 2000 rounds through mine with ONLY one jam....which i blame on crap ammo.....I could carry it concealed on my hip with an uncle mikes holster which secured it in place and also put you on an auto course to have your finger in the correct position when the pistol was removed (not finger on the trigger)....you really need to go to a range and try to shoot different ones...it's a big purchase, and I have found that many do not fit my hand comfortably.....the only reason I do NOT have the Glock 23 right now is simple....I bought a Model 35 competition model which affords even more accuracy (i can already cut out a face) plus it gives me a good long range shot should it ever be needed....and YES the Glock 35 (8.15") WILL fit in my Glock 23 Holster and YES I can conceal it....LOL...my boss calls me "clint" LOL....seriously, at least go to a store and hold different pistols in your hand.....if you have big hands, you are sure to find that a pocket rocket will not feel right....personally, i am a .40 cal man....it has great one shot stopping ability...and if you research caliber ballistics you will see that depending on the ammo, it even outperforms a .357.....which is saying something.....GOOD LUCK, and do your research no matter what type you get....(check ballistics, you can google it....this may get you on the path as to which caliber you want to look at first).....one shot can kill anyone.....just not very likely with a .22 if you follow me


New member
Look at the Ruger LC9. It's hard to beat for the price and the extension plate on the magazine allows you to get all three fingers on the grip.

I've never shot the LC9, but from those who have (like my wife's daughter, a cop-ette) it's a fine little gun, concealable and dependable.


New member
The lc9 was in the first set of guns I was considering but after coming to the conclusion I live in Oregon and if my gun sneaks a peak every once in a while it doesn't matter. 10+1/17+1 with a beautiful trigger pull and less recoil is more up my alley

Members online

No members online now.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Latest member