I learned this weekend that something I did in November has had a ripple effect on the people around me. I took 4 friends with me to the NC Concealed Carry class. One of them, my wife’s closest friend, just got her CHP a week or so ago and she told her father about it. Her father has been putting off getting his CHP, but since his little girl has one, he has decided to run out and get his CHP as well. They will be spending some quality time together at the range in the near future selecting her carry gun. Since he has some ‘interesting’ military experience, I feel certain that she will get something that will work very well for her.He e-mailed me with a simple question, but one that was very difficult to answer:
I have a female friend who's searching for a carry gun, and I am thinking that it would make a good series of posts. The problem is that the local range might rent her a gun to shoot, but they won't let her put it in a holster and carry it around for a week. What do you recommend?
That's a real tough one, because while you might be able to find a gun that feels good in the hand, shooting it is another kettle of fish entirely. And once you've found a gun that feels good in the hand *and* you can shoot it competently, carrying it throws yet another variable into the equation. My Kel-Tec P3AT is one of the easiest guns to carry concealed I've ever come across - and one of the hardest to shoot with anything even remotely resembling accuracy. My Smith & Wesson Model 27 fits my hand like a glove (as it should, because S&W revolvers have a ton of great stock options) and shoots like a dream, but I'm not carrying it concealed with anything short of a trench coat.
It's a mix of compromises: you need to find something that you can shoot with a modicum of confidence that doesn't require a cover garment and duct tape to hide on your person. Guns that are eminently shootable - Medium frame revolvers, large frame semi-automatics, etc. - are difficult to conceal. Guns that are easy to conceal - J-frame revolvers, pocket 380s, etc. - are handfuls at the range. Finding that perfect blend of shootability and portability is the holy grail of the concealed carrier.
My recommendation is multi-level. First off, find a large retail gun shop and head in on "off" hours (i.e. not Saturday morning at 10AM). Explain exactly what you're there for - you are looking for a concealed carry gun for someone new to CCW; you're not looking to buy today; and you want to try out as many different options as possible. If they try to steer you towards any one gun (*cough* J-frame), wave off and find another store. If they're worth their salt, they'll make a recommendation or two, then stand back and let you try out what you want.
Once you've narrowed the field down to a manageable number of possible choices (perhaps half a dozen), network with local gunnies to see who has similar/comparable models you can try out at the range. 99 times out of 100, if you post a "Hey, does anyone have a [Blaster X] I could shoot?" post on your local gun forum, you'll get 5-10 folks eager to help out with the exact model or something darn close. Obviously, bring your own ammo - remember to pick up "carry" ammo as well as practice - and it's a nice gesture to offer to leave the leftovers for the person lending the firearm.
Once you've had a chance to handle and shoot a decent variety of firearms, the choice becomes both much easier and much harder. You might be down to two or three models (or 10!) from which to choose, and it is increasingly harder to borrow something at this point - you're going to really want something you can tuck inside your waistband for hours at a time, etc. This is now a personal issue, and generally, unless you've got a really close friend, you've got to bite the bullet (Ha! Gun puns!) and start plunking down the Benjamins.
One thing you can do if you can find a model is to buy a Bluegun or an Airsoft version if you want to try it out before buying the real thing. Blueguns has a wide variety of handguns that are manufactured to the exact dimensions of their real world counterparts. They're bound to be lighter - so they won't give 100% correlation to the real thing - but it's a great way to find out if the handle pokes you when you sit down, etc. before you buy. Plus, if you do end up getting the real firearm, you'll have a Bluegun for training and such. Airsoft is another way to go about it, but the really accurate models that are weighted the same and such can be nearly as pricey as the real thing.
Anyone have any other thoughts on how to try before you buy?
That is all.
4 comments:
Good advice Jay The only thing I would suggest is to add the consideration of how she will carry the firearm into the mix. This is particularly important with a woman and womens clothing.
Perhaps some suggestions from females with CCLs might be appropriate.
An additional option: Many "Combat Models" are available as BB gun clones. Some restrictions apply and the weight issue is still there but a recent aquisition of an "H&K USP" BB gun perfectly fits the holsters for my carry weapon. Cost was $70-ish if I remember. I was amazed at the detail that the manufacturer had put in it.
+1 to Roger!
While many of us might have bought a few additions to our wardrobe once we started regularly carrying, nobody is going to change their WHOLE wardrobe.
She should look at the clothes she regularly wears, and look at various holster types and concealment methods.
See if she can come up with 2-3 locations where a gun might hide, this can give you a good idea of how big you can go before concealment goes out the window. Also makes it easier to carry all day every day.
Nobody just wears their seat-belt on "Dangerous Roads", carrying a gun is no different.
Maybe there's a Women on Target or a Second Amendment Sisters group near by, the members of which I'm sure would love to provide input.
- Brad
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