Recently my cousin told me that his wife laid claim to his Taurus PT111 9mm because she loved shooting it. With his main concern being keeping her happy, I can understand his willingness to give it up. Fortunately, it provided him with the opportunity to fulfill his desire to move into a .45 caliber for concealed carry. He asked my advice on what to buy so after opining to him, I thought I would share it with others who may have similar questions.
There are many worthy .45's out there and so the blessing of choice becomes part of the curse of figuring out which one you need. I did a considerable amount of research before I bought mine, so I can tell you what I found. First of all, I am unapologetically a Glock man. The short version of the story is that a significant number of law enforcement officers carry it (not only while working, but also for personal carry) for all the right reasons including dependability, weight, etc. So, since their life is on the line everyday, I thought it wise to consider one too. That said, it's fair to say that guns are like cars: everyone pulls up to the store with a different one.
As to the model I chose I learned that comfort is the supreme consideration: if it isn't comfortable, you will have the tendency to leave it at home or in the car, and then the whole purpose for concealed carry is defeated. Therefore, my research pointed me in the direction of a single stack model Glock. For obvious reasons the more ammo the gun will hold the better, but since most gun fights last an average of only 3 seconds and only 3 rounds are fired, the concealed carry piece should, arguably, lean toward comfort rather than the number of rounds the magazine will hold. For the record, if I could carry openly I'd have the largest magazine I could find and comfortably wear. Since I can't, I picked the Glock model 36 .45 caliber. It holds six in the mag and one in the chamber. You can increase the number of rounds some with a Pierce “Plus One, or Plus Two” magazine extender, but then you get uncomfortably close to the comfort ability factor again. I did purchase a "plus 0" extender so the grip would be more comfortable in my hand. It allows just enough room for my pinky finger without adding any ammo to the magazine.
The main thing in determining the right gun for you is to research, research, and then research some more. If possible try to find one you can hold in your hand and get the feel for. A number of firing ranges offer gun rentals, so you may be able to actually fire the gun you think you want. Whatever you choose, it only need be right for you. It’s your money, your gun, your life. As for me a brief recap looks like this: A single stack is more comfortable to carry. It's good (as far as I’m concerned) to carry a gun with a 4 in it somewhere. I carry a .45 because they don't make a .46, and besides, shooting twice is just silly.
There are many worthy .45's out there and so the blessing of choice becomes part of the curse of figuring out which one you need. I did a considerable amount of research before I bought mine, so I can tell you what I found. First of all, I am unapologetically a Glock man. The short version of the story is that a significant number of law enforcement officers carry it (not only while working, but also for personal carry) for all the right reasons including dependability, weight, etc. So, since their life is on the line everyday, I thought it wise to consider one too. That said, it's fair to say that guns are like cars: everyone pulls up to the store with a different one.
As to the model I chose I learned that comfort is the supreme consideration: if it isn't comfortable, you will have the tendency to leave it at home or in the car, and then the whole purpose for concealed carry is defeated. Therefore, my research pointed me in the direction of a single stack model Glock. For obvious reasons the more ammo the gun will hold the better, but since most gun fights last an average of only 3 seconds and only 3 rounds are fired, the concealed carry piece should, arguably, lean toward comfort rather than the number of rounds the magazine will hold. For the record, if I could carry openly I'd have the largest magazine I could find and comfortably wear. Since I can't, I picked the Glock model 36 .45 caliber. It holds six in the mag and one in the chamber. You can increase the number of rounds some with a Pierce “Plus One, or Plus Two” magazine extender, but then you get uncomfortably close to the comfort ability factor again. I did purchase a "plus 0" extender so the grip would be more comfortable in my hand. It allows just enough room for my pinky finger without adding any ammo to the magazine.
The main thing in determining the right gun for you is to research, research, and then research some more. If possible try to find one you can hold in your hand and get the feel for. A number of firing ranges offer gun rentals, so you may be able to actually fire the gun you think you want. Whatever you choose, it only need be right for you. It’s your money, your gun, your life. As for me a brief recap looks like this: A single stack is more comfortable to carry. It's good (as far as I’m concerned) to carry a gun with a 4 in it somewhere. I carry a .45 because they don't make a .46, and besides, shooting twice is just silly.
