Gun Reviews | myUtahCCW.com

Revolver or semi-automatic pistol?

Many people have asked me what I recommend for a first time concealed carry gun owner. I almost always respond, go with a revolver. So you may be wondering why that’s the recommendation I make. Well, first of all, if you’re a first time gun owner and don’t have lots of experience shooting, then you can’t go wrong with a revolver.

What are the advantages of using a revolver as your concealed carry?

Simply put, revolvers are great because all you have to do is pull the trigger and the gun goes bang. Now for someone who isn’t supper familiar with handguns, I highly recommend revolvers for this reason alone. You’re not going to love going to the range with a snub nose .357 revolver, trust me. But this gun is not a range gun, it’s sole purpose is protection as a Utah Concealed Carry. I also love that a .357 can shoot .38 special rounds as well. I think it’s a perfect combo. I know that there are lots of really cool looking semi-auto pistols out there, and they’re really great for general use. But you have to be realistic and ask yourself whether you’ll be able to go through the semi-auto firing steps when confronted with a split second decision. If you’d rather go with a semi-auto, then here are some considerations as well.

Why go with a semi-auto pistol over a revolver?

If you feel more comfortable deploying a weapon in self-defense, going with a semi-auto may be a great option for you. The very nature of a semi-auto means that you can deliver lots of rounds to your target in a very short amount of time. Having an additional magazine is also a handy thing as well, where as with a revolver, it may take more time to reload. So speed is a serious consideration in regards to personal safety. Semi-autos give you a wider choice of ammo selections from .380 to .45 ACP. In the end, the decision is obviously yours and I hope that these considerations help in your selection for your Utah Concealed Carry.

. 10 Oct 08 | Gun Reviews | Read on | Comments (0)

Comparison of Three Popular Concealed Carry 9mm pistols

Why the Concealed Carry Review?

So, I’ve been asked by more than one person what I think about 9mm Concealed Carry pistols. The short answer is that I don’t think you can go wrong with 9mm for your Utah Concealed Carry Permit. Coupled with a solid hallow point or hydra shock round, I think you’ll be pleased with any one of the following 9mm concealed carry’s. I think it’s important to remember that most concealed carry pistols have a smaller frame, which is essential for concealed carry, but may make you frustrated if you plan on doing lots of shooting with your concealed carry. You’ll probably be happier with a full size pistol at the range than with one of the following concealed carry pistols.

What 9mm do people like?

Ok, so here’s a general overview of three rather popular concealed carry pistols. The Glock 26, Springfield Armory XD 9, and Kel Tec PF 9. If you’re interested in the technical differences, here’s a comparison between all three of them.

What about the Glock 26?

For starters I’ll talk about the glock 26 chambered in 9mm Luger. Glock’s are super popular. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for, and that applies here as well. Going with a Glock is a smart choice because you know that they have a strong reputation and you’ll be able to sell it if you ever need to for a reasonable price. Also, since the Glock is so popular, you’ll have no problem getting all the bells and whistles that you could ever want to go along with this concealed carry. You may have noticed, however, that the glock is the thickest of all three. You may not think that there is much difference between .25 inches or so, but believe me when I say that there is a huge difference. So, going with this concealed carry is not a bad idea. The glock has lots of great features, a solid frame and a great reputation. You do pay a little bit more than some of the other guns out there. So that’s something to consider as well.

How about the XD 9?

The Springfield Armory XD 9 is an increadibly popular pistol. Lots of people swear by their XD. Constructed of lightweight materials, you’ll be comfortable carrying this concealed carry around. The XD has some unique safety features and is rather comperable to the Glock 26. Many gun dealers will sell this pistol with standard 10 round magazine as well as an extended 16 round magazine. So if you have bigger hands or have to have more rounds on you, then this might be a great option. This XD adds a light rail, a feature that the Glock 26 unfortunately doesn’t have. Like I said, many people are extremely happy with the performance of XD pistols.

How about that Kel Tec PF 9

The first time that I saw this concealed carry, the guns salesman said, “that gun is only going to make you mad!” That wasn’t a very good sales pitch, so let’s try this angle. Sure, this concealed carry may be a little hard to get perfect bulls eye’s at the range. But show me a concealed carry pistol with those features and I’ll show you that’s it’s probably a full frame pistol. Practice and training will greatly increase your accuracy with this inexpensive and lightweight pistol. This pistol is the slimmest of all three mentioned here. I just don’t know how they got this concealed carry so slim…It is also extremely lightweight compared to the other two. You’ll also notice that this pistol has a light rail, a nice feature for a pistol priced at such a nice price. Probably the greatest downside to this pistol is that it’s double action only (DAO). DAO isn’t bad, it’s just that shooting lots of rounds can get tiresome as you have a long trigger pull on each round. So there you go, a quick reivew of three rather popular pistols to go along with your Utah Concealed Carry Permit. Don’t have your Utah CCW yet, contact us and we’ll get you going!

. 17 Sep 08 | Gun Reviews | Read on | Comments (0)

Selecting the best caliber for your concealed carry

The debate between hangun rounds has a long history. There are, however, some key differences that you should consider when selecting a concealed carry round. For example, did you know that the 40 S&W round was created especally for the FBI because they had issues with the power of the 9mm Luger? Apparently the FBI got into a fire-fight with some criminals in Florida where the FBI was vastly out gunned. The FBI had 9mm rounds and the other guys had superior fire power. So the FBI developed a 10mm round that had greater penetration and stoping power. However, female FBI agents found the larger round problematic. That’s why we have the 40 S&W, a comprimise between the 9mm and 10mm rounds.

So how do you select the right round for your concealed carry in Utah?

The short answer is: it depends. It depends on your style of carrying concealed. What I mean by style is how comfortable are you with shooting a 40 S&W? An honest assesment is absolutely necessary. It doesn’t matter if you have 45 ACP in your handgun if you can’t handle that concealed carry round. I’d say that it’s better to have a round that you are comfortable deploying than have the roughest and toughest round out there. So let’s create some general categories here to assess which round is right for your concealed carry.

I’ve got smaller hands and don’t have lots of concealed carry experience:

For folks in this general group, I’d suggest either 9mm Luger, .380 ACP or .38 Special. These three rounds are probably some of the best small caliber rounds. Now, you’ll probably notice a difference between 9mm and the other two rounds. Here’s a comparison photo between the two.

The 9mm Luger is on the left and the .38 Special is on the right. There is a significant difference in the length. You may think that greater length means a better concealed carry round. However, the 9mm does have greater stopping power. A heaver bullet coupled with a great match of gun powder equals a formidable round. In fact, the U.S. Military still uses the 9mm Luger round. There’s been considerable debate about this but it seems that the U.S. Army will be moving to the .45 ACP.

Here’s something else to consider when selecting between the 9mm, .380 ACP or .38 Special. If you’re not as experienced handling a Concealed Carry gun, you may be better off going with something like a revolver chambered in .38 Special. I’ve posted a review of one concealed carry revolver that you might consider. You’ll also be able to find some great pistols chambered in .380 ACP. Bersa, Walther, and SigSauer all make a similar style pistol cambered in .380 ACP.

Some people ask about .22 LR round for their concealed carry round. There’s no doubt that a .22 round can do considerable damage, if placed in the correct spot. There are numerous pocket and purse pistols that could be a great option for the concealed carry holder who does not want something too big and bulky. I still recommend going with something a little larger, but if you really want small, you can go with .22.

I’ve got normal/bigger hands and feel comfortable shooting a concealed carry

I can’t say this enough, you have to pick a round that you are comfortable with. I love shooting .45 ACP. It’s a great round to take out shooting. It can do amazing damage. If you carry concealed in Utah in your bag or back pack, there’s nothing wrong with going with .45 ACP. However, my experience is that people who buy a Glock or a 1911 in .45 ACP, they almost always complain that their gun is too bulky. I guess fat bullets make a fat gun. So what are you to do? Don’t think that you won’t get some good bang if you go with a .40 S&W. Shooting the Kahr CW40 has almost twice the kick as a full size Glock in .45 ACP.

There’s nothing wrong with going with 9mm Luger. You can find some great compact pistols for your concealed carry. But when you look at the numbers, I can’t help but be totally impressed with the .40 S&W. It’s compact and powerful; that’s everything that you could want in your concealed carry round.

Now, having said all of the above things, I think the most important aspect is marksmanship. Of course you can stop someone dead in their tracks if you hit them with a .45 ACP round. You can also do amazing things if you deliver rounds in vital locations. I always say accuracy first, power second. It doesn’t matter if you have a .45 ACP if you can’t control where your rounds end up.

. 12 Sep 08 | Gun Reviews | Read on | Comment (1)

Review of Tuarus .357 Titanium frame Concealed Carry

Wow, check out this amazing concealed carry pistol, the Taurus Titanium .357 MAG. Weighing in at just under 20 oz. this Titanium revolver is an amazing solution for your Utah concealed carry needs. The cylinder holds 7 .357 Magnum or .38 Special rounds. That’s the great thing about this little concealed carry, if you feel comfortable with .357 MAG, you can shoot the bigger round. If you like something smaller, you can shoot the .38 Special.

The compact frame will fit nicely in your hand with the specially formulated rubber grips. This compact frame won’t be wanting for strength and durability. You’re sure to be happy with durability of the Titanium frame. As for safety features, this Taurus has a built-in transfer bar. The transfer bar will prevent the hammer from striking the bullet casing unless the hammer is pulled all the way back and allowed to fall naturally. You can pick this concealed carry up for around $500.

. 10 Sep 08 | Gun Reviews | Read on | Comments (0)

Concealed Carry Gun Review | Kahr CW40

The Kahr CW40 Concealed Carry

The Top Five things to consider about the Kahr CW40

Size: First of all, Kahr has done an excellent job on making this bad boy fit right in the palm of your hand. If you’ve got huge hands, this gun might be a little uncomfortable to shoot. But hey, this is a concealed carry, if you want something that fits perfectly in your hand, you’d probably be looking at a full-framed pistol or revolver.
Size part 2: The compact size of this gun makes it an excellent choice for carrying. Oh, and did I mention it’s light weight as well? The other thing to consider about this pistol’s size is that you’re going to feel power of the 40 S&W a lot more than if you were firing a full-sized Glock or HK. So you’re probably not going to be super happy going to the range with this gun.
The Grip: because this gun is so compact, you’ll notice that it has a rather aggresive grip. It needs this much grip just so it stays in your hand. You can pick up an extended magazine if you need more handle to hold onto. The standard magazine also has a lip to hold your hand in place.
The Price: You can pick this pistol up for around $400! That’s an incredible price when you consider it’s a Kahr. Kahr basically took one of their higher-end pistols and just cut out a few of the “beauty” steps in machining this gun, which is great because those savings are passed onto you. And besides, if you have to use your concealed carry, do you think the bad guy is going to stop to say, “wow, that’s a nice looking gun”?
Caliber: It’s a 40 S&W! Now, there’s always this debate going on about what’s the best round. Well, I won’t touch that issue right here but I will say that 40 S&W is a pretty solid round. Granted, this gun packs a little more punch than your average 40 S&W, but for the incredible value this gun packs I don’t think you can go wrong with this concealed carry. And besides, if you don’t like the 40S&W, Kahr also makes this a CW9 chambered in 9MM Luger.

. 01 Sep 08 | Gun Reviews | Read on | Comments (3)

Great place to find discounted concealed carry guns

I’ve used and can recommend GunBroker.com.
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There are other places as well for you to get guns locally. I enjoy the customer service of Doug’s Shoot n’ Sports as well as Get Some Guns and Ammo. Basically, I say go where the sales associates treat you with respect and are helpful rather than condescending.

. 22 Aug 08 | Gun Reviews | Read on | Comments (0)