HOW TO CHOOSE A CONCEALABLE DEFENSIVE HANDGUN

The information listed on this page is not intended as a substitute for training and is for general inforamtional purposes only.

1.     CHOOSE A PRACTICAL CALIBER

• Choose a caliber with enough power to consistently penetrate deep enough into the body to cause damage (bleeding) to major organs.

Deadly Force Research:

• When deadly force is justified, you want to stop the threat as soon as possible, and a survey on police shootings proves accurate heads shots effectively stop the threat 100% of the time; even though they do not always cause death.

• FBI studies (on real police shootings) proved the only way to consistently stop a threat as soon as possible is to severely damage or sever the central nervous system.

• FBI statistics (on real police shootings) reveal 70% of all police shootings over the last forty years are between 5 - 10 feet. Therefore, there is no need for a caliber delivering a great deal of range.

Handgun Controllability:

• FBI studies (on real police shootings) prove multiple shots are also an effective technique to stop a justified deadly force assault. They will cause a great deal of internal damage to the assailant, which will in turn cause the assailant to bleed internally and externally. This loss of blood will reduce the flow of blood and oxygen to the assailant's brain, and this will eventually cause him/her to lose consciousness, collapse, and end the assault.

• In any assault, there is always the possibility of multiple assailants. Therefore, controllability will be needed to quickly deliver multiple shots and/or head shots to multiple assailants.

• A large caliber handgun also produces equally hard recoil. Therefore, they may be difficult to control for fast multiple accurate shots which may be needed to survive a justified deadly force assault occurring within 2.5 - 3.5 seconds. 

Suggested Pistol Calibers:

•      Small calibers - .38 Special, .380 caliber, .357 caliber

•      Larger calibers - 9 mm, .40 caliber, .45 caliber

• These calibers have proved to have enough power to consistently penetrate deep enough into the body to cause damage (bleeding) to major organs.

• These calibers also provide controllability for accurate head shots and multiple follow up shots for increased stopping effect and multiple assailants.

 

2.     SIMPLICITY

All handguns are mechanical devices; Practical defensive handguns are divided into two major types: revolvers and semiautomatic pistols. Even though, they are both handguns, they operate very differently.

 Semiautomatic Pistols

• In general - semiautomatic pistols are more complicated and require more maintenance. They utilize compacted magazine springs and a straight blow back operations system whereby it extracts and ejects a fired casing, cock the hammer, and chambers a new cartridge.

• They also have magazine springs which can become weakened over time, if they are kept fully loaded for extended periods of time. Therefore, the magazine should be unloaded and switched with another magazine.

• High magazine capacity  (7-8 for concealeable semi-autos)

• Faster operating system for quicker shots

• Less recoil due to heavy metal recoil spring

• Generally, faster and easier reloading

Revolvers

• In general – revolvers are simpler to operate and require less maintenance.

• Limited to (5 – 6 rounds for concealeable revolvers)

• Relatively slower operating system for slower subsequent shots

• Harder recoil due to absence of a heavy metal recoil spring

• Generally, slower and more complicated reloading

 

3.     PHYSICAL STRENGTH

All handguns require a functional amount of hand, finger, arm and upper body strength.

Research:

• FBI statistics (on real police shootings) reveal the average police shooting involved firing 4 - 6 shots. Therefore, the statistics do not mandate semiautomatic with high magazine capacities

Semiautomatic Pistols

• They require enough physical hand/finger strength to load cartridges into a magazine while pushing against a metal spring which pushes back progressively harder with each cartridge loaded in the magazine.

• They also require enough physical hand and arm strength to pull the slide/upper receiver backwards while pushing against a heavy metal recoil spring.

Revolvers

• They require relatively minimal physical hand/finger strength to load cartridges into cylinder chambers, because there is no magazine.

• They also have no slide/upper receiver to pull backwards while pushing against a heavy metal recoil spring.

 

4.     CHOOSE A HANDGUN THAT FEELS CONFORTABLE IN YOUR HAND

Try several different handguns

Is it too heavy OR too light?

• Heavy handguns are more difficult to conceal, while light weight handguns often have harder recoils thereby making them more difficult to control for multiple accurate shots.

Is it too large for practical concealed carry?

Large handguns are more difficult to conceal.

Is it too small to obtain a full grip for accuracy and controllability?

Is it too small OR too light for comfortable shooting practice?

Is the grip too large OR too small for your hand?

Is the grip to short for your hand?

Is the grip angle too great or too vertical?

5.     PRACTICAL CONCEALED CARRY

The handguns should meet your individual needs while remaining readily concealable.

 Individual needs

Examples:

Personal clothing styles

Weather of the day

When do you plan to carry the handgun most

At work

While traveling

Camping, etc.

Semiautomatic pistols

Slimmer and more streamlined

Revolvers

Wider than semiautomatics, because of the revolver cylinder