N
nmedge
Guest
Honestly nothing. They need to go to a class and be trained in basic firearm safety. If they persist a 22Mag pistol with a holster to cover trigger.
What would you recommend to a non-gun person for concealed carry?
- Thread starter youngolddude
- Start date
Keystone19250
SAINT
Funwithfuel
Custom
I know it's been beat to death, but I'm gonna side with revolvers, particularly the model 60 or any J-frame with all stainless, nickel or steel 5 shot chambered in 357. Here's why. You're not gonna load 357, yer gonna load 38 wadcutters or jhp. The 357 has a touch more heft in it which will help tame the pep of the venerable 38. BassBobs suggestion of the shield is very good as well. My daughter loves hers. But, she's been around guns almost all her life. She can clear jams, handle a misfire etc. Most noobs would panic and throw the gun like a rock. Stick with the revolver. This next part is on you, young old dude. You need to provide the most basic of gun safety training. Load, unload, safe handling, sight picture. All that. You are the trusted friend being confided in. It's your job, like it or not. I would also think a couple trips to the range so that they can get accustomed to the recoil and report. Good luck
Annihilator
Emissary
Nothing wrong with a S&W J-Frame, great gun for beginners and seasoned shooters alike
I posted earlier but looking back at YoungOldDude's question, he didn't ask about starting out with guns, but about what would be a good choice for concealed carry. To answer that question (although I do like revolvers for their simplicity and reliability), my suggestion is that they look at a Sprinfield XDe in 9mm or maybe a Beretta 92X RDO compact in 9mm. I know most here disagree, but I believe a DA/SA is a safer choice in this case, and the Springfield is easy to rack, shoots very accurately at the 21 foot mark and has a light enough recoil to not be objectionable.
Blackmesa96
Custom
The "goldilocks" gun you wish to find doesn't exist. There are ways available for you to investigate your choices.
Ultimately, a gun is a personal tool. What's right for me may very well suck for you. We are fortunate to have lots of choices available to select from, but it can sure cause confusion.
Not knowing your budget, I would think you could find something for both of you under $1000. If you're not set on a particular brand, Taurus has options where you both should be able to find a pistol to your liking for under $750.
There are plenty of people who would be willing to help you learn about your choices, but the salesperson at the store isn't always a good choice. An introductory class would be an excellent investment. In our world, there are introduction to handgun classes for under $75. A lot of us would be willing to take you along to a range and allow you to shoot our guns to help you experience different options.
Ask people you know who have a gun or two questions. Again, most will talk with you if you ask. Stay away from questions about brands (it's like a Ford or Chevy thing), but do ask about calibers and types of guns.
Best of all, enjoy the process. Your first gun won't necessarily be the best gun you ever buy, but don't make a hasty decision you may find yourself regretting.
Ultimately, a gun is a personal tool. What's right for me may very well suck for you. We are fortunate to have lots of choices available to select from, but it can sure cause confusion.
Not knowing your budget, I would think you could find something for both of you under $1000. If you're not set on a particular brand, Taurus has options where you both should be able to find a pistol to your liking for under $750.
There are plenty of people who would be willing to help you learn about your choices, but the salesperson at the store isn't always a good choice. An introductory class would be an excellent investment. In our world, there are introduction to handgun classes for under $75. A lot of us would be willing to take you along to a range and allow you to shoot our guns to help you experience different options.
Ask people you know who have a gun or two questions. Again, most will talk with you if you ask. Stay away from questions about brands (it's like a Ford or Chevy thing), but do ask about calibers and types of guns.
Best of all, enjoy the process. Your first gun won't necessarily be the best gun you ever buy, but don't make a hasty decision you may find yourself regretting.
Steverino
Elite
Softest/easiest shooting first:
Beretta Bobcat
Sig P238
S&W CSX or Kimber Micro 9 with 8 round mag
Sig 365
Sig P938 (pretty snappy, I found)
I have owned or shot the above and above been especially impressed with the accuracy of the Kimber and the CSX out to 25'
Have not yet shot a Beretta Bobcat, but a recent thread in this forum definitely has me intrigued.
Beretta Bobcat
Sig P238
S&W CSX or Kimber Micro 9 with 8 round mag
Sig 365
Sig P938 (pretty snappy, I found)
I have owned or shot the above and above been especially impressed with the accuracy of the Kimber and the CSX out to 25'
Have not yet shot a Beretta Bobcat, but a recent thread in this forum definitely has me intrigued.
SimonRL
Hellcat
There’s one answer to this question.: Sig P365. Any of the variants other than the SAS are the perfect CCW for a non-gun person. It’s easy to conceal, doesn’t particularly look aggressive, it’s quality can’t be denied (don’t tell me about light strikes it broken firing pin, that was years ago and is no longer a problem - if it ever was), it can carry 15 rds, can take a red dot and it has sold in the millions. Every other gun in that category falls into the best of rest heading.
Annihilator
Emissary
HansGruber
Ronin
I'd say that a 365 is a solid choice for a gun person…but for a non-gun head, it's not a good choice at all.
Reasons: it's an auto (and a really small auto at that) and therefore a lot more fickle when it comes to proper grip, ammo, trigger manipulation…etc. It's not a gun for the dilettante.
Additionally, a relatively short, light trigger with no additional safeties is kinda asking for an accident—again, with a someone who isn’t used to carrying a gun, and most likely isn’t going to use it a lot.
youngolddude
Professional
Maybe I set up the scenario poorly.
A guy and a girl are gonna get a gun for concealed carry with or without your input. Budget is $800 max. They no nothing about them and are unlikely to purchase any kind of quantity of weapons. Neither are old or frail. Guy is 6 foot and the gal is 5' 4".
Maybe there is no best choice, but they asked your advice. You realize the gun needs to work for both and if the gun is uncomfortable to shoot, one or both may not practice or shoot it again.
I'd probably suggest a Charter Arms in .32 Mag. or a Ruger LCP II or LCP Max. I'd like to recommend a name brand 9mm for a myriad of reasons if they were more experienced.
I've had several people ask about home defense, which is totally different. I suggested a shotgun with birdshot, not buck.
A guy and a girl are gonna get a gun for concealed carry with or without your input. Budget is $800 max. They no nothing about them and are unlikely to purchase any kind of quantity of weapons. Neither are old or frail. Guy is 6 foot and the gal is 5' 4".
Maybe there is no best choice, but they asked your advice. You realize the gun needs to work for both and if the gun is uncomfortable to shoot, one or both may not practice or shoot it again.
I'd probably suggest a Charter Arms in .32 Mag. or a Ruger LCP II or LCP Max. I'd like to recommend a name brand 9mm for a myriad of reasons if they were more experienced.
I've had several people ask about home defense, which is totally different. I suggested a shotgun with birdshot, not buck.
Well some solid answers so I will provide more. I saw someone mention 365, but for new shooters I would suggest 365xl or hellcat pro. They are both slightly larger than then 365 or hellcat. This means they weigh a little more and provide more purchase area for hands. My guess is this difference will make it easier for new shooters to handle. They both hold 15 rounds, not much less then some full size, but smaller so they both are readily concealable. Whether carry or night stand duty shouldn’t be an issue.
The p365xl also comes with the option of a manual safety. Sure I understand how some folks might feel about that but proper training and it shouldn’t be an issue. I think having an external manual safety might make a new shooter more comfortable at first, especially if they are going to carry one in the chamber.
Both guns are going to have amble aftermarket support so finding proper comfortable holsters that suite the person should be no issue. I don’t disagree with the other options suggested (well the rocket launcher might be a bit much for EDC) just thought I would provide one I hadn’t seen. If I redid it, I would of bought a p365xl instead of the p365, then bought a p365 grip module to swap the xl slide onto but that’s a me thing.
The p365xl also comes with the option of a manual safety. Sure I understand how some folks might feel about that but proper training and it shouldn’t be an issue. I think having an external manual safety might make a new shooter more comfortable at first, especially if they are going to carry one in the chamber.
Both guns are going to have amble aftermarket support so finding proper comfortable holsters that suite the person should be no issue. I don’t disagree with the other options suggested (well the rocket launcher might be a bit much for EDC) just thought I would provide one I hadn’t seen. If I redid it, I would of bought a p365xl instead of the p365, then bought a p365 grip module to swap the xl slide onto but that’s a me thing.
wmg1299
Professional
Like many other posters, I am a fan of starting new shooters on less-powerful cartridges. I love my .22 LR and .22 WMR revolvers, but I have found that the stout trigger pull weight of rimfire revolvers makes it very difficult for new shooters to accurately fire any of them that are small enough to carry. I have found that the 8-shot .22 LR Ruger LCR is just large enough for new shooters to shoot accurately, but my J-frame rimfires are better suited to experienced shooters.
While there have been some high-quality larger-framed .22 LR semi-autos released recently (ex. Taurus TX-22, Sig Sauer P322) they are not really suitable for concealed carry. My Ruger SR-22 fires anything I feed it, and my Walther PPK/S .22 has been very reliable with high-velocity ammo. Both of these guns are small enough to conceal, but are large enough for new shooters to fire accurately. They also both have external safeties, which many new shooters seem to prefer on their first guns. I've owned mine for years, so I don't know how available they are in today's market, but they used to be both available and affordable.
The biggest advantage of starting new shooters on .22 LR is that they can often buy 700-1000 rounds of ammo for the same price as 100 rounds of 9mm or .380 acp. This allows for significantly more practice, which is vitally important for new shooters. You can still start new shooters on .38 Special, but the price of 500 rounds of ammo might exceed the price of their first gun (if you can even find 500 rounds).
While there have been some high-quality larger-framed .22 LR semi-autos released recently (ex. Taurus TX-22, Sig Sauer P322) they are not really suitable for concealed carry. My Ruger SR-22 fires anything I feed it, and my Walther PPK/S .22 has been very reliable with high-velocity ammo. Both of these guns are small enough to conceal, but are large enough for new shooters to fire accurately. They also both have external safeties, which many new shooters seem to prefer on their first guns. I've owned mine for years, so I don't know how available they are in today's market, but they used to be both available and affordable.
The biggest advantage of starting new shooters on .22 LR is that they can often buy 700-1000 rounds of ammo for the same price as 100 rounds of 9mm or .380 acp. This allows for significantly more practice, which is vitally important for new shooters. You can still start new shooters on .38 Special, but the price of 500 rounds of ammo might exceed the price of their first gun (if you can even find 500 rounds).
Bassbob
Emissary
This is exactly why I suggested the Shield Plus in 9mm. Big enough to learn the ropes at the range, small enough to comfortably conceal and extremely reliable and simple. It would NOT be my personal choice.
Bassbob
Emissary
Shotgun with birdshot is a horrible idea. We won't get into the weeds on that now though unless you insist in which case I can show you and tell you exactly why it's a horrible idea.
LCPs and little 22s are also not that great of ideas. A revolver could be a good choice, but I still say a medium sized ( I guess they are called compact) 9mm semi auto with a thumb safety. Sigs, Shields, HKs, something better than a Taurus.
Annihilator
Emissary
Old school here, whenever I am asked by a inexperienced new potential gun owner what would be the safest and a reliable gun, I always say a revolver, that’s how I started out with no regrets. I usually mention a J-frame since they are abundant. Pistols are great, but for a new inexperienced gun owner, a revolver in my opinion is the safest for them to start out with.
Bassbob
Emissary
Revolvers are a good choice. They generally go bang when the trigger is pulled and aren't very difficult to figure out. DA revolvers being slightly less safe than SA for beginners I'd say, but...
HansGruber
Ronin
SA revolver is nice to learn on…but not so good for carry by someone who isn’t going to really WORK with the platform—that is, a non-gun person.
As for .22’s? Fact is, having a gun—any gun—vastly improves your odds if you need to use it for defense.
Bassbob
Emissary
But a DA is more prone to AD by someone who isn't a gun person.
Yes a .22 is better than nothing, but with the OP's stated budget and with the wide availability of good quality mid sized 9mms why bother with a .22 ?