New to concealed carry

[Dave]

Those are nice pants and the price is right. I've got a birthday coming up...

It's not the guns that make you poor, it's the all the associated stuff.

[Dan]

I am always pleasantly surprised at the wealth of information available here for the asking. I don't talk much, but I thoroughly enjoy the conversations. Thanks for helping our new friend, and for helping me.

BTW, I took my wife to her first gun show last weekend. My daughter told her there's lots of stuff besides guns, so she was curious. She bought a pretty necklace, and got interested in the pink-mother-of-pearl .38 revolvers. Hope springs eternal!

Thanks again, and Happy New Year to all.

Dan

[Mike OTDP]

Personally, I favor Ken Null holsters, but YMMV. Concur with the FL permit to back up the PA permit...at least for the moment. We'll have national reciprocity in a few years.

One thing...consider getting a true pocket pistol at some point. A gun for when you can't carry a gun.

[Dave]

OK. I'll bite on the topic of pocket pistols. What would you recommend? Again, keeping in mind I am 6ft, 150lb and that weight is not concentrated in my arms. In short, I am a bit of a wimp. On the other hand, I don't have much trouble with the recoil of the CZ82, which by all accounts is quite snappy.

[Kommander]

I highly recommend 5.11 covert tactical slacks. They have two hidden, zippered pockets that have loops for 2 magazines apiece and an expandable waistband to aid IWB carry. Got them for $20 +S&H from LA Police Gear. They threw in a free belt that has stiffening to help with the holster.

I have a pair of these as well and they work really well. On the outside they just look like a normal pair of khakis, all the "tactical" features are hidden. I did cut off the stupid mag pockets that were in the slash pockets. There was just too much material there.

[Lokidude]

Don't discount tradtional OWB belt carry, either. I'm nowhere near your build (5'4", 225 lbs), so take what you can use and discard the rest, but here goes. I can't IWB carry comfortably to save my white hind end. I can, however, conceal a 1911 Government model easily under just a Hawaiian-style or mechanic's shirt. Snub revolvers disappear under a t-shirt. The key, to my mind, is as much the belt as the holster. I end up getting my belts in my old hometown, or making them myself. As for holsters, Ross and Bianchi both make decent leather, especially for those of us on a budget.

The other big thing I've noticed is that as I've gained confidence with regard to carrying, the gun feels more natural to me. As that happens, I pay less active attention to is, and if I act like it's not there, most other people don't even see it, even when I OC.

[Mike OTDP]

OK. I'll bite on the topic of pocket pistols. What would you recommend? Again, keeping in mind I am 6ft, 150lb and that weight is not concentrated in my arms. In short, I am a bit of a wimp. On the other hand, I don't have much trouble with the recoil of the CZ82, which by all accounts is quite snappy.

Depends on how much money you want to spend. The top gun is the Rohrbaugh R-9, which is a masterpiece of design and craftsmanship. But it has a price to match - and pretty stout recoil. Then you have the Seecamp. Another quality piece. Right now, LWS-380s command a hefty premium, but the LWS-32 is about $400. And for the complaints about the recoil of the latter, I found mine quite reasonable.

Beyond that, you have the Kel-Tecs and Ruger LCPs, which are decent guns. And don't discount the .25 caliber classics...I'm partial to the Cz-45 (great design, Larry Seecamp admits he cloned it for his guns).

The big point is that all these vest pocket guns slip into a pocket when you are in shirt sleeves. You can go armed without drawing unwanted attention. Very useful.

[randy]

Most automatic format pocket guns I've tried tear my hands up. Mine is a S&W J frame revolver. Reliable, with a good pocket holster disappears in a jeans pocket, and I don't have to buy a box of band aids for every range session.

[Dave]

Randy, are those things really $900? I looked on the S&W website and couldn't comprehend those prices.

How about the Kim endorsed mini revolver?

http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/ggps/4675/

[Aglifter]

S&W posts very high prices on their site. The Ruger LCR revolver's also quite good, but the grip is a bit longer than a J frame. (An LCR's stock trigger feels about like a J frame's after a trigger job.)

A $900 J frame would probably be the silly 357 version that weighs 12 oz. CC likes his, I think it's too hard to recover from shot to shot, but it does make a great 38.

Oh, if you do go w. a j frame, get "the plug" from Bullseye Smith on the S&W forum - works well for eliminating the lock.