The good news is that you are buying at a time when we have an unparallelled selection of just about anything you could possibly want. The bad news is that there is an unparallelled selection to choose from, so there are lots of them out there to try out. For a carry gun, you typically balance 3 different attributes. Those are Caliber, Weight and Size.
Typically, caliber for a SD gun will run from .380 up to .45. There are smaller and larger calibers, but those are the norms you'll find in a gun store. The smaller the caliber, the easier it is to shoot. The larger the caliber, the longer it takes to get the sight back on target after each shot.
Weight plays a role in how easy the gun is to carry and shoot. Light guns carry well but can be a pain to shoot. Heavy guns make it easier to shoot by damping the recoil, but can be a pain to carry.
The size of a gun impacts how easy it is to conceal, carry and it's capacity. Larger guns are harder to conceal, but carry more rounds. Larger guns can be uncomfortable if you spend a lot of time sitting. They can wreak havoc on furniture if allowed to come into contact. But, larger guns are easier to shoot well due to the sight radius. A smaller gun can conceal easily, but takes more skill to be accurate with.
What works for you will depend on what's important for you. Everybody is different and what works for one will not necessarily work for another. You can go with a large, light gun that has a huge capacity of a small caliber like a PMR-30 or you can opt for a heavy, smaller gun that shoots well while retaining a decent level of conceal-ability like an all steel CZ 75 Compact. There are other things to consider too. If you are willing to invest in high quality carry gear, you can carry a heavier gun more comfortably than someone with a light gun and cheap, low quality carry gear.
I'm not really trying to tell you what to carry, but just giving you some ideas of what you will run into when choosing. Small, light guns in a big calibers can be rough to shoot, but can be effective if you build skill with them. Big guns in smaller calibers can be a dream to shoot but may not be as effective unless shot well.
Typically, caliber for a SD gun will run from .380 up to .45. There are smaller and larger calibers, but those are the norms you'll find in a gun store. The smaller the caliber, the easier it is to shoot. The larger the caliber, the longer it takes to get the sight back on target after each shot.
Weight plays a role in how easy the gun is to carry and shoot. Light guns carry well but can be a pain to shoot. Heavy guns make it easier to shoot by damping the recoil, but can be a pain to carry.
The size of a gun impacts how easy it is to conceal, carry and it's capacity. Larger guns are harder to conceal, but carry more rounds. Larger guns can be uncomfortable if you spend a lot of time sitting. They can wreak havoc on furniture if allowed to come into contact. But, larger guns are easier to shoot well due to the sight radius. A smaller gun can conceal easily, but takes more skill to be accurate with.
What works for you will depend on what's important for you. Everybody is different and what works for one will not necessarily work for another. You can go with a large, light gun that has a huge capacity of a small caliber like a PMR-30 or you can opt for a heavy, smaller gun that shoots well while retaining a decent level of conceal-ability like an all steel CZ 75 Compact. There are other things to consider too. If you are willing to invest in high quality carry gear, you can carry a heavier gun more comfortably than someone with a light gun and cheap, low quality carry gear.
I'm not really trying to tell you what to carry, but just giving you some ideas of what you will run into when choosing. Small, light guns in a big calibers can be rough to shoot, but can be effective if you build skill with them. Big guns in smaller calibers can be a dream to shoot but may not be as effective unless shot well.
Need a bigger spring tho... another #4-#6 I believe...
Compact 1911 in .45.. When ya shoot an accuracy machine.. Ya only need one round, Not 10+
