My brother just got a carry permit

Question

okay he wants to know what would be the most powerful gun he can conceal i told him a .357 snub but its to bulgy he wants a pistol in 9mm .40 or .45 and hes on a buget of 350$ so whats his options?

Answer 1

Its all up to the person who's going to carry the gun.  If your brother is more comfortable carrying a small .22 pistol then fine, or if he wants to carry say a colt 1911 .45acp pistol fine.  But as mentioned above, caliber doesn't matter.  What matters is can you hit what you are aiming at with the gun your carrying.  It does you no good to carry a gun if you can't hit anything with it.  

Answer 2

Sounds like you are right, a .357 Magnum snubbie.  Ruger makes the SP-101 in that caliber close to his price range.  A more powerful gun is the 10mm (like the Glock 29) but it is twice his price range unless he can find one used.  

Good luck.

H

Answer 3

Congrats to your brother on obtaining his permit.  Personally, the highest I would go is a .44 magnum, but in your case, that will be bulky too.  

You can go to a polymer handgun like law enforcement officers carry.  These come in .45 ACP, .40 S&W, .357 Sig, or 9mm Luger.  Such polymer handguns are the Glock, Springfield XD or the Smith & Wesson M&P.  There are others, of course.  Choose the one that YOU feel comfortable shooting.  Do not worry so much about the size and power of the cartridge.  I carry a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm Compact.  I like it because I can hit what I am shooting at.  No use shooting a larger caliber if you can't hit the target.  

I have to state that #350 won't get you a new polymer.  They will range from $425-$650, depending on make, model, and the area you live in.  Gun friendly areas sell their firearms for much cheaper than a state like California.  

Good luck!

Answer 4

44 mag is way too much gun for a defensive carry gun

Think about it

The gun will have to be small to conceal

The smaller the gun the bigger the kick

If you miss, which is a very real possibility, it will take too long to recover from the recoil.

By the time you get back to firing position the BG can unload a crappy 22 into you

The most powerful gun you can carry is the most powerful gun you can control and conceal and you have to take the probability of follow up shots into consideration

For some that may very well be a .44 mag snub for most it's going to be a 9mm subcompact or a 38 snub or even smaller

I have seen too many guys get that carry permit and think it is a certificate of excellence

When they get to the range with the pocket elephant gun and do some pressure drills they can barely hit paper

I have been shooting for over 30 years and qualified expert with every small arm the army gave me to try out every time

I can bullseye a 44 mag with ease and have owned well over 300 guns

After all the searching I carry a lowly 38 snub and feel quite secure

Answer 5

Tell him not to over-focus on power. 6 shots from a 44 magnum that miss are about as good as no gun. Maybe even worse since you may pzz off the target. How about being good with a caliber you are consistent with?

if it is a .22 cal then so be it. More people are killed with that caliber ( other than war) in the US anyhow.

I'd suggest trying several different calibers at a range. Shoot at least 100 rounds of each you try. You'll know by the group, recoil, etc and fit if you can handle the gun accurately. Being good is much more important that big noise and flash and no hit.

Answer 6

I have carried everything from .22 to .357 to 9mm to .45acp. Depends on what was handy and what I had to conceal it with. Most of the time these days, I carry a 5-shot .38 snub. It even saved my life. A quality compact .45 is good but he may have a hard time finding one for $350. Bigger isn't always better. A cannon is no good if you can't hit the target. Know this, criminals will kill you for the few bucks you have. But he is probably unwilling to die for your Jag and Rolex. Once you start putting rounds in their direction, they usually hear their mommy calling.

Answer 7

Check out a Kel-Tec PF-9 or P-11

http://www.kel-tec-cnc.com/pf9.htm

They make a good product at a reasonable price and they have good support as well.