[ChanceMcCall]

I carried a Colt Commander Light Weight for years but always had trouble in the summer months with keeping it concealed. I had one of the early custom jobs till the rail cracked and then went to a Detonics .45 for a while. When Colt came out with their cut down I went to it, but didn't feel I was getting the accuracy necessary. I tried the small SIG when it came out but was always less proficient with it based on how it fit my hand. I settled on first the Glock 30 and later the 36 (especially in the summer) but have just switched to Springfield Armory's XD-S and now have the gun I wish I'd had when I started carrying in 1970.

The pattern? They were all .45ACP. Having had the experience of seeing the effect of 9MM, or lack thereof, on live targets, I would much rather carry a .45. If it was not a concealed situation, I would rather have a short barrel (but legal) 12 gauge.

I don't want to kill anyone but I do want them to stop doing what they were doing when it made it legal for me to shoot them, and I want them to do it immediately. I would rather not be shot again.

[Squawk]

I'd say the current faves are S&W Shield 9mm or 40S&W and the Springfield XDS. Both are very hard to find due to popularity.

[shouldazagged]

I'm an old man and severely arthritic. Magnum recoil is too much for my hands, and +P in a featherweight .38 Special is painful to shoot and tough to re-index for a fast second shot. On the other hand, I prefer revolvers for several carefully researched and thought-out reasons; so I carry an all-steel J-frame Smith & Wesson .38 Special loaded with +P ammo. I've carried this combination for over ten years and can shoot it comfortably.

I'm the son of a fine journalist. Keep up your research and don't let anyone dissuade you.

[kiabe1]

I like my beretta px4 subcompact and my taurus 24/7 compact g2 45

[ScottA]

Resurrected a two year old thread. I guess I get to be the one to put a bullet in the brain of this zombie.