• for concealed carry only?
• target practice and building accuracy skills?
• Can also be used for home defense?
• Hunting or outdoors like hiking/fishing/camping?

The “What handgun should I choose” question is extremely important one, once you have decided that you want to add a handgun or other firearm to your personal security plan.

This discussion is primarily focused on Texas but could apply to many other locations. There are ample reasons to support this conclusion. The decision is an important one and will vary based on many different factors. Our law enforcement officers in Texas and elsewhere are strapped to the limit with staffing and retention. They are doing the best they can but, 20-minute response times or more can be an eternity in a situation that requires lethal force.  The responding LEO’s may only end up writing the report and clearing the scene.

• Do you reside in a city or urban environment or suburb, or in rural area?
• Do you commute to work?
• Unless your employer or if you are a business owner and carry at work is allowed, you will need to store your firearm securely most likely in your vehicle. (Be careful if you carpool or ride-share as there may be other limitations to your having a handgun on your person or being able to store the firearm).
• Will conceal-ability be the most important factor?
• Other uses besides personal protection?

The myriad of choices for what handgun should I choose for a concealable self-defense handgun can be overwhelming to an experienced gun owner, let alone a new purchaser and owner.  The handgun or other self-defensive firearm is just a tool in the personal security and defense system we all should have.  Although outside the scope of this article, I encourage anyone considering adding a firearm of any kind to their personal or security and defense system that should include home, vehicle, business, and out in public, to look at all aspects of that security plan.

We enjoy rights and privileges here in Texas that some in other states or other countries do not.  That doesn’t mean we are like what is portrayed in the media that Texas is the “old west” .  What follows is NOT legal advice and if you have any questions, you should seek out a qualified attorney or other expert in the law to get those questions answered. To be clear, we have plenty of laws, lawyers, and rules to obey in TEXAS and as responsible gun owners we need to lead by example. One of the first decisions you will make is can I legally own and possess a firearm under federal and state law? Make sure before you go any further that you make that determination. Next, although the process for purchasing a firearm is outside the scope of this article, you will want to learn more about that as well. Finally, when you have navigated all the laws and decisions to add a firearm, and I assume since you have landed on this webpage, you should get training in how to safely carry and shoot the firearm you have acquired.  Obviously, we at Tejas LTC Training would be honored to help you receive training but, getting that training somewhere from a knowledgeable source.

Thanks for staying with me thus far and now into the considerations to help your decision to make the selection for that concealed carry defense handgun:

We have more choices than ever for small adequately powerful defensive handguns that are more easily concealed and are something you will actually carry. (Hold that thought, and we will come back to it in another blog post soon). Some very basic things about handguns, first they are NOT the most effective defensive firearms.  For most of you that is not news, but it bears saying because many only have movies and TV to reference that handguns are more powerful than they really are.  A 12gauge shotgun, carbine or rifle are almost always superior to any handgun (particularly a small concealable handgun). So why do we even bother? For the same reason law enforcement carries a handgun, it is much more portable and easier to carry so it is there when you need it and not back in the trunk of the patrol vehicle.  However, the LEO carries the handgun in an exposed duty style holster, and it is bigger and easier to shoot than many of the smaller more concealable handguns.  They can carry exposed and although technically in TEXAS you can too (see my earlier statements on legal advice), you probably will find the exposed carry a problem in many situations so that leaves concealable.  Ok, so it is a smallish handgun but wait, you will hear from many a gun shop commando that “I carry a full-sized service sized 9mm like a Glock 19” or even more extreme a 5’ barreled 1911 in 45ACP or a N frame (means big) Smith & Wesson Model 29 44 magnum which is what Dirty Harry carried in the movies. Some people can and do carry large guns like this.  I sometimes when it is cool, and I can justify a jacket, where a full-sized handgun in a belt holster is concealed adequately.  However, more often in Houston, it is too hot and not dressed to conceal anything that big. Also, a 2 ½ pound gun plus spare magazines or speed loaders (revolver) get heavy carrying all day.  I know this from law enforcement and security experience in both uniform and plain clothes.

The best advise is to not rush into the decision and carefully weigh all your personal considerations and realize that no one handgun can excel in ever type of use like our vehicles, not everyone can afford or needs a pickup truck, but they sure sell a lot of them. There are so many options and price levels that certainly there is a handgun out there that can suit your situation and a fair warning – you might eventually want another one.