First pistol

I am buying my first pistol. I only own a Remington shotgun 870 at the moment. I am looking for a gun to use as my conceal and carry. So far I am a fan of a Glock 19 and 20. Leaning more toward the Glock 19 Gen 4.

 

@El Duderino

 

Check out the Mossberg MC1SC.

 

@Nunya Bizness

 

lethal force is Not idyllic

its life changing.................. if U have to take life
if U have to save/protect a life

make a good choice
Not done by consensus or committee

get truly good training

good luck

 

Go with whatever you are comfortable carrying and using. Last you thing you need is someone telling you what to get and then you end up hating it. Go to a range and try a few out to get feel for them. That's what I did for my first handgun. Tried different guns and different calibers and ended up liking the gen 3 G17 the most so I went with that. Also, before you mod it or anything, I would use that money for a few ccw/gun use classes. Not the typical safety course, which I also recommend if you new, but the classes that actually teach you proper draw from concealment, quickly put rounds on target, etc.

 

Will be visiting a range soon to try out some pistols just curious on ones people like so I can seek them out and shoot them myself.

 

A Glock 20 is a pretty large pistol to conceal on a daily basis without purposely dressing for the gun.

 

If your set on a glock and want it for coneal carry then I'd recommend either the double stack G26 or single stack G43, I carry the G43 and love it. Gives it more of a concealed appearance with it being a single stack

 

Glock 43x(9mm) with the Standard Arms aftermarket mags that can hold 15. If your state is a ten round only state then a Glock 27(40s&w) all day holds 9+1 standard. It’s what I carry every day

 

Springfield armory Hellcat 9mm. Love mine. 13+1 super concealed and compact. Custom holster.
Put 300 plus rounds through it and not a single issue. But dont run anything other than brass casing.

 

Just get real comfortable and train a lot with whatever you buy. You want to be proficient an almost second nature drawing from your holster. I dry run practice at least 10 times a day.

 

Like @Fiend13 said, you gotta try on a few to find what works for you. There is a lot of difference between a carry gun and a range gun. Remember that if it is not comfortable, you won't carry it. Same goes for weight. If it is too heavy, you won't carry it. Anything larger than a glock 19 or sig p320 compact becomes more difficult to conceal (not impossible - read skinny guy with loose clothing). Likewise, micros are lower capacity generally speaking (sig p365 and Hellcat being the exceptions) and are more difficult to manage accurately under stress. The trade off being they are easily concealed. Caliber will be another barrier in your choice. 9mm is relatively easy to control and allows for quick follow up shots. 40 and 45 are a little more difficult, but good technique and practice will tame the additional recoil. Wheel guns in 38 special or 357 are tried and true, but lack capacity.

Test a few, and while your shooting them, feel the weight and look at the size and consider how you would carry that firearm and conceal it. Going armed is a choice. There is a lot of preparation. Maintenance in terms of training, practice, and repetition is never ending. The two pieces of the puzzle most people forget are mindset and preparation for what will come after you have deployed your firearm.

 

Get the largest 9mm that you will actually carry every day. A glock 19 is perfect for this (especially appendix) but if you’re worried about the size something like the 43x is a great option.

do.not.buy.anything.chambered.in.40. They’re fine, but there is no significant benefit to them over a 9mm especially when you are just starting out.

Train. This doesn’t mean buy some ammo and go shoot. This means go train at a reputable school like valor ridge, tactical response, etc. I promise you it’s worth it.

get a good holster. Kydex from a company like trex arms, tier 1 concealed, or nsr tactical.

 

I’m really loving the Springfield Hellcat I just picked up. Best part is it’s a small, easily concealable 9mm but it’s also a double stack unlike many small CC pistols.

 

I have a Sig 232 and that's a good size for CC, and it's very comfortable in the hand too. If you feel the need to Concealed Carry, take the classes. They spend a lot of time telling you how to avoid ever being in a situation where you might need it. If you ever actually need to draw, much less fire, then something very wrong has occurred on multiple levels. Make sure you realize this.

 

There’s a nice benefit between 9mm and 40

 

I have 20, and it is TONS of fun, but probably a bit much to CC, ammo is also costly.

 

If you're set on a Glock 19. I would buy a Glock 23. That way you can buy a 9mm conversion barrel, recoil spring, and 9mm mags for 2 guns in one
I'm not one to give advice on a brand. You need to get what feels good in your hand and you can shoot. Nothing worse than having a gun you don't like/can't shoot.

I'm a Glock fanboy by the way. I like the way the fit my hands and shoot.

 

Ahh youth. So easily convinced that the latest and greatest really are. Buy a 1911.