TexasCHLforum.com

Hey everyone.. I'm completely new here. I'm planning on getting my CHL in the near future (whenever I can find the time to take the class)

But I think I need more advice on a good weapon to purchase. I'm planning on using it for home defense, and maybe carry it around sometimes. I have shot a few different pistols, namely a Glock .40 and a SIG P250. I really liked the P250, it is extremely accurate.

Is there a better SIG out there? I did some quick research on the P250, and it said all this stuff about interchangable parts and it seemed a little complicated.

Well, nice to meet everyone. Hope to see you around the ranges!

Welcome to the group. A great bunch of people here with a lot of good advice.

I've had my glocks for over six years now with a few thousand rounds through each and not one problem yet. They are more accurate than I am. Magazines are interchangable within the same caliber.

Another reason I chose glock was the safeties. Finger off the trigger = safety engaged. Finger on the trigger = safety off. It's a very simple weapon. In the heat of a moment I wanted to limit the reasons I couldn't engage.

Welcome!!

As far as doing the class and paperwork, it's recommended to do it as soon as possible, as the waiting time for the applications to process is currently ~110ish days on Average from reports in the waiting room section. People who submitted in January are just now getting them. If you don't own a handgun, many places will let you rent one, that you can take the class with. I took my class at Memorial Shooting Center, and they have many different handguns (including lots of Sigs and Glocks) available to rent there.

Since C-Dub broke out the Glock recommendation, I have to tell you that I'm particular to 1911's :)
I own 2, and both have also been reliably flawless. They have a thinner profile than double stack magazines, and some find them easier to conceal because of that.
To me, a 1911's grip both feels better, comfort wise, and also feels better balanced. But that's just personal preference :)

C-Dub is correct in the glock's trigger safety being excellent, but personally, I prefer a very short trigger travel, and the 1911 is known to have one of the shortest, smoothest, crispest releasing triggers of all time, due to the fact that it is single action, and there is nothing else on the trigger, like a safety, to add drag (Model 80's excluded, as they have a firing pin lock integrated into the trigger, but this, even, barely affects it in my experience) Plus, there's nothing like .45ACP to put BG's down for the count!

Now the negatives. I'm sure most will be quick to point out, a 1911 typically carries less rounds then a comparably sized double stack .40s&w or 9mm handgun. My plan is just to not miss! They do make .40 and 9mm 1911's, but to the purists, those aren't 'real' 1911's Also, typically, a 1911 of the quality I'd consider 'daily carryable' (completely My Opinion here) costs considerably more then a Glock, Springfield XD(m), other polymer pistol, or wheelgun.
That ends my 1911 promo :P

Everyone here will however agree, that the best gun for you to carry, is the one YOU prefer. And the best way to figure that out, is to try as many as possible to help make your decision :)
I typically shoot at Memorial Shooting Center on the West Side of Houston. It's right next to I-10 and the Beltway. If you live in the area, I'd be more then happy to meet you there sometime and let you experience the superiority of 1911's

Wow everyone really is super friendly. Looks like I joined the right place :)

Well one of my good friends is an Ex-Marine (not that it means anything) but he owns a Glock 29? Maybe 27? (not sure, but .40) and a Sig 229 all stainless steel, and I have shot both. He said that I should get a Sig because they are awesome guns and very accurate.

I rented the Sig P250 .40 at Top Gun last week, and I loved it! I'm still an ultra-newbie, but it felt very good. Perhaps more accurate than any other gun I have shot. Also, I was doing some research on other Sigs, and it seems that the P239 is very popular for concealed carry? I think I'm leaning towards either a Sig P239 or P250?

But I don't know what caliber, etc.

As for Glocks, Berrettas, and other stuff... I'm not too knowledgeable. I've heard a little bit about the 1911, time to do more research!

I'm sure we have a Sig Sauer expert on the board here somewhere that will be happy to chime in

I have nothing against Sigs, maybe someday I will own one. From what I know, they are very reliable and accurate, and make a fine carry weapon. I just have not had the chance to shoot one myself yet :)

I just like the personal knowledge that the weapon I carry was designed by an American (John Browning), Built in America (Originally Manufactured by Colt in Hartford, Connecticut), and Served in the American Armed Forces as it's official sidearm from March 29, 1911 until January 14, 1985.

Good luck in your search, and I hope you find what works best for you!

Welcome to the forum.

You can't go wrong with SIG or Glock (except maybe the SIG Mosquito, which seems to be one of those love/hate things). The SIG P250 has some interesting features that make it the Erector Set of pistols. However, I have never even seen one.

For either vendor, you have to decide for yourself which caliber you want to shoot and whether you want a compact or full-size service pistol. You also should consider the single-action types like the 1911 and Browning Hi-Power.

Then you get into the fun details like night sights and lasers.

Another piece of advice that I offer to new shooters is to get a .22. A .22 will let you shoot thousands of rounds at relatively little cost and perfect your grip, stance, sight alignment, etc. It almost doesn't matter which one you get.

A thousand rounds of .22 cost about $25 these days. A thousand rounds of 9 mm, about $200. Every other handgun round is more expensive.

There are several good clubs in the Houston area. The only one that I can speak for by personal experience is PSC. Very friendly, top-notch people who will be happy to educate you.

The questions that you are asking have been asked before (No surprise ). Here is a long thread with lots of good information: http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... 23&t=20920" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

allinhtown:

Welcome aboard! You'll lose some sleep due to all the interesting
gun chat that goes on here.

Good luck on the hunt for your perfect pistol. Since you seem to be
shopping for something in the Sig price range, you will have a wide
choice of weapons.

Choice of caliber is an important issue. For self-defense purposes,
the minimum acceptable caliber varies upon who you talk to.

9mm's will give you more rounds than the same pistol chambered in .40
or .45. The ammo is less expensive too.

.40 is bigger than a 9mm but has less kick than a .45.

.45 is the "manly" round. You won't get as many rounds in the weapon,
but if you hit someone with one of these, the stopping power is immense.

Remember to carry an extra magazine, whatever fine piece you buy.

For a number of "Years" I kept waiting to find the time too.

Finally, a good friend announced he'd taken the class, submitted the necessary paperwork and then, voila' - he produced his CHL.

I promptly found a good CHL class and the rest is history.

My motivating friend had never expressed that much interest when I told him I was going to get my CHL and then proceeded to procrastinate. That is, until he got his CHL and THEN I was motivated to make the time.

It's worth the time to find a good instructor too.

My friend took his class from a strutting rooster of a man and found out later some of what was taught was bunkum. The best guy I ever took a CHL class with has since retired from teaching CHL classes or I recommend him.

I'm sure some the guys here can suggest a good instructor.

Good luck!

Abraham wrote:I'm sure some the guys here can suggest a good instructor.

Allinhtown- Welcome to the TexasCHLForum. In the Houston area, Tom Estep [Texas City] and Charles Cotton [Friendswood] are top notch. I have taken classes from both of these gentleman. Neither one teaches bunkum.

As for your choice of concealed handguns, you must decide for yourself. I bought a .40 S&W Sig P239 for concealed carry. It is a fine handgun, totally accurate and reliable, but ultimately, I found that is was too large and heavy for my taste.

Wow great info guys... I think I've fallen in love with the accuracy of the Sig's... I have so many questions about single action, double action, double action only... etc... There are also quite a bit of gun terms that I am not familiar with... IWF, FTF, FFL (licensed dealer I found out)

I am trying to decide between a 9mm and .40 in either a Sig P239 (which I have not shot yet, but read many great things) or the Sig P250. My ex-marine friend said I should skip the night-sights, but I should get a tactical rail, for a light or laser...

Also, are there any huge advantages/disadvantages between a two tone gun or a nitron one?

Thanks so much everybody!

Not to be bagging on your ex-marine friend at all, but you should not take any one person's word as gold on any subject Not even mine

This forum is full of separated and retired Marines (a marine once told me that there is no such thing as an ex-marine, just one that has left the service ), Army, Navy, and Air Force (myself included in the latter ) And we all disagree on many things.

If there was a perfect setup that worked for everyone, then everyone would have it.

Please, feel free to ask all the questions you want, don't be afraid to hold back, or be embarrassed, we all started at the bottom at one time :)

My opinion, and I think it is also the majority opinion, on Tactical Rails and specifically Flashlights, is that they are fine for LEO and Military use, but you really don't want one for home use, especially if you have children. If you have the flashlight On the weapon, then you are forced to point the weapon AT what you want to illuminate. If you come out due to a sound in the middle of the night, and it is your child/teenager/family pet sneaking around, you will end up pointing the gun at them in order to see them, and that is a bad mojo violation of the 4 rules. Recommended is to have a Separate Flashlight to hold in your off hand or some other separate setup. Remember, Bad guys will most likely choose to shoot at whatever light you are shining at them if they shoot at you, so it's a really good idea to be able to hold it away from your torso and face.

On the laser, it is a good item to have in a high stress situation, (point and shoot, literally), however, it is not something to be solely relied upon. If you rely on it, and the battery dies, or it doesn't work for some reason, you are then SOL. Personally, the only time I turn on the laser at the range, is after I've already shot a lot with the sights, and that is just to make sure it is still zeroed properly. I also personally do not see a downside to night sights, other then a small added $$$, and I don't know why anyone would recommend NOT having them. They make it easier to use your sights, at night, if needed. You also do not need a Tac Rail for a laser. Look into Crimson Trace LaserGrips, or Lasermax Guide Rod laser sights. They both offer options for a laser sight without a tactical rail.

Items on a tactical rail, or even simply a handgun Having a tactical rail, will eliminate a large number of holsters available for that handgun. There are only a few holster makers that make them for handguns with rails, and AFAIK, VERY few make holsters for railed weapons with something mounted on it. Just things to consider.

There is a very big 'Tacticool' thing going on right now, and tons of 'Tactical' stuff is being pushed as a result of it. Sometimes you just need to step back and go 'do I really need 2 laser sights (one green, one red), an IR illuminator, a 4x scope and a 1x acog on my home defense rig?' KISS is the acronym most experienced people stick to when they recommend something you will have to be able to manipulate, with little to no thought, under extreme duress. My laser sight is activated by me just gripping my handgun properly. If it was a separate switch, I'm pretty sure I would not remember to turn it on if something ever happened in my home that required me to use it.

Sig Sauers are known to be accurate, however, many other handguns are just as, or at least very close to the accuracy level of the Sig. Also, most firefight situations happen at a range of 10 yards or less. A gun that can shoot a 1" grouping, vs one that shoots a 1.5" grouping at that range will hardly make any difference in the effectiveness of the weapon. The more likely cause of missed shots in a confrontation at that range is shooter ability. Stress, the amount of adrenaline dumped into the blood, etc, all play an important part in the ability to hit a target.

Some Acronyms you will need to know (sorry if I forget some, just pulling off the top of my head):

CCW = "carrying a concealed weapon" - A Generic Term for a concealed carry permit, since each state has it's own name for it.
IANAL = "I am not a lawyer"
IIRC = If I Recall correctly
AFAIK = As Far as I know
FFL = Federal Firearms License(e) - Term for someone who has a Federal License to Buy/Sell/Trade guns for retail purposes.
FTF = Face to Face

I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting, but I'm sure someone will not hesitate to agree/disagree with me on many points, and thats fine :) Healthy debate is good for all parties involved!

Have a great weekend!

Ah, almost missed your SA/DA/DAO Question

The action refers as to what happens when you pull the trigger.
I am going to Completely rip the next part from Wikipedia, as it explains it better, in simpler terms, then I could think of :)

Single action (SA)

A single-action trigger, sometimes single-action only, performs the single action of releasing the hammer or striker to discharge the firearm each time the trigger is pulled.[1] Almost all rifles and shotguns use this type of trigger.[1] Single-action semi-automatic pistols require that the hammer be cocked before the first round is fired.[2] Once the first round is fired the automatic movement of the slide cocks the hammer for each subsequent shot. The pistol, once cocked, can be fired by pulling the trigger once for each shot until the magazine is empty. The M1911 is a single-action pistol that functions in this manner.[2]

Double action (DA)

Invented by Robert Adams, a double-action trigger performs two functions when pulling the trigger, first cocking the hammer then releasing it to discharge the firearm. When this term is applied to revolvers, the trigger also rotates the cylinder. Though this is technically a third action, it is correct to refer to the mechanism as double-action. Most pistols and revolvers with a double-action trigger mechanism retain the single action functionality: See the Double action/Single action (DA/SA) description below.[1]

Double action only (DAO)

A double action only is similar to a DA revolver trigger mechanism however there is no single action function. For semi-automatic pistols with a traditional hammer, the hammer will return to its decocked position after each shot. For striker-fired pistols such as the Taurus 24/7, the striker will remain in the rest position through the entire reloading cycle. This term applies mostly to semi-automatic handguns; however, the term can also apply to some revolvers such as the Smith & Wesson Centennial and the Enfield No. 2 Mk I revolvers.

I will also add, that Single Action Triggers are typically the shortest travel and lightest triggers, since they preform only 1 action.
Double action triggers typically have a longer, harder trigger pull, because of the multiple functions they are required to do.

If you want to read more about it, you can here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_(firearms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

[quote="surprise_i'm_armed"]
.45 is the "manly" round. You won't get as many rounds in the weapon,
but if you hit someone with one of these, the stopping power is immense.

My wife and I both shoot .45's. She isn't manly!

Anyway, welcome to the forum. Like most have said, carry what you like and train with.

dicion wrote:
On the laser, it is a good item to have in a high stress situation, (point and shoot, literally), however, it is not something to be solely relied upon. If you rely on it, and the battery dies, or it doesn't work for some reason, you are then SOL. Personally, the only time I turn on the laser at the range, is after I've already shot a lot with the sights, and that is just to make sure it is still zeroed properly. I also personally do not see a downside to night sights, other then a small added $$$, and I don't know why anyone would recommend NOT having them. They make it easier to use your sights, at night, if needed. You also do not need a Tac Rail for a laser. Look into Crimson Trace LaserGrips, or Lasermax Guide Rod laser sights. They both offer options for a laser sight without a tactical rail.

Items on a tactical rail, or even simply a handgun Having a tactical rail, will eliminate a large number of holsters available for that handgun. There are only a few holster makers that make them for handguns with rails, and AFAIK, VERY few make holsters for railed weapons with something mounted on it. Just things to consider.

Some Acronyms you will need to know (sorry if I forget some, just pulling off the top of my head):

IANAL = "I am not a lawyer" <--- LOL!!!!

Have a great weekend!

lollll thanks for your great info, and input. LOL at the IANAL acronym hahaha. thats one i've never heard before :P

(and the SA/DA/DAO question too) I'll be doing a lot of reading and research today. I can't seem to think of any more questions :(

mikeintexas wrote:

surprise_i'm_armed wrote: .45 is the "manly" round. You won't get as many rounds in the weapon, but if you hit someone with one of these, the stopping power is immense.

My wife and I both shoot .45's. She isn't manly!

And just to avoid confusion it's probably worth a comment that no handgun in common use for daily carry has immense stopping power. Unless you're talking about something like a .500 S&W Magnum out of a 10-inch barrel, the vast majority of handguns are underpowered. That's why they're considered defensive rather than offensive implements, and why over 3 out of 4 people incurring a handgun wound survive. Don't get me wrong: handguns are effective defensive implements...they just aren't the manstoppers that movies lead the average viewer to believe.