I have never owned a gun, but have shot occasionally here and there on a shooting range. I understand the basics of gun safety and can get around the day-to-day of gun ownership. My wife and I are thinking about doing a full on safety training + CC so that both can use this gun we are purchasing in case anything happens.
I have been eyeing a few guns here and there, but wanted to get your thoughts on what would you recommend in my situation:
- At least 12 bullets per mag as stock mag
- Lowest recoil possible
- Compact enough without it being an issue on accuracy (need something that is big enough to be accurate but small enough that I can CC from time to time, very occasionally)
- Easy enough for my wife to handle. She's not into guns, but probably something that would throw her off is a lot of recoil
- Comfortable grip
The guns that I have tested up until now:
- Glock 19 Gen 5
- S&W M&P M2.0
Guns I am still considering:
- Sig Sauer P320
- Sig Sauer P365 XL
Any thoughts?
I would advise not getting hung up on mag size.
If there's something you need to get done in 12 that you can't get done in 8 or 10, the mag size is not your #1 problem. :)
My daily CCW is the OG Ruger LCP with a laser sight. Extended mag gives me 7+1.
https://ruger.com/products/lcp/models.html
I've been eyeing the LCP Max which is 10+1 stock, but when it first came out there were quality control issues, I haven't heard if they ironed them out yet or not.
https://ruger.com/products/lcpMax/models.html
Extended mag for it brings it to 12+1.
Now I know, I know, ".380? Really?" So hear me out... not all .380 rounds are created equally. There's this guy on Youtube who ran through a BOATLOAD of different brands running side by side comparisons. Something insane like 20+ videos in the series JUST on .380.
His conclusion here:
https://youtu.be/GNtPHYwcDts
That's really good advice. The only reason I wanted to go with a little bit increased capacity is cause we are just getting our first gun and wanted something noob proof as in: hope I can hit whatever I need to hit with this many rounds lol.
As a noob, I think the sense of reassurance in having a few extra just in case is why I'm thinking about this.
I think this gun will primarily be collecting dust in a safe right next to my nightstand with very very occasional CC, so not really an EDC material TBH. I was also thinking about just getting a G26 as I'll have the 9mm caliber I want in a smaller form factor so if and when I decide to carry it, it won't be uncomfortable.
The G26 isn't a bad choice, and 9mm was my first gun (Beretta 92fs). I think you'll surprise yourself once you get in some range time, and you and your wife should get in enough time to where you're comfortable with your handling and accuracy.