If You Knew Then What You Know Now...

[J.R.@A&M]

I would buy the same gun (SP101). Actually, I did buy the same gun. Twice. (Second time in .22LR, and the third time as a DAO version.

What makes me think about a semi-auto pistol is the greater opportunity to participate in competitive shooting.

[surferdaddy]

I'd buy m&ps all day. Glocks too. To me there is sooo much beauy in a reliable machine. They remind me of the 326 in my 66 Tempest coupe, I wanted to touch and lick it.

[Iunnrais]

well, I started with a full size Colt 1911. I don't carry it that often, but it's mainly due to the slide length. The full 5" carried IWB pokes a spot on my leg that gets rather sore after a couple of hours. OWB, it's no problem at all for when I can go untucked. Drop to something with a 4" barrel or smaller IWB and I have no problem at all. That 1911 is still my favorite range gun and one of the days I'll get a Commander version of it.

Until then my Walther PPS and Glock 29 work just fine when I have to be all tucked in.

[karder]

My first handgun was bought specifically for carry (way back before Texas had CHL). It was a Colt 1911. I thought I was being pretty high tech by getting a pistol instead of a revolver like my Dad and Uncles and their pals. I was the only guy in my family with one of those "fancy" guns. I still have it, and I still carry it in every once and again. Works as good today as on day one. I have an extreme interest in getting my hands on the new Springfield XDs. If I like that gun as much as I am thinking I will, it will probably become my main weekend carry. My old tired bones don't want to haul around a full-sized pistol everyday anymore and that XDs looks like it may be perfect for those low risk trips running errands for the Misses.
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[The Annoyed Man]

The carry guns I have acquired came in this order:

1. Sig Stainless Carry GSR 1911 (commander length)—use as a trade in 6 months later or so to the same gun store where I bought it because it was completely and utterly unreliable.
2. H&K USP Compact .40—sold it a couple of years later to carlson1 because I'm not a fan of .40, it turns out. It was a good pistol though.
3. Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry II—acquired when I traded in the sig GSR. Just recently sold it a couple of weeks ago to PBratton. An absolutely delightful pistol. I only sold it to pay for another acquisition, and if money were no object, I own it still. For the longest time it was my EDC. I told PBratton that I had to have first dibs if he ever decided to sell it.
4. Springfield Loaded Parkerized—purchased used from former forum member HighVelocity. Still have it. Great pistol, but I rarely ever carry it anymore. Too daggum heavy.
5. Kel-Tec P3AT—hated it.....sold it to another member.
6. S&W 642—liked it, but wanted a .357. Traded it to fickman for another gun.
7. S&W M&P45—like it and still have it, but rarely carry it anymore due to its size and weight. It now does principally bedside duty with a TLR-1s mounted.
8. S&W 640—took this one in trade from fickman for the previously mentioned 642. I threw in a little cash. I still have it, and I use this gun mostly for teaching, using .38 special ammo in it, but it would make a really good kit gun or boat gun or something like that. But even though it is very pocketable, it weighs too much to pocket carry.
9. S&W M&P340—perfect little pocket .357 that weighs only 13 oz unloaded. I still carry this gun from time to time, and it is a real powerhouse when paired up with 125 grain Critical Defense .357 loads. I'm keeping this one....probably forever.
10. Kahr PM9—slips into a pocket, and you can just forget it is there. Keep your hands off it, I ain't a sellin'!
11. Kahr CW45—purchased based on the success my wife was having with her CW9, and me being a .45 guy and all.....I just like this gun a whole lot. It is light, and after a suitable break-in period of 200 rounds is very reliable. It can be pocketed, but it is small enough that it carries in a factory provided Mitch Rosen holster, and it has become my EDC.
12. XDm-45 Compact 3.8 Stainless—I wanted a double stack 45 with greater capacity than my M&P, but in a compact format. This is it. I have only carried this gun 3 or 4 times in a Galco retention holster. It weighs considerably more than my CW45, and it is somewhat larger, particularly in its length, bit it is easily the softest shooting .45 I have owned. And that makes it easier for my to shoot it mo' bettah.

This list doesn't count the three pistols that are my wife's—a S&W 642, a Glock 19, and a Kahr CW9 (her EDC), but lest that list looks too long, the ones in red are guns I no longer have.

The thing is, the Kahr CW45 is the closest thing I have to an EDC, but I don't carry it exclusively.....just a majority of the time. The other pistols get carried based on my needs at the moment. I could see how the XDm 45 compact 3.8 could become an EDC. It is a very practical gun. But given the weight difference—21.7 oz mag included for the Kahr versus either 27 or 29 oz depending on which mag used for the XDm—it is likely that the Kahr will keep the prime slot, while the XDm, with its excellent Trijicon HD night sights will be an "after dark" gun.

But other than the Sig and the P3AT, I have no regrets about any of the guns I've bought.

[nyj]

My carry guns have gone from

A Taurus Millennium pro .40 (gift when I first got my CHL)

I traded that gun for a Springfield XD-40SC, which was my first real carry gun. Too bulky to be considered a subcompact.

SP101 2.5" .357. Absolutely hated the trigger. Hated it so much that I had a dream that I had to shoot someone, and couldn't pull the trigger. This came from a day of shooting the gun to a point that my trigger finger was so fatigued I literally couldn't pull the trigger.

Glock 19 Gen 4. Loved everything about the gun, but it was way too unreliable.

Kel-Tec PF9. This gun was just bleh. Good shooter, reliable, but something about the small size and build quality didn't do it for me.

FNX-9. Loved that gun, and actually enjoyed carrying it despite its size. One of my favorite guns to date. I did, however, trade it for my next gun.

Beretta 92fs. Heavy as hell, not the best trigger, but by far my favorite and best shooting gun. It's not the greatest fun to carry, but I do it on occasion.

Glock 23c. My newest addition, and my EDC. I knew I'd revert back to the Glock compact frame. Just love everything about the simplicity of Glock's. Their weight is almost unmatched for capacity/size ratio. This gun is here to stay, as well. I love it.

I'd have just gone with a Glock in the beginning. 9mm or .40, doesn't make a difference.

[RSJ]

TAM- In the words of Tommy Lee Jones "Get yourself a Glock and lose [those] nickel plated sissy pistols"
No glocks listed, dang shame.

[snatchel]

TAM- In the words of Tommy Lee Jones "Get yourself a Glock and lose [those] nickel plated sissy pistols"
No glocks listed, dang shame.

He is too bourgeoisie to carry an ugly, plain-Jane pistol like a Glock He is just a bit toooooo coooool for school!

Instead, he carries fancy-smancy guns like Kahr's and XD's.

Nah... he has good taste in guns. I'm pulling your leg, TAM. One day you will drink the kool-aid. I plan on giving him the cup myself

[The Annoyed Man]

TAM- In the words of Tommy Lee Jones "Get yourself a Glock and lose [those] nickel plated sissy pistols"
No glocks listed, dang shame.

A) I gave mention to my wife's Glock (which I carry now and then if I think nobody's lookin'):

This list doesn't count the three pistols that are my wife's—a S&W 642, a Glock 19, and a Kahr CW9....

B) Not one of my gun's is nickel plated. However, I do own a lot of stainless steel. And the stainless steel slides on my 2 Kahrs, the M&P45, and the XDm will still be truckin' long after the Glock's carbon steel slide has rusted away. In fact, the only carry gun I own that isn't stainless is that Springfield 1911.

But the above list does not include my dad's old parkerized 1943 Ithaca 1911A1, a blue steel Colt Government .380, a S&W Model 29 in blue steel, a stainless steel Ruger 22/45 4.5" Hunter, and a blue steel Heritage Rough Rider .22LR/.22 Magnum..........'cause none of them are carry guns.

But if I did own a nickel plated sissy pistol, I'd definitely lose it.

Hey snatchel, I've already drunk the coolaid..... like I said, I just don't carry the Glock 19 when I think someone might be lookin'. Or, look at it this way, the XDm is like a Glock, but with a slide that won't rust, a rational grip angle intended to work with the anatomy of human wrist bones, and a rational grip size for caliber—the grip in the .45 caliber XDm being smaller around than the grip of the 9mm G19. If your wrists actually like the Glock grip angle, then you might have a future in the Cirque du Soleil......

.....but you'll need to stock up on tights and glitter.

[snatchel]

TAM- In the words of Tommy Lee Jones "Get yourself a Glock and lose [those] nickel plated sissy pistols"
No glocks listed, dang shame.

A) I gave mention to my wife's Glock (which I carry now and then if I think nobody's lookin'):

This list doesn't count the three pistols that are my wife's—a S&W 642, a Glock 19, and a Kahr CW9....

B) Not one of my gun's is nickel plated. However, I do own a lot of stainless steel. And the stainless steel slides on my 2 Kahrs, the M&P45, and the XDm will still be truckin' long after the Glock's carbon steel slide has rusted away. In fact, the only carry gun I own that isn't stainless is that Springfield 1911.

But the above list does not include my dad's old parkerized 1943 Ithaca 1911A1, a blue steel Colt Government .380, a S&W Model 29 in blue steel, a stainless steel Ruger 22/45 4.5" Hunter, and a blue steel Heritage Rough Rider .22LR/.22 Magnum..........'cause none of them are carry guns.

But if I did own a nickel plated sissy pistol, I'd definitely lose it.

Hey snatchel, I've already drunk the coolaid..... like I said, I just don't carry the Glock 19 when I think someone might be lookin'. Or, look at it this way, the XDm is like a Glock, but with a slide that won't rust, a rational grip angle intended to work with the anatomy of human wrist bones, and a rational grip size for caliber—the grip in the .45 caliber XDm being smaller around than the grip of the 9mm G19. If your wrists actually like the Glock grip angle, then you might have a future in the Cirque du Soleil......

.....but you'll need to stock up on tights and glitter.

Hahahaha. I think the freak show might be my calling. Buffalo Bill's Wild Wrist Show? Hahah

Seriously though.... Do you still have that spare set if tights you offered a few months ago?

[74novaman]

Poll results are interesting so far. Seems size isn't as much of an issue as quality for most of us that would have done things differently.

[The Annoyed Man]

TAM- In the words of Tommy Lee Jones "Get yourself a Glock and lose [those] nickel plated sissy pistols"
No glocks listed, dang shame.

A) I gave mention to my wife's Glock (which I carry now and then if I think nobody's lookin'):

This list doesn't count the three pistols that are my wife's—a S&W 642, a Glock 19, and a Kahr CW9....

B) Not one of my gun's is nickel plated. However, I do own a lot of stainless steel. And the stainless steel slides on my 2 Kahrs, the M&P45, and the XDm will still be truckin' long after the Glock's carbon steel slide has rusted away. In fact, the only carry gun I own that isn't stainless is that Springfield 1911.

But the above list does not include my dad's old parkerized 1943 Ithaca 1911A1, a blue steel Colt Government .380, a S&W Model 29 in blue steel, a stainless steel Ruger 22/45 4.5" Hunter, and a blue steel Heritage Rough Rider .22LR/.22 Magnum..........'cause none of them are carry guns.

But if I did own a nickel plated sissy pistol, I'd definitely lose it.

Hey snatchel, I've already drunk the coolaid..... like I said, I just don't carry the Glock 19 when I think someone might be lookin'. Or, look at it this way, the XDm is like a Glock, but with a slide that won't rust, a rational grip angle intended to work with the anatomy of human wrist bones, and a rational grip size for caliber—the grip in the .45 caliber XDm being smaller around than the grip of the 9mm G19. If your wrists actually like the Glock grip angle, then you might have a future in the Cirque du Soleil......

.....but you'll need to stock up on tights and glitter.

Hahahaha. I think the freak show might be my calling. Buffalo Bill's Wild Wrist Show? Hahah

Seriously though.... Do you still have that spare set if tights you offered a few months ago?

Sure I do, but you could fit two of you in them. I think my butt alone weighs more than most grown men.

[Jaguar]

I haven't been carrying long enough to vote, but I have had a carry gun for quite sometime.

I started with the Kahr P40, but since I didn't have a license I didn't carry it much. I had planned to get my license but life got in the way and I never got around to it, had a crossbreed holster for it and everything. Since I didn't carry, the snappy recoil of the P40 made it a beast for a range gun, so I traded it for a Glock 19.

The 19 is a bit too large in my opinion, although I did qualify with it on for my CHL, and have carried it a few times. I have since purchased a police trade-in Kahr K9 for an EDC.

The K9 is a great gun for CHL, small enough, heavy compared to the polymer Kahrs, but about the same weight as a loaded Glock 19. I now carry it whenever I can, not at work so there goes about 50 hours a week of carrying, but the rest of the time it's in a Theis holster IWB. I also purchased a nice leather pocket mag carrier from a member on the Kahr Talk Forum, and it rides in my left front pocket. Maybe someday my plans will change, but for now the K9 fits my needs very well.

[Topbuilder]

Hi ya'll. I'm not much for "I'm the new newbe" posts, but this is my first post.
I did lurk around quite a bit while waiting for the plastic to arrive. My thanks to those of you who are giving of your time and knowledge here. Perhaps I can return the favor somewhere along the way.

I purchased a CZ 75Po1 with the intent it would be my carry gun and to celebrate my new license. I have a couple of other pistols but did not want to use them for EDC. One is a Browning Hi-Power "T" series. It's a safe queen. I am against safe queens as a general rule but, here I am. I bought it from a good friend 25 years ago. It was well worn. At the time the general consensus was "very common weapon, will probaly not have collector value" so I had it re-blued. The man that did the work was a pro. He did a flawless job. Not sure what I have done to the value, topic for another thread perhaps... but It's too pretty to carry. Now that friend has passed away so I have a "history" to protect as well. Don't get me wrong, I still shoot it. Just think other "off the shelf" models would be better for a carry gun. My other option was a Colt .380 Government. While I am on the fence now, and well read on the subject, I considered the .380 as not enough for CCW if you have other options. I bought the Colt new in"83 & I guess I got lucky to buy a model that held/gained in value. So, two strikes against it. 1) caliber too small 2) Possible collector value ruined by continuous carry. Love the PO1. The first time I fired it was to qualify at the CCW course. Shot a 250! So now I'm on my way, I have collected a drawer fill of holsters, I have fired enough rounds through the PO1 to be confident it is dependable. (topic for another day) But, it is just too big... My hats off to you LEO and "1911 only" guys. I have not figured out a way to carry a full sized gun yet. I'm not smallish 190 lbs or so. Bottom line is the .380 Gov't is my EDC gun. After trial and error (read $$) My favorite holster is a The Beltster. I got the 1 3/4" with the cross draw and 5 oclock slot. I wear the cross draw when I am in and out of the truck/car . I actually like it better than the small of back slot. I keep Fiocchi XTP in the clip and try to keep up to date with what is the "best" carry round out there in terms of speed and penetration.
So, to answer the original question - Very happy with my purchase, it's just not my EDC at this time.