When it comes to choosing a firearm that going to travel with you day in and day out, the number one factor in choosing that firearm is familiarity.

Forget all the stuff you’ve read about why you need this gun or that gun, or which gun is the perfect gun for concealed carry — the best gun for concealed carry is the gun you’re most familiar with. And that’s a question only you can answer!

It’s easy if you’re an active competitor in a shooting sports discipline. If you shoot USPSA with a 1911-platform semiauto, your carry pistol should as closely mimic the operation of your competition gun as possible…one of the smaller 1911s available for any number of manufacturers, for instance. If you shoot IDPA with a Glock, your carry gun should be a smaller Glock.

I’m even going to go out on a limb here and suggest that if you are a Cowboy Action Shooters — especially if your first and only experience with shooting is with 19th Century cowboy guns like the Colt Single Action Army — you should think long and hard about carrying a single action revolver similar to what you shoot every weekend. Yes, it is not nearly as efficient or fast to load as a stealthy black semiauto, but you already know how to shoot that gun quickly, and it’s unlikely you’ll ever need more than the rounds in the gun.

If you’re not a competitor, what type gun have you shot the most? Too often, the selection process for a CCW gun is a trip to the local gun store to see what feels good in your hand. If the proverbial balloon goes up and you have to use that gun, it’s not going to matter so much how it feels but how you operate it under extreme stress. The more you handle the gun — and competition is an excellent venue to learn safe and proper gunhandling — the more likely you are to operate the gun well under pressure.

If you’re totally new to firearms, remember that simple is better! I have seen numerous people given exactly the wrong advice for a carry gun…yes, a small semiauto holds more rounds, but the real question is how quickly can you clear a semiauto malfunction under pressure? Yes, a .45 ACP is arguably a better “manstopper” than a .38 Special, but the real question is how well can you shoot the larger, and greater recoiling, caliber?

For a total newcomer, I recommend first, a class in basic shooting skills, followed by a concealed carry class, before gun selection. Then I recommend sticking with the .38 Special steel framed revolver like the S&W J-Frames…a little heavier, but easier to shoot.