Even though I've been carrying a gun for 10 years I enjoy these types of videos. Keep it up man.

I remember my first CCW, it was a full size double stack .40 S&W that felt like lugging around a brick and shot like one too

Even if this video gets demonetized! These videos are what we need more of! These are the videos that are going to help the gun culture. Keep up the good work!!!!

Just carry whatever you are comfortable carrying and something won't leave home without. I'd rather have a .380 in the pocket than a full size duty gun that I occasionally get around to carrying.

im a old shit at 64....Ive been shooting since 7 years old....father was in WW2 ....he gave me a western auto .22 single shot by 10 years old......love your channel ....ive learned some stuff.....I live for Colt revolvers ( my fav).....and .45's.....keep it up!

My first CCW was a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag and I wish I was joking lol I’m an idiot

.50ae is my conceal carry for years. just in case you need to disable small vehicles.

My first gun was a shield 9 mm.great first gun.did alot of research and watched alot of videos.saw it at palmetto state armory for $250 so I got it.for me it was the best first gun. cheap, reliable,super comfortable.then bought the g2c as a back up gun for $200.those two are great choices for first guns

I've tried everything. The sig 365 is the end all be all. For me it's the perfect CCW but easily convertible into a full sized handgun with an extended mag. Grip size is even changeable with the grip module system. (The 365 xl is also a fine choice it's up to preference)

I miss the good ol days with you and Barry at moss. Good times.

I have tried to give the same lesson to many new gun owners and carriers. You did it better. This is a much needed video lesson. Well done. I would not change a thing.

You have created a great video for new gun owners. Well done! But, capacity limitations are moving away. I carry a SIG P365, which as you know is ultra concealable with the flush 10-round magazine, but with a MagGuts magazine conversion it holds 12 rounds in the mag plus 1 in the chamber. 12 + 1 in a tiny package that is smaller than my S&W 642 J-frame. Hard to beat.

Started with a Ruger SP101 and moved to a S&W Shield 45. Been carrying the Shield going on 5 years now

I started out w/ a p365. Went up to a Walther PDP 4” compact, and settled on a CZ P01. The DA/SA nature of the CZ gives me the peace of mind of knowing it won’t go off as I press the hammer w/ my thumb as I holster it.

I carry my Taurus G3c. It is a great shooter and feels great in my hand. Just because it is inexpensive doesn't mean it is cheap quality.

When I decided I wanted to go the concealed carry route, I realized my beloved 1911A1 wasn't gonna be an ideal choice. So I went to my city's best stocked gunshop to see what was out there. I had a few basic requirements: it had to be small. enough to be concealable, it had to have a good trigger, and it could NOT be DAO. It was also probably gonna be a 9mm. I finally settled on a Ruger SR9c, a nice semi-auto that Ruger seems to have quickly forgotten about, which is too bad. What I Iiked about the SR9c, and where it outshown all others i tried in its price range, was its trigger. It breaks like glass. I discovered, after carrying it for a while, though, was it was just a bit on the large size. I wanted something smaller, more compact. Went back to the store to have a look around. This was before the explosion of compact 9s, so I was looking for something in 380. I found a clean Walther PPK, built under license by S&W, decided it was the one. DA on the first shot, SA for the rest. The kicker for me was its single action trigger. Oh, and how can you go wrong with James Bond's carry piece? That was a few years ago, and I have no regrets, despite all the compact double stack wonder 9s out there now. But chances are, if I were shopping around today, I'd likely go with one of the new compact wonder 9s.

Mine was the M-1911A1 Gov't model .45 ACP. Yes, the 5" barrel. I still have said pistol.

My first was a G26. It's an ok gun, but I always felt like I was trying to hold onto a bar of soap. I now carry an P365X and couldn't be happier. As far as holsters, I'd recommend a Vedder Litetuck. I really like that Vedder moves the bulk of where the metal clip attaches to the kydex down near the bottom of the holster. Having that bulk moved off your waistline really helps keep the holster comfortable when sitting down. They are also made in the USA and have outstanding customer service.

Great video to show people that are new to CCW. Great advice on training with a 22lr especially with current ammo prices. I carry a CZ PCR and use a Kadet kit for practice.

I went for a g19 for my first carry gun. Bit a of mistake, although, I’m still glad I have it. I run a 365xl and I’m a big fan of that gun. Spectre version lookin nice too.

I remember back in the late 80's and early 90's some of the most common ccw pistols were the AMT .380 backup, Makarov 9x18, See camp .32, Baby Browning's, snub .38s, and FMJ derringers out of Ducktown. TN. We've come a long way since then man

“CCW”?! You mean carrying from the bedroom to the kitchen to the bathroom? LOL. In New Jersey, that’s the extent of CCW. God forbid you leave the house with a piece. 😱

My first CCW was a Shield single stack .9MM. Then I bought an XD, traded it for a G19, still have the 19, but now carry a Shield Plus

I had been shooting most of my life. Dad bought me a Nylon 66 when I was 11. I waited to get my concealed carry permit until I saw the writing on the wall that the world was going wonky. I took the class, shot (well) for qualification. Decided on the pistol I wanted to carry (Sig P365) and everything was cool. Got a decent holster and carry system. It was all good. Then I dropped the slide on a full mag and had a round chambered. That was a spooky feeling.

My mom has carried a S&W model 60 since the mid 70's, but now she's 82 and has arthritis. She can't pull the trigger in double action and she has trouble even cocking the hammer for a single action shot. I brought her a Glock 43 with a Shield Arms 15 round magazine, she loves it, and even though she can't work the slide it doesn't matter. If she ever needed to use it she's got 15 + 1 in the chamber. I can always reload it for her after she dispatches the bad guy.

My first was a glock 19. Bad choice. I'm short skinny and have small hands so I couldn't conceal it well, then I got the M&P shield 9mm. Perfect.

Excellent video. I appreciate the effort required to put this together. One point many people don’t mention in these videos or even in most gun stores is the grip. Specifically length, angle and size of grip where it pertains to drawing from concealed. These are CCW pistols after all and they’re carried to be used in a life threatening situation. A pistol can hit all parameters each person decides for themselves but if they can’t get a solid grip when drawing from concealed none of that matters.

Started out with a Steyr M9 A2 MF, then realized there are not many comfortable holsters for it, tried a few but wasnt feeling them. The steyr became my bedside gun and i had to make my way over to a S&W shield, which i still carry to this day

I’m well versed in firearms and I still enjoy watching these introduction to firearms videos , you never know what else you can learn . Big fan of the channel too!!

Great video. I think alot of new gun buyers dont understand how the different sizes of guns go. all the different numbers ect. Me being one of those. Your really good at being able to understand about what your talking about. I went with the XPs 45. Love it!

I went with a bersa .380, it was affordable, compact and reminiscent of 007’s walther.

Great video! Researched for months before getting my 1st and still most carried ccw a Smith and Wesson Shield Plus. Not a single regret. Since then I've also picked up a fun METE SFX and a small LCP Max for Summer carry. Practice a lot with the Shield, awful with the Ruger and love shooting the Canik. Just wish they'd come out with a 45 acp.

I'm an olden dude and I've been around guns all my life and had self defense handguns the last 10 or so years. You covered the subject well. My opinion is that the best few pieces of advice you gave is to try several guns in hand to help you decide which gun you want to carry daily and to use whatever style of handgun you're most comfortable carrying. I agree that the .25 caliber semi automatic center fire is a little enemic for self defense and is about equal to the .22 caliber rim fire pistols in energy foot pounds. The .25 is likely a little more dependable and reliable by the virtue of being a center fire round. The .380 is a little more powerful than the .22 and the .25, but the really small .380s aren't pleasant to fire more than a few dozen times when target praacticing, which is very important. I have a .380 and carry it, but would rather fire a 9mm handgun 200 times rather than fire my .380 2 dozen times. The little .380 stings significantly after firing 2 dozen rounds while my small 9mm is tolerable even after firing 200 rounds. I might get laughed at, but I often shoot my Co2 BB pistol 300 to 600 rounds at reasonable self defense distances. The BB gun is a double action trigger pull which has a trigger about equal in feel to my daily carry centre fire self defense pistol. My theory was that much of the same practice actions and procedures I would learn with the BB gun would transfer directly to the center fire pistol and so far that theory worked out to be true. Everything isn't identical, but trigger contriol, sight picture, holding steady while fring and firing quickly at multiple targets is a lot alike. Plus with the BB gun I can get in a weeks worth of practice for very low cost and do it in my back yard with no bothered neighbors. Almost every handgun caliber available has a cartridge that's worthy of self defense use. I decide on my carry ammunition based on ballistics gel penetration and the FBI recommendations. That's highly important for self defense scenarios and is NOT the same for pistol game hunting rounds where it's desired that a projectile for game hunting to go all the way through the hunted game. That's not ideal for many self defense situations II've watched a lot of your videos the last few years. Good work

Great video, would like to see more in this series. Maybe comparing carry guns in things like barrel length vs velocity and effect at ranges like 5 yards, 10 yards, 15, yards.

This made me smile. I've been carrying for some time now and this is great 101 advice and practical considerations for choosing a firearm.

Very informative and detailed for anyone looking or new to guns. Love your content. Keep it up!

I think with all the info out there, it's important to just stress safety and comfortability. When you're getting your first gun or first carry gun, there is no right or wrong. Just learn the 4 basic rules of gun safety and pick a gun that you're comfortable with, or that you think you'll be comfortable with. And that's really it. You don't have to buy into the concept that some guns are better than others, or that some carry options are better than others. Just do you, and be safe while doing it!

Fifty years ago it was a model 36 j frame.38 chiefs special today it’s a air weight j frame .38 special I’ve tried many other’s but this one has always been faithful

I've been in to guns since I was a kid, was raised around them my whole life, but it is nice to get your take on things like this. My first carry gun was a Makarov, then a star BM, and after that I went down a rabbit hole of different carry pieces including striker fired, I thought I was so cool when I bought my first Glock haha. Great video as always Eric, look forward to the next video.

Great video, I consider myself intermediate experience (barely), and learned most of what you covered the long/hard way. The "take your time" is excellent advice. BTW Thank You for your service to our great country.

Really enjoyed your presentation. Practical and realistic and truthful. Thank you

Personal plan the best gun is the one in my hand. I carry a hipoint 9mm with a wolf holster

Very thorough video. I’ve been known to carry quite a wide variety over the years. Currently carrying either a Shield+ PC, or M&P full size .357 Sig.

My first gun was a Springfield XD. To bulky to carry. I ended up getting the Sig P365X for carry. Great all day carry gun. Now I rotate between the P365X and the P320 Xcomp. The smaller polymer striker fired handguns are more snappy than the larger ones which is why I prefer the 320.

My "first" CCW is a Kahr CM9. Fantastic little handgun! I originally tried using a Glock 19, but only being 5'6 120lbs that handgun was completely obvious and had to get a new one (the Kahr CM9).

Either a Glock 19 or one of the flavors of CZ Compact pistols. Can't go wrong with either and both are fully capable of functioning as a CCW or duty gun.

thank you your great at explaining these things and ive always found your vids to be really impressive and you think good and long about what you are going say i appreciate that

Superb vid Eric. You teach well. Thanks

Not done with this video yet but will finish today. Wanted to say thank you very much for all the explanations. Wish you would work at my local gun shop. You are absolutely the benchmark for how guys should explain firearms to new folks.

I loved to carry my s/w model 39. Was so perfect for my needs, but once I saw spots of rust, I had to retire it from my carry options.

My favorite now and likely ongoing are my Kahrs. Slim, accurate, reliable and a fabulous D/A only trigger !

My first edc was a glock g23 gen 2. Carried it for years. Still have it of course but now use a glock 43 with a taran +3 extension.

My perspective is that of a reloader. My first was a 380 ACP, and that cartridge is only 3mm shorter than 9mm Luger, but the brass is MUCH thinner and not good for reloading. 9mm brass is heavy and thick. I switched to 9. The 380 cartridge isn't bad, but it's the diameter of a cartridge that affects how many rounds you can carry in a mag (hence the new 30 Super Carry cartridge). 9 and 380 are the same diameter, as are 357, 38 and others. Those numbers are just "brand names" for a particular cartridge. They are all .356" including 9mm. The diameter of a cartridge defines how wide a pistol is. If it is single-stack, the pistol can be slimmer and carry less. If it is double-stack it will likely be wider and carry more. But the cartridge diameter determines that. I like the concept of the new 30 Super Carry, but I'm already invested in 9 for CCW. The 30 Super Carry is a smaller diameter higher velocity round that is almost equal to 9mm in pounds-per-sq inch hitting power. Being smaller diameter is the purpose of the 30 Super Carry, to be able to pack more into a mag without requiring a wider handle/mag well.

bought my first gun today actually, got a glock 17. Really looking forward to getting it. next probably going to get a S&W AR15

Good video on attempting to assist newbies into selecting a conceal carry handguns… My first conceal carry gun, was actually the only handgun I owned which was a DA/SA full size Beretta PX4 that only weighed 28oz and was slim enough. Not too long after I bought a smaller Springfield Armory XD-E that only carried 8+1 or 9+1 that was DA/SA like my Beretta but got me more used to conceal carrying most of the time to be my dedicated EDC. Eventually I graduated to a striker fire and one of the wonder 9’s the Sig p365 XL and I couldn’t be happier with this for every day conceal carry in comfort and yet with decent ammo capacity. That being said, every so often I will rotate my original full size Beretta PX4 that I have more of an appreciation for and not to mention that it carries 17+1 flush.

This video opened my eyes to a hobby and a collector which were previously unknown to me. Most enjoyable !!

Mine was a 357 snub. But I recommend the Canik SC. $400 or less and sig 365, m&p shield plus are the best imo

2018 HK VP9SK. LWG F3 trigger, Trijicon XR night sights, & trigger bar was polished by my gun smith she’s been worked. My only gripe is HK not releasing an optic ready slide for previous owners like they did the HK VP9L.

Great video and information. I’ve been going back and forth on 4 different hand guns and haven’t figured out which one yet. Great idea about going to your range and renting them. I’m gonna do that!

My first CCW was a Glock 19 gen 3 with a flashlight and a laser beam with a custom grip which (i love so much) and a nice barrel. . . also with one and a chamber and a nice size holster. Love your video by the way and i always love learning about guns

My first ccw was a Dan Wesson custom 45 1911 carted it around for two days that was the end of that ! Lol then got a Springfield xd 9 on which I still own ! Love it !

Great video. I would consider the core pillars of a CCW choice to be (in no particular order of importance) affordability, concealability, comfort, reliability, lethality, and capacity. Choice of CCW is very personal so of course everyone will vary but I would personally consider a Sig P365XL with some type of self defense ammo a good choice. Plenty of guns manage to tick most if not all of the pillars, while others might not, for example double stack Glocks are famously reliable but might not be the easiest to conceal. Do your research and always, always, always if possible rent or borrow a gun you want to consider buying from a friend or a range before buying one, and above all train with this gun because your life might literally depend on it

Hey bro I’ve been watching since I was 16 and now I’m 18 here in Texas just went to the range today and loved it. The culture, the friendly people, and especially the kick of the pistols and rifles. There is no doubt in my mind that in the coming months I’m going to buy my first firearm using this video as a reference thank you for supporting the noobies like me.

My first handgun was a "J" frame 38. Bought it well over 20 years ago used at a pawnshop for $100. 5 shot with a hammer. I had to get my mom to buy it for me, cause I wasn't 21 yet. Southern Oregon, so got to bring her home same day. Still have her to this day. I have several guns, but that one is easy to carry, not heavy, and in all the years I've had her, I've never once needed to point, brandish, or even let anyone know I've got her. I prefer it stays that way. I'm confident, she'll bark if I needed her to, and she ain't barking, without biting. Very unlikely, and I hang out in some very questionable areas.

I choose based on where I'm going.... cutting grass? Glock 48, taking wife to dinner, staccato c2, Wal-Mart in FL. 10.5 " ar15 lol

Shield was mine... but also take a look at ruger sr9c.. great bang for your buck

Eric, I watch almost all of your videos. I love the work you do. not all of us are new brother. keep up the good work.

My first CCW was my first gun I ever bought. It was a 9mm M&P9 variant meant for law enforcement.

My wife has serious racking issues and is much more comfortable with a revolver. I've tried the EZ and a tip up barrel to no avail. 43X works for me.

I always recommend a revolver for first CCW for people especially those that are not going to practice and be proficient. Semi autos are complicated and the user needs to worry about the many different ways they could cause the gun to jam and many other things like clearing a jam. Ive been teaching that way since 1993 and I have yet to see a civilian gun fight that a reload is necessary, there may be some but they are few and far between.

my first CCW was a ruger LCR .38 spl. I loved that it was super reliable, lightweight but still enough heft to solidly handle it and very compact - i would almost forget I had it sometimes when I was carrying it IWB. Moved to a Colt snub after a few years because as much as I like the ruger LCR, it was very difficult to reliably get a decent grouping with it at anything beyond 10 yards and I realized that in the heat of the moment if I've got adrenaline pumping and no time to think , it'd be too easy for me to fire off all five rounds and not hit a thing, whereas I could be near surgical with the Colt at 25 yards.

I bought a pa63 in 9mm makarov not long after the video you and chad did with it. That’s been my carry gun for years. I carry it itw, chambered round, safety off because of the stiff double action pull. Single action pull is nice and light.

My first was a G20. Because when I learned that I could get my CCW in CA, that's what I owned.

Would anyone else love to see a video showing off Eric’s and chads whole collections?

Thank you very much for this kind of very informative video, eloquent and to the point aswell. Fanstastic, love the pistols.

Nicely done! Especially the 1st ten minutes of video, every newbie should hear that!

Canik TP9SF elite is my ccw similar to glock 19 size but amazing trigger and great shooting gun. Whatever you feel is reliable enough to save your life will work.

If it was my first gun, I would want a da/sa 380 or something with a safety. The safety is so I can develop confidence to carry. The DA/SA is so I can figure out what I want from my pistol. ...or a CSX. You know what? Just give me a CSX.

This is an awesome video !! Truly enjoy all your videos and your knowledge on guns. You are the go to when I need to know about a gun. Thank you much !!!!!

This kind of info is gold to new shooters not everyone has gun owners in the family to show them what to do like me when i first started youtube helped me learn everything all i had was my dad no other family and he was a convicted felon so if he had a gun i didnt know about it or see them i loved guns but didn't know a whole lot about them

My first ccw was and still is a ruger ec9s. I love this pistol, but i feel an upgrade coming soon.

To be clear. The P365 capacities you quote, Eric are for the extended magazines. The flush capacity for the 365 XL is 12+1 and the 365 is 10+1.

Golly, I still a relatively new gun owner, started about 1.5 years ago around the time everyone else did, at least recently. Picked up a FN509 tactical. Super cool gun, but it was so big! Difficult to carry with what I thought was a good holster. Then started learning about different holster systems and designs and after trying a few different types and a few different pistols, concealing the FN isn't that much more difficult than other smaller guns. Just need to find the proper holster system for you and get used to the feeling of having something on your waist band. That last one, to be honest, I'm still getting used to, but a good holster system definitely helps with comfort. Thanks for the content!

Appreciate this video. Thanks for taking the time.

Regarding holsters, Red Earth Concealment makes the best holster to date I’ve used personally kydex wise. Same quality as Safariland with real customer service. I’m running the KITO IWB TLR-3 compatible FN 5.7 MK2 holster. DCC Monoblock upgrade and Mod Wing upgrade. Definitely the most comfortable kydex option to date even with a full size that’s threaded barrel ready. Eventually I’ll get the SureFire XSC Hellcat model light for my VP9SK and get a holster for it as well from Red Earth. Red Earth also offers the Safariland compatible adapter set up with drop leg OWB options if that’s more your style. That option is going to be way more expensive obviously which is the main reason I went IWB. For soft holsters I’m a Sticky Holster guy. Hope this helps!

My first CCW was a Taurus G2C 9mm. At 10 yards I had a 7 on middle and 5 around it. The gun felt too light for me, I had a buddy that had a .40 S&W, so I asked him to try it and I got a 3 hits 2 misses, I then got a .45 1911 and got 5 out of 5 on middle. Figure out what works for you

First CCW many many years ago was a CZ40P. While it has moved to a nightstand gun, still love it. Accurate, reliable and a unique history.

Very great informing video. My first gun was a s&w 442 .38 2nd gun was a g43x now im looking at picking up a beretta 92 and some form of 1911 .45 for the old school nostalgia wanna get more revolvers too I recently got into firearms 6 months ago but been watching the channel since the barry days!!!

MY FIRST carry gun was a Colt 4" Nickle plated "Diamondback"

Rip Berry.

The 365 xl holds 12+1 the regular 365 holds 10, they make an x version which holds the 12+1 but also has the shorter barrel of the regular 365. Also the holosun 507k fits on it out of the box with no plates needed factory sighted in.

Great vid…..good to see striker v hammer explained simply. Thankyou!

For me, untrained and new to guns, a 38 special seems best for my purposes. 5 or 6 rounds is twice what i need to make loud bangs and run away. No need to reload, as I'd be retreating further after each shot i take. Plus guns with a slide seem to have more variables and thus more chances for error or misfires, which, IMO, is the main thing an inexperienced and untrained person should be avoiding when buying their first gun.

A Gun is a Gun. Especially when you need it.

The best part that I love about the gun community is how open and supportive we all are even with so many new owners.

Excellent explanations, very helpful and informative. Thanks for making this video.

The Sig XL extended mag as a back up makes a super addition to the 365 as a carry

Having so many options makes it more difficult, highly recommend handling and shooting as many as possible

I started with a ruger lcp2. Great for concealing, but it's no good at any kind of distance if someone is shooting back. P365x has been a great choice

Great video. The best advice for anyone just getting started. I think you are correct on every point. Thank you, Take care-God bless.