#phlster has some pretty decent videos about firearms sizing if you appendix carry

[corvidstoneage]

6.1 Firearms

Happy new year, y'all. Only one more of these to go. These last two will likely be the shortest. A great deal has been written and discussed regarding firearms and ammunition elsewhere by people with far stronger opinions than mine. TL;DR If it works and you can carry it it's good enough for me. Emphasis on if it works. Anyway, here's the essay.

From 1911 boomers to Sig fanbois, what gun you should carry is possibly the most hotly debated subject in the firearms world. A Glock fan may tout the reliability of their preferred platform, Sig fans may discuss trigger quality, And 1911 fans may discuss stopping power and the longevity of a platform.

All of this can be incredibly confusing to a beginner who may not even recognize all the terms used. In this essay we will discuss possible criteria for choosing a carry gun and look at some potential options based on said criteria.

When considering a firearm for use in self defense several criteria must be met.

It must fire when required.

It must not fire when not required.

It must be large enough to be effectively used.

It must be small enough to be easily carried.

It must have sights which the user can see.

It must be chambered in a caliber in which both practice and defensive ammunition are readily available.

The first two requirements comprise reliability and eliminate several options immediately. Cap and ball revolvers can be both pretty to look at and fun to use but they simply don’t have the reliability we’re looking for. Similar things may be said of many other types of antique firearms. Likewise the relative unreliability of rimfire cartridges tends to eliminate them except in cases where reduced recoil is absolutely necessary.

Most modern firearms are unlikely to go off unintentionally as long as the four rules of firearms safety are obeyed. However, some types of firearm may discharge if dropped at certain angles. Primarily single action handguns with inertial triggers. The biggest example of this is the 1911 platform. For these reasons the recommended type of handgun would be a modern striker fired handgun chambered in a centerfire cartridge.

It has been suggested by a great many people that, in terms of firearms for self defense, none are too small to carry and none are too big to fight with. A full size rifle chambered in .308 is drastically more powerful and almost infinitely easier to use than nearly any handgun. However, fitting a firearm with an overall length of more than a meter in a holster tends to be difficult. A single shot derringer chambered in .22 short, by contrast, may be readily concealed in a speedo but generally has no sights to speak of and a power level best described as anemic.

The challenge comes in finding a suitable middle ground. The best option here would be to find somewhere that will let you rent firearms to try out. If that’s not an option try measuring the space on your waistline where the fabric of your shirt (or other cover garment) is slack with space beneath it. You can then use that measurement as the maximum size for your firearm. If you have access to one firearm through a friend or family member, or perhaps a particularly realistic airsoft model, there are several sites available to compare the sizes of handguns. [1]

The stock sights on most modern handguns are perfectly functional. However, aftermarket sights can provide significant advantages. For example, tritium sights can be seen in the dark [2] and red dot sights can provide better target visibility at range. [3]

When looking at sights, whether already on a firearm you’re considering purchasing or aftermarket, make sure that the front sight is bright and visible and clearly contrasts the rear sight. If you require corrective lenses to see try looking down the sights without your glasses on. You should still be able to distinguish the front sight from the rear sight without them.

“Corvid,” I hear you saying, “I don’t want to spend forever in gun stores staring at handguns until my eyes bleed. And we haven’t talked about ammunition at all yet.”

Mood. We’ll talk about ammunition in the next essay. For most people a Glock 19 or similar model from another company will be just about right as far as size and reliability are concerned. If you like to wear leggings or similarly form fitting clothing a Glock 43x or similar model from another company may work better as it’s slightly shorter and significantly thinner.

My own work on this project is licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. Other’s work is attributed and used under US Code Title 17 Chapter 1 Section 107 for nonprofit scholarly use.

[1] https://www.handgunhero.com

[2] https://www.nightfision.com/product/night-fision-perfect-dot-tritium-night-sights-for-glock-new

[3] https://holosun.com/products/reflex-sight/509/he509t-gr-x2.html