http://www.whittakerguns.com/

This guy does huge volume so you never know what he has onhand. There's no way they can keep that site up to date. You might call and inquire about the model that you are looking for.

 

Depending how big of a guy you are I recommend CCW carrying a .38special, stub nosed revolver. SW makes some nice one, and several others too.
Im 6ft 1 210lbs and i carry a full size 9mm Ruger P89 and I love it. Carry it fully loaded with a 15round hicap mag mixing hollowpoints along with normal soft tips.
My next purchase will be a .38special tho or AR15/AK.
Buds is where my Cuz whos a police officer gets his guns, and gunbroker, or Cabellas, but you have to go to Cabellas.

 

Ruger Mk II .22 w/ 6" barrel.

Use it on the range...
Get it, get to know it intimatly inside and out.
After everal months and 10K-20K rounds at the range, then you will be ready to step up to larger caliber, smaller frame for a Concelaed Weapon.

DO NOT JUMP THE GUN ON THIS! (no pun intended)
I can not stress that enough.

 

Also.. Craz3d, you don't have to be 21 to take a hand gun safety course. I'd advise taking one now.

 

Like PSS said - get something to practice with, and enjoy shoting. Then get one you can carry later. I am not sure if a .22 is the only way to go, though. a 4 or 6" bbl revolver in .357 is very fun to shoot .38's out of, and will help a n00b learn and build confidence. Then when he's ready, he can have some real fun with .357's out of the same gun, bring it home, clean it up real good, and place it in his favorite home pretection perch.

22's are cheap though...

 

i carry a keltec .380 it is great because it fits in my front pocket. but it is hard to shot because it is so small. my first handgun was a glock 17 which is a full size 9mm, it is really comfortable to shot, but kind of hard to conceal. i also carry a kahr p9 during the winter when i have a bigger shirt on to cover it on my hip.

 

Not sure about other states, but here in Tx in order to qualify for your CCW you have to use .38 special / 9mm at a minimum in the class.

Once you've passed the class and are licensed you can carry whatever you want.

For instance, I used my Ruger SP101 in the class, with mild 158 gr. loads, but what I almost always carry is a Springfield .45.

Texas, and probably most states, license the person, not the gun.

I agree though that if you aren't used to shooting a handgun then it's best to start with a .22 and then work up from there. In fact a nice .22 pistol or revolver is one of the most important guns you can own. You can get plenty of practice for cheap, and it'll teach you to hold a proper sight picture.

Plus they're FUN!!

 

It also prepares you mentally, gets you use to the idea of setting off an explosion in the palm of your hand and not flinching.

I don't know that I'd refer to it as work up from there, that makes it sound like .22 is weak beginers gun. You cant get a more universal or more utilitarian gun than a .22. Plus I've been shooting hand guns since I was 12-14 years old (16-18 years) and still shoot .22's (hand and rifle) more often than anything else by atleast 100 to 1. (100 rnds of .22 to 1 round of everything else put together.) Mostly a cost issue.... but also becsaue I use tehm more on a daily basis than anything else, except maybe a 12 ga...

Liek tex said I will practice, positions, handeling, target aqusition, barrell control, etc etc etc. with .22.
Work to make the firearm an extension of my own body, trying to make the act of shooting as instinctive as pointing my finger. Then.. when I use another gun, it's just a matter of getting use to it. Picking up a different gun that is more expensive to shoot, more closely resembles getting use to a new pair of gloves, than learning to use a new apendage. I've got position, breathing, target aqusition, barrel control, windage calculations and everything else, that all just sort of happens naturally with enough practice and when kept in tune (which I am not in practice like I use to be/need to be).

 

Yeah, I gotta agree, I shoot my .22's about what ya said, maybe 10-1 over all the others.. cheap ammo, fun fun fun to shoot, teaches and reinforces a good sight picture..

And I only mean by "step up" that .22's teach excellent basics, but if you intend to carry a firearm you'll want a larger caliber. And that takes more practice to learn to shoot well.

I've been looking at the Taurus .22 Magnums lately, those are nice little revolvers with some nice firepower.

 

I knew what you meant and I agree, I just didn't want someone reading this thinking they were to manly or to advanced for a .22 or something. We know those guys are out there, the ones that practice once a month and think that because they can hit a human sized target at a static range, they think they know how to handel and shoot.

I too have considered a .22 mag a few times, I have never shot a .22 mag pistol, that would be fun!

 

22 rimfire(cheap ammo) or maybe a 38 until you get use to the feel and recoil then you could go up in caliber

 

This may very well be my next purchase, Ruger MKIII 22/45

Same grip angle as a 1911, similar weight, sexy stainless bull barrel

I just gotta have one

 

Eww that is a sexy beast, I haven't heard of these. I've got to leave right now but will be researching more this evening.