By Donovan Beard

February 11, 2025

There are literally thousands of different types and models of firearms available on the market today. It can be incredibly overwhelming to confidently select what firearm is going to work best for your intended purpose. The advice I generally give to people who are new to firearms is to take a hands on, live fire class through a certified instructor, using a rental gun prior to making a purchase. There really is no substitute for hands on experience. This will also provide an opportunity for a certified instructor to walk you though loading, unloading and shooting in a controlled environment and make recommendations on what type of firearm may work best for you.

When selecting a firearm, I start out by figuring out what the intended purpose of the firearm will be. Is the firearm for personal protection, hunting, target practice, competition or is it going to have to fulfil multiple roles?

Next is budget, remember that beyond your initial purchase, you will still need to purchase things like holsters, magazines, cases and ammunition. A good starting point for getting a quality firearm for personal protection that has all the necessary support equipment is roughly $500.00 and goes up from there based on the manufacturer.

If you are selecting a handgun for the purpose of carrying concealed, I use the concept of the three C’s to help me narrow down what I am looking for. The 3 C’s are Caliber, Capacity and Concealability. Understand that you will never get 100% of all those attributes in one Handgun and there is some give and take that needs to happen on your selection based on a multitude of factors. I start by picking which one of the 3 C’s is the most important criteria with an understanding that I am going to have to sacrifice in the other two areas to accommodate the first. For example:

If I choose concealability as my most important factor, it will affect my firearms overall capacity and caliber. After selecting concealability as the most important factor, if my second most important factor is caliber, then automatically I am going to be limited in capacity.

If I choose caliber as my most important factor, it will affect my firearms overall concealability and capacity. After selecting caliber as the most important factor, If my second most important factor is capacity, then automatically I am going to be limited in the overall concealability of that firearm. The 3 C’s is a good way to balance what you need versus what you want, and you can run the scenario pretty much any way you need to in order to prioritize the needs of the firearm selection process.

I then look at the fit and feel. Does the firearm feel good in my hand and point naturally? Can I reach the controls like the hammer, safety and magazine release without substantially breaking my grip? I want to make sure it is not only comfortable to shoot but comfortable to carry. If the gun isn’t comfortable to shoot or carry, then it may be an inconvenience to carry concealed when I need it most.

Lastly, I look at the function or action type of the firearm. The goal is to get a firearm that is very easy to operate. The more complex the mechanism the more training it will take to become proficient with that operating system. Think revolver versus semi auto pistol, if you choose to carry a semi auto, can you confidently operate a single action like a 1911 or do you need something will less moving parts such as a striker fire system like a Glock?

Each scenario you are using your firearm for will require different attributes. The firearm I use for personal protection against animals in the woods will be very different from the gun I use for defending myself while in a major metropolitan area.

Selecting the perfect firearm requires patients and thinking however it can be a fun process if you allow it to be, which is why I always recommend not getting in a hurry to make a purchase!

If you are interested in getting online training for your Oregon Concealed Handgun License, click the Get Certified Now button below.