The Concealed Carry laws that are now in almost every state of the union have proved a tremendous success with crime levels dropping in every state where they’ve been enacted. Further, there have been few cases of civilians who have qualified for the license using their firearms wrongly. While those who’ve gone to the trouble to take the class and get the license make good choices when it comes to using deadly force, I’ve certainly seen some poor choices in which firearm they choose to carry.

It’s not a pleasant thought that I might have to use deadly force to protect my life or the life of someone I love, but the alternative is even worse. In the process of teaching the legal and moral issues involved in self defense, I’m constantly reminded of the importance of making the right decisions.

As a North Carolina Concealed Carry instructor, I get a lot of questions about what kind of gun folks should carry. Just like everything else, what you buy has to suit way you plan to use it. Often, a new CCH (Concealed Carry, Handgun) license holder buys a large powerful gun and finds it’s just too heavy to tote around from car to house and especially to wear on their person.

The odds of ever using a firearm to prevent loss of life of yourself or a loved one are quite slim. Therefore, carrying a gun designed for everyday combat situations is almost certainly overkill. Everything in life is a compromise. No one would argue that wearing a crash helmet in your car could save your life in an accident, but I don’t know anyone who wears one to work. You’re much more likely to be in a serious auto accident than a situation where you have to use deadly force to save your life so it makes sense to buy a gun that is capable yet user friendly.

The hottest selling guns that qualify as concealed carry guns are the small semi automatics with high capacity magazines. They are the same or similar guns to the guns police officers are issued. They may be very effective for a police officer but I think they come up short as guns to carry every day by a CCH license holder.

The big selling point of these guns is the high magazine capacity. High magazine capacity is desirable in a policeman’s or soldier’s gun. It’s hardly an issue in the hands of a lay person. While the odds of ever needing to use a firearm to defend yourself are slim, the odds of needing more that 5 shots are astronomically slim. While the law allows for the use of deadly force under certain circumstances, it does not excuse you from civil proceedings in the form of a lawsuit and is very clear in the issue of using excessive force. If you shoot more than five shots in self defense, unless you are a very bad shot, your chances of winning a civil case are diminished.

The other disadvantage of a semi automatic as a personal carry firearm comes from what happens if you have a bad round. With a revolver, you simply pull the trigger again. With a semi auto, you must clear the gun by racking the slide. Under stress, this is not as simple as it sounds. Unless you really shoot a lot, you would likely use a lot of precious time in that exercise.

I’ve been carrying a Charter Arms Undercover .38 for about 25 years. It’s never failed to operate on the regular operational checks I do to make sure it’s working properly and it’s traveled with me hundreds of thousands of miles. I’m about to retire that old gun, though. Last week at Archdale Arms, I picked up a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special. It’s only slightly heavier than my old .38 and, as a .44 Special, it packs a serious punch. While I hope I never have occasion to use the Bulldog, it certainly gives one confidence to have a gun with so much power and accuracy in such a small package.

Whether it’s the longer, three inch barrel, or the slight extra weight that makes the difference, the Bulldog is considerably more accurate than my old two inch, Undercover .38. On 8” plate targets, I can hit every plate at 15 yards in slow double action fire. At 24 ounces, it weighs just five ounces more than the .38 and the weight difference is hardly noticeable.

Since the gun is stainless steel, it should require even less care than my old .38 and the only care the .38 got was an oily rag every few months and a pinhead of grease on the hand and bolt every few years. Therein lies the value of the revolver. A proven design over a hundred years old with a few modern improvements, trouble free operation, light weight and small size, the ability to shoot any ammunition that will fit in the gun and no worries about rust. What’s not to like.

No matter which gun you choose, make certain the two main criteria are reliability and comfort. For the last 25 years, I’ve relied on my little .38 but, seeing the better accuracy and power of the Bulldog, I think I’ll switch. Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with my old undercover.

For more information on the Charter Arms Bulldog, go to charterfirearms.com

Dick Jones is a freelance writer living in High Point. He is a retired competitive shooter, and NRA Certified Instructor. He captained numerous National Championship Teams. He is a Distinguished Rifleman and an NRA Certified Rifle, Shotgun, and Pistol Instructor. He teaches NC Concealed Carry Classes and does public speaking for clubs and organizations, hosts outdoor events, and helps church and youth groups raise money with outdoor events. You can visit his website at offtheporchmedia.com and contact him at offtheporch52@yahoo.com.