my reason for wanting to carry is because i travel all around southern az for my job. and sometimes they send me to places that even "thugs" dont want to go to. and i have found my self in situations that i would really prefer to have protection (i dont know spanish either, cant talk my way out of it). i currently carry a taser, but if there is more than one threat...

as for the courses/laws az currently removed the permit law and now anyone can carry without a permit of any kind. but before i purchase a firearm i do plan on taking the 12 hour ccw permit class they have here, just for the benifit of the doubt. couldnt hurt right? when i first purchased my shotgun, i took a 2 hour course on shotguns. i am in no way purchasing a gun to look "cool." i personally would like to live in a place where i dont need firearms... but when you live 1 hour from the border, it feels like its a requirement.

as for practice... shooting is a sport to my friends and i. its an every weekend kind of thing. we shoot as much as possible, all day. camp out, and do it all over again. but it is usually a few .38s, a few shotguns and some 22s and my dads old ww2 308. so the furture carry firearm will have plenty of use.

as for an update. i have really been looking into the glock 19 gen 4 9mm. i have read too many reviews, and watched almost every youtube video on peoples opinions and its starting to grow on me. i am aware of the spring issue, but i am led to believe that has been resolved. i went to 4 local shops, looking to test the grip and so forth. i did try the sig 229, but it was a tad too heavy for my liking in order to carry. the glock was lighter, and i felt i had a better grip on it. i did try out the gen 3 glock 19, but i didnt like the grip. it was too big for my hands to be comfortable. as they made the gen 4 smaller, due to the new backstrap add ons.

what do you all think of the glock 19 gen 4?