My wife and I both have concealed handgun licenses and own the following handguns:
Springfield XDm9
Ruger SR9
Taurus 24/7 9mm
Taurus AirLite .38
Ruger Challenger .22
Browning Camper .22
Several CO2 powered pellet pistols and pellet rifles.
Most Taurus handguns are very good quality, have a great price point, and the 24/7 my wife owns hasn't had a misfire or failure to feed in the over 1200 rounds she's sent down the tube on the range.
We own the handguns as casual hobby, sport, and for personal protection when I'm out of town on business and/or we feel it would be prudent to carry. We "carry" a handgun about maybe 5% of the time when away from home and always have one with us when we travel. When we do carry, it's usually the .38 because of size and weight.
It is currently unlawful in Arkansas to openly carry a handgun in a public place or off of one's personal property, and a person must obtain a CHL if they wish to carry a concealed weapon.
When I walk my dogs, I usually have a CO2 powered airsoft pistol on my side. My dogs have been jumped a couple times by strays, and the airsoft would provide a non-lethal sting if and when it happens again.
One of the nice things about a CHL is that in order to get one, you have to go through a one day safety and familiarization course and send in your fingerprints for a background check prior to receiving your license. The few times I've been pulled over, I've always presented my CHL along with my DL and other docs, and the cop then knows I've had a background check in order to have it. I've been told they feel a lot more at ease knowing the person they are dealing with has no felonies in their background.
I LOVE putting holes in targets!!!! And I LOVE that I don't have to belong to a "gun club" in order to own a handgun or keep it on me or in my house. I also LOVE that I don't have to "register" my weapons with the local authorities like some other countries.
"An armed society is a polite society" may not be true in ALL cases, but it does the trick here in Arkansas...
