My Wife is one in a million. A couple of weeks ago she told me, “You need to get around and get your LTC!” (License to Carry, in Texas, formerly Concealed Carry or Concealed Handgun License).

I responded that my handgun wasn’t good for concealed carry. For those of you who are new here, my handgun is a Smith and Wesson 686 SSR .357 magnum revolver.

“Is that a 686 in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?“

It is a big chunk of steel and would be hard to hide.

So my Wife told me to get a carry gun.

Okay, if I have to.

Just as with my first handgun purchase, I had a lot of things to consider. I ended up opting for a semi-auto because of the concealability and extra rounds. I opted for my first ever polymer gun and 9mm for the same reasons. Then I had to narrow things down from a very large field of choices.

I ended up deciding on the Walther Creed because of the incredible reviews it was getting. But it was not available anywhere in the DFW Metroplex. For those of you unfamiliar with the Dallas/Fort Worth area, please understand that the Metroplex is probably about the size of Connecticut. When I say I searched the Metroplex, this is a serious search. A search that turned up nothing.

So, I decided to check with Bud’s Gun Shop. Hicock45 recommends them all of the time on his YouTube channel, so, why not give it a try. Well, now I too can recommend Bud’s Gun Shop without reservation. They were respectful, timely and honest as well as helpful with questions. They have a good reputation that they earn through fantastic customer service.

Anyway, here is the Creed.

For first impressions, the gun is very light. It is hammer fired instead of striker fired, but coming from a revolver to a hammer fired semi-auto is no big deal to me. The gun will hold 16 +1, and it comes with two magazines. And it is a Walther, for under $400! The gun is solid, the grip is much better than I expected, coming from zero experience with polymer grips. I expected it to be slippery, but it isn’t at all.

The drawbacks for me are all minor. The slide release is not ambidextrous, but since this is my first semi-auto, what do I care. I simply find a way to make it work for a lefty. The magazine release button is currently under my trigger finger, but it is reversible, so that will change soon, so no worries. The complaints in the reviews I checked were about the grip and the trigger. Some people found the grip to be of poor quality, but I can find no such fault. Once I get to the range with it I will know more, but, on first impression, the grip is good. The complaints I heard about the trigger were different. Some people disliked the pre-cocked hammer, others did not like the reset point…this is all new stuff to me. I have never owned or fired a semi-auto before, so I have no base of reference. Perhaps a trip to the range will clear things up for me.

Next up will be a trip to the range and getting a chance to see how I fare with this gun! I am excited at the chance to find out first-hand how well it shoots. I will report here once I get time to go to the range.

A huge thank you to those of you who like and/or share what you find worthy of your liking and sharing actions! We really appreciate all of you!