The "Best" Semiautomatic for Concealed Carry

[Kleanbore]

It's a judgment call.

I carry a Shield EZ 9, OWB. Many people prefer the excellent Glock G-19. I gain a grip safety, an easier slide racking effort, and a quarter of an inch in thinness. I like the tigger pull.

I lose some capacity, and that may prove very important some day.

The grip safety was one main discriminator. Slide racking effort had to be within my limit.

Thirteen years and few months ago, I was talking to an old friend about a handgun for my spouse. She prefers revolvers.

"Tell her to get a Glock. It's just like a revolver, but it holds more, You just pick it up and shoot it".

He and are equal in age and experience, but at the time, I remained more old-fashioned. I could not get past the idea of not having a safety on a semi-automatic pistol.

Then one day in a training class, I drew and---nothing. I had fumbled and failed to disengage the safety. That scared the daylights out of me, even though my attacker was paper target. I divested the gun immediately.

I replaced it with a Springfield XDS 9 4.0. It has a lower capacity, but it has a grip safety.

But I found that after open heart surgery, I could barely rack the slice. A friend's Ruger American Pistol was easier, so I bought the compact model--without a manual safety. It's little heavy for a bad back, but it has more capacity. I had to live with the lack of a grip safety. BTW, it has a much better trigger than the XDS.

Then Smith and Wesson came out with the EZ 9. I bought one immediately.

I would not turn down a G-19 today,

I do not want anything too small and compact, and I do not want to carry an all-steel pistol all day. Been there, done that.

I am not pushing my choice for others.

 

[trackskippy]

Sounds like you made the effort to figure things out. I think thats something that often isnt done, and people often choose the wrong things, for the wrong reasons.

The only way to figure it out, is to figure it out, and that usually takes a bit of work.

 

[jmr40]

What I prefer has evolved over time, sounds like the same has happened to you

 

[ontarget]

Yes, my idea of the ideal carry piece has evolved a couple of times over the years.
At this point it is a duty size HiCap 9mm.
For years it was a revolver. In there too was a compact 9mm then back to the revolver.
Age and ability catches up with all of us sooner or later, and that necessitates change in our idea of the perfect CCW.

 

[Jimster]

1911.

 

[Jimbo80]

P99C AS

 

[CNobbe]

Carry what you're comfortable with carrying and shooting. May take a while, but life isn't perfect.

 

[dh1633pm]

There are many compact pistols these days with excellent accuracy. All depends on how compact, and then how easy is it to use. Cycle the action, load the mags, etc. My wife handled a lot of pistols. She liked the Sig P365. It’s not mentioned as a choice, only as part of the story of how we made our decision . She can cycle action fine. Hit the target. But she can’t get but a few rounds in the mag. Four has been her total. So hard to pick something to buy without knowing day to day livability

 

[Hangingrock]

The first center fire handgun I shot was the 1911A1 for familiarization at MCRD Parris Island SC in 1964. Thru the decades, since then I've owned and shot various handgun types and configurations. As this is written I favor semiautomatics over revolvers, thou I own both types. My EDC is a S&W Shield 9X19mm.

 

[Zendude]

I don’t own one, but the Shield Plus checks a lot of boxes on the desirable characteristics list for a concealed carry semiautomatic.

 

[tactikel]

Same needs, my SIL chose a G-43 X. No safety, slim, concealable, 15 rounds, 9 mm. Just evaluate your needs. 3-4 other platforms will work depending on hand feel.

 

[Buzznrose]

It's a judgment call.

I carry a Shield EZ 9, OWB. Many people prefer the excellent Glock G-19. I gain a grip safety, an easier slide racking effort, and a quarter of an inch in thinness. I like the tigger pull.

I lose some capacity, and that may prove very important some day.

The grip safety was one main discriminator. Slide racking effort had to be within my limit.

Thirteen years and few months ago, I was talking to an old friend about a handgun for my spouse. She prefers revolvers.

"Tell her to get a Glock. It's just like a revolver, but it holds more, You just pick it up and shoot it".

He and are equal in age and experience, but at the time, I remained more old-fashioned. I could not get past the idea of not having a safety on a semi-automatic pistol.

Then one day in a training class, I drew and---nothing. I had fumbled and failed to disengage the safety. That scared the daylights out of me, even though my attacker was paper target. I divested the gun immediately.

I replaced it with a Springfield XDS 9 4.0. It has a lower capacity, but it has a grip safety.

But I found that after open heart surgery, I could barely rack the slice. A friend's Ruger American Pistol was easier, so I bought the compact model--without a manual safety. It's little heavy for a bad back, but it has more capacity. I had to live with the lack of a grip safety. BTW, it has a much better trigger than the XDS.

Then Smith and Wesson came out with the EZ 9. I bought one immediately.

I would not turn down a G-19 today,

I do not want anything too small and compact, and I do not want to carry an all-steel pistol all day. Been there, done that.

I am not pushing my choice for others.

Something in between the S&W EZ and a G19 is a G43X. That’s what I’m normally carrying.

 

[Buzznrose]

There are many compact pistols these days with excellent accuracy. All depends on how compact, and then how easy is it to use. Cycle the action, load the mags, etc. My wife handled a lot of pistols. She liked the Sig P365. It’s not mentioned as a choice, only as part of the story of how we made our decision . She can cycle action fine. Hit the target. But she can’t get but a few rounds in the mag. Four has been her total. So hard to pick something to buy without knowing day to day livability

Get her an Uplula ASAP!

https://www.maglula.com/product/uplula-9mm-to-45acp

 

[TarDevil]

I'm carrying the same 9mm compact I bought almost 11 years ago. It wasn't an impulse buy...took my sweet time figuring out what I needed. I like a lot of the newest offerings and while I can easily afford one of them, they aren't such a quantum leap forward that I can justify retraining all my muscles.

That don't tell the whole story.

In between I spent about 5 years pocket carrying a similar but smaller gun due to severe back issues. So, we change as conditions evolve. If not for major surgery I wouldn't be now... again... carrying that sweet little compact.

Life is relentlessly changing. So must we

 

[briansmithwins]

As big of a pistol as you’ll actually carry in as powerful a cartridge you can*.

A .22 that’s actually in your pocket beats the 10mm you left in the safe because it’s too big and you’re only running to the store. Bigger pistols are easier to control and have more sight radius but are a bigger pain to carry.

BSW

*I remain unconvinced that there is any significant performance difference when using good JHPs between 9mmP, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP.

 

[crestoncowboy]

Sounds like you made the effort to figure things out. I think thats something that often isnt done, and people often choose the wrong things, for the wrong reasons.

The only way to figure it out, is to figure it out, and that usually takes a bit of work.

Bs.... what matters is do the SEALS carry it and is it good for bear. Everyone knows that.



I carry a Glock 27. My first actual ccw when I turned 21 and got the license. Ive carried everything from a Beretta 21A to an FK BRNO, nighthawk, to my 4 inch smith 44.....

Over and over I come back to a Glock 27. It's light, accurate, sized right, dependable, decent capacity, decent power, super easy to detail strip, parts are practically free from Glock, (and if you ask they will give them to you).... and it's pre uglied right from the factory so I don't worry about scratches or dings.... other than taking a dang soldering iron to the frame you just can't make a Glock much more ugly. I fell while wading fishing years ago on a rather expensive 1911. Landed on a pointy rock and made a pretty nice gouge in the slide above the safety. Very deep. I don't know if I could have made a worse place if I'd taken a hammer and cold chisel to it. Lol. If that had been my Glock I'd be showing it off and telling the tale, but being a finely polished 1911 I don't even want to see it anymore. Much like driving a perfectly painted classic car and coming out to find some A- hole in a yellow prius has side swiped you (its always the yellow economy cars.... I believe they go all "Christine" and get jealous of the v8 rumble maybe). Makes you embarrassed to even drive it. Same for that particular 1911. Id have to carry it left handed so nobody could see the scar.

Seriously though, I've carried many. I have always gone back to the Glock 27. Id be perfectly happy with any of the carry guns so long as it worked correctly. From the 229 (albeit a bit heavy) down to anything in 9mm with capacity I wanted. My hands are too big for the tiny single stacks but I wouldn't feel lost with any good working gun in 9mm, 40, or 45.

 

[Anchorite]

It's a judgment call.

Yes, it is. And a very subjective judgment call at that. The only thing I would add is that everything involved in that very, very subjective judgment call is also a compromise.

 

[P5 Guy]

I put the S&W model 60 away when I bought a Glock26.
That has been my only CCW ever since.

 

[Alllen Bundy]

She liked the Sig P365..... But she can’t get but a few rounds in the mag. Four has been her total......

Buy her a magazine loader. You can buy a Makershot loader for the P365 on Amazon for only $12.99.



It works well and doesn't take up much space. I shaved off the front and rear lips to make it fit into my lock box along with my P365X and 3 spare mags. I keep one Makershot loader in each of my lock boxes.

 

[dh1633pm]

Iggy recommended Mag Guts the other day as a solution for the P365. I was looking a mag loaders, wasn't happy with most that I saw. Just ordered UpLula on Midway.



Thanks for the solution. I was just trying to add the thought that you have to consider the whole product. How it handles, the controls, and other things.

 

[CDW4ME]

I saw G-19 in the OP ... which is correct, if not under a 10 round limit.

 

[Alllen Bundy]

Iggy recommended Mag Guts the other day as a solution for the P365.

The Sig 12 rd magazine requires almost 40% more force to load the 12th round than it does to load the 14th round into the MagGuts modified magazine. I measured this difference with a calibrated force gauge. Yet the MagGuts magazine still has as much spring force as the Sig 12 rd magazine to force the last round upward. But the edges of the MagGuts spring are very sharp. I carefully deburr the edges of the MagGuts springs before inserting them.

Just ordered UpLula on Midway.

Almost everyone seems to prefer the UpLula. I use the Makershot mainly because it's small enough to fit into my lockboxes and the UpLula isn't.

 

[JDeere]

To each his own for carry preferences. Sometimes we get one that just doesn't work as well as we thought. One also likes to just change things up from time to time. As far as mag loaders, I had one of those cheaper loaders as pictured. It was ok until I bought an Uplula. I made room in my range bag for it because it's so much easier to use. The cheaper version now resides in a box of items I don't use. ymmv

 

[Spats McGee]

There are a ton of good choices available (in the USA) right now. I'm in the 'carry the biggest gun with which you're comfortable' camp. For me, that meant that my choice of CC pistol has evolved more than once. 1911->G19->Shield->Shield Plus.

That said, the Shield Plus is almost perfect for me:

• Acceptable cartridge, 9mm
• Good capacity, 13+1 (and MagGuts has a +2 conversion...)
• Excellent reliability
  
• Good accuracy at anticipated SD distances
• Excellent ergonomics for me
• Light and easy to carry
• Handles recoil well.

It's quite likely that the Shield Plus is the last CC pistol I'll ever buy. Some company will have to come out with an amazing pistol at an equally amazing price to get me to move on. If and when I get to the point that I can't rack a Shield slide, I'll take another look at the Shield EZ.

 

[MedWheeler]

I've recently switched from a Kel-Tec PF9 on the hip to a Taurus G2C.

I prefer no manual safety, or a pistol that can safely be carried with any manual safety that does exist disengaged (and stiff enough not to be likely to be inadvertently engaged.) I consider the KT trigger to be similar to that of a revolver, and the Taurus trigger to be similar to that of a Glock. Neither revolvers nor Glocks have manual safety levers.

In my pocket is a second gun, a Ruger LCP-MAX, which also uses a trigger blade and which also lacks a manual safety lever. This gun has replaced a Kel-Tec P32, which as a trigger similar to that of the PF9.

So, I've switched from two guns with hybrid-DA triggers to two guns with "dingus" triggers.