What's the Best Gun for Concealed Carry?

[pauljr]

I have never carried anything but revolvers. I think they maybe as near 100% reliable as any firearm.  Presently carrying a SW 642 Airweight in 38spl. Since I am new on this forum I am somewhat reluctant to comment, please excuse me.

[skeath]

I'm about to take my CHL class and want to get something I know I will actually carry.

If your budget only allows one gun, then the other suggestions in this thread are good, especially about getting one that fits your body style and dress styles. However, if there is room in the budget for two guns, I recommend most of your practice time, and CHL qualification, be done with a larger gun.  The learning curve is flatter, and the skills you develop will transfer easily enough to the concealed gun. Of course, also practice with it sometimes.

[rctactical]

thanks for sharing that information. this thread is so useful.
handgun accessories

[mayfieldh]

I carry the Glock 26 9mm which I love because of it's size.  I carry it IWB without any discomfort.  Just remember that you will want to pick rounds (both carry and practice) with the same grain so you are use to the power after each shot.  And secondly, don't just go to the range and practice shooting at the X on the targets.  You need to practice RAPID shooting (2 - 3 quick shots) at a time at certain areas of the target to see if you can hit it.  If and when you have to shoot to protect yourself, you wont have time to point, sight and shoot quickly to avoid getting shot back at.  You need to be able to shoot rapidly at the same area and hit.

[smitch13]

I had this conversation with a young lady at work the other day. The best gun to carry is the one that you will carry daily, practice with regularly, and can  hit you target with consistently.

Shop around. Most gun ranges will have rentals. Give them a try. Find one you like.

I generally carry a Ruger SR9c. Just a hair bigger than the LC9 and carries more ammo. I'm also 6'4" and 240 lbs so take that into consideration.

[yabu]

Like others have said the best gun to carry is one that you feel comfortable with, feels good in the hand, and is one you can shoot accurately.  Personally, I'm not comfortable with the LCP .380 for personal defense.  I own one, but I don't  rely on it for my carry gun.  I just think the .380 round is not sufficient for defense ( Others will disagree).  I carry a Taurus 709 Slim 9mm.  It conceals well and is very reliable.  Another consideration is the price of ammo.  For some reason .380 ammo is more expensive than 9mm.  which means fewer trips to the range if money is an issue.  Also, I have more confidence in the .9mm round when it comes to stopping power.

[Neighbor]

I would say the best gun for concealed carry is the one that you have on you that you have confidence in because you have shot it a lot. I started with a Bersa Thunder .380 and really liked shooting and carrying it - was a reliable gun for me. However about a year and a half ago I decided maybe I wanted a little more stopping power and got a S&W Shield 9mm. For all practical purposes the same size and probably a little lighter than the Bersa. I use the extended magazine (8 rounds) and carry it almost daily.

[VacMaster]

If you haven't made a purchase yet definitely try the Kimber Solo 9MM. As suggested go to a gun store or show and handle the pistols to see what is comfortable to you. This is how I found the Kimber Solo. I went to purchase a Sig P938 (pocket 9) but after handling it I did not like the fit or feel. I also shopped Kahr CM9 pocket 9 and other small 9 MMs. Once I felt the Kimber Solo it fit my hand like a glove so I bought it. I have fired hundreds of rounds through it using cheap target ammo with no problem. I keep the recommended Hornady TAP JHP rounds in my carry mag. I purchased a new Beretta PX4 Storm compact 9MM and carried it for a year after deciding it was too big and heavy for a concealed carry pistol. It is a sweet shooter but with 15 + 1 it is bulky to carry.  Good luck finding one that you like.

[softtreader]

A CC weapon selection is extremely subjective. As others have said you must be comfortable with the weapon and its manipulation or you will not carry it.

The weapon must be 100% reliable, accurate and user friendly.

I personally have always leaned toward automatic pistols. I carried Walther PPKs in 7.65 and 9mmk. I also have carried the PPK/S in those calibers.

When I moved to 9mm, I found the PPQ to be the best out of the box striker fired poly pistol being built today. Easily concealable, 100% reliable, with ambidextrous slide and mag release. I've run over 22K rounds of range and carry ammo through my Navy Q without a failure of any sort.

For those who do not want a SAO weapon, the Walther P99c has a manual decocker so you can carry in DA, SA or SA with a long trigger pull.

One could do worse then considering the Walther poly pistols for EDC.

You can trust your life to these weapons....I do on a daily basis.

[recon29X]

I based my choice on what fit my hand comfortably.I did this at a gun store so I could get a feel for all the handguns. I settled for a Taurus 380 TCP series. I also wear dark colored cargo shorts as part of my work uniform. This Taurus fits perfect in both my top and bottom large pocket on these shorts. The gun store owner was very helpful in helping me decide what fit my right hand the way I wanted it too and also how the cargo shorts, being of dark color hid my pistol. No one noticed as they thought it was my pack of cigarettes and my Zippo lighter in my pocket. The cargo shorts have deep pockets and I found that I could carry my pistol without using a holster. I have excellent groupings at 20-25". So my suggestion is to go to a gun store where you buy ammo.etc and get a feel for all the pistols. I also buy my ammo here and it's always been in stock. I also have several other weapons and if the ammo is not in stock they call me when it arrives. Usually every Tuesday. The priceing is also around what I would pay at online and big box stores.

[Merman]

Everyone loves plastic autos.  I do too but am not a fan of most of their triggers.  A swinging gate comes to mind.  I carry a stainless Smith 60 5 shot .357.  It conceals and carries easier than a Walther PPKS 380 that I started with and has much better firepower.  Snubby revolvers have a nice organic shape in a quality leather holster that seems to hide itself easier.  5 shots is more than enough, no sloppy brass to pick up or trip on, and a very satisfactory flash and report when used if you're ready for it. Practice, practice, practice no matter what you choose.   Revolvers have no stovepipe problems to worry about and the triggers are the best I've found, especially in single action.  Speed loaders work fine for those feeling the need for a long winded firefight.  Unlikely at worst case.  You can argue for any gun being best but best for yourself is ALL that matters, no matter how some will try to convince you otherwise.  Borrow you friends carry weapons for 10 minutes and rapidly figure out what doesn't work and move on.  Carrying it at all times is most important and to do that, you need to like the weapon.  A North American Arms 22lr is great if it's all you have and have it all the time.

[MIO]

I'm not sure where you are but there are a lot of ranges you can rent guns from. I try and get those I work with on firearms to either borrow or rent before buying. It's always a fine balance between caliber power, size and weight. A 380 is nice during a one on one confrontation and not as nice when facing a Mumbai style attack. It's nicer in the summer than the winter outside for ccw and so forth.
Don't listen to the "you have to haves". You don't listen to that for your car, house or spouse use choices do you?
If you become unhappy or change your choice guns are sold and traded daily and Thank God we live where we aren't bound to just one choice.

[spanman]

A 22LR, you carry is better than a 45ACP  in the safe, carry what you can, will carry, and hit with, anything is better than nothing.

[EdO]

Depending on your attire,  you can conceal almost anything.  Whether you are comfortable and compentent with it is a different story.  I've been at this game a long time.  Been carrying one handgun or another for over 50 years.  I still can't make up my mind.  I would steer clear of the small, light auto's like the S&W Bodyguard .380.  They are really difficult to shoot well, especially after the first round.  Mine is much harder to get back on target than my .44 Mag is.  There are situations where I do carry it,  but not many.  My preference is for wheel guns because they are always going to go bang,  No failure to eject, etc.  All that said,  I do carry a semi-auto about 50 pct of the time.  The wheel gun is a Ruger GP100 3" and the Semi-Auto is an XDM C 3.8 in .40 Cal.   I even carried a Super Black Hawk 7 1/2 bbl for a period of time.  You can conceal almost anything, within reason, depending on your attire.  Good luck in your search.  Just get something you are comfortable with, trust, and then shoot the snot out of it.   Put as many rounds down range as you can. Which brings up cost of ammo.  .38/.357 or 9mm are about the most reasonably priced and pretty much readilly available.

[MIO]

Oh look a troll! No one asked about a metal detector with a link I wouldn't click on for the Trojan horse