Picking a concealed carry pistol

For me I chose the S&W Shield in 9mm. Has been very reliable and conceals well. Handles well and for me has been pretty accurate.

Given what you've said, my first suggestion would be the Glock 19. If that's too big for you (although it's really not all that hard to conceal) you could look at the Glock 26. Personally I would not consider anything smaller than the 26 as a primary concealed carry pistol. Locally, they do push your price limit but a good deal or a gently used pistol should be under $500.

I own S&W, Glock, Colt, and others. I would strongly second the suggestion of the S&W Shield. Small enough to conceal rather easily. Large enough to shoot well. Mine is. .40 and it's quite soft shooting for that size/caliber.

Big thing about carry is obviously being able to conceal. Glocks are too thick and blocky for me. And I appendix carry in the summer and there's no way I'm gonna have a pistol in my waistband that doesn't have an external safety.

Ones sell around here for about $475

YMMV

The Springfield XDS series are very nice, plus Springfield is giving away free mags right now with pistol purchase.

Walther PPS carries like it's invisible, shoots like a full-size. Downside is capacity.

single stack S&W Shield
Double stack Ruger SR9E

Buckdown, I'm far less knowledgable about pistols (and guns in general) than many around here. But I've learned from experience during the last 20 or so years that there are several overriding factors in picking a pistol.

First -- for me -- is your hand size, and how well the pistol fits. Large hands, large pistol. Small hands, smaller pistol. This was my first lesson. It took me three pistols to 'get it', but I think I've found the right one now.

Second, how well you shoot it. Small angle differences in design and size of grips can make a substantial difference.

Third, how well you deal with recoil, which to some extent depends on your size, and your hand size, but also on how you've been taught to grip the gun. I'm still learning on this one, but for me, 9mm is enough. I've no interest in .40 or .45; not as easily controllable. I like that second shot coming fast.

For me, a smaller guy with smaller hands, I've landed on a Ruger SR9c. Love it.

Get some advice here, but more importantly, after that, go handle some, select a short list and -- hopefully -- try before you buy at a range. Not always easy or possible, but best. I did with the Ruger, and don't regret it.

Good luck.

Well get a used 44 mag and couple speed loaders.


Bersa Pro 9UC with some money left over.

I would look at the Walther PPS and S&W Shield . Both can be had for around $400 dollars .

I'd start with a Glock 19. If that's too big I'd look at a Glock 26 or a S&W Shield in 9mm (probably in that order for general carry). If I were primarily carrying in a non permissive environment (like a workplace that doesn't allow carry or other places where it would be very bad to be found carrying) I would probably lean towards the Shield. But a NPE gun isn't always the best choice for a general carry gun.

Both of the Glocks will be close to max on your budget, but if you can find a police surplus gun they usually run under $400. The Shield should be under $400 new.

Glocks are great guns but for a beginner ccw you are going to have to be 300% circumspect on your trigger discipline.

I'm a big fan of the Kahr CT 9 and 45.

Think of them as an anorexic glock with a slightly more forgiving trigger arrangement. They can be had around $320 smackers all day long

I've seen Shields for $299 and slightly higher lately. Mine has turned out to be an awesome gun. I didn't expect to like it as much as I do.

I vote Glock 19. Not much bigger than a 26, gives you 5 more rds, and is a lot easier to shoot for most people than a 26.

Probably the best thing to do would be to go to your local gun store or gun show and see what guns feel the best in your hands. Decide on a caliber (I would go with 9mm. or .40), and then start looking at where you can get your best prices at. Some guns that are not too big, not too small: Glock G19, G23, G26, and G27, Ruger SR9c and LC9S, and Springfield Armory XDs and XD Mod2.

All the above advice is good. I went through this (sort've anyway) a couple of weeks ago when my wife finally asked me to help her buy a gun for CCW. She's an experienced pistol shooter but has never been interested in CCW until now.

One thing that might help with responses is to know your personal firearms experience. If you're a beginner, some gun shop salesperson will probably try to convince you that what you "need" for CCW is a 2-inch snubbie revolver. Definitely NOT!

Since this gun was going to be exclusively hers, I wanted her to choose it even though I have far more handgun knowledge and experience than she does. We spent quite a while in the shop, with her handling all sorts of small .380s and 9mms. She settled on a Glock 42. I personally don't care for Glocks but it's her gun. Got it for around $430 plus tax.

Pick the gun youre most comfortable with, and shoot the best with, and go from there.

If youre ever in the unfortunate position of having to need it, youre going to need to be able to use it instinctively and effectively.

Carrying it, is simply a matter of getting proper gear, and learning to dress around it. easily done, even with full size handguns.

XDs in 45acp or take a look at a Sig P938

J frame.

bannockburn said:

Probably the best thing to do would be to go to your local gun store or gun show and see what guns feel the best in your hands. Decide on a caliber (I would go with 9mm. or .40), and then start looking at where you can get your best prices at. Some guns that are not too big, not too small: Glock G19, G23, G26, and G27, Ruger SR9c and LC9S, and Springfield Armory XDs and XD Mod2.

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That's a good starting point but after you find a gun that's comfortable to handle and decide on a caliber, you also find a place to rent and shoot it. If it feels good in the hand but you can't shoot it accurately or the recoil is unacceptable, it isn't worth owning for CCW or anything else. Just sayin'.

J frame.

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If the OP is not an experienced handgun shooter, that's very bad advice.

I've heard it said by experts that a double action revolver is difficult to learn to shoot for a novice. A J-Frame is excellent if you have to shoot someone off of you; at further distance, not so good. I would suggest a Glock 23 and a 9mm barrel (Storm Lake, Lone Wolf) and a couple of 9mm mags, to shoot practice/cheap ammo. Maybe a little over $500 bucks, but buy once, cry once...

S&W Shield and/or PPS. Both are great shooters and very comfortable to carry.

I personally carry a Shield. Despite the fact that I'm a Walther guy, it doubles as my nightstand gun when I'm traveling, so I'd rather have the manual safety. Also in my rotation I have a PPK in .380, as well as a Taurus 85 (J-Frame copy) that I use when I'm hiking.

Don't get me wrong, I'll be buying a PPS too, one day.

Long story short, get yourself to a range and try out the usual subjects: Shield, PPS, XD-S, Glock 19, Glock 26, Glock 42/43, Ruger SR9c and LC9S. See what works best for you.

Buckdown said:

Im going to be buying a pistol but what to pick a good one the first time. I don't want a tiny one but don't want a big one & I don't want to spend more than $500 I don't care to much on what caliber ether just as long as it's easy enough to find in most stores.
Thanks for the help!

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Something like S&W M&P9c or Ruger SR9c. Key features to look for is rail for mini light mounting and capacity of 10 to 12 cartridges with ability to carry higher capacity mags as spares reloads.