Carry gun woes, which to pick?

Which one would you pick?

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adcoch1

adcoch1

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I need a new carry gun. Something smaller and lighter than my cz P-01. I went to the gun store to look the other day, and saw a few of the ones on my list, and a few suprises.

I knew the glock would be good since a friend has a 43 I've shot, but other than being a known quantity It doesn't make me excited.

My brother in law has a shield in 45 that feels good and the 2.0 model seems even better.

My brother and another friend have the Taurus and both of them love them.

And both of the rugers look great to me for differing reasons. Not stuck on caliber, or even just this list, but price is going to be an issue, and I'd like to keep it under $500 if possible.

So, what do you guys use?
 
I’m looking to change EDC too. But I’m going a different route. A few years ago I got an XDs45 which I like. But since getting my M&P full size I’m looking at the M&P 9mm.
My thinking is for EDC 15 rounds +1 is a whole lot more firepower than 6 or 7. Add a few 17 round mags and I can’t think of many situations where that isn’t enough ammo for a civilian. Of course a subcompact is nice at times so I won’t get rid of the ones I have but right now I think carrying as much ammo is wise considering groups like ANTIFA and BLM have blocked highways and attacked people.

That said I like the M&P 2.0s much better than my Springfield and the others on your list so I say if you don’t look at the new 9 compact then go with the Shield on your list.
 
On the shield, I am looking at the 9mm and the 45, my thoughts being that 45 will stop someone with any ammo and the 9 just gives more shots. I usually use xtp or gold dot defensive ammo in the 9mm.
 
I like my Shield a lot and it's a really good value for a gun that, while maybe getting a little old relative to some of its competition, is dead nuts reliable and a really good shooter. The 45 is slightly larger than the 9mm but probably not enough to matter. Mine is a 9mm.

I'm not a Glock guy but if I were buying a new gun in that class today I may try pretty hard to like the 43x or 48. The rumors of aftermarket 14 or 15 round mags in a gun that thin are very intriguing to me. The 48 in particular because I don't think the extra slide length would make it much or any harder to conceal but you'd get the benefit of the longer barrel and sight radius.
 
I recently switched to a new G48 from my XDS 9mm. I therefore voted G43x in your poll because it's the same as the 48 but shorter. I have no direct experience with the others, though I have LCR DAO in both 38 and 357. I think any of your choices would make good carry guns. In the Taurus line I believe the G2C receives consistent praise.
 
I went with the Shield 9 (not 2.0). It's a daily deal at PSA for $250. Added an Apex Trigger & Duty/Carry Kit - $160.
 
Looking at your poll, all of them are solid choices as far as I can tell. It will really come down to what exactly you are looking for. I've got the Shield .45 (like I already mentioned) and the Ruger EC9 is quite a bit thinner. If that's what you like...

The Taurus is cheap, seems to be reliable, but I was just kinda "meh" on it. I had one for a while after my PT111 was recalled and replaced. I never ended up shooting it, because it didn't seem to do anything better than my Shield, except carry more bullets.
 
I have the Shield 2.0. I've had no malfunctions with it and it's very accurate for having a 3 inch barrel. I installed Magguts +2 extentions. It adds very little to the length of the magazine and I now have 9 and 10 round magazines.
 
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I like my Shield 2.0 9mm. I really prefer it with the 8 round magazine instead of the 7. I can carry it and shoot it well.
 
Of those choices... the Shield, definitely. My first choice would be (is...) a Kahr, however. Granted, that's a matter of taste.

Not a fan of Glock, I'd never buy another Taurus... ever... and I am not a very big fan of Ruger pistols, although I've not fired one of the newer ones.
 
These are the two guns I carry most. The sig holds 7 +1 of 9mm and the XDs 5 +1 in 45. I had no intention of having totally dissimilar carry guns, but last year the trigger on my XDs broke, and I wanted to get a backup, and something a little different. A non-Legion Sig P938 can be had on sale for $500 or so from time to time. It shoots great and carries smaller than the XDs with more ammo on tap.

View media item 2367View media item 2366View media item 2365View media item 2364
 
Which one do you shoot the best with, overall, and under stress? At least thats my normal criteria.

I normally carry a Glock 17 and/or a 26. I don't buy the "I cant carry a full-size gun" thing you often hear these days. But, thats just me. :)

Out of your list, Id pick the one YOU shoot the best with, and start looking for the best way to carry it.
 
Do what a lot of the people on here do and have a “carry rotation”. That way you will always be using firearms with differing manual of arms, weights, grips, and whatnot.

Using this carry philosophy you won’t need to choose either and can then embrace a few other interesting philosophies that get thrown around a lot on here. Those being, “buy them both (all)” and “ you can never have too many”.

Seems like a solid idea to me.
 
460Shooter said:
These are the two guns I carry most. The sig holds 7 +1 of 9mm and the XDs 5 +1 in 45. I had no intention of having totally dissimilar carry guns, but last year the trigger on my XDs broke, and I wanted to get a backup, and something a little different. A non-Legion Sig P938 can be had on sale for $500 or so from time to time. It shoots great and carries smaller than the XDs with more ammo on tap.

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Click to expand...
Thanks for the pictures, it helps in comparing.
 
earlthegoat2 said:
Do what a lot of the people on here do and have a “carry rotation”. That way you will always be using firearms with differing manual of arms, weights, grips, and whatnot.

Using this carry philosophy you won’t need to choose either and can then embrace a few other interesting philosophies that get thrown around a lot on here. Those being, “buy them both (all)” and “ you can never have too many”.

Seems like a solid idea to me.
Click to expand...
Buy them all is what I want to do! Just can't afford it.
This is a silly problem to have right now, I used to have three different small guns for this job, but I just kept getting good offers on them, so one by one, I sold them off.

I really love my cz, but it is a bit thick for iwb carry, and I am a stay at home dad packing little kids around, and I really need a smaller gun just so it hides better. I hate having my daughter trying to lift my shirt up as I'm dropping her off at preschool and showing all the moms my duty sized handgun. I want a deep cover gun that I can have on me all the time and still be safe from little fingers. The right holster will do it, but I need a smaller gun...
 
With a little girl grabbing at your shirt, I would definitely get the Shield 45 with a safety.

I believe there was a mom in Idaho that had a 2yr girl old grab her pistol out of her purse while shopping and shoot herself with it in a grocery store. A safety would have likely prevented such a tragedy.

DSC_0919-2.jpg

Though the Shield 9 is a bit smaller with more capacity...
 
The nice thing is my kids know that you don't play with guns, but that doesn't mean she won't pull on my shirt. And my youngest son isn't a year yet, so packing around a big gun sticking out of the waistband isn't comfortable to him or me. In cold weather I just wear a sweatshirt to isolate it a bit, but as the weather is warming up I want to go deep concealed.
 
adcoch1

I guess it comes down to how small do you want to go. I have a CZ P01 like you and a Ruger SR9c which are both great compact size pistols. If I want to go even smaller in a 9mm. I have my Kahr CM9. I love it for being so easy and comfortable to carry concealed for hours on end. I also like the smooth DAO trigger it has and how ergonomic the gun feels in my hand.

If I were looking for something small like that but with more rounds in it I would give serious considereration to the SIG P365 or the Glock G43X.
 
I went through this process a few months ago. My carry guns ranged from a 642, Kahr K40 to 1911 in .45. I wanted a one gun solution. I wanted slim, light, adequate power and a good fit to my hand. I test fired several handguns several of which met the grade. In the end I chose the Shield 2.0 in 9mm. While I prefer .40 or .45 and use them in larger/heavier guns, the selection of 9mm was based on consideration to arthritis in my wrist and thumb joint. I wanted to be able to tolerate the recoil enough to shoot enough rounds to maintain proficiency. The Shield 9mm has not disappointed me.
 
I put 50 rounds through a P365 and liked it. Planning to buy one.

Some folks aren’t ready to buy yet due to teething issues.
 
I own all of the Ruger products mentioned and I would recommend all of them. However, the M&P 2.0 is definitely on the short list of what I would buy next.
 
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I'll likely be transitioning from a Kel-Tec PF9 that I've carried since 2010 to a Taurus G2C. This is primarily for the higher magazine capacity (12 in the Taurus vs. 7 in the KT.) I just recently got the G2C in and have yet to fire it.

I'd have no reason to select another single-stack, as the Kel-Tec has always performed as desired within its limits.
 
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