9mm carry that can flex as a home defense

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I would recommend something small like an LCP and something midsized (pick your poison). You can probably get both for around $600 in normal times.

the reasons: with a pocket holster and an lcp sized weapon there is no legitimate excuse not to have a gun on you.

for your IWB OWB nightstand gun you probably want a 9mm or larger.


I typically had a pair lcp and lc9s. But now have lcp & security 9 compact for carry and a full size sec 9 with a light on the nightstand.

if I only had one it would be the aec9 compact. Add the lcp and you are always armed.

d
 
SixteenGauge said:
Glock 19.
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Yep.

Or anything in the roughly Glock 19 size.

HK P2000, M&Pc, 320 compact, P-10C, XD whatever the compact 4” barrel is, etc etc

Most will have the option to run full size mags too for your HD roll.

Or if you need smaller then go with the 365 or Hellcat or Shield Plus, easy to conceal and still decent shooters (or good if your hands fit the small guns well) and have extended mag options.
 
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Another vote for G19 sized. I still consider it the Goldilocks size. Big enough to be easy to shoot well small enough to conceal. As has been said there are many guns in that size range available from different manufacturers. Many of them have interchangeable backstraps to better fit different hand sizes. Many are offered with or without safeties. There are a ton of options. The past few years I have been carrying a M&P 2.0 compact that is in that size range (the original M&P Compact was G-26 sized).
I also recently acquired a PSA Dagger ( 3rd generation G-19 clone that accepts many Glock parts) but unless you live somewhere they have a store that is an online purchase & might be a bit uncomfortable for someone new to guns. The Dagger is less expensive than a Glock but can accept Glock parts & use Glock mags. One thing to bear in mind though is if one buys one they will probably want to purchase some OEM Glock magazines.
 
Ruger EC9S. Easy to carry and would work fine for home defense. Not a fancy gun but it would get the job done. The money saved could get you some extra ammo.
 
JTQ said:
While I get your point, if someone can conceal a G19, why not a G17, or why not a G34.

I'll assume there is a reason why some choose a G19 over a G17 or a G34, and I suspect it is the same reason why somebody else may choose something smaller than a G19.

Hey, pick whatever you like and works for you.

However, now it strikes me, the folks looking for a gun in the OP's post, are probably now looking for their first gun. I always recommend folks looking for a first gun should choose a duty size gun, like a G17 or G34, which will be easier to shoot and easier to learn with than a small sub-compact that folks often recommend for concealed carry. At this point, your first need is to learn to shoot and be comfortable with a handgun.

Once they have accomplished that, then they can choose the gun for their next need, perhaps concealed carry, or perhaps home defense. It's possible that that first gun, with the right holster can be used for concealed carry, and it will probably be perfect for home defense.
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Yeah, I agree with all this -- I was attempting to convey that I find it funny that so many think a Glock 19 is a "big gun" and too large to carry comfortably or conceal well.
 
I don't think I'd ever recommend something as small as an LCP to a new shooter.

I think if anything I'd recommend an M&P Shield 9mm. Maybe a Shield Plus but probably not because I have no experience with them.

A Shield is an easy gun to carry. It's an easy gun to conceal and it's an easy gun to shoot well. The reality is 9 rounds will be enough to resolve the majority of your difficulties.
 
This is hard to explain

I carry a Glock 19 exclusively but the first selection criteria when I picked the Glock 19 was that it was on the approved list for my employer and I didn't want to pay for a work gun and a home gun. If I could have picked a Shield I might have. I wouldn't have picked an LCP. I own a Glock 43 but I wouldn't have picked it for a primary.

People have a lot invested in their fashion choices, whether I agree or not a lot of people aren't willing to change how they present themselves to the world just to carry a larger gun that they don't really believe they'll ever need.

I'm old, I'm retired and I live in a location where it rarely hits 80°. I also live in a small town where you can throw a rock and it will hit someone who is carrying a gun. I don't know if I would have changed my life to carry a gun otherwise.
 
When i started carrying in my mid-20s, I started with a Colt LW Commander in a Milt Sparks Summer Special (2nd) that I picked up for $20. The smallest pistol I’ve ever carried as a primary was a Star PD…that lasted less than a year when The Good Guys incident taught me that there was a lower limit of acceptability to magazine capacity.

I find the Glock 19 size guns a good combination of concealability, controllability, and capacity…my taste run more toward the S&W and SIG offerings. I learned long ago that when you carry, you have to consider dressing to accommodate the gun you choose
 
Night Rider said:
I don't think I'd ever recommend something as small as an LCP to a new shooter.
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Quoting for emphasis. No way in hell I'd start a new shooter with any micro-compact pistol -- or, for that matter, a snubby (J-frame size) revolver -- especially an Airweight or comparable offering. There's a significant learning curve involved for small, lightweight handguns, more so when using the +P ammo required to get enough velocity for adequate expansion. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been shooting handguns for more'n 50 years, and I don't particularly enjoy shooting small handguns with fast-moving ammo. Introducing any new shooter to handgun shooting on a tiny pistol or revolver is simply doing them a real disservice.

9mmepiphany said:
I learned long ago that when you carry, you have to consider dressing to accommodate the gun you choose
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Most folks have it the other way around and choose a gun to accommodate their preferred style of dress. Well, perhaps it is truly more important to be on the cutting edge of fashion, although going out in public these days, it should be pretty obvious to even the uninitiated who is not carrying a handgun....
reux-hipster-sautant-en-studio-photo-sur-fond-blanc-bel-homme-en-chemise-et-short-d%C3%A9montran.jpg
 
Nearly any gun in a service caliber will work for SD/HD. I don't like starting new shooters off on small pocket pistol type guns. They are harder to shoot well/comfortably and they can dissuade a new shooter very quickly. As instruction goes on I introduce smaller firearms as the easier to carry harder to shoot well option. Living in Alabama, carrying 4 lbs worth of pistol and ammo just isn't comfortable. Especially during the summer.
 
For carry and home defense? I'd be inclined to go with something compact. Not micro like a Hellcat or 365, but something more like a Glock 19, M&P Shield, P320 or my choice, a VP9. Later on if you want something larger and more stable for HD (and you should), one good option is a carbine that's chambered in the same caliber as your carry gun. Even better if it takes the same mags. My MPX sadly uses stupidly expensive proprietary mags. It's more of a range toy at this point, taking a back seat to my home defense AR.
 
Old Dog said:
Quoting for emphasis. No way in hell I'd start a new shooter with any micro-compact pistol -- or, for that matter, a snubby (J-frame size) revolver -- especially an Airweight or comparable offering. There's a significant learning curve involved for small, lightweight handguns, more so when using the +P ammo required to get enough velocity for adequate expansion. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been shooting handguns for more'n 50 years, and I don't particularly enjoy shooting small handguns with fast-moving ammo. Introducing any new shooter to handgun shooting on a tiny pistol or revolver is simply doing them a real disservice.

Most folks have it the other way around and choose a gun to accommodate their preferred style of dress. Well, perhaps it is truly more important to be on the cutting edge of fashion, although going out in public these days, it should be pretty obvious to even the uninitiated who is not carrying a handgun....
45466989-homme-heureux-hipster-sautant-en-studio-photo-sur-fond-blanc-bel-homme-en-chemise-et-short-d%C3%A9montran.jpg
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LOL. With that bow tie, you could get away with carrying pretty much anything. That thing is like a big hairy mole on the chin! :)

Truthfully, in that outfit, he could get away with a Glock 19 without too much trouble. ;)
 
To be clear, assuming the LCP comments were re my post above, my recommendation was for a midsize if I only had one, and to add an LCP or similar size gun to the mix as a gun you can always carry.

The recommendations to start with high capacity and or heavy guns imo lead to guns that sit at home and do not get carried. Lcp, m&p, lc9s, and glocks of the same size are all decent starter guns, full size guns are great to shoot, not so fun to carry without proper belts, time with a pistol in your side, etc.

my wife had the same combo I had, lcp and lc9s when she started carrying, she learned to shoot with a 38 revolver, Taurus 85 if I recall correctly. She carried the lc9 as a primary and the LCP when she needed an in the pocket gun. She practices with both.

obvious to me, you should not carry something you can’t shoot well enough to use if needed.

d
 
When my wife decided to get her carry permit, I told her she could have anything in the safe other than my GP 40 in 10mm. She chose my Glock 19.
 
9mmepiphany said:
I find the Glock 19 size guns a good combination of concealability, controllability, and capacity…
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I absolutely agree. I’ve only been on the CCW journey for 12 or so years but I’ve tried everything from a pocket LCP to a full sized railed 1911 (single and double stack) and found, also, that the approximate Glock 19 size (5”ish height and a 4”ish barrel) to be my ideal size for … well everything. Smaller and I can’t shoot it as well as I expect anything I might want to defend myself with, larger and it’s just to annoying to carry, especially in the hot summer.

In fact, I mostly shoot that size gun for fun too, I rarely pull out my bigger guns for range days anymore, with the exception of my commander 1911 on occasion. Mostly Glock 19 sized guns.
 
I don't understand the idea of changing mags at bed time to a larger capacity. I'm pretty sure that a majority of accidental discharges happen during administrative handling, such as loading and unloading or unnecessary mag changes. Just leave your carry mag in the gun, and keep a spare next to it on the night stand.
 
Do many to mention.. I own 24 semi automatic pistols… all are carry pistols…. A reliable Glock 19 size pistol would would work .. pick your brand and caliber .. my nightstand pistol is a SD9VE with a +3 mag extension giving it 19+1 capacity and a cheapo light loaded with 147gr standard pressure Winchester Silver tips .. Sub Sonic
The SD9VE has a SD trigger… crazy reliable
As for carry pistols to many to mention
AFDB123B-6344-4D18-816E-B0840CEC009E.jpeg
Lately my primary carry has been the Springfield XDME Compact in 10mm
5AC96B41-74FE-4684-82BC-50D64608BB30.jpeg
Loaded with UW 180gr GD
 
Hard to go wrong with a G19, although I like the G26 and G17 better individually as pistols, to have just one that can do everything well the G19 would probably be the most logical choice.
 
ontarget said:
I don't understand the idea of changing mags at bed time to a larger capacity. I'm pretty sure that a majority of accidental discharges happen during administrative handling, such as loading and unloading or unnecessary mag changes. Just leave your carry mag in the gun, and keep a spare next to it on the night stand.
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It's not my thing, but folks are talking about carrying a gun that may have a short grip that is easy to conceal, but not easy to shoot.

They are changing to longer mags with a spacer, that gives them more to grip, and making the gun easier to shoot.

They also aren't chambering or ejecting chambered rounds. The round in the chamber stays there, you just swap mags. There is no danger. Heck, you could keep the gun in the holster and do this.
 
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