The Firearms Forum banner

Best Pistol for CCW

  • The Mini Glocks, 26, 27, or 33

    Votes: 33 20.0%
  • 1911 pattern .45 autos

    Votes: 60 36.4%
  • Small .380s such as the Sig P-230 or P232

    Votes: 40 24.2%
  • DAO or DA/SA autos like the H&K USP or Ruger PTs

    Votes: 32 19.4%

Best Auto Pistol for CCW

30K views 97 replies 68 participants last post by  mogunner 
G
#1 ·
Overall, what is the best semi-automatic pistol for concealed carry in the opinion of the membership? Please note I'm not talking about caliber here, but rather the pistols themselves. I realize this is a very difficult question to answer definitively because no single weapon will fit all possible concealed carry circumstances, yet I think the question does have a degree of relevance nonetheless. Assume you are a new CCW holder, that you have a good deal of background experience with firearms, and that you have sufficient funds available to purchase pretty much whatever you want. What would you choose as the optimum carry pistol and why? I've set up some common choices in the poll above, but please don't feel limited by those. Also, please limit your responses to pistols in this thread and note that I have set up a similar one for revolvers for those of you who prefer those.
 
#79 ·
If you are experienced I don't think there could ever be anything close to a best overall. It will come down entirely to what you can comfortably carry and shoot. My USP compact isn't the smallest frame to stuff IWB, but I find it to be a good overall compromise for myself, a Glock might be more comfortable but I would never carry one because my accuracy is not nearly as good as it is with other weapons.

If you are inexperienced I think almost any revolver would do you well. The simplicity cannot be beat. Point and click, Microsoft would be proud. Sure a Glock or XD will do that, but you get more complicated maintenance etc. - and again that is my opinion as for people who were not very experienced.
 
#80 ·
Hey all, I just joined and thought I"d weigh in on this one. I hold a Concealed Carry Permit in North Carolina and am armed probably 98% of the time I leave my house. I carry a Walther P99AS in 9x19 loaded with 124gr Hydra-Shoks. I'm 5'4 and use an IWB holster with little problem. The P99 is simply the most comfortable pistol I've ever held in my hands. It's also the smoothest 9mm I've ever fired. I like a pistol with a decocker and no manual safety that can be carried with a full 15 round mag and one in the chamber. But as others have said, you should use whatever is most comfortable for you.
 
#84 ·
If I'm restricted to deep concealment, I'll carry a G19 in an ankle holster or trouser pocket but that G19 is always with me no matter the circumstance or condition. If I can make it work, I will carry a 1911 mil spec in .45 ACP and spare magazines. Yeah, it's a little heavy but it's worth the comfort it provides.

Even if I wear cargo shorts, the little G19 carries very well in a front pocket. A very light weight cotton, short sleeve, casual button-up shirt covers the 1911. I carry that combo everywhere possible. The heat in SW Arizona and California is extreme from June thru early September. I also carry O.C. spray, a flashlight and a heavy duty Cold Steel pocket knife. You don't need to spend a hundred bucks to get a good folder. Check out Cold Steel or CRKT (Colombia River Knife and Tool).

My philosophy is: All law abiding Americans should regularly train with and carry a defensive handgun. Find the best trainer you can afford and pay them to train you in every level of handgun and empty hand combat, from civil and criminal liability issues
to what you do immedaitely following the use of deadly force. Then, teach what you've learned to your family.

I've been a cop for 21+ years and I fully support firearms in the possession of law abiding citizens and have trained my fair share of them. I have been "backed" by armed citizens on two occasions in my career. Be a responsible firearms owner. Don't give anyone the ammunition they want/need to disarm or further restrict our right to firearms ownership.

Con1
 
#85 ·
Well said, Con1.
 
#86 ·
"I have been "backed" by armed citizens on two occasions in my career."

Hey Con1, if there's a story there, I'd love to hear it.
And a hearty +1 to your post.
 
#87 · (Edited)
I can't recall the exact year but the 1st time was probably between 1988 and 1991. This was out in the county, I was a deputy at the time. It was a Sunday morning and the weather was cool. Dispatch told me there were two male subjects standing next to a sedan which was parked along the road's shoulder in front of a row of homes which sat off the roadway maybe 20 to 30 yards. The subjects were firing a weapon described as an AR15, into a row of pecan trees on the opposite side of the road. This area is just outside of the city limits and is fairly populated, more so today.

I asked dispatch to send a city unit for back-up. There were none available she replied so I asked for a BP unit and again, there were none available.

(BP always had an AR or M14 on board. This was prior to the North Hollywood shoot-out and very few cop cars were equipped with rifles. Now nearly every patrolman in the country carries a patrol rifle of some kind.)

I finally asked for a DPS unit. None available. As I approached the location I could see the vehicle and the two subjects.

There was no cover, it was just a long stretch of county roadway. To the west of them the road spanned a canal about maybe 200 yards away. The intersection from where I was watching them was maybe another 200 yards. There was just no cover anywhere to be had.

Now back in the day, almost everyone had a home scanner and listened all the time. On this Sunday, a resident was listening and realized what I was dealing with. Today most police agencies communications systems can't be scanned. Ours can't today.

I had sat there for several minutes watching these guys pointing that rifle in every direction. It appeared they were role playing i.e. firing from the hip, bayonet thrusts, taking cover from their vehicle etc but I never heard a shot fired. Anyway, I gunned my vehicle straight for the two subjects and came to a screeching halt about 20 to 30 yards away from the two. I angled my vehicle as taught and bailed out with my sidearm in one hand and the PA mic in the other and began shouting commands, while taking cover behind the engine block and door frame. I'm right handed which makes it all very difficult.

While I was shouting commands, the two subjects appeared to be having trouble deciding whether or not to follow my orders. Suddenly I heard a voice from behind me that said something to the effect of; "Don't worry deputy, I've got your back!" Needless to say, this startled the living daylights out of me and I instantly turned to face the voice as the older guy placed one hand on my left shoulder. In his other hand was a 1911 race gun. The guy was stooped down and then moved around to the passenger side of my vehicle. It's a little thing called; "Tunnel Vision".

The two guys with the AR then placed the rifle on the trunk lid, backed away and proned out as ordered. I checked with my back-up that he knew what to do and I moved in, cuffed both, patted both, cleared the sedan and then cleared the rifle. It was a BB gun. The two had stayed the night with a friend and as they were going home, they saw blackbirds in the bare pecan trees and were shooting the birds. I don't remember their ages but they were in their late teens.

My back-up was a guy named TC Canterbury and he had been listening to his scanner and responded to my call for help.

Twice in my law enforcement career, I've been lucky enough to have armed citizens respond to assist me (Just a cop to them. They didn't know me from the next cop.)

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND . . . THIS IS NOT A GAME. PLEASE DO NOT RUSH OR SNEAK UP ON A POLICE OFFICER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. THIS CAN BE VERY HAZARDOUS FOR EVERYONE. IT'S ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS IF YOU'RE ARMED.

I'll save the other (a gang related drive-by) for later.
Con1
 
#88 ·
I like polymer pistols for ccw as they tend to be light for all day carry. My personal favorite are glock pistols namely 17 and 26.Traditional metal handguns are too heavy for me for all day carry as they tend to put to much pressure on my neck which has been operated on and needs more surgery.
 
#89 ·
I have two that I carry on a regular basis. A Glock 23 and a Kimber Ultra Raptor 2. Both of these weapons had more than 1,000 rounds through them, without malfunction, before I carried them. The Glock is a little larger weapon, so in the summer I do not carry that as much as I do the Kimber, which is more concealable due to its smaller size. With the Kimber, I have a Mitch Rosen UDX holster. It is a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. Mitch also does quality work, and the holster rides high so concealment does not seem to be a real issue. In the cooler months I carry the Glock more because wearing heavier clothes, concealment is easier.
The idea of trying as may weapons as possible is good advice. I am 6'1" and go 230, so what is comfortable for me WILL not be comfortable for you.
When I was on the job, I carried my Colt Python. I had six in the gun and two pouches on my gunbelt with six rounds in each for a total of 18 rounds. Today, my Glock holds 13 and the two extra magazines that I carry have 13 more in each. Now I have 39 rounds, which is more than twice what I used to carry on duty. Of course, the first one is the one that really counts, the rest are just extras!
 
#92 ·
Gary, for now I'll 2nd the Kahr although I haven't received mine yet. I purchased a Kahr PM-40 the other night from http://www.budsgunshop.com I have read very bad reviews of the gun early on but no bad ones after it's been on the market for a while. It's a true pocket gun. I believe all those that require IWB holsters and such are not ideal CCW guns because you'll occasionally leave any gun in the car but more so if you have to holster it in some uncomfortable fashion... Pocket pistols are IDEAL for concealed carry! I currently carry the KelTec P3AT in my pocket and a Taurus PT-145 in heavy coat weather only. There is no substitute for comfort and pocket pistols assure you'll have something available when it's needed.
 
#93 ·
If I could choose one to have in my hands at all times it would be my Springfield XDM .45. Totally reliable, accurate, powerful and fairly easy to conceal. The problem is that sometimes you have to choose something that you can carry in "all" situations. It doesn't always come down to caliber, but more often to shot placement and ease of use. For this I would have to lean towards my Bersa Firestorm .380, with Federal Hydra-Shok ammo. This gun is easy to conceal in all situations, accurate and when loaded correctly; very deadly.
 
#94 ·
You really can't go wrong with any Glock, Springfield, H&K or Sig. I would steer clear of Kimbers, Colts and Para's for CCW. They are beautiful guns and after properly being broken in can be reliable, but not enough to bet your life on. I love my Kimber for target shooting, but just like the Colts and Paras, they seem to be very particular.
 
#95 ·
The best pistol for CCW is one you will carry ALL the time. Each person's physical structure and the clothing worn is different. Each person must select a pistol which accommodates their body in such a way the pistol can be carried concealed ALL the time with the type of clothing they wear. I've chosen the Kahr PM40, which fits in my back pocket and I can carry it concealed summer or winter and is easily accessible. I have made a leather pad which slips over it to prevent imprinting. I been CCW for over 35 years and never have I been detected as being armed. I've only carried the Kahr the past five years, before that I carried a 2 1/2" S&W 66 (great little gun, shoots very, very accurately, out to 50 yards). Big guns are nice but most people can't carry them so they are undetectable in all circumstances.
 
#98 ·
I have purchased two for the express purpose of CCW (so far!). I started with a SW40VE after it had proven to be reliable and accurate through 500 rounds of assorted ammunition. I don't wear shorts even in the hottest weather, am a little over 6'4" and 230 lbs. I want a medium to full size semi-auto and a spare magazine close at hand.

Just switched a couple of months ago to a Ruger P95, a couple of ounces heavier, but has second strike capability, not that I've ever needed it but better to have it than not, and has DA/SA that outperforms the long DAO of the Sigma.

The best one, for you, will be one that you track down and become familiar with, can shoot accurately, that functions 100% for you, and that's pretty much it. No one can tell you what will be the best one for you, only what they prefer for themselves.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top