Concealed carry gun? Recomendations?

I've read the bulletpoints of the glossy magazines and I've come to the conclusion that the "best" gun is always the one who's advertising the most in that particular issue.

 

What I'm using now:

Bersa 380 Thunder, but it's jammed on my twice now and it's time to go.

 

What I'm looking for:

-Daily Concealed carry subcompact or compact

-rugged (I'm pretty rough on stuff, and I won't use a holster)

-small enough to fit in my front jeans pocket

-semi-auto

-probably a 380, but I'm open to whatever

 

Guns I'm considering:

-Ruger LCP (Probably the Coyote Special, because I Rick Perry)

-Keltec P3AT 380

-Springfield Armory XD4 or "3" Subcompact

-Anything else?

 

No budget in mind, just want something that will hold up over time.

 

What are you packin?

Glock 9 subcompact.

 

The Keltec is nice too.

Keltec P3AT 380

 

Guns I'm considering:

-Ruger LCP (Probably the Coyote Special, because I Rick Perry)

-Keltec P3AT 380

-Springfield Armory XD4 or "3" Subcompact

-Anything else?

These are the ones I am also considering for my next concealed carry gun. I think they are all good, just go to the gun store and handle them all.

Rohrbaugh 9mm (same size as the smallest 380) rolex watch of carry guns

brand new S&W bodyguard 380 w/built in laser

 

these are the best for concealment IMO

Rohrbaugh 9mm (same size as the smallest 380) rolex watch of carry guns

brand new S&W bodyguard 380 w/built in laser

 

these are the best for concealment IMO

 

Rohrbaugh 9mm (same size as the smallest 380) rolex watch of carry guns

brand new S&W bodyguard 380 w/built in laser

 

these are the best for concealment IMO

 

Rohrbaugh 9mm is what I carry concealed in my pocket if going out and don't want to carry my Glock 30SF. Don't mess with .380 when you can have 9mm. Going to need to maintain it though, has a spring that you need to replace every 200 rounds. But it is really easy to change, comes out via normal cleaning stripdown (and it is cheap replacement, I got a bunch of them my last order just in case they are ever hard to get).

 

 

I'd stay away from the springfield. No pers exp but I've heard some bad thing along the lines of reliability.

 

The new bodyguards look good.

 

In terms of reliability and toughness the glocks are pretty good. When they need to go boom they go boom. However, sometimes they go boom when they shouldn't go boom and the dao makes them a bit tougher to shoot well.

 

Kahr makes nice subcompact.

 

 

Have you looked at the walther? I think a lot of people have forgotten about them but there is a reason the ppk has been around 80 years.

 

If you're going to carry in a pocket, nothing but routine maintaince will keep lint out of the gun.

 

Also. Don't get too hung up on caliber. Being able to perform a proper mozambique drill with the recoil is far more important than the size of the bullets. If you can put 3 where you need to you can be firing hypodermic needles and the bg will be down for the count.

I pack the Glock 19 with Hollow points.....Perfect size and i do not use a holster. Have used it for several years with no problems

S & W 380..... or a Taurus. So factually not only will you be driving a bull, you'll be carrying one too!

Taursu pistols link

S & W 380..... or a Taurus. Not oly will you be driving a bull, you be carrying one too!

Taursu pistols link

Only Taurus I would consider buying would be a revolver.

Only Taurus I would consider buying would be a revolver.

I carry a glock 36. Love the gun. It's a sub compact CCW .45 acp

 

For concealed carry, I have a Glock 26 (subcompact 9MM) and the Ruger LCP. I prefer the Glock (I'm just a Glock fan in general) but for daily use, I love the LCP. It can go anywhere and I'm almost never caught without it.

 

One other thing to note, double check your state laws on vehicle carry. In OH, we can't tuck a gun in the waistband with no holster and drive around. It has to be holstered or stored.

nobody likes the sig p239? as 380s go?

nobody likes the sig p239? as 380s go?

 

I absolutely love it but it's twice as much as the LCP and more than double the cost of the Keltec. I don't personally think it's worth the premium.

Excuse me, but it's amazing to read this thread about what is the best handgun to conceal for an italian like me: here in Italy you can not carry a gun so you do not have that problem.

 

I read this topic with a lot of interest as it shows me how different are the United States from the country i live and i was born, and it's amusing to read that in the USA you talk about handgun like we do here about soccer.

 

I'm not judging anything, i just looking at how many difference there are in the world.

 

But tell me one thing, if you want: did you ever use your handgun? i mean, did you ever need to show the gun or firing for self defence?

 

I repeat: this is only to know better a world i do not know.

 

Without going off topic, i consider the best caliber for self defence the 9 mm Parabellum and the best handgun for self defence the Beretta 92Fs (M9 in the States), but it's hard to conceal...

 

ciao

HK USP Compact .40 S&W or .45

Baby Glock with hollow points...

I can't speak for the sub compact Springfield, but I've never had a problem with my XD 9 and I'm very happy with it.

And again, a thread that puzzles my mind, damn you guys, you are packing serious shit! Makes me hardly want to come visit

EDIT: NVM we have had this debate before. No use to keep beating a dead horse.

Also. Don't get too hung up on caliber. Being able to perform a proper mozambique drill with the recoil is far more important than the size of the bullets. If you can put 3 where you need to you can be firing hypodermic needles and the bg will be down for the count.

 

1 well placed (i.e. hitting the target) 9mm rounds is better than missing 3 with a high caliber pistol (or a pistol you don't know well).

 

 

HK USP Compact .40 S&W or .45

 

I have the USP (full size) in .40. Can't recommend it for CC, as it was intended for frog-men or spec ops guys with gloves on. The trigger pull is horrendous for that reason. If you get the "LEM" trigger, it might be better.

 

 

To OP:

 

Buy whatever is most comfortable for you and that you can shoot well. I found I can shoot a SIG 229 (9mm) better than any gun out there. My next pistol will be a SIG.

 

Kel-Tec I've heard a lot of good about - buddies of mine carry them as backup guns all the time.

 

HK, SIG, Glock, Springfield XD, Kel-Tec, you can't go wrong. I would pick from that pool IMO

But tell me one thing, if you want: did you ever use your handgun? i mean, did you ever need to show the gun or firing for self defence?

 

Ive never had to use my concealed gun in public.... Ive been in a situation where if I DID Have a gun, I definitely would have used it (and would have been justified in doing so) but I did not have a permit to carry at that time so I obeyed the law, and it nearly cost me my life.

 

 

I have pointed a gun in a home defense situation and the BG just ran away (which as it turns out is the typical defensive use of a firearm- 100,000+ times per year).

 

I've got the XD-9mm it's just a little too big to stuff in my front pocket. Love that gun, my favorite Semiauto right now.

 

I decided to go with the Ruger LCP Coyote special- thanks to you guys!

 

-off topic, yes I have had to use a gun before. Was a home invasion in 2004. BG was between me and my wife with our little one and I had the laser on his breast plate. I would have not hesitated to pull the trigger, but it was an AR15 and he was (unknowingly) directly between me and my 18 month old girl in her crib, though she was behind a wall. I walked him to the door. Ended up catching the guy, he was freaked out on PCP and had hit several houses in the area.

 

Only reason I grabbed the AR was because it had night equipment on it and the lights were off.