What’s your favorite semi-auto for conceal carry?

[Clay Pigeon]

An old 226 has been my main carry for decades now, I'm self employed so it hasn't been that big of a deal. I have taken a contract to spend few months this winter in one of the sorta local plants fabricating a 100 or so stacking racks and shelving units to put parts on them once they come out of the machines. I cant carry my beloved, so through the home safe today and I dug out either a French stamped Walther PPKs in 380 or stainless Interarms Walther TPH 22LR.. Both will easily fit in a bellyband so tomorrow I go and shoot them both and see what works better for me.
I have carried the PPKs for dress accations before but I'm already leaning to the stainless because I know I will be sweating like a pig where I wil be welding.

 

[doddg]

Always carried a J frame of one manufacturer or another: Charter Arms, Taurus 85, S/W 642 hammerless, and currently a Ruger LCR .357 hammerless.

For a semi-auto: was a Shield 9mm, but now a Sig 365, with a Glock 26 and CZ Rami on standby.

 

[Route 45]

I have 3 that I regularly carry, depending on what I think I need for the day.

Sig P365 in a pocket holster.
M&P 9 Compact 2.0 3.6" in a belt holster.
M&P .45 Shield in a pocket or on the belt.

 

[nakinate]

I’ve got a three gun rotation. My go-to gun’s are a Beretta Elite LTT and a Beretta PX4 Compact. I’ll carry the Glock 43 sometimes when a smaller gun is called for.

 

[Paul30]

I see that many people here carry various kinds of handguns. I am curious how it works out when switching off between a DAO and a SA with a safety and a DA/SA. I've carried a Glock for most of the 21 years I've been an officer and have 100's of thousands of draws and shots on that platform. I used to carry an off-duty that had a safety and was a SA/DA because it was more convenient. I qualified with them and shot them quite often so I was comfortable carrying them. About 13 years ago I had to draw and fire my Taser. The Taser has a manual safety that turns on the device. I no time to think, I just drew and fired. But it didn't fire because under stress, I didn't activate the safety thus I fumbled. I have so many reps on my Glock/DAO platform that it was my "go to" under stress even though I practiced with other safety platforms and my Taser. I still carry my Taser but I swore off any platforms that require a safety. I just have too many reps on my duty platform to feel safe that I could operate it under stress. My off-duty Gen 5 G19 is IDENTICAL to my to my duty G17M in all practical ways. I even make sure I use the same night sights. I do own a S&W .38 for back-up that I can point/shoot if need be I don't really carry it off-duty since a speed reload under stress might be quit difficult for me. My word of caution (just I tell recruits) be careful carrying something too different to what you typically train with because under stress, it might take valuable seconds to get it working. time you might not have. Just my .02.

Agree on not switching. I am a huge fan of DA / SA handguns, specifically the Sig Sauer. The Berretta makes it possible to leave the safety on and the gun will not fire. The Sig Sauer decocker safely drops the hammer to DA position and then springs back up. You are then require to pull a longer 10 lb pull on the first shot, with SA on the rest. You can cock the hammer if you wish, but not required. I shoot a tight group with a revolver double action, so the DA on the sig is alright with me. The distances you will likely be shooting in personal defense you don't usually need sights and you can can pull a trigger faster than you can aim anyway so it is not going to slow you down. What it will do is prevent a person who is in a high stress situation from possibly accidentally discharging the gun, causing either an unwanted bullet wound in themselves or others. The long 10 lb pull means it is going to be a very deliberate trigger pull, not a shirt that got caught in the trigger guard as you holstered it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9rfqSk9TrM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am-Qdx6vky0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WgxUoky4kg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zecpt3eY9rE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOI9ahGxMfk

 

[blue2golf]

Ruger LC9s. Everyday all the time.

 

[SSGSAD]

S&W, CZ 75b .....

 

[memphis_125]

I just picked up a Glock 43 and love it! I'm a bigger guy and I have a paddle holster. It holds great against me and doesn't imprint much and doesn't feel like it pulls down much at all. I put a 2 round extension on the mag and upgraded the trigger so far.

 

[lovemachine]

Glock 17.

 

[Bigtanker]

The last several years my EDC has been a 4" XDs in 9mm, usually with the 9 rd magazine. It's usually in a King Tuc IWB. But earlier this year I bought a Bravo Concealment OWB and I really like it. I still keep it covered most of the time.

Some days I'll swap that out for a XDm 5.25 in 9mm with a King Tuc IWB. Yeah it's a little heavier but most of the time, I forget it's there. A good gun belt (Bio-Belt for me) makes it a lot better.

At the beginning of this year, I added pocket carrying a snubby as a 2nd gun. I had a 642 at first but recently switched to a LCR in .327 Federal Magnum. I really like it.

 

[WestSider]

I also don't carry anything but striker fired pistols for the same reason of consistency in training. This means basically Glocks or something VERY similar, like my P10C. Anything else is a fun gun but not something I would carry.

Also, just a thought on the DA/SA thing. Relying on a 10 lb. double action trigger pull to make sure you don't have an accidental discharge might be identifying a training need. Nobody is perfect in a high stress situation even with training. If you want to carry DA/SA pistols that's fine, nothing wrong with that if that's what you're comfortable with, but the probability of your accidentally firing off a round with that gun vs a striker fired Glock should be no different.

 

[Birds Away]

I see that many people here carry various kinds of handguns. I am curious how it works out when switching off between a DAO and a SA with a safety and a DA/SA. I've carried a Glock for most of the 21 years I've been an officer and have 100's of thousands of draws and shots on that platform. I used to carry an off-duty that had a safety and was a SA/DA because it was more convenient. I qualified with them and shot them quite often so I was comfortable carrying them. About 13 years ago I had to draw and fire my Taser. The Taser has a manual safety that turns on the device. I no time to think, I just drew and fired. But it didn't fire because under stress, I didn't activate the safety thus I fumbled. I have so many reps on my Glock/DAO platform that it was my "go to" under stress even though I practiced with other safety platforms and my Taser. I still carry my Taser but I swore off any platforms that require a safety. I just have too many reps on my duty platform to feel safe that I could operate it under stress. My off-duty Gen 5 G19 is IDENTICAL to my to my duty G17M in all practical ways. I even make sure I use the same night sights. I do own a S&W .38 for back-up that I can point/shoot if need be I don't really carry it off-duty since a speed reload under stress might be quit difficult for me. My word of caution (just I tell recruits) be careful carrying something too different to what you typically train with because under stress, it might take valuable seconds to get it working. time you might not have. Just my .02.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. When I had multiple handguns I always tried to make them as alike as I possibly could. It really doesn't matter which manual of arms you choose, just stick with it.

 

[Birds Away]

I also don't carry anything but striker fired pistols for the same reason of consistency in training. This means basically Glocks or something VERY similar, like my P10C. Anything else is a fun gun but not something I would carry.

Also, just a thought on the DA/SA thing. Relying on a 10 lb. double action trigger pull to make sure you don't have an accidental discharge might be identifying a training need. Nobody is perfect in a high stress situation even with training. If you want to carry DA/SA pistols that's fine, nothing wrong with that if that's what you're comfortable with, but the probability of your accidentally firing off a round with that gun vs a striker fired Glock should be no different.

I agree that the trigger weight shouldn't have anything to do with a AD/ND. The problem is that the finger was inside the trigger guard when it shouldn't have been.

 

[Qbradshaw94]

I carry G17 winter, G26 summer or when I need deeper concealment. I’m a Glock fan boy though haha. I will say the due to the G17 17 round mag and full size it is a bit heavy. But the G26 is lite, a G19 would be the best of both worlds. All can be found in 9mm

 

[Sheltie]

P30sk in winter, Walther PPS in summer.

 

[John3354]

I mostly carry a SA XDm 3.8 Compact in .40. In the summer when it is harder to conceal I use an Aliengear IWB holster. Now that it has gotten colder and concealment is easier I run a Crossbreed OWB holster. If I need to be super discrete I carry an LCPII in an Alabama Holster Company pocket holster.

I used to carry a Glock 27 in the summer and a Glock 22 in the winter, but the XDm 3.8 Compact has been the perfect carry pistol for me.

 

[Trapper Jim]

4inch 629

 

[sparkyfender]

Double stack: My two favorites are the HK USPc and the CZ Rami.

Single stack: S&W 3913 LS and a SIG 239, and almost any 1911.

 

[Amishman44]

All depends on how you like to carry, how much weight you are comfortable with, how you dress and what options you have for concealment. Not everyone drinks the same cup of tea.

Exactly...carry what you're
a) comfortable with,
b) shoot well, and
c) believe is an adequate defensive carry round.

As for me, I've carry'd several different styles of handgun, calibers, etc. (including a 5-shot revolver for nearly 10 years) until I picked-up a Glock 36 (thin, .45 acp pistol) and shot it!
It's been my primary EDC since 2013...with a 5-shot .38 special still being in the rotation occasionally!

 

[Black Smoke]

For some situations the Glock 22 with 3 magazines (45 rounds) and for other situations the PMR 30 with 2 magazines (60 rounds).