"Best Carry Gun"

[PRasko]

As time goes on I find myself downsizing consistently.

I have several I consider “Carry” guns, but atm its a 38 j frame I got on the cheap.

 

[Amishman44]

I currently carry my Beretta 92 FS, but I am trying to determine something a bit more compact.
But I hate strikers, and trigger safeties they just don’t work for me, but it seems most new models coming out have either trigger safeties or the silly flat trigger that feels completely unnatural to me.
I’m considering the Beretta PX4 at the moment, but have not tested one yet.
I also prefer a metal framed pistol which makes the decision even tougher.

Have you tried a Beretta 92 Compact? 13 round magazines and a 4.25" barrel...slightly smaller yet concealable! If you like the 92 and want something a tad bit smaller, the 92 Compact might just be a good choice??? I had one but sold it when I found the 92 Centurian DAO...the Centurion really hit the sweet spot with me!

 

[doddg]

As time goes on I find myself downsizing consistently.

I have several I consider “Carry” guns, but atm its a 38 j frame I got on the cheap.

I started with & have finished with small snubbies as my default carry, unless I need something thinner then I get out the smallest Kahr.
I've tried many larger revolvers, but have gone back to the samller snub nose after 5 yrs.
Even though I've tried many semi-autos, I presently have two & picked up a 3rd this past Saturday b/c I always wanted to try out the XD-E hammer-fired to have a DA/SA like I enjoyed with most of the CZ models.

 

[geoexchange]

Here's my almost 40 year progression: (when I say 1911 it could be a full, commander, or Defender/Officer size)

1911, G30sf, 1911, KT P11, 1911, Smith M60, 1911, G30, P938, 1911, Kahr PM9, LCPII, 1911; and then I found the P365.
(P365/365x/Hellcat/Taurus/etc. could be substituted here)

Obviously, I'm a 1911/45acp kind of old guy. But after shooting a friend's P365, I found out that I could shoot it almost as well as my 1911's. I even shot an indoor bullseye league with it when I first got it and didn't do too bad with it!

My poor 1911's are sitting in my safe. Luckily I have a few so they don't get lonely. It's just hard to go back to the 1911 platform for carry - I have 11-13 rounds of quality 9mm in a very small and lightweight package that I can shoot accurately and quickly in a real defensive caliber. I can even pocket carry in the right pants!

I also am an active NRA Instructor and talk to a LOT of people about carry pistols. I really don't care what you use - even a .22 can be effective in the right hands. The internet "gun of the day" may not be the pistol for you. My choice in pistols also may not be the choice for you!

As previously mentioned, any defensive caliber pistol that you will carry and can shoot quickly and accurately is the perfect pistol for you.

 

[mmpsteve]

I started with & have finished with small snubbies as my default carry, unless I need something thinner then I get out the smallest Kahr.
I've tried many larger revolvers, but have gone back to the samller snub nose after 5 yrs.
Even though I've tried many semi-autos, I presently have two & picked up a 3rd this past Saturday b/c I always wanted to try out the XD-E hammer-fired to have a DA/SA like I enjoyed with most of the CZ models.

Curious why you got away from the CZ models. I recently picked up a P01 and a P01 Omega to try, though I've yet to fire either. They sure feel great in the hand, and I like the balance of weight with the aluminum frame.

.

 

[tscherry70]

I was watching a YouTube video about the journey of a guy who had carried multiple pistols over the years as "something better" came along.
Sound like anyone you know, haha!
Titled: "I Haven't Carried Another Gun Since I Got This One!"
Hegshot87 on May 27, 2022
He said, "The one gun that has turned his rotation into a monopoly, 95% of the time.
(Spoiler: SW Shield Plus)

He started out stating the Glock 26 was an amazing game-changer at the time (2000-2008).
Then the original SW Shield & variations, PPS & variations & XDS & variations came along.

Then came the Sig P365, another game-changer, with its size/capacity.
The 7 & 8 rds CC, all changed to 10 to 13 rounds, thanks to the 365.

He acknowledges that the Taurus GX4 is a fine budget-minded gun & the Sig Hellcat Pro 15 round & Shield 2.0 are great.
He mentions that his Sig 365 Spectre Comp has the potential to replace the Shield Plus, but not today.

The one that he doesn't see being replaced b/c so special: SW Shield Plus.

I thought this was intriguing b/c it reflected my own journey of having tried everything mentioned & more.
But, no Taurus semi-auto b/c of bad experience with a Taurus 709 Slim & customer service 4-5 years ago.
Plus, I'm a big fan of SW, with CZ, Sig, Ruger & "lesser" brands that I've had good experience with.

I also ended up with the SW Shield Plus PC & is in safe now.
The next day after buying a Shield Plus, I had a chance to buy a Shield plus Performance Center & did so, enamored by getting a SW PC for $50 more, as luck would have it.
They both shot the same with my amateur old eyes & hands, so I didn't care which one I kept, although having a "PC" made me feel better about my thrifty/cheap self.
I let a friend choose which one he wanted & of course he choose the less expensive one, haha!

I have not been temped to look for another semi-auto since the Shield Plus PC.
I've always loved anything Shield & had a few along the journey.
I sold an original Shield years ago & jumped on the Sig 365 bandwagon after shooting a friend's when it came out.
So impressed, I ran, not walked to Rural King an hour away, buying one of the few new guns in my life b/c they weren't stocked nearby after getting a heads up from a member here who know I was hot for one.
Thanks again INGO!!!

I eventually came back to a Shield 2.0, but was thrilled when I tried the Shield Plus in my hands.
I instantly knew it was a "Keeper."
I have a small Kahr when I need a pocket carry & I still love my revolvers (Ruger LCR, SW 642 & Taurus 856).

View attachment 211581

Shield Plus lower left, Kahr CM9 lower left, CZ Rami mid right.
View attachment 211590

Shield Plus on top of a Ruger Max9.
View attachment 211595
View attachment 211587 View attachment 211588

I have also tried many; Glock 43x, Ruger SP101, Ruger LCR, Sig P365, LCP Max etc. I have come to the same conclusion as you have as soon as I tried the Shield Plus I noticed that I was more accurate compared to the rest. This pistol fits my hand the better and still has enough power for me to be confident with it. I would rather have a 6" .357 Magnum, but this is what I carry now too.

 

[gonebad395]

I carry either my Beretta apx centurion or my Glock 43 depends on the day either work for me.

 

[tscherry70]

I currently carry my Beretta 92 FS, but I am trying to determine something a bit more compact.

But I hate strikers, and trigger safeties they just don’t work for me, but it seems most new models coming out have either trigger safeties or the silly flat trigger that feels completely unnatural to me.

I’m considering the Beretta PX4 at the moment, but have not tested one yet.

I also prefer a metal framed pistol which makes the decision even tougher.

I'm with you on this. I hate plastic guns, but you can't beat the light weight, compact, decent capacity they have today. I'm an old school revolver and 1911 guy like a lot of folks here. My dad carried a blued Colt Python 4" while on the Denver PD back in the 70's. He earned several shooting trophies with it, but sold it unfortunately. When i told him how much they're going for now, he about had kittens.

I've been eyeballing a Dan Wesson ECO or a Wilson Combat EDC X9. Expensive sure, but I feel that my life is worth that price, convincing my wife that it is another matter.

 

[indyblue]

I’m beginning to consider some plastic guns but I still don’t like striker fired nor the Glock style triggers everything seems to have now.

 

[doddg]

Curious why you got away from the CZ models. I recently picked up a P01 and a P01 Omega to try, though I've yet to fire either. They sure feel great in the hand, and I like the balance of weight with the aluminum frame.

.

Yes, I was really into CZs & was active on the CZ thread, having alot of fun.
A moderator asked not to post on the CZ thread for reasons I can't even remember anymore.
Over time, I ended up losing my enthusiasm for them when I couldn't process on the CZ thread with so many members I considered friends.
That's most of my enjoyment of the hobby.

The Omega was either my 1st or 2nd CZ, out of a dozen I had.
I still have a liquored-up Rami & Shadow 2 with the Wizard having done internals on both.
Allen from Diamond Collision, did a Tungsten Steel Cerakote (totally awesome) on the Shadow 2 correcting the original factory ugly Urban Grey which I called a baby diaper color.
I've even considered selling them since I don't shoot 9mm much at the range anymore.

 

[DadSmith]

IIRC I started with a Taurus model 44 still have it for deer hunting, then a Russian Makarov had a stupid moment, and sold it, then the 92FS it went to my BIL. Then the Ruger American 9mm before giving it to my son. Then IIRC it was the Canik TP9v2 went to my daughter, and now days it's where I'm going dictates the gun I carry along with the weather as in hot or cool weather as well as inside or outside. It's now a Shield 45 Gen 1, 1911's in 45acp or 10mm, or my CZ P10F.

 

[thedreamer]

Glock 43 in the summer time. Glock 19 if I need to size up a little bit. I recently picked up a Glock 45 that I plan to carry in the winter time. I also occasionally throw a Smith and Wesson 442 in a pocket if I am feeling lazy.

 

[Kernelkrink]

It seems we all start out with larger then eventually gravitate to smaller and lighter...

Way back in 1985 I bought my first pistol and got my first carry permit. A Steyr GB, full size 18+1 rd Austrian service pistol, size wise it fits most Beretta 92 holsters if they aren't too molded to the gun. Carried IWB for years in a self made copy of the Bruce Nelson Summer Special. About 89 I got my Honda VTR Interceptor and decided a shoulder holster was better when riding. First one was a commercial knockoff of the Bianchi X15, usually carried the Steyr but occasionally would switch it up with my 1911 I used in IPSC. Kind of uncomfortable with the lean forward riding posture, so I made another one in a horizontal rig type for the GB. Sorta copy of the Alessi pull through trigger guard snap retention with a double mag carrier on the offside. Much more comfortable and carried like that for years.

After a while the weight and size got to be uncomfortable with my aging body and expanding gut, so my backup gun(s) started getting carried more and more as my primary. First an Astra Constable then a real PPK/S, both in .380. Then I discovered the Kahr P9, about the size of the Walther but full power 9mm with 8 rounds on board. Light too, with essentially a DA only revolver type trigger pull. Backup eventually fell to a S&W 642 airweight. And yes, sometimes these days the S&W slid into a pocket is my primary in low threat situations, it's just so light and disappears into a pocket.

Over the years dozens of handguns have come and gone, but I still have most of them. Some got rotated into the carry mode, like the Taurus G2C, but most got rotated back out as they didn't do anything better than what I was already carrying. The S&W M&P 9mm 2.0 Compact is my current "High Threat" carry piece. light and small enough to not be too much of a pain to tote around.

 

[ditcherman]

It seems we all start out with larger then eventually gravitate to smaller and lighter...

Way back in 1985 I bought my first pistol and got my first carry permit. A Steyr GB, full size 18+1 rd Austrian service pistol, size wise it fits most Beretta 92 holsters if they aren't too molded to the gun. Carried IWB for years in a self made copy of the Bruce Nelson Summer Special. About 89 I got my Honda VTR Interceptor and decided a shoulder holster was better when riding. First one was a commercial knockoff of the Bianchi X15, usually carried the Steyr but occasionally would switch it up with my 1911 I used in IPSC. Kind of uncomfortable with the lean forward riding posture, so I made another one in a horizontal rig type for the GB. Sorta copy of the Alessi pull through trigger guard snap retention with a double mag carrier on the offside. Much more comfortable and carried like that for years.

After a while the weight and size got to be uncomfortable with my aging body and expanding gut, so my backup gun(s) started getting carried more and more as my primary. First an Astra Constable then a real PPK/S, both in .380. Then I discovered the Kahr P9, about the size of the Walther but full power 9mm with 8 rounds on board. Light too, with essentially a DA only revolver type trigger pull. Backup eventually fell to a S&W 642 airweight. And yes, sometimes these days the S&W slid into a pocket is my primary in low threat situations, it's just so light and disappears into a pocket.

Over the years dozens of handguns have come and gone, but I still have most of them. Some got rotated into the carry mode, like the Taurus G2C, but most got rotated back out as they didn't do anything better than what I was already carrying. The S&W M&P 9mm 2.0 Compact is my current "High Threat" carry piece. light and small enough to not be too much of a pain to tote around.

Interesting, my experience is just the opposite with carrying a very small gun (glock 26, p238) and gravitating to larger ones. My commander size 1911 feels so small now on my hip, currently carrying p320 x5 or axg, or p226 SAO legion, appendix.
Starting out was so conscious of printing with the p238, now I don’t really care if it’s noticeable because most won’t.
And I am so much better with a full size, worth the weight.

 

[jayhawk]

I don't bounce around much, and I've yet to actually retire a carry gun. My first carry gun was an M&P9c, and I didn't add anything else to the rotation for a decade or so. At the time I bought it I was primarily comparing it to the G19/23, XD9, PX4 and P-07...and I was actually able to make an informed decision thanks to INGO meetups. The 9c won out primarily for ergonomics and simplicity. I shoot it well, it's reasonable balance of size, capacity, and ergonomics. Some Apex internals brought the trigger feel/function to a level that I've been really happy with.

My thought process from there was that unless I found something that offered a capability upgrade, I'm not going to change for the sake of change. There were some enticing competitors over the years, and a purchase or two that never made the carry rotation, but it always came down to the question of: Am I just wanting something new, or am I wanting/needing to upgrade for some practical improvement?

Since then I've added a P365, which is primarily for my SO, but I carry it sometimes when a smaller profile is a better fit for the situation. I've also added a P-01, because I've mostly moved to appendix carry like so many others have, and the hammer fired decocker DA/SA design gives me a little more peace of mind. DA/SA (as in, not cocked and locked, but actually firing from DA) was something I had to grow into as a shooter. Each of these guns has some unique function in my rotation, so I still reach for each of them depending on carry style, dress, situation, etc.

M&P9c in CompTac MTAC
P365 MS in JMCK 2.5 AIWB
P-01 w/TLR7A in JMCK 2.5 AIWB

If I had to choose one, it would probably be the P-01. It's marginally larger than the M&P9c, has more capacity, and I'm more accurate with it.

 

[Amishman44]

Glock 43 in the summer time. Glock 19 if I need to size up a little bit. I recently picked up a Glock 45 that I plan to carry in the winter time. I also occasionally throw a Smith and Wesson 442 in a pocket if I am feeling lazy.

The Glock 45 has been my most recent acquisition and I was actually surprised at how well I shot it and how well it performed! It was my first Gen 5 full-sized grip and it's quite comfortable in my somewhat smaller hands! It's quickly become something I tend to rely on in the rotation, parking my Glock 34 Gen 4.

 

[danielson]

First off, the "best carry gun" is the one you shoot best.
Second, the P365 was not a game changer.
That was the KelTec P11.

Look up the specs, they are absolutely identical, and KelTec did it a good decade before Sig, Sig just gave it a better trigger and sights.

 

[bmanguns]

Thoughts on the Mossberg Mc2c? I saw one used (never fired) at the local shop for $399. I was super tempted to grab it for fun. I figured the wife would see me sneak it in… walked away.

 

[STEEL CORE]

Things develop over time.
As a young Soldier I got a .25 auto “ Raven at Ft. Hood Tx, kept it in my left front fatigue shirt pocket.
First real pistol not provided by my Uncle Sam, a Colt Combat Commander.
Then a .38 mdl 36 Smith.
After that a few S&W 9mm, and one Sig 226.
Then came GLOCK….a G-19, carried it every where, after the Sheriffs Academy 22/27 with 19.
Now add a 43 to the mix, but the 23/27 get carried the most.
Life’s good.
For now.

 

[Amishman44]

First off, the "best carry gun" is the one you shoot best.
Second, the P365 was not a game changer.
That was the KelTec P11.

Look up the specs, they are absolutely identical, and KelTec did it a good decade before Sig, Sig just gave it a better trigger and sights.

Good catch on the KelTec...and you're right, the best carry gun is the one you shoot the best (aka, most natural)!