Well I'm going shopping for a new concealed carry weapon this weekend and just looking for some thoughts/opinions on what I'm looking at!

 

I've narrowed it down to these 5..

 

Smith & Wesson M&P Shield

Springfield XDs

Ruger LC9s

Glock 43

Sig p320

 

What you guys think!?

How big are your hands? i have most of the ones listed excluding the 43. (not a fan of glocks) and i also have large hands. i carry the Xd 100% of the time. but it's also my least favorite to shoot. my hands are big and i find it ***** my trigger finger down in a way that for more then a 15-20 rounds starts to hurt. the most comfortable pistol i've shot was a Taurus Millennium pro. 40. excellent tool.

For CC the LC9 would be my choice. it small and very easy to make disappear.

i used to use the sticky holsters and some other inside belt ones.

i carry my xds40 everywhere. the 40's hit HARD and have lots of them. the LC9 is a great gun but not many rounds.

not  a fan of S&W. Sig is a great choice i just partial to my XD and LC9.

my XD is on my hip. the LC9 is usually ankle.

i use critical defense rounds and practice a lot. and i mean like 100+ rounds a week. just having it does you no good if you can't use it with proficiency. 

I'm in the process of renewing my CCW permit with Idaho. I still carry my 9mm Star Pistol every time I take off from the house. JAG1 was kind of surprised about that. At first didn't realize I had with me and then after then he paid attention to if I was carrying or not. I'm a firm open carry person but have the CCW for the slim chance that I'm caught in a condition that would conceal the weapon. For me it more of a issue locally of the four legger (Animals) messing with you. Then when I travel to the Big City then you have to worry about the two leggers messing with you.

Thanks for the input!

 

I've heard nothing but good things about the springfield. Everyone I've told this list has said they'd probably pick the XDs first then it's been mixed after that. So I'm leaning towards that for sure, but like you said, it also depends on how it feels in the hand. That could make or break it.

 

Are you carrying the XD in a .40? I didn't see the XDs in .40 only 9mm and .45?

 

The LC9s looks like a real nice gun too and now that they have the LC9s pro (without a safety) I'm leaning towards that as well. The only issue is from what I've heard the trigger pull is really light, and on a CC gun without a safety and a soft trigger that's something to think about.

I am an H&K guy.  I haven't carried any of the above guns.  However, my dad carries an LC9 and Glock on occasion.  I've shot the rest except for that model of Sig.  

 

The LC9 is ok, but will rust requiring a complete disassembly once in a while to get at some of the internal parts when the gun gets sweat on.  However, its a great THIN little gun. It is also inexpensive!

 

The Glocks are a bit on the wide side for me, but not bad and I really liked the M&P.  M&P and Glock seem to have quite a following as well.  For all glocks, I prefer an extended slide release for like $7 or so.  

 

Springfield has good customer service, but I am not a big fan of their polymer pistols after my dad having two Springfield XDS pistols with various issues.  Granted, my dad shoots a lot, but a new pistol should be able to take 1000 rounds without needing rebuilt.  In the end neither gun wouldn't cycle properly and had to go back to Springfield several times for issues.  

 

Off the list, I would do the Sig, Glock, or M&P depending on what felt the best in my hand an in my method of carry.  

Yea Mike I hear ya! Open carry is idea for a quicker draw but being that I'm not as worried about animals around here, the concealment is ideal.

i must have 2-3000 rounds down range with my XD, not a hiccup yet.

all those will do what they are designed to do. find a range that rents them and shoot 20+ per gun. then a better desicion you can make. the XD felt great in my hand. it wasn't till after i shot it 30-40 rounds that i noticed the finger issue. all the pistols do the same thing to my finger, except my good ol kimber 45.

 

yes my XD is a 40.

this is mine.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/products/xdm-compact-40-cal/

i use the extended mag as well.

This is what my wife carries.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/products/xd-sub-compact-40-cal/

she keeps it the normal mag.

 

here in AZ you don't need a permit to carry concealed.

I have an XD 40 that I have been carrying for over 10 years.  It is a reliable  and you can't go wrong with it.  It is became a very popular gun so accessories are pretty common.

If you are strictly looking at a CCW have you considered a S&W Bodyguard in .380?

None of the pistols you mentioned are considered CCW IMO. I have played with several of them and in the end they would get left more than carried due to the bulk.

.380 has plenty of power for a CCW, and they are tiny. The S&W also shoots fairly well, at least it is a hell of a lot more comfortable than my Keltec.

Aside from cheap full frame plinking I would never own a 9mm, even then I'd rather have something else.

I have a s&w body guard in 357/38 with built in laser site which is worthless as the accuracy sucks on it so bad. It is good up to about 25 feet anything past that is a crap shoot. I can get on paper with absolutely no accuracy at 25-30 feet past that one may get a body shot up to 50 feet if one knows how the rounds fly. mine shoot way high and left. It is my wifes pillow gun.

 

My carry everywhere is a 4" S&W 686+ 7 round revolver in 357, big yes but I am a tall enough to hide and carry it well. Extremely accurate and easy to shoot.

It's hard to argue self defense much past 25 feet anyhow.

At 25' I can close the distance before most can pull and shoot. They teach 22' is critical defense distance. Inside that it's best to retreat.

As for a good ccw Get one that works for you. You might buy and sell several before finding the right one for you.

Let's say I'm not huge gun buff nor do I want to be. The pistol I have was my Father's pistol he purchased years ago. I've got fair to good accuracy for self-defense. As for the concealing I could but I hate how uncomfortable it is. Being I've always got a fire radio hanging on my left hip a pistol hanging off the right hip kind of balances out my left to right weight. So as for getting into a different pistol, calibers and stopping power, etc. Out here if its animal and you gut shoot the animal most of the time the haul off to die elsewhere or just firing a round or two in the air typically is enough to make the animal change it's mind.

It's hard to argue self defense much past 25 feet anyhow.

 

Which is why there should be absolutely no LEO with anything more than a 6 shot revolver again. Would cut down on a lot of the cold blooded murders committed by more and more LEO's now days.

Agree*^^ I think they should have tazers. Learn to defuse the situation not escalate it. They are on a power trip.

If you are strictly looking at a CCW have you considered a S&W Bodyguard in .380?

None of the pistols you mentioned are considered CCW IMO. I have played with several of them and in the end they would get left more than carried due to the bulk.

.380 has plenty of power for a CCW, and they are tiny. The S&W also shoots fairly well, at least it is a hell of a lot more comfortable than my Keltec.

Aside from cheap full frame plinking I would never own a 9mm, even then I'd rather have something else.

 

We might have different opinions on what a CCW is and is not, which is fine! As far as the .380, I wanted to run a bigger size for concealed carry, not to say anything bad about the round, just my personal preference to run a 9mm or larger.

 

i must have 2-3000 rounds down range with my XD, not a hiccup yet.

all those will do what they are designed to do. find a range that rents them and shoot 20+ per gun. then a better desicion you can make. the XD felt great in my hand. it wasn't till after i shot it 30-40 rounds that i noticed the finger issue. all the pistols do the same thing to my finger, except my good ol kimber 45.

 

yes my XD is a 40.

this is mine.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/products/xdm-compact-40-cal/

i use the extended mag as well.

This is what my wife carries.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/products/xd-sub-compact-40-cal/

she keeps it the normal mag.

 

here in AZ you don't need a permit to carry concealed.

 

I'm looking into the XD mod.2! looks like they took what was so great about the XD and tweaked and improved on some bits and made it a little better!

 

I have an XD 40 that I have been carrying for over 10 years.  It is a reliable  and you can't go wrong with it.  It is became a very popular gun so accessories are pretty common.

 

Good to hear yours has treated you well for so long!

 

It's hard to argue self defense much past 25 feet anyhow.

 

 

At 25' I can close the distance before most can pull and shoot. They teach 22' is critical defense distance. Inside that it's best to retreat.

As for a good ccw Get one that works for you. You might buy and sell several before finding the right one for you.

 

Both very true points. It's hard to say though when talking about when you would utilize a concealed weapon, that most engagements would most likely be within 10-15ft before you realize that it would necessary for you to have to use your gun. Now, if your walking down the street and some guy is running full speed screaming bloody murder at you, its definitely safe to say that if that guy is within 21ft, any joe some (myself included) would have a tough time drawing, and hitting the guy before he made it to him. The biggest reason I feel that you can still be successful in MOST situations is due to the fact that you have the element of surprise with the CCW.

 

For example;

 

Baddie walks up to you thinking you're unarmed, in the process of them being excited/nervous/careless/intoxicated or whatever, they leave you an opening long enough for you to draw and suppress or incapacitate them. 

 

Just my .02 cents and I agree with you both that self defense past 25ft isn't really the typical range.

If your going to go big enough for a 9 you may as well get a 40.

9mm is a horrible round, there is a reason cops don't carry it anymore.

I was all set to get a LC9 a few years back, for many of the reasons you listed. The size wasn't worth it for the energy difference.

the 40 is the compromise between the 357/45's to the 9mm's

with the 9's you have lots of rounds. but no real stopping power, the 45's were shied away from because they were going through to many walls and the collateral damage was to high and at the time only 7 rounds.

then came the 10mm then the 40. the 40 has great kinetic energy, can still punch through car doors and stop someone. of all the LEO's in the family they all carry glock 40's and smith 357 hammerless as a backup.

 

owning the tool will be of no use if your not well versed in using it. that's why LEO's shoot so much. make sure your hand to hand skills are adequate as well.

.45's are great for people, heavy and slow so they generally don't blow thru. That's nice because ALL of the energy is used to stop the person.

 

The 10mm was developed for the FBI, but between collateral damage and many officers not being able to qualify on it the .40 S&W was developed. 10mm is a great woods gun, with full power loads; however many off the shelf loads are barely better than .40.

 

9mm was developed to get LOTS of rounds, which full size guns can have. A small 9mm is bigger than it needs to be, and doesn't carry enough rounds.

 

My DD has a .45ACP, my truck has a compact 10mm, my camper has a full size 10mm with a light, the house guns are .40's, and the wife's rig has a .38 SP. My main CCW is a Keltec and hers is a BodyGuard.

 

Both .380's are loaded with Hornday Critical Defense. 200 ft/lbs

Both 10mm's are loaded with Buffalo Bore 220gr Hard Cast Lead 703 ft/lbs

The 40's are loaded with Guard Dog Home Defense Ammo 432 ft/lbs

 

It comes down to what you plan to use it for.

 

I know you want bigger than a .380, but I know many people that didn't want a .380 and bought a bigger gun. Most of them never carry it because after a week or two it got old carrying such a big gun (even a gun size like an LC9). That hasn't happened to any of the .380 owners I know.. just food for thought as the 1st rule of a gun fight is to have a gun.. if the bigger gun is at home it won't matter what caliber it is.

Agreed!!!^^^^

I agree as well, the main thing you need to do is be able to hit the intended target, so whether that's with a .380 or .45 it doesn't matter, as long as it hits what it's supposed to hit!

 

I'm not the kind of guy that NEEDS to carry the biggest gun out there just to meet my ego, I'm looking at it from the idea that most these guns are millimeters different between them, so really it's take your pick on what you want.

 

The thing with these modern guns to is that most are so advanced they make shooting the big stuff feel a whole lot different then it did in years past. I wish I was able to shoot them all before I bought to help me decide but no shops or ranges around here have that available to me.

 

Either way I'm sure I'll be happy with what I get because it's really splitting hairs.