Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns What do you consider the top 10 Concealed Handguns?

Opinions are like (you know already) Here's my quick opinion what are your top 10?
Ruger LCR
Ruger LC9
S&W 642
M&P 9c
S&W 6906 (I needed to change this one) I'm carrying it now.
Ruger Six Series 2-3/4"
S&W 66 2-1/2" or 3"
SR9c
M&P 45
Glock 19 (not one I would use but credit where credit's due)My actual #10 could be the charter Arms bulldog 44

SW Shield is uber popular down here.

I haven't tried ten to know enough to say, but after trying and rejecting four others I've settled on:

Kahr CW9 and Kahr CM9 or the more expensive P versions of those.

Hard to leave out the pockets 380s, Shield, Springfield XDS (my edc), any snub 38 and the Kahr CM/PM guns. I don't see many single stack guns that you listed but down here where it's 95* with high humidity I unfortunately have to chose my weapon based on my attire.

Sweet Jesus! You didn't include a 1911 variant in at least eight of your ten slots. There are people here who will never speak to you again.

1. 1911
2 "
3. "
4. "
5. "
6. "
7. "
8. "
9. "
10. "

Scott and Rufus, I take it you believe there is not one top gun, but 10. Buy coincidence they all happen to look alike.

There has to be a J-frame on there somewhere...

XDS

1. 1911 LW Commander in 45acp
2. S&W j-frame bodyguard .38sp
3. Glock 32 in 357sig
4.Springfield XDS in 45acp
5. Glock 19
6. S&W Model 66 with 3" bbl
7. Springfield EMP 1911 in .40cal
8. Browning Hi-power
9. Kahr CM-9
10. Ruger SP101 in 357mag

Not me. I was just warning you to watch your back here in the 1911/Glock forum.

1.) J-Frame

2.) LCR

3.) G19

4.) G23

There is no 5-10. the rest suck.




Travis

I didn't know real men would even think of carrying anything else. 19111 for civilization and 4 7/8" barrel single action 45 LC for woods. Both drill a real hole.

1. Colt 21st Century Lightweight Commander.

2. Wilson Ultralight carry

3. Colt Combat Commander

4. Full size 1911 (Special Combat or Gold Cup)

5. 3" Mod 60 .357

That's all.


Sometimes these might be concealed in the winter in the wilderness. In the summer, they are not concealed.

6. 629 Mountain

7. Delta Elite Ten

8. Gold Cup 460 Rowland

9. 686 Plus 4"

10. Colt New Frontier 5 1/2" 45 Colt



... then there is more depending on the mood.

ALL small:
- - - - - -
Beretta Nano
CZ 2075 RAMI
Diamondback DB9
Glock G26
HK P2000SK
Kahr CM9
Ruger SR9C
Sig P-290
Springfield XDS
Walther PPS

I guess i should mention a rear sight falling off a certain gun, i have been trying to restrain myself in that affair, but i guess i have failed. Maybe it's starting to melt?

You don't have a 4 7/8" single action 45 LC, although i know you desparately crave one, does this make you not a real man?

I should mention, I do carry Rugers in crappy weather on the farm.



Just kidding. Ha!

#1 and #2 are head and shoulders above the rest in my book and are the only 2 I currently carry.

The favorites:
1: S&W J-Frame 642 .38 Special
2: Glock 19 9mm

Everything else:
3: Glock 36 .45acp
4: Glock 30 .45acp (preferably 30SF or 30S)
5: S&W Shield 9mm
6: Glock 26 9mm
7: S&W 3913 9mm
8: Colt Detective Special .38 Special
9: Colt Lightweight Commander .45 acp
10: Browning HighPower 9mm

Just because you've led a sheltered life..........

GFY

MM

1 out of four isn't bad.

You could drop one of the revolvers and one of the Glocks from that list and you'd not be missing anything.

Yep, it does.

Raven .25 auto

NAA lil .22 revolvers that you need a magnifying glass to find them

Beretta Tomcat


and the JUDGE,


heck you're set.


though never being one to follow good advice, my list looks surprisingly like deflave's with the addition of a couple of the Kahr offerings

but chit, it don't matter what I buy her, she won't carry it

she sez that's what I'm for, ugly enough to scare off the bad folks

There have been so many quality new offerings in the last 10-15 years that I have not tried enough of them to make a valid top 10 list. I could put a S&W 642 on the list for nostalgia purposes only, and that was only introduced in 1990 (IIRC). Furthermore, concealability is in the eye of the beholder and also is dictated by circumstances particular to the individual.

My current personal list is the Sig P938, Springfield XDS and Glock 30SF. 2L2Q reminds me that the dinky little NAA Pug fits on my list as a niche gun. Is it a theoretical �one size fits most� top 10 gun? No freaking way.

I have a Sig P938 that I love for carry when not wearing bulky clothes. It functions like a much loved 1911, is small and hides well, and with heavier loads is plenty to recon with.

I have tried to like some others but this one has caused me to stop looking.

have no idea about the top ten, but the top to, at least as far as I am concerned, are the Springfield XDS and the S&W 642.
Why? Cause that's what I have, and what I use.

I think I'm rather unconventional in very much liking a compact K-Frame double action revolver (particularly those with fixed sights) for concealed carry. There are huge numbers of handguns that carry more easily and conceal better but, when choosing a concealed carry handgun, you are engaging in a balancing act between those factors and shootability.

The shootability, for me, of an FBI-configured K-Frame, takes up any slack left by the superiority of other choices strictly with regard to comfort in carry and concealability. But choosing one's preferred point along that continuum is a completely personal decision.

1. Smith and Wesson J frame. I prefer the original bodyguard, but chiefs and centennials are alright too.

2. Glock 26 or 27. I'm not the world's biggest Glock fan, but credit where it is due, they are a small package with lots of bullets.

3. Glock 19 or 23. One step up in size from the 26 and 27, and you get more sight radius, more frame size and more bullets.

4. LW Commander in .45 acp. They will do to ride the river with.

5. Browning P-35.

6. Smith and Wesson Model 12. Make mine a 2" Round Butt

7. Smith and Wesson Model 696

8. H&K P7

9. Smith and Wesson Model 3913

10. Glock Model 29

S&W Model 640.

In no particular order:

J-frame Centennial
1911
BHP
Kel-Tec P3AT/Ruger LCP (essentially the same firearm)
Ruger LCR
First Generation Charter Arms Undercover or Bulldog (standard or Pug)
Colt Detective Special
Kahr CM/PM 9 or 40
G26/27
Sig P225/226

The J-Frames are a very close second place for me, the compact K-Frames ever so slightly taking the lead position. It's almost a toss up, depending on whether you place greater priority on ease of carry/concealability, on the one hand, or shootability, on the other. The nod on the former, obviously, goes to the J-Frames, with the nod on the latter, quite clearly going to the compact K-Frames.

Mine are all guns that I have no doubt I would have a real chance prevailing in a shooting. None of these are small, easily carried guns.
No.1 would be the SIG 220 in .45 ACP.
No.2 would be somebody's 1911 with a 4-4 1/4 inch barrel.
No. 3 would be the Browning HP in 9mm. E

Don't know about 10 but narrowed the rotation down to 4-5:

1. Kimber Super Carry Pro 45ACP. Just fine right out of the box.
2. S&W Shield 40S&W. NO safety better, but easy to fix the early model. Apex Tactical parts, trigger and tritiums make me
3. H&K P-7 9mm. Perfect fit in a MS Nexus for the 3" 1911. That's a real plus for max CC.
4. BHP 9mm. MecGar 15 rnd mags and it's a wundernine from 1935! Waiting for Kevin to get set up so he can make this one a real contender for #2 on the list - but even he can't turn it into a 45ACP.
5. S&W 340PD 357 Mag and loaded with those. A contact weapon at close quarters. A real BUG.

Some good ones already listed but guess I'm sheltered so just these will do for me.

Agreed.

Just preference.



Travis

I don't know about a top 10, but I'll take my Springfield EMP over anything that I've ever carried.

Do you carry it cocked and locked?

PS Odd that the word cocked is blocked.

Shooting a one pound S&W 340 PD loaded with 357 Magnums? If anyone out there has done this....how did the work for you? I shoot mine with standard 38 Special

Only way to carry a 1911, IMO.

Whoops. Wrong thread.

Kahr P9

I have a 340PD & I don't shoot magnum rounds in it either, but I have shot 135+P 38's........VERY snappy but plenty shootable with them; I usually carry standard rounds it it though.

It doesn't weigh a pound either.......it's 11.5 oz, empty, maybe around a pound loaded, never weighed it loaded though.

MM

Your experience mirrors mine, MM

I also have a 442 & I actually like it better than the 340; it's a wee touch bigger & 2-3 oz heavier.

MM

My favorite J-Frame now Is the little S&W Bodygaurd they came out with a couple of years back. It's part polymer, part alloy, and part steel.
It only ways 12 ounces, has a factory built in Lazer, and no hammer.

S&W's answer to the Ruger LCR.

It's a CC BUG for me and meant for inside 3 yards. I practice with a cylinder of 38s and shoot 2-3 rounds of 357 Mag. It has very significant recoil with 125s but if I didn't intend to use 357s I would carry my 442.

I always mine always. In a pocket holster. Part of everyday wear.

In no particular order:
Beretta 3032 Tomcat
Makarov PM
Sig 938
Colt Magnum Carry
Sig P339 in 9mm
Beretta 92F Compact
Taurus 66 w/ 4" barrel
Colt King Cobra w/4" barrel
Beretta 92F

Yes sir.....condition 1 always

Anyone the intended targets don't know you have but have worked hard to get to meet.

mp340
kahr pm9

why would anyone settle for anything other than the top 1-2, hmm? how are you supposed to rank them, anyway? do you really think that anyone has shot 10 types of currently available, viable guns, enough thousands of rds each, to have a valid opinion about all of them? Has competed in matches (and done well, from concealment) carried them in hot weather, dressed normally, where getting spotted = trouble? c'mon

I'm a little surprised one of the best concealed carry guns ever invented has only been mentioned twice so far.

HK P7 and/or P7M8 - supremely safe design without the use of a conventional safety, easy to shoot, super accurate, amazing reliability, Very thin, very low bore axis, over engineered and a modern masterpiece, especially for CC. The only shortcomings I can think of are availability, cost and weight. They can also get hot if you shoot them a lot, but that's not a concern if you're CC'ing.

If you haven't had the chance to shoot one of these or own one, see if you can track one down. Like pythons, production was stopped in no small part because of the cost. They are simply superb. They are becoming harder and harder to find and the price is only going up. I thought about buying a couple when there were quite a few german police trade-ins coming over, but stupidly, I did not.

That said, here are my choices for CC. Size and weight are a big deal to me.

1. S&W Shield
2. XDS 9mm
3. Glock 26/27
4. Glock 19/23
5. Walther PPS
6. HK P7M8
7. Kahr PM9
8. Glock 30s
9. Ruger LCP
10. Commander 1911 - something semi-custom. Kobra Carry etc.

FWIW, UHP carried HK P7's for years.

In no particular order.

1. Glock 19 (My favorite holster pistol)
2. Glock 23
3. Glock 26
4. Glock 27
5. Glock 42 (Haven't had it long but it is growing on me fast. I see it replacing the Bodyguard and the G-26/27 in time. Yes, I wish it was a 9mm like many others do.
6. S&W Airweight Bodyguard (my favorite for jacket pockets)
7. LW Commander-45ACP,
8. PF-9,
9. P-32,
10. SP-101, 3", .357

Mine is the biggest cartridge that I shoot well,is proven reliable and easy to replace because after a SD shooting it's not coming back home for a while.Good or bad,you will be in the hands of the law for a bit.
...that's real world

Cariboujack: THE... top concealed handgun is a Glock Model 23 in 40 S&W with high capacity magazine and night sights/and or a laser sight.
PERIOD!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Glock 26 (trijicon ns) packing 10+1 Speer Gold Dot G2's sitting in a comptac paddle that I will hopefully NEVER have to use!

LW Commander
S&W J frame

The rest don't much matter.

A friend and I bought J frames at the same time, he got the fancy PD version and I got the .38 Airweight. We took them right to the range. The PD is horrible to shoot and not something I'd ever do again.

Shield 40
Glock 23
ruger sp101

I have all three and carry the Shield when I can. Glock and sp101 ride in the center console