Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Need purchase and choice advise in 9mm ccl carry.

No new newbie here, longtime rifle man but never felt drawn to pistolas. Am now looking into getting my ccl and have eyed a glock 26 and g43 BECAUSE OF PROVEN RELIABILITY. I have 3 questions. Simply,
ONE: what weight (and maybe brand/model) bullet for 9mm in subcompacts for defense. I reload and will practice with same weight.
TWO: of the g26 and g43, the g43 is thinner and holds 6+1 special single stack mag, the g26 is double stack std glock mags 10+1. Question is what to choose, thinner and less ammo or slightly wider and extra 4 rds capacity? Both feel great in my hand. For fit and concealment I am 6'2" and 245lbs. THREE, What are the cheaper guns to stay far away from, like any hi-points, compact rugers or s&ws sold cheap at academy, bass pro, etc...? What are great value subs that are reliabke and accurate?
I do not want a larger than sub compact for carry so dont suggest g17s g19s etc...
I live on a tiny Veterans Comp check so value to cost is huge for me.
Thanks all for you input!

Glock 43 for me. And a Ruger LCP .380 for a BUG. Both are Uber reliable, and plenty accurate for my intended purpose.

I'm not a fan of the Glock double stack compacts. If I'm gonna pack a Glock 26, then I might as well pack my Glock 19. I'm also 6'2" and weigh 235. I can conceal a fairly large auto pretty easily.

As far as the Ammo for 9mm I prefer the Speer Gold Dot +p ammo in all of my carry guns for CC. I also use it in 38 special, 45 acp, .357 Sig, & .44 special.


As for brand of gun for a CCW, personally, I stick with S&W, Glock, Springfield, Ruger, Kimber, & Sig. There are other brands out there that work. But I'm not gonna bet my life on them.

Look at a Khar cw9 I have a glock 43 and a cw9 the Khar wins in accuracy and price and is about the same size

1. I carry 124 grain standard pressure Gold Dots, but I reload using 115 grain bullets because it is cheaper. The 124 grain bullet appears to be the most common bullet used for self-defense, in both standard pressure and +P loadings.

2. I have both a 26 and a 43. I consider the 43 to be more of a niche gun and the 26 to be more of an all-arounder. They both shoot well, although the 26 is much easier. I carry the 43 only when I need maximum concealment or for pocket carry. The 26 can work for almost any occasion, because I can use 15, 17 and 33 round factory magazines in it or as spares, which makes the gun very versatile. (Test that in your gun before using.) They also make 12 round factory and Pmags for the gun with some pinky extensions. (I don’t use pinky extensions or adapters on larger magazines.) I carried the 26 while hiking, 4 wheeling and bowhunting this year, something I would not do with the 43 unless I had no other gun.

One thing to note on the 43 is that some people with large hands have been known to push the slide stop lever upwards while firing, causing the slide to lock while the magazine has ammunition. I also know some 1911 fans (who run full size Glocks just fine) who have depressed the slide stop lever while firing, resulting in the slide not locking back when the magazine is empty.

3. I can’t really comment on other guns other than to say that my friends who own S&W Shields are happy with them.

After having been through most of the Glock catalog, I carry a G19 most of the time with a G43 for times that the G19 is too big. Here's what I've learned:
1. The G26 has most of the drawbacks of the G43 and most of the drawbacks of the G19.
2. The G19 conceals as well as a G26 and I shoot it as well as a G17.
3. The G26/G43 are slower to reload than the larger Glocks. The magazines do not fall free on reloads, so I plan to strip the magazine out of both of them during reloads.
4. The G26/G43 are both very accurate in slow fire, but are much harder to shoot well quickly than larger pistols.

In the Larry Vickers video review of the G43, one of the first things he says is basically, "The G43 is good for some things, but carry a G19 if you possibly can." I'd have to say that I agree.


Okie John

The Smith and Wesson M&P line of autos are great weapons and worthy of your consideration. Stay away from their "SD" line of cheapies.

Compact 9mm's are like shoes: you have to find one that fits. I've had a S&W Shield, Glock 43, Kahr PM9, and a Springfield XDS and they were all different when it came to putting rounds downrange. The Shield was the least unpleasant, with the Glock 43 close on its heels. After trying them all over the space of a year I settled on a Glock 19. The big drawback, to me, of the compact 9's is that they--again, for me--cannot be carried in a pocket and, thus, must be carried on the belt. Once I'm wearing a belt holster, I might as well be carrying a larger gun that is easier to shoot and manipulate. For pocket carry I've found nothing better than the shrouded hammer S&W J-frames.

Another Compact 9 no one is mentioned yet is an lc9s I have the pro model

If you are bound and determined to stick with those proportions, the 43 would be the more comfortable choice for IWB carry. If you were willing to jump up a little to the 19, then you could have the best of both worlds, ie., comfort and capacity. The 26 tends to feel like a block of 2x4 in an IWB, ie., uncomfortable.

Your post raises valid points, but I disagree that the 19 conceals as well as the 26. I have a 19. I carry both my 26 and my 19 in Milt Sparks Criterion holsters worn in the same spot. It is noticeably easier to hide the 26 under an untucked polo shirt because of the length of the grip. I am not talking about standing in front of a mirror with arms at side but about walking deliberately down the street, or doing stuff like bending over.

A CCW person also must consider the weight differential, which is not only the gun but also includes the support gear. The loaded 26 weighs 26.2 ounces compared to 30.6 ounces for the 19. With each gun in its holster, the 26 loaded weighs 32 ounces and the 19 weights 37.2 ounces. A loaded spare 10 round 26 magazine weighs 6.4 ounces compared to 9.1 ounces for the 19. (The 43 weighs 21.9 ounces loaded, 25.5 ounces loaded in a TT Gunleather Mike’s Special, and a spare 6 round magazine weighs 4.4 ounces. The holster is not as good in the concealment department as a Criterion, so I cannot do a good CCW comparison until I receive the Criterion I have on order.)

Size does matter, but it is a question of degree, and everyone has to figure out what works for them.

S&W Shield has the best value in the class and in my judgement has the best combination of attributes. The Shield is a higher quality and more useful pistol than anything you mentioned and also less expensive.

First you need to be sure you want a striker-fired pistol, as opposed to a DA/SA or a DA or a SA. I carry a Ruger LC9s (9mm, striker-fired) and if you aren't familiar with pistols, these are MUCH more prone to an accidental Discharge than the other action types, as are the Glocks.

Once you DO decide on striker-fired or another type; then you need to figure out how you will conceal it. IWB, OWB, ankle, shoulder, etc ....

When you answer these 2 questions the choice will narrow down. Try to shoot the finalists before you buy --- You might be surprised.

Because of positive reports and how it works/groups out of my pistol, I've been carrying the 124 grain SIG Sauer V Crown.

SIG P938

I carry a Glock 19 and a Kel Tec P11 at times. Either Glock will suit you well, the M&P is a contender, the Ruger SR9C would be a good choice and all budget items. Probably the best deal out there currently is the M&P gen1 with rebates etc.

m&p

Kahr CW9, S&W Shield, G43, Sig 938, Walther PPS. Try to shoot them all and see which suits you best.

Depending on where in OK you are I can arrange for you to shoot a CW9.

the 43 is lighter, the 26 (27) in a good kydex holster is as fat as the 43 seems to be in a leather IWB holster (yes I have a 23 and a 27 so am not guessing), the 43 is a good gun, but these days 11 rounds makes more sense to me. I shot a 43 against 19's 17's full size mp's some 1911's in a class I took.

TRB696,

Listen to and consider what okie john is saying here, because I think he’s spot on…and that covers Glock pistols.

I will chime in on carry modes and holsters….

The big problem I see, you didn’t state how you intend to carry said pistol.

To me, the G26 is too chunky for pocket carry. The G43 is about as big as you can get for a pocket carry pistol (and many can’t even pocket carry that). So with that thought, you’re probably looking at (or should consider) hip carry. If you’re going to hip carry, then I’m not sure I’d be looking at the G26. Just like okie john, the G26 seems to fit into no usable category (for me at least).

Carry mode – IWB (Inside Waist Band) or OWB (Outisde Waist Band)… you should look into this and determine which is best for you.

IWB – This is my preferred carry mode. It conceals much better than OWB (IMO), and generally holds the pistol more securely. With a proper IWB holster, you typically can carry a full sized pistol fully concealed with ease. If carrying an IWB then I would most certainly be looking at the G19 or G17, and forget about the G26. At 6’2” 245lbs you’re almost exactly the same size as I am, and I have NO problem at all carrying a full sized pistol in an IWB. The “compact” pistols in the G19 size are just plain perfect in an IWB holster. You can conceal even a full sized pistol with just an un-tucked t-shirt when carrying IWB.

IWB – The negatives: It takes some getting used to, and there are a good number of people who try it, hate it, and never do it again. During hot weather it can bring moisture from your body onto the pistol (but only if you carry in a crappy holster). And if you have grips with an aggressive texture, that texture will be rubbing against your side. There may be some other negatives, but I can’t think of them right now.

OWB – Positives: Typically very comfortable. Keeps moisture away from your pistol, and keeps your pistol away from your skin. When carrying OWB this is when I like the compact & sub-compact pistols and I like them in a high ride rig that gets the pistol as high above the belt as possible because it maximizes concealability. Pistols like the Shield, G43, Kahr CT9 & CT45, etc… are just idea for a high ride OWB. Those are all compact/sub-compact pistols, but in the right high ride OWB you can carry something like a G19 just fine.

OWB – Negatives: You’ll always have to wear an over-shirt/jacket, or some extra layer to cover it all up. Some can conceal a sub-compact pistol with just an un-tucked t-shirt while carrying OWB, but that’s more the exception than the rule. Generally speaking, you’ll find yourself carrying smaller pistols rather than full sized pistols (I personally think of the G19 as a full size even though most call it a “compact”).

Keep in mind…A carry gun should first be comforting, then comfortable.

Me – A somewhat famous gun writer convinced me to carry what he called a “real fighting gun” in an IWB. He said, “just do it, get yourself used to it, and you’ll never regret it”. And he was right. For most of my life I have been carrying a Browning Hi Power or a Lightweight Commander. These days I carry a CZ P07 which is the same size as a G19 (actually fits in a G19 holster, and CZ actually made it to take the exact same holster as a G19; which means LOTS of holster options), so you can see I’m 100% on board with okie john’s recommendation for the G19. If I find myself in a fight, I want a pistol with decent capacity that is large enough for me to get all fingers on the grip, which is a big aid to good shooting under stress.

Last piece of advice – Don’t go cheap on the holster.

When a pistol is a burden to carry, often it gets left behind…

I have literally seen more than one guy put a $3,500.00 custom pistol into a $29 Uncle Mikes belt clip holster…that’s a crime.
Seriously though, if you put a very small pistol into a cheap holster, it can make that pistol feel like a boat anchor. On the other hand, if you put a full sized pistol into a straight up world class holster you’ll find you can carry all day long and not be worn out at the end of the day.
Something in the size/weight class of a G19, there shouldn’t be any reason why a guy can’t carry one all day long without undue fatigue. If you have a world class holster, you just don’t mind carrying a real gun at all.
Some of my favorites (sorry mine are all IWB):
HBE Com III
Milt Sparks Versa Max II
Mitch Rosen ARG
El Paso Saddelry C-Force



HBE Leatherworks is my absolute favorite holster maker, but I have holsters from others as well:



Here’s my HBE Leatherworks Com III for my CZ P07


HBE Leatherworks Com III for my 1911


Milt Sparks Versa Max II for LW Commander / Hi Power

This is good advice...it's also a classic example of how people perceive things differently. I happen to agree with okie john, but Cheyennne really feels there is a very noticeable difference. And while I don't really notice the things he mentions, HE certainly does notice the difference. There is a lot of "feel" to concealed carry, and that "feel" can get pretty subjective from person to person.

Point being, you can take the advice of okie john and Cheyenne as good advice even though it's a little contradictory. Both are giving good advice, and chances are you will find yourself in agreement with one or the other after a few weeks of daily carry. But the only way you're going to know which side you fall on is by carrying all day long for a few weeks to develop some solid preferences and opinions.

Wat GunGeek Said.

Be sure to buy a good thick belt. If the belt sags it’s very uncomfortable. Plus it’s a must with most high ride holsters if you go OWB.