I can't say I know alot about concealed carry but have learned a bit from the guys posting here. I have several semi pistols I have carried but I wouldn't say they are the best option. I mostly keep several around the house in the event someone wants to be stupid. I carry a SR40 backpacking and have switched out with a Ruger Security Six on occasion, both are accurate in my hands. If a guy was going to get serious about concealed carry, what gun, cartridge, holster?

Think 9mm Glock and Raven concealment and you've got it covered.

I personally would go with either the Glock 43 9mm or the Glock 42 .380 depending on the situations you are likely to encounter. The G19 if higher capacity gives you the warm and fuzzy's.

Depending on dress a name brand IWB or Pancake holster.

I carry a Glock 43 in a Desantis Invader IWB holster

I have a Glock 43 in my jammie pocket as I type.

I usually carry in in a pocket holster. This holds it in place and breaks up the outline.

That being said, I just recently picked up an EMP 4 1911 in 9mm that I pack all day, every day, in a Milt Sparks Summer Special.

This is my latest "all time favorite" carry pistol.

Virgil B.

I just picked up a Taurus millennium PT-111G2 (stainless) haven't shot it yet. I'm thinking alienwear IWB Tuck 3.0 and matching spare mag holster.

S&W Shield 9mm, Federal HST 124 gr. +P, High Noon Slide Guard horsehide on either a Beltman horsehide leather belt or a Wilderness Frequent Flyer five stitch belt. Also carry an extra magazine.

Never had a Glock but have shot alot of them. I struggled with the plastic pistol idea but they've been around long enough that isn't an issue.

Keep the ideas coming!

Glock 17, 19, or 43 (all 9mm), depending on your comfort level in relation to size/weight/width of sidearm (Personally, I carry the Glock 17 99% of the time, and opt for the Glock 43 only when concealment is either more challenging or where non-printing is more crucial). My recommendation in holsters/belts is El Paso Saddlery C-Force IWB and Galco SB2 belt (belt is as crucial as holster), regardless of which of the above three handguns you choose.

I've been routinely conceal carrying and shooting handguns since 1980.

For my concealed carry, it's one of these, depending on my mood or circumstance-

1. S&W Shield .45 ACP, ammo is CorBon Pow'rBall, holster is the IWB N82 Pro Tactical.
2. Kimber Ultra Carry II,.45 ACP, same ammo, holster is also the IWB N82 Pro Tactical
3. Charter Arms Target Pathfinder, .22 Mag., CCI Maxi Mag plus a couple of shotshells for rattlesnakes, holster is a Simply Rugged OWB, but conceals very well under a shirt,
4. S&W M&P Pro, 9mm, 4,25" bbl, ammo is MagTech HP, holster is the N82 Pro Tactical.

This summer, when the snakes are out, the Pathfinder will get carried most of the time.

I'm liking my PF-9. Cheap. Plain. Way lighter and slimmer than the trendy pistols. Hasn't missed a beat yet and easy for me to shoot. Carry it in my front pocket in a $14 AMS sleeve or it hangs on my belt with the $15 belt clip.
Kel-Tec PF-9 Review

Sig P938 in a Desantis Nemesis pocket holster shooting 135 gr Hornady Critical Duty.

Here latey ive been wearing a Glock 26 9mm loaded with 124gr+p Gold Dots in a Concealment Express IWB Holster

I'm carrying at the moment my Springfield XD/S 3.3 45 ACP with Fed +P 230 GR HST in a Crossbreed Super Tuck. Love this little pistol

For deep concealment it's a RM LowRider, DM Bullard belt and a Glock 26 (my EDC) stoked with Federal HST 147gr.



Or

A G19 in a Sparks I-BAK works well also.

What do you mean by "serious"? Serious about always having a gun with you? Serious about having the gun that works best?

Seriously......if you're serious about it, you will find which handgun that you can conceal with a good holster and that you can shoot well with the amount of practice you can afford. Lots of good holsters these days that aren't necessarily the most expensive. Finding your best fit is going to be a very personal experience. Pros and cons for leather and kydex, and even the hybrids.

The gun/holster combination needs to fit your situation/physique/ability. What everybody else recommends may not be what you need, and we all don't agree on what is best for ourselves anyway. Caliber is the least consideration, as long as it is at least 9mm.

Most of us agree that the gun should be as reliable as possible and the holster/belt combination should hold the gun firmly and keep it solidly in position. Lots of room there for personal preference. If you're serious about it, you will do a lot of shooting of various guns and fitting of various holsters and decide for yourself.

.....Or you could just join the herd and get a Glock with whatever plastic holster is offered at your gun store. Maybe you'll get lucky.

“serious” can mean a lot of things to a lot of people.

I would say first determine what kind of “serious” you are. Full time carry of some sort of sub-compact in a pocket or holster. Full time carry of a semi-compact (G19 size class) in an OWB or IWB?

Once you have that figured out, it’s really a matter of finding a gun that you like. There are just so many good choices these days. Glock dominates the market, and is always a good choice. But if for some reason a Glock doesn’t fit you well, or just doesn’t blow your skirt up, there’s a good dozen options. Find the pistol FOR YOU, not the pistol everyone else says you should have. It should fit you, be reliable and of sufficient power, and something you’re actually going to carry. What’s more, it needs to be a pistol you just like, that way you’re apt to shoot it often, and carry it.

It does seem that Springfield has a popular product in the EMP4 models for 1911 fans. They don't appear to remain on the shelves for long.
I do like the size and feel of the 9mm models. I have yet to see one in the 40 S&W.

When you choose which Glock you want, buy some Trijicon HD night sights for it.

Sig p226 or p229, both in 357 Sig



Sparks vm2 or even concealment

My decision was to find something that would be compact enough that I wouldn't find a reason not to carry it, striker fired with a trigger safety, fires without a mag in it and reasonably powerful enough.



My conclusion was the Ruger LC9s pro fit the bill, 8+7 capacity on the hip and out of site. I'm sure the Glock 43 would fit the bill just as well. I don't find it uncomfortable to pack or difficult to conceal. A small 9mm does have a little snap to it, but not to the point of being rude. I've never shot the gun from a rest to find out it's mechanical accuracy, but it's never made me question it's ability when shooting offhand and doesn't seem to give up much if anything in the accuracy department to a full size gun.

Just picked up an LC380 for my wife, nice little gun.

I carry a Glock 19 in a Galco Combat Master for outside waist band or a Galco Summer Special for inside waist band. I used to carry a Colt Government .45 but the Glock is way better.

I carry a P226 40 cal in a Galco leather retention holster with a slight forward cant, same brand and style in leather for my 1911's in 38 Super, 10mm and 45 ACP, the 1911's also fit nicely in Milt Sparks Summer Special2 IWB holsters for town carry.

A couple spare mags for each will ride comfortably all day in a left rear jeans pocket.

Keep it simple.

Later on you can decide if you want to do something different.

My suggestion would be to get the following:

Glock 19 or 17, though for CCW, the 19 is a slightly better choice for the vast majority of people.


A straight drop OWB Kydex rig, such as the "40 dollar holster" from the glock store on line here: http://www.glockstore.com/40-Dollar-Holster

Many will suggest an IWB, and yes they do conceal better, but without knowing a person's build it is tough to know if a particular IWB is right for you. A good high ride OWB tucked close works well for a great many people, and when I give impromptu lessons it is the one I have people of all shapes and sizes wear, and it works.

Belt. Again, keep it simple. The Wilderness Frequent Flyer belt will give years of service.

Here is a link: http://www.thewilderness.com/belts/frequent-flyer-belt/

3 boxes of 124 grain Gold Dot JHP. Run 2 boxes through the mags that came with your gun to confirm function. Load the last box for carry purposes.

1 case of ball ammo for practice.

Look for a class. Preferably where the instructor's credentials are something more than just "NRA instructor", or "I took other people's classes and I am an NRA instructor".


DO NOTHING TO THE GUN until you have at least 1000 rounds through it.


Cheers!

Good advice.

Thank you all for your words.

I've been out of town for a few days.

Serious = carry concealed on a regular basis. I've carried before but mostly in baggy jackets, pants, etc but never on a regular basis.

We have a local shop that carries Glocks and lets folks shoot them to test them out. with Hurricanew Cindy hitting us this weekend, be a good weekend to try out the Glocks.

Thanks again. I have homework................ <G>

I carry a Glock 43 everywhere with an IWB holster, except when on my motorcycle (no quick access to a carbine in the trunk), then I carry a Glock 19 OWB with a 17 round backup mag.

You can't go wrong with single stack, light, polymer framed 9mms like the Glock 43 or the S&W Shield (both top sellers) carried in nice leather IWB holster. I have the 9 mm Performance Center Shield in a DeSantis Inside Heat holster and using the 7 round magazine, it doesn't print even under just a T shirt. I also have a Vedder Kydex IWB holster for the Shield that is a nice holster but not as comfortable as the leather DeSantis (especially if your going to be sitting with it for any protracted period of time). With the single stack pistols you lose capacity but they are lighter and easier to conceal.

For deep concealment and comfort, it's hard to beat a .380 pocket pistol like the Ruger LCP or LCPII. I have a LCPII and usually carry in my pocket in a BORA II Kydex pocket holster. Some don't like the .380 but it is just so easy and convenient to carry and it's better to have a .380 you'll carry than a bigger pistol that's heavy or uncomfortable sitting in your gun safe. If I had to pick one pistol for everyday carry, it would be the LCPII. Whether carried in my pocket, in a Sneaky Pete OWB holster or a Concealment Express IWB holster, it is always a pleasure to carry. With advancement in ammo development, the .380 is better than ever with several available loads that will meet the FBI criteria for min.12" penetration without over penetration (>18").

My primary is a Kahr PM9 in a OWB holster but recently have been carrying a new Kimber Micro 9mm more often, it just points awesome.