Concealed Carry Corner: My Top Carry Guns

Welcome to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we took a look at the various types of handgun actions and why you should consider each style as well as some of their drawbacks. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I wanted to look at my personal carry guns and explain why I carry them and in what circumstances they are good options to carry. So many people struggle to figure out what they need and what they don't need. I use my example as a starting point where you can use these as a reference and go from there. Let's take a closer look at my top carry guns.

Small Options

When it comes to having options to truly conceal, most cases I will carry either a Wilson Combat P365 2.0, an original Glock 43, or my Smith & Wesson 340 PD, depending on what I'm wearing or what I’m doing. It really depends on whether it's the 100+ degree summer days or if I’m dressing up for a formal event. A classic snub nose is fantastic for formal dress and can disappear since the grip is relatively smaller compared to a semi-auto. Having a thin single-stack 9mm like the Glock 43 is also a great way to have a concealed handgun without having a ton of extra gun that you may not want in formal attire.

Summer time carry can also be tricky during the exceptionally hot days since your body will start to sweat, which makes the skin more prone to irritation and rubbing against the gun. The larger the gun, the more irritation can occur if you don't have the proper belt and holster set up. Your body will adjust in time, but it can be really uncomfortable, which is why smaller guns are best for me personally. Having that amount of irritation will start to fatigue you faster than normal, which gives you less time of being able to carry your handgun comfortably. The wildest small option I carry often is by far my Wilson Combat P365 equipped with a Radian Ramjet and Wilson Grip module. This is just a fun option and a real smooth shooter with carry rounds, since the compensator kills any muzzle flip that may occur with the smaller carry gun. Regardless, there is certainly a place for a small carry gun in certain situations.

Most Common Carry Options

Personally, I prefer a slightly larger handgun over the small options since I have fairly large hands. When you don't want a full-size handgun but want something that fits your hand a bit better, there are always a few handguns that fit into that happy medium size, where you have a decent capacity but it's still fairly easy to conceal. My most common carry guns are my trusty Glock 48, as well as my SIG P229 Legion that I’ve had for over a decade. The Glock 48 is my preferred carry gun because of its overall dimensions and with the Shield Arms 15-round magazine, I can carry the same capacity as the Glock 19, but it's much thinner and shoots just as well for me. Mine is equipped with a Trijicon RMRcc. I don't always have a weapon-mounted light on either option to keep things easy to carry and to avoid any bulk.

Both of these are carried in an inside-the-waistband holster with a claw attachment. These allow me to carry comfortably with no worries of the gun moving around as I walk around or go on with my daily tasks. These two guns, I will regularly go out and train with using my IWB holsters exactly where I carry them every day. This allows me to keep things consistent and gives me training reps at the range to put everything together. If you go to a range where you can't draw from concealment, you can always dry fire and practice drawing from concealment at home and then do everything else at the range with live fire exercises.

Full Size Favorites

During the winter months, I will bump up my carry gun to either a Glock 21 or a full-size SIG Sauer P226 Elite. These two are fantastic options and a good sturdy gun belt makes the extra weight easy to carry. These are typically set up with an optic as well as a SureFire X300 weapon light. The larger frame allows for easier access to the trigger with winter gloves on compared to smaller handgun options. With as many layers as you put on during the winter months, it makes carrying a full-size handgun almost effortless, since you will have 2-3 layers over top of your carry gun. The biggest problem with carrying during the winter months is forcing yourself to practice drawing from concealment.

It's tough to get perfect right off the bat, which is why it's important to practice drawing with the extra layers to figure out what needs to be done in order to clear those layers away from your firearm. Some may never feel the need to carry a full-size handgun, but if you live in the colder parts of the country during winter times, they certainly have their advantages with the larger trigger guard for gloved hands and the ability to carry more capacity as well as accessories without feeling overencumbered from having more on your belt line. Other options, like shoulder holsters and distributing the weight, may help you carry comfortably if your waistline doesn't do well with added weight.

Overall Thoughts

Some people are adamant that you should only carry one gun and most of those people say to carry a Glock 19, but there are so many other choices for people who want options for various situations. The key to this is having consistency, like going with the same manufacturer so you can carry the handgun with similar controls, even if it's different sizes or calibers. Having the same layout despite the size will allow you to have common ground between different models. One of my favorite quotes is having the right tool for the right job and these are some of my absolute favorite guns to carry.

Let me know what your favorite carry guns are in the comments below. If you have questions about carry guns or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you in the next edition of Concealed Carry Corner.

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