Concealed Carry Corner: What’s The Perfect Handgun Size?
Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about various carry ammunition available on the market today. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I keep getting questions about what my opinion on the “perfect size” carry gun is and what certain individuals should carry as their main defensive handgun. This certainly is based on the individual but there are certain parameters to keep in mind when looking for your new “perfect” handgun. Let’s take a closer look at what the perfect handgun size is.
Trends in The Market
When it comes to handguns in the market, there’s been a general shift from having micro-style pistols to slightly larger pistols with better ergonomics and higher capacity. Ten years ago the micro-carry gun race was in full swing with every manufacturer coming out with their own really small single stack 9mm. This of course changed with the P365 and once it was shown possible to have higher capacity in a small magazine, things started to take a turn. Companies started playing with magazine sizes to make the smallest pistols while offering the highest capacity possible.
The Glock 48 can have 15 rounds with the Shield Arms magazines and SIG went even more insane cramping 21 rounds in their Macro Fuse magazines. Much like cell phones, carry guns have gone from going smaller and smaller to now becoming larger again. For some, it may seem confusing since you’re trying to figure out exactly what to get, but the silver lining in this situation is the fact you can find literally every size handgun for whatever size hand you have which means there is always a perfect gun for everyone.
Different Guns Fit Different People
One of the worst things I see gun shop employees do is throw a single handgun model into every customer’s hand regardless of their size, capability, or body type. All these factors should be taken into account before looking at a handgun rather than just throwing a generic handgun into their hands regardless of size or capabilities. The best practice when looking for a new carry gun is to first get a few options in your hand to see how various models fit into your hand.
If there’s an indoor range where you can test fire models you are interested in, it is even better to get a feel of how they recoil and feel in the hand, but not all ranges will have the latest carry guns on their rental wall. There will be certain people with smaller hands that can only comfortably conceal something like a Glock 43 single stack whereas others can carry a full-size pistol like a Glock 17 with no problem because their body structure will allow them to carry a larger handgun comfortably.
If you want a good place to start, I would look at handguns with a standard capacity of 12-15 rounds as a baseline. Oftentimes, these pistols like the Glock 43X and 48 along with the SIG P365 XL are a good middle ground for people to have a starting point.
The Key To Your Perfect Carry Gun
When looking for your first handgun to carry or even looking to purchase a new carry gun, the key is finding the smallest gun that you can fire accurately while under stress. Most people go with the super small micro-style handguns which are great for carrying all day comfortably but are usually the hardest guns to shoot accurately under stress. If you bump up to a slightly larger handgun like a Glock 43X compared to the regular 43, it will not only allow you to have a better grip on the firearm but will give you more control of the handgun in a stressful situation.
It sounds silly, but your group sizing and shot cadence will both improve with a slightly larger carry gun than the smaller carry guns. This is simply due to mass and the ability to dampen recoil due to a larger surface area meaning you have less recoil and more control as a result. I know what works perfectly for me but that may not mean it’s the same thing for you. There are a number of fantastic choices on the market and as a result, there are always a ton of options to find the perfect carry handgun for yourself.
Overall Thoughts
Personally, I prefer to carry something like the Glock 48 or 43X since they have been completely reliable and the aftermarket support is some of the best. Some may prefer the SIG P365 or FN Reflex since that’s the best handgun for them. The number one thing to discover the perfect handgun size is the smallest handgun you can confidently fire rapidly under stress. For bigger guys, this may be a full-size firearm while other individuals may choose a smaller framed one because that’s the best size for them.
Let me know what your perfect defensive handgun is 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 next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.
TFB’s Concealed Carry Corner is brought to you by GLOCK
I'm an avid shooter and love educating whether it's at my job or in the shooting community. I'm an average joe that really loves talking with other people about firearms and other passions.I'm active on Instagram on @fridgeoperator.
More by Matt E
Comments
Join the conversation
I think grip size has the most to do with shootability; the grip should be long enough to get three fingers on it to control the gun during the trigger pull and during recoil. There are a lot of guns with the proper grip size, from J-frames (usually with aftermarket grips) through 1911s and up, that won't print enough for the average person to detect. The real determinant, though, of whether or not a person will carry all the time is comfort, and the main component there is weight. That's why polymer pistols and small revolvers are so popular. A 1911, say, is thin enough to conceal well, but it's too heavy for a lot of people to carry all day. A whippersnapper like Matt might have no problems carrying a 1911 all day, but those of us who are, um, more seasoned, and more banged-up, might find it less than ideal. And at least for me, I find that the shape of the gun makes a difference, too; for me, revolvers tend to be more comfortable to carry than autos (at least full-sized autos). So there are a lot of factors that should be weighed (Ha! Get it? "Weighed"?) when you're considering a carry gun.
When I was looking for advice for my first "real" carry gun, my instructor told me, "you can't go wrong with a Glock 19."
He told me it might not, even probably not, be the gun that I wound up for EDC, but if that was the case it had great resale value, among several other good reasons to get it. And he was right, it's not what I carry today, 10 years later. I now carry a Glock 43. But I still have, and still love the Glock 19. And if someone asks me about getting a first gun? I urge them to try a bunch of guns before deciding, but they won't go wrong with a Glock 19.