So, you’ve decided to start carrying a concealed firearm. Welcome to the club! Maybe you live in an area with high crime, or you have a job that puts you at risk. Regardless of the reason, you have another big decision to make.
Choosing the right concealed carry gun can be overwhelming. As more and more Americans carry concealed guns, companies are flooding the market with their own takes on tiny self-defense pistols. But not every pistol claiming to be well-suited for concealed carry is worth buying.
You need a pistol that is reliable, has sufficient power, and doesn’t take up too much space in your waistband. So, with so many handguns out there, how do you distinguish between the pot-metal Saturday night specials and the real deal pistols that won’t let you down in a high-stakes self-defense scenario?
Never fear. At Pro Armory, we love sharing our knowledge about everything firearms-related. That’s why we put together this list of our top concealed carry pistols.
Concealed Carry Pistols: A Quick Buyer’s Guide
Before we get into specific pistols, let’s take a crash course in concealed carry fundamentals.
Everyday Carry (EDC) Pistol Sizes
Firearms are tools, and not every tool is perfect for every job. Likewise, not every pistol is well-suited for concealed carry duties. A concealed carry weapon (CCW) pistol needs to prioritize concealment above everything else, so smaller pistols are better-suited for this task. We recommend you look at compact and subcompact firearms when shopping for a concealed carry pistol.
- Grip - Guns with small footprints generally have shorter grips. Since grip length is the single biggest factor that determines a pistol’s concealability, compacts and subcompact pretty much corner the CCW market.
- Printing - In the concealed carry world, the term “printing” refers to a gun showing through clothes. If you’re going to carry a concealed pistol, you want to minimize printing. You can carry a smaller gun, wear baggier clothes, or use clothes with patterns that break up the outline of a gun hidden beneath them.
- Hand Size - You don’t want your concealed carry weapon to be too small. If you have large hands, you may find that subcompact pistols are too small to comfortably operate. If you have “piano hands,” stick with compact pistols.
- CCW Weight - In most cases, you want a light concealed carry weapon. You’ll be walking around with your CCW attached to your belt all day, and you don’t want it to be dragging your pants down. That’s why most people who carry a concealed gun stick with polymer pistols. However, you can also find some CCW revolvers made from lightweight metals like aluminum alloys.
CCW Ammo
Just as there’s no single gun perfect for every task, the same holds true for ammo. Calibers are highly use-specific. You wouldn’t use a .22 LR to take down a prize whitetail. Likewise, you wouldn’t practice shooting fundamentals at the range with a .308.
Concealed carry ammo needs to be small (to maximize concealability/economy of space), yet powerful enough to incapacitate a threat.
Also choose ammo that minimizes recoil. After all, a self-defense scenario is mind-bendingly stressful, and you won’t magically have better shooting skills in the heat of action. If you have to whip out your concealed weapon on a busy street, you don’t want to struggle to control your Desert Eagle’s recoil and accidentally shoot a stranger.
That narrows concealed carry ammo down to a few choices:
9mm
This is pretty much the “standard” caliber for concealed carry guns. It’s small enough you can cram 10 cartridges into a subcompact pistol. The recoil is manageable for most people, allowing you to fire precise follow-up shots. When used with hollow point ammo (more on that later), it can be remarkably effective at stopping threats.
Recommended Cartridge: Federal Premium Defense HST 124 or 147 Grain Hollow Point.
.380 Auto (ACP)
This cartridge is slightly smaller than 9mm ammo, which doesn’t usually affect capacity, but does tame recoil. If you find that 9mm pistols have too much kick, you might prefer a gun chambered in .380 Auto.
At Pro Armory, we don’t recommend the .380 too often for a self-defense scenario (9mm is often our minimum). But many proponents disagree, so if you’re going to choose it, go for the top brands.
Recommended Cartridge: Hornady Critical Defense .380 ACP Ammo 90 Grain Hollow Point.
.40 S&W
For a cartridge with a little more stopping power than 9mm, consider .40 S&W. However, your options for CCW guns will be limited, and you’ll feel a lot more recoil with each trigger pull. But if you absolutely, positively must ensure your target stays down, .40 S&W is a good choice.
Recommended Cartridge: Sellier & Bellot 40 S&W 130 grain XRG Defense (Hollow Point)
.45 ACP
Believe it or not, there are some people out there who carry guns chambered in .45 ACP — and still manage to keep them concealed.
This cartridge isn’t an exceptionally popular carry caliber these days, since it’s so big that it sacrifices capacity over smaller rounds like 9mm. It also generates a lot of recoil, which makes follow-up shots more difficult. Finally, most 1911 platform guns don’t play nice with hollow points, making them less than ideal EDC firearms.
However, this round does impart a ton of force onto its target, thanks to its heavy weight. That translates to stopping power. They say 9mm will kill the body, but .45 ACP will kill the soul.
If you’re big enough to hide a heater like this, and you’re willing to put in the training time required to control such a beast, this might be a caliber you can work with.
Recommended Cartridge: Federal Hydra-Shok .45 ACP 230 Grain Hollow Point.
.38 Special and .38 Special +P
The .38 Special is a revolver round. Drip aside, there are plenty of reasons to use a revolver for self-defense. For example, autoloaders can suffer from a wide variety of malfunctions, while revolvers are more resilient to misfires by design. Just point the gun and pull the trigger — it’ll go bang.
Ballistically, the .38 Special is also similar to the 9mm. These days, most people forgo revolvers as concealed carry guns since they lack the capacity of an autoloader. But many people still carry revolvers, and when they do, they’re usually chambered in .38 Special.
If you’re going this route, pick a gun that can handle +P ammo. This type of cartridge employs powder that produces higher chamber pressure which causes the bullet to hit its target with more force than the average round.
Recommended Cartridge: Hornady Critical Defense 110 Grain +P.
Hollow Points vs FMJ
Regardless of which caliber you choose for CCW ammo, make sure you’re running hollow point ammunition. Hollow point bullets are designed to mushroom upon impact with a target. This leaves a greater wound channel, and is more likely to stop a threat.
If using FMJ, you increase the risk of “over penetration,” which is when a bullet passes through your target and into something else. The mushrooming effect of hollow point ammo helps keep bullets from leaving a target, preventing over penetration.
Pro Armory’s Top Concealed Carry Pistols
Okay, now that we’ve covered the basics of concealed carry, let’s look at a few models that match our criteria. Here’s Pro Armory’s list of the best CCW pistols for 2024 and beyond:
(Source: https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/m-p-9-shield-plus)
M&P Shield Plus
We’ll kick off our list of top EDC pistols with one of the most popular CCW pistols out there: the M&P Shield Plus (a close winner over the M
The M&P Shield Plus is a “micro-compact” pistol, smaller even than the tiny subcompact category. The Shield Plus is highly concealable and completely disappears under clothes with the right holster. The gun’s small frame also makes it a great choice for anyone with smaller hands, including many women looking for an EDC pistol.
Don’t let the Shield Plus’ small frame deceive you, though. This baby can fire full-fledged 9mm rounds. That gives it the same stopping power as a much larger gun. Just bear in mind that the Shield Plus’ smaller frame will also give it more noticeable recoil than a larger gun.
Its small size also belies its large capacity. Smith & Wesson somehow managed to stuff 10 rounds in the Shield Plus’ magazine, which makes it more versatile than many other small-framed pistols. If 10 rounds isn’t enough, you can upgrade to a 13-round extended magazine.
Finally, the Shield Plus employs ergonomic principles that make it stand out among EDC pistols. It also has a flat-faced trigger that helps you achieve consistent trigger finger placement. Both features team up to enhance the Shield Plus’ accuracy and mitigate its recoil.
Specs
- Caliber: 9x19mm
- Dimensions: 1.1” W x 6.1” L x 4.6” H
- Capacity: 10 rounds (13 round w/ extended magazine)
- Barrel Length: 3.1 inches
- Trigger Pull: 5 ft-lbs
- Weight (Empty Mag): 17.9 ounces
(Source: https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/m-p-9-shield-ez-manual-thumb-safety)
S&W M&P 9mm Shield EZ
The M&P9 Shield EZ is a standout in the world of concealed carry weapons, offering a small size with decent capacity and an excellent trigger pull. However, its popularity has driven up the price, making it one of the more expensive options in the EZ lineup. Despite the cost, the functionality justifies the demand.
Chambered in 9mm, this micro compact pistol is slightly smaller than the Glock 19, which many people consider the ideal 9mm. Smith and Wesson one-ups them by making it even more concealable while still providing a comfortable grip and manageable recoil. Its thin frame ensures it can be easily hidden in a waistband holster. It’s also got a well-designed grip texture and a picatinny rail allowing for a slick red dot or other accessories.
The grip safety is perhaps the most polarizing feature, taking up about two-thirds of the backside of the grip. This mechanism ensures the trigger can’t be engaged unless the grip is fully depressed (and some even have an additional thumb safety). That’s a great extra layer of protection (especially for a firearm hanging out around your crotch), but some users may find grip safeties annoying. If it’s not your thing, the EZ lineup may not be for you, since pretty much all of them have this feature.
Specs
- Caliber: 9x19mm
- Dimensions: 7" L x 5.05" H x 1.04" W
- Capacity: 8 rounds
- Barrel Length: 3.83"
- Trigger Pull: ~4.5 ft-lbs.
- Weight: 23.1 oz
(Source: https://us.glock.com/en/pistols/g19)
Glock 19
The Glock 19 basically invented the compact polymer pistol category, and everyone else is following in its footsteps.
The Glock 19 is a great “do everything” gun, and it performs really well in the EDC world. The Glock 19 is a step down in size from standard-frame pistols, but still maintains a high capacity with 15 rounds per standard magazine.
Glock pistols also feature the company’s trademark Safe Action system. This design incorporates the gun’s safety onto the face of the trigger. This prevents the gun from firing anytime except when the trigger is pulled.
However, Glock pistols are notorious for their long, “mushy” trigger pulls. Most Glock owners just get used to this with enough training. If you own a Glock and can’t get over the trigger, the company does make aftermarket performance triggers with a crisper break.
Speaking of aftermarket parts, Glocks have great aftermarket support. We don’t generally suggest using parts on a carry pistol that weren’t built by its original manufacturer. But if modifying your weapons is your cup of tea, you won’t find a better platform than the Glock.
Specs
- Caliber: 9x19mm
- Dimensions: 7.36” L x 1.26” W x 5.04” H
- Capacity: 15 rounds standard
- Barrel Length: 4.02 inches
- Trigger Pull: 6.29 ft-lbs (26 N)
- Weight (Empty Mag): 23.63 ounces
(Source: https://us.glock.com/en/pistols/g43x-us)
Glock 43X
The Glock 19 is a great do-it-all gun, but other Glocks are designed specifically for concealed carry purposes. One is the Glock 43. This pistol has been designed from the ground up to maximize concealment and reduce printing.
But this is America — and as much as we like to carry concealed, we also like having more bullets.
To that end, the Glock 43X gives us more ammo than the plain G43 with an equally thin grip. In fact that’s one of the main advantages of the G43/43X. Some shooters have a legitimate grievance with the G19’s large, blocky grip. If you have smaller hands, holding a full-size Glock 19 may be uncomfortable. The Glock 43 solves this by narrowing its grip. Known as Glock’s “slimline” profile, the Glock 43X measures a mere 1.1 inches across. That might not seem much smaller than the Glock 19’s 1.34 inch width. But once you feel the grip in your hand, you’ll notice the difference instantly.
The biggest drawback to the G43X is of course the size — you have to put that extra ammo somewhere. Luckily Glock’s engineering is so great, they manage to nearly double the capacity of the G43 while only adding 0.75” to the overall height of the firearm. Most of this extra height is in the grip, so bear that in mind when choosing a carry position.
Specs
- Caliber: 9x19mm
- Dimensions: 6.5" L x 1.1" W x 5.04" H
- Capacity: 10+1 rounds
- Barrel Length: 3.41 inches
- Trigger Pull: 24 N (5.395 ft-lbs)
- Weight (Empty Mag): 16.40 oz
(Source: https://www.sigsauer.com/p365-xmacro.html)
Sig Sauer P365 XMacro Comp
Sig Sauer redefined pistols with its new series of polymer striker-fired handguns. They’re the most modular pistols ever created, and give you the highest degree of customization options.
The P365 XMacro Comp is one of Sig’s game-changers. It’s a compact pistol with a huge capacity and built-in compensator to tame recoil. All in a package small enough to minimize printing.
First, its capacity. The P365X Macro is a compact pistol, similar in size to the Glock 19. However, it boasts a capacity of 17, two rounds higher than the Glock. When you’re in a life-or-death situation, those two extra rounds could make a world of difference.
What really makes the XMacro Comp stick out, though, is its integral compensator. This device is built into the gun itself, and directs expanding gasses upwards. This pushes the muzzle down with each trigger pull, and allows you to maintain pinpoint accuracy with follow-up shots.
This gun has a lot of benefits, but you pay for what you get. It clocks in at more than $800 MSRP, in comparison to the $400 - $500 you’d pay for a Glock or Smith & Wesson. That makes the XMacro Comp one of the more expensive guns on our list.
Specs
- Caliber: 9x19mm
- Dimensions: 6.6” L x 1.1” W x 5.2” H
- Capacity: 17 rounds
- Barrel Length: 3.1 inches
- Trigger Pull: ~5 ft-lbs.
- Weight (Empty Mag): 21.5 ounces
(Source: https://ruger.com/products/lcpMax/models.html)
Ruger LCP Max
The lightweight compact pistol (LCP) is one of the only true “pocket pistols” on this list. While most of the guns we’ve included will require you to pick up a holster, the LCP Max includes everything you’ll need for an EDC kit out of the box.
Weighing in under 11 ounces, the LCP Max is the lightest gun on this list. You don’t need to lug it around on your belt, but instead you can stow it in a pocket for super-easy concealment.
This pistol stays small because it’s chambered in .380 ACP. Not only does this aid in the gun’s concealment, but it also reduces recoil. As a result, the LCP Max is a great choice for shooters with small or weak hands.
But its capacity really sets the LCP Max apart from other LCP models. While a standard LCP only holds 6 rounds, the LCP Max holds 10. You can pump that number up to 12 with an extended magazine.
As an added bonus, the LCP Max comes with high-visibility night sights. While some guns (like Glock) only include white dots of paint in their iron sights, the LCP Max has extra-reflective Tritium sights.
Specs
- Caliber: .380 Auto
- Dimensions: 5.17" L x 0.97” W x 4.12" H
- Capacity: 10 rounds (12 with extended magazine)
- Barrel Length: 2.8 inches
- Trigger Pull: About 4.5 pounds
- Weight (Empty Mag): 10.6 ounces
(Source: https://ruger.com/products/lcr/specSheets/5401.html)
Ruger LCR
While most EDC pistol fans choose an autoloader, many opt for revolvers. And one of the best choices for a concealed carry revolver is the Ruger lightweight compact revolver (LCR).
The LCR has a 1.87-inch barrel, about an inch shorter than any other gun on this list. It also weighs 13.5 ounces, making it one of the lightest, too. The LCR also has a sleek, streamlined design. While most revolvers have an external hammer (the kind you can cock back with a thumb), the LCR doesn’t. This prevents you from snagging it on your clothing when you draw.
The gun’s internal hammer can only fire in Double Action mode (DA). This means that a single trigger pull forces the hammer backwards, and then releases it to fire. DA triggers have a heavy pull weight — in the LCR’s case, about 10 pounds. This is actually advantageous, though, since it makes the trigger hard to pull accidentally.
Here’s one more great thing about the LCR. It can work with more than just standard .38 Special ammo. Load the LCR with .38 Special +P cartridges to improve its stopping power.
Specs
- Caliber: .38 Special +P
- Dimensions: 6.50" L x 1.28” W x 4.50" H
- Capacity: 5 rounds
- Barrel Length: 1.87 inches
- Trigger Pull: About 10 pounds
- Weight (Empty): 13.5 ounces
Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro
If you’re a shooter who values capacity over everything else, the Hellcat Pro is your EDC gun. With a standard magazine capacity of 11 rounds, the Hellcat Pro has more firepower than any other micro-compact pistol on this list.
Need more firepower? You can pick up a 13-round extended magazine to send even more lead downrange. If you carry a Hellcat Pro with three extended magazines (including one in the gun), you can fire more rounds than a standard AR-15 magazine.
Like a Glock, the Hellcat Pro has a safety built into its trigger. This prevents unintentional discharges and ensures the gun only fires when you want it to.
One last cool feature about the Hellcat Pro is its reversible mag release. If you’re a left-handed shooter, we’re sorry — this world wasn’t made for you. But, you can still customize your EDC pistol’s ergonomics if you run a Hellcat Pro!
Specs
- Caliber: 9x19mm
- Dimensions: 6.6” L x 1.2” W x 4.8” H
- Capacity: 11 rounds standard (13 with extended magazine)
- Barrel Length: 3.7 inches
- Trigger Pull: 7 ft-lbs
- Weight (Empty Mag): 18.3 ounces
Tips for Concealed Carry
Now you’ve got a few ideas for the best CCW pistols to check out. But there are a few more things to consider to carry concealed effectively.
CCW Laws and Regulations
Anyone who carries a concealed weapon needs to know their local CCW laws. Depending on where you live, laws can vary greatly. In some places, carrying a concealed gun is nearly illegal. In other places (including more than half the country), you can do it without even needing a license. If you carry a concealed gun, do it legally — you don’t want to mess around with gun charges.
Cleaning Your EDC Pistol
Sometimes, you can get away with letting a gun get dirty. If a firearm is a range toy, you don’t need to clean it every time you pull the trigger.
That’s not the case with a concealed carry pistol. If you’re going to rely on this tool to save your life, you want to keep it in pristine working condition. Every time you shoot an EDC pistol, clean it.
Rotating EDC Ammo
If you carry with a hot (loaded) chamber, you should also rotate your carry ammo. When you constantly re-chamber the same round, the bullet can begin to recess back into the casing.
This “shrinkage” (known as bullet setback) reduces the internal volume of a cartridge, which can increase the amount of pressure the cartridge generates when it fires, triggering explosive results. Long story short, if you notice a bullet setback developing on a cartridge, replace it.
Choose the Right Concealed Carry Method
While choosing a gun is important, choosing the right concealed carry method is crucial for both comfort and accessibility. The right method can actually mean life or death. If a goblin confronts you and your family on the street, you don’t want to struggle pulling your gun out of an awkward carry position and risk your life.
For instance, appendix carry inside the waistband (AIWB) is a favored carry method for its balance of comfort and quick access — but it might not suit every body type. Other popular methods include strong-side hip carry (which offers comfort and natural draw) and shoulder holsters (ideal for those who spend a lot of time seated). Whatever carry method you choose, consider ease of access, comfort during various activities, and how well the firearm remains concealed. You might need to change your wardrobe to make it work.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there is a wealth of good options for concealed carry pistols, depending on your preferences. You can reasonably handle self-defense scenarios with any pistol on this list.
If you’re serious about defending yourself and others from the threat of violence, start carrying concealed. But only do so if you are ready to take on the responsibility that comes with a CCW. Once you procure your firearm, start training with it. Without proper training, you won’t be able to use a firearm effectively under pressure.
To get that experience, you need to send lead downrange. At Pro Armory, that’s our bread and butter!
Check out our selection of affordable ammo, optics, and accessories for your concealed carry firearm to keep your gun well-fed and happy.
Want expert safety and tactical training that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? Learn techniques and drills from shooting professionals right in your own home. Pro Armory offers top-notch training to help you become more proficient with your concealed carry weapon. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when training officially launches.
