There are two primary schools of thought when it comes to choosing a handgun to conceal. The first could be called the change your clothes to fit the gun you should be carrying. They claim and with a certain degree of accuracy that simply by changing your wardrobe you can easily conceal a full sized handgun. You see them wearing a coat when it is unseasonable, white t shirts and tank tops with an open bowling/ Hawaiian shirts and 5.11/ photographers vests. Seriously, unless you have all kinds of cameras and photographic equipment hanging from you or you are actually on a safari that vest isn't fooling anyone. If you are just meeting the legal requirement to cover up your gun that is cool but if you think everyone doesn't know you are packing then you are sadly mistaken. For the sake of convenience we will call them vest people from here on.
The second group says you should select a gun that fits with your current wardrobe and will be easy and convenient to conceal. They like slim sleek little guns. Guns that are smaller than a deck of cards and have cute little bullets. They like to hide these slim sleek little guns in all sorts of creative areas like ankles, pockets and their underwear. I wish I was joking about the last part but it is true. For the sake of convenience we will call them pimp gun people.
So who has it right? I would say both of them have part of the truth. Vest people can point out many cases where a very small gun which holds few, relatively weak cartridges is simply not adequate. They maintain that it is best to carry a full sized handgun, 2 spare magazines and sometimes all sorts of other stuff.
I think when it comes to concealed carry vest people fail to consider that humans are involved. We are, at least to varying degrees lazy, not prone to change and creatures of comfort. If something takes a lot of effort, forces us to alter our lifestyle or is uncomfortable we will not do it. I have found that concealed carry doesn't escape these unavoidable truths. There is a saying I heard once that 'if anyone every says they concealed carry a 1911 I ask them to show it to me, right now' and almost invariably they mumble some excuse for why it is in the truck or the nightstand. While some folks do in fact regularly conceal full sized handguns I think if they are pragmatic about it they would agree that they are probably in the minority.
Most people simply will not conceal a full sized handgun with the regularity required to reasonably assume they will have it when they need it. You might be the exception but far more times than not the big, heavy full sized pistols get left in cars or nightstands. While those are both fine places to have a gun the point of having it when you are say, walking to your car or in a store is missed.
I will give the pimp gun people credit for being realistic. They probably represent, in the real American gun world away from tactical magazines and fancy shooting competitions, the largest group of people who regularly carry firearms for self defense. However particularly in today's increasingly dangerous and violent world a .22 with a 1.5 inch barrel and sad excuses for sights is probably not the best tool for the job. I also think that the pimp gun people are a bit behind the times. Over the last 20 years, particularly the last 10 or so there have been all kinds of great additions to the gun market. Not so long ago you could have full sized handguns, the ubiquitous .38 snubby and tiny little pimp guns. Nowadays the compact market of handguns offers an array of pistols in normal calibers like 9mm, .40 and .45 that have real sights, hold 10+ rounds and are realistically small and light enough to conceal given modest allowances. Glock, Sig, HK and all the big players have a slightly scaled down version of their full sized model which fits this bill nicely. Personally I really like the Glock 19.
Taking a step towards the vest people you might not be able to wear skin tight clothes or walk around in swimwear. However simply wearing pants or shorts with a belt that will support an inside the waistband holster and a shirt/ sweater which is a half size too big around the waistline is a sacrifice which most folks can realistically make. That will certainly allow you to carry a compact sized handgun.
However much I think you should make the above choice do remember to be realistic. A gun you WILL carry is better than the gun you SHOULD (at least according to the gun rag people) carry.
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I also like the modern semiauto lines that come in multiple sizes. Generally the magazines are compatible (that is you can use service pistol mags in the compact models if you don't mind them sticking out) which eases logistics. The full size mag (your reload) may stick out of the bottom but if you're at the unlikely point where you need a reload you likely won't care about appearances. The controls are identical which facilitates training. If wardrobe allows it then you can go with the full size. If not, then the compact is a good solution too.
I suppose you could do the same thing with revolvers too. I can imagine a setup where you have a full size 4" service revolver as well as a little snubbie. Both eat .38 special from a Speed Strip.
I carry one of those super slim, very small pistols, a .380 that I literally forget I'm carrying. I prefer to pocket carry (but have an appropriate Uncle Mike's ankle holster) and have modified a holster so that it doesn't print at all. While I'd prefer a 9mm, I feel the 6+1 .380 with hydra shock (+P hollow points) are enough.
A 9mm would probably be fine with business attire in cold weather, but in hot weather I don't wear a coat so a .380 it is. Also, the .380 I have is perfect for pocket carry in jeans or shorts.
For camping in state/national parks, I have a fanny pack that can accommodate a full sized auto and two extra mags(CZ75B in 9mm), though I only carry one extra mag in that case.
I have said many times on some of these blogs (yours, I don't know)that I carry a full sized.45 1911, usually IWB. I do wear a one size larger shirt and have a sturdy Ranger Belt holding it up, always. If it's not IWB it's just in my jeans pocket covered by a tee shirt. I don't believe it prints so much at least the wife says it doesn't.
I carry a xd subcompact, but I have the full length grip extension on it. So I guess I'm in both groups. I use any clothing that covers my gun and don't think too much about how it looks. I guess I dress around the gun, but CCW is not just about self defense, it's my political cause.
I have a BFR (big fucking revolver), concealment isn't really an option. ;-)
I also live in a perfectly safe town and where people who cary guns tend to be viewed more as a problem than a solution. I tend to agree with them- at least for now.
This could change over time, hence the BFR and my interest in sites like TSLR, but for now were fine. I'm a cyclist and I do have a growing concern about feral dogs jumping me while I’m out on a ride (feral humans too, but to a much, much lesser extent).
I think, you’ve got it about right, big enough to do the job, but small and light enough conveniently cary is the way to go. I’ve been looking into medium frame pistols, but haven’t decided what to pick up yet. Do you have any non-Glock favorites? I just can’t do the Glock thing.
I grew up with John Moses Browning's big ugly pistol and breaking up is hard to do. But Kahr makes some very nice 9mm and even 40-cal compact pistols that are single stack and very flat and hideable. Have one of each caliber but haven't shot either enough to become totally comfortable with them, but kinda thinks I likes 'em.
The one drawback to the Kahr is that Kahr says minimum of 200-rounds before they should be considered reliable. But given that you prolly need to shoot at least that much before you've learned that particular weapon, that isn't as much a drawback as one might think.
By the way, the 9 detested Remington 9mm FMJ that I tried to use for break-in, but has gulped down everything else thrown at it, including several brands of hollow points. Go figure.
I'm one of those lucky guys with a waist that's nine inches smaller than my chest. I can conceal a full-size 1911 under a slim-fit tee.
When I'm wearing pants, I'm carrying a Commander or Gov't 1911.
I've been thinking of picking up an Unobtainium S&W Centennial for those times where I know I'll be sitting for a long time (theater, concert, etc.); that's about the only time that I find my 43oz hunk o' steel uncomfortable.
All this is to say: it can be done. With the range of smaller and lighter full-capacity guns (M&P9 is great), I don't get why anyone would routinely carry a NAA revolver or a .32 or .25 auto.
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