What is your EDC Pistol?
- Thread starter Nclzo
- Start date
Glock 43x MOS.
No optic.
No optic.
Elkins45
Site Donor 2026
Kahr P9
A question for the group. . . what goes into your decision about which gun you carry? Do you tend to stick with one brand / caliber?
I know for me, reliability and safety is my first concern. After that is caliber, although we have so many good ammo choices nowadays, it just about doesn't matter, unless barrier penetration is a concern (it isn't for most self defense situations). Then form factor. . . I carry subcompacts these days, mostly for their concealment options. For self defense, I don't see a reason to carry a larger frame handgun. If I was being paid to carry for work etc. then larger, more capacity options make more sense.
I'm not a "brand" fanboy. . .I like them all. I have a Glock 27 that I carry mostly, but I just requalified with my Springfield XDs .45 ACP and I gotta say, that 45 is much easier on my arthritic hands than the G27. The XDs is also much thinner and easier to conceal this time of year, so I've been carrying that in recent days. I also have a Taurus PT709 that is also very good--reliable, very concealable and shoots straight. My wife has a Walther PDP-F with an optic. . . .that's a sweet shooter too! It's nice to have choices.
I know for me, reliability and safety is my first concern. After that is caliber, although we have so many good ammo choices nowadays, it just about doesn't matter, unless barrier penetration is a concern (it isn't for most self defense situations). Then form factor. . . I carry subcompacts these days, mostly for their concealment options. For self defense, I don't see a reason to carry a larger frame handgun. If I was being paid to carry for work etc. then larger, more capacity options make more sense.
I'm not a "brand" fanboy. . .I like them all. I have a Glock 27 that I carry mostly, but I just requalified with my Springfield XDs .45 ACP and I gotta say, that 45 is much easier on my arthritic hands than the G27. The XDs is also much thinner and easier to conceal this time of year, so I've been carrying that in recent days. I also have a Taurus PT709 that is also very good--reliable, very concealable and shoots straight. My wife has a Walther PDP-F with an optic. . . .that's a sweet shooter too! It's nice to have choices.
Correct. Context is important. I meant for general, defensive use by non-sworn civilians. The reason I ask is I see many people carrying very expensive weaponry with a lot of gadgets attached to them (not that there's anything wrong with that). There's nothing wrong with optics, flashlights or lasers, especially for home use, but those things add up when carrying concealed, and can make deployment complicated in a high-stress situation.
I tend to be in the "simpler is better" camp when it comes to concealed carry, and that's probably because that's what I'm used to carrying. Simplicity, reliability and safety guide my CC. For instance, I prefer OTW retention holsters. . . not as concealable as some others, but I feel better with mechanical retention, as a point of safety. There are a lot of considerations. . . .a disabled person, an older person, a female etc. will likely have different considerations.
What type of holsters to you use?
Kydex OWB for my full size 9mm S&W M&P and both OWB and IWB appendix for my CSX-E 9mm. Entirely depends on where I'm going and what I'm wearing.
My S&W .357 Magnum wheel gun also has an old school leather holster but I never carry it. It's stationed in the house out of sight but for quick access.
My S&W .357 Magnum wheel gun also has an old school leather holster but I never carry it. It's stationed in the house out of sight but for quick access.
P365-380 100GR
P322 22lr CCI Velocitor w 22rd mag
P322 22lr CCI Velocitor w 22rd mag
Lets all just hope and pray we never need it. Its cool to talk 
, and to 
at a 
, in the real world 
, its never something anyone should look for, encourage, etc. Its a tool and thats it.
, and to at a , in the real world , its never something anyone should look for, encourage, etc. Its a tool and thats it.
Statistically, and thankfully, the odds of actually being involved in a shooting incident are slim. . .even in law enforcement. It doesn't means we shouldn't be prepared, and the process of being prepared can be a really fun and rewarding hobby.Lets all just hope and pray we never need it. Its cool to talk
I like Fobus OWB adjustable retention paddle holsters as generally my first choice.
I'm looking for for a new holster for my newest CCW carry gun... Ruger Security .380. I bought a decent, inexpensive level 2 paddle holster on Amazon.
It does the job but it's not easy to slide/clip on and off.
Last edited:
Trying to carry a full size is tough especially a Walther PPQ45.. I enjoy the smaller 32 or 380 sizes. Anything is better than nothing and hopefully no one can argue that. My favourite is my TT33 in 762*25.
I believe that for the average person carrying concealed. . . smaller frames ARE better. . . if my CC becomes a conversation-starter, I'm probably not concealed enough 
Agreed. Which is why I ended up with the Sig P365 - that very slim frame is easily concealable.I believe that for the average person carrying concealed. . . smaller frames ARE better. . . if my CC becomes a conversation-starter, I'm probably not concealed enough
In winter, I can conceal a 1911, and have, but that’s a lot of “iron”. And, as much as I love a good 1911 (I have one in .38 Super, 9mm, several in .45 and a couple in 10mm) they don’t have a lot of capacity relative to their size.
The 365 has much larger capacity than previous pistols of its size. 12+1 plus a slim concealable frame is about the perfect combination.
I’m sure I’ve posted this before, but here is the pistol relative to my hand. Easy to shoot, easy to conceal.
That's a nice concealment package. . . I can see why they're so popular. The optic looks like it belongs there! . . .very low profile.
Reliability is a given for all firearms…if it’s not reliable, I won’t own it, let alone carry it.
Single-stack 9mms are the sweet spot for my most-commonly EDC’d guns
Single-stack 9mms are the sweet spot for my most-commonly EDC’d guns
I debated the red dot - it has pros/cons. I shoot very well with irons, been shooting with irons for a long, long time, and my current issued weapon is irons (if you can call tritium night sights “iron”).
But the red dot is compelling and oh so easy to shoot. Long, long ago (like the 1970s, when I learned to shoot) I started by closing one eye for aiming. I can’t seem to break that habit with a pistol and irons.
Now, with a red dot, it’s both eyes open, and both eyes open easily. Threat awareness, ease of aim, and accuracy are all great with that red dot. I’ve since equipped a couple of other pistols with a red dot.
One in particular, the Springfield Echelon, equipped with a Trijicon RMR, is my first choice as a full size pistol. So many advantages both to the gun itself, and the sighting system, that it would be my first choice for a duty/carry weapon if concealment wasn’t an issue.
Now, the Trijicon ain’t cheap. Nothing good ever is, but it’s a good sight and worth the money.
My decision tree looks like this:
- Reliability. For me at least, any self defense weapon absolutely has to have outstanding proven reliability.
- Accuracy. Self explanatory.
- Shootability. Does it fit well in my hands? Do I like the trigger? Where do my fingers rest, to reach the magazine release? Can I handle it well?
- Concealability. My current carry pistol is an HK VP9SK. I would say it is 95% concealed when i appendix carry, but the butt reads through just a tad. I'm considering picking up the new VP9CC, which is similarly sized to the P365 @astro showed, above.
Like you, I learned a long time ago and I share that observation about one-eye shooting. I now use both eyes for iron sights, but it took years to be happy about it. The RDS's punctuate the advantages of combat shooting with both eyes, which are numerous. I think I'm faster on the draw with irons because I just don't use my wife's rds setup enough. . .it takes a few milliseconds more to get the dot where I need it. Will it matter in a close-up self defense scenario?. . . I'd bet not, as we probably won't remember even seeing our sights.
Similar threads
