What Makes A Good Concealed Carry Pistol

Lets face it. There are hundreds of great pistols out there but how many would you want to carry around all day, every day? What? You don't carry every day, all day? If not why? Do you have a magical card to hand out that reads

"Don't rob me today, I'm not carrying my handgun"

In this post we will look at what I think makes for a good concealed carry pistol. 

Great gun, heavy as a brick, hard to conceal

As always this is just my opinion and I know it's impossible but I could be wrong. That said here are a few key things I look for in a concealed carry pistol. Simple to use. Power. Reliability.  Comfort/Ease of carry. Safety. Lets take a close look at each of these. 

1) Simple To Use: When the shit hits the fan you don't want a weapon with a bunch of bells and whistles on it. According to the F.B.I most handgun encounters take place in the often quoted 7 yards.  In other words you don't have a lot of time to think and you want something that is easy and simple to use. Draw, click, point, shoot.

2) Power: A buddy and I have this conversation over and over. He is a 1911 fanboy  and has convinced himself that no other handgun ever made has any stopping power whatsoever. To give a direct quote that I have heard from him several times

"9mm and .380 are pussy rounds"

Browning .22 target pistol. Easy to handle, accurate but stake your life on it?

I for one don't want to be shot with anything.  Maybe I'm a 10 year old girl but I've gone paintballing a few times and getting drilled with one of those hurts like hell and definitely gets your attention. And if your like me a .22 beats the hell out of carrying a stick. Do I recommend carrying a rimfire cartridge to defend your life with? I wouldn't do it. But my niece who is 5'4 and just over 100 pounds can't shoot anything much more than that. She has a nice Smith and Wesson .38 special with a 3 inch barrel and after 5 rounds of shooting it she"s done. My point here, carry what you can shoot well. I wouldn't go under a .380 myself. Okay, I actually wouldn't go any smaller than a 9mm but lots of folks have been killed with .22s. 

3) Reliability: A .reliable .22 beats the pants off a ,45 that jams every fourth magazine you run through it. Reliability covers not just the gun but your ammo. Practice with what your going to carry every day. It also covers what you can shoot well. As I mentioned above, my niece can shoot lights out with any  .22.pistol you give her.  She can't hit  the side of a barn with a full sized 9mm. Her hands are too small and she limp wrists the weapon causing jams that I or her dad never have with the same weapon. 

4) Comfort: Like I mentioned above whats the point of having a concealed carry gun if it's at home locked in the gun safe. Which brings us to comfort. I love everything about a full sized 1911 except one thing. It's a brick. Same with the FS92. Great gun, I can shoot it lights out but humping it around in the summer with a t-shirt and shorts is well.... a challenge. With the new "plastic" guns out there you can still have good firepower, capacity and not wear the photo safari vest everywhere you go.