I have never owned a gun, but have shot occasionally here and there on a shooting range. I understand the basics of gun safety and can get around the day-to-day of gun ownership. My wife and I are thinking about doing a full on safety training + CC so that both can use this gun we are purchasing in case anything happens.
I have been eyeing a few guns here and there, but wanted to get your thoughts on what would you recommend in my situation:
- At least 12 bullets per mag as stock mag
- Lowest recoil possible
- Compact enough without it being an issue on accuracy (need something that is big enough to be accurate but small enough that I can CC from time to time, very occasionally)
- Easy enough for my wife to handle. She’s not into guns, but probably something that would throw her off is a lot of recoil
- Comfortable grip
The guns that I have tested up until now:
- Glock 19 Gen 5
- S&W M&P M2.0
Guns I am still considering:
- Sig Sauer P320
- Sig Sauer P365 XL
Any thoughts?
The best thing to do is go to a gun range that does rentals and just try different stuff until you find what you like. That said, all the guns you have listed are solid choices. You might look into trying a Smith and Wesson Shield EZ for your wife. I haven’t shot one so I can’t 100% vouch for them, but I see them recommended all the time for women and people with weaker hands. Glocks are nice for their reliability, and the fact that they have a huge aftermarket which gives you a lot of options in terms of customization. You might also check out some of the stuff CZ has to offer. P-10s have been going for a little bit north of $300 lately, which is an absolute steal. They’re about as reliable as Glocks, but a lot of people feel the CZ has better ergonomics.
Oh nice, haven’t considered the CZ or the Shield EZ. Will definitely take a look. Trying to convince my wife to get her own gun so that I can get anything I want, but probably what’s gonna end up happening is I’ll get hers, then get her used to it and then buy mine a year later for my bday (lol, she won’t be able to say anything (͡•_ ͡• )
I wish I had gotten my Shield EZ in 9mm instead of 380 because the small difference in recoil isn’t worth the difference in ammo price, but it’s a great little gun that’s super easy to shoot and handle.
yeah, I just definitely want a 9mm gun. Not thinking about any other option TBH
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I would say definitely take a look at the P365 before you make your final decision. If you plan to conceal carry a pistol keep in mind that generally smaller ones are easier to conceal and less likely for you to leave at home.
Here’s a website to compare the sizes of different models:
Awesome. thank you! I was looking for something like this to be able to compare
I have an ez shield, and a canik tp9. The shield for carry, canik for home, both are great. I got my wife the walther ccp, it is really soft shooting and racks easy. I’m a huge fan of it and may even consider trading my ez for one myself.
Go to a range that rents and try a bunch.
I own a Glock 19 and a Glock 43x. The 19 collects dust in the safe. The 43x is 10+1, significantly thinner, yet with the same grip length making it a joy to shoot. The difference in weight and profile on the hip is very noticeable, and the 43x vanishes under all of my lightest summer clothing.
I’ve carried many handguns. Like, more than a dozen over the last decade or so? I’m convinced. This one is perfect. I still like to lay the 19 at my bedside though.
I was leaning towards a Glock 26 as you have more options in terms of how many rounds but didn’t know a 43x even existed lol. I think for my use case either a 26/43x or a 19 is enough. As I mentioned, the most important thing for me is accuracy and low recoil as I am barely going to carry this gun on a day to day basis. This is gonna be mostly sitting in a gun safe.
I know I earlier suggested other guns, but if you do go the Glock route, I would suggest the 19 over the 26, if it comes down between the two. Both can be CC’d but the 19 is more shootable. Although the 26 has a smaller barrel and grip, it is just as wide as the 19, so for practical carry terms it makes nearly as big of a print.
If you do go for a 19, you may perhaps find one used or for a good price, and take your excess budget towards getting an optics cut slide and optic. Or if you can find a 19 for sale already with one. You will still have to practice, but your accuracy and importantly, practical accuracy will improve faster.
A Glock 19 can also easily host a flashlight, which you might not use but it doesn’t hurt to have.
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I ended up going with a P320 Xcarry for a lot of these reasons. I do really like it, but I’ll admit it’s a little big for CC. Not entirely untenable, but it does print some if I’m in a t-shirt (using a Vedder IWB holster). The P365 would’ve helped that I think, but it felt a little too small in my hands. If you aren’t carrying regularly, the grip comfort might be worth the larger size - and you do get 17 rounds in the 320 vs 12 in the 365.
If you go Sig, I would also make sure you handle something with the X series grips like the P365XL, and something with the Xcarry series grips (any of the Xcarry or Spectre versions) - I found the latter to be a lot grippier.
The Sig xray sights are pretty nice too if you aren’t planning on a red dot, there’s a little glow in the dark dot in the center of the sight that somehow always seems to glow, even fresh out of a drawer.
I’m admittedly a pretty big fan of Sig, so I won’t try to contrast to the other options.
I think Sigs are great. I have tried just a few and it’s always one of my top choices. I think I am down to those 3 G19, S&W M&P 2.0 and the P365XL. Probably will have to rent them all, shoot them one by one and then decide on whats the best one for me.
In terms of CC, I am barely gonna CC. just occasionally at best, so although size is a component for me (I won’t get a huge gun and try to conceal it), it’s definitely not the priority here (low recoil, accuracy) are definitely more important for me as this will be a “shared” gun with my wife until I can convince her to get her own LOL.
Thank you for the advice!
For all of your requirements except for bullet capacity the Shield M&P 9mm, single stack is the way to go. If you want 12+ bullets then you need a double stack. As someone who has CC’ed a double stack for a few years, I’d advise against it. They’re clunky and you end up just not carrying it because it’s too bulky and heavy, especially during the summer when wearing shorts and a T-shirt. If you insist on a double stack then the Springfield Armory XD sub-compact 3" is a great pistol. It has a standard 10 rd mag, but you can get a 16 rd mag for it no problem. I can hit a target center mass, with about a 6" grouping, at 25 yards, which is pretty darned good for a 3" barrel. Of course the overall accuracy within the physical capabilities of the firearm comes down to practice. Just because a gun is capable of something doesn’t mean the shooter is, so practice with it at least every couple of months, more at the beginning.
The Glock is also a good choice. Glock is a very popular gun, so accessories and magazines are very easy to find. You’ll have no problems getting magazines. That said, there’s a bit of a stigma associated with Glock ownership, so you’ll need to decide for yourself if you care about that.
TBH the most important aspects for me are reliability, low recoil, capacity (in that order). then, if I can carry from time to time, it’s good enough, but it’s a good point you make about the double stack.
Do you happen to have many guns (one for EDC, one double stack at home for protection?) or just one? Reason I ask is that I don’t foresee having many guns (probably will stop at one, but you never know), so the one I’m looking for has to have kind of a bit of everything lol. Small enough to carry from time to time, big enough so that recoil/accuracy is not a problem.
No, I just have the one pistol. If recoil is your 2nd most important attribute, then you want something larger than a 3". The longer the barrel, the heavier the pistol, the lower the recoil. But 9’s don’t kick very hard, so it’s probably not an issue. Once you get used to it it’s a non issue. My wife is a tiny little thing and she shoots my 9.
Springfield makes a very reliable handgun. Mine shoots perfectly every time. Supposedly Glock does too. I don’t have much experience with the S&W. Have you considered Beretta, or the Walther PPK? Those are very very reliable and time tested. They’re more expensive too though. Just about any major handgun manufacturer is going to be reliable though, as long as you keep it clean and oiled.
yeah, what I’ve been realizing is that people just choose and sort of “marry” to a brand or a few brands overall and move within that scope TBH.
I think my budget is in the 550 - 750 range just cause don’t want to spend too much if possible and I think its an acceptable range in the sense that I was able to find a few guns within that range that I like if that makes sense. I guess I’ll have to do a full on side-by-side testing day at the range to make sure I choose the right one for me/wife.
You seem to be prioritizing recoil management, accuracy, and capacity greatly over concealability. If you really intended to CC regularly, I would recommend de-emphasizing most other aspects in favor of size. Since that isn’t the case, and since an M&P 2.0 is considered an acceptable size, I’d like to throw the CZ-75B into the ring.
Recoil management
More gun weight generally translates into easier recoil management, and the CZ-75B is metal framed which gives it weight.
Accuracy
The CZ-75B is a double-action/single-action. Some people like it, some people don’t. You should try it in person. The double action is something of a learning curve, but once you surmount it, the single action pulls are very good for followup shots.
Capacity
It is a 16+1 pistol. Which more than meets the requirement.
If this pistol does seem too large, I would also recommend looking at the CZ P-07, which is a little bit smaller and lighter with a polymor construction, with an eye towards the CC market. It does retain the double action-single action trigger.
To re-emphasize, these suggestions are coming from seeing that your list of desires is somewhat at odds between ability to CC and the rest of the list. For a truly CC pistol I’d recommend something like an LCP, LC9, or Glock 43. However, those suggestions completely fly in the face of the rest of your list. In my experience the smaller the better for CC, and the majority of people I know who go with a larger firearm tend to carry it less and less over time. A gun small enough to be easily carried and that can be consistently carried is more useful than one that might shoot better but is sitting in a drawer.
Thanks for the advice!
yeah, TBH, my number 1 priority for this gun is that I can use it for home safety, so that means that both me and my wife can shoot it reliably, accurately without having crazy recoil. Now, if I can carry it here and there from time to time, that’s kind of an “added bonus” for me, as this will probably sit in a drawer most of the time.
I don’t want something huge but also don’t want something small, so that’s why I’ve been aiming at the ones I have mentioned up until now.
I will take a look at the CZ-75B and P-07 and see if I can find a place I could shoot most of the guns I want to get :D
I used to be hung up on mag size but, picked up a XDS9 for 300 bucks with $300 rounds during the ammo shortage and figured I’d just sell the gun
Boy was I wrong this thing became my daily carry and it’s just the right size to IWB carry and conceal nicely
Springfield’s XDs line is decent, I have the original 45 version. Easy to carry and shoots well. Shot the 9mm version also, which is nice for lesser kick and higher capacity. The new Hellcat Pro in 9mm might be a good option to try out. Slightly bigger than the XDs but should still be concealable and carries 15+1 with the standard magazine.
wow that hellcat pro looks amazing. It’s insane how many options there are LOL. I might have to go to a shooting range that carries a very wide variety of guns cause I will definitely need to test them all before buying
Definitely do some rentals if you can and find something that fits you. I’ve been thinking of ordering a hellcat to replace my XDs, but wouldn’t mind trying it first. Guess I’ll be going to the rental range in the near future too.
Damn wish I had a rental range close I’d also love to try the Hellcat thing looks awesome
At least 12 bullets per mag as stock mag
I would advise not getting hung up on mag size.
If there’s something you need to get done in 12 that you can’t get done in 8 or 10, the mag size is not your #1 problem. :)
My daily CCW is the OG Ruger LCP with a laser sight. Extended mag gives me 7+1.
https://ruger.com/products/lcp/models.html
I’ve been eyeing the LCP Max which is 10+1 stock, but when it first came out there were quality control issues, I haven’t heard if they ironed them out yet or not.
https://ruger.com/products/lcpMax/models.html
Extended mag for it brings it to 12+1.
Now I know, I know, “.380? Really?” So hear me out… not all .380 rounds are created equally. There’s this guy on Youtube who ran through a BOATLOAD of different brands running side by side comparisons. Something insane like 20+ videos in the series JUST on .380.
His conclusion here:
My completely unscientific experience with an LCP MAX is that if it starts out cleaned, it will reliably shoot at least 3 mags. I have never had a failure to feed on the first mag of the day. However, something about it’s action seems super rough on the brass, and brass powder and flakes build up very quickly inside the gun. Because of that, after a number of mags I will begin getting feeding issues. I’ve watched for this pattern and it has consistently happened numerous times for me. I clean it, and more brass than I’ve ever seen on any other pistol comes out.
This is not exactly ideal, but for a CC pistol with only one magazine carried it doesn’t seem to be a practical issue.
Yeah, the primary issue I kept hearing at launch was NIB guns with rust(!) Which is unacceptable especially since the LCP and LCP II were solid.
The LCP did have some teething issues mostly the recall of early models for drop safety issues. That was 2008 when they were first introduced.
Oh that. I have not seen any evidence of that.
Yeah, I forget when the launch was, 1-2 years ago? Something like that. Lots of reports then.
That’s really good advice. The only reason I wanted to go with a little bit increased capacity is cause we are just getting our first gun and wanted something noob proof as in: hope I can hit whatever I need to hit with this many rounds lol.
As a noob, I think the sense of reassurance in having a few extra just in case is why I’m thinking about this.
I think this gun will primarily be collecting dust in a safe right next to my nightstand with very very occasional CC, so not really an EDC material TBH. I was also thinking about just getting a G26 as I’ll have the 9mm caliber I want in a smaller form factor so if and when I decide to carry it, it won’t be uncomfortable.
The G26 isn’t a bad choice, and 9mm was my first gun (Beretta 92fs). I think you’ll surprise yourself once you get in some range time, and you and your wife should get in enough time to where you’re comfortable with your handling and accuracy.
Specifically for concealed carry - what is your body type?
That can have a pretty huge impact on what you will be able to conceal effectively.
I am 6’1" and would consider I’m a medium build.
Walther PDP 4" Does everything a Glock does, but better. Especially the trigger is waaaaay better
Desert tech HTI in 50 BMG
I wouldn’t buy a Sig after reading about them and their legislative schemes + unscrupulous exporting
ohhh wow, had no idea! definitely not gonna buy one now. I also saw a few reviews of people saying that it got rusted easily and the finish was peeling, so there goes their QC
