Concealed Carry - capacity vs size?

[Lee6113]

Would you rather have a concealed carry weapon that's small and easily concealable, or a weapon maybe a little bigger but with a double stacked magazine?

Right now I'm looking at getting an XDm 3.8" 9mm. When we went to the range to rent one we also tried an XDs which was a tiny 3" single stack with I believe 7+1 bullets. My wife and I liked it but I don't know if I'd want only 8 rounds in the gun, even with a spare mag.

I was thinking an XDm compact would be better or even an XDs mod 2.

What are your thoughts? Which is more important? Capacity or size?

 

[MFitz]

Size. I am not under any illusions I am going to get into a running gun battle with a platoon of ISIS terrorists. In most personal defense situations only a few rounds are fired. Having something on me that I can comfortably carry is more important than how many rounds it carries.

 

[Sevens]

Opinions on this subject are always interesting and worth discussion but it ends up being a very personal choice. I would have to say that it seems to me like a lot of guys gravitate toward "oh but it's so much easier to carry...!" and this line of thinking has them ending up with LCP's and NAA mini's as primary EDC's and I find that to be a poor path and a trap that I refuse to fall in to. (but I'm still glad that a good man is electing to go armed so please spare me any rabid defense of your mouse gun... if it's right for YOU then it's right for you.)

I once swapped a G19 and some ammo to a local fellow for a S&W model 60, .357 Mag J-frame revolver. This guy was 6'11 and 300+ lbs (easily) and it HAD been his EDC but when three young punks willingly selected a man of this size as a target in a gas station parking lot, he decided that indeed... 5 shots was a liability, even for him.

 

[2ndsojourn]

You either dress around what you carry or base your carry choice around how you're dressed. A d what you wear is usually dependent on the weather.When wearing medium to heavy clothes a larger and higher capacity handgun can obviously be concealed easier. Wearing shorts & t shirt would require a smaller carry piece.

So my choice would be a mid size hi cap gun except during hot weather, when I would prefer a smaller size.

 

[AK103K]

I carry Glock 17 "and" a Glock 26. Got both covered.

I think the choice should be made by what you shoot the best with, not what you "think" might be easier to carry. Not that the bigger guns are hard to carry, they arent.

I also find the smaller guns to be harder deal with when it comes to getting them into action. Unless you have it in your hand (and even then, they can still be slow), they are normally much slower to access and get into action. Its much easier to get a full sized gun into play, and usually easier to shoot with as well. The 26 and SIG P245 being the odd balls there for me. I actually shoot them just as well as their full size siblings, and from a purely slow fire target standpoint, even better in some cases.

 

[AK103K]

You either dress around what you carry or base your carry choice around how you're dressed.

Yes and no. I agree with the first part, but except in maybe rare instances, you dont have to compromise on the second, if you understand the first.

Wearing shorts & t shirt would require a smaller carry piece.

Not necessarily. I use holsters that allow you to carry even full sized handguns, in shorts without a shirt.

Great for carry in places like NJ.

 

[doofus47]

Both.
When I wear more clothes, I carry a Ruger SR9c. It holds 10.
When I'm wearing fewer clothes, I carry XDs-9 with a short stack magazine.

More is better imho, but having a weapon concealed is a requirement.

 

[the jigger]

capacity vs size?

I carry a 1911 Officer's model. enough said!

 

[ligonierbill]

My experience says size simply because you'll always carry it. It does take a little precious time to reload, but I do carry an extra mag. However, your ability to shoot well under stress pretty much tops all other considerations.

 

[Snuffy308]

This coming from an avid Glock guy but I have really enjoyed carrying the XDs mod 2 in a kydex appendix iwb holster. It is a double stack but if you can get past the goofball name they put on the grip it feels like a single stack. The holster is by us grunt gear and it is excellent for appendix carry. The gun is also a fine shooter once I moved the sights. It conceals very well for me wearing shorts and a collared sport shirt.

 

[burrhead]

I carried a a Colt Government for over thirty years before the weight became too much for an old hip injury. Now I carry a Glock 21 or a G36 if I need to be discreet. I live in the desert so I'm usually in shorts or khakis with an untucked shirt. Print? Yeah, so what, it's covered.

 

[DA/SA Fan]

I can't imagine a body type that can't carry at least a compact double stack pistol in pretty much any circumstances. Well, maybe at the pool!

90% of the time I have on my 10mm steel Witness. in a shoulder rig. I always wear tee shirts and if I need to go out I throw on an over sized button down short sleeve shirt (left open) That's good even in some very warm weather.(warmer than that I don't want to be outside anyway)

Most of the time that I'm not wearing the 10, I have either a full size double stack 9 in an AlienGear IWB or a compact double stack in a one clip IWB holster (when I'll be taking the gun off and on)

Presently I throw my single stack .32 Tomcat in my pocket if I'm not already wearing a gun and need to make a quick trip to the corner store. I fully intend to replace the Tomcat in that role with a Kel-Tec P-11. It isn't the most concealable in a pocket but it sbould work for as often as I need it. I just think that if I'm going to prepare for a bad day I might as well prepare for a REALLY bad day. Not a whole lot more effort involved.

 

[Shadi Khalil]

I carry a M&P 9c and think it is just the right size and probably as small as I want to go. With a full size back up mag it's very versatile.

 

[BigMikey76]

You don't really need to compromise. There are a number of options on the market that meet both size and capacity needs well. M&P compact, G26, PT111, XD Compact and a few others cover that middle ground nicely. They are noticeably smaller than the G19 sized guns, but they hold anywhere from 3 to 6 rounds more than the single stacks like the Shield. Really, there is a gun out there to fill pretty much any niche these days. In most cases, there is more than one.

 

[wmg1299]

I have opted to have multiple concealed carry pieces to choose from. You can never have too many. In professional situations, I prefer a small single stack in an ankle holster or 511 undershirt. If I can go untucked, then I prefer a double-stack IWB.

 

[Limnophile]

No pistol does everything well. I chose to carry compact double stacks that allow me a full 3-finger grip and plenty of capacity, 12+1 up to 15+1. However, I see a need for a pocket pistol for deep concealment.

I do think one can effectively carry concealed more gun than is commonly thought. For example, yesterday for the first time I carried my CZ 83 OWB with only a t-shirt for cover. It worked well.

 

[Sequins]

I think it's a hierarchy of needs, with a minimum threshold of having a weapon.

I see the choice of weapon as: most likely to carry (due to comfort & practicality) > Most accurate and effective at operation > Highest caliber you can control > most concealable > highest capacity.

That is to say the largest caliber, highest capacity handgun you can easily conceal, carry every moment of every day, and shoot and operate accurately and effectively at a moments notice day or night. G26, G43, LC9S, Bersa weapons, Sig P938/238, P2000sk etc are excellent offerings and .32acp or .380acp are excellent cartidgres with today's ballistic technology as well (although I prefer 9mm). Any gun you can shoot someone with is better than crossed fingers.

I'm tall and thin so I carry a P30.

 

[hartcreek]

I have enough firearms that I can pick one or several for the specific day. If I was limited to only one it would be my Star Model B. It is a single stack 9mm based on a 1911 but it is small enough to carry hidden and because it is steel recoil is not a problem. 8 in the mag and one in the pipe is no problem as I have 7 magazines.

If I am in a bad area I pack at least two handguns. No matter what you decide on you have to be able to hit where you are aiming and that can be a problem with a plastic compact 9mm.

 

[Ride Madone]

It is the age old question of capacity vs comfort and concelabilitey. As a LEO, I have seen and been involved in a few shootings. Most shootings involve 3 to 4 rounds fired and occur inside of 7 yards. These numbers include both police and non police shooting. Given the M&P Shield holds 8 or 9 rounds, this makes it well suited for most situations. It is "possible" to need more rounds, but not very likely. As someone stated above, you can cary a spare magazine

At 7 yards, I can put all of my rounds inside a 2 inch circle with my Shield, and so can anyone else with a little practice. This means the slightly smaller site radius of a smaller gun is not much of an issue at 5 to 10 yards. It is certainly conceivable a shooting could occur at 25 yards, but it is not very likely.

In the end though, it is your call. I can tell you one thing for sure, the best gun, is the gun you have with you.

 

[Limnophile]

Most shootings involve 3 to 4 rounds fired and occur inside of 7 yards. These numbers include both police and non police shooting.

While I believe these stats are roughly true, a good planner does not plan to win the average battle; he plans for a worse-case scenario. Anyone carrying a subcompact or pocket pistol would be wise to carry at least one spare mag.