Carrying a concealed firearm with you at all times is one of the most important parts of an everyday carry setup, and also one of the hardest to get just right. From gun size to caliber to clip capacity, there’s a lot to choosing a concealed carry handgun.
Lucky for you we narrowed down the field and list 5 of the best conceal carry handguns below. Choosing a handgun is a very personal experience and no list will ever make that choice for you, but hopefully this will put a few handguns on your radar you weren’t aware of before.
Kimber Ultra CDP II
The 1911 style .45 ACP is one of the most iconic handguns in American history, right up there with the Colt Peacemaker. Kimber takes this history to heart when they produce their line of 1911-style firearms. This handgun is one of the best, if not THE best conceal carry gun you can have. Chambered in .45 ACP and only measuring 6.8-inches long and 4.75-inches tall, the Ultra CDP II is possibly the smallest .45 you can find.
Don’t let the diminutive size fool you, however. The Ultra CDP II is one of the most accurate handguns you will ever shoot, and the recoil is better than some .40 handguns out there. The clip holds seven rounds in a single stack with one in the chamber.
With features like melted edges to make concealment easier, a checkered rosewood handle, ambidextrous thumb safety, checkering on the front and back of the grip, a fully adjustable trigger pull, and Tritium 3-dot night sights, this Kimber is the gun you want. As you would expect this is also the most expensive handgun in our list, coming it at around $1,300, but ask anyone that has one and they will tell you it’s worth every penny.
Glock 26/27
No list of handguns would be complete without at least one Glock in it. When talking about concealed carry handguns the Glock 26 and 27 are two of the best choices you could make. The 26 and 27 are identical except for their calibers. The 26 uses 9mm while the 27 is .40.
The difference between cavitation in regard to 9mm and .40 is pretty small, so it’s all a matter of preference on which you choose. Each comes with a shortened 9-round clip that can be extended with a grip extender for a full 10 rounds. The great thing about Glocks are that nearly every part is interchangeable, so you could ideally use the 30-round clip meant for the fully auto Glock in your conceal carry, if you wanted.
Glocks are known for simplicity and reliability and these two are no exception. With an easy recoil, excellent concealability and rock-solid reliability, this $599 concealed carry gun is just about perfect.
Kahr PM9
Kahr Firearms makes some pretty excellent handguns that some have placed on the same level as Glocks. The Kahr PM9 is no exception. Small, simple, and infinitely reliable, the PM9 is pretty great.
Much like the Glock, the PM9 has a black polymer frame, but the slide is matte stainless steel. The PM9 comes in .40 caliber and uses a flush 6-round magazine with a grip extender that adds one more round.
Also like the Glock the PM9 doesn’t have any external safeties other than a long trigger pull. This is perfect for experienced gun owners, as there is no external safety to catch on clothing when drawing.
A great caliber, small size, and simple construction make the Kahr PM9 a perfect choice for any concealed carry setup. The Kahr does run a little more expensive than the Glock however, at $786.
Springfield XD-S
The XD line from Springfield Armory is one of the most interesting concealed carry firearms in this list. With a variety of sizes (3.5” and 4”) as well as being chambered in either 9mm or .45 ACP, the XD-S has all the features in the guns listed above and none of the bad.
Both the 9mm and the .45 feature single-stack magazines for higher reliability and fewer jams. The 9mm offers a flush 7-round magazine while the .45 offers a flush 5-round magazine. These can be extended with grip extenders as well.
Both feature black polymer lowers and forged steel slides and you can even choose black or bi-tone finishes. Both the .45 and 9mm will run you around $600.
Kel-Tec PF-9
If you’re looking for the smallest, lightest, and most cost-effective concealed carry gun that’s still rock-solid when it comes to reliability, the Kel-Tec PF-9 is the gun for you. The PF-9 is a 9mm that offers a 7-round magazine, integrated rail, and a 3.1” barrel.
Small, simple, and reliable, the PF-9 is the best gun you can get for the money. Add onto this the ability to bolt on a belt clip and the Kel-Tec can even be worn without any additional holsters. Much like the Kahr and Glock, there are no external safeties, making it quicker and easier to draw in a hurry.
At $333, this is a perfect entry-level concealed carry firearm to start with, and with the quality and reliability it offers, it’s still a perfect choice even after you’ve got some experience.
Source: survivalbased.com
Other useful resources:
Survival MD (Best Post SHTF Medical Survival Guide Ever)
Blackout USA (EMP survival and preparedness guide)
Backyard Innovator (All Year Round Source Of Fresh Meat,Vegetables And Clean Drinking Water)
Conquering the coming collapse (Financial advice and preparedness )
Liberty Generator (Easy DIY to build your own off-grid free energy device)
Backyard Liberty (Easy and cheap DIY Aquaponic system to grow your organic and living food bank)
Bullet Proof Home (A Prepper’s Guide in Safeguarding a Home )
Family Self Defense (Best Self Defense Strategies For You And Your Family)
Sold Out After Crisis (Best 37 Items To Hoard For A Long Term Crisis)
About the Author:
brian
Brian is a technology nut who loves craft beer. Still a Boy Scout at heart, he believes in always being prepared. Brian believes the most important tools you can have when the SHTF are your brain and the ability to keep a level head, no matter what the situation is.
None of those handguns takes a “clip” They all have magazines. A magazine has a spring; a clip doesn’t.
Try to stay with a striker fire system such as the Glock, Kel Tec, etc. The firing pin is enclosed and less prone to fouling with dirt, sand, etc. like an exposed hammer or inertia design. The Kimber is a fine firearm and certainly the most expensive but the Glock is my choice for survival; few moving parts, easily stripped, can bury it in sand or mud, hose it out and you are ready to go. And yes, it will shoot underwater…just don’t try it in the pool.
First- good guys can’t start gunfights! So since you can’t react until the gunfight has already started, simpler is better! Next, you want a pistol that balances size vs handiness vs comfort. It has to fit your hand or it’s useless. Size vs utility- G19 vs G26- history has shown that the smaller you go below “it fits” the worse your scores are and the slower Your reaction times will be. Weapon quality- you want a weapon that can sit in your purse forever and function when called on. You want a pistol that the springs last forever. I have trained folks with eachof your best 5 weapons and I will go back to fit first, accuracy and speed next, and balance and handiness next. Look at what the manufacturers identify as their weapons use. Do not carry a back up pistol unless you are carrying it as a back up. Time yourself with your prospective choice before you buy it/one. Since, as a good guy, you won’t be starting any gun fights, choose the fastest into action, most natural pointing, most comfortable, pistol you can!
I have used Glock 26/27. I don’t like it much.
How does the Walther PPK/S stack with the 5 above?
I’m a big fan of Kimber handguns as well as Ruger but I have got to throw in my Walter PPK/S 380 as well as it is a very accurate handgun a rand reliable with absolutely no jams right out of the box my Ho too first hand is my Kimber Ultra Carry I had to change out the Kimber clips replaced with Wilson combat clips they work great backed off from my target at shooting range to 45 yards was still hitting my target with Wilson 3 dot sights – great handgun