Best 9mm for Concealed Carry?

[rogrrr]

Since my Rock Island 1911 won't feed hollow points reliably and I wanted to carry a 1911, I went with the Springfield EMP. It eats anything I load into the magazine, has tritium night sights and came with holster and 2-mag carrier, and has 3 mags with it.
Were I to do it again, I would STILL go with the EMP ! Same feel, same trigger, same safety, same sight picture as my CCO or full size 1911. I can pick up any of mine and never have to think about/worry about changing ANYTHING.

 

[RxDoc]

Depending on how small and how concealable, with different options, you want to go, seems to me will determine which firearm YOU should hold and shoot. The Glocks are certainly excellent pistols, but not the ONLY pistol to be considered. The M&Ps, Rugers, S&Ws, etc. are also excellent pistols. When I was looking, I wanted a small, lightweight, highly concealable (with options), accurate, affordable, and as reliable/dependable as a revolver, pistol. I went to a larger outlet and handled, inspected, and critiqued all that had those attributes. Finally ended up with a Kahr CM9 for me, and am very happy with that decision and carry it 50% of the time, alternating with a Ruger KLCR .357mag. Like them both equally, and bet my life on them. Good luck in your search, Sir. Take care

 

[GlassWolf]

I'm a life-long 1911 shooter. I'm getting my CCW and am looking to carry a 9mm. Are there any suggestions on the best pistol and perhaps rig? Thanks!

This is like asking "wut car is best?" The truth is, you need to ask what gun is best for you. Every person is different. Do some research, go to a gun store and feel different guns, rent some, try them, see what you like.

 

[Les Maynard]

Best 9mm for concealed carry..................

Like you I am a 1911 lover, as I have gotten older I wanted something smaller and lighter. I have gone with a Sig P938 SAS and find it a great weapon to carry when you are retired and in your 70's.

 

[rj53081]

I like the 709 slim with shtf iwb holster. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Marten]

I carry a Bersa Thunder .45 whenever possible. I have had too many friends who have complained about failures and the inabilities of a 9mm to stop an attacker to wish to put my stock in one of those firearms.

 

[retcsgt]

I started with a bersa 380, but it was bought in the mid 90's. I then got a feel of the LC9, what a great 9mm it is. I carry it all the time, mostly in right front pants pocket. It's light as a feather compared to the bersa.

 

[Pir8fan]

These "best" questions are totally nuts. "Best" is the one that is reliable, fits you, fits your needs and fits your budget.

 

[MJ326]

Hi everyone man there are so many good pistols& semi autos out there now! I have allways loved ruger for the price&great fire arms allways check them out they have many great ones! Take care hope this helps,great question! Mj326

 

[SmithKoWitz]

There are many reliable 9mm firearms available. As many have stated: you need to decide what works for you. I first bought an M&P Full Size 9mm, great gun, no faults in 4 years of shooting, but it is just too bulky for my comfort for everyday, anywhere carry. So I bought an M&P 9mm Compact, great gun, no faults in 3 1/2 years, still a little bulky for me. So I bought a Kahr K9, steel, only holds 7 or 8 rounds (magazine size), no faults in 3 years, but I thought it was still a little large. I was going to buy a Kahr MK9 but opted to go with the MK40. I figured with the limited amount of rounds (now 5,6 or 7 magazine size) I wanted a little more power. This is my routine carry gun, along with two spare mags. I also put a Hogue handall Jr around the grip to provide recoil absorption and increase the tack of the grip in your hand. It is a very accurate gun and I find it quite comfortable to carry, even though for it's size it is relatively heavy. It is one of the smallest metal frame 9mm & 40 S&W caliber weapons out there. In heavier coat weather I will carry the M&P 9mm Compact. I've handled many sizes of Glocks (multiple times) and have not found one that fits my hand as comfortably as any of the weapons I mentioned. They have a larger grip, even the Gen 4 versions and I cannot reach the magazine eject button with my thumb, but on the weapons I bought, it is not a problem. So, find find what fits good in your hand, then find what fits your body and clothing style to be concealed well and then shoot them to see if you like them and if they are accurate for you. It's not something to rush into, they are not really cheap if you buy the top brands: S&W, Ruger, FN, Glock, Springfield, Colt, Kahr, CZ, Beretta.

 

[Matt1861]

Thanks all for the great replies! I knew I'd get a plethora of differing responses, but I wanted some good places to start my search for my first concealed carry pistol.

 

[GlassWolf]

I carry a Bersa Thunder .45 whenever possible. I have had too many friends who have complained about failures and the inabilities of a 9mm to stop an attacker to wish to put my stock in one of those firearms.

Your friends were incorrect. Modern 9mm ammo has pretty much identical ballistics between 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45ACP. I'll give you an example:

[B]Manufacturer 	     Load         Mass 	            Velocity 	                  Energy 	         Expansion[25] 	  Penetration[25] 	         PC[25] 	                TSC[25][/B]
[I]9x19mm[/I]
Federal         HydraShok JHP +P+    8.0 g (124 gr)     370 m/s (1,220 ft/s)  560 J (410 ft·lb)  17 mm (0.67 in)   340 mm (13.4 in) 	77 mL (4.7 cu in) 	734 mL (44.8 cu in)
Speer 	        Gold Dot JHP         8.0 g (124 gr)     400 m/s (1,310 ft/s)  640 J (472 ft·lb)  18 mm (0.70 in)   337 mm (13.25 in) 	84 mL (5.1 cu in) 	616 mL (37.6 cu in) (est)
[I].40S&W[/I]
Federal 	HydraShok JHP 	      10.0 g (155 gr) 	350 m/s (1,140 ft/s) 606 J (447 ft·lbf)  17 mm (0.68 in)  33.8 cm (13.3 in) 	79 cm3 (4.8 cu in) 	785 cm3 (47.9 cu in)
Remington 	Golden Saber JHP      10.7 g (165 gr) 	350 m/s (1,150 ft/s) 658 J (485 ft·lbf)  17 mm (0.68 in)  30.5 cm (12.0 in) 	72 cm3 (4.4 cu in) 	674 cm3 (41.1 cu in)
[I].45ACP[/I]
Federal 	HydraShok JHP 	      15 g (230 gr) 	260 m/s (850 ft/s)    500 J (369 ft·lb)   20 mm (0.78 in)   300 mm (12.0 in) 	93.9 mL (5.73 cu in) 	465 mL (28.4 cu in)
Remington 	Golden Saber JHP      15 g (230 gr) 	267 m/s (875 ft/s)    530 J (391 ft·lb)   19 mm (0.75 in)   360 mm (14.3 in) 	103.6 mL (6.32 cu in) 	416 mL (25.4 cu in)

Note the muzzle energy of all 6 examples are pretty close to each other. .45ACP is a heavier round, but .40 and 9mm have higher muzzle velocities, and since you have to multiply those two numbers to get momentum, it all pretty much evens out. You might want to rethink your views on 9mm. It's come a long, long way since the 1970s, and early 80s when 9mm ball ammo low capacity firearms got a bad rap. Mind you, I have nothing against .45ACP either. Heck, I was just getting some prices on 230 gr gold dots today from a local shop.

 

[GR8GLOCKS]

I have a Glock 19 and love it. Just does everything right. Easy to conceal OWB or IWB, lightweight, accurate, dependable, reliable and holds 15+1 rounds of 9mm.

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Ditto!


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[Rocketgeezer]

Before I bought my first pistol I asked for lots of suggestions and did lots of research online. My next step was to find a range that rented pistols. Some of those pistols that sounded great or that were recommended to me I didn't like at all. Sometimes it was the grip; sometimes it was the trigger and other times it was something else. Doesn't really matter what it was because those particular guns just didn't work right with me. I did find a pistol that fells great in my hand and I can shoot it better than a Glock although the Glock was a close second after trying out all the other pistols. I settled on a Sprningfield XDm 3.8 barrel because it felt the best and it shot the best for me. Another reason I liked it is that it came with two different magazines and I can use the smaller one to CC. I'm not recommending a XDM or a Glock to you; I'm recommending you go shoot several different 9mm pistols and then make your decision.

Excellent advice you did it just the way it should be done, when a newbe ask's me thats just about what i would tell them whats fits nice to one person may not for the next

 

[SmithKoWitz]

Your friends were incorrect. Modern 9mm ammo has pretty much identical ballistics between 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45ACP. I'll give you an example:

[B]Manufacturer 	     Load         Mass 	            Velocity 	                  Energy 	         Expansion[25] 	  Penetration[25] 	         PC[25] 	                TSC[25][/B]
[I]9x19mm[/I]
Federal         HydraShok JHP +P+    8.0 g (124 gr)     370 m/s (1,220 ft/s)  560 J (410 ft·lb)  17 mm (0.67 in)   340 mm (13.4 in) 	77 mL (4.7 cu in) 	734 mL (44.8 cu in)
Speer 	        Gold Dot JHP         8.0 g (124 gr)     400 m/s (1,310 ft/s)  640 J (472 ft·lb)  18 mm (0.70 in)   337 mm (13.25 in) 	84 mL (5.1 cu in) 	616 [/QUOTE]

Modern 9mm of equal status is not equal to 40 or 45. Comparing +P or +P+ is not comparing Apples to Apples. Recoil from a + or ++ rounds is snappier and therefore it's not like shooting a softer recoiling 9mm any longer. In addition, when I search the manufacturer websites for the ammo you list, they do not show the same energy numbers you list above. None showed anything over 377lbs. for a 9mm round by Federal or Speer (that was from their 2013 catalogs). What is true however, is that there are non + rated 40 caliber ammunition that pushes more energy than some 45 standard ammo.

 

[GlassWolf]

Modern 9mm of equal status is not equal to 40 or 45. Comparing +P or +P+ is not comparing Apples to Apples. Recoil from a + or ++ rounds is snappier and therefore it's not like shooting a softer recoiling 9mm any longer. In addition, when I search the manufacturer websites for the ammo you list, they do not show the same energy numbers you list above. None showed anything over 377lbs. for a 9mm round by Federal or Speer (that was from their 2013 catalogs). What is true however, is that there are non + rated 40 caliber ammunition that pushes more energy than some 45 standard ammo.

and the reason there is no standardized +P in .40 is because it's already an over-pressure round, so comparing it to + or ++ 9mm is exactly apples to apples. The .40 offers nothing over the 9mm other than fewer rounds in the mag. .45ACP's biggest downfall is muzzle velocity. It's just about subsonic in almost every load. Looking at terminal ballistics between all three rounds, they are all nearly the same. choosing a .45 over a 9mm because you think it's going to be a more effective round at stopping a threat is a misguided belief.

 

[Jamey8]

Glock 26 with an IWB hybrid holster made by Ridgid Holsters $40.00, because let's face it a slab of cowhide with a piece of kydex on it should not cost 100 bucks

 

[Acasper708]

Kahr CM9

 

[XD9_MS]

I carry a Springfield XD 9mm subcompact, very comfortable.

 

[hillking2010]

Taurus 709 Slim. 7+1 capacity, 9mm Luger, a great option for $300 bucks!

I carry in an AlienGear iwb hybrid holster. They're a great company that offers lifetime repairs on everything (including clips) and they let you trade in your kydex shell for a new one for free if you decide on a new carry fun. Product is EXTREMELY comfortable too!

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