Single Stack vs Double Stack for CCW

T

Trog

New member
I will soon be taking my CCW class in hopes of obtaining my permit here in Louisiana. I currently own a SD40ve and I want to buy a more compact handgun in 9mm for concealed carry. Most everyone I talk to in person about it says that single stacks are where the comfort is at. I have heard some people say that the right holster and some doubles stacks can still be comfortable. I want to hear from some people on why they choose their handgun size and for what reason.
 
I don't carry a single-stack handgun at the moment. My current carry options are:

  • 9mm Glock 19 with 15+1 rounds
    • Inside the waist band at 4-o'clock in a NSR Tactical holster as everyday carry
  • 9mm Glock 26 with 10+1 (standard magazine) or 12+1 (extended magazine) rounds
    • On my left ankle in a Galco Ankle Glove holster as backup gun or when deep concealment is needed
    • Below the waist band at 12-o'clock in a SmartCarry holster when jogging or when deep concealment is needed
    • Inside the pant pocket in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster when skiing
    • Inside the waist band at 4-o'clock in a NSR Tactical holster when deep concealment is needed
  • 10mm Glock 20 with 15+1 rounds
    • Inside the waist band at 4-o'clock in a NSR Tactical holster when hiking
I am considering a single-stack handgun for the following carry options:

  • Inside the suit pant pocket as backup gun to the Glock 26 at 4-o'clock or as only gun, both when deep concealment is needed
  • Inside the waist band appendix carry as everyday carry backup gun
Note that I usually carry two 17-round 9mm Glock 17 or two 15-round 10mm Glock 20 backup magazines. The Glock 17 magazines fit in the Glock 19 and Glock 26. A good belt and a good holster go a long way in distributing the weight and keeping the gun close to the body when carrying inside or outside the waist band.

As you can see, for me it is all about options. Please consider your options. What are your needs and what are your restrictions in daily life? Also, get some defensive handgun training to learn how to effectively defend yourself and/or others with a firearm when the need arises.
 
I don't like single stacks because I find that most of them are too narrow for a good grip for me. Also, I like my 10+1 .45ACP capacity and double stack makes my gun more compact overall, although wider. However, I open carry in a OWB holster so ability to absolutely conceal and width of the gun inside the waistband are not considerations for me.
 
To me the single stack is more comfortable to carry.
I carry a Kahr P9 in a Crossbreed SuperTuck at 3:30-4o'clock most of the time.
I also have a Ruger LCP that fills in when I feel more discretion is needed. (Pocket carry)
I have a Kahr PM9 but I just can't seem to get the feel out of it that I want & it isn't enough smaller then the P9 to matter.
For me it's too big for comfortable pocket carry.
 
My EDC is a shield 9 in a stealthgear Onyx.
Very comfortable and conceals great. I had to fatten the grip a little bit to make it
easier for me to shoot it accurately (I've got fairly large hands)
My other Carry is a FS M&P .40 in a N82 pro.
A little harder to conceal, but still comfy and quite doable.
If I had to do it all over again from scratch I would probably grab an M&P 9/40C. it's not that much larger than the shield
and it would probably fit my hand better than the shield does, but I've done a good amount of training with the shield now and I've
gotten pretty comfortable with it. I'm in the socialist republic of Mass so 10 round mags are max. Going from 7 or 8
from the shield to 10 in the C isn't really much of a factor here. the FS .40 is noticeably heavier than the shield 9mm.
 
Wow this is a whole lot of good info. I keep welcoming more input, it can never hurt. My most comfortable weapons to shoot in the past (other than service size) have been some compacts (fns 9c and the M&P 9c) and I enjoy those. I guess finding the right holster will be the best option for me once I make a decision on the gun. As for the training, no worries on my familiarity and comfort with firearms. Im a vet with a few good cop friends who I shoot with. I also grew up an avid hunter. I just have never had the need to carry concealed or IWB. Thats the new part for me.
 
I alternate carrying a Glock 17 9mm and a Glock 30 .45 both in a N82 Professional IWB holster with a 15 degree forward cant wearing "A Better Belt USA" belt on the left side at 8 o'clock. Very comfortable all day with no issues concealing. I would agree with a previous poster the holster and belt make all the difference.
 
I'm a relatively slim punk-rock kind of guy, and therefore I'm generally in fairly form-fitting jeans and a zip-hoodie or a light jacket or peacoat.
My EDC is a S&W M&P Shield 9mm (which is single stack) in a Galco IWB holster at the 5 o'clock position.
I have a full-size weapon as well: but it's not very concealable in my style of dress, and honestly: if I end up in some kind of a firefight where I need more ammunition than what I'm carrying; I shouldn't be in that firefight in the first place.
 
Berto said:
I'm a relatively slim punk-rock kind of guy, and therefore I'm generally in fairly form-fitting jeans and a zip-hoodie or a light jacket or peacoat.
My EDC is a S&W M&P Shield 9mm (which is single stack) in a Galco IWB holster at the 5 o'clock position.
I have a full-size weapon as well: but it's not very concealable in my style of dress, and honestly: if I end up in some kind of a firefight where I need more ammunition than what I'm carrying; I shouldn't be in that firefight in the first place.
Click to expand...

There is always a limit on what you can carry, as no-one can carry an unlimited amount of ammunition with the exception of Wild Dog. However, "why did I bring all this ammunition" said no-one after a gun fight, ever. We do not get to choose the gun fight, it chooses us. So, the argument "I shouldn't be in that firefight" is invalid.

The S&W M&P Shield 9mm can have up to 8+1 rounds. An overly optimistic 100% hit rate gives you 2 to the body and 1 to the chest for 3 attackers. A more realistic 44% hit rate (4 out of 9) may or may not incapacitate only one attacker and wound a second. Then you would need to reload. You do carry an extra magazine? You should have at least one extra magazine on you anyway to deal with malfunctions. With two extra 8-round magazines, that makes it 25 rounds of 9mm you could have on you. A decent amount of ammunition that enables you to deal with multiple attackers.

As I posted earlier, I typically carry a Glock 19 and two extra Glock 17 magazines. That's 50 rounds of 9mm. In the worst case, I carry a Glock 26 and one extra Glock 17 magazine. That's still 28 rounds. While hiking, I carry a full-size Glock 20 and two extra magazines. That's 46 rounds of 10mm. I am 5'7" and 130 lbs.

Many people get caught up with concealability and carry comfort, while completely forgetting that they carry a firearm as a life saver. What is more important to you, concealability, carry comfort or staying alive? No-one will notice a slight bulge under your shirt, other than another concealed carrier. Carry comfort mostly depends on the belt and holster.

Just some food for thought.
 
All valid points. I do, however, feel confident enough in my accuracy and my tactical/situational awareness to feel that my 2 mags are adequate for any situation in which I would choose to draw and fire.
I guess the real discussion is: "how much ammunition do YOU, personally, feel comfortable carrying?"
The priority of different factors for how concealable a weapon is, how accurate it is, muzzle velocity, ammunition capacity, (all of those being related to weapon size and/or barrel length,) how many mags you want to carry, comfort of carry, and method of carry are different and are individual to each carrier.
I'd recommend doing a lot of online research to determine your priorities, and go to a privately owned gun store where they'll let you try different carry rigs with different weapons so you can pick something that fits you.
 
I have both a Glock 17 & 43. For CCW I prefer the 43. Has more of a big gun feel but easy nicely and comfortably concealed.
 
I do like the 43.
Ironically: I wanted a weapon with an external safety, having been trained to thumb the safety off as I drew. Therefore: I sort of wrote off the Glock family of weapons. Having a striker-fired weapon with a round in the chamber kind of weirded me out after being trained on the M9.
I decided upon an S&W M&P Shield because of the option of an external safety... But when I went to purchase: there simply wasn't a weapon with that option available in my state.
I said "**** it" and bought a Shield without an external safety. Haha.
One of my close friends has a 43.
I guess we'll have to shoot together and compare!
 
bofh said:
I don't carry a single-stack handgun at the moment. My current carry options are:

  • 9mm Glock 19 with 15+1 rounds
    • Inside the waist band at 4-o'clock in a NSR Tactical holster as everyday carry
  • 9mm Glock 26 with 10+1 (standard magazine) or 12+1 (extended magazine) rounds
    • On my left ankle in a Galco Ankle Glove holster as backup gun or when deep concealment is needed
    • Below the waist band at 12-o'clock in a SmartCarry holster when jogging or when deep concealment is needed
    • Inside the pant pocket in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster when skiing
    • Inside the waist band at 4-o'clock in a NSR Tactical holster when deep concealment is needed
  • 10mm Glock 20 with 15+1 rounds
    • Inside the waist band at 4-o'clock in a NSR Tactical holster when hiking
I am considering a single-stack handgun for the following carry options:

  • Inside the suit pant pocket as backup gun to the Glock 26 at 4-o'clock or as only gun, both when deep concealment is needed
  • Inside the waist band appendix carry as everyday carry backup gun
Note that I usually carry two 17-round 9mm Glock 17 or two 15-round 10mm Glock 20 backup magazines. The Glock 17 magazines fit in the Glock 19 and Glock 26. A good belt and a good holster go a long way in distributing the weight and keeping the gun close to the body when carrying inside or outside the waist band.

As you can see, for me it is all about options. Please consider your options. What are your needs and what are your restrictions in daily life? Also, get some defensive handgun training to learn how to effectively defend yourself and/or others with a firearm when the need arises.
Click to expand...

Glock people are funny.
 
You are also dense. It is clearly NOT about options for you because all you mention are Glocks. I EDC a p938 (single stack) now in warm weather and my hi-power (double stack) in cold weather.

You wrote a 2 page advertisement for glocks clown boy. You carry two guns and 70 rounds everyday for a gun fight you have never had.
 
AmericanHero! said:
You are also dense. It is clearly NOT about options for you because all you mention are Glocks. I EDC a p938 (single stack) now in warm weather and my hi-power (double stack) in cold weather.

You wrote a 2 page advertisement for glocks clown boy. You carry two guns and 70 rounds everyday for a gun fight you have never had.
Click to expand...

It seems to me you came to this thread with the intention to provide personal insults instead of an actual contribution.

My post talks about three different double-stack handguns that I have as carry options and a single-stack handgun that I am considering adding to that. The three Glocks have different sizes, one of them is 10mm while the other two are 9mm. I am considering a Glock 43 or S&W Shield 9mm as a single-stack. My post is all about options, they just happen to be different Glocks. There is a reason for that. It is called a consistent manual of arms.

You did not read my post correctly. I clearly stated that I am carrying my Glock 19 with two 17-round 9mm Glock 17 backup magazines as EDC. Thats one gun and 45 rounds. I carry the Glock 26 loaded with 11 rounds as a backup gun when needed. That would be two guns and 56 rounds, when needed. No-one ever said "why did I bring all this ammo" after a gunfight.

My post was less than 300 words and included advice about handguns, holsters, backup magazines, and different carry methods. Your post was 62 words, which contained false statements, insults, and little information about your two carry guns. If you want to contribute to this thread, then explain to the OP why you carry significantly different handguns during different seasons and how you carry them. May be you should actually read the OP and answer the posters question:

Trog said:
I want to hear from some people on why they choose their handgun size and for what reason.
Click to expand...

A gun is a tool. Glocks simply work, so do some other brands. You seem to have a problem with Glocks. May be you should seek some professional help about that.
 
For what it's worth, bofh; I didn't read your post as a Glock fanboy post at all, but simply as you talking about weapons with which you are familiar.
The negative response to that does seem a bit disproportionate.
 
I don't currently own any single stack handguns but I don't really see that much difference in size. My M&P9C is less than half an inch thicker than my Shield was. If I can have 50% more capacity in essentially the same footprint why not?

I currently either carry a M&P9 or a 9C,dependent on my concealment needs, and 2 reloads for a total of 51 and 37 rounds respectively.

Now that I'm retired I dress as I please, usually jeans, a tee shirt and a camp shirt. I live far enough up in the mountains that I can pull off a flannel and a fleece vest 9& 1/2 months a year. So concealment isn't normally an issue
 
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