Concealed Carry For The Rest Of Us

(Source)

       Most of you are probably familiar with the famous quote from Clint Smith: "Carrying a gun is not supposed to be comfortable; it’s supposed to be comforting." I generally have seen it quoted out of context, because Smith also added: "The gun that’s with you is better than the one that’s home in the safe."

      But there are a number of trainers, writers, and pundits that hold to the doctrine that no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient, you should carry at least a mid-sized service handgun or something as close to it as possible (i.e., the Glock 19 or similar). "Dress around the gun," is also a common phrase to rebut those whose daily wardrobe doesn't include a jacket or untucked t-shirt. But this ignores Smith's other statement about having a gun with you.

     Ideally, everyone wishing to carry a concealed weapon would be able to carry a larger capacity handgun. (Heck, ideally, we could all carry a rifle). But that is not how the real world works. The fact of the matter is most people are not going to carry a weapon if it is uncomfortable and inconvenient because the perceived or actual risk is not that high. This is not to say that concealed carry license holders will not give up some comfort and convenience, but that it is unrealistic to expect the majority to readjust their lives around carrying a handgun. Especially those who do not live or work in high risk jobs or environments.

       Stephen A. Camp does a good job explaining this point in his article "Making the J-Frame .38 Snub Work." He writes:

Clint Smith is reputed to have said something to the effect, “Handguns are meant to be comforting, not comfortable”. I tend to agree if one is pretty sure of treading a hazardous path, leads a high-risk life-style, or works in a dangerous profession. Before retiring as a full-time peace officer, I seldom carried less than a 9mm or .45 automatic off duty. Were I in the jewelry business in Los Angeles or a bodyguard or something similar, I would not rely solely on a snub. More than likely I’ve served my last arrest or search warrant. I’ll not kick in any more doors or be sworn to confronting and arresting wanted felons known to be dangerous on sight. These days I’m around the house feeding ducks or goldfish, writing a bit, at the range, or hunting lease and that’s about it. ... [F]or most of my time I’m in a very, very low risk environment. True warriors will opine that one could be under deadly attack at any time and that is true, but we all play the odds to a degree. 

It is true that, in the United States, there are pockets of high crime; but for most of the country, violent crime rates are very low. The majority of us, like Camp, live in a "very, very low risk environment."

       The result is that most concealed gun carriers will necessarily gravitate toward carrying a firearm that the professionals would considered a "back-up gun" (BUG). In other words, notwithstanding the nomenclature, BUGs are probably the primary concealed carry firearm of most people who carry, not the compact semi-autos like the Glock 19 or 3-inch, steel framed .357 revolvers. And this is reflected in the market. It is why S&W's light-weight snub-nose revolvers are still one of their best sellers; it is why even Glock eventually surrendered and, kicking and screaming, came out with the Glock 42 and 43; and it is why other manufacturers have introduced a bevy of "micro-9's". 

       In other words, rather than carrying the biggest and the baddest handgun, focus on what you would realistically carry on a regular basis and be able to effectively operate.

     In a prior post, "Concealed Carry--No Elegant Solution," I described my journey as to selecting a concealed carry weapon, method of carry, and holster. I went through and tried a variety of firearms, including a variety of full-sized semi-autos, a 3-inch .357 Magnum, a .22 semi-auto "mouse gun," and a compact .380, before finally settling on a .38 snub-nose revolver. Since then, I've moved back to a .380 semi-auto, but I still often find myself slipping the .38 snubby into my pocket.

     While I wouldn't completely rule out heavier weapons, I suspect that for the majority of concealed carriers, an unloaded weight of 20 ounces, give or take an ounce or two, would represent the heaviest firearm they would tolerate for daily carry, and the majority would want a firearm with an unloaded weight of 16 ounces or less. For those wanting to carry in a pocket, whether trousers or an inside breast pocket, a weapon of 12 ounces or less (unloaded) would be best. 

    In this regard, the Glock 43 (9x19mm or 9 mm Parabellum) comes in at 16.2 ounces. The Glock 42 (.380 ACP or 9 mm Short) is 12.2 ounces, and would be more carry friendly for most people. Some other popular concealed carry handguns:

• Beretta offers several concealed carry handguns, including the Pico (.380 ACP) at 11.5 ounces and the Nano (9x19 mm) at 19.8 ounces. 
• Beretta also makes a small .22 LR semi auto (the 21A Bobcat) and a .32 Auto (the 3032 Tomcat) which weigh in at 11.8 and 14.5 ounces, respectively.
• Bersa makes their popular Thunder series of handguns in .22 LR and .380 ACP, weighing 18.9 and 20 ounces, respectively.
• The Glock 26 used to be considered the "baby Glock"--it is 19.4 ounces without magazine.
• H&K's subcompact offering is the P30SK (9mm) which weighs in at 24 ounces.
• Kel Tec's P-3AT (.380 ACP) is popular for those who need something small and lightweight--it is only 8.3 ounces.
• Kel Tec's single stack 9 mm is the PF-9 which comes in at 12.7 ounces.
• At the other end of the spectrum is Kel Tec's P-32 (.32 ACP) which is only 6.6 ounces.
• North American Arms sells a broad range of small revolvers in .22 LR and .22 Magnum. Typical of the former is the NAA-22LR (.22 LR) which weighs only 4.6 ounces; and, of the latter is the NAA-22M (.22 Magnum) at 6.5 ounces.
• The Ruger LCP II (.380 ACP) is 10.6 ounces. 
• The Ruger LCP Max (.380 ACP) is also listed at 10.6 ounces unloaded.
• The Ruger EC 9 (9x19 mm) is 17.2 ounces.
• Ruger's snub-nosed revolver is the LCR which comes in various calibers, from .22 LR to .357 Magnum. The .38 Special model is 13.5 ounces.
• The Sig P238, a 1911-style .380, weighs in at 15.2 ounces.
• The Sig P365 (9x19 mm) comes in at 17.8 ounces.
• The Sig P398, a 1911-style micro 9 mm, weights in at 17 ounces. 
• The S&W Model 642 hammerless .38 Special revolver is the quintessential back-up gun, and probably the measure against which all other small handguns are compared as to size and weight. It's weight (unloaded) is 14.4 ounces. 
• The S&W M&P Bodyguard (.380 ACP) is 12.0 ounces.
• The S&W Shield 2.0 in 9 mm is 18.3 ounces. 
• The S&W Shield Plus (9 mm) is 20.2 ounces.
• The S&W M&P 45 Shield (.45 ACP) is 20.5 ounces.
• The Springfield XD-S in 9 mm is 23 ounces, and in .45 ACP it is 21.5 ounces.
• Springfield also offers a small .380, the Model 911, which is 12.6 ounces.
• Walther offers both a .380 (PK380 at 18 ounces) and a 9mm (PPQ M2 at 24.5 ounces).

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but gives you an idea of what is out there from the better known brands.