What is the Best Handgun for Concealed Carry?

What is the best handgun for concealed carry?  This question is queried on the Web, asked in gun shops, posed on the range, and presented during concealed handgun classes. It seems to be a rather simple question but it produces responses that are as diverse as the needs, expertise, preferences, and financial resources of those who answer it.  This yields radically different recommendations that can include  diminutive, modestly priced, polymer framed pistols like the Kel Tec P-32 and Ruger LCP; small framed revolvers like the Smith & Wesson Chief's Special (Model 36) and Taurus Model 85 that have become concealed carry classics; pistols reflecting a police or military heritage like the Glock 19 and  various 1911s (some of which cost a king's ransom), and just about everything in between.  This leads one to wonder if there really is a "best" handgun for concealed carry and if so, what is it?



Those who postulate that particular handguns are best for concealed carry often support their opinions with sound evidence gleaned from gunfight statistics, ballistic data, the results of military and police trials, the recommendations of various experts, and so forth and many different handguns successfully withstand such empirical scrutiny. Consider some of the pistols and revolvers that are currently in production that boast long military and police service records such as the Beretta 92-F, Browning Hi-Power, Colt (and other) 1911s, CZ P 83, Glock 17 (and other models sharing this design), Makarove PM, SIG P-226, Smith & Wesson Model 10 (and other K and L-Frames), and the Walther PPK (this is not an exclusive list and others could be easily added).  Each has been well tested over the years (some under the most adverse conditions), proven their merit for defensive purposes, and remain widely in use (although medium framed revolvers have declined in popularity over the past twenty-five years). 

While each of these handguns might offer advantages over others, such as size, weight, capacity, stopping power, and simplicity of operation, they have all proven reliable (reliability is sometimes more academic than practical) for their intended purposes and either could be best for one who seeks the benefits offered by a particular design, providing he is capable of employing them.  Sometimes, advantages provide challenges that not everyone is able nor willing to overcome.  Small handguns are more easily carried discreetly than larger ones but they are either chambered for cartridges that compromise stopping power or they provide recoil that can be hard to control; they can be difficult to shoot well, especially if one has only marginal skills.  Semi-automatic pistols provide reloading speed and capacity that is generally superior to that of revolvers but they are more complex to operate and require proficiency with malfunction drills if they are to be truly dependable for self defense.  Conversely, larger pistols and revolvers provide a better balance of power, control, and accuracy for more shooters but they can tax comfort and discretion when carried concealed.

Ultimately, the handgun that is best is for concealed carry is a subjective determination based upon conditions that might be somewhat unique to the individual who is carrying it.  Proficiency, physical limitations, and personal preference will heavily influence what is considered best.  One with limited skills should choose a handgun that is simple to operate and easy to control.  One who will not routinely practice malfunction drills should choose a revolver as should one who lacks the strength to operate the slide of a semi-automatic pistol.  One who is unusually sensitive to noise and recoil could benefit from a weapon of modest caliber while one with poor vision needs a handgun with visible sights (or perhaps even a laser sight). One who prefers a consistently crisp and relatively light trigger might choose a single action semi-automatic pistol while one who is not comfortable carrying a pistol "cocked and locked" might choose either a double action or "safe" action instead.

The environment in which a handgun is most often carried can also influence that which is best and what seems ideal for one might not do as well for another.  For example, the needs of an undercover police officer who must put himself in harm's way, those of a farmer or rancher with concerns over pests and threats from wildlife, and those of someone working in a high contact, public environment with specific wardrobe requirements are all distinctly different, even though the primary purpose of the concealed handgun is self protection.  The police officer might be well served with the handgun that his department issues for duty, the farmer or rancher might need one whose utility is more important than its size, and the person in a high contact environment might require a very small handgun that escapes the most intense public scrutiny.

Since the best handgun for concealed carry is determined by individual factors, there is not one that is universally best; however, one type of handgun can prove "best" over a broad range of circumstances when minimal standards for concealed handguns and the most common traits of those likely to carry them are considered.  A helping of statistics characterizing the "average" deadly force encounter (three shots are typically fired in less than three seconds at a distance of three yards or less), a dash of common knowledge (assailants do not always stop when they are supposed to and gunfights are not always limited to a single assailant), and a pinch of common sense (concealed handguns must be carried discreetly) is the recipe for a suitable concealed handgun:

1. It must be reliable (the cost of failure can be a life).
2. It must be of a design that the shooter can effectively operate, even when he or she is under stress.
3. It must be able to deliver accurate, rapid fire and be capable of being quickly reloaded.
4. It must provide reasonable stopping power (or at least as much as the shooter can control).
5. It must be of a size and weight that that is not deleterious to discreet carry.

Once minimal standards for the weapon are established, the most common traits of those who might carry a concealed handgun must be identified.  At one extreme are those who possess only the minimal skills and knowledge necessary to safely handle and carry a firearm and at the other are those with extensive training and experience such as combat veterans, former law enforcement officers, and competition shooters.  Most (including many firearms enthusiasts) will fall somewhere between these extremes and it is this middle area that forms a baseline, albeit arbitrary and unscientific, with which to identify the "average" person who carries a concealed handgun.  This person will exhibit the following traits:

1. He understands that a concealed handgun is carried within legal constraints as a defensive weapon of last resort against human assailants (in other words, he is not arming himself for an onslaught of zombies or an attack from a great bear).
2. He has moderate shooting skills, may practice with some regularity, but lacks extensive familiarity with many types of firearms; he is aware of malfunction and combat drills but may not be so well practiced that they are second nature to him (in other words, he is not a competition shooter or a member of a profession that requires regular firearms training and qualification).
3. He carries a concealed handgun within the environment in which he lives, works, shops, and engages in common recreational pursuits and maintains conventions of dress that are acceptable within this environment, despite the fact that he carries a handgun (in other words, he does not wear a fanny pack or photographer's vest to the office).

When these characteristics are considered, the average person who carries a concealed handgun carries it for self defense within his normal environment while maintaining socially acceptable conventions of dress which might include a specific wardrobe required for work.  He is safe and competent with a firearm but he is neither an armed professional nor a competition shooter.  He needs a handgun that matches his level of skill that can be discreetly carried during the course of his daily pursuits and meets the standards established for a concealed handgun.  In this instance, a small framed revolver such as the Smith & Wesson model 36 (or other J-Frames including the 442, 637, and 638), Taurus Model 85, Ruger SP 101, or Charter Arms Undercover chambered for the .38 Special cartridge is the best handgun for concealed carry. 

Small framed revolvers are typically reliable and have proven themselves for decades.  They usually hold five rounds, are simple to operate, accurate (sometimes, superbly so), capable of rapid fire, can be reloaded quickly with a speedloader or speed strip (with practice), and are of a size that facilitates discreet carry in most circumstances.  Since they will not stovepipe or double feed, the shooter's execution of malfunction drills is not critical to their operation and the .38 Special cartridge offers reasonable stopping power (especially with the time proven FBI load, a 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter hollow point loaded to +P levels) without providing excessive recoil and muzzle blast that handicaps some shooters.  (This last statement must be qualified.  The weight of a handgun directly influences its recoil and light handguns kick more than heavier ones in the same caliber.  Thus, recoil can range from rather severe in a 12 ounce Charter Arms Undercover Lite, to substantial in a 19.5 ounce Smith & Wesson Model 36, to quite moderate in a 26 ounce Ruger SP 101 when firing the same .38 Special cartridge.)

While the best handgun for concealed carry is a subjective determination based upon specific requirements which can render one handgun better than others for the individual who carries it, small framed revolvers in .38 Special caliber effectively serve a wide range of individuals who routinely carry concealed handguns for self defense and are the best choice for many due to their simplicity, reliability, and suitability for discreet carry.  Of the revolvers mentioned, the well-engineered Ruger is the heaviest, but it is controllable and nearly indestructible.  The small framed revolvers from Taurus and Charter Arms are usually modestly priced and first hand experience indicates that they are reliable but they lack the fit, finish, and smoothness of more expensive firearms.  Smith & Wesson J-Frames usually provide the best balance between size, quality and economy which is perhaps why they remain popular and still prove to be the best handgun for concealed carry for many even after more than sixty years of constant production.