Small slim guns have ruined me!

[cmgee67]

I used to religiously carry my Glock 19 24-7. Lots of times with a spare mag. I thought it was a pretty small gun and concealed and carried well. I also thought it was feather light. I didn’t know much about pistols at the time and bought and carried the gun off of a recommendation of a good friend. I then got into the “gun culture” of YouTube and began to be told by content creators that the G26 was much easier to carry and conceal. I bought one and couldn’t should it worth a flip. I didn’t like how short the grip was and couldn’t get a good handle on it. I sold it and stayed true to my 19. Then the G43 came out. I thought wow that’s too small to carry for me, maybe my wife will like it? SHE HATED IT. I kept it for a while but it never felt “right”. I could shoot it okay but meh so I got rid of it. I tried a shield also that a friend owned and I liked the feel of the gun and how slim it was. That started me down the path in a way. I still didn’t purchase a 9mm shield until two years after that. Before that I tried the 45 shield. Great gun but 45 was too expensive for me to shoot all the time. I ended up buying my gen 1 shield and carried it for a year then bought the 2.0. I love my 2.0. It feels great in the hand with the pinky extended magazine. So in grip length I’m back to the 19 size. The thickness however is hard to go back to. I would rather carry my 19 because I do shoot it better and it fills my hand completely. Although I find myself leaving it at home and grabbing the shield for how much lighter and slimmer it is. I am working my way back to the 19. So, to make a long story longer...... I am going back to the 19 but my holster Is uncomfortable. It is a all Kydex which is fine but the clip on it that’s secures to my belt isn’t my favorite. It sticks out too far and I like metal clips or soft loops. I think I may look at another crossbreed super tuck. I loved the one I used to use. Are they still made well? Anyhow, what do you find yourself grabbing? Is there a gun you would rather carry but don’t because of convenience and size?

[cirus]

I dont OC but i do carry OWB all the time. I dont own a IWB holster. All my guns are good size. Sig P220 in 45, Sig P226 in 9mm, Springfield XDM 4.5 in 45 with 13rd mag, and a Springfield 1911 loaded in 45. I dont worry about printing.

[cmgee67]

I hear you. I don’t worry about printing unless I’m at work. I try to stay neutral at work. No politics, or gun talk while I’m at a customers home.I don’t want to lose a customer over printing. So I make sure to carry Iwb so that I don’t print enough to tell.

[The Annoyed Man]

My two primary carry guns are a G19 and a G43. Of the two, I carry the 19 far more often than the 43. I mind neither the weight nor the size of the 19. In fact, before I bought the 19, I carried a G17 for a primary. The only reason I don’t carry it now is that I keep it with a suppressor mounted as a bedside gun; and even though removing the suppressor is easily accomplished, the suppressor-height sights are a little too tall to fit in any of the holsters I have for that pistol. I also have a G26, which I originally bought to (1) fill the gap between the 19 and the 43, and (2) because of its magazine compatibility with the 19 and 17 mags.

All of that said, I’m more than a little curious about a G48 (standard mag capacity of 10), stoked with the Shield Arms 15-round mags that flush-fit the G48's grip frame .... and the 43X's too, for that matter. So you get a single stack pistol with the grip length, slide length, and magazine capacity of the G19, but with the width of of a G43, and weighing just 20.74 oz with an empty magazine.

[cmgee67]

The G43x is a smooth shooter TAM. If you get the chance I would recommend shooting one.

[strogg]

I have a unique problem. Because of my frame and my constant need to keep my shirt tucked in, I find it incredibly difficult to carry concealed. The thing is that even the P226 is way too awkward and bulky for me to carry. I've even tried an FNS-9c with terrible results. I couldn't figure out how to carry that without a giant bulge showing. I literally look like I have a hip dislocation problem even with the tiniest of double stacks. The problem gets solved with a single stack. The LC9s can be concealed just fine without making me look all weird. The LCP by virtue works just as well. But I'd rather carry a double stack. One with a full grip and not just a shorty with my pinkie dangling. And no, the extendo mags with the pinkie rests won't cut either, because reloading those is a pain with a dangling pinkie. I just don't have as solid a grip on those. So what are my options?

Well, TAM and cmgee figured it out already. I have to thank the latter, actually. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had it strapped to my hip right now. It's a Glock 43x. The 43x supposedly only takes 10 rounds in their funny stacked mags, but the mag width is exactly the same as the double stack 9mm SIG and Beretta magazines. So thank you Shield Arms for coming out with the aftermarket magazine that holds 15 rounds. No voodoo magic required. It's just a standard double stack steel magazine. Couple that with the perfect dimensions of the 43x, and it is a potent combination for what I believe is the best concealed carry gun on the market today. But... it's a Glock. I can't stand shooting those because of the different grip angle. This one is no different. It took me a lot to train myself on how to aim. Despite that, though, it is indeed a great shooter. There is minimal muzzle flip out of the 3.5" barrel. It cycles all 15 rounds flawlessly. In fact, it just feels so weird to have such a small gun shoot so many rounds between reloads. Overall, I cannot think of a better design for a carry gun with all the right compromises. Well, other than that darn grip angle.

So yes, slim guns have ruined me too. But not entirely. I still love my chunky Beretta M9 and my stupidly-heavy-in-comparison 1911. In fact, I carry those more often than I carry the 43x. But if I ever have an absolute need to conceal, or if I decide that concealing that day is in my best interest, I will carry the 43x with no complaints about comfort or possible printing or other design shortcomings. I can't say the same about tucked IWB concealing any other pistol I've ever owned.

[flechero]

Before that I tried the 45 shield. Great gun but 45 was too expensive for me to shoot all the time.

Hmm... Seems like you spent way more than what you would have spent on 45 ammo, on guns, to find one you liked as much with cheaper ammo. Or you passed up a perfect opportunity to get into reloading!!

[JRG]

Well, I don't know if I would go so far as to say slim guns have ruined me. I carry a Shield 1.0 in 9mm and in .45acp., but I also have and carry Springfield XD mod 2 SC in 9mm and .45 app. I keep the double stacks for the "having more ammo" option. I sometimes think about selling them and getting a Hellcat or Sig 365 though. Maybe small slim guns have ruined me too!

Joe

[Terryr21]

I'm a pretty slim guy and I carry IWB. When I first got my LTC I appendix carried a USP compact. I hated having to adjust every time I sat down or bend over, so the USP compact became my nightstand gun and I got a P30sk which I IWB'd at 4:00. Comfort was vastly improved until the P365 came out (traded the P30sk), and that's been my carry gun ever since.

[cmgee67]

[quote=cmgee67 post_id=<a href="tel:1282841">1282841</a> time=<a href="tel:1588034887">1588034887</a> user_id=19249] Before that I tried the 45 shield. Great gun but 45 was too expensive for me to shoot all the time.

Hmm... Seems like you spent way more than what you would have spent on 45 ammo, on guns, to find one you liked as much with cheaper ammo. Or you passed up a perfect opportunity to get into reloading!!
[/quote]

Your probably right haha! Oh well hind sight is 2020.

[C-dub]

I still carry my Glock 21SF with a TLR-1 attacked most of the time. I've even started carrying it when I ride my motorcycle. OC, of course, but that's only when it's warmer and I don't wear my jacket on the bike. If I wear the jacket the jacket doesn't fit right with the Glock, so I'll go shoulder rig and a full size 1911.

I still haven't gotten/found a belt holster for the 1911 yet, but I gotta say that I enjoy shooting the 1911's way more than the Glock. I don't think it would be difficult to say that once I do decide on a belt holster for the 1911's that one of those won't become my EDC. I'm even entertaining the idea of a subcompact 1911.

The weight is not an issue for me yet and the slimness is appealing. I've just been enjoying shooting the 1911's so much more and deriding that Glock trigger whenever I do shoot it and wish it were more like the 1911 triggers.

[cmgee67]

1911’s are sweet. Too heavy for me to carry

[C-dub]

1911’s are sweet. Too heavy for me to carry

The Colt CG Trophy I carry in a shoulder rig is IIRC 38 ounces unloaded. There's a red frame (aluminum) Colt Defender that I'm interested in that is only 24 ounces. I've been a little wary about the subcompact 1911's, but I shot a friends Kimber last Friday and could probably easily pass an LTC shooting course with one. Although, I did once with my subcompact Glock 27 on my first or second renewal many moons ago,so I'm not really sure why I've been so wary about it. Probably just because I've been carrying full size for so long. Eh!

[cmgee67]

Yeah if I carried a 1911 it would have to be a lightweight and in 9mm. I think then I could get close to the same weight of a Glock 19. I believe loaded the 19 come in at around 29-30 oz. I think is dependent upon bullet weight.

[The Annoyed Man]

I'm a pretty slim guy and I carry IWB. When I first got my LTC I appendix carried a USP compact. I hated having to adjust every time I sat down or bend over, so the USP compact became my nightstand gun and I got a P30sk which I IWB'd at 4:00. Comfort was vastly improved until the P365 came out (traded the P30sk), and that's been my carry gun ever since.

One of my early carry guns was a USP Compact .40 cal, which I carried both IWB and OWB. I really like the gun, but didn’t like the caliber, so I sold it and bought a M&P45....which I still own but no longer carry. The USP Compact is a great platform. If I had bought mine in 9mm or .45 ACP instead, I’d most likely still have it today. I’m a lefty, so mine had an ambidextrous safety/decocker, and I had also installed a slightly lighter hammer spring to lighten up the DA trigger pull a noticeable amount. But I really liked that I could safely carry it either decocked or cocked and locked. Since my other carry gun at the time was a 1911, I tended to carry the USP cocked and locked; and I used the decocker primarily when carrying the gun off-body (rarely), or when manipulating the gun for unloading, cleaning, etc. But I always thought that was a convenient feature.

I probably wouldn’t run out and buy another new USP Compact today (do they even still make them?), primarily because I’m already pretty well invested in Glocks of different sizes, and I don’t really need another polymer carry pistol in any caliber. By the same token, I regret selling off that pistol, even if I hated the caliber. It’s a really neat platform....accurate, and reliable. I might consider buying a used one in 9mm down the road if the price were right.