What are the best guns for concealed carry?

Once you decide to take your defense into your own hands and acquire a concealed carry permit, the first choice you must make is to decide which firearm you would like to carry. There's certainly no shortage of great options available, as countless firearm manufacturers attempt to cash in on the concealed carry market by creating handguns optimized for concealed carry.

Below, we've outlined eleven different firearms in four different categories that we feel are the best of the best when it comes to concealed carry handguns. Choose one of these firearms and match it with one of the best concealed carry holsters and you can't go wrong.

No matter what gun you decide to carry, in the event that you have to use that firearm, or any other weapon, to defend yourself, you should have self-defense insurance protecting you as well. Insurance like that provided by the USCCA will help guard you from the chaos that can occur after a self-defense event. Learn more about what the USCCA offers here.

Pocket Guns

Pocket guns are the smallest of concealed carry handguns, making them incredibly easy to conceal and incredibly comfortable to carry. Pocket guns will lack some of the accuracy and magazine capacity of larger handguns, however, if ease of concealment and comfort are your priorities then it's a worthwhile tradeoff. Three of the best pocket guns currently on the market include:

Ruger LCP II - Ruger has been making waves in the concealed carry market the past few years with their Licensed Carry (LC) line of handguns, and Ruger LCP 2 is one of the most compact guns in the lineup. This handgun features a slim profile, excellent trigger, and a larger grip frame surface for better distribution of recoil.
Smith & Wesson J-Frame Revolvers - The S&W J Frame revolver is considered to be one of the most popular concealed carry guns of all time. This snub-nosed revolver is the smallest revolver offered by Smith & Wesson, giving you maximum ease of concealment to go along with the reliability that Smith & Wesson revolvers are famous for.
S&W Bodyguard .380 - The Bodyguard .380 has an unloaded weight of just 12.3 ounces and features a finger groove in the gun's grip for better control of the small handgun. Also, for those who prefer a safety on their weapon, the Bodyguard is one of the few firearms this small to feature a thumb safety.

Single Stack Subcompacts

Once you move up from pocket guns to single stack subcompacts, you get a little more accuracy, magazine capacity, and larger cartridges without sacrificing too much in way of concealment and comfort. Three of the best single stack subcompact handguns for concealed carry include:

Glock 43 - Glock has a reputation for ruggedness and reliability that is unmatched in the firearm world, and their ultra-compact Glock 43 is no exception. One of the biggest benefits of the Glock 43 is its textured, beavertail grip which is designed to make the firearm feel larger in your hands than it actually is.
S&W M&P Shield 2.0 - The S&W Shield M2.0 is another offering in Smith & Wesson's ultra-popular Shield line of handguns. This firearm offers a high degree of accuracy and recoil control while still maintaining a slim and lightweight construction.
Sig Sauer P365 - The Sig P365 is one of the only single stack subcompact handguns in the world that offers 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Using a "one and a half" stack along with thin walls in the grip allows for increased capacity. In addition to its high capacity, the P365 is also renowned for its ease of concealment and its accuracy.

Double Stack Subcompacts

Double stack subcompact handguns offer the concealment and comfort of a subcompact frame as well as the large magazine capacity of a double stack magazine. Two of the best double stack subcompact firearms on the market are:

Heckler & Koch VP9SK - With the H&K VP9SK, you get 10 rounds of 9mmm ammunition in a handgun that is just 6.61" long and weighs just a hair over 23 ounces. An ergonomic grip that includes the end of the magazine as part of the grip gives you excellent control over the firearm, and an included picatinny rail gives you the option to mount a laser or a light to the bottom of the handgun.
Sig P320 Subcompact - The Sig Sauer P320 Subcompact offers either 12 rounds of 9mm or 10 rounds of .40 S&W in a size and profile that is perfect for concealed carry. The Sig Sauer P320 Subcompact also features a smooth, crisp trigger for increased accuracy.

Double Stack Compacts

Slightly larger than subcompact handguns, double stack compacts are a little more difficult to conceal but offer increased accuracy, decreased recoil, and increased magazine capacity. Three of the best double stack compact handguns include:

S&W M&P9 Compact M2.0 - The Smith & Wesson M&P9 Compact M2.0 offers a wide range of innovative features such as an aggressive grip texture and four interchangeable palm swells for optimum grip, a low bore barrel axis for increased recoil control, and a slim profile that feels smaller than it actually is. You get all of this plus 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition at your disposal.
Walther PPQ - The Walther PPQ is a breakthrough in ergonomics, making the firearm fit more naturally in your hand than most any other gun on the market. The Walther PPQ is also advertised as having one of the best triggers ever equipped on a polymer, striker-fired handgun and provides you with either 15 rounds of 9mm or 11 rounds of 40 S&W.
Glock 19 - Another incredibly popular handgun in Glock's lineup, the Glock 19 is one of the most common choices for private and public security agencies. With this firearm, you get all of Glock's reliability and accuracy in a firearm that is still easy to conceal and that offers 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Other Considerations

All of the firearms listed above are excellent choices for concealed carry purposes. In the end, it's up to you to choose which firearm fits you best and best fulfills your own specific requirements.

It's important to note, though, that every firearm is only as good as the holster it is carried in. Having a great holster makes concealing these firearms much easier while at the same time making them more comfortable to carry for extended periods of time. A great holster also allows you to quickly access your firearm in an emergency situation, which can be every bit as lifesaving as the increased accuracy and extra rounds of ammunition that the best concealed carry handguns provide.

At Urban Carry Holsters, we are proud to offer a wide range of concealed carry holsters designed to make the best concealed carry handguns even better. Once you've chosen the firearm that is ideal for you, we invite you to browse through our inventory of the best concealed carry holsters on the market in order to pair your firearm with a holster that will maximize its advantages.