Current events and your CCW weapon

[ABNAK]

Have mulled this over for a couple years but this recent spate of shootings (certainly no worse than others have been) has me seriously reconsidering my CCW options. This FedEx thing last night and the thought of facing a semi-auto/30rd rifle with a handgun kind of jerked me out of complacency.

I've always been a "smaller is better" kind of guy with regards to a CCW choice; not meaning caliber mind you, but physical size. This last decade+ it's been 9mm with 147gr HST. Be it the likes of a Glock 43, P365, S&W Shield, Walther PPS M2, etc. you get my drift. Sure, the Ruger LCP is soooo easy to just drop in the pocket of your comfy summer shorts for a quick run up to the gas station, but it's only a .380.

I have carried the Glock 19 before but I prefer IWB and it isn't the most slim or compact of pistols for that mission. Not horrible mind you, but it reminds you it's there. The Glock 19 (especially it's capacity) is the direction I'm thinking in this CCW "epiphany". The only drawback I see is the aforementioned relative comfort. However, 15rds of ammo beats 6 or 7.

That leads me to a choice which is dependent on an "odd-man-out factor": the magazine. I like the thought of the Glock 43X with 15rd Shield Arms magazines. The pistol itself feels good in the hand and is nice and slim. The Shield Arms mags offer Glock 19 capacity but aren't the proven OEM mags the 19 uses, so there's that. Plus, those Shield Arms mags are $70+ if you can find them (company is perpetually out of stock and Gunbroker is your only resort). Assuming the mags are thoroughly vetted and tested I might look in the general direction of a Glock 43X + 15rd mags.

Thoughts?

[Inkslinger]

Comfort is last on my list when it comes to CCW. My edc is a G19 with RMR and a surefire. I carry it in an AIWB sidecar with a 15 in the gun and 17 for a reload. I don’t find it to be horribly uncomfortable, but ymmv. I also don’t find it hard to conceal. I’m pretty fit, and I don’t have a problem wearing a form fitting shirt. There are very rare occasions where I’ll carry a G43 with a reload.

[CPM]

I have a 48 with shield magazines. I have a 15 and 2 x 20’s. I typically just carry with the 15. I ran them through a Bob Keller 2 Day Advanced Pistol Operator Course three weeks ago- 800 rounds through 3 magazines and zero issues of any kind.

The most important part of your equation is you and your ability to be rigorously honest about your capabilities. 25 yards looks pretty damn close off the range. Put a target up at 25 and see what you can do static with your carry gun.

Indian > Arrow. Training over everything.

[jsbhike]

I know a local guy that told me he is really liking the 43x + Shield Arms mags and he does shoot a lot.

Limited testing, but so far a used ETS 12rds G43 mag I picked up from a 2nd hand bin out of curiosity followed a factory new one have been reliable with a couple hundred semi wad cutter handloads if you still have a 43.

[el_chupo_]

All the "any gun is better than no gun" stuff aside, you gotta decide where comfort ranks on your list, and what "enough" is as far as capacity. I did the micro 9mm game (for me it was a Kahr), I got into a G43, but the Sig is a game changer, and the capacity and form factor made me sell the G43 and pick up a pair of 365s

I havent found a way to be comfortable with a G19 and 15+1, but a P365XL with 12+1 or 15+1 might be a good spot to sit at (yeah, mags are $50, but they have a lot higher round count reliability track record than Shield Arms).

New Shield Plus or Hellcat are also bringing a lot of capability to the table as well. Im not saying the G19 isnt the best option, but you have a lot more alternatives than you did a few years ago.

[jsbhike]

Give it a year for recalls to get cleared and the Ruger Max 9 may be a good option.

[ViniVidivici]

Forget comfort. Clint Smith said something like "it's not there to be comfortable, it's there to comfort you". As in the comfort of knowing you have a decent fighting pistol, as opposed to something else.

Been carrying a G23, G17, or G19 for YEARS, nary a problem concealing, with good holsters. 1911s before that.

G19 is actually one of the more concealable fighting pistols out there. That's what I'm employing most these days, in a JMCK AIWB rig. Concealed, and I can meet the 2 second standard with it any time.

You can carry it with a 19 round mag in, and a 21 rounder for spare. I do it all the time.

The late unpleasantness makes me think BUG, extra mags, possibly soft armor. Solid fighting pistol? Been there for a while....

You'll feel better once you're there too. And train like hell with it. Shoot real drills, meet standards, learn to truly fight with it. Run it close-in, at retention. Integrate combatives with its use. Practice running to cover, then engaging.

All of that is more easily done with a duty pistol than a mouse gun.

[pag23]

Mainly a Glock23 but sometimes I switch out the barrel for a Glock32 one and carry 357 Sig....

Extra mag as well...but also carry a knife or two

[ABNAK]

I have a 48 with shield magazines. I have a 15 and 2 x 20’s. I typically just carry with the 15. I ran them through a Bob Keller 2 Day Advanced Pistol Operator Course three weeks ago- 800 rounds through 3 magazines and zero issues of any kind.

The most important part of your equation is you and your ability to be rigorously honest about your capabilities. 25 yards looks pretty damn close off the range. Put a target up at 25 and see what you can do static with your carry gun.

Indian > Arrow. Training over everything.

Yes, the 48 with Shield Arms mags is another option. It basically gives you Glock 19 ballistics with a slimmer profile, so win-win. [note I stopped short of saying it was essentially a skinny Glock 19]

The 48/43X route is one I may pursue. I have 8 of the 15rd Shield Arms mags I accumulated and since the $$$ has already been spent my path may be set.

[Arik]

Why not the 365xl? Mags are available AND cheaper than the Shield Arms.

If you already have the 365 I believe you can play mix and match with slides and frames.


My CCW has always been a duty size gun. When I started carrying I didn't know any better. I assumed all guns were that size. Started with Ruger P89 then Taurus's Beretta 92 copy, Korean P51 (forget actual name) there was a S&W 5906, 4506, 4566, Sig 226, 220.....you get the idea. It's been G19 for a while now with a few exceptions. However, after picking up both Sig 365 versions I'm probably going to switch to the 365xl for some of summer's activities

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