Best CA-compliant EDC handgun?

[phonso302]

P365 Xmacro / AXG module... Shoots amazing, concealable and not too heavy

 

[five.five-six]

I absolutely love my P229. With its rounded corners it carries better than any glock and handles like a full sized pistol. 12+1 .40S&W should be plenty for whatever I may encounter.

 

[Joker67]

If you are in NorCal , the Richmond Rod and Gun club has a few fun CCW matches a year. It’s not USPSAand it’s not IDPA. It’s a good event to test your EDC set up, your pistol and mag pouch choice and your ability to manipulate under pressure. The first one was eye opening for a lot of folks having zero to do with shooting ability. Some gear touted as good failed under pressure. Some guns which are easy to shoot standing flatfooted and slow firing paper were very difficult to reload quickly , shoot quickly and transition from target to target. The guy who wins most of these shoots a G19 with 407k. Nothing fancy.

I suck but I’ve been training harder with my carry guns. What showed most was the time people put in. The gun didn’t matter as much as the work they put in. Trigger doesn’t really matter if you put in the time.

Some of the guns listed as good in this thread , you never see in these matches. Some of the guns listed here as not so good are shot with success at a very high level.

How much time are you going to put in to actually be able to shoot the gun you carry is also a consideration. If you aren’t going to take classes, train and pressure test your skill set, you may not be best served with a subcompact.

 

[Sloat]

If you are in NorCal , the Richmond Rod and Gun club has a few fun CCW matches a year. It’s not USPSAand it’s not IDPA. It’s a good event to test your EDC set up, your pistol and mag pouch choice and your ability to manipulate under pressure. The first one was eye opening for a lot of folks having zero to do with shooting ability. Some gear touted as good failed under pressure. Some guns which are easy to shoot standing flatfooted and slow firing paper were very difficult to reload quickly , shoot quickly and transition from target to target. The guy who wins most of these shoots a G19 with 407k. Nothing fancy.

I suck but I’ve been training harder with my carry guns. What showed most was the time people put in. The gun didn’t matter as much as the work they put in. Trigger doesn’t really matter if you put in the time.

Some of the guns listed as good in this thread , you never see in these matches. Some of the guns listed here as not so good are shot with success at a very high level.

How much time are you going to put in to actually be able to shoot the gun you carry is also a consideration. If you aren’t going to take classes, train and pressure test your skill set, you may not be best served with a subcompact.

If you're not going for score, it's not a bad idea to run USPSA/IDPA with your CC setup anyways. Test it in scenarios as close as you will likely get to a real-world scenario.

 

[Punkur67]

I love my 365 xmacro comp. If your looking for a pocket cary check out the sig p238. I dont own a p238 but have shot one and they are surprisingly comfortable for their size, especially with the magazine extension

 

[Joker67]

If you're not going for score, it's not a bad idea to run USPSA/IDPA with your CC setup anyways. Test it in scenarios as close as you will likely get to a real-world scenario.

I shot the Golden Bullet (Level 2 match) with a P365XL from AIWB and a single concealed mag pouch. Total dumpster fire but my squad mates didn’t realize what I was shooting until the last stage and gave me props for trying and getting out of my comfort zone . Not bad for what I tried to do After that, I went back to the P-01 for EDC, Steel Challenge and USPSA. Train with what you fight with.

 

[seeking-barrel]

Shield Plus with an OR slide.

 

[Gryff]

Remember, your CCW gun is for GUN FIGHTING. It's not for convenience. This is why I recommend the Glock 26 as the minimum size gun for carry under normal conditions. It's wide enough to solidly grip and managing its recoil is easy.

Meh. Your CCW is for self-defense. The average person should be carry the smallest gun they can shoot effectively. If the gun does not offer some level of size convenience, then you WILL choose not to put it on for quick trips to the grocery store, taking the dogs for a walk after dinner, whatever. So the likelihood increases that you will not have it when you need it.

That being said, whatever you choose, you need to practice with. A lot. You need to be able to use it to get center mass hits while you are trying not to wet yourself in fear while thinking you may be about to die. Small guns like the M&P Shield, P365, Glock 43 are easy to master with practice. They're 9mm for chrissake, not raging hand cannons. The problem is that your average CCW holder fires maybe 100-200 rounds per year through their carry gun. If that. That's not an adequate amount to gain competency with a tool that you will most likely need to use when instinct is strongly over-riding motor control.

Joker67 said:

If you are in NorCal , the Richmond Rod and Gun club has a few fun CCW matches a year. It’s not USPSAand it’s not IDPA. It’s a good event to test your EDC set up, your pistol and mag pouch choice and your ability to manipulate under pressure. The first one was eye opening for a lot of folks having zero to do with shooting ability. Some gear touted as good failed under pressure. Some guns which are easy to shoot standing flatfooted and slow firing paper were very difficult to reload quickly , shoot quickly and transition from target to target. The guy who wins most of these shoots a G19 with 407k. Nothing fancy.

LOL. Those matches crack me up. They are IDPA matches without the fishing vests. But, yes, those along with IDPA matches are great opportunities to test your carry gear.

 

[reagentcheck]

Meh. Your CCW is for self-defense. The average person should be carry the smallest gun they can shoot effectively. If the gun does not offer some level of size convenience, then you WILL choose not to put it on for quick trips to the grocery store, taking the dogs for a walk after dinner, whatever. So the likelihood increases that you will not have it when you need it.

That being said, whatever you choose, you need to practice with. A lot. You need to be able to use it to get center mass hits while you are trying not to wet yourself in fear while thinking you may be about to die. Small guns like the M&P Shield, P365, Glock 43 are easy to master with practice. They're 9mm for chrissake, not raging hand cannons. The problem is that your average CCW holder fires maybe 100-200 rounds per year through their carry gun. If that. That's not an adequate amount to gain competency with a tool that you will most likely need to use when instinct is strongly over-riding motor control.



LOL. Those matches crack me up. They are IDPA matches without the fishing vests. But, yes, those along with IDPA matches are great opportunities to test your carry gear.

Agreed. Pick the smallest gun that you can shoot well. Average self defense distance is 3-7 yards based on a simple google search.

 

[AugustWest]

I carry a P365 with Holosun red dot

 

[Jimi Jah]

For plastic the Shield.

For metal the EMP. That's a baby 1911.

 

[M_N04H]

For plastic the Shield.

For metal the EMP. That's a baby 1911.

I kinda regret selling my EMP, much more expensive now

 

[donmatteo]

For plastic the Shield.

For metal the EMP. That's a baby 1911.

I LOVE my 3' EMP. It's my go to carry.

I'd carry my Glock 29SF but it ways A LOT when it's loaded.

 

[Tommo]

Shield Plus is a very nice micro 9.

 

[safetyfirstont]

I'm over here with my Xd9 subcompact lol. It's been my main squeeze for a while. Carrys decent , I shoot it well, I got lots of mags for it. My biased vote goes to it.

 

[tomrkba]

Meh. Your CCW is for self-defense. If the gun does not offer some level of size convenience, then you WILL choose not to put it on for quick trips to the grocery store, taking the dogs for a walk after dinner, whatever. So the likelihood increases that you will not have it when you need it.

As if "self-defense" and "gun fighting" are different. I guess we have to lie to satisfy some sort of court imposed "political correctness".

The average person should be carry the smallest gun they can shoot effectively.

While Cirillo does speak about small handguns, he speaks to the reality of gun fights:

It always galls me when I hear someone say, “Oh, that weapon is much too heavy to carry.” To this I say, “When you get into a gunfight, you will wish you had the biggest, heaviest, largest bore handgun you could get your hands on.”

Cirillo, Jim. Guns, Bullets, and Gunfights: Lessons and Tales from a Modern-Day Gunfighter (p. 116).

This says far more than any mere statement about prioritizing convenience for "self-defense". It's one of the major problems with concealed carry today because laziness, which is what "convenience" means in this context, translates into a distinct lack of practice, avoidance of training, and wishful thinking about the carried handgun as a "talisman that wards against crime." This is confirmed by experience in classes, observations and discussions on the range and in stores, and in discussing the topic with instructors.

The remainder of your statement, "...you WILL choose not to put it on for quick trips to the grocery store,..." is just confirmation of the average man's lackadaisical attitude toward concealed carry. Worse, many seem to refuse to consider the implications of death from a fight. One needs to WANT to carry an effective fighting gun.

 

[New_Spin]

P365 with a cheap Hogue grip sleeve, for anyone wondering. She's got hips now.

This is mine with a WCXL grip PLUS the Hogue compared to the stock base model grip module
Talk about hips

For the OP:
I went down this rabbit hole for a while before I bought my P365. Honestly I'd heard of early versions (well before the CA roster version was released) having firing pins break, but this thread is my first time hearing about trigger return springs breaking... guess YMMV

That said, I still trust mine as my CC, and thousands of others do around the country and the world.

Go to your LGS and handle one, try out every version/grip size you can etc.
As well as other options.
I hear a lot of good about the Hellcat, but I personally didn't care for the shape of the grip (too square on the front strap area for me), but every Sig I've ever handled just felt good.
Unfortunately I got my P365 before the Shield Plus came out, the regular Shield was a VERY close 2nd option but the 8rd capacity killed it for me. Obviously the Shield Plus doesn't have that issues.
Go try some stuff out, rent/shoot them ideally, and see what works for you. Grip, controls, etc.

For EDC/CCW what's most important is not only reliability but also if YOU yourself can operate it reliably on top of that. Whether it's something that'll need training or a mod or two (like for me the XL grip length was non-negotiable, for my hands I just needed that extra length personally).

Whatever you get, TRAIN AND SHOOT.
Best of luck

 

[aema15]

If you are in NorCal , the Richmond Rod and Gun club has a few fun CCW matches a year. It’s not USPSAand it’s not IDPA. It’s a good event to test your EDC set up, your pistol and mag pouch choice and your ability to manipulate under pressure. The first one was eye opening for a lot of folks having zero to do with shooting ability. Some gear touted as good failed under pressure. Some guns which are easy to shoot standing flatfooted and slow firing paper were very difficult to reload quickly , shoot quickly and transition from target to target. The guy who wins most of these shoots a G19 with 407k. Nothing fancy.

I suck but I’ve been training harder with my carry guns. What showed most was the time people put in. The gun didn’t matter as much as the work they put in. Trigger doesn’t really matter if you put in the time.

Some of the guns listed as good in this thread , you never see in these matches. Some of the guns listed here as not so good are shot with success at a very high level.

How much time are you going to put in to actually be able to shoot the gun you carry is also a consideration. If you aren’t going to take classes, train and pressure test your skill set, you may not be best served with a subcompact.

Do you have any anecdotes on gear (brand, type, etc.) that's shown to repeatedly fail or perform as expected?

 

[M_N04H]

This is mine with a WCXL grip PLUS the Hogue compared to the stock base model grip module
Talk about hips

For the OP:
I went down this rabbit hole for a while before I bought my P365. Honestly I'd heard of early versions (well before the CA roster version was released) having firing pins break, but this thread is my first time hearing about trigger return springs breaking... guess YMMV

That said, I still trust mine as my CC, and thousands of others do around the country and the world.

Go to your LGS and handle one, try out every version/grip size you can etc.
As well as other options.
I hear a lot of good about the Hellcat, but I personally didn't care for the shape of the grip (too square on the front strap area for me), but every Sig I've ever handled just felt good.
Unfortunately I got my P365 before the Shield Plus came out, the regular Shield was a VERY close 2nd option but the 8rd capacity killed it for me. Obviously the Shield Plus doesn't have that issues.
Go try some stuff out, rent/shoot them ideally, and see what works for you. Grip, controls, etc.

For EDC/CCW what's most important is not only reliability but also if YOU yourself can operate it reliably on top of that. Whether it's something that'll need training or a mod or two (like for me the XL grip length was non-negotiable, for my hands I just needed that extra length personally).

Whatever you get, TRAIN AND SHOOT.
Best of luck

Whoa yours got a BBL. The Shield feels great in the hand and I actually shot better with it than the p365. But like you, I got the Sig before the Shield Plus came out. I may change to the Shield eventually. And is your P365 the CA roster version? I hear those firing pin and spring problems were with early versions. I don't know how prominent it is with more recent ones.

 

[clicker]

CZ83 all metal 380. Reduced recoil with 10 round. Still on roster.
Also the Sig365 current models.