Concealed Carry - capacity vs size?

While I believe these stats are roughly true, a good planner does not plan to win the average battle; he plans for a worse-case scenario.
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Wouldn't that entail at least a bulletproof vest?
 
Lee6113 said:
Would you rather have a concealed carry weapon that's small and easily concealable, or a weapon maybe a little bigger but with a double stacked magazine?

Right now I'm looking at getting an XDm 3.8" 9mm. When we went to the range to rent one we also tried an XDs which was a tiny 3" single stack with I believe 7+1 bullets. My wife and I liked it but I don't know if I'd want only 8 rounds in the gun, even with a spare mag.

I was thinking an XDm compact would be better or even an XDs mod 2.

What are your thoughts? Which is more important? Capacity or size?
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I got the Shield last month and am ready to sell it. I've decided I'm not a micro gun fan. I need something I can grab.
 
definitely size. I started out carrying full sized guns but quickly found they didnt work with my wardrobe.....i could be wearing anything from dress clothes to shorts and a tshirt, so i have a bevy of guns i alternate now. Everything from pocket carry of a keltec 32, pf9, p11 and charter arms undercover up to my largest carry gun, a glock 27. Like a previous poster said, i dont see myself getting into a running gun battle, i need guns i can carry all the time.
 
I'm not so much hung up on capacity (although it's always a plus) as I am with the overall size of the weapon. I don't consider anything with less than a 4" (or close enough to it) barrel. I don't feel I gain anything at all concealability wise with a 3" barrel and I feel I give up a lot in shootability to get there. Weight and thickness of the firearm do matter but I've mitigated that for the most part with my choices in belts and holsters.

CCO 1911 / Glock 19 / CZ P07 seem to be the sweet spot for me and I don't see myself deviating from that footprint much at this point. Feels like a concealable full size fighting handgun when you get inside that box. YMMV.
 
One of The Great Debates rages on . . .

"Capacity vs. Size" is one of The Great Debates here at TFL. It ranks right up there with "9mm vs. .45" and "1911 vs. Glock."

A buddy of mine has a saying: "If I knew I was goin' to a gunfight, I'd go somewhere else. If I just had to go, I'd bring a rifle. And friends. With rifles." Handguns are a compromise. As compared to a rifle, we (those who carry) give up caliber and capacity in order to have something that we can carry on our person, and with some modicum of comfort. While we can offer you our experiences, it's a decision that you'll have to make on your own in the end.

As for me, I carried a full-sized steel pistol for about the first 3 years that I carried. I've brought two other pistols into the carry rotation since then, so I now have carry guns in small, medium and large. My medium sized carry gun, a G19, gets more hip time than the others, as much as I hate to admit it . . . I carry a spare magazine, so that gets me to 30 rounds of 9mm. (No, I'm not actually expecting to be ambushed by a gang of drug-addled meth-heads. Still, I'd rather have the extra rounds and not need them . . . . ) It's lighter than my full-sized carry pistol and, in some ways, more comfortable. My pocket pistol is great for an early morning run to the store, but more difficult to shoot well. That's the compromise I reached.

I have a little (very little) time on the trigger with the XD line and I liked them. I've shot the XDs in .45, which I found to be a surprisingly soft shooter and an XD (full-sized) in 9mm. It was OK, but I was less fond of it than the XDs. Were it my $, I'd be looking long and hard at that XDm 3.8" compact. In fact, I have seriously considered the XDm .38" compact .45 for a long time. For my life (my activities, wardrobe, etc.), it's in the Goldilocks category, along with my G19 and several others. Not too big, not too small, but just right. Also known as "large enough to shoot well, small enough to conceal comfortably."

I'm sure there's nothing wrong with the XD Mod 2, but I'd prefer to have a little longer barrel and sight radius. It may not make a difference at SD distances, but I like something a little longer for range day. In my experience, the longer barrel won't affect concealability at all, especially if you go with an IWB holster.

As for the XDs, the one I shot was a neat little gun. Yeah, it holds fewer rounds than larger guns, but that's to be expected. I wouldn't mind having one for early morning runs to the store. If you carry a spare mag, you're looking at 7 in the gun + 8 in the backup mag. That's not bad.
 
Would you rather have a concealed carry weapon that's small and easily concealable, or a weapon maybe a little bigger but with a double stacked magazine?

Right now I'm looking at getting an XDm 3.8" 9mm. When we went to the range to rent one we also tried an XDs which was a tiny 3" single stack with I believe 7+1 bullets. My wife and I liked it but I don't know if I'd want only 8 rounds in the gun, even with a spare mag.

I was thinking an XDm compact would be better or even an XDs mod 2.

What are your thoughts? Which is more important? Capacity or size?
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Here's the really really important question: which one would you be most likely to wear consistently? An uncomfortable gun (to YOU, and not what other people tell you is comfortable) is a gun that won't be worn and is therefore useless.
 
FWIW, I carry a Glock 26. It is small enough, that when worn in a iwb holster, it can be concealed with just a tee shirt. It holds 10+1 rounds, and with a finger rest base plate on the magazine, it feels like a full size grip. It doesn't hurt that for a spare mag, it can also take the 17 and 15 round mags of the G17 and G19. I found that it works quite well for me.
 
When it comes to size/capacity ratio it's hard to beat a G26. I have a Kimber Solo, LC9s and now a G43. I never carry them though as I shoot the g26 better and I guess Eleven is the minimum capacity for me not to feel under gunned.
 
I think the BEST size/capacity CC gun is the Taurus PT111. I know a lot of you will refuse to buy a Taurus, but I don't know of any other guns in the shield's size class that holds 13 rounds. I don't feel like I am giving up any capacity and it carries and holds like a single stack. and it's nearly 1000 rounds 100% reliable to date. so it's my choice, and I carry with confidence
 
To me, its always a single stack...I don't want any kind of double stack ....

.....and I don't view capacity as a big deal, its Defense, not the shootout at the OK Corral...

I understand bad things can happen...and multiple attackers and all that..but I'll take my chances.
 
If I am wearing a jacket, I generally do cary a Walther PPQ, Sig 320 or my HK VP9. As has been said a million times, you never hear anyone say "Damn, I wish I brought less ammo to this gunfight."

On the other hand. If I could only buy one gun for CC, it would be something small like the Shield or a Glock 43. I say this because first and foremost any gun is better than no gun. The fact of the matter is, if it is summer and I am dressed in light clothing it is much simpler to conceal a smaller gun. People are much more inclined to do what is easy, so I believe it would be carried more often by me or anyone else (for the most part).

The odds of getting in a gunfight if you are not LE is so small it is hard imagine it would ever happen. 80% or more of all LE officer go there whole career without firing their weapon in anger so the odds of a CC getting in a gunfight are infinitesimal. The odds of needing a lot of rounds is even smaller.

Having said this I try to never leave the house without a gun at least in my car and for the most part on my hip. Please dont hate on me too much. This is just my opinion and I believe everyone should carry whatever makes them comfortable.
 
Just a woman's two cents ... I would prefer to have a little something of both ... I personally CC a Glock 26 with 15 rounds. I also have a Beretta 92 FS with 15 rounds - however, that's obviously much bigger, heavier and bulkier.

I prefer the smaller, more compact 26!
 
What are your thoughts? Which is more important? Capacity or size?
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I find it ironic that the mother of high capacity handguns, Glock, after all these years.... has finally come out with a singlestack.
 
I must be strange because I prefer full size single stack 45s. I alternate between a full size 1911 and a sig p220 match elite (5" bbl, all steel). They fit my hand the best and I more accurate with them than any of my other firearms, well except my n frame smiths.
 
I find it ironic that the mother of high capacity handguns, Glock, after all these years.... has finally come out with a singlestack.
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I really don't see irony, and for the record the Glock 36 is a single stack and it was released forever ago.

The market has changed so, so, SO much since the debut of the Glock 17 and Glock 19. If we are forced to search for irony I would say it's that a gun maker who has practically created the market that it has led for so many years has been extremely slow to react to other (huge) markets very much within their grasp. But then again, to sit back and laugh at Glock and tell Glock what they should do to succeed would be a lot like calling up Steinbrenner and giving him your breakdown on the success and failures of the NY Yankees.
 
im not criticizing or laughing at Glock, my point was that size is an important component of CC. Good point on the Glock 36 though.
 
Just a woman's two cents ... I would prefer to have a little something of both ... I personally CC a Glock 26 with 15 rounds. I also have a Beretta 92 FS with 15 rounds - however, that's obviously much bigger, heavier and bulkier.

I prefer the smaller, more compact 26!
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Actually that is a point I haven't mentioned yet. I want my wife to be able to conceal carry if necessary, and I'm under the impression that especially for ladies smaller is easier to conceal.

Would a double stack vs a single stack make a lot of difference when carrying? Especially for the ladies?
 
I have the choice of my 16+1 SD9VE (size and weight of Glock 19) or my 6+1 TCP. I choose the TCP nearly every time. When I carry the SD9VE, I am very aware of it. When I carry the TCP, I frequently forget about it and am more comfortable that it is truly concealed.
 
For me, the Glock 19/23/32 are the best compromise of capacity and size.

The 26/27/33 are not my first pick, because I dislike not being able to get all my fingers on the grip without the use of a magazine base extension.
 
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