Six Great Concealed Carry Pistols for Your Christmas Wish List

With Black Friday quickly approaching and gun sales on an 18-month record breaking streak, Breitbart News believes the timing is right to point out six great concealed carry pistols for your Christmas list.

Being pistols, the guns on the following list all share one thing in common–they are semiautomatics. Beyond that, some are very compact and light and hold only a few rounds–seven or eight–and others,while still compact, are a bit larger and consequently hold twice as many rounds as their smaller counterparts.

Regardless of the size and caliber that most appeals to you, another common thread with the guns below is their dependability. They are extremely reliable firearms, and all of them have found mass appeal among concealed carry permit holders around the country.

Glock 43 (9mm)–The Glock 43 is a single stack handgun that holds six rounds of 9mm in the magazine and one in the chamber. So that’s 6+1, for a total of seven rounds of hollow point +P ammunition at the ready (in cities/states where such ammunition isn’t illegal). The 43 is pure Glock through and through, which means it is durable beyond belief, easy to use, and very comfortable to carry. The 43 is 6.26 inches long, 1.02 inches wide, and weighs 17.9 ounces. Like all Glocks, it has no external thumb safety. The safety is built in the trigger via Glock’s “Safe Action” system and is released when pressure is applied to trigger.

Approximate price for a Glock 43 — $500 to $580.

Smith & Wesson M&P Shield (9mm)–The Shield is similar in size to the 43, but holds one more round of 9mm. It is a 7+1 gun (8+1 with the secondary magazine.) The trade-off is 3 more ounces in weight. The Shield weighs 20.8 ounces. The Shield’s trigger operates in a manner similar to Glock’s in that it prevents the gun from firing if dropped or slapped around. The safety in the trigger is disengaged when the trigger is depressed, thus allowing the weapon to fire. The Shield can be acquired with an optional external thumb saftey. Like the Glock 43, the Shield is very concealable, easy to use, and comfortable to carry.

Approximate price for a M&P Shield –$450.

Glock 42 (.380)–The Glock 42 holds six rounds of .380 ammunition plus one in the chamber (6+1). It is smaller than the model 43 and lighter, with the trade-off being that the 42 shoots a .380 instead of a 9mm. The 42 is 4.92 inches long, .94 inches wide, and weighs 13.76 ounces. The 42 is a great concealed carry gun for women because of the lighter recoil, but it has proven popular with men and women alike. It is extremely light–therefore comfortable to carry–and is easy to use. It also has Glock dependability on its side.

 

Kimber Micro Carry (.380)–The Kimber Micro Carry is a standout in the .380 market. Although ultra-compact, the gun handles and functions like a full size 1911 handgun. And it shoots bigger than it is. In other words, it shoots as if it were a much larger gun with a much longer barrel. Its accuracy is sublime. The Micro Carry weighs 14.8 ounces and holds seven rounds of .380 in the magazine plus one in the chamber (7+1). Unlike the previous guns in this list, the Micro Carry is a single action pistol, which means it has a hammer that must be cocked in order to fire the first bullet. The hammer can be cocked by racking the slide or by pulling the hammer to the cocked position with your thumb. This feature–a classic aspect of 1911 pistols–affords the person carrying the gun an added sense of safety against accidental discharge.

Approximate price for a Kimber Micro Carry (the Two-Tone model was tested) — $650.

Sig Sauer P238 (.380)–The Sig Sauer P238 is a .380 handgun similar to the Kimber Micro in that it operates from a single action platform. It is very compact at 5.5 inches in length, 1.1 inches in width, and 15.2 ounces unloaded. It has an external thumb safety and holds six rounds of .380 ammunition in the magazine and one in the chamber (6+1). The diminutive size of the P238 makes it a great gun for women who plan to carry a gun in their purse or bag instead of on their person. And the external safety can provide added peace of mind against an accidental discharge.

Approximate price for Sig Sauer P238 is $680.

Glock 19 (9mm)–The Glock 19 is a proven workhorse. It is not as small or light as the other pistols on this list, but carries the added benefit of more rounds; it ships with 15-round magazines. That is 16 rounds total or 15+1. The 19 is 7.36 inches long, 1.36 inches wide, and weighs 23.65 ounces unloaded. Like the other Glocks in this list it has no external safety. Rather, the trigger has a safety incorporated into it that allows the gun to fire as soon as it is depressed. The Glock 19 is one of the most enduring 9mm handguns on the market.

The Glock 19 costs approximately $550.

The key to any of these guns is finding the one that fits your hand and one that you can physically and easily conceal. If you live in a climate that allows you to comfortably carry a gun inside the waistband, Clinger Holsters make one of the best inside the waistband holsters available. If you plan to carry outside the waistband–under a shirt, for instance, or in an open carry state–Alien Gear Holsters are incredible.

Whatever holster and gun combo you choose, the key is to familiarize yourself with your firearm and the laws of your state, then carry the gun everyday and everywhere you can. The gun has to be with you in order to be used by you in defense of your life and liberty.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of “Bullets with AWR Hawkins,” a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.