7 Concealed Carry Handguns for Last-Minute Shoppers

Christmas is less than a week away and that means the time is right for a list of seven concealed carry handguns for last minute shoppers.

Some of the handguns on the list are revolvers, others semiautomatics, but all are concealable and demonstrably popular for self-defense.

Ruger LCP II—The Ruger LCP II is an updated version of the extremely popular LCP. The pistol is chambered in .380 with a grip that is slightly wider than the original LCP. The wider grip was added to diminish recoil. The grip of the LCP II is textured to help keep the gun steady in the owner’s hand, and it has a trigger that is equipped with a safety. The edges of the pistol, including the sights, are rounded and smooth to prevent the gun from snagging when drawn from a purse or pocket for self-defense, and at 10.6 ounces the LCP II is comfortable for everyday carry. The pistol costs about $290.

Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380—The M&P Bodyguard is a semiautomatic handgun chambered in .380. It weighs in at 12 ounces and has a meaty, textured grip to help prevent the gun from slipping in the hand. The M&P line has proven to be one of Smith & Wesson’s most popular lines ever, and the Bodyguard 380 one of best concealed carry guns in that line. It is a true pocket gun imbued with Smith & Wesson quality. The Bodyguard 380 begin at about $310.

GLOCK 42—The Glock 42 is an ultra-compact Glock handgun chambered in .380. The 42 looks like a Glock, feels like a Glock, and will last like a Glock. It weighs 13.7 ounces, which means it provides the same kind of comfort in carry as the Ruger LCP II or Bodyguard 380. The 42 is extremely accurate and easy to shoot. Myriad aftermarket accessories are available for the gun. The 42 costs about $395 to $410.

SCCY CPX-2—The CPX-2 is a 9mm handgun available in a multitude of color options. It is durable, accurate, and very concealable. At 15 ounces the CPX-2 is a bit meatier than the LCP II or Glock 42, but its slightly bigger size allows the gun to hold 11 rounds of ammunition (counting the round in the chamber). On the other hand, the LCP, Bodyguard 380, and Glock 42 each hold 7 rounds (counting one in the chamber). The CPX-2 has a long double-action trigger pull that helps guard against accidental discharges should the gun get snagged on something in a purse or glove box. The CPX-2 cost about $290 to $300.

GLOCK 43—The Glock 43 is single stack 9mm pistol. The single stack magazine allows the gun to have a slimmer profile than other Glocks without sacrificing the company’s legendary quality and durability. In 2015 Breitbart News made sure our Glock 43 was unloaded then submerged it in water and froze it solid. We thawed it, then refroze it, then repeated the process until we had frozen it four times. After the fourth time we tied the frozen gun to the back of Jeep and drove down a caliche road for 1.5 miles. The frame and slide were scratched up and the sights were seared off but the gun fired when we chambered a round and pulled the trigger. It has been trusted for a concealed carry handgun since that time. A Glock 43 costs about $500 to $510.

Ruger LCR .357 Magnum—The Ruger LCR .357 Magnum is a five shot snub-nose revolver. The .357 chambering means the gun also shoots .38 Special and .38 Special +P ammunition. The LCR differs from other snub-nosed revolvers in that much of the gun is made of weight-reducing polymer, while the frame, cylinder, and barrel are made of steel.  The LCR weighs 17 ounces, making it a comfortable gun for concealed carry. And recoil with .38 Special +P ammunition is very manageable, helping with second shot acquisition if a quick second shot is needed. A LCR in .357 Magnum costs about $525.

Kimber K6s—The K6s is a work of art. Perhaps we should say it is a work of art that is also a snub-nose revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. That chambering means the gun also shoots .38 Special and .38 Special +P. The K6s is stainless and weighs 23 ounces. That weight actually benefits the concealed carrier in that it makes the .357 Magnum manageable. Yet the most impressive aspect of the K6s is the gun’s trigger. The person shooting the gun can actually feel it getting ready to fire.  A Kimber K6s starts at about $800 to $830.

While there are stark differences between many of the guns listed above—differences in price, capacity, action, etc.—all of the guns have proven to be reliable concealed carry firearms. A concealed carry handgun is the gift that keeps on giving.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange