my top 3, whats your choice??

[lilrhino]

i have whittled down my choice for my first cc pistol to three choices, and i am going to make it a early christmas present to myself in a couple weeks so now i need other peoples help to decide what they like the best. ive shot all three, love them all but still cant decide. heres what you got to keep in mind-- im 6 foot, 180 lbs so a thin guy. i dress casual for everyday life but do wear slacks, suits for work. most of my clothes currently are not baggy, especially not enough to carry on my hip. i have 2 1911s so very familiar with .45 and grip safety. i will be in and out of my car alot, i drive alot for work, usually dont walk around or stand up for more than an hr at a time. i know holster will come into play in that one but please dont suggest a fs 1911 i cant carry it (tried and people notice). also i am left handed. so now that you know that, my choices are--

1. springfield xds .45 I know this is a striker fire and i dont like that aspect of it ( mostly cause i am not familiar with it), but its single stack, grip safety and only .9 inches wide. perfect for ankle carry, or small of the back, or 4-5 oclock

2. FNH fnx40. i love the rear hammer, very easy to shoot, handle and get to all the controls easily. a little on the fat side at 1.77 inches at the grips but feels great in my hands.

3. beretta px4 storm .40. i LOVE the feel of this gun but it is a little hard to ghet to the hammer and safety, i hope its just a "more practice thing".

i probably will end up buying all of these guns eventually but i am looking for number 1 right now, would love to hear input of what your favorite is. there are positives and megatives about every gun and if i had to choose one, it would be the xds, but i really love hammer fired pistols cause it is what i am used to. so any experiences/problems/input of carrying these daily?

thanks!!

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[mrblond]

Well, depending on your budget, you could look into a sig p229. Or if you want more bells and whistles, a m11-a1.

 

[simon99]

My top 3 CC guns that fit me and my lifestyle -
1. Glock 26
2. Beretta Nano
3. Sig P290

 

[JVK]

You're gonna find the FN's to be too big for cc & i hear ya on the ergo's of the PX4.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

I currently use carry a sig 238 or a g23. From your choices above I would go with the fnx. I can carry the g23 in a tshirt and shorts, and while yes it prints, nobody has said anything about it. If you do not look for it the g23 is not in your face noticeable, and it wont concern the ati-gun types.

 

[1stIDFMP]

Depending on attire & carry mode (Sweatshirt & jeans, cargo shorts & T-shirt, etc....)
1. Glock 23
2. Kahr P9
3. S&W 642

and then on my other hip.........

 

[TapRackNGo]

Glock 17 / 19

 

[addiction]

1. OD G19
2. FDE G19
3. Blk G19

and on a cold day

1. G29SF

 

[Major Payne]

Sig 938 hands down best ccw IMO

 

[lilrhino]

thank you for your input everyone, i have tried numerous guns and would like input on these 3 specific guns as i will be buying one soon. if i dont get one soon ill just stick with my makarov for ankle carry till the xds comes back on the market

 

[lilrhino]

i want a all around gun, so 9mm imo doesnt cut it. i see the ballistics of the 380 and even though i would not want to be on the buisness end of it i still want a .40 at minumum. xds seems like the ideal choice to me but the recall, and it being striker fire doesnt get my juices flowing

 

[motoman98]

Okay, I have bought the FNX in .40 and it is a VERY GOOD pistol. Ergo is good, pointability is good, recoil is surprizingly harsh as those backsraps have alot of hard edges on the grooving, or plastic checkering. Just too bulky for cc. I eventually went back to the single stack Sig P239 in .40 S&W. Great ergonomics, fairly thin, points really well, and a great shooter.
not wild about the xds or the berreta.

 

[Oro]

For autos, my favorite is the S&W 908/3913. I have a 908 and it's everything you need in a carry gun, nothing you don't. Have tried Glocks, XDS, etc. and they fall flat. Unlike so many cc guns, it is truly "right sized" for the caliber (9mm), which helps explain its enduring popularity even though out of main production.

Check out a S&W J-frame .38, too - perhaps one of the greatest CC guns of all time in my opinion.

.38 Special and 9mm are really perfectly good cc calibers, and are very shootable in cc sized guns; I got over my ".40 or bigger" delusion several years ago.

 

[lilrhino]

i see they are discontinued, or not readily accessible. and if i am seeing right... no hammer? no thanks!

 

[brentb636]

I don't like the .40 at all. My vote for high end is Sig P245, or P220 Carry.
I really like carrying the Pa-63 ( thin and light) in 9mm Mak.
Smallest is PPK or copy FEG SMC-380 loaded with 103 gr Golden Sabers.
We all have our peculiarities. Plant any of them in a Crossbreed Super Tuck and you won't do better for all day carry.

 

[Oro]

i see they are discontinued, or not readily accessible. and if i am seeing right... no hammer? no thanks!

3913TSW is still in production. They are hammer-fired, not striker fired. Another reason I like them. The hammer is bobbed for cc, that might be what confused you. Easy to find one or the other used (3913 or 908). I have never handled one, but many say the Sig 239 is the only other gun comparable, and motoman98 mentioned that one. Most Sig's are oversized, clunky, and not great cc pieces but that one has some virtues.

 

[Modeler]

Guys, did any of you read the OP's post? He has narrowed it down to 3 guns and the vast majority of replies haven't addressed any of them; all you've done is tell him he's wrong. Really? That's the best you have for him? That none of his three choices are correct?

"Welcome to the forum new guy, good job doing research and thinking hard about your decision; here's why you're wrong..."

Out of those three I'd pick the PX4. It's compact and easy to conceal relative to the other two, and the fully ambidextrous controls are good for lefties like yourself

 

[techieguy]

I lean toward hammer fired pistols, thus my favorites are in this order: 1911 pattern pistol (in my case a Kimber either in 45 ACP or 10mm) Sig P238 for pocket carry then lastly I would go for a S&W M&P with a Apex FSS trigger.

 

[Phillyfan]

Kahr PM or CW 9 or 40.
keltec P-11
Rohrbaugh r9

All are 9mm or better, can go in waistband or pocket comfortably, and have good records of reliability.

 

[Phillyfan]

Sorry, misread the post. Thought you were asking what my top three would be. Out of your choices I would go with the XD-s. Mostly just out of my experience with the XD line. Loved everyone I have ever owned, currently have two XDM's.