My Concealed Carry Journey

Like many before me, my journey for the perfect concealed carry piece has had quite a few bumps and turns in the road. Looking back at my various gun purchases for the purpose of concealing has demonstrated a trend in my preferences and hopefully my journey can save you some money finding your zen carry as well.

When I first obtained my CCW permit, I was of the mindset that a mid-size semi-auto gun was ideal. Small enough to conceal, but with a double stack magazine, the ability to carry 12+1 rounds in the gun and a backup magazine with 12 more rounds seemed ideal. With this in mind I opted for the Smith & Wesson M&P 9C. Of course the gun store salesperson encouraged this or at the very least the Glock 26. Those gun store associates all seem to carry full size Glocks or even larger mid-sized versions like the Glock 19. I am not knocking them or the guns, but with my smaller dimensions (I consider myself “fun sized” and most of them are at least full size if not “party sized” dudes) a mid-size is not only a little harder to conceal, but not very comfortable at all.

After a while of carrying the 9c I decided that I needed something a little smaller, so I purchased the M&P Shield in 9mm. I was losing capacity with only 7+1 in the gun and a spare 8-round magazine, but that still gave me 16 rounds, which should be more than enough should the need arise. I found this gun to be a good compromise in size and capacity.

But my 5’6″, 135lb frame still found that to be a tad uncomfortable, so I eventually opted for the Glock 42. I was sacrificing even more capacity for comfort and I though I had found my zen piece. However, with only 6+1 in the gun and a spare 6-round magazine I was now only carrying the equivalent capacity of my original M&P 9c without the spare magazine.

Then Smith & Wesson announced the Shield Plus. It was almost exactly the same size as the original shield, but was a double stack that allowed for 10+1 and a spare 13 round magazine. I opted for the Optics Ready model with my sights set on adding a red dot.

However, there has always been a call from the Ruger LCP series of guns. When I purchased my Glock 42 I actually went in to buy the LCP, but after trying it out and not liking the trigger (a common complaint) I decided to get the Glock instead. However, when Ruger released the LCP Max, I kept hearing the siren call of the LCP. The Max gives me the 10+1 in the gun plus the option to carry a spare 10 or 12-round magazine. 11 rounds in a pocket sized gun certainly has an appeal. And for self defense, the .380ACP is enough to stop most threats. Sure, you hear stories of guys that are shot with a .45 and keep coming, but those are very rare, while most DGU (Defensive Gun Use) situations are resolved without a single shot fired.

So what I learned is that for me, I wanted the best of both worlds, High capacity and small size. Of course your mileage may vary, but the important thing is to carry what is comfortable, or you may find yourself not carrying at all. I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

2024 Update

And then Smith & Wesson dropped the Bodyguard 2.0 and I knew this was the one. compared to the Ruger it is much easier to shoot – it is not nearly as snappy, conceals extremely well and the grip was custom molded to my hand, I swear. So I ordered one as soon as they became available and my only complaint is adding the last round to the magazine takes quite a bit of effort, but I love everything else about it.

I have tried the gamut of holsters and finally settled on a Falco belt pouch. The biggest advantage is that even if my shirt comes all the way up and you see my holster, you have no idea it is a holster. It looks like a slightly large phone case. Drawing is slightly slower than an appendix and you have to open the case but we are talking about fractions of a second. This is ideal for ensuring no one knows you are carrying. Concealed means concealed. I also have a medium sized one for my Shield Plus with Vortex Defender red dot and while it fits, the zipper can snag on the optic, hindering access.