#BEST COMPACT 9MM FOR WOMEN FULL#
#BEST COMPACT 9MM FOR WOMEN FREE#

The grip extension on the magazine doesn’t prevent this, although it does aid in control while shooting. This photo of the sub-compact FNS-9C demonstrates how the palm of the hand can prevent smooth mag reloads if the hand extends past the mag well. The G26 would remain my primary carry gun until I went to a training course put on by Dave Spaulding. It’s only a little thicker than the gun I’d been carrying but with a 10-round mag and the option of using the 17-round full-size G17 mag. Not long after that incident, I started to write a book about GLOCK handguns ( GLOCK Reference Guide, Gun Digest), and during that time, I discovered the sub-compact G26.

So, I started a quest to find the gun with the most capacity in the smallest package.

But it left me thinking, “Would seven rounds be enough to stop a bear?” In my mind, no, it wouldn’t. I was thinking I would give him only three more steps, that’s how close he was.įortunately, the bear stopped, sat down for a while, then turned and left. Everyone else was oblivious to the fact that this was a wild animal, but I’m putting myself between my kid and the bear and drawing a mental line in the sand as to how close I’m going to let the bear get before I draw my gun. Normally bears don’t walk up this close to people, but he did. I didn’t expect him to continue getting closer. I’ve seen how fast bears can move, and suddenly the platform that was about 5 feet off the ground didn’t seem that safe. I’m fascinated and taken in, watching the beast, and soon realize he’s moved closer than I care for him to be, especially with my kid in tow. It was meandering around, slowly getting closer. So, I’m standing there with my 8-year-old son and a group of about 12 other people, watching this bear off in the distance. I took my 8-year-old to a road-side platform to look at a bear that was a fairly good distance off. My youngest two were napping in the RV and my wife stayed with them. Therefore, I carried a little 7-shot micro 9mm (and rarely with a spare mag).Īll was well and good until I was on a family vacation to Yellowstone. So, when I became a civilian and got my concealed carry permit, I figured smaller was easier to conceal and thus better. Concealing a gun wasn’t in my wheelhouse. In fact, the infantry doesn’t want to conceal it wants to exude power so as to not be messed with. The M9 was secured to my flak jacket on my chest and the M249 is not exactly what one would call a concealment weapon. weapons were a M249 SAW, which is a belt-fed machine gun, and a Beretta M9. I didn’t know much about CCW at the time because I hadn’t done it before. I was very self-conscious and felt like everyone could see that I was carrying (they can’t) regardless of how small the gun was. When I first started to carry, I went small.

#BEST COMPACT 9MM FOR WOMEN FREE#

There’s no “large and easy to conceal” nor “tiny and easy to shoot.” As one of my favorite gun writers, Patrick Sweeney, likes to say, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” But the question then becomes, is the trade-off worth it to have a smaller gun? Because there is always a trade-off. The one thing that smaller guns have going for them is that they are easier to conceal, because…drum roll…they are smaller. This shooter is firing a micro-compact 9mm.

#BEST COMPACT 9MM FOR WOMEN FULL#

Smaller handguns are generally harder to control than full sizes models. 380 ACP, micro-compact would be the Ruger LCP or GLOCK G42). (For reference, a full-size 9mm handgun is the GLOCK G17 or SIG M17 compact size is the GLOCK G19 or SIG M18 sub-compact is the GLOCK G26 micro-compact is the SIG P365 or GLOCK G43. To clarify, by “larger,” I’m talking about full-size or compact-size handguns, not some gargantuan revolver like what granny pulls out of her purse in a Hollywood movie. They are easier to shoot, thus easier to make quick, accurate shots. Larger handguns offer better shootability. In fact, it is often not the best choice.Ĭoncealed carry comes down to shootability versus concealability. I know gun people who have been carrying for a long time who have a tiny micro-compact on their hip.Įveryone wants small, small, small. New shooters aren’t the only ones I’ve seen fall into this trap. The focus tends to be on the “concealed” part of carry, often neglecting the self-defense part, which is about drawing the handgun and delivering accurate shots to halt an attack. The advice they receive from others often reinforces this. When shopping for a concealed carry gun, new shooters tend to want the smallest gun they can find. If you are looking to carry concealed, here are some things to consider.

The intuitive approach doesn’t always deliver satisfactory results when choosing a CCW platform.

Best compact 9mm for women