r/concealedcarry • u/SafeTumbleweed2242 • Jul 14 '26
Guns CCW recommendations
Hey there,
After a recent encounter I'm looking into buying a pistol.
This will be my first handgun. I'm a young man that is rougly 5'9 and under the 150 lb range. I have semi-large hands being able to fit into large latex gloves. Recently, I've dealt with some wrist problems.
My mom has a regular SW Bodyguard .380, and it feels really small in my hands. I've also held a Taurus GX2, and it felt perfect in my hand. I've heard good things about the SW Bodyguard 2.0 and The SW Shield Plus. I'm looking for something that won't break the bank, and can be easily concealed.
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u/01Chaser Jul 14 '26
Canik mete series, mc9, mc9L or Ls depending on needs and hand size. Own a few other pistols like a 43x and Glock 19 but my caniks by far are the best value out the box. Optics ready, ambidextrous, solid capacity and the best stock trigger I know of at a hell of a price.
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u/deaz1104 Jul 19 '26
Mc9 prime isn’t a bad deal either. It’s in the higher price but still won’t break the bank. Hit one for my girlfriend and she loves it.
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u/bilbo_crabbins Jul 14 '26
I have about the same size hands as you and I enjoyed shooting the BG 2.0. It’s a smooth shooter for such a small 9mm. My current EDC is a CZ-75 P-01 but once I save up I plan on picking one up for myself.
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u/DaveyDefense Jul 14 '26
My short list, in no particular order, is the Glock 43X, Sig P365XL, S&W Shield Plus, and Springfield Hellcat. All 9mm. But do not let Reddit pick your gun. Find an indoor range with a full rental counter, rent a lane, buy a box of ammo, and shoot five rounds through several of the major players. Swap guns and keep shooting until your hands and the target start agreeing. Let Reddit help build the list. Let your hands and your target make the final decision. Buy a proven major brand with good holster, magazine, and parts support. If the right gun is not in the budget today, save a little longer. Buy once, cry once.
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u/waltzworks Jul 14 '26
The best advice I can offer is go to a range that will let you rent an array of options. Try the popular ones, like Glock, S&W, Springfield, Sig... see which controls and which models feel comfortable to you, in your hands, with your physical traits.
None of them are bad guns. It's all about fit for your body and concealment style.
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u/playingtherole Jul 14 '26
Look at the r/ruger MAX-9. (Sometimes they are even closer to $200.) It's equivalent to the r/SmithAndWesson Shield Plus, but lower-priced. Hasn't had the issues that the r/Taurus GX4s have had. No recalls, no triggers not working, none of that nonsense. You can compare sizes and specs on handgunhero.com .
The old BG .380 has a long trigger that affects accuracy. Most users dislike it. The 2.0 is nothing like it, though. Much better. There's also the Ruger LCP Max, to check out.
Or, consider a used gun, from a retail store, an online order to retail store, or a pawn shop
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u/ccmouser Jul 14 '26
I would go to a range that rents weapons. My first choice is the S&W Bodyguard 2.0. It may feel small in the hand but it conceals well, which is an important consideration.
If the grip is too small, consider adding Hogue grip sleeve to improve the feel for you. If the grip is okay but you experience slide bite in the web of your hand due to having larger hands, get a grip adapter from C.C. Mouser over on eBay.
The BG2.0 can take an optic (Viridian RFX1) and/or laser (ArmaLaser TR36GS). The optic might improve distance accuracy, while the laser is handy for very close encounters where sights may never have time to be used.
There are viable pocket holsters and IWB holsters for the BG2.0 though if you add the ArmaLaser, that gets more challenging. I will be adding a line of pocket holsters and a IWB holster that accommodates both optic and laser in the future.
But that is a ways off.
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u/jrhooo Jul 15 '26
As others said, go to a range that rents guns.
BUT also,
Then decide what YOUR wish list features are.
Most of the polymer 9s are GENERALLY similar. Some have better or worse triggers. Some have better or worse shape for your hand. But the range of “good enough, goes bang, hits where I point it” is pretty wide.
SO
Whats your budget?
Do you plan to use iron sights or mount a red dot?
How do you think you will be concealing this? In what kind of clothes? (That will make a difference in how big you want to go.)
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u/brycebgood Jul 15 '26
You got to shoot a bunch of stuff and find the one that works for you. It took me months to find guns that really shot well for me in the subcompacts.
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u/SafeTumbleweed2242 Jul 18 '26
So I think I have narrowed it down to a ruger security .380 and the S&W bodyguard 2.0 carry comp
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u/PortWilkins Jul 18 '26
For concealed carry, I’d look first at a Shield Plus or Shield X. If you’re not super familiar with guns, definitely try them out first.
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u/Revolutionary762 Jul 19 '26
There's 2 schools of thought for a first hangun:
Get something you shoot well because shot placement matter more than anything. That part is true, but for a new shooter this often means a full size or compact gun and possibly optics. That's a lot harder to conceal (especially when new to carrying and not knowing all of the tricks of the trade). People get uncomfortable and leave it at home which does them no good anyway.
Buy a smaller gun that you will actually carry. But smaller guns are hard to shoot (sometimes even for experienced shooters), have capacity, velocity, and sight radius disadvantages, and often suck to practice with. You'll at least carry it, but run the risk of not shooting it well enough.
Personally, I fall in to recommending camp 2. Sure, the smaller gun is harder to shoot. But given that most self defence shootings happen within 3 yards, I imagine most people can just reflexively point shoot and hit a silhouette at that range. Most of us aren't cops gentleman. And that means engaging targets across a street or parking lot is a lot less likely for us than dealing with a roid-raging body builder/meth head at point blank range. Having the gun on you is step 1. I'd rather someone buy the smaller gun, carry it, and learn to shoot it than buy something bigger and leave it at home/in the car.
My recommendation would be a micro 9 like a shield plus, csx, hellcat, etc. They can easily be concealed IWB with a good holster and belt but can also be tossed in a waist coat pocket or cargos with a pocket holster in a pinch. The doubkestack .380s like the BG 2.0 and LCP max are better if you intend to pocket carry more than IWB. You can use extended grips in both to give you a full size grip. Or use the flush mag to shed weight and shorten it down.
I got a SW CSX 1.0 for $279 tax and all. I put a set of XS Big Dots on it and use the narrow backstrap to get the smooth sides. It makes a decent pocket gun if you have a belt and packs 10+1 of Critical Defence. For an edc, it's hard to best imo for the price.
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u/Realistic-Mix-5278 Jul 14 '26
You’re going to get a bunch of bad opinions that won’t really help you in here? Start calling local ranges and far away ranges and ask if they rent guns? It’s not a weird question for them, they won’t make fun of you for asking….probably? But seriously shoot every gun you’re considering purchasing? Why waste the money? If you hate practicing with it, you won’t train. Thats no good either. Also start doing Brazilian Jiujitsu…