A concealed firearm is the most effective form of self-defense that you could carry. When seconds count, the police are several minutes or more away, so using a cell phone to call for help generally is useless. A concealed pistol, though, definitely helps to even out the odds of emerging from your predicament with potentially no injuries to you or those who might be with you. Here are some of our favorite pistols for concealed carry in 2023.
Heckler & Koch USP Compact
Heckler & Koch makes some of the world’s best firearms, and its USP Compact line is perfect for carrying concealed. You can buy a USP compact that is chambered in 9mm, .40, or .45 ACP for exceptional knockdown power from a compact firearm. The price can be discouraging, but it does allow you to carry 10+1 rounds of some of the most popular and effective cartridges ever made.
Glock 19
The Glock 19 is one of the most popular pistols for carrying concealed and is chambered for the popular 9mm Luger caliber. It holds 15+1 rounds and has a 4-inch barrel that gives you excellent accuracy. Choosing a relatively comfortable Glock 19 concealment holster will help you to protect yourself and others against great bodily harm with plenty of rounds available to subdue most threats without requiring a magazine change.
Ruger LCRx 3-Inch
We had to include at least one revolver among our list of preferred CCW arms, and the Ruger LCR is a terrific one. Ruger is one of the few current makers of wheel guns that shoot the legendary .357 magnum cartridge. The LCRx holds five rounds and has a small hammer that won’t get in the way when you need to draw your pistol. The 3-inch barrel helps to deliver better accuracy than a snub nose revolver, and the .357 round is one of the best self-defense calibers ever made for a pistol.
S&W M&P Shield EZ
Smith & Wesson’s M&P pistols are very popular, very effective, and reasonably affordable. The M&P Shield EZ is designed for concealability and holds 8+1 rounds chambered in 9 mm. .357 Sig, or .40 S&W in a single-stack magazine. That’s plenty of firepowers to deal with any immediate dangers that you might face, and a 3.6-inch barrel helps you to hit what you are aiming at.
Walther PPK
The Walther PPK has been around since 1930 and is a proven winner. James Bond carried one chambered in .380. Hitler used one chambered in .32 caliber to commit suicide. While you are not a superspy or a tyrannical leader, you certainly would find it useful for self-defense when a bad guy creates a threat of great bodily harm. You could get one chambered in .380 or 9mm for self-defense and have either a 6+1 or 7+1 magazine to hold your rounds.