We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More \u203a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n A concealed-carry handgun is an important tool. You need something that you can use effectively and, more importantly, carry every day comfortably. Go to any gun store and you\u2019ll see that the options can be staggering. There is a wide variety of sizes, styles, calibers, and price points, so I\u2019m here to help you sort through a few of the best concealed carry guns you can buy today.\u00a0<\/p>\n I selected a dozen concealed carry guns that either I or the Outdoor Life<\/em> staff have shot or tested strenuously. I carry every day, and spend a lot of time shooting various handguns. I\u2019ve fired over 10,000 rounds of pistol ammunition in 2023 (as of April), and I\u2019ve gotten an in-depth look at how a lot of these pistols stack up. I made my picks based not only on what the highest performers are, but also on reliable guns at a good value. This provides a spectrum of options from which just about anybody can find something they will like and can afford.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Staccato 2011 (formerly STI) introduced the CS for 2023, and after putting a collective 2,500-3,000 rounds through two of them,\u00a0 I\u2019m sold. I\u2019ve found them to be very reliable with every type of ammunition I could find\u2014from 115-grain ball through 147-grain hollowpoints. easy to shoot, and incredibly accurate. The average of 10 groups I fired from a supported position at 50 yards with three different types of ammunition was .676 inches. Read a full review of the Staccato CS here.<\/a><\/p>\n At around the size of a Glock 19, just slightly slimmer, the Staccato CS is a downsized 2011 pistol. It has some key differences from larger 2011\u2019s and 2011-style pistols like the Staccato P and Springfield 1911 DS Prodigy. The grip and frame are smaller, and the CS uses a re-designed magazine that\u2019s similar in shape and size to the Sig P365\u2019s magazines. It still uses the 1911\u2019s controls and trigger, but the recoil system has been updated to a dual guide rod system that makes the CS the flattest-shooting compact 9mm I\u2019ve fired.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Staccato CS is an expensive gun, and the supply bottleneck is resulting in some being scalped for pretty wild prices. Ordered from Staccato, the pistol will cost $2,500, but we\u2019ve seen the tangible benefits you\u2019re getting for the money\u2014both in the build quality and on-target performance.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> Key Features<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n Sig Sauer has been busy over the past few years, producing an array of variations of their front-running models. The Sig Sauer P365 XMacro Tacops is the second iteration of the P365 XMacro<\/a>, which is an up-sized version of the micro-compact P365 that features a compensator-cut slide. If the XMacro Tacops seems a little redundant, it is, but it is one of the best compact concealed carry guns right now. It\u2019s ultra slim, with unmatched capacity in its class.<\/p>\n The biggest difference between the Tacops and standard XMacro is a slight simplification. The Tacops is the same overall size, but has a longer barrel because it lacks the integral slide compensator. The XMacro Tacops also features a small magwell that\u2019s effective, but unobtrusive. Compared to the smaller standard P365, the XMacro Tacops has a larger grip and longer slide. The 17-round magazines are the same, and they fit in the P365, they\u2019re just longer. The XMacro Tacops has a similar footprint to the Glock G19 and Staccato CS, but it\u2019s a little more comfortable to carry inside the waistband because it\u2019s thinner.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read Next: How to Hold a Pistol<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve expended about 1,800 rounds between two of these pistols, and aside from a couple failures to feed in the first 100-round break-in period, they\u2019ve run great. The P365 XMacro Tacops is an incredibly soft-shooting pistol, and points intuitively. The trigger isn\u2019t too heavy, but it doesn\u2019t have a firm wall. At our 2023 gun test, we did some slow-mo video analysis of rapid fire strings between the Tacops and ported XMacro, and found that the more affordable Tacops showed only slightly more muzzle flip. I couldn\u2019t tell the difference while shooting them. You can read a full review of the Sig P365 XMacro Tacops here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> The Walther PDP Compact Steel Frame pistol is one that took us a bit by surprise. There aren\u2019t any particularly eye-catching features on this pistol and despite its good ergonomics, it does feel a bit chunky for a concealed carry gun. Add to that the weight of the steel frame and I was somewhat skeptical. Those misgivings melted away as soon as the shooting started, though.\u00a0<\/p>\n This PDP is one of the latest in Walther\u2019s successful striker-fired lineup that includes the polymer-framed PDP-F series<\/a> and the full-sized PDP Match SF<\/a> \u2014 both of which I have shot extensively in the past year. This new steel frame compact model aims to capture the tangible recoil-mitigating characteristics of the match gun, but in a carry-friendly package. Though heavy and thick it is, the pistol sports wrap-around grip panels with excellent hexagonal texturing and superb ergonomics for large-handed shooters.\u00a0<\/p>\n This compact pistol carries over many of the features we already like about the PDP including the long ambidextrous slide stop levers that are easy to reach with the thumb, a reversible magazine catch button, and nicely executed scalloping and serrations on the slide. It\u2019s got a 3-slot accessory rail machined into the dust cover and is compatible with a variety of optics using Walther\u2019s adapter plates.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a> This premium-grade pistol has taken the 2011 trend in a unique direction. Many of the basic elements of a 2011-style pistol are there, like a short frame with grip module and a 1911-style trigger and hammer, but it\u2019s built to use Sig Sauer P320-pattern magazines \u2014 which are more numerous, affordable, and tend to be less finicky than actual 2011-style magazines. This selling point got the company a lot of attention since their debut in 2023, and I was very excited to shoot their new Compact Pro model after taking it for a spin at SHOT Show 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n The OA 2311 Compact Pro has a profile similar to a Glock G19, but uses an aluminum frame and polymer grip module that\u2019s capped with a magwell. The grip module is intended to be user-modified or stippled, and features gas-pedal-type thumb rests on both sides, as well as ambidextrous controls and a reversible mag catch button. We got the ported model, which has ports drilled through the slide and barrel to help reduce muzzle flip \u2014 and it works wonderfully at that. This is one of the flattest-shooting 9mm compacts that I\u2019ve ever fired. As a package, it comes with five magazines, a nice carrying case, and a number of optic plates. I installed a Holosun EPS Carry for my full-length review<\/a>, but we also tested it with iron sights at the gun test.\u00a0<\/p>\n \tHow I Chose the Best Concealed Carry Guns<\/h2>\n
Best Concealed Carry Guns: Reviews & Recommendations<\/h2>\n
Best Compact: Staccato CS<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Sig Sauer P365 XMacro Tacops<\/a><\/h3>\n
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Walther PDP Compact Steel Frame 4-inch<\/h3>\n
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OA Defense OA 2311 Compact Pro<\/h3>\n
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