5 Best Concealed Carry Guns For Seniors 2023 

I am 73 years old and for several years I have always had a Ruger LCP 380 in my pocket when I walked out the door. With two extra mags it gave me 18 rounds to use. However, I've had issues with arthritis the last few years with injections of cortisone in both thumbs plus other finger. I was having more and more stovepipes with the LCP because I no longer have the hand strength to hold that little gun tight enough. My Taurus G3 9mm has now taken over the CCW role (with 3-12 round mags) as there is just more gun to grip. The LCP was traded off on a Bersa Thunder 22 to use as a range gun for cheaper practice of sight alignment and trigger squeeze (former E-5 Sergeant, USMC, 1968-71).

I am a recent senior and carry a Sig P938 with a custom flat trigger and lightened hammer spring and loaded with Corbin +P 9mm. In my earlier life I always carried some form of a 1911 style .45 but with age and “depleted glutes” I didn’t have enough butt to hold up the .45’s with just a belt! The P938 is light and a spare mag is easily carried in my left pants pocket! I am confident that I can protect myself and fellow citizens with this platform.

I got a PPK .22 in 1966 when I was stationed in Germany. Carried that in the 1970s, but finally figured out that many miscreants would look at the small hole in the end and laugh at me, figuring that I couldn't hit them in the face thus forcing me to demonstrate. Switched to .380 for a for years, but was always concerned about jams with a semi auto. About 1990 went to Smith featherweight .38+P. I keep one of those in each car. The thing I prefer about a revolver is that when you pull the trigger it's going to go BANG. No jam, no safety to fiddle with, just pull the trigger. In the house there are 12ga pumps. Also no jam, no safety to fiddle with. Just rack it, pull trigger and BOOM.

I'm 62, I carry springfield xdm elite 10mm. My life is worth more than the wrist pain I suffer after my bi monthly range trip.

At 66 I own a Keltec p32, colt astra, baby browning and Ruger LCP in 22. I like the small guns that are easy to conceal, have little recoil and won’t make me deaf in a self defense situation with the first shot. I really like the Keltec for being so light but all are comforting to have in my pocket and work well

I have a Kimber Micro 9 in stainless and it's one of the best firearms I have had in my 79 years. That includes numerous Colt's , Smith & Wesson's , Browning's and even military service firearms plus Law Enforcement over those years. I recently became the proud owner of one I'm sure you would not recommend for seniors but as I said , I have one. My woods gun , A Bond Firearms Grizzly in the 45 Long Colt and/or 2 1/2 inch 410 GA. A defensive weapon when loaded with the Hornady Triple Defensive 2 1/2 inch 410 rounds. Each round has one 41 cal FTX Slug with two 35 cal round balls. One in the top barrel and a 45 Long Colt in the bottom barrel , will handle any critter in the woods.

Best EDC gun is the S&W 442 Airweight in .38 Special. Less than a pound loaded! No problems for folks with arthritis, and no slide to rack. Does it kick? Yes, but if you load the new Underwood light bullet high velocity rounds, they kick a LOT less. Is it only five shots? Yes, however, for a civilian that is generally two more than needed in a fight, especially with a .38 Special. Two center-mass, and one to the head!

I am a senior citizen that regularly rides a road bike. On my bike I carry (under my jersey) the Ruger LCP II 22 due to the light weight. On my regular concealed carry I carry the Ruber LCP 380 Max or the Glock G27 depending on what I am wearing. This was an informative video.

I love the Kimber Micro 9 with the Crimson Trace laser grip. I have owned this pistol now for over 4 years and love to the way it shoots and handles. As a senior with arthritis in my hands, the racking of the Kimber Micro 9 is a snap once I got the hang of it . The recoil is a it more than the .380 but so is the punch especially for self protection. I've always been a fan of Kimber pistols because of how they are made with excellent tolerances. Their workmanship is second to none and is up there with other high end manufacturers. The price might be a bit high, but high quality doesn't come cheap. Buy cheap, get cheap !!

I bought a Bersa 380 thunder about 3 yrs ago.Its been a very reliable light carry pistol for me,I have extreme r a,and have no issues cycling the slide and it is very reliable at 25yds out to 5oyds.Put the right defense rounds and it will do the job very easy,it also can be fitted with a nice lazier light under barrel and in frt.of trigger gaurd,it groups nicely.

I am now 81 years old and have most of the problems that commonly come with age. I carry a S&W M&P 2.O optics ready in 10 mm. It bears a green dot reflex sight in an excellent IWB leather locking holster. I try to shoot regularly and still train on a regular basis. I do not understand why people think that those of us north of 79 just can't handle a caliber that is snappy. It isn't going to kill you and eat you. It is just recoil. I did at one time pack a 9mm. But began to lack confidence in its stopping power after I had to shoot a German Shepard dog run over by a speeding car. He just could not understand why it was dangerous and invisible fence doesn't always work on a stubborn dog. He was badly mangled by his encounter with the speeding car and was suffering. My assessment was that he was not going to make it and dragging to the vet miles away just to get a fatal shot was cruel. I shot him with my 9mm wiping tears from my eyes. He just lifted his head and whined after being shot by his master. It took 5 rounds of 9mm at contact distance to end his life. I hated it and vowed to never rely on 9mm again. If it would not kill a75 pound badly injured dog with 1 shot, I did not want it to defend me or my family.

I carry the GX4 with a Veridian E series laser in .9mm ! Great little gun and I am banging steel at 20 yards with no problems or issues ! I just bought the SCCY CPX3 .380ACP pistol for my Mrs. and we lasered it also ! Now it's practice , practice , practice time for us ! We are both 66 lol !

Praise worthy, for $70!The only issue was the round gasket ring seal between the CO2 and needle ru-vid.comUgkxnX9wE_Q8zvF75Y5iWzTU3Q4FlrtyGApQ . Withered away, and I'm having a tough time finding a replacement.Gun still works perfectly, but needs a new gasket. Can someone please say where to find the gasket replacement?

My instructor recommended the M&P EZ 380. I’m over 70 and have Arthritis. I have bought others since including a Glock 42. I always go back to my EZ. I love it. Racks so easily and is always so comfortable to handle.

I just purchased a Smith and Wesson CSX 9MM. It is small and concealable with 10 round capacity. It is styled like a very small 1911. Feels great in my hand. I can't wait to get to the range with it. I traded in my S&W Shield. I also own the 9MM EZ shield.

The Sig P238 is very awesome! Super easy to rack, and I LOVE it's Trigger! And the big chunky 3-Dot Combat Tritium night sights standard I can even still see them well enough to aim without my glasses on, (if I had to). And with the Sig P238, you can seriously drill-down on a mag-dump without having to fight very much to keep on target at all. Pocket sticky holster and bada bing you're good to go. I've ran ALL the lead-free ammo I could get my hands on and none of it had failures to load or fire or eject.

As a senior, I have a feather weight S&W which I carried for years. Then bought a .380 LCP but didn't like the way it felt and shot. Also purchased an LR22 which I knew was larger in overall size for concealing but its fun at the range. Finally, recently purchased a Max 9 and like both the size and the way it shoots over all the others. It also has the largest capacity which is not a bad feature.

The Sig P238 is amazing. I love mine.

Sixty-two years of age. Busted up fairly well. Carried a 1911 since mid 20s of age. Still carry a 1911.

My 81yr old mother carries the LCP2 in 22lr. It's the only semiautomatic she can pull the slide on. The low recoil allows her to place multiple rounds on target in a short amount of time.

I have a Taurus G2S that I have carried for 5 years. Although the slide is a bit stiff (71 with arthritis) it still has minimal kick, it fits my hank, and is accurate. I do not have a whole lot of income, so the sub-$300.00 price tag fit me just fine. I have never had a problem with it that wasnt a screwup on my part.

Have the EZ380 which is my edc gun. When I tried one out at the range, I knew it was the gun for me. 62yrs but killer arthritis in my fingers. I can easily manage this gun. It's a comfortable size for concealment too. I like it so much, I bought the .22LR EZ for "plinking". My husband has the 9mm version.

Bersa thunder 380. Easy to rack the slide, accurate, reliable, concealable and more effective than a pocket pistol. The price is right as well.

I'm 70 now and have been carrying a Springfield Armory XDs - 9mm 3.3 for many years and feel well armed. It is a shame it has been discontinued. I would not recommend less than 9mm for self defense and I like the bifurcated trigger and palm safety, the chamber flag and fiber optic front sight. Some of the smaller, even tiny, pistols with no safeties at all plain scare me. BTW, I still have and shoot the original Kimber 911, which I bought for Stock and Single Stack competitions. It has served me very well.

Got rid of my Kimber Micro 380. Enough stovepiping and FTF issues that I could never feel confident that it would perform when I needed it to. Kimber even sent me an updated spring that was supposed to fix the issue. Got me a Ruger LCP Max and it's performed flawlessly.

The man of wisdom avoids all confrontation . If anyone needs more than five shots they are in the wrong place and the wrong fight. Go home.

Love that kimber I have it in 380 and 9mm both shot great. I have them 4 years now still very accurate only had one stove pipe with the 9mm but kimber reworked it for me years ago and never had a days problem with it over 2000 rounds in each one.

I picked up a Micro 380 used off Gunbroker for a great price (before the recent price madness in the market). It looks mint and came with the improved recoil spring.

I’m 65 and have spent 42 years in one form of Public Safety or another. I have settled on a Sig P365 in 9MM with a 12 round mag. And Underwood Defender ammunition. Really can’t be beat for carry size, stopping power and trigger pull. Lots of old injuries, but no arthritis. Shot 245 out of 250 on my last LEOSA qualification. Just a great weapon.

69 yr old here, my EDC half the year is a Ruger LCP 380. I do find it is very “snappy” and as my arthritis worsens it is problematic past 75 rounds. My other fun to shoot pistol is a Para Ord Warthog in 45 ACP. yes you read right. I love the 1911 look of the pistol with the double stack mags, reminds me of my Corps 45. Ironically I find the recoil on the Warthog more manageable and less painful. My hards are large and can grip the pistol and the recoil is powerful enough the pistol rises upward from my shoulder whereas the LCP tries to snap my wrist sideways. I did have some stovepipe issues early on with the Warthog which I solved. One is to make sure I lock my wrists and the other is after cleaning, to dab a dollop of grease on the throat where the round slides into the barrel. Problems solved, it is a joy to shoot it and just love the close 2.5” groups on the bullseye at 15 yds. It’s also kinda neat to see heads turn at the range when they hear the roar from the old guy’s pistol.😀 It is my EDC in winter as it conceals more easily with a jacket/coat.

I carried an LCP II for a while. Then I carried the LC-9s and now I am 65 and carry the Ruger Max9 with a Holosun red dot on it. It is a great carry weapon. As for the Xtreme Defender ammunition, you may want to consider that it could be used against you in court if you had a self-defense incident. I'm not a lawyer though, so I would say ask one that is familiar with these types of cases. Nice video. I doubt though that all seniors need to carry a .380.

its very IMPORTANT to be armed i often see on the local news that a perp targets senior citizen since they think they can get away easily

Hmm. I still carry my Springfield XDs in .45ACP with a trigger upgrade. The recoil is no problem but at 75 years old, I’m considering experimenting with a lighter recoil spring to make the racking a little easier. My wife carries a 9mm Springfield XD Mod 2, which has very manageable racking and recoil. It has either 13 or 16 round capacity depending on magazine. It has a very nice factory trigger, easily superior to either her Ruger LCP or LC9. I too have a XD Mod 2, but in .45 ACP. It too has a very manageable slide, nice factory trigger, and a 9 or 13 round capacity, compared to the XDs, a single-stack design, with a 5, 6, or 7 round capacity, again magazine dependent. The Mod 2 is fatter and heavier than the XDs, but I still really like it. Like the XDs, the XD Mod 2 barks with plenty of authority, but it seems to have less felt recoil.

I carry a Black & Decker Sure Shot Gun, loaded with 1/2" staples...it's comfortable in the hand, but gotta press pretty hard to get full target penetration! Hardly ever have a miss fire, and loading another strip of staples is pretty easy. Let's just say, if someone comes after me, "I NAIL 'EM"!!!

I'm a Senior and I carry. For Accuracy, reliability, easy to Conceal... Hands down the Sig Sauer P365 and I carry it with a 15 round Mag...

keltec 32. Eminently conceivable, lightweight and with appropriate ammo, highly effective. Also fairly inexpensive at around $300.

I am 78 and have the EZ380 and the EZ 9mm also. They are both great and easy too use. I have a little arthritis in my hands but these guns are effortless to run. I only use Hornady Critical Defense in all my carry guns.

I'm 66 and I have both the Kimber Micro 9 with night sights, and the R7 Mako with a Crimson Trace red dot. Both fantastic guns. I also have a Beretta APX Centurion for the days when I'm wearing a heavy jacket to conceal it better.

The #1 pick here looks pretty attractive especially for first-timers, those with arthritis issues, and just to use for plinking. The near lack of recoil is a BIG plus. Obviously the reduced firepower is a downside, yet as mentioned ammo manufacturers helped correct this to a degree. The ability to carry more rounds also helps compensate. Reviews I read mention jams after firing several rounds. That's a concern. Hopefully Ruger addresses this quickly. LCP III Lite Rack .22LP???

I love my Ruger LC9S Pro for edc but my Colt Lightweight .45 Commander is my trusted house gun. I also love to hear that so many of my senior brethren are carrying.

I have carried a Colt Mustang for years. Not super heavy, very reliable and accurate. One thing you didn't mention was how some people shy away from Single Action. The SA can be easier for some older people to use ref trigger pull, etc.

I`m 69 and carry the Glock 43X. I also carry my Glock 42 from time to time. Both excellent guns in my opinion.

I'm 70, and this was a tough one... what to conceal carry. Being retired from county law enforcement, I used to carry everything from SW .41 to a SW .44, then a Colt .45 in Satin finish, all were great guns with plenty of stopping power. I was trained that you have one or two good shots before just making noise, so the big caliber rigs were perfect for defense. Never needed to use them during my years in LE, but they are too heavy and big for CC. I now carry SW M&P .40 or my little Springfield XDS .40. Hard to get into smaller calibers when you've been trained that the first couple shots are the most important for stopping power. Of course, shot placement is key with any caliber.

Yes, Kimber Micro 380 is great. And it is compact, too. Small/light enough for pocket carry. As for IWB/OWB, it shure is S&W Shield EZ. Both guns are nothing less than amazing!

Being in my 70’s with a very small hand I love my Kimber 380. When I bought it, it was the only one I could rack and before the S&W EZ models. Enjoyed the small guns for seniors!

82 years of age and not too badly crippled at this time. Have carried a Kel Tec P11 in the past and still do from time to time. The 9mm is not punishing at all, even in this light pistol. More recently, I have added Ruger's LCP in .380 and their ECW in 9mm to my arsenal and carry each from time to time. The LCP is my usual carry piece as it is easily concealed, with a pocket holster, in a trousers pocket.

A small 38 Revolver is really nice

At 73 I'm now carrying an FNs9 as my edc. I am looking for a slightly more compact choice. This gave me some guns to be looking at.

I am a senior citizen (73) and prefer the Sig P365. Of course, I don't have any strength or mobility issues either so I get why .22 cal. pistols are on the list. If I were to carry a .22 it would have to be a revolver. .22 LR has been problematic in terms of reliability in all the .22s I have shot. They are too sensitive to ammo and magazine issues. .22 revolvers are super light and small and if the round doesn't go bang you can just pull the trigger again. By the way, the guy narrating is a busy man. He does all kinds of RU-vid videos so kudos to him. He must be in demand.

Got a Kimberly .380. Smooth as silk and shoots like a machine. For a small pistol it feels good in your hand. Super solid.

2:41 I have the Ruger .380 LCP. I think it’s a great gun and very well designed and priced. It’s very convenient to carry.

I am in my 70's. I have carried a Walther PPK for the better part of 40 years. The same pistol. It is chambered in .32 ACP. I choose to use fairly hot European variants of that ammo. So much time has gone by, that pistol has become an extension of my hand - it is comfortable to hold, to aim and to shoot. It is too heavy for me to carry as a pocket pistol, so I wear a shoulder harness. I do not see any reason to change to another pistol at this late date. If I did, I think I would be inclined toward the Kimber Micro .380. I like Kimber's firearms.

I'm 68 and carry either the Ruger Max .380 concealed or the Kimber Micro380. Both have decent sights even though subcompact pistols are not target guns and bad things happen at a real close range. Carried the Ruger original LCP for years.

Carried a 92F on duty. But for concealed I went thru Walther PPK (great pistol but got slide bite) - Beretta Cheetah-SA EMP (til it stovepiped from glued in ejector) - Glock 26 (too fat but nice) - Walther PPS (low capacity) - Kahr .380 (trigger sucked) - SW Shield 9mm (ok but no cigar) Then settled on the Holy Grail of CCW. THE SIG P365. It fits my hand, easy conceal, reliable, hi capacity. The cats pajamas..

Purchased a Springfield 911 380 a few years ago. Similar to SIG p238 and Kimber but cheaper and nicer sights. Nice grip as well. Wife had a Ruger SR22. Highly accurate, easy to shoot and like you said, no one wants to get shot with any gun. 5 rounds easily discharged to stop anyone! Just saying. My favorite gun to shoot, even over my personal favorite, SIG p365 9mm.

2023? What about the equalizer improvement over the EZ and its optics readiness? Visual assistance is big in this group. Ruger LCR should be on the list! Revolver has no safeties, needs no magazine loading, no slide racking and has double action safety. Like another gentleman said, how can you leave revolvers out of the discussion. My 92 year old ww2 vet dad carried one.

For many years I carried a Beretta in the city. When my ol' butt mov'd to Florida, it was too bulky for comfortable concealment. Went and got a Ruger LCP. ...Love it! Action is as smooth as a woman's skin; hides well with shorts and a T-shirt yet it ain't no punk.

Great video clear and concise information given.

In my sixties. Ruger LCR .357 loaded with .38 +P and two speed loaders. Less capacity but couldn't be more senior friendly.

The kimber 380 is a great gun & love how it looks.

I'm so old I carry a black powder revolver. Ready to go.

Replacing the factory recoil spring with an aftermarket spring not as strong will decrease the effort of racking the slide to chamber a round. It will also increase the felt recoil as the lighter spring will not soak up as much energy as the factory set spring. It will also increase the wear and tear on the gun as it is hit harder and battered by the lighter spring action not slowing the slide in recoil for the same reason.

At 67, I've been happily carrying a SIG P229 in .40 S&W for over 26 years. Don't see any reason to change now.... Just installed a SRT kit and have a better trigger pull than the used P229 Legion that I picked up. The Legion hasn't been shot much, maybe it'll break in to a better pull when I put a few hundred rounds through it. If nothing else, it's an excuse to shoot more.😁

I love my Kimber Pro Carry II 45 with night sights and laser grips.

I'm 83, and I have the S&W 9MM SHIELD EZ, plus a SCCY CPX-2. I love both, but find the mag on the SCCY hard to load more than 5 rounds, whereas the Shield has an easy load mag I really like. I don't worry about recoil, as I’ve been around guns all my life. I've qualified expert several times during my military career, both with the Colt 1911, and the M16. Overall, I'll take the S&W M&P 9mm EZ for my CCW gun. Side note: I like the sights better on the SCCY for target shooting.

Wow- if this video were a few years old I might would agree with a few of your picks. BUT- you overlooked the #1 gun for concealed carry-especially for seniors. The Sig P-365 in 380.

67 yrs old, arthritis in both hands and wrists, back and neck. Carpal Tunnel and Cupital Tunnel surgery on both wrists and elbows. The only pistols I have left are a Glock 17, Glock 26( primary edc) and a Shield 2.0, which are still fine for me. However, in my opinion, Walther's have always been fairly easy to rack the slide. I often considered getting a PPS M2, but right now, a CZ P07 is what I'm thinking about.

Seniors do not have an abundance of disposable income. Your vidio was a catalog for major gun manufacturers. I am a senior citizen and I carry daily. After testing and using my friends carry pieces, I stumbled onto the new Taurus firearms. After trying them I settled on a G2C 9mm. At the price I paid I felt it would be a throw Way if it broke. Boy was I surprised! Easy to hold draw and fire. Sights quickly decent recoil. 12 round mag makes this gun even more attractive. Mine currently has over 500 rounds through it and still works great. Sorry you didn't feel this was worthy of your vidio. I would recommend this one to any senior.

I own one S & W pistols....the 380 EZ and a Walther P22 EZ love them both and easy to chamber!

The Springfield XDS 45 or 9mm with dual safety's Love it!

Interesting selection that you came up with. Even though I'm 68, I still have my old S&W 629 Classic DX, which with a heavier frame, gives very little felt recoil. Also, my aging Glock 21 in 45 ACP is fast approaching the 50,000 round mark, yet still fires impressive 2" groups at 50 yards, like my 629 does, but with more thump. What do you think of the new shield plus in 9MM? It looks to be the EDC of the future IMHO. Keep pumping out these really informative, and interesting videos!

I'm not sure that all senior citizens would prefer a very small pistol, even for CCW. If a bigger pistol is comfortable, surely it will make shooting easier. The problem with 22LR is the heavier trigger required. 32acp has a similar power, but makes slightly bigger holes, and more importantly, it is centerfire. The recoil is still very light. I do think that a tiny lightweight pistol is good for home defense (all adults) so you can wear it comfortably, even for long hours. This where the Ruger LCP Max and Kel*tec P32 come into their own.

Colt 380 Mustang Pocketlite, truly a great carry gun! I also have the Kimber Micro 380 and like the Colt better.

22rf, 380, 9mm. Not for PSD. I am a really big fan of the 357 magnum. I can use ALL of the 38sp ammo. I am a handloader so the 357mag is even more versatile. With a 4in barrel revolver and a 22in barrel RIFLE w/ a 3x9x40 on top, I feel pretty well prepared. Regardless of the power you have in your hand, it is still Bullet Placement, Bullet Placement, Bullet Placement.

Thank You for the information. There is nothing like the 1911 45 Colt but Kimber 1911 45 ultra carry 2 is far superior with its 3 inch barrel. Thumb safety along with palm grip safety. Also the Smith and Wesson 380 is in my opinion far superior than other model of its class including Kimber. Also Rossi revolver 357 2" barrel never fails. Just remember to use hydro shocks 357 can go though your house and through another house. The 1911 45 Kimber ultra carry 2 is my main defence side arm it is subsonic and packs a big bore knock down.

I'll add another: I'm 78+ with arthritis. My go to CCW for years was my early model stainless steel Colt .380ACP Mustang. I carried it with a round in the chamber, safety half lock. Easy and quick to safety off and pull back on the hammer one handed. Accurate and modern 380 defense ammo I felt decently equipped for personal defense. I felt prepared for any encounter except bears, mountain lions, wild hogs. Last year, after a lot of research, I gambled and purchased a 10mm Glock 29. It's now my CCW. Very accurate, easy to conceal inside waistband and will handle even grizzly bear ( maybe😮), mountain lion and wild hog. I have a choice of a 10 or 15 round magazine + one in the chamber. I keep the chamber empty so, yes, I have to rack the slide to use but it's very quick and easy with a right hand push, left hand over the top pull. Thus gun is THICK is my only complaint but it's very short and carry concealed so easily it's worth it. My only other complaint is cost and availability of ammunition. I don't know why this gun is not more popular than it is. Most complaints are about recoil. I'm not sure why? Seems very easy to me. Less than a 357 magnum and way less than a 44 magnum with a hell of a lot more firepower. Eg...44 mag= 6 rounds. 10mm 16 rounds + 2 more clips=46 total. Stay safe everybody.😂

i'm a senior, just got a ruger lcp 2 lite rack. my wc beretta 92fs is still my favorite, but for edc, i love this little pistol. reasonable price, very thin, weighs almost nothing even with the 10+1 rounds, can rack it like it's nothing, the trigger pull is like butter, accurate as you can aim, with almost no recoil. it would be nice to have a more pronounced front site, but just a dab of a little glow-in-the- dark paint fixes that. right out of the box i shot 20 rnds of cheap winchesterx 22lr with no problems. i plan to shoot a variety of ammo thru it, will update with any issues.

At 76 I fall under the classification of a senior citizen. I carry a Glock 23 in 40SW. But I'm not a feeble old arthritic man so I have no issue with the 23. If i want to carry the pocket pistol, I carry my wife's 43 with an extra 2 round extended mag

I'll stand pat with my Sig P238, fits nicely in my pocket every day.

My wifey is in her mid 70's and gave the Ruger LCP Max a try. She can shoot it just fine but semi's aren't her thing. Clearing jams and the like messes her up to the point of not carrying it. Being a revolver gal she's back to her Smith 442 Airweight or her Model 19 .357. I'll stick to my .40 cal 1911.

My comments are based on my experiences. I'm age 74. I don't have arthritis. I have shot several calibers of pistols. I carry daily. My input is: Whichever caliber you pick take a close look at ballistics gel reports of ammunition to get rounds loaded to meet FBI recommended penetration. RU-vid is full of videos showing penetration and expansion in balistic gel for a lot of ammunition. In a crowded room full of people you don't want to shoot projectiles that over penetrare. 22 inches of penetration for self defense can get you in legal trouble. You'll have anough legal issues if you put down ONLY your attacker. I shoot.22 and .22 ammunition can be unacceptably undependable .22 doesn't go bang enough times to be important. That's a potential danger to the defender in a real self defense scenario. .22 can be effective and can be deadly. .22 power is closely equal to .25 center fire power. .25 ammo is a more dependable round because it's center fire. .25 is more expensive, but I believe because of it's dependability it's worth spending more for ammunition because it's your life you're defending. I haven't researched balistics gel reports for.25 caliber. My situation allows me better options than .25 caliber. It's worth repeating to be sure about your ammo choice. .22 does have ammunition suitab'e for self defense. I noticed .22 hollow points are shown during speaking about the .22 caliber. There's a few loads for .22 which can beat the .22 hollow point round for self defense. I won't load a .22 pistol with hollow points for self defense. I might be behind on the learning curve about .22 hollow points so I can stand to be corrected I've shot a small frame .380. If you decide to carry .380 in small frame be sure you can handle the recoil of firing 40 or 60 rounds during a few hours at your practice sessions. Practice is mandatory in my opinion. It's your life and the lives of other people which are st stake. I'd rather fire a medium frame 9mm 200 rounds than fire a small frame .380 for 20 rounds. Some people use the term snappy for the .380 and some other hand guns. Snappy means "it stings (hurts) my hands". A small frame is no fun for me at the practice range. It might be different for you. That's why I say if you'll serve yourself well to learn about that before buying any hand gun. I shoot 9mm, .45 caliber 40 caliber and 10mm. All those are fairly popular and have more than one good ammunition choice for self defense use. Self defense ammunition choices should be very different than ammunition you intend to use in your hand gun for hunting game. The 10mm is a strong round, but 10mm ammunition is often hard to find locally and is much more expensive where I live. Where I live 40 caliber ammunition is fairly easy to find. These days acceptable self defense ammunition is available for most hand gun calibers. Carry methods: Open carry is popular. A lot of holsters are comfortable for open carry. For concealed carry more attention is needed for your comfort and concealibility. If it's not comfortable to carry your weapon concealed you'll too soon make excuses to not carry concealed and either carry open, leave the pistol at home OR buy a more comfortable holster or maybe even a different caliber gun or model which ends up more comfortable for you. IF money is tight for you, a financially wise move is to buy a few boxes of ammunition for the gun owned by one of your friends and shoot that ammunition in that gun. Or rent a gun at the range. That money and time could save you buying a gun that's unsuitable and having to buy a different one that's more suitable and spending double the dollars. The things you should pay close attention to during your shooting session are: 1 can you manage the loading and process of reloading the gun or magazines. Reloading a magazine can be hard on your fingers. 2 Is the recoil unmanageable, 3 can you put holes in the targets consistently at 20 to 30 feet and 4 can you disassamble the gun for cleaning. Every consideration except for the gun cleaning is more important for speed of operating the gun under an attack scenario. Cleaning can be done at a much slower pace than those other factors while not pressed for time when you're home.

A 9mm Glock 19 pistol has moderate recoil with standard pressure loads. If it has too much recoil for you or you have trouble racking its slide then get a .32 ACP chambered Beretta Tomcat pistol or Ruger LCR revolver in .327 Fed Mag and load it with a light recoil .32 H&R Mag rounds. Hornady Critical Defense loads are great.

The .380 ACP round is really good. People sell it short of it's intended purpose. Ultra low recoil at short distances. Intended as a backup, but fully useable as a primary carry gun. I love my Colt Series 70 Government Model chambered in .45 ACP. But how much will it love me in 20 years...

I have revolvers and pistols chambered in .22 LR. I've had failures to fire in all of them. .22 LR is very inexpensive, but for me it's not reliable enough compared with any centerfire round. If you're buying the Ruger LCP 2, get the .380 version. Regarding the Smith and Wesson EZ; it's really not small enough for concealed carry. The Sig P365 has more capacity and it's truly concealable. For a senior, with arthritis in the hands, I would avoid any pistol based on the 1911, and that includes the Sig p238 or any of the Colt Mustang clones. They require more hand strength than the S&W shields, the Rugers or the Sig p365. Ease of takedown is as or more important than recoil.

Thank You !!!!! Happy New Year !!!!!

Well cudos to you for being the first one to recommend tuning the gun to the user.

The predecessor of the 380 Sig and Kimber is the colt Mustang Pcket Lite. Seems to be a very overlooked gun that I believe colt put back into production.

The only time you need a gun is when you "really" need one. Any concealed small revolver works providing you can easily get to it. Knowing who to shoot and when to shoot and what's behind what your shooting at.. is what matters.

I'm quite happy with my Browning 1911-22. I'm putting my pennies away for the 1911-380. Classic design with an extremely comfortable grip.

Nightstand: Ruger GP100 Stainless .357 Magnum 4 Barrel EDC: CZ 75D PCR But, having said that, I would be happy with almost any of the guns listed.

The Sig P238 is fantastic, I’ve owned one for years and even my 120 lb wife can shoot it with ease.

Springfield Hellcat is by far my favorite CCW.

Thank you ...I was in need of this data 👍

I had a River LCP and hated it. The "squareness" of it overall caused so much pain in my hand that I never shot more than 20 rounds at the range. Now I carry a Limber micro 9 and am extremely happy w/ it. The weight, 15oz is quite comfortable w/ arthritis and it's easy to carry either IWB or in my purse. I have recommended Kimber to others who have purchased and they are quite happy also.

A Bersa Thunder in .22 is hard to beat. Very light, cost effective with light recoil. No one says you have to go into combat, just show it and most problems just melt away. I love mine...it never jams.

I'd go with the Sig 938 rather than the 238, simply because it comes in 9mm rather than 380. Put concisely, the 380 doesn't have the horsepower for me to recommend carrying it for defense against humanoid goblins. With 380, you can choose penetration or expansion but not both. 9mm has enough power for both considerations. I'd prefer any goblin that I have to shoot that their eyes would bug out from an abdominal shot. I realize this isn't possible, but the thought is there.

I have a Kimber Micro 9 mm. From the time it was new I have had problems getting the first round from the magazine to load in the chamber. I took it to a gun smith and he told me I could shoot 500 rounds of ammo through it to break it in or for $75 he could disassemble it and polish it up. Not wanting to spend the money on 500 rounds of ammo to get a brand new pistol to work properly, I paid him the $75 to polish it up and it still does the same thing. I paid up to purchase a Kimber believing I was buying a quality product and I couldn't be more disappointed.

Very glad to see hammer fired options.

How about the Lite Rack Ruger Security .380 with fiber optic sights? MSRP $350.00

My wife is fond of the Beretta Tomcat .32. I've shown how to rack the slide by holding the slide and pushing the pistol forward, but she likes that flip barrel. She's 70 and still the fiesty gal she's always been. Your thoughts?