Choosing the BEST Gun for Conceal Carry 

The best gun is the one you shoot well and conceal well.

Biggest advice I can give about this, go to a range that offers gun rental. After you’ve narrowed down your options to 3-4 guns go shoot them, see how it actually feels when shooting, if it’s accurate, etc. Should only cost like $50 or less and will save you the pain of trying to sell the gun later after you shoot it and decide it’s not for you.

Reasons why I like you over all the other RU-vidrs. Your ability to explain and teach is by far more superior to many of the others. You're not cocky nor do you come across as such. I honestly believe you practice what you preach, and I love your faith and how you incorporate family into your videos. I believe you legitimately want to help with and teach firearms and self-defense. You are tops, brother!

As a competitive shooter and a trainer, one nuance I would add is that shorter guns aren't "less accurate", they are "harder to shoot accurately" for a person. If you put a G26 and a G34 in a Ransom rest, they will shoot almost the same size group. It's just more forgiving with a longer sight radius.

My mother is 82. For over 30 years she's had a S&W model 60. Recently she had it out and was having trouble pulling the trigger and pulling the hammer back. Arthritis and weakness are the problem. She has a Glock 43 now with talon grips. She loves it.

I must say I love and have always appreciated John’s real world safety techniques and advice. Also for realizing that the world is not a classroom

A 43X MOS with a tiny Holosun 507K X2 red dot, Streamlight TLR-6 micro-light and a Shield Arms 15-round mag is a very compact solution for a nice shooter. Even better, there are plenty of great holsters out there that fit this gun config right off the shelf.

The “Shield PLUS” is what I carry. I love it 13+1 in a sub compact with “in my opinion” the best stock trigger you can get from a out of the box gun that’s around $500

Used to be a larger guy but lost 65lbs last year and now carry a CZ P10C AIWB with 17 round mag with no printing or discomfort. Took a while to perfect with clothing but totally worth it

Carried CZ 75 since the '80s. Remember those? Still have it and carry it now and then. Switched to the CZ 75 P01 about 10 years ago. Just feels great in hand and accurate out of the box. Broke it in with minimum rounds. Love the P01!

Very informative and inspiring. Here in South Africa we have THE highest crime in the world , yet obtaining a license to carry a gun is a tedious procedure that in my case at least ,took just under 2 years ,because … Don’t give up your freedoms in America for no one as ultimately “saving a drowning person is the responsibility of the said person “

I love this channel. You always get rock solid information but you get the added benefit of John’s charisma. You have me smiling and nodding my head more times that I can count. Thanks as always

My threat analysis back around 2001 changed. I converted to a G19 from a six-shot revolver with a 3" barrel. I have a lot of time on the G19, and boat loads of rounds through it. I try to train twice per month or more. I have two G19 guns now, so I have a replacement. I have a bunch of other guns I have tried but I don't carry them and many others that were sold and went away. I spent 28yrs in the Army and many of my friends kept telling me to try a Glock. I hated the way they looked and all the other stuff negative about them. However, I am results oriented in my thinking. I did very well with the gun. On the ranch here in South Texas, that G19 goes on the hip every morning, and comes off at night. We are 60 miles from the border. It is the wild west down here. Nobody in the county goes unarmed, even when going to town for groceries or livestock supplies or church, and nobody worries about concealment. All the ranchers carry a long gun in their truck ALL of the time. Liked your video, John. All of your points are spot on. The belt and holster are the foundation for safety. I agree strongly ref the external safety issue. Happy New Year to you and all the subscribers.

No offense to any of your other videos, but this is one of your best and most useful videos for a new gun owner or a gun owner that has let the newest fad grab a hold of them in a while.

Sig P238 is a super soft shooting gun for the size, and is really accurate. Of all the micro .380 pistols, that's one I would recommend because it's actually fun to shoot.

I like how you promoted your Poet guns without really shoving them down our throat or belittling other guns. That was a class act. Thanks.

I carried my gun for the last 5 years. 2 months ago I shot the Shadow Systems CR920. Wow, just wow, so I bought one. It made my old gun feel like a brick. Thanks so much Warrior Poets, you really know what you are doing

EDC & CCW is definitely a personal choice and relationship. There are people out there who genuinely believe if you don’t carry a G34 you’re going to die in a self defense shooting. Personally I carry a P365XL in the summer/spring and carry a G17 in the winter/late fall. Again, EDC is very personal! Spend time w/ the firearm you’re planning on carrying and shoot it often! Best of luck to everyone on their CCW journey!

My son and I have Taurus G2C's and absolutely LOVE them!! We've also tried the G3 and G3C and those are also nice. I still prefer my G2C trigger, though. It's a 12 round magazine, but you can also get a 17 round mag for it! I cannot say enough nice things about this firearm! While it has the external safety switch, I never use it. My finger is the safety.

The 365x is my daily carry and I love it, 14+1 in a tiny gun is amazing.

S&W Shield Plus is an excellent choice, and often overlooked.

Agree 100%. As a smaller guy (5,6", 135), I carry my GLOCK 19 when I can - but I have to be more careful about what I'm wearing so that I don't print. But my Sig P365 pretty much disappears even when I'm in shorts & a t-shirt. Context typically drives my choice.

Myself I've come to love the 365x, xl frame with 365 slide I believe, easy to conceal, easy to control, and good capacity. I've always had a hard time concealing the G19 size comfortably so it was a good compromise.

I've had a p365 for about a year and I carry it every day. It's small but has a 10, 12 and 15 round mag that came with it and factory tritium sights.

I realize there are a lot of Anti-Springfielders around, but I carry the Hellcat Pro. Love it.

Glock 26. If I could only have one gun, it would be a Glock 26 (9x19). Plenty of rounds in a small, accurate, reliable package. Lots of aftermarket. Inexpensive magazines. And you can put a 33 round magazine in it.

Started carrying a J Frame Smith in my 1968 rookie year and continued w/the 340PD until recently. I p/u the LCP Max @ a gunshow a few weeks ago. When I got it to the range I was even more impressed w/it’s accuracy and ease of handling under combat conditions. I pocket carry in a holster w/one spare 12 round mag in my pocket.

Springfield Hellcat and Glock 43X top my list. I spent time in different gun stores comparing sub-compact 9mm models. I made sure I had a good grip and compared the sights and dry fired the triggers. I would come up from a holster position to a natural point on the opposite wall, then I would check the sights to see whether it pointed naturally for me. The best fit Sub FOR ME was the Springfield Hellcat: fastest sights to acquire, best trigger, highest round count/size, naturally pointing grip, best grip texture, and almost a micro/sub compact. [ I shot the Colt Ace and different 1911 models for two decades before I tried my hand at IDPA. I experimented with various Glocks and settled on the 19/23. The grip angle and the bump at the grip bottom conspired to naturally point a little high for me. I am not one of these guys that can flawlessly switch from two decades of 1911 (17*) grip angle with strait backstrap to the Glock (19*) grip angle and "arched" backstrap.] So how did the Glock 43X make the other gun at the top? It doesn't have as pronounced a bump at the bottom of the grip which, in spite of the 19* grip, doesn't push the front sight up to disqualify it at defensive distances. The Glock 19 has never been a comfortable Inside The Waist CC gun for me. Any blocky gun over an inch wide is an outside the waistband model for me. I have owned many Glocks. But then along came the 48, essentially the same length and height as the ubiquitous and number one recommended Glock 19! But the 48 is thinner, and I can carry it IWB! And it doesn't have the "exaggerated" point high bump at the bottom of the grip! And it's lighter weight! AND along came Shield 15 round magazines! AND there's the Glock 43x with a shorter barrel and slide! So the 48/43x are compacts that function as sub compacts! The width of 10 round single stack pistols with staggered 15 round magazines! I did a spread sheet comparison three years ago and nothing beat the 43x, with the 48 a very close second, in size/width/weight/capacity overall! The Hellcat is smaller, but the grip is almost too small, although it has excellent texture. The 48/43x have a great grip, size and feel. The 48 is better than the 19 for CC, and the 43x a little better yet, the best CC Glock in my opinion.

I can say that the best handgun purchase I have made "to date" is when I bought a Canik TP9sf the trigger is amazing it functions like a dream and it holds 18 plus one and the price was very good. I can pretty much hit what I want when I want. It's always good to hear different options. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Thank you for making this video. A guy in my church just asked me to recommend a pistol for his wife. I gave him a few suggestions and offered to take them to the range and let her try out several options. Just sent him this video, so all his problems will be solved and they will live happily ever after in 2A bliss. Thanks Warrior Poet Society!

I've been through a few carry guns. I've finally settled on the Springfield Hellcat, and the S&W 38 bodyguard as my go to carry guns. I needed a pocket revolver after I fractured my thumb on my left hand and couldn't load mags, or rack a slide with a hand injury.

Super solid video. Very direct, straight to the point, no messing around. Gotta respect that!

I carry a shield plus. Absolutely love it. Very concealable, 13 + 1 capacity in 9 mm. Great feel. Absolutely love it

I went with the P365XL, and then bought the standard 365 grip module and 10-rd mag. Now when the weather warms up, I just run that smaller grip and magazine and get to keep the better sights, trigger and holster compatibility of the XL.

Recently bought a CZ P-10C Optics Ready version. I am happy with it so far. Shoots good, no malfunctions. Looking forward to mount a light and a red dot on it. So far there is no need for another autoloading pistol for me, especially that I have a couple of revolvers as well.

A devastating round that reduces recoil is the Underwood 9mm 65gr or 68gr +P.. With a 4" barrel It zips along at 1,800 fps.

Always love WPS stuff....John and the boys continue to be my favorite guntubers.

Good to hear the Shield 2.0 is mentioned. I think the Plus is also a good choice given the higher capacity.

I've moved away from the standard P365 and have moved the FCU over to a Macro frame with an XL slide. After thousands of rounds, I just didn't feel confident with it. The increased size of the Macro frame feels closer to shooting my full size guns while not sacrificing conceal ability.

Great vid! But I do have to stand up a little for micro guns. I quickly realized I just wasn’t going to carry every day unless I could find something small. Sorry. Yes, I’m a woman, past middle age. But I did commit to training - and found a micro with honestly less kick than you would think, and I’ve learned to draw it fast, and have become quite a dead eye. 90+% on various scoring systems. My only point is to reiterate what everyone already knows… that you have to find something you will actually carry. Always. And for some of us it makes more sense to train hard with one gun than to have different guns for different outfits.

Love my MP Shield PLUS. Occasionally carry the MP 9 2.0 17+1, but that’s definitely more of a commitment when carrying.

G43x is my EDC. 10 rounds is perfect and the grip is perfect stock everything is perfect and all around is perfect

Great advice. My personal choice for short and light EDC currently is the P365 but with the XL spectre grip swapped on. 12 rd mags with magguts mag spring so its 14+1 9mm in a compact size.

Love all your work John, and I love how much the network has grown, keep it up. People call me crazy because I have many guns to choose from in the safe but I keep going back to the Taurus G3C (and the 856 if I'm just in the mood for a revolver). One thing I will say to anyone watching is that if you choose to buy a pistol with a manual safety and carry it, you need to train with that safety to where it's second nature, and if you're not going to train enough to get there then you should take John's advice and get a gun with passive safeties. When I shoot my thumb is always riding the safety lever, which I think gives me more control of the gun with one hand and it keeps me from riding the slide stop (I've heard other guntubers call this using it as a gas pedal).

I’ve been carrying religiously for over 15 years and have tried everything from a tiny Ruger LCP to full-size Glock 17. Not to mention the dozens of holsters and belts. While size is definitely a factor, I’ve found that holsters and belts to be the determining factor of what I can carry comfortably. A good belt/holster allows me to carry a bigger gun more comfortably.

Walther PDP Compact with 507C, couldn't be happier

i started carrying about 7-8 years ago with a M&P 9 compact, loved it but wanted to try others. got a P365XL with the optic on it, liked it but was a tad smaller. Went tried a S&W shield 2.0 and the grips were like sand paper, but i liked how it shot. Now i landed on what I love the most is the Hellcat Pro, perfect size, feel and everything about it for EDC for me.

Running a Canik elite sc for ccw for a couple years now that's kind of my "do all" defense pistol, no problem with getting hands around it, extremely accurate little gun. Too each there own.

“Cone of ballistic hate.” Classic John! Many years ago, I used to be one of those guys, who would only carry a .45. As time went by, I realized (through training and experience) that 9mm is (IMO) a better overall round. Now I carry a P365 or a P365XL with light and red dot. This pair makes, what I would consider, a “perfect” sub-compact weapon system (parts interchangeability, some magazine compatibility, and identical manual of arms). And as John said, if you buy a P365 new, you’ll avoid those early produced weapons that had some reliability issues. Godspeed!

Since starting in policing in 2007, I have carried a .40 cal. My dad even bought me a G27 when I graduated from academy. Over the years, I have come to prefer the 9mm & carry a G43x with Shield Arms 15 round mag off-duty. I stock pile 9mm for all of my non-work pistols. After some persuasion, I have talked my Chief into switching to 9mm & we are in the process of switching. Yay for that! However, since I’m not getting rid of my G27 bought by my dad & my G23, which was my issued first gun I carried, I will continue to keep some .40 cal on hand. Great video!

John, Thank you for another great video. God bless. Take care,

Right on point! One of the exceptions I've found to the normally heavy double action trigger pull of the snubbie .38's is the Kimber K6S in .357, nice smooth double action pull, can use .38 +P's for faster shots.

When I started concealed carrying I started with the 43 seven round magazines. But when the 43x came out with a full length grip but shorty slide. I considered switching to that because it had 10 rounds but I didn't. Then Shield arms came out with a 15 round magazine that fit flush in the 43x. And that was the deciding factor. I got the 43x I carry 30 + 1 every day it's comfortable it fits in my baby hands and is very concealable. In my opinion the 43x is the best concealed carry gun on the market when paired with the shield as 15 magazines

Hello John, I believe a great carry gun is the Beretta px4 storm if you are still listening my 2nd carry gun is a waltherp99. Both are easy to shoot and sights are very good.

My EDC is the GLOCK 30. Is easily concealed, great stopping power and is very accurate 👍🏽

Another great video from Mr. Poet and Co. Thanks! The S&W Shield Plus is a nice 13+1 option.

I really want to see John run a Staccato. As much as he wants to dislike the 1911/2011 platform I just know he’d run a Staccato very well and have no choice but to love them!

That CZ P10C hit me right in my soul😂😂😂😂 spot on sir haha

You earned a new sub here, great info & presentation with some quality light humor and a great attitude. One of the very very few creators I’ve ever listened to that I dont have to 1.25-2.0 x playspeed. Thx.

Hk guy here, carry a P30SK and absolutely love it for a couple reasons. Hammer fired, so I get the crispness of a single action trigger with the safety of a double (yes you need to learn 2 trigger pulls and yes it takes longer. I don’t mind and have trained it for years) Also being technically a subcompact, it’s on the large end and takes standard p30 series magazines. If you want a short grip and max conceal ability use the flush fit 10’s, for more capacity it will take the 13’s, 15’s, and even the p30’s 17 or 20 rounders. For its size it shoots like a much larger handgun.

I agree with you most of the time, I mostly carry a Shield Plus with a 13 rd mag and a 15 round mag in sidecar but I have carried a Sig P938 many times 7+1 with 2 extra mags and I can shoot it well, with the flush mag 6 rd version it is snappy, but I have never used it.

Love the wooby jacket! Also, i conceal a full size m17 with a full size x300. Not allowed to carry at work but no-ones noticed so far!

Always love your videos, John. The humor mixed in has me rolling. Great video and I agree...it depends on the warrior, not the arrow. Keep it up!

I'm a .45ACP man myself. The first pistol I ever shot was a .45 (Roger P-90). I've shot .40, 9mm, etc, and I just really like the .45ACP. As a bigger guy, I carry a full size (Springfield XD 5 inch barrel). I like the control i have with it and, through regular training, have become quite proficient. I sometimes print but its rare that anyone ever notices. The only time I ever had an issue is when I bought a box of some off-brand ammo that was really cheap. Several feed issues. Normally I keep Underwood hallow points in it except when I'm plinking.

I think the glock 26 is one of the most underrated all around carry guns for edc. Can size it up or down due to the situation with all of the double stack magazine/extensions compatibility. I can get 15+1 w/ a SLR +5 baseplate in a smaller package than a G19.

Dude, I'd love to spend a week learning how to shoot better from you. I love how you present the material in such a relaxed, fun manner. Heck, even just a day would be awesome! Keep up the good work!

John, regarding revolvers, they have their advantages too. The Ruger LCR series have very smooth easy to pull triggers. The .327 magnum version is 6-shot and older/weaker folks can load it down with ..32 H&R magnum, .32 long or even .32 short so even the oldest, most arthritic, hands can tolerate the recoil which is virtually nil with the .32 loads. They are a way better option for recoil sensitive folks than a .22 or .22 magnum which require much stronger hammer springs to be reliable and thus have lousy triggers. For some folks they make a lot of sense.

John, you should try the 365 with a Wilson Combat XL grip. It is GAME CHANGING and doesn't add a heck of a lot of bulk at all. I even got the extended matching pinky rests for my mags and it fills the hand perfectly and took all the snap out of it when shooting. Shoots just as flat as my g19 does. Also, the wilson combat grip is only like 65 bucks... hand's down the cheapest and best possible upgrade out there.

Carried the Shield for years and loved it. Switched to the 365 XL a year ago. With a Holosun and a TRL light and 15 rounds it’s my favorite gun to carry.

Thanks John Your Years of experience is much appreciated and the fact you give your wisdom to us we are beholden to men and women who share that shalom

Very informative, thanks. Keep up the great work!

Being disabled and not able to carry much weight, I had to downgrade to a LCPII. The way I see it, at least I’m still able to carry something to defend myself with

I conceal carry a hellcat outfitted with a red dot and a 11 round mag. I keep both 13 and 15 round mags with me as well, but for comfort and less footprint, I keep the the 11 round mag in.

I love my glock 43. I can go as small as I want when trying to minimize to the extreme but I can also use extended mags when I can carry a bigger package.

I'm a fairly large guy (6' 1", 220lbs), I've always had a thing for 1911 45s. I had one in my younger days and loved it, but had to part with it because of financial difficulties. I bought another one a couple years ago, much nicer than the previous one. I put a muzzle brake on it, decided I still love it, but it definitely wasn't what I wanted for a concealed carry. A friend of mine recently showed me his S&W Shield 9mm with the thumb safety and I fell in love with it. This will definitely be my next gun! I know you are NOT a 1911 fan. Did I mention I am DEFINITELY NOT a Glock fan boy? 😆 If it was at all feasible I'd carry one of my dad's old Ruger 3 screw 4⅝” barrel 357 Blackhawks, but printing, luggage, etc.

I love my Colt Mustang Pocketlite. It’s a .380 but with the right ammo it has comparable ballistics to a 9mm. It’s highly reliable and easy to shoot.

I rock the CZ P-01, my only complaint with it is the same thing I love about CZ, the recessed slide. I used to carry a Sig SP 2022 and would practice clearing jams, never had an issue with that standard Sig slide, as soon as I moved over to the P-01 though, I fucked my hand up a few times, slipping and slapping the rear sight. I shoot much better with the CZ then I do the sig, which is why I carry is mainly, but there is for sure a learning curve with racking it if you're not used to the smaller less accessible slide. P.S. I also have a weird hatred of striker fired, for some reason I go out of my way to use SA/DA hammer fired. I've shot them and I own one striker fired, but for some reason I can't get my self to carry them. Which is weird because both the P-01 and the SP 2022 lack a safety, so you'd think I'd feel safer running a striker with a safety, but a hammer in DA (decocked) and a thumb over the hammer on deholster or holstering feels better to me.

So many to choose from , my mom was interested in owning a fire arm and she she kept looking at small .380s , I recommend the shield EZ in .380 and she handles it very well , forgot to mention she was in her late sixties when she got it and she is tiny.

Current best friend is a Shield Plus in Dirty 30. 13+1 flush fit, or 16+1 with a slight stendo, optics ready, has every advantage over 9mm that 9mm has over everything else, including reduced recoil (except for price, currently). What's not to love? I'd also imagine that the 15 round 9mm mag released for the Equalizer could be something like 19+1 or 20+1 in 30 Super Carry. Now THAT is a crazy number.

Another great video John. Thanks for sharing.

Been shooting my G2c for years now 1,500+ rounds shot, amazing gun for the value! It’s never jammed on me and no issues (even after not cleaning 300+ rounds at a time), it’s been thrown around and through some dirt too - still shoots great. ESPECIALLY with a conversion kit from CAA it’s a lot cooler. Taurus makes me seriously consider their new tactical G3

John I understand your distrust of safeties, however if all your guns have safeties and you build it into your battery of arms it becomes second nature to you. I spent 22 years in the CG, (i know you have heard this before) I started with the 1911, and then made the switch to the Beretta's. We were trained to take off the safety as soon as the gun left the holster and was brought up into the ready position. Just saying if you train with it then you will not have a problem.

I recently switched from the FN 509 to the Glock 43x for my EDC. I love it! It’s compact enough to conceal well, I shoot it accurately, and it’s not stupid heavy and causing my pants to fall off.

Great video!!! Thanks for helping me know what gun to buy to defend myself and others!!!

P365x here, 14 round Magguts mag. Couldn't quite get a hold of it at first, but after training and weekly range time, I haven't found anything of that size with that round count that I shoot as easily and accurately. Recently added the Wilson Combat grip and it feels much more "complete" for me.

I honestly am an M&P guy. I prefer the grip angle over Glocks, and feel the triggers are a little better overall, which is important if we should not be looking at modding the guts. Also I am a big proponent of carrying tools that go above and beyond any torture you can put them through and M&Ps are just built tough like your grandpa's hand tools for no type of reason in my experience. It's a game of inches between Glock and M&P for me and M&P *JUST* edges out a win.

I'm fond of 'Heavy Metal ' , the 1A) 1911 45acp Government or Sig 220 ; 1B) 1911 45acp Commander 2A) Beretta 92 or 2B) the Sig 229. I prefer dou carry , a 1911 as a primary edc for CQC with a 9mm as a secondary if I have the opportunity to enjoy and employ cover and concealment. I love the 45,but 90 or 95% of the time I dou carried two 9mm because one 9mm was so accurate it was my AT&T gun (reach out and touch someone) and the Beretta 92 was accurate enough for CQC.

Shocked the G26 was never mentioned. Underrated carry gun confirmed.

That Sig P238 is actually a very good micro .380 -- shoots very well. I keep one in my PFD as my "fishing gun". Great video.

Love my 19x at 5'10 180lbs its easy for me to conceal at the 4 o'clock. I love the capacity it gives me, the larger grip with the shorter slide. It just works for me.

Good advice! I live in AZ and I’m a Sig fan. During the summer I pocket carry a P365 .380. During the cooler months I appendix carry a P365XL w/Macro grip. Just my 2cents.

Staccato C2 Duo - 15 + 1, great duty trigger, fast recycle accurate (for me) past 50 yards. Well over 2,000 rounds so far, with no failure of any type.

I’ve got a Taurus G3C. First handgun I’ve shot and also owned. I carry every single day and it feels comfortable. I’ve put 250 rounds down range so far and haven’t had any jams or malfunctions. I’ve also become pretty accurate with practice and some help. My groupings are tight. Would love to get some legitimate training from the WPS team. Was happy to see you include the Taurus in here. Also I appreciate these type of videos a lot. Knowledge is power. Train hard train smart folks

I started with a Ruger EC9, my wife had a Ruger LCPII .380. She wanted something bigger (so did I, just needed the excuse 😂) I also wanted something with a larger capacity for my kit. Glock has established reliability (standard issue for most Law Enforcement) and cost effective so I picked us up a couple G19 Gen5's. I'm more comfortable with it than my Ruger, so it's my EDC.

That always gets me, I don't give a hoot if the guns on RU-vid are clear or not, I'm 100% safe watching on my screen. They make a huge production about it, I could not care less. CZ-97 with red dot for me, but I do carry a micro when clothing requires it, but I can handle the recoil just fine. Also looking forward to the mentioned holster vid.

It's the Shield Plus for me. It's affordable (especially after S&W's new pricing), has the best trigger for the newer micro pistols, excellent grip texture, the grip swells out in the right areas to really fill out my hands, has great capacity, and shoots like a much larger pistol while still being relatively tiny. I tried the P365, P356XL, Glock 43, Glock 43X, Ruger Max-9, Taurus GX4, Glock 26, and a P320 XCompact at Texas Gun Experience before going with the Shield Plus. It was the perfect pistol for my EDC due to the size and shootability at such a small size. P.S. I would recommend getting the Optics Ready model even. if you don't care about optics because it comes with a high vis night sight. Well worth the extra 25-30.

I've got years of experience carrying the Taurus G2C and my wife carries the G2S. I'm not crazy about the external safety, but I'll vouch for reliability. I've put a metric sh*t ton of rounds through it and utilized it in a couple predator defense situations, along with hours and hours of defensive training. Having said that, I'm going to be moving to the shadow systems cr920 soon. I'm in love with my DR920 War Poet, which is what goes in my battle belt.

I think that the best set up is a G 43x with the shield arms 15 rd mag. It's a good fighting size with a great ammo capacity yet not so big that its uncomfy or prints.

Well, I pocket carry a bodyguard and love it! Added magguts +1 extension (7+1), pinky extension, painted front sight white. Other than showering and sleeping, it's always on me. I find it easy to shoot and accurate at self defense ranges, 7-10 yards. Loaded with Federal hst's or Hornady critical defense. I'll go through 250-300 rounds at a range visit and still could keep going. No concerns about printing or dressing around my gun. It's what works for me and my lifestyle. I respect John's opinions, but I'm still the ultimate arbiter of what I choose.

Great review. Thanks