There are a myriad of choices for a handgun when it comes to concealed carry. The general characteristics of a concealed carry handgun represent a balancing act between caliber, size, shootability and concealability. Sometimes the most effective handguns for self defense are too large, heavy, or bulky for concealed carry use, whereas the easiest handguns to conceal may lack power or shootability. We’ve chosen the following five handguns based on their popularity and practicality as concealed carry handguns.  We’ve NOT chosen to rank them: handguns come down to personal preference, and since no two people’s hands are alike, we can’t tell you which one will best fit in your grip.

Kahr CW40/CW9

Kahr handguns were born from the concealed carry boom of the mid-1990s.  The Kahr handguns are unique in that they were not based upon an existing design and scaled down for concealed carry use. Rather, they were designed from the ground up with concealability in mind.

The higher end models of the line are the PM series, which have a metal frame and make superb concealed carry pistols. However, for our purposes we have chosen the lighter weight polymer framed CW series. These pistols are less expensive and lighter in weight than their PM series counterparts. Kahr pistols feature no manual safeties, are striker fired and can be reasonably well concealed while providing adequate stopping power, accuracy and capacity.

Glock 26/27

The Glock 26 and 27 were the Austrian company’s first serious entry into the concealed carry realm as subcompact versions of their full size pistols. The Glock 26 is chambered in 9mm and the Model 27 in 40 S&W. Like the Kahr CW series, they are striker fired and polymer framed. They are slightly bulkier than the Kahr pistols but can accommodate the larger capacity magazines of the full sized Glocks such as the Glock 17 in 9mm (17 rounds) and the Glock 22 (15 rounds). These pistols are popular backup handguns for law enforcement officers who carry the full sized versions as a duty pistol.

Smith & Wesson J-frame

The Smith & Wesson five-shot J-frame revolver has been around for over 50 years and was designed as a concealed carry revolver from its inception. Most of the innovations of Smith & Wesson’s popular revolvers have taken a cue from the diminutive J-frame series.

The company’s first stainless steel revolver was the Model 60 which appeared in 1960. Smith & Wesson’s revolutionary usage of lightweight metals such as aluminum, titanium and scandium started with revolvers of this size, as did their use of internal, concealed or bobbed hammers.

The tradeoff with the lighter J-frames in weight reduction comes at the price of increased felt recoil. The J-frame for concealed carry works best in .38 Special, 9mm and .357 Magnum calibers. Other calibers are available in these revolvers such as .22 LR and .22 Magnum, but these are not considered powerful enough for self defense usage.

Ruger LCP

The Ruger LCP was a bold new design for Strum, Ruger & Co. which typically manufactures sporting and hunting firearms. The LCP is a polymer framed compact blowback pistol which holds 6 rounds of 380 ACP.  This is generally the minimum threshold of the power scale in a defensive handgun. The LCP is a particularly easy pistol to conceal due to its light weight, small caliber and thin profile.

Springfield XD-S

The Springfield HDS is a compact double action polymer framed pistol based on the company’s hugely popular XD series. It is less than an inch wide and the magazine stores 5+1 rounds of .45 ACP ammunition, or 7+1 9mm.  Higher capacity single stack magazines are offered for the XD-S, but these protrude from the base of the grip.

Honorable Mention:

Smith & Wesson M&P SHIELD

This perpetually sold-out gun would have made our list, were it ever available.  It’s a testament to Smith & Wesson that the SHIELD is backordered for 2 years, and with a simple and cheap trigger modification, it’s probably our favorite.  If you’ve already got one, S&W has issued a recall for it, so get it checked right away.  Otherwise, It’s slim, light, and lethal to the bad guys.  It’s just that you can’t ever find one in stock.