Glock compact or sub compact?

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Looking at my first CCW handgun and I'm torn between the Glock compact and subcompact models (intentionally avoided naming the model number or caliber). Will be used for EDC (when destination is permissible!), jogging/biking, home defence (first line), as well as intra-state road trips. At home it will be a night stand gun, for carry I have yet to experience with my final configuration but I am thinking a strong side IWB set up. I am a bigger guy, around 240lbs and I tend to wear untucked t-shirts or undershirts with various overshirts. I'm not overly concerned with printing as I suspect this will be minimized by my build and a reasonable consideration towards attire. What I do not want is to be "burdened" by the printing while active or sitting in vehicle. Either model will have adequate capacity and feels good in the hand though I do enjoy the more positive grip of the larger compact frame...

And yes, I know you can run the larger mag in the sub to make up for it at home, but I will be getting three mags with the purchase (standard size, based on model) so I do not have any need for more.
 
CCW the smaller the better. I carry a 4 inch barrel Smith semi and regret the full size often. Realistically how often are you going to use it? Probably never. How often do you want to carry it? As much as allowable. The smaller it is the more likely you are to take it with you. I suggest the single stack magazine models.
 
Yep. . .as much as you plan to carry it, I'd go with the sub-compact. I have both and I much prefer carrying the the smaller one. I recommend the Pierce +1 magazine extender to give your small finger a place to sit when your grip the gun, plus the benefit of an extra round.
 
If concealment will not be a problem I'd shoot both and see which you like best. The 19/23 is my favorite for a 'full size' carry piece, for me anyway @ 5'8" and 155 lbs. The larger real full size 17/22 are too big for me to carry practically.
 
I have a g17 and 26. Obviously the 26 carrys better. I am 6'2 235lbs. and the g26 hides well under a t-shirt IWB worn in about the 2:00 position even with the pierce +1 pinky extension.

You don't real'y need the extension. I can't believe how good the gun shoots with the flat mag and your pinky curled under the grip. But the extensions do not seem to hurt concealment wise until you wear it at 4:00 or so which I do not prefer because it is hard to get out when seated and any gun prints more there.

I would go with the subcompact in 9mm. Mine shoots so well I almost feel like I don't have a lot of use for my g17 anymore.
 
ditto on g26 I have 10 handguns and carry the 26 about 98%. I also have a much smaller sigp238 but i favor the glock I m=am 5-8 and 172 lbs
 
Carry the gun you shoot the best and dress around it. It isn't about the fashion or the reasonable comfort, it's about the reason you carry.
That being said I'll say again: It's not the arrow it's the Indian that makes the difference.

YMMV
Smoky
 
Please let us know if you get into a gun fight in a crowd. Would like to know how many rounds spent, did target fall, and how you and your lawyer are doing in regards to fees. Even when your right,,,it is still expensive.
 
I'd get a S&W .44mag....because when you really need it you want some edge. Just get some nice sport coats to cover it.


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Subcompact is still a little big IMO. If you can carry it you can carry a compact. May as well go compact then add a very small 9mm to your collection later.
 
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
Please let us know if you get into a gun fight in a crowd. Would like to know how many rounds spent, did target fall, and how you and your lawyer are doing in regards to fees. Even when your right,,,it is still expensive.

Link to all these cases?
 
buck91,
Neither a 19 or a 26 (or their .40/.357/.45GAP counterparts) is suitable for jogging. They're too heavy and will swing around quite a bit with most carry methods. Consider a micro of some type for carry while jogging - P3AT, PM9, LCP, Nano, etc.

The 26 will be less prone to printing but I would wager that more 19s are carried concealed than 26s. Why? The 19 is a more versatile gun. It holds 50% more ammo than the 26, offers a longer sight radius, and has a grip that permits a three finger hold (versus 2 on the 26). All of that combines to allow for more shots to be placed more accurately on target in a given time frame.

Given your build, you most likely can conceal a 19 well. A common carry rig is a G19 in a Comp-Tac MTAC or Milt Sparks Versa-Max II holster with a sturdy gun belt (no fashion belts!). The MTAC and VM2 designs have been copied by the other holster makers, so those are just suggestions.

OTOH, the 26 is smaller and lighter. Smaller is easier to conceal and lighter makes it more comfortable to wear.

If you drive for long periods of time, consider a vehicle mounted holster and/or ankle carry. Hip carry for extended periods can be uncomfortable for some people with some holsters in some cars.

If you get a 26, get a larger mag for nightstand use. Really, what's another $25 after paying $500-$600 for a new pistol and holster?

Have you looked at the M&P Compact? It's sized roughly between the G26 and G19 and is also a quality firearm.


It's really a personal decision with no clear choice. I have a G26 that's my primary carry, but I weigh ~90 pounds less than you and a G19 is a bit bulky for my size and clothing choices. I also have other carry guns for use when the G26 isn't suitable.
 
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
Please let us know if you get into a gun fight in a crowd. Would like to know how many rounds spent, did target fall, and how you and your lawyer are doing in regards to fees. Even when your right,,,it is still expensive.


I don't even know where to begin with this ridiculous comment. . . . it sounds like a quote from Piers Morgan. . .
 
Originally Posted By: Robster
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
Please let us know if you get into a gun fight in a crowd. Would like to know how many rounds spent, did target fall, and how you and your lawyer are doing in regards to fees. Even when your right,,,it is still expensive.


I don't even know where to begin with this ridiculous comment. . . . it sounds like a quote from Piers Morgan. . .
Now don't be so moody....
 
I don't think his comment sounds like Piers Morgan but it does sound like common sense.

I can tell you from personal experience that YOUR attorney WILL drain your bank account. And, anyone that thinks they'll need more than ten rounds is not in a gun battle, they're in a war. You will not only lose your money, you will lose your firearms for a while, probably your freedom for at least a little while and you will spend more time defending yourself than you ever thought possible no matter how justifiable the shooting was.

People should carry what they are proficient with and what is comfortable to carry.....period! Do you really need 19 rounds on tap along with two extra magazines? If you feel you truly need that amount of firepower, maybe you should reassess the areas you are visiting. If I find myself in an area that causes me to carry that type of armament, I'm carrying a rifle instead.
 
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Fleetmon & CouriorDriver : Not disputing what you say - will add that if all possible try to flees the bad situation first ...However if you can not flee first and your life is in grave danger then you have the right to protect yourself to do what is neccesary to stop the threat . Not turn the threat into swiss cheese - but to put rounds on center mass until the threat is stopped plain and simple . * I would rather be alive and have to pay potential legal fees than to be dead at the hands of a perp who was operating outside of the law !!
 
I should have expounded on my earlier comment. . . it sounds ridiculous because nobody properly trained in use of firearms for self-defense is going to shoot in the environment that courierdriver described. . . that statement indicates to me that the commenter has not received that training. Seriously, I didn't mean to come off like a [censored] and don't mean to offend, but it seems that the most outlandish comments come from the people that don't have actual training / experience in the use of firearms, including those in the media. My apologies to courierdriver.
 
You can end up in situations where more than 10 rounds are needed. Need proof....look how many rounds the dude in the famous 1986 FBI shootout took to go down? And just last year a housewife put 6 rounds of 38 special point blank into ONE assailant and he was able to walk out of the house, get in a car, and drive off a ways before passing out. Had there been two guys, more than 10 rounds would have been possibly needed.

The deal is, do you always need that many shots? No. Are there situations where having 15 in your mag will be needed? Yes. Does someone else have the right to tell you what you can buy and what you need to protect yourself as far as mag capacity? I would say no. Whatever you do get, just make sure you know how to use it. Thomas Jefferson once said ""Tyranny is defined as that which is legal for the government but illegal for the citizenry." So every time I see one of the mags from the 1994-2004 AWB era, that phrase rings in my head. We as the citizenry should have the same right to 17rds in our Glock 17 that the local beat cop does when he faces the same dirtbag breaking into houses and committing armed robbery.
 
I'm sure everyone posting about only needing <10 rounds have some documentation, FROM EXPERTS NOT POLITICIANS OR SPECIAL INTEREST, to back it up?
 
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