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Carry Guns: Does Size Matter?

I have carried government and commander 1911s, Makarov, p365xl, Charter Bulldog, and various others . Right now most of my carry guns are smaller and work very well for me. As long as I shoot it up to my expectations is all that matters to me.

These are my current carry handguns I have carried in the past year. They all shoot well enough to fulfill my expectation.

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Yes, it matters to me. I cannot carry the micro compacts or most subcompacts due to my XL glove sized hands make it difficult for me to access the smaller grips during the holster draw. My first priority for my EDC is accessibility. If I cannot access my pistol, then nothing else matters. My other considerations in order include shootability, concealability, and comfort.
 
Very good article. Right off the bat it gives a good perspective and analogy.

It reminds me of Form and Function.
Form that follows function and form that determines function.

Being youngun’ its easy for a kid to grab the first thing that they see whether it’s affordability and/or availability. Cars, girls, guns…doesn’t matter, uninformed or just in awe.

The vanity sometimes outweighs the purpose. In a young man’s world, there’s bragging rights and competition and this process can carry on into their adult world. This process defeats the principle of form following function.

My first ‘80’s handgun was a 4” Trooper, nice but a lot cheaper for me than the more famous Python. Eventually it became too big for an EDC and the trigger never felt right even compared to a SW686.

As far as size matters, we’ve all seen some small-frys handle big stuff with ease and big lunks falter with the dinky stuff.

Choose wisely grasshopper.
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This is the problem I have with discussions like this.

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S&W M&P9 Full Size.
Glock 19.
There's less than a quarter inch difference in the barrel length on these two guns and one's full size and a duty pistol and the other is considered a compact and also a duty pistol.

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M&P9 and a 4006. The M&P has a slightly longer barrel but both are "full size".

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Glock 19 & 4006. They're the same size yet one is a "Compact".

And finally
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M&P9C a compact gun.
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And an M&P9 2.0 Subcompact They're the same damn gun.

there needs to be and across the board standard before we can have meaningful discussions like this
 
My general rule of thumb is I carry the largest gun that I can EFFECTIVELY conceal.

The first caveat to that is I'm limited by state law to 15 rounds. So I wouldn't buy a gun that normally holds more than 15 rounds anyway. As an example, when I was considering a Glock a Glock 17 wasn't even in the running.

The M&P I bought before the Law went into effect.

I've said this before but now that I'm retired and I'm usually in sweats, the biggest thing I can EFFECTIVELY conceal is usually a Glock 26. I've never felt at a disadvantage with that gun.
 
The Night Rider said:
This is the problem I have with discussions like this.

View attachment 37819

S&W M&P9 Full Size.
Glock 19.
There's less than a quarter inch difference in the barrel length on these two guns and one's full size and a duty pistol and the other is considered a compact and also a duty pistol.

View attachment 37820
M&P9 and a 4006. The M&P has a slightly longer barrel but both are "full size".

View attachment 37821

Glock 19 & 4006. They're the same size yet one is a "Compact".

And finally
View attachment 37822
M&P9C a compact gun.
View attachment 37823
And an M&P9 2.0 Subcompact They're the same damn gun.

there needs to be and across the board standard before we can have meaningful discussions like this
Click to expand...
It is s not the barrel length, but grip length for me.
 
for me, i'll go against the grain and say "sub-compacts", like my Hellcat, and G-30. reason being my body's frame size, height, and concealment, as well as added weights from heavier guns. as it is now, there are times when my Hellcat's holster will dig into my hip/thigh area, as i wear AIWB.

any larger a gun and i'll be in severe pain.

if i could wear OWB i would, but it "shows", which is why i still haven't bought an OWB for my Ruger 2.5" GP 100.

again, body frame size, dictates to me, what to carry.
 
The Night Rider said:
This is the problem I have with discussions like this.

View attachment 37819

S&W M&P9 Full Size.
Glock 19.
There's less than a quarter inch difference in the barrel length on these two guns and one's full size and a duty pistol and the other is considered a compact and also a duty pistol.

View attachment 37820
M&P9 and a 4006. The M&P has a slightly longer barrel but both are "full size".

View attachment 37821

Glock 19 & 4006. They're the same size yet one is a "Compact".

And finally
View attachment 37822
M&P9C a compact gun.
View attachment 37823
And an M&P9 2.0 Subcompact They're the same damn gun.

there needs to be and across the board standard before we can have meaningful discussions like this
Click to expand...
The lines are commonly very blurry for sure.
 
Yes it does.

All these categories have not been standardized that's why manufacturers call things in order to attract attention, like SA calling the Hellcat a micro-compact, which it isn't as per the article. The Hellcat is a subcompact.

That being said IMO it all depends in the season and what you can carry effectively. To me a real micro-compact is in the Kahr PM/CM9 size class. And that can be effectively carried in the summer "shorts" season.

My .02.
 
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