Sidearms & Scatterguns High End 9MM Concealed Carry

[Porfirio]

What are some options for a higher end 9MM concealed carry handgun sub $1300? My thought is essentially what is a competitor for a Sig Legion P229. I know people shit on them for their marketing which I get but it does seem like a very nice well kitted out handgun. I know a Glock can be tuned up a million ways and a CZ 75 P)1 can be sent to Cajun Gun works but I mean straight out the box. Thanks!

 

[Pedro1969]

What are some options for a higher end 9MM concealed carry handgun sub $1300? My thought is essentially what is a competitor for a Sig Legion P229. I know people shit on them for their marketing which I get but it does seem like a very nice well kitted out handgun. I know a Glock can be tuned up a million ways and a CZ 75 P)1 can be sent to Cajun Gun works but I mean straight out the box. Thanks!

Wilson combat EDC X9

 

[Downtown]

Wilson combat EDC X9

That was exactly my first thought, but the OP has a different idea of "high end". He was looking sub $1300 and that Wilson is + $2500.

 

[Porfirio]

That was exactly my first thought, but the OP has a different idea of "high end". He was looking sub $1300 and that Wilson is + $2500.

To be fair I said higher end but I get the point you’re making. I know there are a lot of really nice guns 2k and up but I’m wondering if there is much around 1k. I know Wilson combat has their version of the 92 but that’s about it in terms of what I’ve been able to find.

 

[W54/XM-388]

Around the $1300 mark you can get some of the CZ pistols that ship from CZ Custom Shop and may already be at your LGS, also there are some other CZ ones like the Shadow 2 that are pretty nice out of the box (however that is a big pistol so not really Concealed Carry).

Also consider that if you loosen up on your "right out of the box" requirement, you'll probably be able to get something fixed up to be really nice and just the way you like it that you'll be happier with than spending the same or more without doing anything.

 

[StrayDog]

And man, if you need to use it, it's gonna be in evidence a while... Just sayin.
KISS applies. Humble stock instruments are better for carry. Fancy or modified weapons attract plaintiffs.
Choose wisely... internet advice is worth what you paid for it.

 

[MadDuner]

I used to consider the cost of my carry guns, and “what if” they go to evidence.

Then I had a moment of clarity and decided that a less expensive weapon didn’t save me anything if I didn’t survive the encounter to begin with. Now I carry what I shoot well that I trust. The cost/price means nothing if it doesn’t save my life.

 

[Porfirio]

And man, if you need to use it, it's gonna be in evidence a while... Just sayin.
KISS applies. Humble stock instruments are better for carry. Fancy or modified weapons attract plaintiffs.
Choose wisely... internet advice is worth what you paid for it.

I definitely understand what you mean but I’m mostly talking about better internals for a better shooting gun rather than say flashy stuff.

I used to consider the cost of my carry guns, and “what if” they go to evidence.

Then I had a moment of clarity and decided that a less expensive weapon didn’t save me anything if I didn’t survive the encounter to begin with. Now I carry what I shoot well that I trust. The cost/price means nothing if it doesn’t save my life.

Yeah this is essentially where I’m at. I want a gun where it doesn’t need polishing here or 25 cent trigger job this etc. The P229 legion seems to fit this bill but I’m wondering if there are others.

 

[DairyDictator]

And man, if you need to use it, it's gonna be in evidence a while... Just sayin.
KISS applies. Humble stock instruments are better for carry. Fancy or modified weapons attract plaintiffs.
Choose wisely... internet advice is worth what you paid for it.

I'm with this guy, minus the whole accessories are a problem in court. Depending on the agency, you may not see it again for years. Pick something serviceable, dependable, and super common so it'll work when you need it, but you won't miss it terribly. Glock 19, Sig p320, CZ p10c, etc. all come to mind.

 

[DairyDictator]

better internals for a better shooting gun

I don't see how the legion gets you that much better internals. It's a custom shop 229 which means some polishing and basic refining along with some stickers and being a member of the legion cult. The .25 cent trigger job really doesn't need to be done on most production level guns. Shooting a few hundred to a thousand rounds through it along with dry firing does the exact same thing.

 

[MadDuner]

I definitely understand what you mean but I’m mostly talking about better internals for a better shooting gun rather than say flashy stuff.


Yeah this is essentially where I’m at. I want a gun where it doesn’t need polishing here or 25 cent trigger job this etc. The P229 legion seems to fit this bill but I’m wondering if there are others.

I will only carry a DA/SA weapon with a hammer. So none of the striker fire guns work for my “requirement”. That configuration of DA/SA is all I have ever carried, so I’m sticking with it. I really enjoy my “race” guns, but won’t carry them.

I bought a CZ P-07 knowing it would get a Cajun Carry Gun treatment before I did anything with it, and figured that in the price. It didn’t “have to” have that. But I knew I would shoot it much better if it did.

 

[DairyDictator]

I will only carry a DA/SA weapon with a hammer. So none of the striker fire guns work for my “requirement”. That configuration of DA/SA is all I have ever carried, so I’m sticking with it. I really enjoy my “race” guns, but won’t carry them.

Out of curiosity, why only SA/DA? Most striker designs are very similar to DA only with a much better trigger pull meaning the safety issue is solved IMO. Are your race guns striker fired or 1911 style?

 

[MadDuner]

Out of curiosity, why only SA/DA? Most striker designs are very similar to DA only with a much better trigger pull meaning the safety issue is solved IMO. Are your race guns striker fired or 1911 style?

My race guns are both styles.

Yes, it’s 100% a safety thing.
Holstering and unholstering a concealed striker fire in a daily setting is just more of a risk than I want to take.
I also like the ability to decock the weapon with a good solid visual. But I certainly know and understand that millions of people carry striker fire weapons every single day with zero issues at all. I’ll just chalk it up to being old, stubborn and set in my ways. I made it this far...... LOL

 

[Porfirio]

I will only carry a DA/SA weapon with a hammer. So none of the striker fire guns work for my “requirement”. That configuration of DA/SA is all I have ever carried, so I’m sticking with it. I really enjoy my “race” guns, but won’t carry them.

I bought a CZ P-07 knowing it would get a Cajun Carry Gun treatment before I did anything with it, and figured that in the price. It didn’t “have to” have that. But I knew I would shoot it much better if it did.

Yeah I am considering a P01 and the CGW ultra lite kit to reduce the pull and then the 85c trigger which would be $100 and new sights which brings the total cost of the gun to around $750. I'm just wondering if I can get away with doing no work.

 

[MadDuner]

Yeah I am considering a P01 and the CGW ultra lite kit to reduce the pull and then the 85c trigger which would be $100 and new sights which brings the total cost of the gun to around $750. I'm just wondering if I can get away with doing no work.

My P-01 with full Cajun treatment is a joy to shoot, and that’s what I carry when I’m not at work.
All my carry guns have night sights.

But probably not high end enough for OP?

 

[Porfirio]

My P-01 with full Cajun treatment is a joy to shoot, and that’s what I carry when I’m not at work.
All my carry guns have night sights.

View attachment 7374621

But probably not high end enough for OP?

I am OP who was considering the P01. It is less about being high end and more so don't want to do any work myself. I trust myself to work on my rifles but I'm unsure about handguns for defensive use which was the attraction of an out the box ready to go gun. (I know the P01 is gtg, I mean there are obviously upgrades people do). What do you think about just doing the spring kit to reduce the DA pull and then the old style trigger?

 

[davsco]

screw the high(er) end. glock 43x. with the shield 15 round magazines, and the taran tactical grandmaster trigger kit, the perfect carry gun.

 

[W54/XM-388]

My race guns are both styles.

Yes, it’s 100% a safety thing.
Holstering and unholstering a concealed striker fire in a daily setting is just more of a risk than I want to take.
I also like the ability to decock the weapon with a good solid visual. But I certainly know and understand that millions of people carry striker fire weapons every single day with zero issues at all. I’ll just chalk it up to being old, stubborn and set in my ways. I made it this far...... LOL

I was quite on that same side till SIG released the P320 M17 and the P365MS
Not quite a safe as a full hammer fired, but have a manual safety so that's good enough to make me feel comfortable.

Yeah I am considering a P01 and the CGW ultra lite kit to reduce the pull and then the 85c trigger which would be $100 and new sights which brings the total cost of the gun to around $750. I'm just wondering if I can get away with doing no work.

Most of the CZ pistols are fine to run just as is, get one dry fire the hell out of it shoot it lots, then if you want a CGW job, get yourself in line.
At close range under stress it probably won't make a big difference, now for target shooting or if you need to take a carefully aimed shot then the CGW job is nice to have.

 

[MadDuner]

I am OP who was considering the P01. It is less about being high end and more so don't want to do any work myself. I trust myself to work on my rifles but I'm unsure about handguns for defensive use which was the attraction of an out the box ready to go gun. (I know the P01 is gtg, I mean there are obviously upgrades people do). What do you think about just doing the spring kit to reduce the DA pull and then the old style trigger?

You can very easily experiment with the various hammer springs to get the DA pull way down where you want it. The factory hammer will still have a very slight amount of camming, but it’s really minimal. I honestly don’t know the differences in triggers. I’ve swapped out hammer springs while at the range many times.

 

[Porfirio]

You can very easily experiment with the various hammer springs to get the DA pull way down where you want it. The factory hammer will still have a very slight amount of cramming, but it’s really minimal. I honestly don’t know the differences in triggers. I’ve swapped out hammer springs while at the range many times.

Sounds good

 

[DairyDictator]

I was quite on that same side till SIG released the P320 M17 and the P365MS
Not quite a safe as a full hammer fired, but have a manual safety so that's good enough to make me feel comfortable.

See, the m17 design is inferior to the Glock as far as safety goes in my opinion. The Glock striker is nearly at rest until the trigger is pulled. Part of where the trigger weight comes from is you pulling the striker to the firing position. The M17 is cocked as soon as it cycles and your trigger pull is just tripping a release lever.

Don't get me wrong though, I definitely prefer the m17 to glocks for a bevy of other reasons.

 

[ggmanning]

Used CZ Custom Protek 1.....just bought one for $100 more than your limit....or Cajunize a PCR compact or P01
This P01 would fit the bill https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/f-s-cajun-cz-p01-omega.6998299/

 

[Do-nothing]

I am a fan of both CZ and Sig. Others have given you the same suggestions on CZ. I'm small and carry a Sig 365XL. Comes with 12 round mags and Sig offers 15 round ones as well. It is also cut for a red dot. Mine shouts great and has been trouble free. Not super expensive and does what it is supposed to do.

 

[Gingerbeardman]

Have you looked at the Sphinx SDP Compact/subcompact. Basically a steel P07 or P01 but they are slick. I’ve handled a few and they are quite a bit more polished than a standard CZ.

 

[stilesg57]

I am a fan of both CZ and Sig. Others have given you the same suggestions on CZ. I'm small and carry a Sig 365XL. Comes with 12 round mags and Sig offers 15 round ones as well. It is also cut for a red dot. Mine shouts great and has been trouble free. Not super expensive and does what it is supposed to do.

Yeah probably not the higher end that the OP is looking for but the P365XL is a great carry gun and you can get a regular P365 frame for it which cuts a half inch off the grip. That's a great carry option and I bet Sig will offer it as a factory option soon.

I've always found the most important dimensions for their effect on concealability are, in order, width then height then length. Each step is about a 3x increase to me (cutting a tenth of an inch off width is like cutting a third of an inch off the grip is like cutting an inch off the slide length, etc).

 

[strikeeagle1]

This 9 mm Wilson Combat Compact Carry (10+1) arrived in leather but is carried in SafariSeven GLS holster. The G43 (8+1) with extended mag carried in Safariland ALS holster.
Cost difference $3400. You can buy a lot of practice ammo for that!

 

[benchmstr]

Wilson combat EDC X9

I had one..mine was a hot piece of shit.

never made it through a box of any type of ammo without jams...rarely made it through a mag without a jam.

then I found out that it’s pretty typical for this gun to do that.

traded it in and got a zev oz9 hyper-port.

bench

 

[mrdrar]

Walther P5 or P99. Dan Wesson Pointman 9.

 

[MPrimo]

H&K P7 ... Squeeze Cock Goodness!

 

[hellishot]

Are Hk P7 sub $1,300 nowadays? I had one a few years back and sold it for $1,500 albeit in good condition.

 

[strikeeagle1]

IF you can source a nice P7M13 for $1300 I am the buyer.

 

[hellishot]

The p7m13 grip is a tad bit thick for my taste. The p7m8 is the happy medium for me.

 

[strikeeagle1]

^^ Oh my you have a very sensitive grip to detect a 0.16" difference in grip width. The average index card is 0.007" thick.

 

[Stev0]

I don't have one but if you like Berettas you may want to check out Langdon Tactical. The base Langdon 92 Elites are available from Beretta dealers. All the reviews I've seen on the base models are positive. Mas Ayoob talking about trigger mods.

 

[benchmstr]

I'll just drop this motherfucker off riiiight here. LOL.

View attachment 7375401

Have no idea why CZ isn’t more popular!

I shoot glocks and have a lot of them...but it’s only because my agency only allows glocks! I have several cz’s and love them!

if it weren’t for my agency’s Glock only policy I would carry my CGW shadow 2 with an rmr as my forever gun. And probably have something like yours put together for concealed carry...actually I already have the little cz...so all I would need is an optics cut!

might go ahead and get it milled anyways.

seriously, I don’t get why 2011’s are so popular and cz’s aren’t! Maybe Chris costa(fuck that guy)...I own several STI’s and atlas...and 1 infinity...the cz is just as good but at a fraction of the price fully tuned!

bench

 

[reich10]

Wilson Combat P320 Carry or stretch the budget a little and get and STI Staccato C.

 

[BootyLord]

Glock 19 gen 5 MOS - $650
Trijicon RMR - $550
Good holster - $135
Weapon light - $150

 

[themightytimmah]

Dan Wesson. I carry a CCO in .45 and it compares surprisingly well to my Ed Brown at twice the price.

 

[BootyLord]

Been shooting the SRO a lot lately instead. REALLY like how it performs.

I haven’t really kept up with micro red dots, just watched a video on the SRO. I’ve got to say the size of that window looks pretty attractive.

 

[hellishot]

^^ Oh my you have a very sensitive grip to detect a 0.16" difference in grip width. The average index card is 0.007" thick.

View attachment 7375266

The difference is quite significant. The double stack magazine increases the real estate for the user to grip. But hey maybe my grip is sensitive.

 

[TxWelder35]

Sig p224

you want da/sa....check
Same platform as your 229....check
Smaller for better cc...check

 

[Powder_Burns]

This thread needs more Hk love.
VP9sk or p30sk. P7’s if you can find one. USPc for a little retro. We are talking ccw, so yeah no race gun setups apply to the Hk lineup.

 

[boudreuxman]

I carry a CZ Custom Pro Tek 2 (their custom P-01) and it has been phenomenal . . . except for that time I tried Froglube . . .

 

[creedmoor664]

I sure like my Beretta Storm PX4 subcompact in 9mm. It's 13 or 16 shot and I carry it in a Desantis Nemesis and it doesn't imprint at all. It's a great pistol and is quality built.

 

[pineoak]

Get whatever you want. Honestly, as long as it's reliable and you shoot it well, doesn't matter whether it's a $400 or $4000 gun.

Past that it's psychological of what you feel you need, and how you want to be perceived.

$500 and shooting it a LOT is worth more for defensive usage than $1300 and less shooting/practice.

If price isn't an issue... then carry anything that makes you happy

 

[OregonDistance]

Agree that a Dan Wesson is a solid choice in that price range. Here is my Vigil CCO in 9mm.

Dan Wesson. I carry a CCO in .45 and it compares surprisingly well to my Ed Brown at twice the price.View attachment 7375735

 

[wbnash]

If you do not like the Sig 229 series:

Dan Wesson 1911 models (but SA only).

Look at the CZ metal DA/SA compacts: P-01, 75, 75 D PCR and P-01. Really nice pistols. Consider one from CZ Custom with some work already done by the experts.

 

[pineoak]

Dan Wessons are very nice (I really like the previous generation Valor), but 9mm 1911s can be finicky sometimes. Less so with .45ACP

 

[RFKITCH29]

What are some options for a higher end 9MM concealed carry handgun sub $1300? My thought is essentially what is a competitor for a Sig Legion P229. I know people shit on them for their marketing which I get but it does seem like a very nice well kitted out handgun. I know a Glock can be tuned up a million ways and a CZ 75 P)1 can be sent to Cajun Gun works but I mean straight out the box. Thanks!

I’ve got a Shadow Systems MR918 that seems to work for me. Comes in right around that price tag.

 

[10X Rifles]

Colt Defender in 9mm or 45. just under $1000.00 light weight frame.
Carry mine in .45 every day!