Your Privacy Choices
I recently polled the TFB Staff on what they would consider the Best Summer Carry Guns. After the usual focused expletives and suggestions of flashbangs and SIG Rattlers tucked away in backpacks, I started getting some serious answers. Obviously, with the summer heat comes the inability to conceal a pistol under jackets, sweaters and (gasp) fishing vests. So instead we turn to thinner and smaller guns that fit in pockets or appendix carry rigs. Below are some of the summer carry gun suggests from our top-notch writers. See if you can pick which staffer suggested each of the below guns. The first one to guess correctly in the comments section below gets a TFB patch.
Thanks for reading TFB.
TFB’s Best Summer Carry Guns – Something For Everyone
GLOCK – G43 G3 9MM
A Single-Stack Nine Sized Right for Concealed Carry
Glock® revolutionized the concealed-carry market with the launch of the company’s G43, designed as its first-ever single-stack, subcompact 9mm handgun. The innovative construction of the Glock G43 means that its easy to conceal and carry in a variety of popular CCW positions, all while retaining the rugged design and simple functionality of the Glock® Safe Action System.
Each Glock® G43 is outfitted with a thin slide measuring just 1.02 inches wide, and the gun measures only 6.26 inches in overall length. The pistol is outfitted with the Glock® Safe Action system, a striker-fired design with no pre-charged energy until the user pulls the trigger.
- Barrel length: 3.39 inches
- Overall length: 6.26 inches
- Weight: 1.13 pounds
- Ships with two 6-round magazines
Other features found in the Glock® G43 include a generous beavertail incorporated into the frame to guard against slide bite, as well as an aggressive grip texture and a perfectly placed magazine release. All in all, Glock® offers today’s prepared citizens with a perfectly sized and built option for personal defense.
Upgrade: Glock G48
SIG SAUER – P365 9MM
Compact Concealed Carry Pistol With Full-Sized Capacity & Features
The micro-compact, Sig Sauer P365 strikes the right balance between capacity and concealment. Rated for +P ammunition, this striker-fired 9mm pistol hold a full 10 rounds in its double-stack mag, yet retains a slender, concealment-friendly 1″ width. The fully textured polymer grip makes it easy to hang on to your P365 under recoil, while deep serrations on the stainless steel slide provide a positive gripping surface when racking the slide.
With the P365, Sig also proves that packing a small, concealable pistol does not require a compromise in trigger quality. The P365 has a remarkably clean, crisp trigger pull for a small striker-fired pistol. There is no manual safety to complicate the firing sequence; an internal firing pin block allows a round to be carried safely in the chamber for a fast first-shot capability – and an 11-round practical capacity.
- Comes with two 10-rd magazines – a flush-fit carry mag and one with an extended finger rest
- Reinforced molded polymer frame keeps weight & bulk down
- Stainless steel slide has a tough, matte black Nitron finish
- Rated for +P ammunition
The P365 is fitted with Sig’s Xray3 sights with a bright fluorescent green front dot for easy sight alignment in daylight and Tritium inserts for low light use. Further departing from the typical micro-compact carry pistol, the P365 includes an under-frame accessory rail, ready for mounting a compact light or laser.
With the Sig Sauer P365, you get more capacity and more concealability, all in a package that’s easy to carry all day, every day, 365 days a year!
Upgrade: SIG Sauer P365XL
RUGER – LCP II 380 ACP
The LCP® II features a short, crisp, single-action trigger with inner trigger safety, improved sights for superior visibility, a larger grip surface for better distribution of recoil forces and an easy-to-rack slide with an improved slide stop mechanism with a last round hold-open.
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY – 911 .380 ACP
Compact EDC Pistol With 1911 Ergonomics & Unique Two-Tone Styling
Built for convenience and concealability, Springfield Armory’s 911 in .380 ACP with Pro-Glo sights is a dandy little concealed carry pistol that is nearly undetectable under your clothes. Sporting all the familiarity of a full size 1911, this diminutive hand canon has a low profile to ensure a snag-free draw.
The lightweight 7075 T6 aluminum frame and black Nitride or stainless 416 steel slide measure 5.5″ long and less than 4″ high, with a snag-free profile that’s undetectable under clothing. Just as impressive is the crisp 5 lb. trigger pull with a short reset.
To keep the 911 manageable, the frame is optimized in proportion to the slide and trigger while the short beavertail protects your hand from the hammer and slide. The aggressively textured, thin line G10 grips and Octo-Grip texturing on the front-strap ensure a secure grip in fast moving, self-defense situations.
- Handles the most advanced & modern .380 ACP self-defense ammo
- Full length guide rod and flat wire spring softens recoil
- 2.7″ precision broached barrel
Right- AND left-hand friendly, the 911 has an extended, ambidextrous, thumb safety plus a G10 Hogue trigger with a short reset for squeezing off repeated rounds. The loaded chamber indicator providing both visual and tactile cues to let you know there is a hot round in the pipe. Topping off this pocket-sized pistol is an AmeriGlo Pro-Glo green tritium front sight inside a yellow luminescent circle and a tactical rack rear sight with green tritium inside of white luminescent circles.
SIG SAUER – P938 3IN 9MM
With the introduction of the P938, SIG SAUER now offers the ballistic advantage of the 9mm cartridge in a platform similar in size to the best-selling P238 pistol. A single-action-only trigger, coupled with full-size SIGLITE® Night Sights makes the P938 handle like a much larger pistol, yet is still easy to carry concealed.
SMITH & WESSON – 642 HANDGUN 38 SPECIAL
- Lightweight Alloy Frame for Easy Carry
- Stainless steel barrel and cylinder
- Snag-Free Enclosed Hammer
- Rated for Continuous +P Use
Smith & Wesson J-Frame revolvers have had your back since 1950. These small revolvers were designed to fire a full power round and are as simple and easy to use as they are reliable. Available in various calibers and with three diverse hammer designs, it is no surprise that the Smith & Wesson J-Frame has become the most popular, small-frame, defense revolver on the market.
The Model 642 is a variation of the Model 42 Centennial Airweight® that integrates the time-tested features of the original with modern advancements.
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