Concealed Carry Corner: Small Guns – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Small carry guns are about as polarizing as the new Star Wars movies or which way the toilet paper roll goes when its time to refill. Depending on who you talk with, small guns will either be a great resource or completely useless. There’s plenty of arguments for and against carrying an extremely small gun for concealment. Whether it’s for exercise, carrying when it’s difficult, or just finding something comfortable there are plenty of realistic reasons to carry a micro gun. So Boomers and Millenials, grab your black coffee or Kombucha probiotic drink and let’s dive into this.

Micro carry guns are the smallest category of handguns on the market today. These are typically extreme lightweight single or double stack guns that offer limited round count but offer ease of carrying with their weight. The selling points of small carry guns is the overall convenience of carrying concealed with one and overall weight. Some examples would be the Ruger LCP, Kahr Arms PM9, Glock 43 and SIG’s P365. These different models are some of the easiest to slip into a pocket or into a small holster to wear around all day.

Small guns are fantastic when you’re under the weather but want to still conceal carry a firearm in public. It’s not exactly possible to use an IWB holster with sweat pants but carrying something like a small single stack in an IWB holster with sweats is very possible. It’s really easy to sit back and say you’ll never be that person to carry with comfortable clothes. Eventually, something will happen whether its the flu or just being tired, but having a gun is the most important thing.

Formal events can be tricky because certain people take formal occasions to carry their nicest handguns while others wear tighter suits to look good. Carrying a small handgun is way easy to comfortably carry without printing than something much larger like a full-size duty gun. Concealed carrying can be especially difficult for women who dress up with long gowns or dresses. Women have limited space and weight they can carry while in a form fitting dress. Typically they will carry a leg strap holster making it possible to carry a small handgun fairly easily.

When carrying smaller guns, it’s incredibly difficult to shoot really small guns accurately when in a hurry. Now with practice, controlling recoil becomes way easier, but the vast majority of shooters don’t put the work into their smaller concealed carry guns. Smaller lightweight handguns tend to jump around and snap back when firing and it can be somewhat difficult to control. New shooters are often affected most by the increased recoil which can easily throw off a quick follow up shot. The key to really becoming proficient with a small handgun is practice over everything else. It is entirely possible to become proficient with a small handgun but takes much more effort than larger handguns. With lots of practice, it’s reasonable to expect to be fairly accurate with even the smallest micro guns.

Another fairly well-known issue with smaller micro-sized carry guns is the lack of ammo capacity. A natural consequence of having a smaller frame gun is less overall space to fit ammo into. The age-old question of mobility vs firepower comes into play with what’s best. Sometimes it’s better to go with one or the other depending on your situation. With certain models like the Glock 43, companies are making aftermarket extensions which give the user a 12 round capacity. SIG Sauer is also offering the 15 round extension so modern micros are starting to have some real capacity to them. Older models like the Kahr PM9 and Shield though are still limited to 8 round extended magazines.

Small carry guns will always have a place in certain situations. Smaller conceal guns offer options to people who otherwise might not carry a gun. Whether you’re sick with the flu or going out in your best clothes, its not always easy concealing larger framed guns. Some say smaller guns are too tiny and too light to shoot consistently but with practice, smaller guns become a great option when larger guns aren’t available. I wouldn’t start with a micro gun as a beginner because they are sometimes challenging to control but as an option for an experienced shooter, I think it’s great to use for situations. Let me know what you think about micro guns and what kinds you carry in the comments below. If you have questions about concealed carry, feel free to send me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there!