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Michael McCandless

Top 5 handguns for EDC: Our choices in 9mm

Updated: Dec 29, 2023

It's purely based on our humble opinion, of course, but these are our picks.


Introduction:


Having a firearm that you can easily carry on your person is obviously important to anyone who needs to so- no explanation is needed for why police officers, bodyguards, federal agents and citizens who live in dangerous areas have probable cause to be armed, and whether you fall into this category or not, one cannot deny that being armed will benefit them in certain situations.


But if you feel you do indeed need to carry a weapon with you, which gun should you choose?


For starters, the entire question depends on a number of factors- most of which will vary from individual to individual. For example, while some people don't mind open carry, others will want a firearm they can carry discreetly (for guns that are best purely for concealed carry, we will be making a separate list in the future).


Having a gun that could conceivably do either is probably a major plus for most people- a weapon that is both compact and yet has a reasonably sized grip and holds more than a handful of rounds should suffice for this. And since our chosen 9mm round is less physically powerful than other, larger handgun calibers (such as .45 ACP), having more rounds is clearly beneficial.


For this reason, we will be including only handguns with a magazine capacity of 12 or more rounds.


Additionally, you will want to factor in other obviously important things such as cost, reliability, ease of use, comfortability of carry and ability to quickly draw and fire under stress. We will thus be factoring these things as well when necessary.


Again, this is all based on our opinions and is not authoritative by any means, as these are only the factors we would generally consider when choosing an EDC pistol.


But enough talk. Let us begin!



Glock 19 Gen 5
Glock 19 Gen 5 (image credit: Palmetto State Armory)

Number 1: Glock 19 (any generation)


Coming in at only 5 inches tall and about 7 inches long (as well as only 1.25-1.3 inches wide, depending on the exact generation) the now legendary Glock 19 is almost perfect for both everyday open carry as well as concealed carry- its grip is perfectly sized for a full, solid grip, and yet it can still be comfortably concealed under most kinds of clothing pretty much anywhere on the body- regardless of if you're a man or a woman, big or small, and regardless of build, body shape etc.


Even going beyond it's ideal physical dimensions, it's just an all-around great handgun period. It's lightweight, polymer-framed design lends particularly well to everyday carry, sure, but its simplicity and ease of use makes it ideal for all types of gun owners regardless of experience. Just load it, point and pull the trigger- it will go bang pretty much no matter what. As far as handguns go, that's about all you need, and given that it can also hold 15 (or more) rounds, it's not an option to pass up lightly.


Additionally, it won't break the bank, and seeing as it's plenty common, spare parts and add-ons, customizations and all manner of goodies for it come in excess, as well. This is not a pistol that became wildly popular for nothing.


It's not perfect by any means, but as far as guns for EDC go, the Glock 19 meets all the standards well enough that we'll place it at number one.




S&W M&P Compact 2.0
Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 Compact in 9mm 9image credit: Palmetto State Armory)


Number 2: Smith and Wesson M&P Compact 2.0


A close runner-up to our first-place holder, Smith and Wesson's M&P line shares many of the same features as the Glock family- Polymer-framed, striker fired pistols with crisp but light single-action triggers, and a reputation for longevity and reliability (though most guns we'll feature here also have this, these two seem to do it particularly well).


It's about the same size and weight as a Glock 19 and, while it's slightly more expensive, has a few features the Glock does not. For the purpose of relevancy to this article, the most notable of these is the option of a frame-mounted thumb safety, which may prove to be a vital feature to people who are especially-safety oriented. Remember, this is a single-action pistol with a very light trigger pull, and this worries some people as the trigger is easier to accidently or carelessly pull.


Like the Glock 19, this would certainly be a pistol you could carry concealed without too much trouble, while also being large enough and having a large enough magazine capacity to be used as a duty (or sometimes- to my disdain and mild secondhand embarrassment- a "fighting" handgun).


So, all these things considered, we've given it our silver medal.




HK P2000
HK P2000 (image credit: Palmetto State Armory)

Number 3: Heckler and Kock P2000


Our bronze medalist is a German firearm titan's less-expensive USPc clone, the P2000.


Again, it's roughly the same size as the Glock 19 (although slightly heavier and its magazine holds 13 instead of 15 rounds), so carrying it concealed is not entirely out of the question, and users can get a full, firm grip on the pistol (that's quite comfortable, I might add) at the same time.


Unlike the previous two entries, it is a double-action, single action pistol, or DA/SA (meaning that, to fire, the trigger pull is heavier- i.e.- harder to pull- for the first shot, and lighter and easier to pull after the first shot has been fired). The practical safety benefits of this system are limited but nonetheless important- a heaver trigger pull means somewhat less of a chance accidently firing the gun accidently or negligently in the event of improper handling, or when doing things like holstering the gun.


Its trigger isn't quite as good as it's more famous father, the USP, but given that it's hundreds of dollars cheaper, that's to be expected. However, it is nonetheless a very durable and reliable firearm, while also not being prohibitively expensive.


Overall, this is the author's personal pick, and while it might not be the best for everyone, if you need a quality lightweight DA/SA pistol that is small enough to conceal but big enough to use as a duty pistol as well, this is definitely a very good option.



CZ P07
CZ P07 (image credit: Palmetto state Armory)


Number 4: CZ P07


Although slightly larger than the previous three entries at 5.25 inches high and 1.45 inches wide (at its very widest point), it's still small enough to conceal and has a reputation proceeding it- CZ, a Czech company known for making outstanding firearms, has for decades made some of the finest firearms on the planet, and their more modern CZ P07 model is no exception at all.


Like the previous entry on this list, The CZ P07 is a polymer-frame Double Action/Single Action (DA/SA) handgun, so it may be safer to carry if you have safety in mind for your EDC gun, while still needing a pistol that can immediately be fired upon drawing it in a high-stress situation.


The thin slide design is the only real qualm I have with this pistol. It makes the recoil impulse feel very "flat" and helps the pistol stay on target during strings of fire, but provides very little room to actually grip it, should you need to (e.g for press-checking, clearing a malfunction or cycling a dud round).


Nonetheless, overall, our 4th place holder is a very good gun for either concealed or open carry, and its reliability and simplicity ensure it can be used easily in a pinch.




Taurus G3c
Taurus G3c (image credit: Palmetto State Armory)

Number 5: Taurus G3c


Like the Glock 19, this Polymer-framed, striker fired pistol (or "poly-striker" in gun nut slang) is superbly reliable, but it's even smaller- it measures roughly the same height as the Glock 19 but is .05 inches thinner (that might not sound like a lot, but trust me, it is). It fits snugly inside your hand as well as inside the waistband, prints very little, and its overall length of only 6.25 inches makes it ideal for concealed carry. Unlike the Glock 19, it has a manual safety, so bear this in mind when considering what you want your EDC gun to be.


We should also note that this small Brazilian handgun also made our list for the fact it's also pretty darn cheap at less than 400 USD, and because, despite its small size, it'll still hold 12 rounds.


Like some (maybe all) of the other entries on this list, this may confuse some people, but this is nonetheless our opinion, in light of the G3c's size, magazine capacity, reliability, cost and comfortable ergonomics.



Final thoughts


So, there it is. Our top 5 picks for EDC handguns.


Undoubtably, some of you may be confused by this list, and that's ok (given that this is all opinion-based, like we've said before), but we do think these are all good options, given the criteria we've laid out.


Ultimately, however, it will be up to you, the consumer, to decide which handgun meets all your needs. The question you should be asking isn't "which is the best option?" so much as it is "which is the best for ME?".


If you've decided that any of these weapons are viable options for you and want to investigate further, we've attached links to our favorite dealers so you can find them online directly!



Glock 19:


Smith and Wesson M&P Compact:


Heckler and Koch P2000:


CZ P07:


Taurus G3c:

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