Carry Gun For NPE

[Western]

I am interested in getting a gun that I can conceal very well for certain places that don't allow concealed carry. A few weeks ago, I was in D.C.'s Union Station when there was a false alarm of an active shooter. It was pretty terrifying and seeing how ineffective the police were at dealing with the situation, even when there was not actually a shooter, was eye opening. The risk-reward of carrying in an NPE situation is a whole other discussion that is beyond the scope of what I'm looking to get into right now.

What are some good options for this type of carry? It seems like the single stack striker-fired pistol (Shield, Glock 43X, P365) and the small frame revolver are the two most popular choices. Is there any decent option for a single stack, polymer frame DA/SA semi-auto?

How do the single-stack striker guns compare to their double-stack counterparts in real-world concealability? If there's not a big difference, there are a ton of polymer frame double stack DA/SA compacts out there.

 

[tmoore]

ive been using an S&W J frame for exactly that. for me its that special NPE I go to eight hours a day, five days a week. thinking about the roll this firearm would be pushed into I felt the revolver was the way to go. any shot im taking with it will be from zero to 5 yards, to me the reliability of a well maintained revolver in those specific circumstances (especially with contact shots) was worth giving up a bit of capacity. i have seen the newest gen 365 do well too tho.

 

[Western]

My own revolver (SW586) has actually been significantly less reliable than my DA/SA semi-auto. I like revolvers because they can fire a powerful cartridge out of a small package, they are better than autos for contact-distance encounters, and they are significantly less likely to have a negligent discharge than a striker fired gun just from the way they are built. I think if I carried at work I would bring a little revolver. I work at a natural gas process plant though, so firearms are a really bad idea there for obvious reasons.

One of the major areas I am worried about are "gun free zones" like schools, train stations, and the like. I have been in two different situations where I was in a "gun free zone" and people believed there was a possible active shooter. (The train station one I mentioned, and at my school where somebody fired a handgun out a car window and shot somebody.) In an active shooter scenario, I'd much rather have 11 rounds and an easy reload than 6 rounds and a speed strip.

For my purposes with this gun, I think, the main benefit for a revolver is it's so much less likely to have an ND. You have a DA trigger and you can see brass in the cylinder just by looking at the revolver. People make mistakes, it's a fact of life, and a revolver makes it a lot harder to translate a mistake into an ND. A .357 capable snub would also be versatile for me because it's a good hiking gun - my current 586 is a bit of a brick.

 

[iFeelBad]

I use a Glock 42 for when I need to be as discreet as possible. I went with it over the J frame because I mainly shoot a 19 and it is just easier for me to use. I think the Shield, 43x/48, and similar are really too big for this role.

Here are a couple pertinent modcasts
(Mouse Guns)

(Degrees of Concealment)

There are some good tips in this one but especially at 58:38 about using a Raven Concealment Pocket shield in NPEs

 

[Western]

I use a Glock 42 for when I need to be as discreet as possible. I went with it over the J frame because I mainly shoot a 19 and it is just easier for me to use. I think the Shield, 43x/48, and similar are really too big for this role.

Here are a couple pertinent modcasts
(Mouse Guns)

(Degrees of Concealment)