I am looking into getting a CCW but I am a small 5'6" and 140 pounds. I was wondering what would be a good gun to carry?

Whatever you get a good belt and holster goes a long way.

Im 6ft 160, and even though im pretty thin i can easily conceal glocks, fullsize sigs, and 1911s as long as i have a good belt and holster.

What type of pistols do you prefer? DA/SA, SA, striker fired?

I haven't had a lot of experience with a lot of different types of pistols but I am open to all pistol at this point.

then I would find a range or a friend with different types to try out before you buy. Because if you buy something and end up not being 100% comfortable with the way the gun functions you wont carry it as often.

I would try out:
Sig P series in DA/SA (228,229,226, etc)
Glocks
M&P
XD
1911

Those will give you a good idea of what type of system you prefer. and youll also be able to narrow down on the size of the pistol you want for a carry gun. If you prefer a smaller sub compact pistol such as a glock 26, a compact such as a glock 19 or a fullsize in the glock 17. Youll also beable to look at the width of the pistols and weight differences.

It's difficult to generalize since gun fit and feel is very personal...  The best advice is to go to a range where you can rent several different guns and try them yourself.

Some general advice, if you want a semi-auto, is to go with a single-stack and stay away from double-stacks like the Glock (even though I love my Glock 19, I have big hands so it fits me well). The glock 36 is a single-stack "slimline" .45 but it's still on the chunky side if you have small hands.  But you might like it, so try it out if you get the chance.

Check out the M&P Shield (single-stack 9mm or .40).  It's the smallest gun that still feels like a real gun to me.  But there are lots of other options, too.

A buddy of mine is about your size. He found the Kahr PM9 to conceal quite nicely on him. Another buddy of mine got the CW9 and likes it very much, too.

I have had the opportunity to shoot a Glock (I can't remember the number), a Ruger 22, and a 22 revolver as well as a few other pistols that I can't remember. I felt like the Glock may have been to big for me since it was a double stack. I have also had the chance to hold a Walther ppk and an older colt mustang that seemed to be too small for me but that was without the mags in them. I agree that a single stack mag would probably be a good idea for me.

CM9 or Cw9, great triggers

or Sig 238 or 938 if you are familiar with 1911 platform.

I finally discovered Kydex holsters, slim and easy to hide on thin person

same size as you & I ALWAYS have a sub-compact Glock 26 in my inside waistband holster

Funny you should mention that...

I was wondering what you all thought of the Walther PK380 as a CCW because I've found that it fits my hand well.

If its going to be your primary carry gun, I'd prefer 9x19 or larger. If you're carrying a .380, you might as well get something that fits in your pocket. I'd even prefer a 642/442 over most .380's.

Excellent advice already posted: Handle/shoot as many as you can before making a final decision.
With that being said, there seems to be a certain size beyond which you cannot make a pistol smaller w/o major compromises in reliability, cost, recoil, controllability, usable ammo, etc.
The Kahrs seem to be as small/light/flat as you're going to reasonably get for CCW w/o hitting that limit.
I CCW a SIG P250 compact 9mm when I can, a Kahr CM9 when the SIG is simply too big for certain social occasions. The wife CCW's a Kahr P380 (.380) and has a SIG P250 subcompact in .380 for her nightstand/range gun. Both SIGs and Kahrs have DAO-style triggers which are long but smooth & light so there's no need for a manual safety worry about manipulating under stress. However, not everyone likes the DAO-style triggers, it seems to be either hate 'em or love 'em w/no in-between.

Both P250's are very pleasant to shoot regardless of load, the CM9 is surprisingly pleasant but is definitely more wearing to shoot lots of rds through in one session (even w/a rubber grip sleeve) and the P380 w/Buffalo Bore +P 100gr hardcast bullets feels like the CM9.

I prefer 9mm over .380 (YMMV) but if using .380 I always go FMJ instead of JHP as all handguns are relatively poor stoppers regardless of caliber or bullet used. Shot placement and sufficient penetration are paramount, all else is secondary. Better a non-expanding bullet that reaches the vitals than an expanding bullet that doesn't.
HTH...
Tomac

Size comparison: SIG P250 compact in 9mm, SIG P250 subcompact in .380, Kahr CM9 in 9mm and Kahr P380 in .380:

You can hide a G19 easily.

I'm not much bigger than you and I carry a g19 in an MTAC comfortably.  As others have said it's about a quality holster, belt, and how you dress.  I've just recently started carrying a Sig 938 in a pocket holster for times that I can't / don't want to carry my Glock.

I highly recommend the G19 for a carry piece.  In fact, it's probably the greatest "jack of all" pistols ever conceived.

Lots of good guns out there.

Check out the Kahr K9 / Mk 9.  I think the M&P 9c would be a good one too.

Of course the G19 / 26 deserve a look to.

4073

I resisted glock for a long time because I THOUGHT they were too big around too. ( I'm a little bigger but not by too much, my hands are pretty small)

Once I broke down and got a g19 of my own, I expected to have a steep learning curve because I was coming to glock from shooting only 1911s for near 5years.

The grip circumference and the trigger, I was sure, would take much work to master..........not so in the end. (don't get me wrong, I'm no pistol master)

Ended up taking to shooting a glock very well, and now when I hold a 1911 it seems too small around.


Skip to recently, I was tired of taking my carry pistol off for work, and wanted a pocket sized .380.

I was worried that, because my fingers didn't have room on the grip to accomodate all of them, I would have trouble shooting one....once again not so.


So what I've learned, is just because something feels different when I first pick it up, doesn't mean I can't shoot it well (for my standards)....and even come to like it alot.


YMMV though, and the idea of shooting lots of stuff can only help you.

if you like walther you might look at a pps

I'm a 1911 guy, but also a believer in Glocks, especially for newer shooters.

My first thought for you was Glock 19 (not sure which you shot, some feel too wide to me also, the 9mms do not). Put in a Milt Sparks Versa Max 2, Summer Special 2 or the new Nexus (just got my first today) and you'll be good to go, with one of the finest fighting pistols ever made. (ETA: Add a proper gun belt).,

That said, if you are set on a single stack, check the Kahr line of 9mm (I have a PM9, great little gun, for main carry you can get one a bit larger that is less costly).

And if you're set on a .380 (Walther or otherwise), then go for it. Might be small, but any gun you will CARRY trumps a gun that you leave behind because it is inconvenient. The LA Coroner (who sees LOTS of lethal shootings) carries a .380. Maybe he knows something? And I too carry only a .380 on occasion (Kel Tec P3AT). Besides, this is your first pistol. Guessing it won't be your last.

5'9", 150 here. I tried 1911's, HK45c, HK P7 and a couple others. The most comfortable I have come across so far is a Kahr CM9. Take a look at Kahr pistols. Very slim, great triggers IMO and pretty cheap when you go with the "C" series pistols.



Double stack pistols are pretty much out of the question for me. It's easy enough to conceal them, but doing it comfortably is another story.

Physique isn't the determining factor at all.

How / where you carry, what kind of rig and how you dress are more important.

I'm 5'8" about 150lbs. I have three carry guns and I didn't base my choice at all on my size. I carry mostly AIWB and easily hide the G19. The G26 ides nicely IWB at 4:00 but I don't really do that much anymore since I have a new rig for AIWB. I could hide a G34 that way if I had one.

My other guns are j-frames and my physique had nothing to do with choosing them either.

Try as many as possible. Carry the most gun you can shoot accurately and control. With a little effort and wardrobe compromise and investment in a good belt and rig you can work with almost any gun unless 100% covert carry is absolutely necessary.

People don't generally notice a concealed gun anyway, even when it feels conspicuous to the carrier.

Cheers!

-JC

I'm 5'9" 158 lbs with a MTAC holster I can carry a full size 1911 and a Glock 19. I wear a plaid shirt one size larger.  The lines of the plaid help break up any printing that may occur.

I bought a ruger lc9 for my mother and it is a good shooter for the price.  Very slim profile

My daughters carry commander sized 1911's in either high riding owb's or old faithful iwb's....and they're smaller than the OP.

Boshanski, if the Glock felt like it had too much handle for you, you may want to try an M&P Compact as it has a slightly friendlier hand shake / grip.  With a good belt and holster one can hide almost anything, but you seem to need to visit your local gun shop or gun show and figure out what you want.  Oh I would strongly suggest going with at least a 9mm, as trying to find 380 ammo is a task these day's and way more expensive than 9mm or even 40 cal.

Im the same size as you.

I carry a full size 1911 99% of the time.

I also carried a glock 19 for awhile and it was pretty easy to conceal.

I carry a P232 when I gotta wear tight fitting clothes, also very easy to conceal

XDS, light weight, pretty damn accurate, choice of calibers, reliable , compact , choice of back straps,extended mags if you can give up an inch or so in the grip (in .45 go from 5+1 to 7+1 or as an extra mag )wide range of holsters available, a lot of available feedback by search, pretty good right out of the box, however sight and trigger upgrades are available with no big deal...should you want improvement.
All at a reasonable price .....one last thing, Springfield Armory is pretty well known for their customer service....also easy enough to search.
Everyone's mileage may vary...........but I'm satisfied with mine.

Bolsh:

I am 5' 6 inches, for the summer, I use a J frame clone in a pocket holster.

works for me.  Nobody knows its there.

Winter time, hell, anything goes.  

good luck on whatever you do, and make sure you give us a full report!

billy boy  

Look at a Kahr CW9. For the money, they are hard to beat. If you can find a range that has rental guns, spend an afternoon there. You might consider posting this in your hometown forum and asking if anyone local would meet you at a range to let you try out some different guns. ARFcom has some great people who are always glad to help out.

ETA. The most important thing after choosing a gun you like and can shoot well is what you carry it in. Invest in a good IWB tuckable holster. The Crossbreed, CompTac MTAC, Galco KingTuk, and similar fit the bill. You'll also need a good gunbelt that will cost as much or more than the holster.

I'm shorter than you and probably the shortest regular poster on ARF at 62 inches.

It's almost a given that you can conceal any of the micro pistols - CM9, LCP, P32, etc.

Stepping up to the small "big" guns, we have firearms like the M&P Shield, Glock 26, Glock 19, and M&Pc.  The key to concealing those is: a) good belt, b) proper holster, c) proper clothing, and d) body type.

You want a stiff gun belt, either quality hide or a nylon rigger-style belt such as the Wilderness Instructor's 5-stitch.  For leather, expect to pay $80, give or take $30.  Prices get very $$$ if you want exotic materials and such.  Less than $50 will get you a Wilderness belt which is fine for casual carry but won't win you many style awards.

First, a proper holster has to be well made.  It can be leather or kydex (or a hybrid of both), but I would avoid injection-molded plastic and nylon holsters.  They can break, not retain the gun well, and/or be bulky.  Secondly, a proper holster for a short butt gun is different than one for a long butt gun.  Generally speaking, the larger the butt the more cant is generally needed to avoid printing.  Some OWB holsters conceal as well as IWB holsters with the exception to that being if your shirt rides up.  But as far as printing goes good OWB is just as good as IWB, in my opinion.  If you plan on carrying something long such as a G17 or 1911 government and do not want to wear longer shirts, IWB may be a better choice.    

You need to dress appropriately for concealed carry.  If you carry IWB, you'll probably have to go up a size or two on your pants if they already fit normally.  If you wear tight shirts or "athletic fit" shirts, almost anything will print.  You don't have to dress like a slob but some compromises are necessary.  If you get a tuckable holster, you'll have to blouse or "puff" the shirt out a bit.  Winter clothing like a heavy sweater or sweatshirt can let you get away with more.  

Body type plays a role too.  If you have love handles they will want to push the butt of the gun away from your body.  This is the problem I have but I have found that a canted holster helps with this too.


I'd be so bold as to say that you can certainly conceal a Glock 26 or Shield in a Versa-Max 2 holster.  You could probably conceal a G19 or M&P Compact in a VM2 or Alessi ACP.

What this guy said.

I would go with either the shield or a glock 26/m&P 9C, depending on your preference, for IWB.

I have the shield and a gen 4 glock 26, and both carry very well. The shield is significantly thinner and is extremely accurate for its size (shot a 1 1/2" group at 20 yards free-hand the other day with newly installed apex kit).

The gen 4 26 has a shorter/slimmer grip than previous versions, and shoots just as well.

JMO.

Stay away from the PK380.   No slide release + slide mounted safety = inadvertent safety activation when reloading.

Take a look at the Walther PPS.  Very compact with an extremely thin profile.  Adjustable backstraps to get a good fit to your hand.  Very manageable recoil in 9mm.

Best of all, it is very reliable.

I don't think you'd have any problem at all concealing a G26 or S&W M&P 9c  with a proper belt and holster.  Seriously, don't downplay their importance--those two together make all the difference.

ETA: and don't take this the wrong way, but you're only a little heavier/taller than my wife, who conceals a Sig P238 without much trouble at all either IWB or in a pocket holster.

I ended up going with the Ruger SR9c. I liked the way it felt in my hand and thought that it wouldn't be to hard to conceal. Plus, all the rounds it holds appealed to me. Thanks everyone for all the input and I will probably look into one of the other guns mentioned for my next handgun. Now I was wondering what kind of good IWB holsters are out there for it that are less than $100.