Traditional DoubleStack Vs Micro Concealment/Comfort

[User365]

I think it will be different for everyone based on body type, preferences, shooting style/skill, etc.

For me, my G26 has sat in the safe as a backup since I got the standard P365. For me, it’s quite a bit more comfortable IWB 3 o’clock and I also shoot is as well as my G26 (even with +p carry ammo).

The G26 and P365 print about the same for me (almost 0). However, the G26 makes it slightly look like I have a brick on my hip. Can’t make out its a gun, but makes it look “off”. Living in a non-permissive state, I very much appreciate the thinness of the P365. It conceals perfectly for me.

YMMV

[TGS]

I'm assuming single stack guns count, since you wrote "micro", and not specifically stack-and-a-half pistols.

With a slim single stack gun, there's a concealability difference for me with carrying tucked in appendix for NPEs. Last summer I attended a LE course with very strict rules that we were to not be identifiable as LE in any way while at a certain facility, so I wore typical business casual attire for the area; dress shirt tucked into slacks, no jacket. I used an Enigma to carry my Glock 26, as we're not allowed to carry other guns when on duty. Out of the room of ~20 people (all LEOs or related gov't personnel), 1 picked up on the bulge from the Glock 26. The bulge wasn't a bulge as if there was a gun printing, it was just a generic bulge that made one half of my pelvic region/waist look thicker than the other half. He was probably one of the most switched on dudes in the class (among a group of people that routinely analyze people's appearance for indicators/behaviors), and admitted that he couldn't tell if it was a gun specifically, just that he noticed something was off.

If it was a Glock 42, Glock 43, Walther PPS, Kahr PM9, etc...that bulge would not have been there, because that's what I've used before in similar circumstances when off-duty (like attending a summer wedding, or competing in ballroom dancing in NYC).

[WobblyPossum]

I’m curious about this as well and will give it a try soon. I’ve primarily carried a G19 in civilian clothes since 2014, off duty (both agencies) and on duty (at the current agency that authorizes the G19). I’m going to buy a P365XL and carry and train with that for a while. The size difference between the two is pretty substantial, especially for smaller people.

[OfficeCat]

My experience seems a little different than most of the responses here so I'll share some thoughts. I'm 5-11, 210-215 pounds, middle aged, fairly large frame and soft around the middle. I don't carry all-day every day but usually do when I'm traveling out of town which ends up being a long day getting in and out if a vehicle, shopping, eating in restaurants and so on. I carry AIWB. I've carried with some frequency over the past few years the Walther PPS M2 and P99, and the HK P30SK and standard P30, and have pretty much settled on the P30. I've decided that the holster and belt are the most significant factors and when these are dialed in, the largest, heaviest gun of this group conceals just as well and is nearly as comfortable as any.

The PPS is much slimmer than the others and noticeably lighter. I can shoot it well and trust it. The P99 is bigger but prettty light for its size and is well shaped and balanced for concealment. The PPS is carried in a JMCK wing claw holster with a monobloc clip. I went with that option for the quick and easy on and off aspect figuring this would be my "quick run to the store" gun. The P99 is carried in a very similar holster with the same clip from a different maker as JMCK doesn't mold for the P99. In practice I don't notice much difference between these two other than being aware of a little more mass in the waistband with the P99. If anything the size and weight distribution of the P99 makes it less likely to squirm around so it conceals more consistently.

The HKs are carried in a JMCK wing claw 2.0 with the wide spaced DCC clips. For me this is the key. The clips are very low profile and the spacing makes for very stable carry. The claw combined with a wedge or pad (still experimenting a bit here) tucks the butt nicely into my soft belly which is wide enough that I found that the significantly longer butt of the full size P30 conceals just as well under a loose-ish T-shirt or casual button down shirt.

The thing I've realized is that a trimmer/lighter gun in a lower profile holster may start off a little more concealable and comfortable but without the stability provided by the wide spaced clips it will not stay perfectly positioned and over the course if the day it will start printing and becoming less comfortable. The right holster makes the larger gun 95 percent as concealable and comfortable at the start and it stays that way all day long, and that leads to reduced anxiety and being more able to almost forget I'm carrying.

[BillSWPA]

The stability provided by a longer barrel is helpful. I have found that the 3.5" barrel of a Glock 26 is plenty for IWB stability for me, but the 3.1" barrel of the Sig P365 provides noticeably less stability.

The grip angle relative to the cant of the holster is also critical. The grip angle of a Glock allows it to work very well with a holster having a 10 degree cant. This combination keeps the grip against my torso. The same 10 degree cant will make the more vertical grip of a P365 protrude more from my side. The P365 would likely conceal better with a 15 degree cant.

The next IWB holster I order for the P365 will likely be for a P365XL (even though I do not own one) with a 15 degree cant.

[GJM]

A Glock 19 is the absolute last gun I would sell, unless I had a half dozen of them!

[User365]

The stability provided by a longer barrel is helpful. I have found that the 3.5" barrel of a Glock 26 is plenty for IWB stability for me, but the 3.1" barrel of the Sig P365 provides noticeably less stability.

The grip angle relative to the cant of the holster is also critical. The grip angle of a Glock allows it to work very well with a holster having a 10 degree cant. This combination keeps the grip against my torso. The same 10 degree cant will make the more vertical grip of a P365 protrude more from my side. The P365 would likely conceal better with a 15 degree cant.

The next IWB holster I order for the P365 will likely be for a P365XL (even though I do not own one) with a 15 degree cant.

This is a great point. My G26 I find is stable with a G26 length holster. But for the P365, I use a Tenicor P365XL holster, the standard length ones I tried don’t work out.

May consider picking up an XL slide at some point to make a P365L.

[borisbadenoff]

Wondering what everyone’s experiences are between carrying double stacks vs something like a p365xl. Those who ended up in either direction, what was your experience? I’ve only ever carried G19 or bigger sized pistols aiwb and it’s hard to believe the slight reduction in width would be a dramatic difference but I see many people say it is. Something like the Xmacro is taller than a G19 but of course thinner. Assuming quality gear/setup with both do you find the comfort/concealment to be THAT much better or just slightly better?

I just repled to a different thread with essentially the same comments. I live in a state that limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds, so more than that in any gun for EDC consideration is pointless in CT.

My overall favorite gun among what I own is my G27 Gen5, which is absolutely reliable (as is every Glock I've ever shot) as well as accurate enough (consistent 2" groups at 7 yards), having reasonable recoil for what it is, and small enough to fit nicely in my safe. What it's not imho is thin or light enough for comfortable EDC. I love the 40 caliber cartridge, as I think it's light enough and offers adequate capacity while being plenty powerful enough. But there's that size issue for EDC.

So I started looking into 9mm, and have concluded that the newest generation of 9mm cartridges offers adequate performance. I looked at the G43 but liked the Sig P365 way better (equally reliable and accurate but thinner and smaller and holds 10+1 vs. 7+1), so that's my new EDC and the G27 stays at home.

Do you need anything larger or with greater magazine capacity for civilian EDC? Why? No judge or jury will accept a self-defense claim if you shoot someone 50 feet away - you could have escaped. 25 feet is about the max, and even that far away would be seriously questioned. So a longer barrel/sight radius is irrelevant. Do you need greater capacity? Refer to my previous comments. Can you handle the recoil of a smaller gun? This is a reasonable argument, but this is for EDC, not a range toy. Train with it, get confident with it, keep training regularly to hone your skill, and it should suffice.

Finally, why carry a 2-lb. hand cannon for year after year, when it's most likely you will ever need to actually defend your life with it once or perhaps twice in your entire life? A micro 9 with good performance and adequate (10+1 round) capacity is more than sufficient 99% of the time, and that last 1% is about the same as your risk of being struck by lightning. The proliferation of excellent micro 9 pistols now for sale makes this type of gun a most excellent choice for EDC. I can't see the value of carrying anything larger on a regular basis.

[claymore504]

Back when I first started carrying I went from a Glock 23 to a Glock 27 and was pretty happy for years. Then the M&P Shield came out and I picked up a 40SW version and was amazed at how much better it was for me. Then went to a Shield 9 and carried that mainly up until a couple years ago when I checked out the P365 and ended up going with the XL. I sometimes carry my CZ P07 when the circumstances are right. With me being 5'4", the small pistols are much more comfortable and easier to conceal here in SE Texas where shorts and a t-shirt are normal attire most of the year.

[MDFA]

We recently drove to Illinois to visit our son and his family. 13 hour days there and back and 8 hr. days while there wearing this EDC gear, sans the Disciple fixed blade. I also used 15 round magazines due to Illinois capacity issues.(Pending in the courts but I didn't want to worry about a decision one way or another while there). I wore Vertx Guardian shirts and was very comfortable. While my LEOSA was valid for Illinois and Scott AFB, printing was not something I wanted to do. From previous experience I know that I would not have been as comfortable with a G19 or similar. Tough to beat the shootability, comfort and capacity of the 365 Macro pistols. There may not be much of a difference in measurements, but in day to day usage those small features make a difference.