Traditional DoubleStack Vs Micro Concealment/Comfort

[MrHammer]

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?

[BillSWPA]

Thickness is the single most critical dimension for concealment, followed closely by overall height and grip length.

For pocket carry, a P365 absolutely conceals better than a G26.

For IWB carry, the difference between a P365 with 12 round magazines and a G19 is smaller despite the difference in thickness. Both have approximately the same overall height and grip length. For me, the more critical factor is the ability of a G19 with a Langdon Tactical grip anchor to avoid making telltale holes in my concealment garments. The lower front corner of the 12 round magazines of my P365 was a particularly bad offender with wearing those holes in clothing.

For IWB, going from a G19 to a G26 makes a bigger difference than going from a G19 to a P365 with a 12 round magazine if I am wearing a concealment garment with minimal loose fabric to hide the gun.

[RJ]

I went from a G19 to a P365X. Same JM CK AIWB Wing Claw 2.5 holster for each. Yes, the width makes a huge difference for me. I ended up selling the Glock.

[4RNR]

Went from G19 to 365/x. Didn't care for either grip is too minimal. Traded them, one for a Hellcat Pro. It's kinda in between the 365 and G19. I still prefer the G19 but the Hellcat Pro works fine

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[Sig_Fiend]

I've been through a number of sub-compact semis including: G26, G42, G48, SIG P230, PPS, CCP, and a few others. No matter what I've tried, I always go back to a mid-size G19-sized gun, particularly in width and grip circumference.

The slimmer stuff, like single stack Glocks, P365, etc. definitely make a big difference in comfort. For example, I've carried a G48 and a G19 back to back, comparing how they carry, draw speed, etc.
The G48 was noticeably more comfortable, like maybe a 25%+ improvement. That said, the smaller grip circumference really screwed me up and led to a much less consistent support hand grip. There is such a thing as too small of a grip IMO.

[psalms144.1]

Back before my hip replacement surgery, I had been trying to figure a way to quantify what's "good enough" for pistol shooting and see where I rank on different platforms. I ran a drill at 10 yards, shooting an IDPA cardboard with a 4x6" index card vertically aligned in the chest, and the same folded in half horizontally in the head. The drill was draw on the beep and fire two COM and one to the head. I ran this with my SRO-equipped Shadow 2, P07, Gen5 G19, and P365XL (the last three iron sighted at the time). I shot the drill five times with each platform.

The SRO equipped S2 gave me a best time of 3.95 seconds, and a worst of 4.18 seconds, all runs clean
The P07 best time was 4.12 (clean) with one slower run and three faster that each resulted in one miss off the index cards (but still on silhouette)
The G19 best time was 3.98 seconds clean, but I missed the index cards with seven rounds
Finished up with the P365XL. Best clean run was 4.18 seconds, I dropped a total of three rounds on other four runs

A couple of notes on this:
1. I shot each of the "big" pistols from kydex "range" holsters, while the P365XL was shot from a leather OWB. The 365XL was also the only pistol on which I was manipulating a manual safety during each string.
2. I shot this as primarily an accuracy drill, so I wasn't pushing for "hero" speed. None of the misses were anywhere near off silhouette - all the COM "misses" with the P07 and 365XL were still A-zone hits. The G19 misses were a mix of A and C zone body hits, and a couple of just barely on the silhouette head misses - all left, of course.

So, for ME, the XL is practically equally "shootable" as the larger platforms, at least at closer ranges. If I need to shoot steel at 100 yards, I'd much rather have any of the other platforms, but that's kind of beside the point.

As far as concealment and "comfort" go, the P365XL is HANDS DOWN a dramatic improvement over either the G19 or P07. Night and day, really. While only a few ounces lighter, loaded, it's slim profile is a lot easier to conceal under light clothing, and MUCH more comfortable IWB. At this point, I have the G19 with an SCS mounted and TLR7 as my nightstand gun, but I've only taken it out of the safe to zero the SCS. I'll never get rid of it (except maybe to swap up to a G45 or G47 for nightstand use), but I doubt I'll ever strap it on my hip for carry again.

[JRV]

I have not found a “microcompact” that I liked long enough to keep it around. The dimensions don’t gain enough in concealment for what I lose in shootability, and, for days when outfits or carry locations truly call for smaller guns, I would rather carry a lower capacity, more shootable pistol.

A quarter inch of thickness means nothing to me. I have a 34 inch waist, wide shoulders, and am just over six feet tall. I have been working out consistently for almost two decades at this point. I can conceal a “normal” pistol very comfortably at the appendix or in a quality canted hip holster.

Grip length is a similarly minimal concern, within reason. I am not going to carry a service-sized pistol with a mag extension. But, a proper holster and belt does a lot to pull the bottom of a grip into concealment without flaring out the top of a slide or an optic body too much. Clothes do a lot here, too. Pants that fit and a good shirt negate printing issues.

The critical dimension for me, shootability-wise, is trigger break point to backstrap. I need enough trigger reach to run a gun consistently. The micros are too short here with the exception of the Glock slimline nines, and those don’t carry “smaller” enough versus a 19 or 26 that it’s worth the known sacrifice in reliability. The short trigger reach on a P365 makes it shoot as awkwardly as a Kel-Tec or LCP in my hands (big palms, average fingers), which leads to poor performance on the shot timer.

When I want or need to carry extra light or deep carry, I would rather have an Airlite J-frame in a pocket. It’s hard to beat knowing that the pocket gun will cycle through dirt and pocket lint so long as I can move the trigger.

When I want the most concealable belt gun possible, I gravitate to a PPK or P230 (and used to gravitate towards a P239 when I had one). These guns carry small but “shoot” larger, with more traditional trigger reach and front-to-back grip spans than the polymer micro-compacts. They carry half the rounds of the newer guns, but I’m not living in a place, going places, or dealing with people in my daily life that make me worry “10+ rounds is a prudent minimum.” When I travel or feel like I need “more,” I can easily go back to the service-sized and compact-service guns I have been concealing for almost 15 years.

[Tensaw]

As you've seen in the replies thus far, "which gun" ends up being like asking "which underwear". It's a very individual thing and the answer can change for the same person inside the same day. For me, the 43X (with Agency Arms comp) carried AIWB in a JMCK holster is a bit easier to carry than anything else in the stable (all double stacks). That said, I find myself reaching for the G26 carried in a Velo more and more. The Velo is G19 length and conceals *almost* as well as the 43X (even with a G19 mag) and is *almost* as comfortable - but it brings enhanced shootability and compatibility with all the Glock mags.

I think someone said something like this upthread, but it seems silly to carry a G26 in a G19 length holster. But I have never gotten along with the shape of the G19 grip. Thus I have been seriously considering getting a G45 and cutting the grip to G26 length. That seems like the holy grail of concealed carry *for me* - even though I know that's a little schizophrenic.

I thought the 43X would be the end-all concealed carry piece - but it's not. It's pretty good for what it is, but it's not perfect. For me, it's a Rule 1 gun. From there it's a PDP with optic when I can, or G26 to split the difference. Ultimately, I think you have to buy the pistol (and the best holster you can find) and give it a go to see what suits you.

ETA: Oddly enough, I really enjoy carrying the 43X in a Tenicor OWB rig at 3:00 o' clock. That little bit of extra slimness combined with the lighter weight is really nice at 3:00 o' clock. I will sometimes use this set-up when I'm out on my property and/or hanging out at the neighbor's.

[Leroy Suggs]

The slims have made a huge difference in comfort for this old man. I love them.
Contrary to some I don't see much difference in shooting performance in the G48/G43X and the G19/G26.

My slim setup:
G43 in pocket around the plantation.
G48 in JMCK aiwb when i go public.
G43X practice/training gun.

Happy old man

[lwt16]

G45 to a P365 Tacops. So far, I’m seeing same performance in a thinner package.

I’ll know for sure next time I run USPSA. Going wide open typically shakes out issues.

Regards.