Best SA/DA.

Best stryker-fired w/o thumb safety.

Best stryker-fired with thumb safety.

Assume 9x19 in all cases.

Smith and Wesson shield with extended mag can be had with or without safety.

That's one I've been looking at. Do you have one? Like it? Also looking at the Glock 43.


Edit: Oops, I meant Glock 26.

I carry one almost ever day. Mine is a .40 and I got it before they offered the no safety option. I couldn't be happier. I carry mine with the extended mag, and a pinky extension, but the pinky extension isn't really necessary, I carried it for a year without it just as comfortably. I've got pretty big hands too.

What holster do you use?

IWB I carry in an simple clip holster made by AceCase. OWB I use an alien gear holster, but I don't like it. It flops around too much. So I carry IWB 95% of the time.

Send Kev a PM, he may have some ideas of what will work best.

What is Kev's background?

Shield is awesome. My FIL has one and I shot it. I think it's the best combination of size, capability, and shootability on the market. It also happens to not be too pricy, which is nice. I would get one in a heartbeat if I was in the market.

I carry a G26 with +2 mag extensions on the 10rd mag and love it. I use a Stealth Gear USA IWB holster.

I know you said 9mm, but check out the .45 Shield too. The grip is fanstastic (not the same as the 9/40).

No fans of the DA/SA?

How do you striker-fire fans feel about having a safety, or not.

I honestly can't decide. I'm in the market for a CCW as well. I purposely bought my full-size M&P9 with a safety. I like a safety but am trying to figure out which is more important, having a safety, or having a gun that goes bang immediately in a life-threatening situation.

he has possibly the biggest hands on THF

I have a shield 40 that I carry in an Alien Gear IWB. Mine had the thumb safety, but I disabled it. It's too small and hard to take off.

That's good info Tactical Cowboy. I'm a whiz at flipping off my Colt 1911 safety, but it is big and relatively light to flip off.

Two of my carry pistols are SA/DA. I usually carry my Taurus PT-111 G2. It is striker fired and has a 12 rd. magazine and left side thumb safety. I occasionally carry my other SA/DA, my SAR K2P. It is hammer fired and has a 17 rd. magazine and ambi thumb safety. A lot of people may pooh pooh both because they are not Glock or Springfield Armory or whatever, but both have been absolutely flawless and I have hundreds of rounds through both, FMJ, hollow points, reloads, etc. The SAR has a longer grip than the Taurus but both are meaty enough for me to grip well as I also have big hands. BTW, my wife and I both used the SAR when we qualified for our LTC.

I always prefer a safety, especially on a CC gun. Only way I will carry one in the chamber.

Exactly. I've shot the hell out of four 1911's, and the safety is second nature to take off--- the tiny safety on the shield is a pain to switch to fire, even for someone that's used to a thumb safety.

Check out a CZ75 compact (or one of the very good clones). I often carry a Canik clone IWB in condition 1.

bar-d - I was interested in the PT-111 G2 because of the price until I watched a Hitchok45 review of it. He said the trigger broke so far back that it was awkward for him to shoot. Do you notice that?

The Taurus SA/DA striker triggers are a little different, but I like them. They have a lot of take-up (almost no resistance) before it loads up and has a crisp final break. I think the PT-111 is another great carry gun. I'd put it right behind the Shield. Safety is a bit easier to maneuver on that gun. But the Shield is a bit better at the range IMHO. Just a little more ergonomic with a better trigger and sights.

Are there any pistols between these small guns and a full size duty or home-defense pistol?

Best SA/DA is the Sig P229. Just so happens I have one for sale , PM me and I'll make you a great deal.

I daily carry a SigP226 with extended mag and light. I'm 6'3" 225 and it doesn't bother me weight wise. It's carried OWB in a FFR holster, inuss on duty and off duty in the same holster, unless I'm in uniform. As far as striker fired goes, I would never have one with a safety. I would never carry a pistol with a safety because I don't and never will train with one.

I view the Shield and PT-111 as that middle ground. I CC a Kel Tec P-3AT. These guns are much larger than that, but not nearly as big as a full size pistol. Anything larger than a Shield or PT-111 size really becomes problematic for comfortable daily carry for normal folks that aren't used to carrying a gun for a living.