EDC – Top carry/conceal handguns under $500

If you have followed this site for any amount of time, you know that I advocate the idea of “you get what you pay for” when it comes to firearms. But I also believe that you can find quality firearms on a budget if you do a little research. So to help facilitate this, I sat down and came up with my top 5 quality/budget carry conceal pistols.

While this list is of course somewhat subjective, I did try to stick to pistols that matched the following criteria:

• Under $500
• Compact or smaller, ie. easily concealable
• Calibers that are extremely common, ie. 9mm, 40 cal, etc
• Accessories for the pistol are easy to find. This includes lasers, upgraded sights, holsters, etc
• It is a quality firearm in my opinion (the subjective part of this list)
• Pistols I have some familiarity with…ie I have put rounds through them

Before I start this list, I want to clarify that I have some familiarity with all of the firearms on this list. I have shot all of them, and would feel quite comfortable carrying them concealed. Hence I have no problem adding these pistols to this list. In addition, this list is in no particular order. And with that, let’s jump in.

Smith and Wesson M&P Shield Gen 2

I did a review of the S&W Shield Gen 1, which you can read here. Overall the gun was solid, but I did not care for the trigger. Actually, I didn’t like the triggers on a lot of S&W pistols. But last year Smith and Wesson introduced the Shield Gen 2. And after putting over 100 rounds through one, I can attest that the trigger system is MUCH improved! But more on that in a minute.

The M&P Gen 2 is a single-stack subcompact poly-striker pistol. You can get several different options on this gun from the factory. Things like a manual safety, improved sights, lasers, etc can be found on various models. These pistols come in 9mm, 40 cal or .45 APC. They have magazines that are flush or extended. The extended mags give you an extra round.

The gun stands 4.6 inches tall, 0.95 inches wide and is 6.1 inches long. The barrel length is 3.1 inches. Overall, the gun weighs a little over 18 oz unloaded. The Gen 2 has the same dimensions as the Gen 1, though it weighs a bit less. So having carried the Gen 1 before, I know the Gen 2 is fairly easy to conceal.

As I mentioned before, the trigger has been improved. It has a lighter, crisper pull, and the reset is more tactile. The texture on the grip has been improved a little, making it easier to hold. And the stripling on the front slide serrations has been upgraded. This makes things like press checking a bit easier.

The MSRP on the Gen 2 is $479, though you can purchase them here for much cheaper. (The Gen 1 is a bit cheaper still.) For the quality you are getting, this is an outstanding price! The Gen 2 9mm is one of the pistols that has made it on my Want List!

Glock 43

Glock has a reputation as being a well made, well built handgun. This reputation is solidly earned. In all the years I have owned several Glocks, never once have I ever had any issues or problems with any of them. So while I do not own the 43, I have shot it and have ZERO hesitation putting the 43 on this list.

The Glock 43 is a single stack, striker fired 9mm handgun. The magazine holds 6. The overall length is 6.26, while the width is about 1 inch. It weighs about 18 oz unloaded. This grip, frame is much more slender than your standard Glocks. But that to me was what makes them more easy to conceal. This Glock felt wonderful in my hand. I’m used to a double stack Glock, but I liked the thinner frame design.

The trigger is your standard Glock trigger, maybe a 5.5 lb pull. The reset is standard Glock also. Glock triggers are not my favorite, but you know what you are getting. They are relatively smooth. The grip is not overly aggressive, which is always a plus for me. And this model has a bit more defined “Beavertail” that your standard Glocks. Another bonus in my book.

It comes with the usual U model sights, but you can easily replace them with OEM sights.

As mentioned before, the standard magazine holds 6 rounds. The one drawback in my book is that the finger extension magazine (shown on the right) does not hold a 7th round. I’m not sure why that is, and left me scratching my head. As of this writing only 6 round mags are available.

I put a few hundred rounds of Winchester 115 grain rounds though one, and while it did have a little recoil, it was not bad. But that was ball ammo. I am curious as to what a heavier grain ammo will feel like. But like I said, the recoil was very manageable.

The MSRP on the 43 is $599 but you can find them for cheaper online. Not a bad price considering the reliability and ease of use that all Glocks offer.

Ruger LC9s

I have not owned nor shot many Rugers in my lifetime. I did own a Ruger P90 for several years, but I wasn’t a huge fan of it’s bulky frame and eventually sold it. However, the Rugers I have shot and owned were always dependable, and I never had any issues with them. Awhile back, a partner of mine bought a LC9s as his backup weapon. When he went to the range to qualify with it to carry it off duty, he let me put about 100 rounds through it. While that is not a lot in the grand scheme of things, it was enough for me to know that I actually enjoying shooting it.

I shot another one a year or so later, and again enjoying shooting it.

I had shot the older model LC9, and did not care for it much. The trigger, a LONG double action trigger, was difficult to shoot on a light frame. But this was the LC9S, a striker fired design. This made the trigger lighter, much more smooth. Overall it was much easier to shoot. I’d guess the trigger pull is around 5lbs or so. It also did not have the manual safety, which I thought was kind of a pain to manipulate on the old LC9. Editor’s note: the LC9s Pro is the model without the manual safety.

The gun is about 6 inches long but less than an inch wide. This gun was designed for carrying concealed. It had round, smoothed edges and I found it easy to grip and shoot. At about 12 yards I held a group about the size of my fist. This was with the finger extension of course, which I prefer. Shooting any gun with a “hanging pinky” is difficult for me. So having that magazine extension was nice.

The magazine holds 7 rounds, and comes with the aforementioned finger extension. The one drawback is that it ships with just one magazine. But LC9 mags are plentiful and not terribly expensive. The standard sights is the 3 dot sights. These are fine during the day but at night they were a bit hard to see. However, there are all kinds of aftermarket sights out there for this pistol, and they are easy to replace.

The MSRP on this pistol is $449, but you can get it cheaper online. While this gun would not be my first choice as a backup or off-duty weapon, I would have no qualms about carrying it or recommending it to others.

Smith and Wesson Airframe 642

I don’t carry a revolver off duty or as a backup gun typically. But I would be remiss if I did not include one on this list. I do this for a few reasons. The first is that revolvers are extremely reliable. No jams or misfires. The second reason is that revolvers are still currently legal in gun restrictive states like California and New Jersey. They are easy to conceal and pack a lot of punch when it’s up close and personal!

I chose the 642 for this list because I owned one several years ago, before selling it to my father. I put several hundred rounds through it, so I have some familiarity with it.

The 642 is a .38 revolver with an enclosed hammer. This ensures that the hammer won’t snag on something when drawing it quickly. The downside is that every trigger pull will be double action. Still, this baby is as reliable as the sun coming up every morning! I never had a problem with it, and it ate every ammo I used like a fat kid on Thanksgiving.

The 642 is a little over 6 inches long, and weighs about 15 oz. The grip was a bit small for me, but that makes it easier to conceal. The trigger pull was a bit long and fairly heavy. I’d say at least 10 to 11 lbs. But a lot of dry firing will help break in this trigger. It also ensures that the trigger won’t go off accidentally.

The chamber holds 5 rounds. That may give some folks pause about carrying it. But .38 +P is NOT a round to be taken lightly. It will certainly do damage! The sights are also nothing special, but for short ranges they are not terrible.

The barrel is a little over 1.75 inches. This of course will effect accuracy at longer ranges. In reality, anything out past 8 to 10 yards is not what this little revolver was designed for. It also kicks pretty hard. But training, practice, and familiarity with this pistol will help counter this.

This revolver does have it’s drawbacks. It’s punchy, has limited range, and carries just 5 rounds before needing to reload. But it more than makes up for this with stopping power and reliability. (I’d say this is the most reliable pistol on the list.) The MSRP on this little pistol is $449. But you can find it much cheaper online.

Walther PPS M2

Not too long ago, a buddy of mine at work purchased a Walther PPS M2 as a backup gun, and asked me if I wanted to go shoot it some, test it out.

“Well hell yeah I do!” That was a dumb question…

So on a Friday morning we went to the department range. We had several hundred rounds of Speer 115 grain ammo, and a few boxes of Hornady 9mm Luger 147 Grain XTP ammo. We put the M2 through its paces. All in all, I have to say I was fairly impressed and have considered buying one for myself.

The PPS M2 is a PPS is a compact, single-stack, striker-fired semi-auto pistol. The first thing I noticed about it was how slender it is, about 1 inch wide. The pistol is about 6 inches long and a bit over 4 inches tall depending upon with magazine you use. It comes with a standard 6 round magazine, but the 7 rounder has the finger extension that I always demand of a carry conceal pistol.

The trigger was a bit heavier than I normally like, being about 6 lbs or so. But it was VERY crisp and smooth, and the reset was very short. Considering that it is a heavier trigger than I am used to, I actually enjoyed the trigger all things considered. The sights were the standard 3 dot sights, and were easy to visually acquire.

The grip was fairly ergonomic, and with the extended mag I liked the way it felt in my hand. The texture was not overly aggressive. And it was remarkably easy to field strip this pistol. With the gun unloaded, you decock the striker and then retract the slide slightly and hold down the take-down catch on each side of the frame. This is basically the same on Glock pistols.

The only knock I had on it was (as typical with a lot of Walthers) is that it was a bit finicky with ammo. It ran the 115 grain rounds no problem, and I maintained a group a little larger than my fist at 15 yards. But the 147 grain did not seem as accurate, and I found a few of them hitting low and to the right. So if I decide to purchase this gun, I’ll probably stick to a lower grain round.

The MSRP on this little jewel is $449, but as usual, you can find it a lot cheaper online. As I said before, this pistol has hit my radar, and I am considering getting one for myself.

Final Thoughts

When I first purchased a carry/conceal pistol years ago, the largest caliber they had for smaller pistols was .380. But now the market is FULL of concealable firearms in 9mm, 40 cal, or even 45 APC. Because the market is full, that means there is a lot of competition for your dollar. This drives prices down while pushing quality up. So there is absolutely no reason you cannot get a quality carry/conceal gun for well below $500. This list can help get you started.

As always, I recommend test firing these and other pistols for yourself, and deciding what works for you. And once you do find the pistol that works for you, then by all means train with it and CARRY IT! At least where you legally can. The latest rash of mass shooting should be reason enough to have the means of defending yourself.

And before you fire off an angry email because I left “such and such pistol” off this list, please remember that these are pistols I have shot before. For example, I have heard some positive reviews on the Ruger LCR revolver. But I have never shot one. So I don’t feel qualified to add it to the list. But I’d love to hear what is your preferred carry/conceal pistol in the comments section below.
For more hints and tips for new gun owners, be sure to check these articles out!

8 tips for first time gun buyers

7 rules for carrying your concealed firearm

5 problems novice gun owners may experience

Best budget battle rifles for preppers

What you need to know about “Truck Guns”

9 firearm training tips to help you survive a deadly encounter

5 Gun Myths Dispelled

Why you need to carry/concealed ALWAYS

What you need to know about firearm accessories

Stay safe out there!

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