With concealed carry legal in most of free parts of the country and more and more options for concealed carry pistols out there – we’re selling more small concealable firearms than ever. Here’s a rundown of a few of the guns we sell the most and what’s driving consumers to buy them.
SIG SAUER P365 Micro-Compact
My biggest seller right now by far and away is the SIG P365. After they worked out their initial issues, the guns seem to be very reliable, they feel great in the hand, and the availability of flat/larger base pads and magazine sizes in 10, 12 and 15-round capacities make the gun very tough to beat.
Most customers are carrying the 10 or 12-round magazine in the gun with a 15 as a backup. Or, in some cases, they’re using their P365 as a vehicle gun with the 15-round mag plus a spare.
The idea of having nearly the capacity of a GLOCK 17 in such a small package is a compelling argument for even the most opinionated gun owner.
Coupled with the option of getting a manual safety, which most of my customers who were former military are a big fan of – and the platform is something we sell quite a bit out of. With the 365 XL coming to dealer shelves soon to add some sight radius and barrel length to the existing platform that will already be very familiar to regular 365 owners, that’s sure to be a popular gun.
GLOCK G42 and G43
OK this section is more of a collection. But I’m combining them because they’re so closely related. While the G42 and G43 are still the second most popular concealed carry guns I sell, sales of these pistols have been hit hard…by newer GLOCK models.
Lots of buyers are gravitating towards the GLOCK 48 – which is GLOCK 19-sized, but a single stack. Or they’re going for the GLOCK 43X which is also G19-sized, but single stack and a little shorter up top.
The idea of having 10 rounds versus 6 is a big factor to many customers nowadays and we’re seeing lots of die-hard GLOCK folks who refuse to buy anything but GLOCK putting pen to 4473 on the 43X and the 48.
The only real complaints we had is that the G43X and the G48 don’t come in all black, but GLOCK recently released a production run of 100% black pistols so that will either assuage the GLOCK loyalists or infuriate them for making them buy another gun.
Only time will tell.
Smith & Wesson M&P0 Shield
My third biggest seller is a little strange – we’ve been getting a bunch of transfers from Palmetto State Armory with their Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Gen1 promo. For $250 (with or without a safety), they’re selling the original 9mm Shields (not the newer M2.0) which are still fantastic guns that we used to sell the hell out of until the P365’s stole the show.
Our bound book is filled with shields and many happy customers that like the M&P platform and want a sub $400 carry gun that don’t want to shell out the $500-550 out the door price of the Glock 43X/48 with night sights or the Sig 365.
Any gun is better than no gun, so for the value-oriented consumer, the Gen1 Shield has been a great find for them. It’s still a very reliable gun that packs a punch with a large aftermarket and S&W customer service to stand behind their product.
Hopefully if you’re shopping for a new carry pistol, this information is helpful for you and you can find something you like.
What are you carrying nowadays and what features were important to you in making that decision?
Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.