Last updated July 6th 2024
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Your concealed carry handgun might just be your most important investment. Of course you hope you never need it, but if you do then you really need to know that it’s going to go bang. It doesn’t need to be exciting, it doesn’t need to set your soul on fire, it just needs to send bullets reliably and preictably. So a Glock is perfect, but what is the best Glock for concealed carry?
That’s a discussion in its own right, but that’s what we’re here for. We know that the Glock pistol line-up is getting more confusing by the month, but we’re here to guide you through the Glock maze and give you the best gun for your concealed carry holsters.
1. Glock 43x
- Price: $448.99–$485.99
- Caliber: 9mm
Pros
• Slim design
• Higher magazine capacity
• Comfortable grip
Cons
• Slightly longer grip may make it harder to conceal
• Heavier than the Glock 43
Glock had been left behind by the likes of the Sig Sauer P365 and Springfield Hellcat, until it launched the Glock 43x. It was a master stroke of niche engineering, and now this is the best concealed carry handgun on the market.
The basic gun costs less than $450, but spend a little more for the Glock 43x MOS if you can. With red dot sights on top, this gun is a tack driver at the range, as well as classic defensive distance shooting.
It’s a little longer than the micro compact 9mm competition, but that helps you get a firm grip, place shots on target and contain recoil. The G43x takes up a fraction more real estate than the main competition when it’s in your IWB holster. But it’s barely noticeable and you get a lot in return with the striker fired handgun.
While the G43 is comparatively weak sauce, thanks to a smaller frame and a single stack mag, this slightly larger G43x comes with a chunkier grip that fits your hand without fingers hanging mid-air. It’s just big enogh to shoot comfortably and you don’t have to adjust too much to deal with its compact size. The G43x just fits better, and also packs in 10 rounds with a flush fitting magazine. They really are the best concealed carry guns on sale.
You can boost that capacity with a Shield Arms 15 round double stack mag. More if you want to go shopping for Glock accessories.
The Glock 43x is part of the Glock Slimline series and it comes with all the Gen 5 improvements that have turned this into a best-selling gun for self defense. They include the supremely accurate 3.41 inch Glock Marksman barrel, a crisp and predictable reset and trigger pull and a flared magwell for fast reloads It’s also a low maintenance, accurate and dependable firearm that just works when you need it.
But the brilliance lies in the fact that it’s just big enough, while still staying compact enough to slip into your waistband.
You should upgrade the sights to fiber optic night sights. Then you’ll have the best Glock concealed carry pistol.
You can still buy the single stack Glock 43. But you really shouldn’t. If you want to go small, go for the G26. If you want the best overall package, this G43x sub-compact pistol is the one.
Read more about the Glock 43x here.
Spec
- Capacity: 10
- Barrel Length: 3.41 inch
- Overall Length: 6.5 inch
- Slide Length: 6.06 inch
- Width: 1.1 inch
- Height: 5.04 inch
- Weight: 1.16lb
2. Glock 30
- Price: $539.99
- Caliber: 45 ACP
Pros
- Serious power
- Recoil isn’t insane.
- Metronomic reliability
Cons
- Small gun for this much power.
- Single stack mag means capacity is limited.
- Recoil is still pretty intense.
The Glock G30 striker fired pistol is chambered in 45 ACP. So if you want that added kick that goes with 230gr hollow points, then these are best concealed carry guns.
Inevitably there’s a price in terms of reduced magazine capacity and additional recoil. But these 45 ACP concealed carry handguns are pretty awesome at putting big holes in threats. So if you like a larger caliber, this is one of the top Glocks for concealed carry.
We didn’t like the last generation Glock 30S. The 4th gen Glocks sucked pretty badly, with loose triggers and finger grooves to contend with on an already short grip. This new G30 Glock pistol is much better than the Glock 30S when it comes to comfort.
Want some options? We have a post on the best subcompact 45 ACP pistols here.
- Capacity: 10
- Barrel Length: 3.78 inch barrel
- Overall Length: 6.97 inch
- Slide Length: 635 inch
- Width: 1.38 inch
- Height: 4.8 inch
- Weight: 2.1lb
3. Glock 48
- Price: $369.99-$490
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
Pros
- Slimline frame for easy concealment.
- Long barrel better for accuracy.
- 10 rounds is normally enough.
Cons
- Not the most comfortable carry gun.
- G19 has more bullets in roughly the same footprint.
The Glock 48 basically fits the same profile as the much more famous G19, but the slimmer grip means it’s much easier to conceal. Glock has purposefully filled every niche and combination of frames and slide lengths. So these are always going to be marginal pros & cons. But the fat double stack magazine grip on the G19 does make it more cumbersome to carry than you might think.
Lots of people buy the G19 with the full intention of using one gun for self defense and home defense. But a large portion end up returning to buy another gun for concealed carry, because the G19 is that fraction too big to hang with the best concealed carry guns.
If you really don’t want to go down to the smaller size Glock pistols with the excellent G43x, which technically uses a shorter version of this frame, and you want the range and longer sight radius and improved accuracy, then the Glock G48 is a great choice for a concealed carry pistol. They’re a little more forgiving for new shooters and you get the usual Glock Gen 5 goodness like an ambidextrous slide release, nDLC coated marksman barrel and a MOS system if you want to pay extra..
It too has 10 rounds, the Glock Safe Action and all the other Gen 5 goodies. The Glock Slimline series pistol gives up potential capacity to make it easy to conceal. It’s a solid Glock for concealed carry, and we get why people everyday carry these Glock models.
Spec
- Capacity: 10
- Barrel Length: 4.17 inch barrel
- Overall Length: 7.28 inch
- Slide Length: 6.85 inch
- Width: 1.10 inch
- Height: 5.04 inch
- Weight: 1.29lb
4. Glock 26
- Price: $499.99-$540
- Caliber: 9x19mm
Pros
- Super small 9mm for deep concealment.
- Fits anywhere, and this concealed carry Glock disappears into a holster.
- Solid grip to keep close range shots on target.
Cons
- Can be too small for larger hands.
- You have to adjust your grip.
- Gun kicks a lot due to its tiny proportions.
The Glock 26 is a favorite back-up gun for law enforcement officers and John Wick alike. It can slip into a sock holster, or just disappear into an IWB holster. This is as small, slimline and tiny as a 9mm Glock carry gun gets.
It is too small for larger hands, in our experience, But for people with smaller hands who also like a gun that doesn’t print, these could be the best concealed carry guns.
The Glock G26 is slimline, super compact and packs in 6+1 rounds, which is more than enough for a standard self defense situation. If you can get to grips with the little grip, it’s a great littlle pocket pistol with the right trigger guard sheath and you can drop it into a purse. In a holster, you’ll never feel it and it’s easy to carry under a T-shirt.
It has a short grip, and a relatively long barrel on these Glock handguns. That helps contain the recoil with these concealed carry handguns, but it’s still a small gun that is prone to jumping in your hand.
Full Spec:
- Capacity: 10
- Barrel Length: 3.53 inch barrel
- Overall Length: 6.50 inch
- Slide Length: 6.26 inch
- Width: 1.26 inch
- Height: 4.17 inch
- Weight: 1.29lb
5. Glock 42
- Price: $399.99-$450
- Caliber: 380 ACP Auto
Pros
- Super compact Glock.
- 380 ACP has come a long way
Cons
- 9mm is beeter ammo.
- 380 is getting disproportionately expensive.
The world has left 380 ACP ammunition behind in the last few years, but you might still have a valid reason for running one as your EDC pistol.
You might like the reduced recoil or the Glock 42’s small dimensions.
It might be a back-up handgun. In which case, this is one of the best Glocks for deep concealment. We still think a 9mm pistol is a more solid foundation for the best concealed carry guns. But this is a different kind of concealed carry Glock.
Full Spec:
- Capacity: 6
- Barrel Length: 3.25 inch
- Overall Length :5.94 inch
- Slide Length: 6.26 inch
- Width: 0.94 inch
- Height: 4.13 inch
- Weight: 0.85lb
6. Glock 19
- Price: $539.99
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
Pros
- Seriously accurate.
- Reliable as death and taxes.
- Huge capacity for a concealed carry gun.
Cons
- Too big to carry comfortably all the time.
- Not everybody loves the Glock grip angle.
The Glock 19 is the standard duty pistol for law enforcement officers like the FBI that need to carry with a degree of subtlety. A lot of military units that don’t have to go with the standard issue Sig Sauer P320, including Special Operations, have opted for the Glock G19 compact pistol as their official sidearm.
Cops that can open carry generally prefer the full size frame Glock 17 with its longer barrel for increased accuracy at long range. But it isn’t well designed for concealed carry holsters.
The G19 is a great compromise of magazine capacity and portability, if you’re not a fan of the smaller guns. If your State allows the 15-round mags, it’s a big tactical advantage in an actual shootout thanks to the relatively long sight radius, but these Glock models are a little less comfortable to carry around. The best concealed carry guns are smaller.
Get the full story on the G19 here.
Full Spec:
- Capacity: 15
- Barrel Length: 4.02 inch
- Overall Length 7.28 inch
- Slide Length: 6.26 inch
- Width: 1.34 inch
- Height: 5.04 inch
- Weight: 1.32lb
7. Glock 22
- Price: $539.99–$649.99
- Caliber: 40 Smith & Wesson
This was the gun that took the US police force by storm and became the most populoar law enforcement handgun in the United States of America.
Now 40 Smith & Wesson ammo has fallen off a cliff in terms of popularity and most people have switched to 9mm Glock models. But some police still insist on the additional firepower and stopping power of the the bigger cartridge.
Many of them have seen rounds of 9mm fail to stop a suspect and they believe in the 40 Smith & Wesson. That’s understandable, even though the ballistic gel and the science shows that 9mm has closed the gap on the larger cartridge now.
It’s a big gun, as well, which is more suited to an open carry holster than the best Glocks for concealed carry.
Honestly we’re with the 9mm Glock handguns crew. The only real reason to buy a Glock 22 now is to have options in the event of an inevitable ammo shortage in the near future. When ammo runs short, this might be an ingenious move if your 9mm pistol has run dry.
Full Spec:
- Capacity: 15
- Barrel Length: 4.49 inch
- Overall Length 8.04 inch
- Slide Length: 7.3 inch
- Width: 1.34 inch
- Height: 5.47 inch
- Weight: 1.6lb
Get the Best Glock for Concealed Carry, or Something Bigger
Once you get a Glock pistol, you may well want more. So have a look at a full size Glock 17, the G34 competitive shooting ace and more here for home defense, target shooting and other reasons. The full sized Glock pistols are great, if you want a full size pistol, but that’s not really what we’re doing here.
Where to Buy a Cheap Glock
There are plenty of deals round for sa Gen 3 or Gen 4 Glock if you want the best concealed carry Glock but you want to save money. Have a look at Palmetto State Armory if you want a cheap Glock. Also consider the Palmetto State Armory Dagger, which is basically a reverse engineered Glock 19. Palmetto State Armory has poured a lot of resources into the compact frame size Dagger and the small frame size Micro Dagger handguns that are designed for concealed carry and are stacked with rounds of 9mm too. They are a real option to the best Glock for concealment, if you don’t have the money.
