8 Cheap CCW Carry Guns Under $300 – May 2023

When it comes to places to save money, your concealed carry handgun shouldn’t be one of them. But if you don’t have money, and you need a cheap CCW gun, well that is a very different equation.

And we are here to help. What’s more, we think you’re going to love the surprises on this list if you’re ready to buy guns online right now.

Some of the cheaper guns are also exceptional at the moment, if you know where to look. We do, it’s our thing….

So we set ourselves a price ceiling of $300 for a carry pistol and set to work. What are the best concealed carry guns under $300? Read on to find your new cheap CCW…

1. Taurus GX4

• Price: $299.99
• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel length: 3 inch
• Total Length; 5.8 inches
• Weight: 1.15lb

The Taurus GX4 is the low budget micro-compact 9mm Champion of the world and it isn’t even close. That 11-round flush fit magazine and 13 round extended mag turn it into a world beater.

It isn’t just a Glock clone or a cheap CCW. The Taurus is ergonomically brilliant and available for way less money. Of course the fit and finish isn’t quite the same, but the Taurus comes with a much racier and dare we say intuitive design.

Everything, from the aggressively stippled grip module to the DLC coated barrel and gas nitride coated stainless steel slide feels right on the best budget 9mm micro compact pistol. The trigger pull is leagues better than the G2C and this truly can go head-to-head with anything in this price band.

It’s the everyday carry for a massive number of Americans now. And if you’re looking for cheap carry guns under $300, well this is the best gun here by a mile.

For the best Taurus pistols, go here.

2. Ruger LCP 380 II

• Price: $307.99
• Caliber: .380 ACP
• Total Length: 5.17 inches
• Weight: 0.66lb
• Barrel Length: 2.75 inch
• Capacity: 6+1

Remember when the Ruger LCP 380 II was the undisputed cheap concealed carry gun champion of the world? Man the world has changed…

Now these are still some of the best budget concealed weapons. It’s a cheap CCW, with an unpretentious polymer frame, it will go anywhere and plenty of Law Enforcement Officers carry these as a back-up weapon in a sock holster.

It works as a pocket pistol too. Deep concealment can be useful.

There’s no denying the fact that it’s a .380 ACP and that USP of size has now been lost to the almighty Sig P365 Nitron, which is basically as easy to carry and packs in more rounds of 9mm ammunition.

But some people like a .380 ACP. That’s what they want for self-defense. They like a small gun, with minimal recoil, that weighs less than air. Well, a bit more than air, but you get the point.

3. Smith & Wesson M&P Shield

• Price: $300+
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Barrel Length: 3.1 inch
• Total: 6.1 inch
• Capacity: 7+1

The S&W Shield Plus with the double stack magazine is a more complete handgun, but that means there are gun deals to be had with the older single stack CCW class semi-auto pistol.

In some ways you might even prefer the ease of concealment over the extra rounds. And the Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield is a great back up gun or pocket pistol. You can even buy a manual safety version that we think gives you a lot more options and makes this one of the best concealed carry classes.

This best-selling gun hasn’t suddenly lost its value, but the high quality polymer frame single stack is generally available at a hefty discount on sites like Palmetto State Armory.

So we organized the prices low to high and kept it as a search so you can see all of the current gun deals and get a threaded barrel if that’s your bag.

It’s the best way to ensure you get a price tag close to $300 for an M&P Shield, and get a stunning carry gun that punches well above its weight. Maybe the best gun here.

Should you want to spend a lot more on concealed weapons, the S&W Performance Center has some of the best handguns for sale in 2023 in 9mm, 380 ACP and full sized 45 ACP 1911s. Check out some Performance Center options and the best S&W pistols here.

4. Palmetto State Armory Dagger Compact

• Price: $299.99+
• Barrel Length: 3.9 inch
• Length: 7.15 inch
• Weight: 1.4lb
• Capacity: 15+1

The Palmetto State Armory Dagger Compact is a solid option if you really want a Glock 19, but can’t quite afford one and need a cheap CCW.

Of course Palmetto State Armory makes some of the best Cheap AR-15s on the market. And after messing with the formula for a while, it has now mastered the art of the high capacity, cheap striker fired pistol.

You can get a basic Palmetto State Armory Dagger for $299.99, or you can spend a little more and get something way more advanced with a fully ported slide that is optics ready and maybe a threaded barrel.

This new gun comes with 17+1 rounds of 9mm ammo at your disposal and extended mags and fiber optic night sights are readily available. An accessory rail under the barrel is waiting for a weapons light too on the Palmetto State Armory.

Pretty much every other performance modification slots straight on to this semi auto handgun, too, and your carry firearms can grow with your enthusiasm, shooting skills and budget.

5. Taurus G2C

• Price: $237.99
• Length: 6.2 inch
• Weight: 1.37lb
• Barrel Length: 3.2 inch
• Capacity: 12+1

The Taurus G2C has been an absolute smash hit, and it deserves to be. These aren’t just great cheap concealed carry pistols. It’s a great handgun and only the GX4 could and did knock it off the top spot.

Law enforcement loves it as a back-up, the gun reviews online love the Taurus and so do the public. It really is that good for the money and it’s still one of the best cheap handguns.

You get 12+1 rounds of 9mm pistol ammo in a high capacity double stack mag. This sub-compact package measures just 6.2 inches and weighs 1.37lb. Then they slapped a near unbelievable price on this new concealed carry gun.

You can see why it’s cheaper than a Sig Sauer P365 Nitron when you look up close. The plastic has that cheap shine and the details like the accessory rail and trigger pull are built to a price point.

But you can upgrade the front sight easily enough, the grip actually works pretty well and the important stuff is all in place.

The striker fired Taurus even comes with a manual safety and a loaded chamber indicator, which are sexy extras in this best budget concealed carry class. That thumb safety, especially, is a big deal.

6. Ruger EC9s

• Price: $249.99
• Caliber: 9mm
• Length: 6 inch
• Weight:1.07lb
• Capacity: 7+1

Everybody thinks of the smaller, .380 ACP option when they think of cheap Ruger concealed carry pistols. I can see why. It offers something different.

You want variety and different options for personal defense, not just 10 slightly better or worse clones of one basic carry handgun.

The truth is, though, that if you lined up the Ruger LCP 380II vs Ruger EC9s and said I could take one home, I’d take the 9mm carry handgun. Just don’t buy your cheap CCW in that eggshell blue color.

I’m not a fan of the integrated rear sight and front sight on the Ruger EC9s, because you’re stuck with the handgun in this form and there really is no point modifying anything other than the color and possibly using extended mags.

That makes it a solid choice for new CCW permit holders that don’t want to complicate their lives or spend too much on a premium handgun out the box. At this price you can tolerate the glass-filled nylon grip and other cost-cutting measures on your concealed carry weapons chambered in 9mm.

7. SCCY CPX

• Price: $312.99
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Barrel Length: 3.1 inch barrel
• Weight: 1.09lb

SCCY makes cheap firearms that are reasonably reliable, accurate and come with some premium features. The SCCY CPX is red dot ready, which is kind of absurd for a cheap CCW gun that costs so little.

Red dot sights are getting more and more common on higher end handguns, but not here, not with these affordable handguns. This is a big deal in ts own way. Normally these guns just get basic 3 dot sight options.

The barrel is machined from bar stock, the slide gets a black nitride finish and the all steel recoil system is enclosed for easy replacement and maintenance. The SCCY is a great gun that is also super easy to conceal.

It looks like a striker pistol, but this is a double action only hammer fired operating system with an internal hammer. That double action only hammer fired operating system trigger gets a smooth 9lb pull, too, although we do kind of prefer a single action trigger.

This is clever, but the end result is the trigger really isn’t that great. Which is why others don’t do this.

If you really want an internal hammer fired gun at an affordable price for personal protection, though, well here you go…

8. Bersa Thunder

• Price: $229.99′
• Caliber: 380 ACP
• Barrel: 3.5 inch
• Capacity: 7+1

The Bersa Thunder is one of those cheap CCW guns that has been around forever and sold in huge numbers around the world. It’s basically nobody’s favorite gun, and yet there’s a market thanks to the afffordable price.

We think there are sexier concealed carry handguns on the market for new CCW permit holders and old. But the hammer-fired Bersa Thunder is a hall of famer and deserves to be here, even if it does prop up the list. At least it’s different.

You can get an extended magazine for it as well.

Ready to Spend Big on a Glock 43x

The Glock 43x is well over budget, and yet it is the benchmark for the sub-compact 9mm pistol sector.

We’re not big Glock guys, but even we have to admit the high capacity Glock 43x rewrote the rules for sub-compact concealed carry 9mm pistols.

Sig Sauer responded with the Sig Sauer P365 X-Macro and the Springfield Hellcat is in that mix, too. But the Glock 43x is still the market leader and the best overall package.

What About The Canik TP9?

If you have a little more money to spend and you still want one of the best cheap handguns for the money, the Canik TP9 Elite line is a truly interesting alternative. The Canik TP9SF and TP9 Elite pack a lot of features in for the money a nd they’re really like a tuned Glock clone.

There are cheaper guns on this list, and better guns on this list, but there is a lot of love out there for the Canik TP9SF and TP9 Elite. Check the gun reviews for yourselves with this cheap CCW.

Also don’t forget the Springfield Armory Defender Series, which is basically the XD Mod Mark 1. This is a simplified and older version of the spectacular XDM Elite that still does the job for about $370. It’s a bit pricey for this list, but it’s still cheap for a semi automatic concealed carry pistol…

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