Piggies we find ourselves in a helluva skid, and while the tires scream on the metaphorical car that is our unique and special form of democracy, many of you may be thinking:

"Gee, it's probably a good time to buy a gun. But where do I start?"

And I say, holy shit, after all this time, this, the ... what, 65th month of 2020, you haven't purchased a firearm yet? What the fuck?

But then I say, ok, lemme help you pick what might be the right gun for you.

Now, local laws not-withstanding, purchasing a gun in America has almost literally never been easier. It's a fairly straight-forward transaction if you identify as a white Christian male whose only crime is probably mild adultery (also, welcome to the Trump Cabinet! Your seat at the table is between a known pedophile and a Russian agent!). For everyone else, you'll be either subjected to being "Little Ladied (for, the ladies)" or intense scrutiny (for literally anyone else).

Go in, find the right gun for you, fill out an ATF form 4473 (don't pull a Hunter and lie on it, understand that our antiquated and Puritanical American ideals think that if you ever smoked pot, EVEN ONCE YOU FUCKING HIPPIE, prevent you from ever enjoying the Second Amendment, but... let you and your higher power be your guide), present current ID, and credit card.

But, because America, this Land of the Free* (*terms apply), is literally drowning in guns, where do you start? What's the right firearm for you?

For the sake of brevity, lets focus in on handguns, since most people, after Election Day, suddenly feel the need to protect themselves from the inevitable ghettofication of certain populations.

Below are PHC's Recommend small automatics for daily personal carry, ranked from "eh to ah!"​
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5. Sig Sauer P365 (variants not included)

Concealability: 4/5Capacity: 10+1

Aftermarket support: 3/5

Optics Ready Versions: Yes

Reliability: 3/5

Price: 2/5 (New: $650 Used: as low as $350)
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Honestly, I don't know who buys a modern Sig Sauer, period. I feel like Sig aficionados just hate Glocks a ton and are desperate for the steel frame Sigs of the Cold War (and this is coming from someone who owns a P226, arguably, the best Sig).

The P365 was Sig's answer in the concealable compact striker-fired pistol wars started by Glock's G42 back in the early 20-teens.

The P365 is fine, it's a fairly straight forward design with minimal controls. Early models (similar to the P320/M17/M18) had spent casing ejection issues, but that's largely been fixed. If you buy used, avoid lower serial numbers if possible.
In the P365 family exists optics-ready versions for a $100 or so more if that's your jam, which should now be standard across the board. Support for upgraded irons also exists and there's a plethora of holster options as well.

As far as the "feel" of the gun itself, I have somewhat smaller, meatier hands and the Sig P365 kinda feels lost. Pinky extensions are a must and I don't have exactly bear hands, gang. If you're a bigger person, maybe look a little further down the list.

The smaller, lighter frame is fine to carry but is incredibly snappy even with 115gr 9mm. Follow up shots past 10' seem spready.

Again, this pistol is FINE, but there are certainly better options for way cheaper. This gun exists purely for dudes in Dodge Rams with a big dumb "SALT LIFE" on their rear window.
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4. Heckler & Koch CC9

Concealability: 4/5

Capacity: 12+1

Aftermarket support: 1/5

Optics Ready Versions: Yes (stock)

Reliability: 5/5

Price: 1/5 MSRP $700 but I'm seeing "on sale" prices for around $550 (These just came out, I haven't seen any used yet, and neither will you until after the holidays, I imagine).

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Ok, well if you're going to pay nearly $700 for a mid handgun, might as well make it an HK, right?

HK's first offering from their HK-USA brand is the CC9, a highly concealable small-frame automatic that looks like they took the slide of a P365 and slapped it on the frame of a VP9SK.

I love HKs, probably the same way the aforementioned Sig Sauer dipshits love the old Sigs, I'm not an echo chamber, you are!

But seriously, HK-USA was in the perfect position to finally deliver what US-based HK fans have been wanting for fucking YEARS: the various import-restricted HK models like the G36, UMP, TMP7 and so on. But instead we get ... sigh, another small frame lightweight pistol.

The CC9 cuts roughly the same frame size as the P365 but offers a stock optics-ready slide and a 12+1 capacity out of the box. Also, so far at least, no reliability issues to speak of.

However, since this is a brand new offering, support for aftermarket parts (like holsters, 3rd party magazines - something that genuinely plagues HK owners, since spare mags are equivalent to approximately 4lbs of stolen Nazi gold) is limited, it might be worth waiting a while before picking this guy up.
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3. S&W Shield 9

Concealability: 3/5

Capacity: 10+1

Aftermarket support: 3/5

Optics Ready Versions: No (but can be milled)

Reliability: 5/5

Price: 3/5 (New: MSRP $600, used as low as $250)
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I love the Shield, honestly. It should be my number one recommendation but it isn't and that's because there are simply two better pistols out there. This is a true 3rd pick.

It's slim frame design keeps it as a single stack, but the long grip on the frame affords you 10+1 capacity while still keeping the overall footprint of the pistol to a minimum.

And what I think I like most about the Shield is the grip. Yes, the sights are actually quite nice out of the box, and for a (roughly) $300 pistol, the trigger is surprisingly clean, but the grip, the GRIP, the gun just FEELS, comfortable in my meat gloves. And a comfortable gun is one you'll WANT to shoot.

And speaking of shooting, I've never had one, ONE misfire or jam from a Shield. I've spent a lot of time around them, without ever actually owning one, and probably fired a few 1000 rounds through them. They're reliable as the day is long.

Aftermarket parts are fairly common, extra mags are reasonably priced at $20-$30.

And look, I'm not pilled on S&W, they have a ton of issues as a company, but with the Shield they knocked it out of the park.

My only criticism would be, in 2024 how are they releasing versions without an optics-ready slide? This is a misstep, considering so many people are moving to carry optics and away from traditional irons (a move I don't support).
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2. Glock 19

Concealability: 2/5

Capacity: 15+1

Aftermarket support: 5/5

Optics Ready Versions: Yes

Reliability: 5/5

Price: 3/5 (New: $550 Used: as low as $400)

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At number 2 (but probably number 1 in most people's hearts) is the Glock 19. This is probably the most popular EDC pistol in the country, due to it's straight-forward design, reliability and aftermarket support.

Sure, out of the box you'll probably want to immediately upgrade the irons, and ... yes, the trigger feels like you're high-kneeing through a swamp, but with these minor upgrades you'll have a handgun you won't ever regret having bought.

Reliability wise, I've been carrying a Gen 3 G19 for almost 20 years - replaced the stock barrel around the 11K round count, attempted to swap out the fire control group but realized that since this gun would most likely be used in a conceal carry defensive shooting, I decided to reverse course and keep it stock. The only upgrades I've made permeant are grip stippling and Trijicon night sights.

This thing is a brick, however and given most modern designs of small automatics being much more concealable, the G19 still fucks. I just recommend keeping it for cool/cold weather carry, not summer-in-a-thin-t-shirt-carry. This isn't the type of bulge you want noticed around the pool at the cookout.

Is there aftermarket support for the G19? I dunno, is Matt Gaetz in a high school girl's DMs right now? The answer is yes to both.

Holsters, 3rd party mags, 3D printing support, chassis, irons, optics, ... fucking grip sleeves if you're kinky, if there's something gun-related out there, guaranteed its available for the G19.

The G19 is the one handgun I recommend to most new shooters for it's ease of use and aftermarket support. If you don't already own one, just go buy one already, what's wrong with you? You can usually find these used as Law Enforcement turn-ins, with minimal round counts, for pennies on the dollar.
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1. The CZ P-10C

Concealability: 3/5

Capacity: 15+1

Aftermarket support: 3/5

Optics Ready Versions: No (slide cutting/aftermarket OR slides available)

Reliability: 4/5

Price: 5/5 (New MSRP $400, used as low as $300)

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Is CZ a hipster gun brand? Yes. Will buying a CZ P10C make you a hipster? I dunno, look down. Are you wearing black and white checkered Vans? If yes, then you're already a fucking hipster, the gun isn't going to reverse that.

My number 1 pick, just because the P10C is everything the G19 SHOULD be. Out of the box it's got great sights, a clean, crisp trigger wall that breaks just the way you want it, a 15+1 capacity, and it conceals slightly better than the G19.

While the G19 is amazing for beginners and still my go-to recommendation, the P10 is for shooters who might be a little more advanced.

While CZ does not offer a stock optics-ready version for the P10C, plenty of aftermarket support does exist in the form of 3rd party magazines and holsters. OR slides are also available in the wild, and plenty of gunsmiths who do OR slides will be happy to mill your P10Cs slide to the desired optic footprint specification.

With a 15+1 capacity, you're swapping concealability for capacity. Like the G19 I would recommend the P10C for fall and winter carry.

Shooting the P10C feels natural in the hands, recoil is managed with a heavier than you'd expect muzzle, allowing for quicker follow up shots reliably on target.

At the price point it's hard to recommend anything else (with exception to the G19, depending on where you're at).

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