There is a very important question to ask yourself about concealed carry that I found out through experience. The question is; what WILL you carry? I have one gun that I keep in my truck when I cannot carry (at work, Springfield Armory XDm .45), one in an inside the waistband holster when appropriate (Para 1911 and it took some getting used to), and a Ruger LCP when I can’t carry inside the waistband. Frankly, I’m not too happy with any of them and I’m thinking about the new Sprinfield Armory XDs. The LCP is too small and the others too big. The point I’m trying to make is, if you’re going to buy a gun for concealed carry, make sure you’re comfortable carrying it.
Is this the XDs you're thinking about? XDS
Says on the side made in Croatia? That's surprising. What is it about the XDs that you like?
>>The question is; what WILL you carry?
That is the primary concern. All the other advice is useless if you get a gun with a caliber that starts with a 4 and you never carry it because it is uncomfortable and impacts your lifestyle too much. If you don’t mind all that weight on your hip, and it doesn’t get to be a nuisance as you sit in restaurants, exit cars, and change your wardrobe to cover it, then get the big gun. But remember that a handgun is a tool to allow you to disengage from a fight, not to win it.
I’d love to carry a full size pistol that packs at least 13 rounds of .45ACP in the magazine. But, its just too darn big and heavy. People carry some big guns in movies and on the internet, but in the real world, you tend to carry what is comfortable.
So, I have a variety of guns for carry. A small-ish Beretta PX4 Storm Sub-Compact 9mm for carry when a jacket is appropriate. A S&W Bodyguard 380 for pocket carry or summer carry (and since its Florida, that is most of the year). A Beretta .22 Bobcat for really deep concealment (my “church gun”).
But, I did come across the new Sig Sauer P290 today. It is 9mm, DAO, small, and thin. I think that it will replace the first two easily just as soon as I get to a gun store next week.