Best Glock for Concealed Carry (Top 8)

Best Glock for concealed carry

Gaston Glock’s pistols have certainly made a name for themselves over the past few decades, and with good reason. Usually touted as one of the most reliable pistols on the market, Glocks are the go-to self-defense weapon for many concealed carriers.

But, which is the best Glock for concealed carry? Here are some options that I’ve listed in no particular order, to help you get on your way.

These are all guns I’ve shot, carried personally, or have friends who highly recommend. Well, I’ve shot all of the guns on this list, but have not owned all of them.

Here is my go-to Kydex Holster, if you wanted to know.

Here are the best concealed carry Glock pistols —

• Glock 48
• Glock 43
• Glock 26
• Glock 45 MOS
• Glock 27
• Glock 19
• Glock 42
• Glock 30

Glock 48

The Glock 48 is a recent newcomer to the concealed carry world, one which shows a lot of promise. We recently got to shoot it at SHOT Show, 2019, though I opted not to stand in the line, and Joe wrote up an in depth review after he found one in the store and brought it home.

You can read our G48 review, here.

It has a 4.17 inch barrel, a 10+1 capacity, and is chambered in 9mm. The best thing about this pistol, at least to me, is that because it’s a single stack magazine, it’s slimmer and easier to fit in your hand. Overall, I have not heard anything bad on this pistol from Joe, or anyone else who has put enough lead downrange with one.

I have not carried this pistol firsthand, but Joe does and that’s good enough for me to put it on our best concealed carry 9mm pistol list.

Here are some specs pulled straight from the Glock website:

Glock 43

The Glock 43 is a small 9mm pistol that has earned a great reputation in the concealed carry market. The G43 is a much smaller gun than most others on this list, and has a single stack, 6+1 capacity.

I have plenty of friends who swear by this pistol and won’t carry anything else.

Here are the stats for the G43 pulled directly from their site:

Glock 26

My personal favorite on this list, and is clearly my choice for the best Glock for concealed carry is the G26. The 26 is chambered in 9mm with a capacity of 10+1. The great thing about the G26 is its modularity in terms of magazine interchangeability.

Meaning that you can take a Glock 19 magazine or even the 33 round mag for a backup and slide it into the G26 without worry of malfunction. In the shown configuration, it’s easy to conceal. If you need more ammo, you can carry a bigger mag in your magazine pouch.

For me, the G26 is the obvious choice for the best concealed carry Glock.

Here are stats on the G26:

Glock 45 MOS

The Glock 45 MOS is a 9mm Glock that comes from the factory with the capability of mounting a red dot optic on top. More and more concealed carriers are waking up to the fact that red dot optics are a way of life, opting for a slide cut for the future.

Check out my G45 MOS Review, here.

It shoots great both with and without the Leupold Delta Point Pro (<- Brownells) red dot I’ve got mounted on it.

Here are the stats for the G45, pulled from Glock’s page:

Glock 27

The Glock 27 is essentially the same pistol as the G26, only chambered in .40 S&W. Because it’s in forty, shooters may notice that it’s a bit snappier on the recoil. Learning proper gripping techniques will help mitigate felt recoil.

I actually carried one of these for a little while when away from home and was comfortable with it. Some shooters will prefer the lower felt recoil of the 9mm cartridge, however.

The G27 has a standard capacity of 9 rounds in the mag, but as with the 26, there is modularity here in that it accepts the bigger framed forty caliber Glock magazines.

Here are the stats pulled from the Glock 27 page:

Glock 19

The Glock 19, whether good or bad, is usually the standard by which all other guns are measured. I know that even I have said things like: “Glock 19 sized weapon” and other, similar statements. It should be no wonder why it’s considered by many to be the best Glock for concealed carry.

The G19 is in its 5th iteration, otherwise known as Gen 5. It is one of the most popular guns in history, and while technically one of the the biggest guns on this list (slightly wider than the G48), I know plenty of people who carry one on their person.

Quite a few ladies, specifically, carry a G19 on their appendix (front of body).

Standard capacity is 15 rounds of 9mm, with that same modularity allowing you to use up to the 33 round magazines without issue.

It has earned a reputation to be one of the most reliable, accurate, and ergonomically correct pistols on the market, which is why people tend to flock to it.

Here are the stats taken directly from the Glock website:

Glock 42

When talking about .380 ACP guns, the G42 is the standard by which all others are measured and rarely does anyone come close. This is, as far as I can recall, the smallest Glock pistol out there as of this writing with a magazine capacity of 6+1.

Because this is the only 380 ACP pistol Glock makes at the moment, there is no magazine interchangeability.

I have not carried a G42, but my good friend Eve has. That’s her gun pictured and the photo credit is hers also. (Here’s a concealed carry gun belt review she did for us.)

Here are the stats pulled from their website on the G42:

Glock 30

The Glock 30 is a sub compact 10+1 round 45 Auto pistol. This is a great option for those defenders who prefer the ballistics of the 45 Auto over the other calibers listed here.

The G30 will recoil heavier than the 9mm guns of similar size, but gentler than the 40 S&W guns do.

As with some of the other pistols on this list, there is modularity in the magazines. So, while you can carry 10+1 rounds in the gun, you can carry a Glock 21 magazine on your hip that will give you another 13 rounds of 45 ACP at your fingertips.

The G30 is a great option and one of the best Glock pistols for concealed carry because of the caliber, and the fact that it’s a middle of the road sub compact between the G36 and the G21.

(Read: Can a 45 Auto stop a bear?)

Best Glock for Concealed Carry — Conclusion:

Glock makes some of the best concealed carry pistols, and are usually the standard by which all others are measured. Which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.