7 Best Concealed Carry Guns For Use With Gloves

Concealed Carry Guns That Will Actually Work With Gloves

Unless you've got itty bitty little carrot sticks for fingers, you've noticed that a lot of concealed carry guns don't work worth a darn when you're wearing gloves. The trigger guard is just too small, and getting a good grip is right out.

It's a problem! After all, it's not like criminals take the winter off. Since the modern concealed carrier generally - but not universally - prefers slim, subcompact striker pistols, the modern concealed carry is in a world of hurt if they don't either size up for the winter or get a gun with enough room in the trigger guard to begin with. Popular models like the Glock 43 or aren't the best when the mercury plunges and you gotta protect your mitts from Jack Frost.

What are some great choices of carry pistol for use with gloves? There are plenty out there, but here are some stellar examples.

You'll notice a lot of modern striker guns on the list, and that's for good reason. For one, more modern pistols are being made with the use of gloves in mind, for a variety of reasons. Another reason is that double-action triggers tend to sit rather far forward in the trigger guard. Unless you carry one cocked and locked, most of them are pretty much ruled out.

Canik TP9 Elite SC

The Canik TP9 Elite SC, Canik's "subcompact" striker pistol, has an enlarged trigger guard like the rest of the TP9 line. It's the only legitimate compact of the TP9 series - the TP9SF Elite is compact in name only; it's the size of a S&W M&P9 - but boy, does it have some great features.

The TP9 Elite SC comes ready for optics, with adapter plates in the box if you want to add a red dot. The standard dot sights aren't bad, but night or target sights are easily acquired. The trigger is better than on some more popular compact double-stack guns, and while Canik's striker guns seem tank-like...the truth is Canik builds them to take a beating and keep coming back for more.

If you wanted a compact that you could tote all year 'round, it's a great place to start.

Sig P320 XCompact

A few of us here at AGH are convinced that the Sig P320 XCompact is the best of the compact models in the entire P320 series. It has a heck of a lot to like.

The P320 XCompact has a slimmer grip than the standard P320 Compact, making it a little more comfortable to hold. The almost-flat trigger seems to give the trigger a better pull, and the beavertail of the frame gives the shooter a naturally high, tight grip.

The P320 XCompact also comes pre-milled for use with an optic, and comes with mounting plates if you want to deploy one. Night sights come standard. What makes it great with gloves is that the flat trigger frees up some room compared to a curved one, and the already-generous trigger guard make it another solid choice of year 'round carry gun.

A 1911 - Like We Weren't Going To Mention It!

Of course we're going to mention the 1911. It was literally designed to be used with the military gloves of the day, though they weren't terrifically thick! The trigger guard of most 1911 pistols isn't enormous, but what most people find is that it's just big enough to still use the pistol so long as you aren't wearing ski gloves.

And, since it is still one of the most popular pistols on the market, and a lot more people than you'd think are packing one every day...that means it's a viable gun for wintertime deployment if your gloves aren't too thick.

In fact, a lot of people rotate their Gov't frame in come wintertime, when the extra layers affords easier concealment for a larger pistol.

Beretta APX Centurion

The Beretta APX Centurion is a compact variant in Beretta's APX line of pistols, which was their (ultimately unsuccessful) entrant in the US government's XM17 pistol trials. Just because Sig got the contract doesn't mean you should overlook the APX.

The APX series of pistols has excellent ergonomics, a very good trigger, ambidextrous controls. They're accurate, rugged, reliable and - in many respects - superior to competing models from brand names with more cachet.

The APX Centurion is broadly comparable to a Glock 19 in dimensions and capacity - which is the same, 15+1 of 9mm - but the APX has a more generous trigger guard and flatter trigger, creating enough space for a gloved trigger finger. Perfect for winter, but with compact dimensions that work the whole year as a carry pistol.

CZ 75 Compact In Condition One

Some people want to size up for winter, often carrying a beloved larger pistol when more layers affords the opportunity. The CZ 75 Compact, carried in Condition One, works pretty darn well with gloves.

With the hammer decocked, the trigger rests too far forward in the trigger guard to allow easy use with gloved fingers. With the hammer cocked - and safety engaged for safe carrying! - the trigger travels back a good 1/4", opening the trigger guard up. With it's generous Beretta-like curve, it's a big space.

Granted, you have to train to work with the safety like any other single-action semi-auto. This applies equally to CZ's with a manual safety, as well as all the similarly-appointed CZ 75 clones such as those made by SAR, Canik, Tanfoglio and IWI Jericho pistols.

H&K VP9SK

Easily this writer's favorite among the striker-fired subcompacts, the H&K VP9SK is the compact variant of the excellent VP9 pistol. Just like the VP9, it has a curved and generously-sized trigger guard, allowing for use with or without gloves.

Just like the VP9, the VP9SK is rugged, reliable, accurate, ridiculously easy and pleasant to shoot, with a host of very intelligent features. While other pistol makers have figured out how to squeeze the same number of rounds in a smaller package (like the Sig P365 or Springfield Hellcat) none are as easy to run.

CZ 10C

Speaking of CZ, the CZ P10C is definitely gloves-friendly as it was designed to be operable with or without them. A generous trigger guard and flat-ish trigger make access with a gloved trigger finger rather easy.

All sorts of pistols are billed as "Glock 19 killers" or something along those lines, and the P10C is one of the few that would almost live up to that hype. Just as with other CZ pistols, the P10C is ergonomically excellent, giving the shooter a natural high, tight shooting grip. The controls are ambidextrous, and the trigger is outstanding. You can also order the standard or optics-ready version with a pre-milled slide and mounting/adapter plates for use with an optic.

Definitely worthy for winter, but still a great carry pistol the rest of the year with compact dimensions.