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best ccw springfield pistols

The 7 Best Springfield Handguns For Carry

Some of the most popular carry guns out there are Springfield handguns, and for good reason. They make something for almost everyone, handgun-wise, and the guns they make are known for being accurate, reliable, and for also delivering quite a good amount of value for money.

Granted, some are more suited to some purposes than others, including for use as a concealed carry pistol. If Springfield Armory is what you're after, here are the best Springfield handguns for concealed carry.

Springfield Hellcat

The Springfield Hellcat is their entry into the double-stack slim subcompact space, competing with the Sig P365 and other pistols, and boasting some impressive features. 

The Hellcat comes with two magazines, a flush-fit of 11 rounds capacity and an extended that holds 13. The grip safety is omitted, and the gun features a flat-blade trigger, a U-notch rear sight with a day/night front sight, a short Picatinny rail for mounting a micro light or laser, and forward and rear cocking serrations. Black and FDE finishes are available, as is a two-tone model with a stainless slide on a black frame, as are OSP models that can mount an optic. 

MSRP starts at $587. 

XD 3-Inch Subcompact

xd subcompact

The Springfield XD series are some of the most popular and most widely available handguns on the market right now, and one of the best CCW guns of the lot is the first one - the XD 3-in subcompact. It was one of the first XD pistols available outside of the full-size model and it is certainly one of the best CCW pistols by Springfield.

There's nothing too fancy - it's a compact poly striker gun with a 3-inch barrel, available in 9mm or .40 S&W. There's a rail on the dust cover, capacity is 13 (plus 1) rounds of 9mm or 9 (plus 1) of .40 S&W, or you can use an extended magazine. It's got a grip safety (an unusual touch for a poly striker gun) plus the trigger safety lever and a drop safety.

Lots of these out in gun stores at very reasonable prices (expect to pay $500 or less; $400 or less is not unheard of) lots of aftermarket support, and plenty of Springfield XD Subcompact holsters out there too. It may not be the fanciest pistol out there...but it's tough to find a better working CCW pistol.

XD-M Elite 3.8 Compact

xdm pistol

The XD-M Elite is the current iteration of the XD-M, the "match" trim level of XD pistols with improvements over the base model. The Compact is offered in 9mm, 10mm and .45 ACP and in either standard or optics-ready (the OSP models) with or without a Hex Dragonfly (Springfield's house brand) optic.

Capacity is 14 rounds of 9mm, 11 of 10mm, and 10 of .45 ACP. All pistols will accept full-size magazines with a grip sleeve. Other features include an improved grip safety with memory bump, Springfield's very good META trigger, a removable mag well, improved texturing, a frame rail, and a U-notch rear sight with fiber optic front sight. 

The XD-M Elite models offer a lot of improvement over the base XD. MSRP starts at $609, but street prices are more reasonable. 

Springfield 1911 Ronin 4.25-Inch

Springfield 1911 pistols have always been the core of their handgun offerings, and one of the best choices for concealed carry is the Ronin 4.25-inch model. It's their lightweight Commander, with an aluminum alloy frame and a bushing barrel. 

The Ronin is fairly packed with features, including a ramped barrel, beavertail grip safety, skeleton trigger and hammer, and their U-notch rear sight with fiber optic front sight. (Which they may or may not have gotten from 10-8 Performance.) The Ronin has a classic two-tone appearance, with a satin Cerakote frame and blued slide and topped off with wood laminate grips. 

The Ronin is a near-perfect blend of classic style and modern 1911 features. MSRP is $900, but street prices are closer to $800 or less. 

Springfield EMP

springfield emp pistol

The Springfield EMP, or Enhanced Micro Pistol, is a slight revision of the 1911 for the 9mm cartridge. The grip frame is a few millimeters narrower from front to back as is the magazine. All models are built on an Officer frame (5 inches in height) rather than the Gov't/Commander frame, so concealed carry is the focus. 

Springfield Armory currently offers three versions including two 3-inch models (standard and Ronin 3-Inch) and a Ronin 4-inch. Features include a beavertail grip safety, bull barrels with full-length guide rods and combat sights. The standard model has ambi safeties; the Ronin models do not. 

MSRP is $899 for the Ronin models and $1287 for the standard EMP. 

Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro

Just as Sig Sauer and Glock created slightly larger versions of their slim subcompacts like the P365XL and Glock 48, Springfield Armory released the Hellcat Pro for those who wanted a slightly larger gun but not quite the traditional compact service pistol. 

The Hellcat Pro is slightly longer and slightly taller, with a 3.7-inch barrel and 15+1 capacity in 9mm. The other features remain the same, though the Hellcat Pro is only offered in OSP configuration. You can choose to install an optic or leave the cover in place. 

In a lot of respects...it's the best striker-fired pistol Springfield makes. MSRP is $634. 

XD-S Mod.2 3.3-inch Compact

springfield xd mod

The XD-S line has been getting wound down in recent years. However, the XD-S Mod.2 3.3-inch has a minor party piece over the Hellcat, in that it's offered in .45 ACP as well as 9mm and is only offered in OSP configuration. 

You can choose to mount an optic or not, or to get yours with a factory-installed Crimson Trace CTS red dot sight. Magazines are single-stack, and you get a flush-fit and extended magazine (with pinky rest) with the gun. Capacity is 7/9 rounds in 9mm, and 5/6 rounds in .45 ACP. The XD-S Mod.2 also has the updated grip safety from the XD-M Elite. 

MSRP starts at $440. 

Springfield Armory SA-35

springfield sa 35

Here's a spicy take: you can get all the benefits of a 2011 with fewer liabilities with a Hi Power, or in this case the Springfield Armory SA-35. It's a smarter choice for a concealed carry pistol than you might think, especially in the appendix position. 

The Hi Power has/had fewer sharp edges than a 1911, and has a thin frame and slide for a pistol that has 15+1 capacity. Of all the current and former service pistols, it's one of the easiest to effectively conceal. Springfield Armory did their homework, and revised the gun by adding better and more visible sights, omitting the magazine safety and modifying the hammer geometry for a better trigger pull and some better ergonomics. 

The SA-35 has an MSRP of $699. If you like the idea of an old-school carry gun, this is an option...and a very good one at that. 

Springfield Handguns Have A Lot To Offer For Concealed Carry

springfield ccw

Springfield handguns are popular for concealed carry for a reason. Their product lineup keeps track of what the modern shooter wants in a handgun, and what the modern concealed carrier wants and demands as well. 

Their product lineup caters to people with a lot of different viewpoints and preferences in what they want from a carry gun, so there's something for almost anyone from Springfield Armory. 

Sam Hoober
 

About The Author

Born in southeastern Washington State, Sam Hoober graduated in 2011 from Eastern Washington University. He resides in the great Inland Northwest, with his wife and child. His varied interests and hobbies include camping, fishing, hunting, and spending time at the gun range as often as possible.