There Can Be Only One

I don’t believe in a “concealed carry rotation.” I carry one model of gun, not skitter around between many different types of guns depending on my mood or the phase of Jupiter. I started out in concealed carry with a micro-compact pistol. I like to tell people it was a 1st generation S&W Shield, but in reality, it was… a Sccy CPX-1.

Hey, we all gotta start somewhere.

The Sccy was small enough that you can pocket-carry with the correct holster, and I did so quite regularly. In the years since then, I’ve gone with a dedicated IWB or AIWB pistol (the Shield, then a G19, then a Tisas 9mm 1911, then an EAA compact Hi-Power) and a dedicated pocket pistol (first a P3AT, then an LCP2 and most recently a .22 LCP Lite Rack).

However, I have a one of the new S&W CSX E Series pistols in for work, and it got me thinking: Do I really need two pistols? I carry a pocket pistol because there are times when discretion trumps all other concerns. When I do so, however, I am placing all my chips on the “concealment” side of the discretion vs accuracy vs firepower equation.

But do I need to make that compromise? What if I could have a very discrete pistol that had more than adequate levels of firepower and could regularly make, say, 25 yard headshots?

That’s where the CSX comes in. It’s small (about the same size as a Ruger LCR). It’s powerful (12 rounds of 9mm as the minimum magazine capacity, with up to 17 rounds available) and with a Gideon red dot on it, it’s accurate enough to do 25 yard headshots.

The header image is a pocket dump from a recent weekend trip to Florida’s Atlantic coast. I spend my time relaxing and soaking in the sights, but also playing around with different carry options for the CSX. The kydex AIWB holster is from Crossbreed* and the small, Velcro-backed holster is dedicated to off-body carry with the ESS sling bag that’s in the shot. The pocket holster is interesting: It’s a Mission First Mainstay and it’s similar to the other “sticky” holsters out there, but it’s cut for a dot. I’m not a fan of using this sort of holster on the waistline, but it works perfectly fine for pocket carry, as I found out this weekend.

So, what did I find out? Well, it just might work. The CSX is heavier (WAY heavier) than my other pocket guns and the dot requires some dedicated draw practice, but the idea has some merit. Look for the full review in a few weeks at Shooting Illustrated.

* The bright pink interior would not be my first choice, but I tell you what, it does make it easier to see your holster when re-holstering.