Money, money, money. You’ll need a good bit of it to buy a capable firearm, right? Well, maybe not. You can find a budget-worthy concealed carry firearm that’s reliable, accurate, easy to shoot, and easy to conceal. You can certainly find it by yourself, but who doesn’t appreciate a little help? Let’s get you spun up on the five best budget-friendly concealed carry firearms.
That’s an open-ended term, so let’s close it in and establish a budget. In the modern era, our budget is going to be $400. With $400, you can obtain a reliable, easy-to-shoot, accurate, and generally defensive-worthy firearm.
I’m a big fan of budget firearms and typically enjoy shooting and testing them more than the pricier options. I love finding excellent value, so I tend to shoot a lot of affordable firearms. With that experience in mind, here are my five favorite budget-friendly concealed-carry firearms.
The Best Budget-Friendly Concealed Carry Firearms
There are lots of guns out there that cost less than $400, and the term “concealable” is relative to the user. Plenty of people concealed government-sized 1911s, but that’s not typical. In compiling this list, I aimed to find guns small enough to be easily concealed and comfortably carried that were also under $400 and, simply put, didn’t suck.
Taurus 856
Taurus has completely revamped itself as a company. They have put a huge focus on quality control and innovation while keeping their firearms affordable. The Taurus 856 series represents a sequel to the classic Model 85. These new guns now hold six rounds and come in a few different configurations.
The base model is the standard snub nose variant with or without an exposed hammer. We have the Defender with a 3-inch barrel and numerous grip designs. Almost all models in the series sell for less than $400, but the Executive Grade and optics-ready models sell for slightly more than $400.
With the 856 Series, we get a well-built revolver that’s easy to carry and is plenty capable of carrying the classic .38 Special cartridge.
There is a reason the snubnose revolver has been around for so long. It’s a functional, reliable choice for self-defense. With proper ammo selection, it can be one of the most reliable, hard-hitting options that won’t twist your wrist while concealing with ease. Sadly, you only get six rounds, so make them count.
PSA Micro Dagger
PSA’s Dagger series took the world by storm. The original Daggers were Glock Gen 3 clones, but the Micro Dagger differs. It’s a micro-compact 9mm handgun that comes in either a Glock 43X style format or a Glock 48 format.
These guns use PSA’s own 15-round hybrid magazine, which combines polymer and metal to create a compact but reliable magazine design. The Micro Dagger series is optics-ready with an RMSC-style footprint and a single-slot rail for adding smaller weapon lights.
The Micro Dagger comes in many different formats, and you can get a comped model if that floats your boat. Its grip is long enough to fill your hand, making it quite controllable.
I’ve carried and shot the hell out of a Micro Dagger, and it’s continued to impress me. It’s reliable and accurate, and with a dot, shots at fifty yards are completely possible. We get a smooth striker-fired trigger, and the grip texture is aggressive and locks the gun into your hand.
The Micro Dagger starts at $339.99, and various models increase the price, but most are still well under 400 dollars.
CZ P10 C
If you want a Glock 19 for less money with better features, the CZ P10 C is for you. It is a compact, polymer-frame, striker-fired 9mm pistol. It even fits a ton of Glock 19 holsters.
It takes a page from the Glock guide to building guns and delivers a rock-solid performer at a very low price point. It’s compact enough to carry but large enough to easily control and shoot fast. The grip is wide and long enough to fill your hand from top to bottom.
It packs 15 rounds of 9mm, and optional magazine extensions can increase it to 17 rounds. The gun shoots extremely well, and the aggressive grip texture helps keep it locked in your hand. The flat trigger is brilliant and provides a nice, clean, and crisp break with an ultra-short reset.
The CZ P10 C makes it easy to zap targets out to 50 yards. At 25 yards, I can hit an 8-inch gong repeatedly. One of my favorite things about the P10 C is the ergonomics.
The controls are super easy to use. The slide lock is massive and ambidextrous, making it much easier to use than most competitors.
The P10 C is typically priced below four hundred dollars, often in that sweet $389 realm. The OR or Optics Ready models break the 400-dollar budget point but are worth it.
S&W M&P9 Shield Plus
The M&P Shield series has almost always been an affordable option. They were one of the first single-stack 9mm handguns to make it big. They established themselves as an excellent firearm overall, and the most recent Plus model brings you a micro compact for less than $400. It’s priced right on the line at $399 at most vendors for the standard model. The optics-ready option will cost a bit more.
With the Plus model, we get a 10-round flush-fitting magazine for maximum concealment and a slightly extended 13-rounder for maximum capacity.
The firearm remains very compact and easy to conceal. It’s that sweet-sized 9mm platform that’s easy to shoot and accurate. It might be a hair snappy, but not exceptionally so.
S&W cleaned up the trigger with the Plus model. It is lighter, easier to reach, and now flat-faced. Other than that, the gun keeps the Shield’s remarkable reliability, easy-to-use ergonomics, and overall budget-friendly price point.
Beretta APX A1 Carry
The KelTec P15 remains one of the most underrated guns. Many folks have issues trusting KelTec due to some dubious QC. I can’t speak for all of KelTec’s guns, but the P15 performs.
I bought one on a whim and was pleasantly surprised by its performance. My biggest disappointment with the gun was its lack of an optics-ready design. Hopefully, that will come soon.
The KelTec P15 is the lightest, thinnest 9mm pistol with a 15-round magazine. It comes with both a 15-round and 12-round flush-fitting magazine and is a mere 7/8ths of an inch wide.
It weighs 16.2 ounces. Factor the width in with the weight, and the gun is extremely easy to carry, even with its 4-inch barrel and overall length of 6.6 inches. It’s like a Glock 19 with an eating disorder.
Less weight and a thin design impart a little more recoil. It recoils more than the beloved Glock 19, but it’s not tough to control. It’s a little snappy but viable.
KelTec’s P15 scores high in reliability as well. It’s been choke-free for me for the last 500 rounds, and I plan to keep pushing it to the limit.
Keep It Budget-Friendly
Expensive guns are fine, but good guns don’t have to be costly. Budget-friendly guns might miss out on features like optics mounts, ambi controls, and night sights, but they cover the essential bases, with the most important being reliability.
You don’t have to spend a small fortune to defend yourself, but make sure you leave a little room for a holster, ammo, and some range time.
