20 Carry Guns That People Laugh At Until They Try to Find One

Photo credit: SPN Firearms/Youtube

Every gun counter has a couple of carry pistols that get smirked at. They are the oddballs, the “old man guns,” the “mouse guns,” or the ones that were never cool on the internet. Then a buddy actually carries one for a season, you shoot it side-by-side with the hot new micro-9, and it clicks.

The funny part is what happens next. You decide you want one, and suddenly they are not sitting in every case anymore. The best of these “laughed at” carry guns aren’t always rare in an official sense, but clean examples dry up, magazines get weirdly expensive, and the ones you find are either beat to death or priced like they’re discontinued gold. Here are 20 that tend to get mocked right up until you try to track one down.

1. Smith & Wesson 3913

The 3913 is a slim, metal single-stack 9mm that carries like it was designed by someone who actually carried. Folks laugh because it’s “dated,” DA/SA, and doesn’t have a red dot cut. Then they pick it up and realize the grip is thin in the right way and the gun points like a good bird gun.

The other reason it gets hard to find is simple: the ones that run, keep running. Police trade-ins got hoovered up years ago, and clean, unmolested examples with good sights and intact grips don’t sit long. If you want spare mags, start looking early and don’t expect them to be bargain-bin cheap.

2. Ruger LCP (Gen 1)

Everybody has an opinion about the original LCP trigger, and most of those opinions aren’t polite. Still, it’s one of the few pistols that truly disappears in a pocket holster without dragging your pants down or printing like a brick.

What catches people off guard is how often the “just get an LCP” advice turns into “okay, but not that LCP.” The old ones in good shape—especially with decent sights and not ridden hard in a sweaty pocket for five summers—go fast. It’s not glamorous, but it is useful.

3. SIG Sauer P239

The P239 gets called heavy and boring, and it is both compared to today’s polymer guns. But it shoots like a real pistol. Recoil is mild, the controls are right, and it carries flatter than a lot of double-stacks that claim to be “compact.”

Try finding one that hasn’t been “upgraded” with questionable parts or beat up from years of duty use. The .40 versions are around, but a clean 9mm with factory mags is the one that disappears. Ask me how I know.

4. Glock 42

There’s always that guy who laughs at .380 until he actually needs a pistol that doesn’t punish his hands and still runs like a Glock. The G42 is soft, reliable, and small enough to carry when you honestly wouldn’t carry anything bigger.

For a while, everyone chased the G43 and the micro-9 wave. Then the G42 quietly held its ground as a “real” pocketable Glock. When folks circle back looking for one, they find out the nice ones don’t hang around, especially with extra mags and decent sights already installed.

5. Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 (with the thumb safety)

This one catches heat because the trigger is long and the sights aren’t winning beauty contests. But for deep concealment, a long pull and a small manual safety isn’t the worst thing if you actually train with it and carry it in a proper holster.

Where it gets tricky is finding one that hasn’t been treated like a tackle box gun. The Bodyguard lives in pockets, gloveboxes, and barn drawers. A clean example with functional magazines and not chewed-up screws is harder to come by than the internet would have you believe.

6. Ruger LC9 (hammer-fired, original)

The original LC9 has a long trigger that makes range-commandos roll their eyes. Then you carry it all day and realize it’s thin, light, and doesn’t snag on everything you own. It was a serious attempt at a practical carry gun before “micro-compact” became a marketing word.

A lot of them got traded in when the LC9s and striker guns took over. The hammer-fired LC9 has its own following now, and the clean ones—especially with night sights—are not sitting around like they used to.

7. Kahr PM9

Kahr triggers are smooth, but they’re their own thing, and not everyone likes the long pull. The PM9 also doesn’t tolerate limp-wristing the way some modern guns do. But when it’s set up right, it’s a genuinely shootable small 9mm with a very carry-friendly shape.

People laugh at Kahrs until they carry one in a real holster and realize the edges are rounded where they should be. The PM9s in good condition vanish, and the magazine situation can get annoying if you wait until the last minute to stock up.

8. Kel-Tec P-32

Yes, it feels like a toy. Yes, it’s not a range gun. But if you’ve ever wanted a pistol that truly vanishes in gym shorts, waders, or lightweight summer clothes, the P-32 is one of the few that does it without drama.

What makes them hard to find is that the folks who “get it” tend to keep them. Also, the .32 ACP niche doesn’t get much respect until you’re staring at a wardrobe that won’t hide anything else. Then it’s suddenly interesting.

9. Beretta 3032 Tomcat

Tip-up barrel guns get mocked, right up until someone’s hands don’t like racking tiny slides anymore. The Tomcat is also just plain handy for certain shooters, and it has that little Beretta charm that makes you want to carry it even when you don’t need to.

The downside is you can’t treat it like a duty gun. It’s a specialized tool. The upside is the clean ones are always in demand, and the moment you decide you want one, you find out how many are either overpriced or worn hard.

10. Beretta 21A Bobcat

The Bobcat is another “laugh until you try it” pistol, mostly because .22 carry guns get no respect. But as a low-recoil, easy-to-load, ultra-small pistol, it fills a role. It’s also one of the few guns that can make a new or recoil-sensitive shooter actually want to practice.

Try finding one that hasn’t lived in a pocket without a holster and collected lint like it was its job. Good mags matter. A Bobcat with reliable magazines and a clean chamber area is worth more than people think.

11. S&W J-Frame Model 642

Snub-nose revolvers catch plenty of jokes from the high-capacity crowd. Then you actually carry a 642 in a pocket holster while you’re splitting wood, checking fences, or running into town in a hurry. It’s there, it’s simple, and it doesn’t care about lint.

The trick is that the good ones don’t get sold much, and the ones that do show up often have questionable action work. If you want a clean 642 that hasn’t been “slicked up” by somebody with a Dremel, you’ll be looking for a minute.

12. Ruger LCR (especially .327 Federal Magnum)

The LCR looks weird. The grip frame and polymer housing offend traditionalists. Then you shoot one and realize the trigger is surprisingly good and the recoil management is better than a lot of snubs in the same weight class.

The .327 versions are the sleeper. They give you an extra round and options from mild to spicy, and outdoors folks like that flexibility. The problem is they’re not stacked deep everywhere, and when you want one, you usually find two extremes: overpriced new or beat-up used.

13. Colt Detective Special (2-inch)

Old Colt snubs get laughed at until somebody tries to actually find one with tight lockup, good timing, and a clean bore. The Detective Special carries well, points well, and has a trigger feel you don’t get on many modern revolvers.

These aren’t “grab any used one and roll” guns. Condition matters. And because condition matters, the nice ones bring money and disappear fast. That one hurts if you sold Grandpa’s and figured you’d just buy another later.

14. Walther PPK/S

The PPK/S has more style than practicality in 2026, and everyone knows it. It’s heavier than polymer .380s and can bite hands. Still, it carries flat, it’s accurate enough, and it has that solid feel that makes cheap guns feel cheap.

Try finding one that runs perfectly with your chosen ammo and doesn’t look like it lived at the bottom of a boat bag. The good ones get kept, and the rest get passed around until somebody finally admits it needs springs, magazines, and attention.

15. CZ 82

“It’s only 9×18.” “It’s a surplus gun.” “It’s chunky.” All fair. Then you shoot a CZ 82 and realize it’s accurate, soft, and has ergonomics that embarrass plenty of modern pistols. For certain hands, it just fits.

The supply of truly clean examples isn’t what it used to be, and magazines aren’t always a sure thing. Folks who bought them cheap and actually shot them tend to keep them, because replacing that kind of shootability for the money is tougher than it sounds.

16. Bersa Thunder .380

The Bersa gets treated like a budget punchline until it runs for hundreds of rounds without drama and shoots like a bigger gun. It’s not tiny, but it’s flat and controllable, and for some folks it’s the gun they actually practice with.

What makes them hard to find in the wild is that they don’t sit at the “cool kid” end of the case, so shops don’t always stock many. When someone decides they want one specifically—especially in good shape with extra mags—it can take some calling around.

17. Springfield Armory XD-S (single-stack)

The XD line gets its share of jokes, and some of it is earned. But the XD-S is a slim, shootable carry gun with good sights and a grip safety that some folks genuinely like for daily carry comfort.

The catch is that the market moved on to higher-capacity micro guns. A lot of XD-S pistols got sold off, and now the ones still floating around are either worn hard or come with mystery magazines. If you find one you shoot well, it’s not the worst idea to hang onto it.

18. Taurus PT-111 Millennium G2

Yes, Taurus has a complicated reputation. The PT-111 G2 also has a trigger that surprises people in a good way, and a lot of them have quietly served as “working man” carry guns for years.

The reason it’s on this list isn’t because it’s collectible. It’s because when someone wants that exact older model they already trust, they find out they’re not as common on shelves anymore. Familiarity counts, especially with a gun you’ve already proven with your ammo and your holster.

19. North American Arms Guardian .380

It’s heavy for its size, it’s plain, and it’s not the easiest thing to shoot fast. But the Guardian has a reputation for being built like a little tank, and it rides well in a pocket when you need something that doesn’t feel flimsy.

Most folks don’t even remember these exist until they handle one. Then the search starts, and you realize they’re not as plentiful as the mainstream options. When a clean one pops up with the right magazines, it tends to get snatched.

20. Heckler & Koch P7 PSP

The P7 gets laughed at for being weird. A squeeze-cocker? A heel mag release on some variants? Also, it gets hot. All true. Then you shoot it and realize it’s absurdly accurate, carries flat, and has a trigger system that makes a lot of “modern” pistols feel mushy.

This is the granddaddy of “good luck finding one.” The ones that show up are expensive, and condition matters a lot. Still, there’s nothing fancy about why people chase it: it shoots like a dream and carries better than it has any right to.

Carry guns are personal, and trends are loud. The pistols above aren’t perfect, and a few of them are downright quirky. But they all share one trait: they solve real carry problems in the real world, which is why they get hard to track down once you finally admit you want one. If you find a clean example that fits you and runs with your carry ammo, don’t be too quick to laugh—or to sell.