Some pistols live forever in comment sections. Guys swear they’re “just as good,” “totally reliable,” or “the perfect niche tool.” Then you look around at the range, church parking lot, or deer lease, and nobody actually has one on their belt. Real-world carry is boring: comfort, reliability, parts support, holster options, and a gun you’ll actually train with.
This list is for the handguns that get defended hard online—but in real life, most carriers quietly pick something else.
Hi-Point C9
People defend the C9 because it’s cheap and it can work. The problem is it’s big, heavy, clunky, and awkward in the waistband. Even the guys who admit it runs will usually admit it’s not comfortable, not slim, and not something they want dragging their belt down all day.
Carry is a long game. A gun that feels like a brick at hour three becomes “I’ll just leave it in the truck.” That’s how a “reliable budget pistol” turns into a pistol nobody actually carries.
SCCY CPX-2
The CPX-2 gets defended as a budget carry option, but that long, heavy trigger makes a lot of shooters look rough on paper. If you have to fight the trigger to keep rounds where you want them under speed, you’re not building confidence—you’re surviving the gun.
A lot of owners carry it for a week, shoot it twice, then start shopping for something they can shoot better. It’s not that it can’t work. It’s that most folks don’t keep it once they compare it to better options.
Taurus Judge Public Defender Poly
Online, people love the idea: “shot shells for snakes, .45 Colt for everything else.” In real carry life, it’s bulky, heavy, wide, and the performance is often oversold. The cylinder makes it print, the grip can be awkward, and it’s not the kind of gun most folks want to conceal daily.
It also invites unrealistic expectations. .410 out of a short barrel isn’t a magic force field, and the gun’s size-to-performance ratio is tough to justify when slim 9mms carry easier and shoot better.
Magnum Research Desert Eagle Mark XIX
Everybody loves talking about it. Almost nobody carries it. It’s huge, heavy, and it turns concealed carry into a comedy sketch. You can “open carry” it, sure, but at that point you’re making a statement, not making a practical choice.
It’s a range toy and a conversation piece. The online defenders are usually defending the idea, not the reality of carrying one from breakfast to bedtime.
Smith & Wesson Model 500 (any barrel length)
Same deal—wild power, zero practicality for concealed carry. It’s heavy, it’s loud, it’s punishing, and it’s a specialty handgun for specialty jobs. People defend it because it’s impressive and because they like the concept of “stopping anything.”
But real carry is about control and repeatability. Almost nobody wants to actually carry that weight and recoil all day, and even fewer want to practice enough with it to be competent under stress.
Glock 34
The Glock 34 is a great pistol in the right role. The issue is that role usually isn’t concealed carry. It’s long, it prints, and it’s not comfortable for most people in normal clothing. Online, guys defend it because it shoots flat and it wins matches.
In real life, most carriers pick a 19, 45, 43X, or something similar. A carry gun you won’t actually carry is just a range gun with good intentions.
CZ Shadow 2
The Shadow 2 is a serious shooter’s pistol—accurate, stable, and built for performance. The downside is weight. It’s a heavy steel gun, and that weight becomes a constant annoyance when you’re carrying all day, especially in the heat or with lighter clothing.
People defend it online because it’s incredible on the range. In real carry life, most folks don’t want to haul a Shadow 2 around at the grocery store.
Springfield XD-S
The XD-S gets defended as a slim carry option, but plenty of shooters find it snappy and less forgiving than newer micro-compacts. If you don’t enjoy practicing with it, you won’t practice. That’s how a “carry gun” becomes a safe gun.
Many owners eventually land on something that shoots easier, carries similarly, and has better support. The XD-S can work, but the reputation often outruns how many people actually stick with it.
Kimber Micro 9
People defend the Micro 9 because it looks good, feels good in the hand, and carries slim. The problem is the small-gun tolerance window. Some run great. Enough don’t that owners end up chasing ammo preferences, spring schedules, and reliability confidence.
When a carry gun becomes a project, most people quietly move to a boring striker-fired option that runs on everything. Online defenders often had a good sample. Real-world carriers don’t want to gamble on that.
Remington R51
The R51 gets defended mostly by folks who like the concept and want to believe it got a bad rap. The real-world carry problem is trust. Once a handgun has a history of reliability drama, most people won’t bet their safety on it when there are a hundred proven options.
Even if you personally got a good one, support and confidence matter. A carry gun needs a strong track record—not “mine seems fine.”
SIG Sauer Mosquito
It’s defended because it says SIG and it’s “fun.” But it’s a .22 that’s often ammo-sensitive and can get finicky when dirty. That’s not what people want when they’re looking for a dependable training pistol, and it’s definitely not what most people want for carry.
The defenders usually talk about “finding the ammo it likes.” Real carriers don’t want a handgun with food preferences.
Walther P22
Same story: it’s light, compact, and easy to buy. Then it becomes a stoppage generator for a lot of owners depending on ammo and cleaning habits. People defend it as a cheap trainer, but real-world shooters want a trainer that runs.
When training gets interrupted constantly, people stop bringing the gun. A pistol you don’t train with isn’t building skill, so it doesn’t stay in the carry rotation.
Taurus Spectrum
The Spectrum gets defended because it’s small and affordable. In practice, it often disappoints in shootability and confidence. A tiny gun with minimal sights and a mediocre trigger can be a rough combo for accurate, fast shooting.
A lot of people buy it, realize they don’t shoot it well, and then upgrade. Online defenders tend to defend the idea of “always have something.” Real carriers tend to pick something they can actually shoot.
Kahr CM9
Kahr gets defended for being slim and simple, and some people love them. The problem is many shooters don’t click with the long trigger feel, and some guns come with a break-in expectation that turns buyers off. If your carry gun needs a settling-in period, that’s already a hurdle.
Most carriers want immediate confidence and easy training reps. If the pistol fights the shooter or feels different than what they’re used to, it often gets replaced even if it’s technically fine.
Beretta Nano
The Nano gets defended because it’s Beretta and it’s sleek. Many shooters just don’t shoot it as well as competing slim pistols. If the gun doesn’t point naturally for you and the trigger feel doesn’t help, your groups will show it.
Carry pistols live or die by confidence. The Nano often becomes one of those “I wanted to love it” guns that ends up for sale because the owner found something they shoot better.
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