Some pistols look like the perfect carry setup on paper: compact-ish size, good capacity, optics-ready, maybe even a light. Then you actually try to conceal it in real clothes and it prints so hard you feel like you’re walking around with a “GUN HERE” sign. Most of the time it’s not the slide length that gets you—it’s grip length, thickness, and blocky shape, plus tall optics and chunky lights that add bulk in all the wrong places.
Glock 17
The Glock 17 is easy to shoot and easy to trust, but it’s a classic “prints more than you think” gun for a lot of body types. The grip is the issue. It’s tall, square, and it sticks out under a t-shirt or hoodie in a way that shorter grips don’t. People buy it thinking the longer slide is the problem, then they realize the grip is what pushes fabric.
If you carry with a good belt and a good holster, you can make it work. But for everyday concealment in normal clothes, the 17 can look like a brick from certain angles. It’s one of those guns where the carry reality often doesn’t match the “it’s only a little bigger” mindset.
Glock 45
The Glock 45 is basically a Glock 19 slide with a Glock 17 grip, which means it carries like a compact in the pants but prints like a full-size up top. The full-length grip gives great control, but it also gives the shirt something to grab and outline. A lot of people don’t realize how much that extra half-inch of grip changes concealment.
It’s a great shooter, and a lot of experienced guys run it well. But if you’re trying to disappear under light clothing, that tall grip can betray you. The 45 is “carryable,” but it’s not automatically “concealable” for everyone.
SIG Sauer P320 XCarry
The XCarry setup looks like it was built for carry: compact-ish slide, good capacity, optic-ready. Then you try to hide it and you realize the grip module is fairly blocky, and it can print more than slimmer guns. The P320’s overall thickness and shape can be the culprit, especially if you’re carrying AIWB and your shirt drapes tightly.
A lot of owners end up swapping grip modules or downsizing because of that. The gun is capable, but it’s not a slim carry gun. If you’re built lean or you wear fitted clothes, the XCarry can show itself more than people want to admit.
SIG Sauer P320 XFive
People absolutely try to carry the XFive because it shoots great and feels “serious.” The problem is it’s basically a duty/competition gun, and it prints like one. Long slide, tall grip, big mass—everything that helps at the range works against concealment. Even with a strong belt, it’s hard to hide unless you dress around it heavily.
The mistake is thinking “I shoot it so well, I’ll just carry it.” That can work, but it usually requires wardrobe changes and discipline. Most people end up frustrated because the gun prints and pokes, and they stop carrying it. The XFive is a killer shooter. It’s just not a casual concealment gun.
Beretta 92FS
The Beretta 92 feels slim-ish in some ways, but the overall length, height, and external geometry make it a tough concealment gun for most people. It’s long, it has a big grip, and it doesn’t tuck in close the way many modern polymer pistols do. It also tends to require a holster setup that’s more “serious” than the average everyday carrier wants.
If you’re tall, wearing layers, and you don’t mind dressing around it, you can carry a 92. But plenty of people buy one, think “it’s not that huge,” and then realize it prints like a brick under a normal t-shirt. It’s a full-size service pistol with full-size concealment problems.
CZ 75 SP-01
The SP-01 is a sweetheart to shoot, but it’s a heavy, full-size steel pistol with a grip that likes to show itself. The length, weight, and grip shape can make it hard to conceal without printing, especially at the rear of the grip where shirts like to snag and outline. You’ll often notice the butt of the gun is what gives you away, not the slide.
A lot of shooters try to carry it because they love the way it shoots. Then they realize it’s a gun that wants a jacket, not a thin tee. It’s not impossible, but it’s not effortless. For many people, it’s the definition of “looks carry-ready, prints like a block.”
HK VP9 (full-size)
The VP9 full-size is another pistol that people assume will conceal easily because it’s polymer and modern. The problem is it’s still a full-size grip and full-size footprint. The grip is tall, and depending on your holster angle, it can push out and print pretty aggressively, especially when you bend or reach.
It carries fine in a duty-style setup or under heavier clothing. But a lot of everyday carriers end up thinking, “Why is this showing so much?” because they expected it to hide like a compact. The VP9 is a great pistol—just not a stealth carry option for most people.
Walther PDP Full Size
The PDP full size is a performance pistol, and that often means it has a bigger grip and a larger overall feel. Add an optic, and it gets taller. Add a light, and it gets bulkier. The grip shape can also print more than you expect because it has a pronounced profile and tends to sit “proud” off the body if the holster doesn’t pull it in tight.
A lot of guys buy a PDP and immediately want to carry it because it shoots so well. Then they start finding the limits of what a full-size gun does under a t-shirt. It’s one of those pistols where the gun is amazing—your wardrobe just isn’t.
Staccato P
The Staccato P is a legit duty/carry crossover for some shooters, but it’s still a big, thick-ish gun with a grip that doesn’t disappear easily. 2011-style grips can be wide, and the overall setup often ends up with an optic and a light. That’s a whole lot of mass and height sitting on your belt line.
A lot of people buy one thinking, “It’s a carry gun.” It can be—if you’re committed. But in normal clothes, it prints more than folks expect, especially when the grip edge catches fabric. It’s not a “throw it on and forget it” concealment gun for most body types.
Staccato C2
The C2 is more carry-friendly than the P, but it still surprises people with printing because it’s not a micro gun and it’s not thin. Add the common carry setup (optic plus light) and it gets chunky fast. The grip length is often the giveaway—enough to control well, enough to poke out under a t-shirt.
A lot of shooters love carrying it because it’s so shootable. The downside is you often have to plan clothing and holster setup carefully. It can conceal well with the right rig, but it’s not the kind of gun that hides automatically for the average person.
FN 509 Tactical
The 509 Tactical looks carry-ready with the threaded barrel and optic-ready slide, but the “tactical” features often add bulk and height. The slide length isn’t always the issue—what gets people is the optic and the overall thickness. It’s also a pistol that many run with a light, and the whole package ends up being a thick block at the belt line.
You can absolutely carry it, but it tends to print more than slimmer guns. A lot of owners realize pretty quickly that “tactical” and “concealable” aren’t the same word. It’s a great shooter and a great duty gun. It’s just not a sneaky carry gun for most folks.
Springfield XD-M Elite
The XD-M Elite can feel like a “carry/duty” hybrid, but it’s thick and it has a big grip. That thickness is what kills concealment. The gun sits off the body more than slimmer pistols, and the grip can print hard under a normal shirt. People who haven’t carried much often underestimate how much thickness matters compared to length.
If you’re carrying OWB under a jacket, sure. But for daily concealed carry in regular clothes, the XD-M Elite can feel like you’re hiding a tool box. It’s one of those “looks ready, prints obvious” pistols.
Ruger Security-9
The Security-9 looks like a practical budget carry pistol, but it can print more than expected because of its proportions and grip shape. It’s not a micro, and it’s not especially slim compared to true slim-carry options. A lot of people buy it as their first carry gun and then wonder why it’s hard to conceal comfortably.
It can be carried, and it can do the job. But if you’re comparing it to modern slim guns, it often feels bulkier on the belt than people expect. The “budget carry” look doesn’t guarantee “easy concealment.”
Canik TP9SF
Caniks are a great value for shooters, but many of them are closer to duty-size than true carry-size. The TP9SF has a big grip and a big overall feel, and that translates to printing. Even if the gun is not crazy heavy, the geometry works against you when you try to tuck it under a light shirt.
A lot of guys buy Caniks because they shoot well and feel great. Then they try to carry one and realize the platform wasn’t designed to disappear. It’s the classic “range gun that people try to make a carry gun.”
Glock 34
The Glock 34 is another common “I shoot it so well, I’ll carry it” choice. And yeah, it shoots easy. But it’s long, tall, and often paired with an optic and a light. The length can cause comfort issues, and the grip still prints like a full-size Glock. It’s not subtle.
If you’re committed and you dress for it, you can carry a 34. But for most people, it prints and it’s uncomfortable enough that they eventually stop carrying it. It’s a great pistol. It’s just not a casual concealed carry option.
SIG Sauer P226
The P226 is a classic, and it’s a joy to shoot. But it’s a full-size metal gun with a big grip and a big footprint. It prints under light clothing, it’s heavy on the belt, and it often requires more wardrobe planning than people expect. Folks who don’t carry daily often underestimate how much weight and shape matter after hour six.
Some shooters carry one because they trust it and they’ve got years of reps. That’s fair. But for a lot of buyers, the P226 becomes a safe queen or a range gun because concealment is harder than they assumed. It’s a brick in all the ways a full-size pistol is a brick.
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