You’ve made the decision to purchase a pistol for everyday carry (EDC). Congratulations! Now what? Walking into gun stores to shop for that ideal EDC pistol can be a daunting and intimidating task, especially if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. Do you need a different pistol in the summer and the winter based on your clothing selection? How much is enough capacity? What’s the right price point? The answers aren’t always easy. Those long glass display cases or walls of guns are often filled with products that all look alike and price tags that range from bargain basement to not in this lifetime. So, how do you choose and what are the important characteristics of an ideal EDC pistol? Here’s a quick-start guide to help make the process easy.

Action
Part of the decision making process when shopping for an EDC pistol involves the selection of trigger action on the gun. There are three main choices: single action, double action or striker fired. Each has its own benefits. With single action pistols, the hammer must be manually cocked first. One pull of the trigger will then drop the hammer once the manual safety is disengaged. A single action trigger is generally very light. Double action pistols usually have heavier triggers since pulling the trigger causes the hammer to first be cocked and then dropped. Striker-fired pistols such as the P365 have no external hammer. This gives you a light, consistent trigger feel of a single-action pistol without the hammer of a double-action pistol. The P365 is also available with a manual external safety.

When choosing to purchase a pistol that you plan to conceal for everyday carry, magazine capacity should be a major deciding factor.

Capacity
When choosing to purchase a pistol that you plan to conceal for everyday carry, magazine capacity should be a major deciding factor. In most emergency situations, six or eight rounds may not be enough to neutralize a threat (or multiple threats) and as our experienced firearms instructors at SIG SAUER Academy explain, you should always set yourself up for the best chance of success. Don’t leave it up to chance. The P365, for example, gives you the option to carry 10 or 12 rounds plus one in the chamber. You can also purchase a 15-round magazine giving you 16 total rounds, still in a small, easily concealable platform.

Fit/Comfort
Everyday carry pistols should never “print” or reveal their outline while concealed under an article of clothing so, when choosing an EDC pistol, size is an immediate consideration. A common issue with concealable, everyday carry pistols is that shooters often sacrifice accuracy by choosing a smaller gun or they sacrifice concealability by choosing a larger gun.  One of the benefits of the P365 series of pistols is that their compact size features the accuracy of full-size pistols. This is due, in part, to the ergonomics of the guns as well as the trigger; the smooth pull and crisp break gives shooters more control over the pistol without adding unnecessary motion to the muzzle and subsequently hindering accuracy. So, you are able to stay on target not only with your first shot, but all follow-up shots are much easier than most other pistols of its size on the market today.

Quality/Price
It’s easy to price compare with any purchase and then make a decision based on your budget. But buying a gun is a little different than buying a jacket or a pair of shoes, for example. Choosing the most inexpensive item might leave you with concerns about quality and whether or not it will work when you need it the most. At SIG SAUER, we invest more into our research and development than any other manufacturer on the market. Our manufacturing facilities feature high-tech, state-of-the-art equipment allowing us to produce the most technologically advanced products available today. In fact, we spent more time in R&D on the P365 than any other pistol we make, putting millions of rounds through the gun, and incorporating customer feedback into the design, before shipping the product to stores. And while our prices might not be the lowest, you know you are getting a high quality product suitable for everyday life or professional duty at the highest levels.

Ready to shop for your EDC pistol? Click here to find a dealer near you or learn more about the P365 here.