I started carrying a firearm concealed and trying out holsters as soon as I turned 21. Since Arizona is a right-to-carry state, you technically don’t have to have a permit to conceal carry, but I got mine to:

Know the laws of Arizona and understand what I legally can and can’t do in a defensive situation.
Remove my background check process when buying a gun.
I would look like a decent citizen to the officer if I got pulled over with my firearm.

So far, I’ve had three different guns make their way through my EDC cycle:

November 2017-September 2019

Gun: Glock 43 (9mm)

The gun industry has made huge strides in both handgun and holster options for women. During the time though, the Glock 43 was really one of my only options for concealed carry. It worked for me because it was the caliber I wanted (9mm) and was thin enough (single stack magazine) to make it easy to conceal in just about any outfit.

Upgrades: I had the standard iron sights on it but upgraded the trigger to an Overwatch Precision flat-faced trigger as well as a Taran Tactical +2 magazine extension, which allowed me to have a better grip on the gun and increased my round capacity to 9 rounds (8+1).

September 2019-November 2020

Gun: Springfield Hellcat (9mm)

Springfield Armory released the Hellcat shortly after Sig Sauer released their P365. Both guns are pretty comparable with their size, round capacity, and features, but personally, I didn’t like the P365’s trigger or grip.

So, enter the Hellcat.

Springfield sent me one of the first Hellcats to try when they were initially released in September 2019. I liked it because the manufacturer designed the magazine first, and then the gun around it. I know that sounds weird.

The Springfield Hellcat’s magazine goes from a double-stack to a single-stack, meaning the bottom of the magazine is double and then thins out into a single-stack, making it the highest capacity micro-carry on the market at this time (11+1 or 13+1 depending on which magazine you had).

Honestly, this thing had WAY more snap than my Glock 43, but I made it my carry solely because of the round capacity and comfortable grip.

Upgrades:

Badass rose gold camo cerakote by Roman Arms in Texas (IG: @Mrs.Sara.Kote)

Grip stippled for more texture by Defkon3 in Texas (IG: Defkon3)

November 2020-Present

Gun: Glock 43X

I’m just here for the round capacity! Haha, not really, but kinda.

My Glock 43X is the best of both worlds. I can conceal it with a good holster, even higher round capacity than the Springfield Hellcat, and I can enjoy shooting it the range because the grip is close to a full-sized gun.

Take a look at the upgrades because I did do quite a bit to get my gun to where it is now.

Upgrades:

Stipple by IG: @flt_llc

Trigger by IG: @flt_llc

Magazine: Shield Arms 15 round magazine. The 43X is a standard 10 round magazine (less than Hellcat), but this company came out with a metal magazine that increases the capacity to 15 without making the grip longer.

Magazine Release by IG: @Southwestprecision

Optic: Holosun 507k

Out of the box, this gun is great. I did these upgrades to enhance the performance of both the gun and myself!

What’s next? I have no clue yet! I’m happy with my 43X, but I might switch it up and try the Sig P365 again or switch back to the Glock 43 for a bit because it’s a little less gun.

What’s your everyday carry? Comment below!