Purchasing help Compact handguns for CCW

[Gmp012]

With a lot of us being able to conceal carry now, there are a bunch of options to choose from.

Within the past 5 years or so, there are more and more of these compact sized handguns specifically designed for CCW. I'm talking sig 365, s&w shield, plus, SA hellcat, Taurus GX4, ruger max 9, etc...

Point being, many of these have magazines over 10 rounds.

What's the best way going about purchasing one of these kinds of compact pistols for MD residents?

 

[KJackson]

Visit your local gun shop to see what they have in stock. Hopefully they will have a few different models to choose from and you can see which one fits your grip best. Some local ranges may even have some of them available for rent so that you can test fire them. Once you decide what you want, your local gun shop can make sure that you get one that complies with all Maryland regulations.

 

[trickg]

Step 1: find the gun you want on Gunbroker from a seller who will ship to MD.
Step 2: find a local FFL willing to block/restrict mags to 10 rounds or less.
Step 3: purchase pistol found in Step 1.
Step 4: after receiving pistol, take a quick trip out of state to unblock mags.

 

[hdatontodo]

Purchase from a dealer in the IP section of MD shooters here. They will likely either supply a 10-round mag or a larger one pinned to 10-rounds. Go to PA or VA and buy an over-10 round-magazine.

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[Mr. B]

The P365, Hellcat & Shield Plus all have MD-compliant versions. Go to the manufacturer web sites for the SKU.

 

[John from MD]

The P365, Hellcat & Shield Plus all have MD-compliant versions. Go to the manufacturer web sites for the SKU.

This. The manufacturers are all mostly making a ten round offering for States that have prohibitions. After you decide what you want, then order it from one of our IP'.

Tell me where you live and I will give you a couple of references if I know some in the area.

 

[ezracer]

The P365, Hellcat & Shield Plus all have MD-compliant versions. Go to the manufacturer web sites for the SKU.

^^^^^^^^^^EXACTLY^^^^^^^^^

Many gun shops are now very well stocked with firearms. Per MD .law, they can only sell MD. compliant firearms that are on the MD. handgun roster

Freestate, Top Gun, and BelAir Gun Range plus many, many more will have something you like.

 

[trickg]

^^^^^^^^^^EXACTLY^^^^^^^^^

Many gun shops are now very well stocked with firearms. Per MD .law, they can only sell MD. compliant firearms that are on the MD. handgun roster

Freestate, Top Gun, and BelAir Gun Range plus many, many more will have something you like.

That's the reason I suggested the steps above. If you don't want 10-round/MD Compliant, there is a way to legally get what you want.

 

[clarksvilleal]

I just purchased an M&P 2.0 Metal yesterday at a gun shop in Maryland. The standard magazines hold 17 rounds. The gun shop inserted a block into both magazines that came with the gun using epoxy. I will be getting 4 new 17-round magazines from my daughter in Virginia, which is entirely legal as long as I go down there to get them myself.

 

[Chaim]

All the guns you mentioned (and quite a few others) have a good reputation, you can't go wrong with any of them. As others have said, check them out at local gun shops to see which feel best in your hands. If you can, rent them (or if a friend owns one or more, go to the range with them) and get some experience with the guns. Whichever one you prefer, you really won't go wrong. My pick was a SIG P365 which I love, but I may also get a Glock 43X or 48 just because I want to (I have a couple 12 round mags for the P365). For larger carry guns when I don't need something as small I have a Glock 19 (with 15 round mags), a CZ PCR (with 14 and 15 round mags), and a couple other options.

As for the mags, remember, in MD it is illegal to buy, sell, give, or otherwise transfer mags that can hold more than 10 rounds. However, ownership and possession is not illegal. Many local gun shops will order guns with the standard mags and then block them. They will glue the base, so you will likely need a hair dryer to heat them a little while in order to convert them back to >10 round mags (and as already stated by an earlier poster, you must do this out of state to remain legal). You can also buy any mags you want out of state and bring them home. Either way, you can then carry with full sized mags. So, the only thing to consider if mag capacity is part of your final decision is how hard it will be to find the mags at a store or gunshow since you won't be able to order them online.

 

[Crosseye Dominant]

If you purchase an MD roster pistol in person in VA and have them ship to a Maryland FFL (with HQL and wait period done in MD) you can legally take the mags with you the first day when you are purchasing.

 

[Gmp012]

I just purchased an M&P 2.0 Metal yesterday at a gun shop in Maryland. The standard magazines hold 17 rounds. The gun shop inserted a block into both magazines that came with the gun using epoxy. I will be getting 4 new 17-round magazines from my daughter in Virginia, which is entirely legal as long as I go down there to get them myself.

That seems pretty extreme to basically damage the magazines lol...but it is sort of painting a picture of how FFLs are handling this.

I had a MD FFL ship full size magazines out of state. I'm wondering if this is legal or not nowadays?

 

[PEEJAY]

That seems pretty extreme to basically damage the magazines lol...but it is sort of painting a picture of how FFLs are handling this.

I had a MD FFL ship full size magazines out of state. I'm wondering if this is legal or not nowadays?

The FFL can do that from what i understand. They cant sell/transfer them in state. They can receive mags over 10 rds too (obviously) they just cant transfer them to us like that.

 

[RFBfromDE]

My advice?

Never overlook the obvious.

Obvious = snubbie revolver.

 

[clarksvilleal]

That seems pretty extreme to basically damage the magazines lol...but it is sort of painting a picture of how FFLs are handling this.
...

I suspect an enterprising person could fix them . (Don't ask me how I know that .)

 

[trickg]

Without getting too far into the weeds, there are a number of ways to get normal mags for those pistols that are all above board and perfectly legal.

 

[Slumy__57]

Agree with what many others here are saying. I personally researched down to a few brands/models, then found some friends that had those brands/models and scheduled a range day. I shot 3 different compact guns that day, and changed my mind from a PPQ Sub to a P365XL based on what I shot.

For the actual purchase, I waited until my usual gun store had it in stock and grabbed it from them. It was worth the wait to me to get it from somewhere that blocks the mags, as opposed to actual 10 rd mags. I didn't really want to go through the expense/hassle of getting new mags for it, and I was still waiting on my permit anyway.

 

[nuxbag]

I use United they will not block mags, didn't know ffls were still doing that. I've been getting the 10r ver of the guns. Will they tell you this over the phone?

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[nuxbag]

That seems pretty extreme to basically damage the magazines lol...but it is sort of painting a picture of how FFLs are handling this.

I had a MD FFL ship full size magazines out of state. I'm wondering if this is legal or not nowadays?

Why is this process districtive?

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[Bullfrog]

Why is this process districtive?

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Depends upon the method used. If they dimple the magazine tube with a punch or drill it and install a rivet, for example.