Talk to any number of gun owners about what they believe are the best concealed carry guns, and you are probably going to end up with about a 50/50 split. Many people swear by their revolvers, and many people will only carry a semi-automatic. Neither choice is incorrect, as it really comes down to what you are most comfortable with.
Revolvers are used by many for their reliability. Revolvers do not have the risk of jamming, all while still having the ability to get off a number of shots fairly quick. The main issue with the revolver comes with the speed of the reload. If you are in a situation where you need to reload quickly, it is definitely not as quick as just popping in another magazine. You can speed this up a bit with speed loaders.
With that said, the semi-automatic gun carriers love the speed in which they can get their shots off. Depending on the size of gun and the number of rounds it holds, this is a huge plus if you find yourself in an actual self defense situation. Also, the reloading process is very fast as mentioned above. Just release your empty magazine, and load a full one.
The best place to start your search for you new gun is the internet. You will find some really great gun and ammo deals online, which you can not find elsewhere.
Compact vs. Semi-Compact Handguns for Best Concealed Carry Guns
Again, this subject really just comes down to personal preference and the benefits of each are fairly obvious. Either one could really be considered the best concealed carry guns. A compact gun is, of course, going to be much easier to conceal in almost every situation. Some don’t even require a concealed carry holster as they can just be carried in a pocket. Most of these guns are also extremely light, making them much more comfortable to carry. The main argument against the very small compact guns is the calibers they are available in.
Now the semi-compact guns are obviously going to be slightly harder to conceal. In most cases, they will weigh a few ounces more as well. However, there are many gun holsters designed for these guns that will aid you greatly in concealment. The main benefit when it comes to the semi-compact guns is that they are available in much larger calibers than your compacts.