JohnBurke

Yes, I did. It should have said right side of left leg, for a right handed shooter, or "inside" the leg.

I prefer outside for an ankle holster, but in a cockpit, it often works out better on the inside, for those who ankle carry.

CrabSquatch

I carry a Kimber solo in a quasi appendix position (sits about 11 o clock on my belt) It's small, lightweight, but as a smallish dude around 5'9 and 155 I have never had concealment issues. It also sits in a very protected spot when sitting left seat. I am also in Alaska, currently in Anchorage. If you'd like to shoot it and see what you think let me know.

'Squatch
Who isn't as scary as the name implies

Cruz5350

Glock 19 and be done the 42/43 come up short in my book. I used to conceal my 229 now it's either the 19 or Shield depending on what I'm wearing.

CrabSquatch

drunken is implied when working the villages.

'Squatch
Who has watched villagers drink purell

JohnBurke

A G19 is an excellent choice, but far less concealable than a G43. How does a G43 come up short?

Firsttimeflyer

I can't help recommend a holster or where to carry unless you are looking for strictly IWB or OWB as that is the only positions I carry, and don't carry while flying.

But for guns, I can tell you a lot. I carry anything from a commander length 1911, g26, g36, g42,g43, SA XD9SC, SA XDS, ruger LCP and an occasional revolver open carry while hunting.

The LCP trigger sucks. Hurts accuracy, but very safe for carrying chambered.

The SAs are nice but I tend to go back to my glocks.

The 26 and 36 are great shooters, but aren't as slim as the 42 and 43.

I love the 1911, but quite large for a carry gun.

Given your size I would go with the G42 or 43. My wife shoots both of those with ease. And they are amazingly accurate. I will never claim to be a great shot, but with either of those guns I could shoot the nuts off a tick with my weak hand. They are that good. They carry nicely, they work, and they are light. And the recoil is very manageable, and the size should fit your hands nicely.

satpak77

For defense go 9MM or .40, either one, and TRAIN and PRACTICE, as shot placement is more important than caliber. 2 hits in head with 9MM is better than 7 misses with .45

have you looked at SIG 239 ? the 229 is a somewhat large for "concealment" unless you been on the belt carry and untucked shirt

JamesNoBrakes

Modern ammo has largely negated any advantages of big heavy rounds, at least for semi auto pistols and defense against humans. Everything from a .380 and up is perfectly fine for defense with good modern ammo. There are some good pics available that will show you how far these can expand-it's plenty. 9mm makes the most sense usually from a cost-benefit in terms of practicing and the rounds available are plenty capable. Compared to 20 years ago, the ammo is much better, but people still cling to the same "you gotta use this bigger caliber" lines we heard back then.

satpak77

good points. However if the shooter can't control the .45 and misses (nothing to do with effectiveness of round) due to handling issues, that is not a good thing.

Personally I would not do .380, I would do 9mm, although I carry the .40 G-27

JohnBurke

The ability to handle a weapon or cartridge chambering is closely connected to the amount of training one does.

I find that 9mm isn't much different than full house defensive rounds such as .357 Sig or 10mm; .45 acp is a low pressure round with a fairly gentle recoil. Most people can handle 9mm quite comfortably.

As for all cartridges being equal, it's not true. Particularly in the case of .380, there's no comparison to most other defensive chamberings. While .380 today represents an improvement over what was available in the past, it lacks considerably compared to a 9mm, and is a third the available energy from a .357 Sig, and nearly a quarter of the energy from a 10mm.

For extreme reliability, it's very hard to beat a 9mm glock. They're controllable, very, very reliable, and uniform one to the next, between models and chamberings. A G43 or G26 would make a very good choice for the original poster.