When it comes to concealed carry handguns and civilian defense, let's understand from the get-go, there is seldom any one right answer to anything. "What's the best ____________? (Fill in the blank.) Whatever that blank is, there are going to be arguments pro and con. With only a few exceptions, I will go further and say if you have an instructor who takes the position that there is only one way to do almost anything, (his way) you might start looking around for a new instructor. That being said, the subject of this posting is "which is better?" A double stack or single stack handgun. Now as you might guess, my answer to this question is, (drum roll), it depends. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each, first from a technical point of view.
Shootability. I don't care what you’re carrying, if you can't hit what you are aiming at, it's time to do something else. Regardless of caliber, a double stack is always going to be heavier than a single stack. For example, a Springfield XD S Single Stack 9mm with a seven round magazine weighs in at 23 ounces. The XD Mod 2 9mm with a 13/16 round mag comes in at 26/27 ounces. But that's only three ounces difference you say. Right, but these weights are for empty guns. When you load the magazines to their capacity, you will quickly notice the weight difference between the two. From a shootability perspective, a heavier gun has a tendency to handle felt recoil better than a lighter gun. Muzzle flip is also noticeably less as well. Result? Better accuracy and quicker return-to-target second shot capability for most people. More so, a double stack by definition will have a larger grip than a single. Depending on your hand size, for many, this is also an advantage as you can get a better and more consistent grip on the gun. The downside? For some the heavier gun may be initially harder to shoot because it is well, heavier. You may have to build up your arm a bit. The grip? If you have very small hands, the wider grip may not work so well for you. If you have a too narrow single stack, there are plenty of after market grips available to fill your hand better. Not much you can do if the double stack polymer grip is just too big.
Concealability. By and large, this argument goes to the single stack. Smaller grips translate to a more concealable gun. More so, a lighter weight also helps to prevent pants sagging from carrying a heavier weight gun. Finally, for most people a smaller lighter gun is simply more comfortable to carry, and therefore they are inclined to carry it more often than not. The counter argument to this is that you will have no problem carrying the larger gun if you properly "dress around the gun." A good gun belt usually solves any sagging problems, and proper concealment garments should solve any concealment concerns. As to the overall comfort argument, well, everything is a trade off.
In the gunfight. This of course is where the rubber meets the road. The simple question is, do you really need more than those six or seven rounds in a single stack if you find yourself in a self defense situation. My answer? I have absolutely no idea. We have all heard the three three and three rule. The average gunfight takes place at a range of less than three yards, lasts less than three seconds, and involves less than three shots being fired. Presuming this is true, it would appear on its face that your single stack will do just fine. But of course people are not statistics. Remember, the fight will be what the fight will be. Are there multiple attackers? Did the bad guy bring a knife to a gunfight? Are you the victim of a flash mob? Is it a home invasion situation with one bad guy? Two or three bad guys? I really have no idea. What I do know, however, is that in the history of gunfighting, no winner ever complained later that he had too much ammunition. There is, on the other hand, more than ample evidence of losers complaining (those who survived) that they did not have enough ammunition. Is the solution for the single stackers to simply carry additional mags? Maybe, but as a practical matter I am not convinced that in reality you will have the time to go through your reload drills when bad guys are shooting at you. A fellow instructor brought up one other point. Students are often trained to practice double taps. Some are told the drill is "bang bang assess." Although I do not agree with this, I know this is a commonly taught drill. On the street, it is very unlikely that you will really be counting rounds, and nor should you. As i teach, you shoot until the threat is ended. The nice thing with a higher capacity mag is that you may fire more rounds on more threats without the the obvious danger of running dry. In the Chicago area, a victim facing two attackers is extremely common. If we figure on three shots per attacker to "stop the threat", a single stack doesn't leave a lot of room for error.
So what do I recommend? I don't. You have to figure out what’s right for you. If you just can't get comfortable with a larger gun and as a result, don't carry, then take a good look at some quality single stacks. If all things are otherwise equal from the comfort/concealment perspective, take a look at a good quality double. But regardless of what you decide, if this is what works best for you, then go for it.
Shootability. I don't care what you’re carrying, if you can't hit what you are aiming at, it's time to do something else. Regardless of caliber, a double stack is always going to be heavier than a single stack. For example, a Springfield XD S Single Stack 9mm with a seven round magazine weighs in at 23 ounces. The XD Mod 2 9mm with a 13/16 round mag comes in at 26/27 ounces. But that's only three ounces difference you say. Right, but these weights are for empty guns. When you load the magazines to their capacity, you will quickly notice the weight difference between the two. From a shootability perspective, a heavier gun has a tendency to handle felt recoil better than a lighter gun. Muzzle flip is also noticeably less as well. Result? Better accuracy and quicker return-to-target second shot capability for most people. More so, a double stack by definition will have a larger grip than a single. Depending on your hand size, for many, this is also an advantage as you can get a better and more consistent grip on the gun. The downside? For some the heavier gun may be initially harder to shoot because it is well, heavier. You may have to build up your arm a bit. The grip? If you have very small hands, the wider grip may not work so well for you. If you have a too narrow single stack, there are plenty of after market grips available to fill your hand better. Not much you can do if the double stack polymer grip is just too big.
Concealability. By and large, this argument goes to the single stack. Smaller grips translate to a more concealable gun. More so, a lighter weight also helps to prevent pants sagging from carrying a heavier weight gun. Finally, for most people a smaller lighter gun is simply more comfortable to carry, and therefore they are inclined to carry it more often than not. The counter argument to this is that you will have no problem carrying the larger gun if you properly "dress around the gun." A good gun belt usually solves any sagging problems, and proper concealment garments should solve any concealment concerns. As to the overall comfort argument, well, everything is a trade off.
In the gunfight. This of course is where the rubber meets the road. The simple question is, do you really need more than those six or seven rounds in a single stack if you find yourself in a self defense situation. My answer? I have absolutely no idea. We have all heard the three three and three rule. The average gunfight takes place at a range of less than three yards, lasts less than three seconds, and involves less than three shots being fired. Presuming this is true, it would appear on its face that your single stack will do just fine. But of course people are not statistics. Remember, the fight will be what the fight will be. Are there multiple attackers? Did the bad guy bring a knife to a gunfight? Are you the victim of a flash mob? Is it a home invasion situation with one bad guy? Two or three bad guys? I really have no idea. What I do know, however, is that in the history of gunfighting, no winner ever complained later that he had too much ammunition. There is, on the other hand, more than ample evidence of losers complaining (those who survived) that they did not have enough ammunition. Is the solution for the single stackers to simply carry additional mags? Maybe, but as a practical matter I am not convinced that in reality you will have the time to go through your reload drills when bad guys are shooting at you. A fellow instructor brought up one other point. Students are often trained to practice double taps. Some are told the drill is "bang bang assess." Although I do not agree with this, I know this is a commonly taught drill. On the street, it is very unlikely that you will really be counting rounds, and nor should you. As i teach, you shoot until the threat is ended. The nice thing with a higher capacity mag is that you may fire more rounds on more threats without the the obvious danger of running dry. In the Chicago area, a victim facing two attackers is extremely common. If we figure on three shots per attacker to "stop the threat", a single stack doesn't leave a lot of room for error.
So what do I recommend? I don't. You have to figure out what’s right for you. If you just can't get comfortable with a larger gun and as a result, don't carry, then take a good look at some quality single stacks. If all things are otherwise equal from the comfort/concealment perspective, take a look at a good quality double. But regardless of what you decide, if this is what works best for you, then go for it.