I call these three guns "Top Shelf" because I believe that they are the best examples of each of the three most common firing platforms (DA/SA, SAO, and Striker) for concealed carry. After modifying and upgrading all of my other carry guns, I came to the conclusion that I really wanted to have a set of guns that have a minimum amount of modifications so that their potential reliability is as high as it can possibly be, while being outfitted with high quality accessories to maximize their performance and functionality. All three of these guns have Trijicon RM06 optics, tritium night sights with my DIY Hi-Viz front sight modification, and Olight PL-Pro rechargeable weapon mounted lights (the lights have been changed to the PL-2 version for better light output). They all share the same custom kydex holster that I made at RFV Tactical that indexes on the light rather than the gun, or I can easily remove their weapon mounted lights and use them with the non-light bearing holsters that I made for each individual gun.
CZ-USA P-07
The CZ P-07 is my all-time favorite carry gun. If I had to choose only one gun to do everything, the P-07 would be the gun I would pick. Out of the box, the double action trigger pull is a little heavy, but that can be easily and inexpensively improved by installing a self defense spring kit and a few other small items from Cajun Gun Works (around $35 total) to lighten the double action trigger pull and increase the overall reliability of the gun. There is not an optics ready version of the P-07, so I sent the slide to JagerWerks to have it milled for an optic. The only thing that I don't like about the CZ P-07 is the lack of usable texture on the grip, so I textured the grip on this one myself at RFV Tactical to give it a better feel without being too aggressive for concealed carry. In my opinion, the double action first trigger pull makes it one of the safest platforms for defensive use and concealed carry, especially when carried in the appendix position as I do every day of the week.
STI/Staccato C2 2011
This gun is brand new for 2020. I started out with and have always loved 1911s, but I've never been comfortable carrying one for defensive purposes on a regular basis because of their low capacity. I've looked at various high capacity compact 2011s in the past, but I was never completely happy with their aesthetics or lack of features, especially when paying more than $1500 for one. When STI unofficially announced the new Staccato C2 in December 2019 and posted pre-production photos of it on Instagram, I loved everything about it and sold all of my compact 1911s to fund the purchase. The Staccato C2 is offered in a standard version for $2000 and an optics ready version for $2500. I was originally going to buy the optics ready version and just mount an RMR on it and be done, but I ended up getting the standard version and sent the slide to Vulcan Machine Werks to have it milled for an RMR using Trijicon's 1911/2011 specific mounting plate that Vulcan includes with their milling package for $400. After doing a little research, I realized that the Trijicon mounting plate allows the RMR to sit slightly lower on the slide than the optics ready mounting plate, and the Trijicon plate also comes with co-witnessing front and rear tritium night sights (I prefer tritium night sights on all my carry guns). With the optics ready version of the C2, you have to purchase the RMR specific mounting plate separately (an extra $140), and it only comes with a black rear sight and a fiber optic front sight, so I would've had to special order tritium night sights (an extra $110). Having the standard version slide milled for the Trijicon plate made more sense to me and it ended up saving me over $300 vs buying the optics ready version and having to buy all the extra parts.
Glock 19 MOS Gen5
There is no denying the Glock 19's reliability track record and the availability for aftermarket parts to improve and customize the gun, but if you go too crazy with aftermarket parts then you can possibly reduce it's potential reliability. The Gen 5 has a really good trigger out of the box, so the only thing I've done to it is install a 3.5# connector and a medium striker spring from Lone Wolf (around $20 total). The Gen 5 is also the best looking Glock 19 ever produced, in my opinion, which is great for people like me who also like guns to be aesthetically pleasing as well as reliable. The factory frame texture on the Gen 4 and Gen 5 is more than adequate for a defensive gun, but I always re-contour the bottom of the trigger guard on all my Glocks to make it more comfortable on my knuckle, and I enlarge the interior of the trigger guard slightly for safer use with gloves. I also modify the medium beavertail backstrap by cutting off the bottom half to give the gun a more natural point of aim with the re-contoured trigger guard, so the grip angle is more similar to a CZ or a 1911/2011. I went with the MOS version for simplicity which also comes with front serrations on the slide as a bonus. I used the CHPWS mounting plate for the RMR instead of the OEM MOS mounting plate because it allows the optic to sit slightly lower on the slide and it has much better thread engagement on the mounting screws. As with all of my Glock handguns, I've also installed a Striker Control Device from Tau Development Group as an added measure of safety when carrying and holstering the gun in the appendix position.
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