Some months back I listed 10 of my all-time favorite handguns with the understanding that picking only 10 favorite sidearms wasn't easy. When Editor Kevin Steele recently asked me to list my 10 favorite concealed-carry pistols, I was relieved, as it gave me a chance to include a few more, some of them brand-new. However, if you read that first piece, you won't have to look close to recognize some familiar shootin' irons, and though I won't concentrate on leather, I'll mention a few holsters while I'm at it.

Carrying a handgun concealed is a lot different from packing one in uniform or in the outdoors. Sure, some guns can fill both roles, but just as many cannot. A concealed handgun must be just that, and even though we too often see a "concealed" gun, it simply must be kept from view at all times.

With more citizens taking advantage of new concealed-carry laws, we're seeing many more good guys and gals opting to protect themselves than waiting for the police to get there only to take the report (believe me, I know). The art of concealing a handgun relies on a number of things. While not paramount, the size of the gun certainly has an effect on its ability to be carried concealed. Just as important in secreting a handgun is the holster the gun is carried in, as well as one's gender, build and clothing. In short, what works for one may not work for another.

With me, caliber limitation is an important point, and you won't find any "mouse" guns listed here, because I never carried one for personal defense. If you do, that's fine, but the gun you carry must be one you are not only proficient with, but one you truly believe in, because what you're betting on is the only thing you'll ever own - your life. With that in mind, here are a few of the guns you'll never "see" me carry... unless I show them to you.

• OFFICER'S ACP
• BROWNING HI-POWER
• SMITH & WESSON MODEL 3913
• RUGER P95
• KAHR K9
• SIGARMS P228/P229
• BERETTA MODEL 8000
• GLOCK
• COLT SF-VI
• SMITH & WESSON CENTENNIAL

New in 1995, the 9mm Kahr K9 pistol is a big surprise in a small package. Make like the proverbial Swiss watch, this all-steel auto pistol combines some of the best attributes of both the old and the new. Using the proven modified Browning short recoil system, the K9 incorporates a simple and unique lock mechanism that is one of the safest designs in the world.

A recent entry into the pistol market is the superb double-action-only Kahr K9. A 9mm compact, the ultra high-quality all-steel K9 comes with Hogue rugged grips and is now available finished in tough electroless nickel. As you read this, the new .40 S&W caliber Kahr will be available.

Striker fired, the K9's firing mechanism operates much like that of the Glock, but its sear arrangement is notably different. Putting both the sear and firing-pin safety disconnect on a single pivoting pin, this double-action-only pistol has one of the smoothest trigger pulls going. Its unique feed-ramp design allows the trigger mechanism to ride alongside rather than under the ramp, thus letting the pistol sit as low in the hand as possible for superior recoil control.

Using a well-designed single-column magazine, the K9 holds 7+1 rounds of any 9mm you care to load in it, and the extended magazine base nicely compliments the Hogue rubber grips that come standard on the gun. With excellent fixed sights, the Kahr K9 is as rugged as it is elegant.

Optimum reliability is a given with the K9, and my pistol has never malfunctioned with any 9mm ammunition. In the accuracy department, the K9 can hold its own with any pistol in its class.

Coming standard finished in a matte blue, the K9 can also be had in a durable electroless-nickel finish. For those who prefer the .40 S&W caliber, the new Kahr K40 will be available as you read this. One tenth of an inch longer, the new pistol will also be wider in the slide by the thickness of a credit card, but will weigh the same with a six-shot magazine.