I picked up a little Jiminez .380 for $175. Made in AZ. Action was bad, etc. took it to my local gunsmith, got it worked for $50, now very smooth action. Just as good as an expensive firearm.
Walther PPK/S.
I carry a Taurus G2C 9MM. Excellent gun
S&W Bodyguard. A great shooting gun. I carry it all the time. Have twice shot the head off of a snake with it at about 10 yards. One shot each time... I mean this gun is accurate. Long long trigger pull to get used to.... but once used to it you will hit what you are aiming at.
The Taurus TCP has been an excellent CC weapon with high reliability at the range, never in actual practice fortunately. Thus, plus the cost is very reasonable.
A lot of good .380s left off the list. A whole series of Browning and Colt from the early 1900s. The Walther PP and PPK, The Savage (10 shots quick).
I have a Hungarian FEG which performs perfectly and cost something like $120 a few years back.
I will also mention how much I like the Bersa’s which the article lists. Also the classic Beretta model 84 and 70s.
Get a Glock 19 or a 45 Semi.
Funny you should post this. I started a more intense practice regiment with my Ruger LCP (not the II). I don’t carry with one in the chamber so I’m practicing drawing, loading, and firing as I walk around a corner towards a target. Loads very easy and comfortable grip, but the recoil is not as much of a problem as it being a small gun. But that’s why we practice.
Went to Cabelas yesterday. They are all out of 9mm, .40 and .45 ammo.
Colt Government if you can find one. Small, reliable and light weight.
9mm is a better round.
I don’t own a gun. I moved to safe neighborhoods to make sure I did not need it. Has the time come for everyone to buy guns?
I bought the Ruger for my wife a few years ago. I didn’t do any research. It just seemed fine. I bought it in the way you might buy a toaster.
My wife hates it because it doesn’t have a safety so I’ve kept it in my car. It’s very reliable and I can throw it in my pants pocket. But I don’t keep one in the chamber, so if I ever needed it I’d have to cock it first.
Did you know it’s a known issue with Glocks that holding the gun in “Limp wrist” fashion will cause a FTE?
Besides the concealment attribute, most of these pistols aren't that great. Full size semi-auto pistols are reliable, but the child size pistols are hindered with malfunctions during that melee.
While fishing to get the gun out of your pocket and wind up with a weird grip or you’re trying to create space when this 250 pound guy is hammering you from above – these are the things that tends to lead to malfunctions.
Then why even take the time to write about it?
My Sig P238 has been rock solid dependable, though not quite as small as my Kahr P380, which IMHO is a POS. If I were’t in CA, I would get the 9mm model.
I’ve a couple of these but have chosen to carry a beretta tomcat in .32.
.32 seems just right for this size. Fun to shoot and surprisingly accurate.
The best gun to have is the one you have on your person. People can debate all day about what is best, but it comes down to what you have when you need it. An expensive set of 12 point sockets are best, but a crescent wrench that you have in your pocket saves the day every time. Practice shooting the gun you own and practice deploying that gun from concealment however you carry it.
I have a compact .45 that I carry all the time and I also have a little .22 automatic as a handy backup.
A .380 would be a step down for me.