Six Great Pocket Guns for Your Christmas Wish List

breitbart.com ^ | 12/10/2016 | AWR Hawkins

[rktman]

Christmas Day is fast approaching and Breitbart News thought it apropos to highlight six pocket guns that should be on wish lists around the country.

These guns are perfect for men who live in climates where cargo shorts/pants are daily wear, as you can put the gun in a small holster and literally drop it in your front pocket and go. The six guns listed below are also excellent gift choices if you have a woman on your list–say, a mother or grandmother who plans to keep the gun in her purse or even to carry the gun in a sweatshirt pocket while walking the kids in the park.

[Mr Rogers]

That is my carry anywhere gun. Not a gun to sight - just point and shoot. But it does surprisingly well even so. Mine is 22 LR, and I think I’ve had one fail to fire using it. Small enough that a determined person could get very close and shoot. And an ‘active shooter’ who entered a bathroom expecting everyone to roll over and die could get a big surprise from that very little gun.

[sport]

Sorry I missunderstood you. How me learning how to rack a semi auto came about quite by accident. Ever since I lose my left arm due to cancer I never thought that I could chamber a round [rack]in a semi auto, so I never tried. One day about 5 months ago a friend and I were discussing shooting. He said, we need to come up with a way to chamber a round[rack] with one hand.I have two hands, but what if I am in a fight and get shot in one arm.” So we came up with a way to either use your shoe or belt to chamber a round after inserting a fresh mag. After that was when a guy showed me the “tool” that you place on the slide, push down and release it and presto, you are ready to go. When have it with me, it has one in the pipe and a full mag, ready to go.

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

I had a few and traded both for a 45 Springfield XDS

Excellent piece! Every time you pull the trigger, it goes bang! Mine is an XD, but would also like an XDS. My XD is not as easily concealable, but has more rounds in the mag - 13 + 1 rounds. Can't miss...and that is not too bad for an octogenarian.

[tarheelswamprat]

Thanks for taking time to write such an informative and helpful reply. It has always been one of the strengths of Free Republic that Freepers are some of the most knowledgeable and experienced folks around, and you can always count on them for help solving your problems on almost any topic. I agree with almost every point you made; it's obvious that you're speaking from experience. For example:

However, I'm of the strong opinion that if this device is a necessity for a self-defense situation, then one would be best served by leaving it and the weapon at home and switching to a wheel gun.

That's why my primary carry gun is a Smith & Wesson Model 60 stainless .357 Magnum! However, regarding:

I see the effectiveness of the device only if the gun you need it for will never stovepipe, misfeed, jam or otherwise malfunction to the point of needing to be racked. That gun does not exist, therefor the device is of little use for a defensive need. So, I strongly, strongly recommend a revolver for anyone that lacks the hand strength to manually rack a slide, unassisted.

Of course there isn't a pistol that can't ever misfeed, jam, etc. at some point, and I agree a revolver is a better choice. However, some people can't seem to deal with revolvers, either, whether it's a stiff double-action trigger pull, opening and closing the cylinder, etc.. In those cases what do you do, let the perfect be the enemy of the good?

In situations where I've had to advise someone with a hand strength problem, I always try to steer them to a revolver first. If they insist on a semi-auto, though, my reasoning is that it's better to have something than nothing, and to steer them towards a brand that has a reputation for reliability, e.g. the Sigs, the Glocks, et al.. Hopefully they'll be able to deal with their attacker before the gun jams.

I also try to drive home to them the necessity to practice, practice, practice (as you noted), but unfortunately, human nature being what it is, we both know that far too many will not. You just do the best you can for them.

Take it to the range, go varmint-potting with it, teach your grand-children and children, as the case may be, to use the weapon with and without it...but please, do not rely upon it as a concealed carry defense.

That's exactly why I got the Handi-Racker - to give myself a few more years of enjoyment of my legacy treasures, e.g. the Browning, or my Colt 1911, that deserved a better fate than being only safe queens! I have started looking at some of the pocket pistols such as the ones in this thread as a backup carry. If I need the tool to do the initial loading, I'll have to take my chances! The good news is I can still rack the Sigs, and will probably go with the P938.

for CodeToad, re: Nice tool, but if I was unable to rack an auto, I’d just go with a wheel gun. The tools would be good for general use otherwise.

Agreed, with the caveat that some folks just can't run a revolver. See my comments to OldSmaj above. One other really handy use of the tool, even for ordinary shooters who don't have a handicap, is for freeing a jammed slide/round in the chamber. It's easier and safer to force the slide against a post or table than tearing your hands up.

Good luck.

The sentiment is much appreciated! Even with the bullet we dodged in the election (actually like a 16" round from the USS Missouri!), the "collective crazy" is still in the ascendant and we're all going to need good luck in the year to come.

[FXRP]

Used to have four of them but I lost all in a tragic boating accident.

[Jmouse007]

They should be ashamed of themselves the Bersa Thunder 380 ACP in both the regular and Conceal Carry variants absolutely belong on the list!

Highly accurate, incredibly reliable, butter smooth light trigger pull, extended tang to avoid the "slide rash" that Walther PPK's are notorious for, a breeze to disassemble and clean and very reasonably priced. Coupled with the right ammunition: highly accurate and "effective".

hickok45 did an outstanding review of the Bersa 380CC:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-_RWl6L0BnU

[rktman]

” It has always been one of the strengths of Free Republic that Freepers are some of the most knowledgeable and experienced folks around, and you can always count on them for help solving your problems on almost any topic.”

Well then how come nobody (at least that we are aware of) that posts here on FR hasn’t made a trip to Trump Towers for an appointment to Trump’s cabinet? LOL! Actually, I’m sure there are quite a few who could do an outstanding job but who also have NO desire to get caught up in the d.c. morass. ;-)

[OldSmaj]

It is apparent, my FRiend, that you are a scholar and a gentleman.

We need more of you.

Thank you for a reasoned and intelligent reply.

So often, we have those in the gun culture/brotherhood that insist on rabidly defending whatever it is that they have found for themselves, often wholly and unreasonably dismissing any other viewpoint.

I think, like me, that you have lived long enough and survived long enough, that you speak from a position of strong experience...wisdom that is too often ignored and dismissed by youth.

As someone once said, "youth is wasted on the young".

I have tried over the years to pass some of my training, experience and yes, wisdom, to those younger than I...not always successfully, but I think I may have made some differences with the little mush heads.

We can only try.

May you have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

[MHGinTN]

If .22lr worries you, the Beretta 32 Tomcat is a good alternative because of the pop-up barrel for chambering the carry round. ... But teach shot placement, always shot placement. I often carry a Taurus eight round 22 magnum revolver w/two inch barrel ... after I did a spring job on it to reduce trigger pull in double action. Ruger also has a good 22mag revolver and Smith makes one now, too.

[MHGinTN]

If you can handle the 9mm recoil in a small gun, the Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact (9 UC Pro)is an excellent tool. I stopped carrying it when the 9mm recoil became too much for my old hands (always shoot practice with strong then weak hand).

[MHGinTN]

“380 powerhouse” LOL

[niteowl77]

The Tomcat is a rare bird in these parts, and most of the ones I know of personally are examples that have - for whatever reasons - not aged well. I have never owned one, but have gotten to use a couple over the years. They do fill a niche for those who want a semiauto but who have problems racking a slide.

Sometimes a "newbie" surprises a guy- a slim, middle-aged lady has found that she does well with a full-size 1911 in 9mm, because the SA trigger suits her trigger finger, the long slide with a relatively limber recoil spring lets her easily grip and rack the slide, and recoil is manageable. In addition, she is proof that a thin person can sometimes conceal a full size auto easier than a potbellied old dude like myself can. I would not have recommended that gun for her, but so far it is a good fit.

Mr. niteowl77

[PA-RIVER]

Nice and light