Posted on 12/11/2016 7:08:37 AM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
This.
I take the reliability of subcompact pistols with a grain of salt no matter what the name. Once the size and weight of a handgun drop below a certain point, they can be right on the edge as far as reliability goes, and frequently fall over that edge if the "wrong" ammunition is used.
I have a Beretta Nano that I bought despite the bad press they were getting at the time, simply because the range had a well-used one for rent and it hooked me. I have not had any problems with it since I deemed it "broken in," but a lot of people won't even consider one.
Mr. niteowl77
Looks like we’ve been down the same road. I had an LCP but it was not comfortable to shoot; traded for an LC9s which I like with he striker-fired action.
Not sure why Ruger didn’t covert the LC380 to the striker-fired action of the LC9s...it’s essentially the same form factor.
I am in the market for a Kel-tec sub 2000 in 9mm. Saw one at a recent gun show for $625. MSRP is $500 and they sell for about $400. Really want one but do not want overpay.
I have a bunch of 380’s and this year switched to a Glock 43. Also will not carry anything smaller than 9mm.
I agree on the LCR. I have one in 38 and one in 22 WMR to match a rifle in that cal. I am surprised the S & W M&P Shield 9mm and the NAA Sidewinder aren’t on that list. Those two are the most likely carry for me. A good Alien Gear CC holster and that Shield is an easy all day carry.
I carry an 32ACP by Seecamp. It was expensive and it took about 6 months to get.
I am never out of my house without it.
I have many larger guns that would be better in a firefight, but nothing conceals as good as my Seecamp.
I’m with you on this one. I pack a Kimber .45 ACP with a three inch barrel. She is pretty and effective.
Yes, the LCP is totally unsuitable for a woman — the springs are very tough, it has poor accuracy, and the recoil is high, due to light weight.
The bersa thunder is a much better choice, well-made, accurate, and with some reasonable heft.
I love my Seecamp 32. I never leave home without it - never. I have carried it for years.
If I had it to do over again, I might have purchased the 380, but that little guy actually hurts to shoot and of course, it’s double the already expensive price of the 32. ;>)
I may someday buy the 380 and give my 32 to my wife.
We’ll check it out. My wife likes firearms with a little weight to them. One of her favorites is actually our full size 1911. Though given her size, there’s no hope of her concealing that unless she wears a trench coat everywhere. ;-)
The article covers Kel-Tec’s P32, Ruger’s LCP, the Glock 42, SIG’s P238, Kimber’s Micro Carry, and Smith & Wesson’s 638.
SO ... why did the site editors choose to lead the piece with an illustration of a hand holding Colt’s 380 Government Model?
Author Hawkins concludes with good advice but it is incomplete:
Users should field test their piece with the ammunition they plan to use for carry purposes, for feed reliability. Be sure to test-fire the exact brand, load, and bullet weight/configuration. Every semi-auto handgun has its own preferences. This goes double or worse for the very small concealed-carry pieces: two guns with adjacent serial numbers, made during the same hour on the production line, can exhibit markedly different feed reliability.
” It has suffered more stovepipe FTEs than all our other handguns combined”
Limpwristing does that. Not being funny, but not providing sufficient recoil counterforce causes the slide to not rack properly on all automatics.
I have an LCP. Daily carry. Shot countless rounds through it. Never a stovepipe past break-in of 100 rounds or so. Even then, maybe a handful of stovepipes.
1. Sig P238 - This is a little gem. It shoots like a champ - very accurate and fast shooting if necessary. Nice sights and it is easy to cycle the slide. It handles any load it is fed. Runs like a Swiss watch.
2. Kimber Micro - Right up there along with the Sig P238 as far as "handleability" and workmanship. It is a little thicker in the grip and on occasion can be picky with ammo, so make sure you wring it out well with your carry ammo. It's a great little pistol with minimal recoil.
3. Ruger LCP - I bought one used, but "cheap" so I couldn't resist it. It jammed at least once a magazine, either failure to feed or failure to extract. I replaced the factory guide rod with a stainless steel one, the factory recoil spring with a 13# Wolff spring, and for good measure the takedown pin with a notched one from Tandemcross which is a nice little item. From once being a jam-o-matic, I have run many hundreds of rounds though it without a hiccup after these improvements (some of which Ruger incorporated into it's newer LCP II). The older LCP trigger is long and stiff (a safety feature) and with the narrow grip makes it harder to shoot accurately, so one needs to practice, practice, practice. The LCP is a terrific pocket pistol - very concealable and reliable. The later models have improved sights.
4. P-32 - This is a super little pocket pistol for what it is. Its' reduced recoil makes it easier to shoot than the LCP for those sensitive to recoil (my arthritic sister-in-law strongly prefers this to the LCP or P3AT because of that, and she shoots it well). The P-32 is a true carry-anywhere-anytime pistol. With the accessory 10 round magazine, one can tote a lot of firepower in one small package. The belt clip is great for carrying with running shorts or sweats. The Kel-Tec warranty is second to none. After about 1000 rounds, my early model P-32 slide was locking back unexpectedly. I sent it in to Kel-Tec for service and they replaced it with a brand new model with better sights which shoots without any hiccups and it has a better trigger than the LCP.
You can't go wrong with any of the above. Just my two cents...
I’ll take them all, sight unseen, just on sheer principle. Of course, I man need to put a few extra pockets in my trousers...
Sorry I came to the thread late, rktman. It has provided a lot of useful information and helpful commentary. I’d like to add one more item that I recently discovered that has been a “lifesaver” for me.
I’m one of those people that has developed a significant loss of grip strength in my hands due to certain health issues. As a result I had become unable to rack the slides on some of my pistols. I share this problem with many other potential shooters such as women or younger shooters who have to pass on many fine sporting or self-defense weapons because of their lack of strength.
A gunsmith in Ohio has developed a device called a Handi-Racker for people like us. It’s a tool which fits over the slide and gives added leverage making the slide easy and safe to rack. I tried it and it works well for me. I can now enjoy some of my pistols I’d thought I’d never shoot again, e.g. my Browning Hi-Power (that has a very stiff spring), and it’s opened up the possibility of being able to use some of the newer guns I’d earlier passed on, e.g the S&W Shield. And, as several posters have noted, many of the small pocket pistols have stiff springs and are hard to rack.
Here’s the link for the Handi-Racker - http://www.handi-racker.com/
*Disclaimer: I have no financial affiliation with them, just a satisfied user. It’s well worth checking out if you’re one of those folks who have a need for help with racking a slide. Also, I’ve tried to ping as many of the commenters on the thread as possible; my apology to any I missed.
Waste of time and money. Either keep it racked or if that makes you nervous use a revolver. Un racked pistol is an unloaded pistol.
No women children or elders are getting into a gunfight. It’ll be one and done.
You sound like one tough, determined son of a gun.
I am glad for you that you can shoot with the guns you once did again.
I guess that’s what real conservatives do.
They don’t cry. They find a way to adapt.
You’re a true conservative.
Great info. My wife has the same problem. The other thing you can try as a last resort is the Beretta Tomcat. I know it’s only a .32, but the tilt up barrel allows the shooter to load the first round, and when the barrel closed, the weapon is in battery for the first shot. Subsequent rounds from the magazine run like any othe semi.
“1. Sig P238 - This is a little gem. It shoots like a champ - very accurate and fast shooting if necessary. Nice sights and it is easy to cycle the slide. It handles any load it is fed. Runs like a Swiss watch.”
Absolutely! My wife and I both have them and they are wonderful pistols! But then all Sigs are top notch.
My EDC is the XDS in .45. Liked it better before the trigger recall work ... but it still goes bang and is very accurate for the 3.3” barrel. Nobody knows it’s there and with my Alien Gear IWB holster it is a joy to carry.
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