Help with pocket pistol

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Hey NS

Wanting to get a smaller gun for spring/summer carry. After researching I wanted either the Kahrcw380 or Rugerlcp2 but found out that neither are mass compliant. Sucks. Anyway, my next thought was the Glock 42 or a wheelgun. I really like the Ruger 327 federal magnum. Any other thoughts out there?
 
The 327 is a good choice And a LCR is a good pocket carry gun

Hey NS

Wanting to get a smaller gun for spring/summer carry. After researching I wanted either the Kahrcw380 or Rugerlcp2 but found out that neither are mass compliant. Sucks. Anyway, my next thought was the Glock 42 or a wheelgun. I really like the Ruger 327 federal magnum. Any other thoughts out there?
 
Unless you are willing to really put the time in practicing with the Sig 238 and 938 to get to the point where sweeping the safety off on these little 1911 style pistols, you are better off with something else.

You need to practice sweeping the safety off when coming on target until you 100% infallibly consistent.

I own a G42 and a Kahr P380 (just like a CW380)

After owning the Ruger LCP, Seecamp 32 , and P3AT, the Kahr and Glock are my favorites. The others have all been sold.

The Seecamp came first. Small and reliable. But .32
Then came the groundbreaking P3AT. A terrible gun.

Fortunately Ruger's P3AT rip off was better made than the original and the LCP turned out to be a great gun. Except it was a snappy little beast that slapped the front of my trigger finger with every shot. It wasn't a big deal for a carry gun. But I didn't shoot it a lot.

I bought the P380 after shooting a friends and realiing that it was only slightly larger than the LCP, but much more shootable. It was actually fun to shoot. I put as much ammo through the Kahr in the first 6 months I owned it as I did with the Ruger in 5 years.

Then I bought the Glock when it cam eout. I thought I'd replace the Kahr with it. But the G42 proved too large to be whaty I call an "always gun". Its just not something you can always have with you. So the Kahr stayed. The Glock shoots even better than the Kahr. In fact, I'd say I shoot the G42 better than any other Glock besides the G34. Its got almost no recoil and (with the latest model transfer bar) I can shoot it very fast with reasonable accuracy.

I hope this helps.

Don

p.s. If the Kahr isn't MA compliant, that doesn't mean you can't get one. It just means you need to find a private deal on one and pay a few bucks more. But in my humble opinion the Kahr P380 or CW380 is worth it.
 
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Unless you are willing to really put the time in practicing with the Sig 238 and 938 to get to the point where sweeping the safety off on these little 1911 style pistols, you are better off with something else.

You need to practice sweeping the safety off when coming on target until you 100% infallibly consistent.

I do draw and thumb sweeps to try to make it second nature. I'll admit it's not so easy at first. I try to extend the discipline at the range as I flick the safety on after a mag dump. The 938 goes right into sight pretty good.
 
I can't stand small semi-autos with their tiny little baby controls. For pocket carry, nothing has been able to best my LCR. It definitely has its drawbacks, as well as its advantages, but like I said, for me it's king.
 
I've had a Sig P238 for about a year. Nice gun, but I will probably be moving along to a Kahr or something similar soon. I don't like having two different handgun calibers and I find the beaver tail and non-uniform slide is wearing out my pants.
 
I really like my bodyguard 380. I have the newer m&p branded no laser model. Not a single issue. I previously never bought one because I couldn't stand the name and gimmicky laser and I only bought it because I got it stupid cheap on Black Friday, but I actually like mine a lot and pocket carry it in a desantis nemesis holster almost every day due to concealability.
 
I really like my bodyguard 380. I have the newer m&p branded no laser model. Not a single issue. I previously never bought one because I couldn't stand the name and gimmicky laser and I only bought it because I got it stupid cheap on Black Friday, but I actually like mine a lot and pocket carry it in a desantis nemesis holster almost every day due to concealability.

I bought mine because it came without the laser. Definitely a deep conceal pistol. There was a lot of bad press on them but they came out on top I believe.
IMG_0314.jpg
 
The PM9 is too large for pocket carry, at least it is for me. I'm 5' 9" 170 and refuse to wear "Dad" jeans.

I've never been able to make pocket carry work for me. I've had a seecamp, and while it is small, it is heavy considering it's size.

I might try to pocket carry my wife's recently acquired sig p238. but I really hate having extra $hit in my pockets.

Regarding the safety, per Dcmdon's comment, when we shoot it at the range we always load the mags, engage the safety, then pick it up and shoot. You have to practice with the safety engaged every time to build muscle memory. It is a great little gun actually, and shooting it is fun. It was a nice upgrade from the LCP she was using ( or never using, really - because it sucks to shoot). The only downside is that it is a 380. But she wants to go to the range more often now that she has a gun that she enjoys shooting.

My hope is that after a while we can upgrade her to a Sig P938. We'll see.
 
Watched a fellow MA gun owner walk out the door behind me, whip out a revolver from his jacket pocket (not caring that the muzzle was pointing my way), load it, and toss it back in his pocket. No holster, looked to not have a hammer, and not a care in the world.

Do please make sure that you use a holster for your pocket gun, no matter the pocket you choose to store it in.
 
LC9s has been pretty nice. Fits in a pocket easily and has a good trigger on it. Not a huge fan of the manual safety but it's ok, if you can get the non mass LC9s pro might be a little better.
 
I pocket carry a SW BG380 (no laser) every day. I sold my revolver and never looked back. Yes the trigger pull is kinda long. Practice with it.
 
He had a loaded gun in his pocket??!!! Whoa.....


sw 642, 5 shots 38+p. Nice long,firm deliberate trigger pull. Yes you can just pocket carry or a cheap holster and appendix carry. They are great almost infallible and mine puts holes where I point it...


Watched a fellow MA gun owner walk out the door behind me, whip out a revolver from his jacket pocket (not caring that the muzzle was pointing my way), load it, and toss it back in his pocket. No holster, looked to not have a hammer, and not a care in the world.

Do please make sure that you use a holster for your pocket gun, no matter the pocket you choose to store it in.
 
PM9 for me, and for many. It might be a little big if you are wearing tight jeans, but I am not a tight jeans type of guy. And it disappears IWB with a decent holster.
In the pocket of khakis or cargo shorts you will forget it is there. A spare magazine in your weak hand pocket gives you 7 in the gun and 7 in your pocket. It is surprisingly accurate and recoil is way less than you think it would be for follow up shots.
For me, 9mm is the smallest defensive round I want to carry and it offers the widest range of ammo options. My Kahr has never had any issues feeding any defensive hollow point ammo and that is a huge plus.
Yes, it costs more than the little wheel guns, the Ruger and the POS Body Guard, but price is my last consideration for a carry gun. For it's size, there is really nothing else in it's class.
 
LCR in 9MM. Best of both worlds...simple and reliable snubby pocket carry with great 9MM defensive ammo that still performs well out of a short barrel. Most places don't stock them, you need to order and wait a few weeks.

Don't fear the the moon clip....really not a big deal.

I dig mine.
 
CW 380 is an awesome little (and I mean little) gun and well worth it when you find one. And it is surprisingly pleasant to shoot. If size is your concern, forget about the Glock 42 (which is also a great gun by the way) because you could get a 9mm in roughly the same size (Kahr PM9 or Glock 43).

If you plan on ever pocket carrying, a CW 380 is as big as I can go. I used to pocket a PM9 but thought it was too big and the 43 is even longer. Others can pocket carry far larger guns but not me.

If you just want a gun for IWB in tee shirt weather than any single stack, sub compact 9mm should work just fine and there are a lot of options. I had a pm9 for years and loved it, but I would point you towards a Glock 43 over the Pm9.
 
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