Small caliber defensive carry

[1911Fanatic]

Why the F would someone spend all that time fiddling with the barrel, single loading a single round like you are in a hunter safety education program. Makes no sense at all. Man I hated that gun. I have never bought a beretta after that due to that horrible experience. Not fair to beretta at all but the brand is forever stained to me. I did buy the Walther beretta 92 22 clone though cuz it was inexpensive and they make superb .22s. I don't like the 92 frame though which is polymer. The ppks is all metal except the grips. 92 with suppressor height sights and goofy faux supressor was $250 after $100 rebate. But nice part is the threaded barrel.

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• ilikegunspdx
• Jun 26, 2024

I also like Walther's .22 1911 $264 for black version. Really fun gun. Same size and weight as reg 1911.

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• ilikegunspdx
• May 24, 2024

Ooh, I want that 22 cal 1911. Just because. It still probably won't out shoot my Browning BuckMark with the 6 inch barrel though.

 

[thorborg]

We have a 32 tom cat bought for my wife with tiny hands, not able to rack but no need with the flip up barrel, (why It was bought it for her) just enough weight to mitigate recoil considerably which is important for her wrist as they are.

(She has 20 years doing data entry typing at mind boggling speed 8 hours a day so her wrist and fingers fairly wore out, then drove bus for another 11 which pretty much finished them, along with her shoulders)

I have very large hands and it shoots well in it, never had slide pinch and cleans easily with the cleaners I've been using for over sixty years. Grips and finish look as good as when it was bought a couple decades ago at least. Hammer is not difficult for her small thumb though she likes to help support the gun with her left hand while she does it. Her tomcat throws the case to the right, not in her face (nor mine ) even though it relies totally on blowback without an extractor, it has so far fed reliably all fodder it has received. (its all been factory made)

As important, the safety makes sense to her not being a gun person, with up on, pull down for off, as the cutout sorta lets her see whats its doing. Hers has a leaver to flip up the barrel , (newer ones may have a button) easy for her to work. The mag release with a push of a button with a relief around it so pushing is easy even for my big thumb.

If I was to carry a 32 as primary, I like the little Keltec . Much lighter, thinner, but it jars her wrist and hurts to rack it. it's a house gun, extra heft not an issue

Safety on, hammer calked, it does have drop issues so best kept hammer down safety on. use the double action to speed things up(which is not best for carry in my opine), but she prefers, when needed, to pull safety off, pull the hammer back, rather the double action pull.

I don't know about the bobcat. Sounds like either their no good, or new ones suck, or someone got a lemon. Seems like everything made now days are not like things were.

 

[orygun]

The guns aren't crap, the .25acp is crap.

I have an Armi Galesi in 25 ACP. It is a high quality gun. Too bad it's not a 22LR. If it was a 32, it would be awesome.

Small caliber? Geeze, the smallest I carry is a 38/357. The smallest gun is a 380 KelTec P3A-T. With a pocket holster it goes in my back pocket and no one but me is the wiser.
But then, the 642 can also slide into a jacket or front pants pocket and hide well, too.

My wife's gun is a G43. That's a lot of punch in a small package.

 

[Wombat of Doom]

We have a 32 tom cat bought for my wife with tiny hands, not able to rack but no need with the flip up barrel, (why It was bought it for her) just enough weight to mitigate recoil considerably which is important for her wrist as they are.

(She has 20 years doing data entry typing at mind boggling speed 8 hours a day so her wrist and fingers fairly wore out, then drove bus for another 11 which pretty much finished them, along with her shoulders)

I have very large hands and it shoots well in it, never had slide pinch and cleans easily with the cleaners I've been using for over sixty years. Grips and finish look as good as when it was bought a couple decades ago at least. Hammer is not difficult for her small thumb though she likes to help support the gun with her left hand while she does it. Her tomcat throws the case to the right, not in her face (nor mine ) even though it relies totally on blowback without an extractor, it has so far fed reliably all fodder it has received. (its all been factory made)

As important, the safety makes sense to her not being a gun person, with up on, pull down for off, as the cutout sorta lets her see whats its doing. Hers has a leaver to flip up the barrel , (newer ones may have a button) easy for her to work. The mag release with a push of a button with a relief around it so pushing is easy even for my big thumb.

If I was to carry a 32 as primary, I like the little Keltec . Much lighter, thinner, but it jars her wrist and hurts to rack it. it's a house gun, extra heft not an issue

Safety on, hammer calked, it does have drop issues so best kept hammer down safety on. use the double action to speed things up(which is not best for carry in my opine), but she prefers, when needed, to pull safety off, pull the hammer back, rather the double action pull.

I don't know about the bobcat. Sounds like either their no good, or new ones suck, or someone got a lemon. Seems like everything made now days are not like things were.

I have a bobcat and mine is a great gun that is a wonderfully suppressor host. Mine is old an extended for threads. Accurate and reliable and cycles with almost every load. However the barrel is short so all loads are subsonic, that I have tried. And no, you have to extrapolate where the sights are behind the suppresor.

 

[Sawtooth58]

What's your favorite small caliber defensive carry? Just the caliber or a specific model handgun.

I'm considering options for when I want to carry something smaller, like with my current hand injury.

6" Colt Anaconda- 300gr Hardcast on top of 2400

 

[gmerkt]

Don't buy a bubbleguming bobcat. Dog bubblegum gun. Hammer bite. Slide bite. Hard to rack the slide for a tiny POS. No ejector so it launches brass into your face. Trigger ridiculously long and hard to pull. Hammer way too hard to pull for a gun that size. Grips melt with gun cleaner. Nasty noise. Hard to get a grip on teeny slide. Jams as soon as it gets slightly dirty. Needs just the right ammo to work until it inevitably jams. Utter POS that never should have been made imo. Worst gun I've ever had. Just utter, total, dog bubblegum.

Really, just what is it you don't like about the Bobcat? Just kidding.

I got one for free. In fact, it was lost for about a month and I just discovered that it was missing but I found it. Never thought I'd like the tip-up barrel, but as 1911fanatic said above in post no. 79, that feature eliminates the necessity of racking the slide. Which admittedly I found a little stiff. I've read reviews of the gun, the lack of an extractor was mentioned and the same author said the fired cases go up and back. I've only fired one test shot in the little gun so far but I've no idea where the case went, it disappeared but happily it didn't go into my face. I'm actually looking forward to playing with it. The model no. is 21A. Proudly made in USA.

On the same basis I also got two Beretta .25's. One is the 950 (Italy), the other a 950BS (USA made), called the Jetfire. These have the tip-up barrels also. Both of these have tested as good functional shooters. They are single action only, not double action like the 21A.

Without ever previously owning one, I've had a prejudice against Beretta guns. For one thing, I've never much liked the idea of the open top slide. When I got Dave's guns, there were a number of Berettas and initially I lamented none of them being a 92 series. However, after shooting these guns, I've come around to admire them a bit. In addition to the mouse guns, there is the 951 Brigadier, a single stack 9mm military pistol that shot well. Then there are three .380's. The 70S worked fine but it didn't feel good in my hand and the trigger was awkward for me. I sold that one for $340. The 84FS is a double stack, double action gun, feels good in the hand, it worked well. Lastly, there is an 85F, a single stack pistol double action that also feels good in my hand, it worked fine. So I've revised my idea about Beretta guns toward the favorable side. Seven out of seven that worked as they should, those are pretty good odds for used guns.

Re. .22LR as a defensive round:

Any gun beats the better one left at home.

Which is true enough. Not to mention that .22 LR has good penetration capability. Plus for many shooters, staying on target with a .22 is easier than a larger, more powerful caliber. Choice of ammunition is important. But not a big drawback.

 

[1911Fanatic]

Really, just what is it you don't like about the Bobcat? Just kidding.

I got one for free. In fact, it was lost for about a month and I just discovered that it was missing but I found it. Never thought I'd like the tip-up barrel, but as 1911fanatic said above in post no. 79, that feature eliminates the necessity of racking the slide. Which admittedly I found a little stiff. I've read reviews of the gun, the lack of an extractor was mentioned and the same author said the fired cases go up and back. I've only fired one test shot in the little gun so far but I've no idea where the case went, it disappeared but happily it didn't go into my face. I'm actually looking forward to playing with it. The model no. is 21A. Proudly made in USA.

On the same basis I also got two Beretta .25's. One is the 950 (Italy), the other a 950BS (USA made), called the Jetfire. These have the tip-up barrels also. Both of these have tested as good functional shooters. They are single action only, not double action like the 21A.

Without ever previously owning one, I've had a prejudice against Beretta guns. For one thing, I've never much liked the idea of the open top slide. When I got Dave's guns, there were a number of Berettas and initially I lamented none of them being a 92 series. However, after shooting these guns, I've come around to admire them a bit. In addition to the mouse guns, there is the 951 Brigadier, a single stack 9mm military pistol that shot well. Then there are three .380's. The 70S worked fine but it didn't feel good in my hand and the trigger was awkward for me. I sold that one for $340. The 84FS is a double stack, double action gun, feels good in the hand, it worked well. Lastly, there is an 85F, a single stack pistol double action that also feels good in my hand, it worked fine. So I've revised my idea about Beretta guns toward the favorable side. Seven out of seven that worked as they should, those are pretty good odds for used guns.

Re. .22LR as a defensive round:


Which is true enough. Not to mention that .22 LR has good penetration capability. Plus for many shooters, staying on target with a .22 is easier than a larger, more powerful caliber. Choice of ammunition is important. But not a big drawback.

Just a little FYI about the 21A. The OEM magazines made by MecGar are prone to jams. I found that the ProMag (I know….) magazines have a follower that sits a little higher in the front and they feed better than the MecGar or Beretta branded mags. And you can load them to capacity.

 

[Jason200911]

32 acp in the flat ones and either some flavor of the 32 or the 38 spl in the round ones
But is 38 spl "small caliber"?

Ikr, 38 special is a really long case

 

[Member 45541]

I had to run a couple errands this morning. The G42 pulled duty and actually sees carry time often. This one will never (I hope!) leave the staple.

 

[nwslopoke]

For me my always with me is a LCPII in .380. Great little and light pistols. Its too much gun for many though and NOT fun to shoot. Wife has same gun in .22LR. In that caliber they are fun to shoot. Her Father took to carrying late in life. He had a lot of pain in his hands and he settled on one of these too after trying Wife's.

380 was the first pistol l ever shot. A cop friend took me out to shoot his service 9mm and 380 backup. I don't recall what either were. I do recall thinking how little recoil the 380 had and I was shooting it better than him on the day.

Understanding it's limitations, 380 is a viable choice for those with weak hands.

 

[Alexx1401]

380 was the first pistol l ever shot. A cop friend took my out to shoot his service 9mm and 380 backup. I don't recall what either were. I do recall thinking how little recoil the 380 had and I was shooting it better than him on the day.

Understanding it's limitations, 380 is a viable choice for those with weak hands.

As always ANY gun beats no gun but, .380 comes in a WIDE variety. Some of them are larger than some 9mm pistols. They are heavy and large (for the caliber) and of course almost anyone can enjoy shooting them. They go all the way down to the ones Kel-Tec and Ruger make which are pushing the limit of what can be done. These are NOT fun for almost anyone to shoot. Sure as hell are nice for carry of course. The LCP II I have now Wife bought, after I warned her not to, due to the feel of the trigger in the shop. Get it home and she could not even rack a round into it without a LOT of tries. Took it to the range and after several boxes of ammo to check it my hand was bleeding in one spot from it. Wife went next and fired ONE round out of it and put it down never to try again. Now her Bersa, 16 round .380? That she likes shooting. If someone is recoil sensitive for any reason the very light .380's are almost never going to work for them.

 

[1911Fanatic]

As always ANY gun beats no gun but, .380 comes in a WIDE variety. Some of them are larger than some 9mm pistols. They are heavy and large (for the caliber) and of course almost anyone can enjoy shooting them. They go all the way down to the ones Kel-Tec and Ruger make which are pushing the limit of what can be done. These are NOT fun for almost anyone to shoot. Sure as hell are nice for carry of course. The LCP II I have now Wife bought, after I warned her not to, due to the feel of the trigger in the shop. Get it home and she could not even rack a round into it without a LOT of tries. Took it to the range and after several boxes of ammo to check it my hand was bleeding in one spot from it. Wife went next and fired ONE round out of it and put it down never to try again. Now her Bersa, 16 round .380? That she likes shooting. If someone is recoil sensitive for any reason the very light .380's are almost never going to work for them.

I'd opt for a PP, PPK, PPK/s.

 

[thorborg]

Considering what some have considered "defensive", I couldn't resist
Poke that in the eye!

 

[ND55]

Handgun design and grip selection / material will play a role here.

.22 Magnum
.32 ACP
.38 Special

Are three that come to mind
Andy

.380 in a Ruger LCP

 

[ND55]

What's your favorite small caliber defensive carry? Just the caliber or a specific model handgun.

I'm considering options for when I want to carry something smaller, like with my current hand injury.

.25 in a Baby Browning.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

What's your favorite small caliber defensive carry? Just the caliber or a specific model handgun.

I'm considering options for when I want to carry something smaller, like with my current hand injury.

When you say smaller do you mean smaller physical size of the gun or smaller in terms of felt recoil? Bigger/heavier gun with less powerful round will reduce felt recoil. Perhaps rent a 5.7 to try it out? Walther ccp has a gas delayed blowback which is supposed to reduce recoil. It's available in 9mm and .380 but is a single stack. Rotating barrel guns reduce recoil but I think only come in 9mm, 9x18, .40, and 45 acp.

 

[orygun]

As always ANY gun beats no gun but, .380 comes in a WIDE variety. Some of them are larger than some 9mm pistols. They are heavy and large (for the caliber) and of course almost anyone can enjoy shooting them. They go all the way down to the ones Kel-Tec and Ruger make which are pushing the limit of what can be done. These are NOT fun for almost anyone to shoot. Sure as hell are nice for carry of course. The LCP II I have now Wife bought, after I warned her not to, due to the feel of the trigger in the shop. Get it home and she could not even rack a round into it without a LOT of tries. Took it to the range and after several boxes of ammo to check it my hand was bleeding in one spot from it. Wife went next and fired ONE round out of it and put it down never to try again. Now her Bersa, 16 round .380? That she likes shooting. If someone is recoil sensitive for any reason the very light .380's are almost never going to work for them.

Never shot the Ruger LCP because it didn't feel as good in the hand as the Taurus TCP, which I bought. The TCPs we've had have been OK, but i now also have a KelTec P3AT that I will sometimes carry. I would not suggest one for a primary carry for a person with weak hands. Guns that small make the 380 very snappy.
I have a S&W PC Shield EZ in 380. Not dinky, very light and recoil is extremely manageable. Plus it is very easy to rack and load the magazine.

 

[Alexx1401]

Never shot the Ruger LCP because it didn't feel as good in the hand as the Taurus TCP, which I bought. The TCPs we've had have been OK, but i now also have a KelTec P3AT that I will sometimes carry. I would not suggest one for a primary carry for a person with weak hands. Guns that small make the 380 very snappy.
I have a S&W PC Shield EZ in 380. Not dinky, very light and recoil is extremely manageable. Plus it is very easy to rack and load the magazine.

The one BIG nice change to the LCPII was the trigger. Wife had for years carried a KT.32. Easy to carry, easy to shoot even for her. What she did not like was that LONG trigger pull. One day when she was at a shop she told them this and they handed her an LCPII. Trigger feels pretty much like a Glock, FAR shorter. When she told me I warned her the problem would be the recoil. I had a KT .380 and she had fired it one time never to fire it again. Well she went back to the shop and bought the LCPII .380 due to that great trigger. Then just as I knew would happen she could not tolerate the recoil. The damn trigger is NICE though. One downside is not safe to carry it in a pocket with no holster as I had always carried my KT .380. I liked the trigger enough to re-home my KT and keep the LCPII.Was willing to use a holster to carry it for the nice trigger. Year or so later I saw where Ruger had made this pistol in .22 now. Told Wife and she ordered one on line that day. Now that pistol she loves. VERY small, very light, so very easy to carry and even has an external safety. So its fine to pocket carry and of course in .22 a pussycat to shoot. Caliber of course leaves a lot to be desired but, at least she will carry it, will practice with it, and can actually hit quite well with it. Later when her Father decided to get a gun he tried several of ours but his very old hands could not take them until he tried her LCPII in .22. That he too loved so he bought one. I VERY much wish Ruger would make this pistol in .32. Would to me be the perfect combination of super easy to carry and shoot and FAR better caliber but alas, does not seem to be in the cards.

 

[jackass143]

What's your favorite small caliber defensive carry? Just the caliber or a specific model handgun.

I'm considering options for when I want to carry something smaller, like with my current hand injury.

Have to go with .38 special
But if your accuracy is good enough .22 mag can be a good choice

 

[Mikofiticus]

Smallest caliber I've ever carried was a 9x18 CZ 82 and now more recently .380 in a S&W Bodyguard 2.0