Whats a quality SMALL Compact carry pistol?

[Muddslinger12]

Looking at ideas for a good compact CC.... PROS and CONS of each please

Just looking for suggestions as to what I should look at before i decide on JUST one (lol) I Like to check all my options and find the best fit for me and my tiny budget.

Thinking bout:

Ruger lc9 or maybe lcp (bout leaning towards the 9)
Ruger sr9c (I got a sr9 full size but not sure it will be a good "deep cover" CC)
Glock 19
Maybe a small .357
Keltec pf9 (heard of several failure to fires! so prob not going with this one)
S&W sheild
Maybe other options....?

As usual just looking for the best bang for my buck and still have a RELIABLE CC gun. Suggestions and experiences with your fav compact cc?

Thanks!

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[Burt Gummer]

380 - LCP
9mm - Shield, PM9, Walther PPS, or Glock 26

Bottom line, whatever you are comfortable carrying. I am pretty big, but most of the time find anything bulkier than the PPS/Shield is just too big. With winter clothes I can handle an H&K 45 compact. Learned over time that a stiff/gun BELT is critical as is a quality IWB holster.

 

[Boomerang]

The guy over at mouseguns used to maintain a comparison chart of small handguns before he passed away. You can still view the latest version from last year. Pretty useful IMO, but don't depend solely on it. Rent some and shoot them to see what what you like.

Here's the comparison chart: http://www.mouseguns.com/PocketAutoComparison.pdf

 

[samuelm16]

cant beat a s&w 642 it has been my favorite after trying a kahr cw40 a taurus 85 and an lc9

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

g19 or shield (if you can locate one).

 

[solv3nt]

If you go the snub route, make sure that you shoot it a lot, or that double action can be a pain. I have a 642 hammerless, and I'm regretting that one.

 

[FourTeeFive]

Looking at ideas for a good compact CC.... PROS and CONS of each please
Ruger lc9 or maybe lcp (bout leaning towards the 9)
Glock 19
Maybe a small .357

I've got experience with these so will comment specifically on them:

Ruger LCP - Great tiny .380, very lightweight, and more accurate than one might expect. My choice as the minimum carry piece. Trigger not so great. Can be carried in a pocket holster even in a pair of shorts.

Ruger LC9 - A better feeling handful than the LCP, very lightweight, very thin. Trigger not so great. A good carry piece although I would prefer something a bit more robust in construction and with a much better trigger. The thin aspect is particularly nice for comfort. Both the LC9 and LCP are not exactly guns you shoot a lot through; I don't get the feeling that these will last for many thousands of rounds. But they're not designed for that. Or priced that way.

Glock 19 - Great size pistol, but by no means small. For that you would want the Glock 26 but those are still thick guns. The Glock 19 to me is a mid-size pistol and there are a LOT of quality firearms in this size category. If I were an undercover detective I would probably carry a Glock 19 or similarly sized gun. Again, they feel a bit thick to me for IWB carry.

Small .357 - I carry a Ruger SP-101 3" while hiking and it is a pretty heavy gun, especially for its size. I do have a smaller .38 spl with a shorter barrel and that can carry nicely in a pocket holster. Short barrel and .357 equals a handful to shoot. And the lighter the gun the more recoil.

Personally I'm still looking for the ultimate carry piece. I'd love to see a single-stack Glock 9mm, like a thinner 26. I've heard that might happen, and supposedly Springfield has the XDS 9mm in development. Both of those sound closer to what I would want to carry every day. The Walther PPS looks nice but just doesn't seem to fit my hand well.

 

[oknow]

Kimber pro year round iwb

 

[MikeE]

If you go the snub route, make sure that you shoot it a lot, or that double action can be a pain. I have a 642 hammerless, and I'm regretting that one.

After I shot an LCR, I sold my 642, best small revolver trigger i've used. Kahr CM9 is another good small one in a semi.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

So many options. How much are you willing to spend and what caliber do you prefer? Do you prefer DA/SA, DAO, or SAO striker? Hammer or striker fired?

 

[Cadere]

Since someone mentioned snubbies... I like my S&W 638 airweight revolver. The shrouded hammer lets you do both single and double action shooting without the worry of the hammer catching on something when you draw.

 

[willseeker]

A very nice 9mm would be Kahr, K9. Very concealable, under 1" thick and an all steel construction reduces recoil.
Excellent for summer carry. (I'm beating myself up for having sold it)

Having said that, I carry a full size or commander size 1911, 45acp. Summer or winter.

Mike E really likes his Ruger LCR and it's very accurate...or maybe it's him.

Go to a range and try out some different handguns.
Or, as I do, I keep buying 'em till I find one I really like...then I find out I like something in all of them and keep 'em all.

Be well,
Will

 

[ragermack]

P3AT or LCR depending on pants pocket size.

 

[oknow]

A very nice 9mm would be Kahr, K9. Very concealable, under 1" thick and an all steel construction reduces recoil.
Excellent for summer carry. (I'm beating myself up for having sold it)

Having said that, I carry a full size or commander size 1911, 45acp. Summer or winter.

Mike E really likes his Ruger LCR and it's very accurate...or maybe it's him.

Go to a range and try out some different handguns.
Or, as I do, I keep buying 'em till I find one I really like...then I find out I like something in all of them and keep 'em all.

Be well,
Will

that says it all on how to do it

 

[Muddslinger12]

I honestly have no real preference but I guess a double action revolver with no hammer would be ideal the lcr in .357 would be nice. But also a semi with a very thin profile would be sweet too. Calibers I am mainly thinking bout (but not that I am not open minded to others as well) would be .357, 9mm, or maybe .380 but mostly want the .357 or 9mm as I love the classic style of a revolver and (I believe unmatched) reliability that comes with it. Also the 9mm cause I have one and I wont have to worry bout buying a bunch of different calibers to feed them. I would like to keep the used value at about $300 or less but will bust on the piggy bank for a really nice one, afterall I will be depending my life on it.

At this point leaning towards the LCR in .357 anyone use one of these? How is the recoil? Does it kick like a mule or is it managable for keeping on target with the follow up shots?

"Willseeker"- what caliber is your friend Mike E's lcr chambered in? Also how reliable was your Kahr K9? I really like the small semis like the pf9 and the lc9 but seems like with both they are 'hit or miss' as far as reliability is concerned which is what matters most.

 

[willseeker]

"Willseeker"- what caliber is your friend Mike E's lcr chambered in? Also how reliable was your Kahr K9? I really like the small semis like the pf9 and the lc9 but seems like with both they are 'hit or miss' as far as reliability is concerned which is what matters most.

I think it's a 357 mag but could be wrong. Having said that, when we go to the range they don't allow magnum loads so he shoots 38 special rounds.

He chimed in earlier, maybe he'll let us know. BTW he has it gussied up with a CT laser!

The K9 I had was flawless. I've had FTF issues with most my pistols...yes that includes my Glock 19. But that Kahr was great.

Be well,
Will

 

[MikeE]

I honestly have no real preference but I guess a double action revolver with no hammer would be ideal the lcr in .357 would be nice. But also a semi with a very thin profile would be sweet too. Calibers I am mainly thinking bout (but not that I am not open minded to others as well) would be .357, 9mm, or maybe .380 but mostly want the .357 or 9mm as I love the classic style of a revolver and (I believe unmatched) reliability that comes with it. Also the 9mm cause I have one and I wont have to worry bout buying a bunch of different calibers to feed them. I would like to keep the used value at about $300 or less but will bust on the piggy bank for a really nice one, afterall I will be depending my life on it.

At this point leaning towards the LCR in .357 anyone use one of these? How is the recoil? Does it kick like a mule or is it managable for keeping on target with the follow up shots?

"Willseeker"- what caliber is your friend Mike E's lcr chambered in? Also how reliable was your Kahr K9? I really like the small semis like the pf9 and the lc9 but seems like with both they are 'hit or miss' as far as reliability is concerned which is what matters most.

I'm ashamed to say I have both. Like Will said, it's easier to get these things than to get rid of them. I carry the .38 most cause it's lighter , but no real difference. Shooting magnums out of the .357 LCR version is surprisingly controllable -for my 158 gr loads. It's a good choice, makes shooting the .38's easy. I have CT grips on the .38 version, mostly for practice. It does up the felt recoil a little.

 

[Glock23gp]

Been carrying my G23 for over 10 yrs.. I found a shield 9mm three weeks ago and had to buy it. Put over 100 rounds through it in Saturday and am carrying it in a Crossbreed minituck iwb holster now. Slim single stack with extended mag still very nice to shoot with large hands as well as concealing and the trigger is a dream. It is also extremely accurate for a pistol of its size. I would highly recommend it to anyone for an edc weapon. Just my $00.02

Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk 2

 

[NewInTown]

Sig 938
Single stack 7+1 9mm, hardly bigger than most .380s. It is phenomenal, and it has the best trigger of anything listed above (haven't shot the shield, so I can't speak to it), but I have shot the rest. Good luck in the search.

 

[skerky]

The short answer is I would recommend the M&P Shield for 9mm. The downsides are that it is large for pocket carry and possibly availability (although I had no problem getting more magazines from CTD). If pocket carry is important, a S&W Airweight.

My personal experience has been with:

KelTec P3AT: Pro is easiest to conceal, con is that I found it very painful to shoot, such that I wouldn't put more than 2-3 magazines through it in a range session (and that's a small magazine!). Recoil is such that follow-up shots were slow. I decided that I wasn't confident that I was practicing enough with it to be competent, so I wasn't going to carry it.

S&W Airweight (442/642): Concealable and comfortable enough to shoot that I actually practice with it. From my reading, .38 SPL +P is enough for defensive purposes, I don't feel the need to go up to a .357.

Ruger LC9: It's a good, economical single stack 9mm. Trigger pull is not heavy, just long (and reset is all the way back out, I had a hard time getting used to that on a semi). I didn't like the magazine safety and loaded chamber indicator. Had problems with some cheaper ammo.

S&W Shield (9mm): My favorite of the bunch. Recoil feels less than LC9 and I prefer the striker fired trigger (and the APEX trigger kit is available to improve the trigger even more). Wasn't as picky with ammo as the LC9. Again, downside is a little big for pocket carry and with the 8 round magazine it's actually quite tall.