Your favorite single stack

[MarkSBG]

Hey all,

After carrying a G19 IWB for years and years, I have decided I want to give a single stack a try. I am a thin guy and once tried carrying a double stack 45. That was, um, difficult.

I have been considering a compact 1911, Walther PPS, Kahr MK9, or something similar. So, here it is:

What is your favorite single stack carry semi-auto?

Tell me why I'm right. Tell me why I'm wrong. Thanks for the opinions!

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[toys]

imo,

you carry what you are competant with handling/shooting. thats it. its a personal choice too.

 

[Spad]

Take a look at a Sig/P6, surplus German Police pistol. Single stack really nice pistols. The Sig forum has lot of info on them. Excellent gun. Don't be turned off that they are used. Another one is a Makarov, small extremely well built pistol and totally reliable. Spad

 

[Oro]

Single stack are the only autos I will own, and this has been a rule for 20+ years. Single stacks I have met and liked:

1911's in any caliber except 10 mike mike.
Sig single stacks (Sig P6's were great buys last year but now about market price)
S&W gen 1 and gen 2 singles stacks - many, many models.

Too many foreign manufacturers (save Sig, notably) have focused on capacity instead of ergonomics, in my opinion, the last 20 years at the expense of useful civilian arms. the worst gun in my opinion (after the HK VP70, of course): the Beretta 92. They are so crappy, I understand you can get one for free if you join the army, for example .

Even in 9mm to me the width of a double stack frame deteriorates both carry comfort, shooting comfort, and also accuracy to a degree that is unacceptable. Maybe I should start my own handgun cult - "1stack4ever" .

I always thought the guys at Para, despite building a truly crappy gun, should get some credit for putting "Hog" in their double-stack .45 line up names!

 

[Sun195]

Well, I'm fond of the 1911 and Kahr PM9 in single-stack guns.

 

[KingArt]

i have small hands also and love single stacks. the 1911 is my all time favorite chambered in .45. even if you want to try .40s&w the taurus pt140 millennium's circumference is actually smaller than a 1911 and it's double-stacked. if taurus was know for reliability and quality then i'd be carrying that. unfortunately, it's not known for those. =( kahrs are pretty thin, but i don't want to pay that much $$ for a firearm that's also not known for reliability or accuracy.

 

[motoman98]

Sig P239 in .40 S&W, or 9mm w/ Houge grips. Sig P245 in .45acp.
Kel-tec P3 AT in .380 with crimson trace!

 

[tionico]

Find someone with a Browing Hi Power and handle/shoot it some .... 9mm, some are in .380 and rarely in .40 S&W. One of the slenderest, best balanced handguns out there, Sure, they're a touch heavy, they are ALL METAL. I've seen some thirty years and more in age, still function like new. Standard mag is 10, 13's common, I've seen up to 17, but I believe these extend below the grip. I find it amazing that John Browning, way back in the nineteen teens, designed this gun..... few improvements since then. I'd recommend getting an adjustable rear sight (either the two-way adjustable "target" sight or the elevation only adjustable "tangent" sight. Fixed sights have their few advantages, (cheaper, can't be knocked about) and limitations (not adjustable). Rugged, perfectly balanced..... the standard length barrel (about 4.5") is commonly available in several variants, the GB Comp adds another inch, but doesn't feel heavier. A VERY sweet pistol. I've never seen one on here, only found one at a Washington gun show, but have bought two on Gunbroker/Auctionarms. Seen a number of them range from $mid-5's to over a grand.

 

[Oro]

Find someone with a Browing Hi Power and handle/shoot it some

Huh? That's not a single stack, nor is it even an "efficient' double stack 9mm. Despite the efficient barrel design, the grip is till as blocky as a Glock and holds less rounds. I've tried many times to buy a BHP- even had the check book out on the gun dealer's counter, but could not sign off on a gun with a grip that fat that hurt my hand...

The BHP has it's virutes, but basically it's like a more cumbersome 1911 with a wimpy round but a few more of them, and less ergonomic. Flame me all you want, those are facts, not opinions.

 

[Spad]

Oro, what you said are your opinions, not facts. Try a Hi-Power out you might be suprised. Could be you have small hands. I think you are having a little fun with us, 9mm is not a "wimpy" round. I might add you must be looking at some strange Hi-Powers because the grip width on my Hi-Power and Colt Combat Commander are the same. Hi-Powers are great pistols. Spad

 

[tionico]

Oro, interesting your set of "facts". Maybe you've got hold of some strange variant of the BHP, as well.

When shopping for a carry pistol I tried every model of Glock.. can't hang onto them, my hands are too small, or they are too fat. Even the tiny ones ( and I'd realised I really wanted a gun with a handgrip that will let ALL my fingers wrap round it, not a shortie as in the baby Glocks).

Ended up buying Kimber 1911 full size, new. It fit and felt great. A tad heavy......

then I started thinking of something a bit smaller, and came across the BHP. The grip on that is a touch narrower than the Kimber, and a WHOLE lot more narrow than the Glocks. Sure, it is double stack, but with the nine mike mike it works well. A touch thinner than the single stack .45 ACP of the Kimber. I've handled some Colt 1911's in .45 ACP, a S&W Shorty Forty, and a Springfield XD 9. My small hands find the BHP the best of the lot.....
but maybe you just don't like them, that is fine. How many on here recommend and carry Glock? But I am not impressed, for MY OWN use. I can't hold onto them well enough to feel I'm the one driving the bus.

And that is why I merely suggested you get YOUR hands round one and try it for a while. No flame, if you don't like them, fine. More of them for those of us who DO. And I see Spad fits that lot. The fact that the GB Comp I was able to find and buy is known for its longer range accuracy doesn't bother me in the slightest, either. Haven't had the chance to really find out, as I've got one shoulder out of commission, just had surgery to repair it, and shooting anything with authority just doesn't appeal to me right now.

 

[Spad]

Tionico says it right. I have a Glock and don't like it for a few reasons, one the grip is to fat, but more important, can't carry it in my pocket,no safety. The BS about the trigger being a safety is a joke. It is a trigger plain and simple. You snag that trigger and it goes bang. LEO's keep thier weapons holstered. I have gone from my HP to a lighter 9mm, usually a Taurus PT111 for a pocket gun, which has a manual safety plus a Glock like trigger only better with a second strike capability. My Sig'sand CZ PO-1 fit in my pocket also but are just a little heavier then the Taurus. Even my Combat Commander fits in my pocket, but is to heavy for me .The HP is one of the finest pistols in the world with a proven track record, I'm never afraid to carry mine. To each his own, but 9mm is a very good round, Corbon DPX and a few others take a backseat to nothing. Cheers, Spad.

 

[Bajablast]

if taurus was know for reliability and quality then i'd be carrying that. unfortunately, it's not known for those. =( .

Taurus backs up their products with a lifetime warranty, so that is a good point to consider. They have really upped their quality also, as the 24/7 line is very highly rated.


I have a 2nd gen Millennium PT 145 Pro and it is significantly more reliable than 1st gen. My neighbor has a 1st gen and has had to send it back to Taurus twice for repair/adjustment. I have had no problems with my 2nd gen including zero jams or extraction problems. Also it is very light and will be my carry piece when I get my CCL.

Just my 2 cents.

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If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

 

[Spad]

I have a Taurus third generation PT111 Millenium Pro-9mm and so far it has been flawless. Being a short barrel gun it isn't as controlable for accuracy as the Sigs, CZ, Hi-Power.Short range OK though. Spad

 

[TMann]

Single stack 9mm semi-autos that I've enjoyed shooting:

- Sig 225 and 229
- Smith & Wesson 3913
- Kahr P9, PM9, MK9, K9 and T9

The MK9 is my current carry gun. Very small, yet very easy to shoot well.

TMann

 

[MacBookProAR]

S&w 3913

 

[Natty Bumpo]

Speaking only of 9mm:

Smith and Wesson Model 39
Sig 239
HK P7
Steel frame Kahrs

 

[swoop]

i have small hands also and love single stacks. the 1911 is my all time favorite chambered in .45. even if you want to try .40s&w the taurus pt140 millennium's circumference is actually smaller than a 1911 and it's double-stacked. if taurus was know for reliability and quality then i'd be carrying that. unfortunately, it's not known for those. =( kahrs are pretty thin, but i don't want to pay that much $$ for a firearm that's also not known for reliability or accuracy.

Where did you get your info on the Kahr? I have a lot of rounds down the tube of my PM9 never a problem. If you want quality, you might have to pay a little more..that goes for reading material also.

 

[swoop]

Well, I'm fond of the 1911 and Kahr PM9 in single-stack guns.

+1..love 1911's and PM9's and a few other gun that were trashed here.

 

[Wenis]

Favorite single stack... a custom Kimber 1911