TexasCHLforum.com

SQLGeek wrote:

USA1 wrote:Congratz on getting your CHL.

Take a good look at the Ruger LC9. It's a reasonably priced 9mm that comes in a small, thin package with decent sights. I think that in the long run you'd be happier choosing a 9mm over a .380, but that's just my opinion.

I've been look at the LC9 myself for pocket carry. Nice gun, fits my hand well and the trigger, while long, feels decently smooth. Good price point, too.

Here you go...... http://www.gun-tests.com/issues/23_4/fe ... 868-1.html.

You have to be a subscriber to read the whole article (I am), but as their sub-headline reads:

We dug down into the innards of both guns to see what the similarities were. To us, Ruger’s LC9 looks mighty like a copy of Kel-Tec’s PF-9, but we didn’t think the Ruger was as good.

BTW, a subscription to Gun-Tests magazine is well worth the price. They accept no advertising from manufacturers, and they buy all the guns they test at norma retail outlets, so their tests and comparisons are real world and fair.

To the OP: I've become a recent devotee of Kahr pistols. They can be a bit spendy, but they just recently came out with a mini-9mm called the CM9 which is aimed at those seeking more affordability, and it ought to price out in the real world somewhere around $450 NIB. I have a PM9, a more expensive version of the same gun, and my wife has a CW9, which is basically the same gun as the CM9 but with a 1/2" longer slide and barrel, and one more round of magazine capacity. They weigh next to nothing, and they're only .91" in width. In fact, the CM9/PM9/MK9 pistols will fit into your front pocket in a pocket holster and conceal even better than the smallest lightweight J-Frame revolvers.

I have no complaints about my other carry pistols, and I particularly like my .45s, but I am very impressed so far with the Karhs. They shoot well. They control recoil well despite their small size. And, they are reasonably accurate. You mentioned that you were thinking of getting a smaller lighter pistol as an alternative to your Taurus, and the Kahrs would certainly provide that for you, and in a 9mm chambering to boot. Also, they are +P rated (per Kahr's website), so you don't have to download in order to accommodate the smaller gun. If you can find a gun small enough for your needs without having to drop down to .380, that would be the ticket. Try and find a shooting range that rents guns and see if they have one you can try out. If you were closer in to Grapevine, I'd let you try mine.