Pocket Pistols...

[longtooth]

I too am a died in the wool .45 believer. I do know there are times that it is not the best choice though.
Just too big for Sunday carry. The .38 snubbie w/ + Ps sure does not leave you under armed.
Also in the dead of winter I will carry my Ruger GP100 & load it w/ .357 when I am in the field. A good holster & it is not that hard to conceal.

[nitrogen]

longtooth:
Thanks. That pretty much seals it, a miami classic for me when I get paid.

sailor2000: I've not had good luck with doublestack autos in shoulder holsters; so you might want a singlestack, like a GLOCK 36. Then again, it could be the cheezy cheap shoulder rig I bought for my S&W M&P, but the thing IS pretty thick.

[sailor2000]

Cannot be a shoulder rig... either IWB or in the pocket...

[NcongruNt]

Since we're not just discussing itty bitty guns, I'll throw in. There's the Walther PPK and PPK/s.

There's also the FEG PA-63, which is what I have - a PPK clone in 9mm Makarov (9x18) instead of 380. AIM Surplus just reduced the price of theirs to $109.95, which includes 2 mags. It's aluminum-framed and only weighs 23 ounces. It should conceal in a pocket just fine. I'm looking at pocket holsters for mine myself Here's the link:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Hung ... istol.html

J&G sales also has extra mags for $14.95/ea:

http://www.jgsales.com/index.php/magazi ... b9b095413c

The small problem with getting the PA-63 is ammo availability. I know that a couple of shops carry 9x18 in my area. The only big-box place I know that carries it around here is Cabela's. There are only a few good-quality defensive ammos you can find in this caliber - I would recommend Hornady XTP for this pistol - it feeds like a dream in mine. Cor-Bon also makes Pow'rBall for this caliber, and if you look hard enough, you can find Gold Dot (I think Georgia Arms has it). I tried out some of the cheaper Russian JHP stuff like Silver Bear, but found that the combination of wider bullet tips and steel cases caused the rounds to catch on the feed ramp and jam. As for FMJ ammo, I've never had anything fail, and finding plinking ammo is pretty easy, and rather cheap. Silver Bear runs around $8/box of 50. I got a good deal a couple of months ago on a bunch of S&B surplus stuff from AIM that came in boxes of 24 for $3.50/ea.

The other thing to be aware of is that the gun wasn't designed for anything more than 95gr ammo. Anything more, and you'll hate shooting it, and it can cause unnecessary wear to the slide/frame. Most of the people I've found to complain about this gun are shooting 115gr ammo and complaining that the kick is painful.

If you're interested but not sure about it... I'll buy it from you if you try it out and decide you don't like it. I'm considering ordering another one just to have around to let friends shoot when we go to the range.

(edited for spelling)

[RPBrown]

I have a P3AT and it has been totally reliable. 600 rounds and 1 problem that was me limp wristing.

I have also HAD a PM40. Several trips back to the factory (at my expense) and still did not fix it. Too expensive to be a paperweight.

Just my .02

[isoplus]

I had XD .40 sub-compact and found it to be an excellent CCW piece.
Easy to conceal, and very reliable. Tons of nice safety features too.
Being 40 cal with a short barrel (3 inch), it has some kicks tho...
I recently changed to glock 19 (9mm) since I was not able to control the kick of XD 40 sub compact in rapid fire ...

[longtooth]

No shame in that. The best CCW for anyone is what you can conceal adaquately & shoot WELL.

Welcome aboard.

[sailor2000]

Some years ago I had a Star PD... once I got som e Hogues on it to stop the checkered grips tearing up my palm, it was a great and accurate pistol... but I have decided that single action cocked n locked is not suitable for pocket carry... DAO or DA/SA is my preferred mode now... something that size and more or less power is the goal I think?

[flintknapper]

I got a Miami Classic for it & I wear it under a colored snap shirt. No jacket or vest. All the kids & grammaws at the church can hug all over the preacher & never find it. Tucks right up in my armpit.

LT, I'm surprised at you! Haven't you heard................

1. Shoulder holsters are uncomfortable.

2. They require constant attention to keep them in place.

3. They make you sweat.

4. They are slow to draw from.

5. Your arm can be pinned against your body when you try to draw.

6. Even if you do manage to draw, you will "cover" yourself (and everyone around) while doing so.

7. It is easy to "take away" your weapon because the butt of the gun is facing forward for the BG to grab.

8. You must always wear a jacket or coat to adequately cover them up.

9. They look "cool" on T.V. but really have few practical applications, (Helicopter pilots and FBI are about it).

10. And on and on and on................


Seriously, your rig looks great. You have it adjusted perfectly.

On weak hand draws....lift the butt of the gun 90 degs. from vertical as you draw. This will allow you to rotate the barrel toward the ground as it clears the holster. You may have already figured that out.

Nice pics!

[40FIVER]

I was gonna buy the S&W 642 for a pocket pistol, but the grip stuck out of my pocket, without a holster. I had to force it in at an angle to get the grip to not show. I wear Carhart jeans 99.9% of the time.

So, I thought I would look into the Kel-Tec P3AT. I called my local FFL guy and none of his suppliers had any in stock and didn't know when they would get one. I went to the closest Cabela's, about 110 miles away and they didn't have any either, and they didn't know when they would get any.

This morning I called the local gun store and they got one in yesterday, the first one they've been able to get in quite a while. So I hightailed down there and bought it. No haggling, no dealing, or anything. This one has a stainless slide and navy blue lower.

Have ya'll seen one like this around, and if so, what were they going for? I'll tell how much I paid, but I want to know if I financed his kids college or not before I spill the beans.

These little guns are sure hard to find around here. I carry my 1911 commander 24/7, but I can see where this little gun might be of use on special occasions. I'm also leaning toward the Mika holster. Anybody have any experience with Mika?


Here's a pic:

[NcongruNt]

So, I thought I would look into the Kel-Tec P3AT. I called my local FFL guy and none of his suppliers had any in stock and didn't know when they would get one. I went to the closest Cabela's, about 110 miles away and they didn't have any either, and they didn't know when they would get any.

This morning I called the local gun store and they got one in yesterday, the first one they've been able to get in quite a while. So I hightailed down there and bought it. No haggling, no dealing, or anything. This one has a stainless slide and navy blue lower.

Have ya'll seen one like this around, and if so, what were they going for? I'll tell how much I paid, but I want to know if I financed his kids college or not before I spill the beans.

Looks like they go for somewhere between $225 and $250 NIB on gunbroker. My local gun shop has them advertised for $265.

(edited to remove pic and extraneous wording)

[apowell]

...This one has a stainless slide and navy blue lower.

It is HardChromed, not Stainless. They don't make a stainless.

[HankB]

. . . I have also HAD a PM40. Several trips back to the factory (at my expense) and still did not fix it . . .

Kahr reimbursed me for shipping on my P9's several trips back to the factory. (They couldn't fix it, they replaced it. I traded the unfired replacement for a G26.)

My current pocket or "always" gun is an SW340SC. Not much fun to shoot with .357s, but it's been said that a handgun should be comforting, not comfortable.

I tried a friend's P32 - reliable, but I couldn't hit anything with it much beyond arm's reach. I suppose it's better than an icepick, but . . .

[HighVelocity]

The smallest SemiAuto that I carry is my Kahr MK9 Elite. It's a tad heavier than the PM9 but it shoots soooooo niiiiiice.

[stroo]

I quite often pocket carry either a KT P 11 or a Kimber Ultra. The trick is to make sure your pockets a big enough.