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Shopping for a reliable and shootable pocket gun. I've looked at a lot of them, but haven't made a decision yet. I would appreciate comments and opinions on the subject. I'm thinking 9mm or larger in caliber. Thanks.

Skeptilius wrote:Shopping for a reliable and shootable pocket gun. I've looked at a lot of them, but haven't made a decision yet. I would appreciate comments and opinions on the subject. I'm thinking 9mm or larger in caliber. Thanks.

Depending on the amount of money you want to spend, I would look at the Kahr PM9. If that is too much money, you may want to check out the Kel-Tec PF9. You will find a big difference in quality, but think the Kel-Tec is still a reliable choice.

Agree w/ Keith.
I have a friend who has the PF9 & have shot his. Some have had issues w/ them but his is reliable.

S&W 340PD. You can shoot .38 or .357. It is very light. It also has a tiny bit of recoil

I carry the KelTec P-11 when I am wearing 5.11 pants or other pants with large pockets that fit loose. I recently purchased a LCP to carry in jeans or other pants with small pockets or tight fit. I carry both in DeSantis holsters in my front pocket. Quick and easy draw while standing.

Another good choice & welcome abaord to you sir.

I'm hankerin' to try the new Ruger LCR. The nice thing about a hammer-shrouded revolver is that you can shoot through a pocket or purse if the need arises without having to worry about an auto-loader's action getting fouled.

I have three personal friends and have read many reviews about how great the Kahr PM9 is. I have an old school Kahr K9 and absolutely love it, so I would think the PM9 is probably more of the same in a smaller package. I've been (unsuccessfully) trying to obtain one on many gun forums via trade or sale, but I'm just going to buy one at the show this weekend. Hope I get there early enough.

It all depends on what you want. If you want something you can always carry then you need to go smaller to a Kel tec 3AT or a Seacamp or a NAA. If you don't mind something large, but you really need big pockets to carry it, a Glock 26 is about the best 9mm option or you could go to a 3 inch barrel 1911 in a number of different makes in .45. In between you can find a lot of guns including the Kahr, the KT P-9 and P-11, j-frames etc. Personally I prefer the in between pocket gun most of the time and prefer my j-frame over my KT P-11 if only because of the trigger.

Just finished my 300 round break in with my PM9 had no ftf, accurate, dependable, concealable. So far worth the price.

Have not had occasion in my short cc life to put it into carry, as my clothing thus far has provided the ability to carry a 1911.

I appreciate the comments and opinions you guys are posting. Most of the guns you suggest are the ones I had already given serious consideration. I guess we are all on the same page in that regard. I already own a .357 snubby, considered by many to be an excellent pocket gun. I hesitate on that one due to it's 24oz weight, plus I just have a passion for semi-autos. I could broaden my choices if I included guns in .380 caliber but I'm just not sure about the stopping power of the .380 round. Shot placement is paramount with that caliber and let's face it - a deadly force self-defense situation is not the same as careful firing on the range. Hence, I lean toward the "bigger is better" mind set. Thanks again, I really appreciate your help.

The Rohrbaugh is the best, smallest and lightest 9 on the planet.

I've had a Kahr PM9 for about two years, and, I absolutely love it. Wasn't always that way, though. It had some issues during the break-in period, i..e. random failure to fire and fully return to battery...little bit aggravating. I telephoned Kahr and received an authorization to return it for service. I paid the postage initially. A reimbursement check accompanied my serviced kahr when it was returned to me. It's been 100% since. It's a little big for the front pockets of jeans. It fits well in the front pockets of dockers and jackets/windbreakers, etc. Slim, flat, lightweight, manageable recoil even with +P, and very accurate at self-defense distances...great little semi-auto.

ntexaschl

Ya know, I just glossed things over with a quick post about the Ruger LCR because, well, I want one. But stroo is absolutely correct--and it sounds as if this is the way you're looking at the issue--that purpose is the most important consideration. It's pretty much inevitable with guns, ammo, or holsters that, when you ask for a general recommendation, folks will respond with, "This is what I have, and it's great." Understandable.

Probably the biggest consideration is whether the pocket gun will be intended as a standalone carry or a BUG. Personally, I'm content with a mouse gun of .32 ACP or larger if it's a BUG. I believe most people think of a BUG exclusively as a weapon you go to if your primary malfunctions. While that's part of the rationale to carrying a BUG, it isn't the greatest consideration.

Nope; the greatest need for a BUG is as a force multiplier when you can't get to your primary, or your presentation or use of your primary has been fouled. I've been on a soapbox about the whole shooting distance and combatives thing for years now; everybody's tired of me beating it to death. The fact remains, though, that if you ever have to use a handgun for self-defense away from you're own property, the range from you to the bad guy will be--with a very high statistical probability--from 7 to 0 feet. It isn't difficult at all for an attacker to foul the draw of a concealed handgun at clinching distance, especially if the gun is carried in a poor tactical position like small-of-back. If you ever get the chance to do any force-on-force training with Airsoft or Simunitions, it's very eye-opening.

My primary is a 1911 in .45 ACP. I almost never carry it on my strong-side hip without having a mouse gun BUG in the opposite front pocket. If a self-defense situation comes to in-fighting, and it likely will, I don't know which of my arms I'll be able to free first. If I've swept my cover garment aside and have gone for a pistol holstered on my right-hand side, guess where the bad guy (or guys, plural) is going to focus.

Remember the Clint Smith maxim: "A handgun is something you use to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have left behind in the first place." Well, that's how I view a BUG. It has little to do with malfunctions or out-of-ammo situations (that's why I carry spare mags), and it has a lot to do with possibly having to fight my way back to--or fight to retain--my primary carry gun. For that reason, I'm not really concerned with my 25-yard accuracy with a BUG, and I'm a little less concerned about caliber. What I want is something small, that I can access fairly quickly with my off-hand, and that I can pump out several shots at very close range. With a .45 on my right hip, it's almost always a Seecamp .32 in my left front pocket. (I have a P3AT, also, but it's proven to be unreliable and is never carried.)

If a pocket gun is to be the primary carry on any given day, I'm a lot more concerned with caliber and accuracy. I never carry the Seecamp by itself. For that purpose, my personal opinion is that .38 Special or 9mm is the floor. I have two pistols for that use: a Kahr PM9 and a Glock 27 (fannypacker is right: if I didn't have the PM9 and had some extra coin to spend, I'd like to have a Rohrbaugh). The Glock, for me, is purely a cargo-pants or jacket pocket sort of thing; just too thick to carry in a regular pant pocket.

For some modes of dress, sometimes even the PM9 is too large to be easily carried in a pocket. Rather than resort to the Seecamp and go below 9mm, I'll carry the Kahr in a SmartCarry or a 5.11 holster shirt.

In the scenarios I've mentioned, one failing of an auto-loading pistol is that its action is susceptible to fouling if fired surrounded by clothing or other items. Too, if you end up in a grappling situation, you don't want to shoot an auto-loader when its muzzle is in direct contact with the target: it can fail to return to battery. So the real possibility exists of the semiauto in these conditions becoming a one-shot option.

That's where a little revolver--with a shrouded hammer--would come in. The new Ruger LCR is about the same size as a Smith J-frame...a little over 6-inches long, a little over an inch wide, and about 14 ounces unloaded. Inside a special-purpose carry purse or for cool-weather carry in a jacket pocket, if you're being "interviewed" by a potential bad guy and think something might come down, you can have your hand on the revolver--without giving away that you have a gun or taking an aggressive stance--and be ready to shoot through without taking time to draw.

A handy reference for the sizes and basic specs of small handguns can be found here: http://www.mouseguns.com/PocketAutoComparison.pdf.

Have fun choosing!

Right now, my pocket gun is a Ruger LCP. I've had good experience with it, and no feeding issues with it at all. It is considerably more accurate for me with a finger extension on the magazine. It is, however, only useful at close ranges. Yes, there has been a recall, although I've not heard one story of a failure in connection with a gun because of the recalled parts. While the fit & finish is quite good with these guns, they are unfortunately not made of stainless steel (barrel or slide). I found this out the hard way by carrying mine in a holster shirt for a few days while doing outdoor work in the summer time. I did get the rust out (only surface rust), and now know to clean and oil it daily if I'm going to be carrying where I may expose it to sweat. It is very comfortale for pocket carry. I keep mine in either a holster shirt or my front right pocket (in a pocket holster), and can forget it's there. They go for about $300 these days.

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I've heard good buzz recently about the Sig P238. Rather than polymer DAO gun like the LCP, it's got an aluminum frame, is single action (cocked and locked!), and has sights that you can actually see (and night sights!). I've not shot one myself yet, but I'm very interested in it. Accuracy is said to be good (a VERY good trait in a pocket gun), and it's got a lot of nice features like a beavertail frame. Street price looks to be about $450 or so.

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Another pocket gun I'm interested in is the Ruger LCR. A very compact snub-nose 5-shot .38+P revolver, just recently released. It is quite light, using polymer in the grip area, it has gotten good reviews so far. They run around $500.

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