Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .38 Special snub vs. 9mm sub-compact

I have 2 Air Lites and I feel ok with them

I would rather have my P220 or USP... but too big

Snake

Absolutely - at least, in my case..

You cannot make a 6-round cylinder diameter as thin as say, a Kahr P-9.. That revolver's gonna print..

Now, maybe if the person's 500# and usin' suspenders with baggy pants and pockets.............

[/quote]I've carried both and when carried in a front pocket, the flat auto's tend to print more. The cylinder seems to breakup the outline. Either way it's clear something large is in the pocket, but with the revolver it seems much less obviously a handgun.

You missed the point TRH. A man's jaw is alot softer than a concrete sidewalk.
I've never seen a semi auto put out of action after being bounced on the sidewalk. Again, half of the revolver I know of were.
Never saw a large auto, when used as a club, put out of action either. This was before the coming of the Glock.
The gunsmith I used back in the day once told me that he had lots of parts stocked for revolvers. But none for the large semi auto pistols. They was simply no need. E

For me yes the semi is flatter and reloads faster for me than does the revolver and since I prefer 1911's the trigger pull is always better than a revolvers double action pull

I was surprised that my 640 printed less and carried more comfortably than my Shield did in the same type IWB holsters from the same maker, Kusiak.

Being a civilian, I don't see the need for quick one handed reloads or for using a hand gun as a club. It's simply a last chance do or die weapon. If I want to go pick a fight you won't notice my full size M&P9 on my war belt full of magazines due to the AR-15 I'm carrying.

Different tools for different jobs.

My memory's a little fuzzy. I remember a couple years ago somebody on here talking about how their plain old leather vest was bullet proof. Does anybody else remember that thread?

Heheheh...

As long as the comparison is strictly against tiny six shot autos then I guess I could be forced to agree................or if placing parameters on the type of fight the gun will be used in, vs. being prepared for the fight you're given. However times have changed since the .38spl snubby reigned supreme. Society has changed, and with it the notion that the "average gunfight" will only take 2-3 rounds. Maybe, but what if? The gun industry has also evolved, and today's gun buyer isn't forced to the snubby unless he really wants one. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, they still perform as they always have, but there are other choices now. As a reliable backup to something bigger and better, the snubby is a worthy choice. But as a primary defensive arm, no thank you.

For me the advantages of the small auto over the snubby revolver are:
-Capacity
-Flatness (concealability)
-Speed of reloads
-Convenience of carrying reloads
-Typically better sights (adjustable, and easy to swap/customize)
-Easier to shoot faster while maintaining accuracy

I truly don't care what anyone else chooses to carry. I'm simply giving my reasons for my choices.

It might be, if the guy got shot by a .25ACP...

All good points above sir...


Lady brought in a brand-new Taurus revolver yesterday - a hammerless version in .380.. (I didn't note the model)...

It has the WORST trigger pull I've ever experienced - strong to the point of 'nearly painful (literally) to pull'...

Since it was new I suggested she call Taurus and have them fix it.. NO gauge would be strong enough to measure that pull - it hadda be in excess of 20#, easy...

Well said.

Perhaps you missed that I was speaking of pocket guns.

Perhaps you missed the small 3" 1911's I can stick 1 in my pocket if I choose

You've got some big pockets. Just sayin'. A PM9 is all I can hide in a front pocket.

I figured out awhile back that my Ruger LCR/laser, in a Desantis Nemesis, will ride nicely in the RH cargo pocket of the thigh pocket on a pair of 5.11 pants, and looks much like a wallet in your pocket. Pretty good anti-carjacking rig. Really easy to access.

I should add the side pocket on the 5.11 shorts isn't tall enough for this setup.

A "anti-carjacking" rig is NOT a pistol in your right front pocket.
If I'm in Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio, my Pistole is laying right beside me On Top of the Console of my F-250.
And of course, mine is covered with a newspaper to be legally concealed in accordance with the TX CHL laws.

If you gotta dig your weapon out of your pocket, while the Carjacker is trying to drag your ass out of your vehicle, your all ready screwed! Better be ready long before that Oh [bleep] moment takes place! Just Sayin.

Of course the best way to avoid being Carjacked is common sense and avoidance. Ethier don't stop, or run the bad guy over with your truck.

A buddy of mine made a wrong turn in L.A. In a rental car several years ago & ended up in the Watts neighborhood, or probably the worst Hood in the U.S.
He claimed he ran ever red light in the hood until he made it back to the HWY.

quite a few years ago my wife and i flew into LAX late at night, and i rented a car. Made a wrong turn and ended up in watts, although i didn't know it at the time. What i did know is not liking the barricade of trashcans accross the road at around midnight. I just rammed them and kept on going. And did pretty much the same thing as to red lights.

Good ole Common Sense. I'd of done the same thing, too. Rental Car Ins. is cheap,too

The handgun is much more easily accessible than 3 o'clock on the R hip. So accessible, you can easily pull it out before you stop, which would pretty much be the plan in the "hood". CT lasers don't need to be aimed. You can't aim a handgun and drive a car at the same time, at least not well. I shoot some hoodrat, I ain't stoppin', I'm driving.

I've dropped a Glock 19 in my front pocket before, and they were just off the shelf Wranglers. The gun did print a bit but if you just keep your hand in the pocket, it was pretty much invisible. So I can see a sub-compact working for John. A bit on the heavy side, but it can work. I can easily pocket carry my Astra A70; only downside is the weight...it's an all steel pistol about the same size as a Kahr P9.

Still, the weight does make it awkward, so I typically carry the Cobra as a pocket gun.

I wear loose fitting clothes and shirts that are not tucked in