Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns In a defensive gun what is your preferred trade off?

No offense but that's just gay as hell.

….then you look like Herve Villechaize wearing Speedo when he sees Halle Berry…. :-)
……………...(or maybe Travis when he's canoeing)……..

Not much of a trade off with a G-23?

Shoots, conceals, capacity, point and shoot. About perfect!

[/quote] Another thing is concealability is seasonal. [/quote]


Unless you are carrying a Desert Eagle, or wear nothing but speedos your statement is false.

You can conceal a g 19 sized gun in a t shirt and jeans
The same as a t shirt and cargo shorts

Of course, there's no easy answer on this because variations in body type/build, preferred carry methods and hot vs. cool climate, make it harder for some to conceal effectively than others. The best solution will always have to be tailored to individual needs.

In my case, I've generally sacrificed capacity for concealability, going for smaller guns like the Kahrs and the Springfield XDs, to name two favorites.

However, I just turned in a review of a new gun that will very likely earn a prominent spot in my carry rotation: the new XD Mod 2 in .45. While it's barely larger than an XDs (standard mag capacity of 5), it gives you 9+1 rounds of .45 in the standard mag and 13 rounds as a backup in the extended mag. Height, overall length and slide width are quite close to the highly concealable XDs. The biggest difference is in the grip width, to accommodate a double stack mag, but it's still slim enough to remain highly concealable. The more I shoot and carry this pistol, the more it has grown on me. 9+1 rounds of .45 in a reliable sub-compact that's surprisingly soft-shooting. What's not to like? OK, the absence of night sights... which is something I'll remedy if I buy this one -- or rather, when I buy this one. Oh, and if you're wondering about holster fit, it works in all holsters designed for earlier XD sub-compacts.

You know, you wouldn't have that problem if you loaded it with matching ammo.

Just sayin'...

what is kind of funny to me now in the age of polymer pistols and the like, is in the old days i packed around a model 19smith all the time, summer or not, and didn't have an issue with it.
today it's a baby glock in model 33, currently in .357sig. With aftermarket barrels in .357sig, .40s&w, and 9mm. With a spare hi cap mag. I kind of think glocks are ugly and have no class. Except mine have always worked_reliability, shoot well enough for me_accuracy, and a lot of firepower in a relative small package. I still think they are ugly tho.

I've been packing a pistol of one sort or another since the mid 70's. After all that, my 'compromise guns' are a Glock 30 with a mild grip reduction and a LCP.

Two friends jumped on the (blowback action) Ruger LCP 380 bandwagon a few years ago
for defensive carry - and soon after complained about the unpleasant recoil.

I don't have a permit to carry, but I mostly relied on a CZ 40P pistol as a defensive handgun
sometimes found in in a jacket pocket holster or under my belt.

I do want to get a CCW permit and I have recently purchased a Sig 290-RS sub-compact pistol in 9MM.
I guess my defensive handgun trade-off is from 40 Caliber to 9MM for a smaller caliber and size
and the additional comfort in carrying and shooting.

Very well said, Dan. I agree completely.