Would like some advice.
Am going to pick up a small 9mm pistol for pocket carry. (or small holster carry)
Have a G17 gen-3 now, am going to keep it, but would like a smaller gun for concealed carry.
Am thinking of staying with 9mm, because I would like to stay with one type of ammo, rather than have 9mm and .380 on the shelf.
I figure some of you have some practical experience with small 9mm's, and would like to hear your thoughts.
Thanks in advance.
Old Crab � I�ve owned several small 9mm�s that would fit into somewhat large pockets. A couple I have written about on my web site
www.shootersJournal.net, and a few I have had, but just never wrote about. Two that are on the web site are:
Taurus PT908:
http://shootersjournal.net/taurus-709-slim-review/ Astra A70:
http://shootersjournal.net/the-astra-a-70-quite-possibly-the-best-defense-pistol-for-a-woman/ So the Taurus is pretty new, and the one I had was a VERY good little gun. It�s about as light as any LW snub nosed revolver, yet carries a full 6 rounds of 9mm. Mine was accurate and reliable, and I very much liked the fact that it had an external safety on a pocket gun.
The Astra is a little large, but believe it or not, I�ve managed to get it into the front pocket of either Levi�s or Wrangler jeans (both of which have generous pockets) just fine. At 25oz, it�s a touch on the heavy side, but it�s an all steel gun with an 8 round magazine capacity. The great thing about the Astra is the quality; this really is a first rate gun. And I very much appreciate a single action gun in a world full of DA�s and DAO�s. My only complaint is the safety comes off a little too easy for pocket carry (fine for holster carry), so when it�s in my pocket, it�s carried condition 2 or 3 (condition 2 really takes a good amount of practice before I recommend anyone trying). Another really great thing about the Astra is the price; when you can find one.
Glock 26 � Although a bit blocky, this is one of the best sub-compact 9mm�s out there.
Kahr � CM9 � Now I�ve run into a couple of these that had some functioning issue; but then I�ve encountered others that worked perfectly. If you have one of the latter, you have a really great pistol. If by chance you end up with one that has issues, Kahr is good about making it right as a general rule.
Rohrbaugh R9 � These are quite pricey, but man are they nice. They�re uber-small, uber-lightweight; but uber-expensive at over a grand each. I�ve shot two of them and both shot very well and carried even better. I�ve not hear of any issues with these, but I�ve never owned one or carried one for any extended period of time.
I�m still a huge fan of snub nosed revolvers for pocket carry. If you�re considering a snubbie, I did a roundup article on snubbies from .32 H&R on up to .357 mga here: http://shootersjournal.net/snub-nose-roundup-a-look-at-today%e2%80%99s-small-frame-snub-nosed-revolvers/
