Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Conceal carry?

Needing to get a conceal carry pistol/revolver Found a good deal on a Smith and Wesson 637 air-weight 38. Any good/bad on them. Also are the Kimber Micro 9’s any good. Thanks

My Kimber Micro 9 was a jammer. Nothing wrong with a good ole S&W Airweight in .38 sp. I prefer the Glock 43 in 9mm, but there are a ton of good options for concealed carry nowadays.

We had a concealed carry match today, nothing bigger than a Shield. I shot my Shield and a DAO J frame, took some lessons to heart.

J frames can be shot fast enough and accurately enough but there’s no way I can reload quick enough.

5 is not always gonna be enough.

A Shield or Glock 43 will work just fine and are probably the best of the sub compacts.

I'd like to get a Shield myself.

My wife had a 637 (new maybe 3 years ago) and it was real stiff at first. If you didn't push the loaded cylinder shut like you meant it, the trigger would catch about halfway back on the first DA stroke. It went down the road PDQ and got replaced with a M&P40C, which she shot better right out of the chute.

I picked up a Shield 9 and didn't care for the trigger plus it is a bit bulky for me. Ordered a 637 Smith for its size for pocket carry. Seller made mistake and shipped a 642 instead with a trigger that was also awful. Decided to keep it after seller gave me a good rebate for the mistake. For pocket carry it is ideal. Did complete workover of internals and changed the springs and that gun shoots! Very pleased with it, and I don't have to worry about hammer hanging when coming out.

Sometimes, neither is 15. What led you to your conclusion?

Life

I would pick the Smith over the Kimber.

I actually prefer something like a Glock 26 with the mag pinky extension but if you aren't use to carrying then the revolver would be a better first choice.

The alloy J-frames are great pocket guns but they are just that--pocket guns. Reap the benefits while realizing the limitations.

I am partial to the 642 no lock and the shield.

5 is absolutely enough. At least until the day it isn't.

25 years ago we experienced a "100 years flood". One year later we experienced another "100 years flood". What were the odds of that?

Carry what you are willing to carry and use it well. Fear not the flood...

Glock 19 or Glock 23 (9mm and .40 S&W respectively) are the best trade off between ammo onboard and size. I’ve been searching for the best compromise concealed carry pistol since 1984 when I started my L.E. career. Nothing ever quite felt right. If it was easy to conceal it didn’t carry enough rounds to give me a warm fuzzy feeling. If it carried enough ammo it was too big to effectively hide and too heavy for comfort. I believe the Glock 19 & 23 push the envelope in size, but after carrying my wife’s G19 for a month I am convinced this is the combination I’ve been searching 34 years for. Unfortunately she won’t give hers up so I have to part with some of my slush fund.

Good luck in your search!

Glock 19 is my favorite. Carried one yesterday in an appendix inside waistband position while putting down flooring and quarter round molding. Actually forgot I was packing.

SIG P365 for the win. Or, if single stack will suffice, Kahr CW9.

I like my Ruger sp101 in 357 Magnum.

Get a semi-auto Glock 42 .380 and you will thank me over & over again. Real nice shooter that's fits some right-front pockets. Make sure it's a Gen-2 or later, not an earlier Gen-1 version.

I own several handguns and that's my favorite one for CC. If I want shirt-pocket carry, I use my smaller Beretta Pico..... also a later model.

Buying early versions of handguns can ask for troubles down the line. Perfect example is the most popular Ruger LCP. The ones made the last few years are terrific.

I like my Shield 9 plenty

Some years ago I got my wife a Smith 642, the trigger was too stiff for her so we got rid of it and got her a Ruger LCR...problem solved

I like my S&W Mod 60, .357. I have a lot of other concealed carry options but this is my favorite. Sometimes IWB sometimes OWB, it depends on weather and clothing.

This guy only needed four.



L.W.