Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Concealed Carry Recommendation

I'm building a home in a state that permits CCW. Now I have to choose one. Here are my considerations.

1. Ease of carry. Ain't no point of having one, if it's too big to want to carry. Like autos since they're flat.

2. Ease of pointing at short range. This will not be a target gun, just one to use in a personal emergency.

3. Not sure about caliber. Two or three small rounds at short range should do the job, so why pay the weight/recoil penaly for a big bore. For the same reason, don't see why I need a big magazine.

4. Want a nice gun. At my age, I've got the bucks, and see no reason not to carry a nice piece.

5. Gotta be reliable. If I need to use it, I will really need to use it.

6. Should be DA. Don't want to fuss with pulling back the hammer if I need it, nor do I like carrying a gun "cocked and locked."

7. Finally, what do you guys think about the old Mauser HSc? I had one of those years ago and kinda liked it. Might go back to it if there's nothing better on the market today.

Doc, You'll probably receive as many different opinions as you receive reply's. So I'll start with mine. Thought long and hard about it when I bought my handgun for concealed carry. Liked the idea of an auto but while there are a lot of excellent choices out there, nothing really floated my boat for carrying everyday. I finally decided on the S&W 642. Very light and surprising slim for a wheel-gun. It DAO since there is no exposed hammer and doesn't get hung up when carrying in my pocket (light enough to carry in my pocket!!). I also find it easy to bring to target.

Lately have looked at the little Makarov's (9x18) ... shot Boggy's and it was also easy to bring to target.

Good Luck!

My choice would be a RUGER P-345. Nice and slim, 8 in the mag and 1 in the tube. Light weight, accurate, dependable, not hard on the wallet. If I were to ever have to use a weapon in self defence, I would want to use one powerfull enough to put the attacker down for keeps with the first round in center mass and not have to worry about my second & third round hits.
Jusy two cents!

The 642 is as good as it gets for a pocket gun IF you don't shoot it much. If you are going to practice regularly, the steel frame 640 is nicer to shoot, but it does tug on the pocket more. Another economical alternative is the Kel Tec P11, but it is a smidge too big for a pocket gun IMHO.

S&W Hammerless (640, 642, 342) all the way! Easy to carry, plenty of firepower to fill your needs, accurate at close range (you can even get a factory set of laser grips, if that trips your trigger), and dead-on reliable. No guesswork, no misfeeds, no problems. Just point and shoot. Nothing to "remember," either, except, of course, to pull the trigger.

There are a bunch of really good shops in your area that you ought to be able to go handle a few and see what you think. If my guess is correct as to where you're headed, or if you're up for a short road trip, try Green Top Sporting Goods in Glen Allen, VA, or Dawsons or Shooter's Paradise in Woodbridge.

See the threads "How do you guys carry" and "Decided on what and wehre to carry" - you might have to Search Handguns for my user name going back about two months.

I decided on a .32 ACP Kel-Tec which satisfies your requirements:

1 - REALLY meets that one. Teeny tiny little thing and weighs about 7-8 ounces fully loaded.

2 - Hands vary so YMMV, but mine points more naturally than most DA revolvers.

3 - 8 rounds all up, 7 in the mag and one in the chamber. Light, very controllable recoil. Jumps a wee bit but NOT at all harsh or snappy. To me the recoil is not nearly as bad as regular 158 grain .38 Specials in a 4", 35 ounce S&W Model 15.

4 - No, it looks like a little cheap POS, all polymer and matte black, but it has a sort of ugly deadliness all it's own, kind of like a black scorpion.

5 - So far, so good. The magazine makes all the difference in the world. One mag I have works flawlessly and the other is going back to Kel-Tec for a free replacement. FWIW - it only failed to feed on the very last round, so since you've already had your 7 shots it's kind of a moot point. With both magazines never, not a single one, failure to fire, extract or eject.

6 - DA only. At 6 pounds (IIRC, could be 7), the trigger is much lighter than my Ruger and S&W DA revolvers. No safety, no slide release, not even a rear sight to get in the way of a smooth draw. It does not have second strike capability, you have to pull the slide back about 1/4 to "set" the trigger, that is the only drawback, but using factory ammo I have never ever had a failure to fire. Haven't put any reloads through it yet so can't comment on that. But for defense you'd want good factory ammo anyway.

7 - The Mauser is a good pistol but IIRC is DA first shot and SA for the rest. Also twice as big and three times as heavy as the Kel-Tec.

I'm a handgun snob - only Kimber, S&W and Ruger for me, until now. Never would have considered this little polymer thing before, but now am totally sold on it and it is my constant companion.

Doc,

Since you like autos, check out the Kahr pistols.

IMO, the best semi-auto going for concealed carry.

Doc,

FWIW, this is what I carry:

Most urban settings where I don't have a suitable cover: a dehorned S&W Model 60 (I'm an old guy) loaded with Federal 125-grain HydraShoks. When I use this, I am prepared to shoot for the eye sockets.

Suitable cover available: Kimber Ultra CDP II from the custom shop in--what else?--.45 ACP.

Percieved threat imminent: A full-size custom 1911 and at least two spare mags.

Out in the boondocks (God's Country, but where the devil may have his operatives): One of several .44 Special or .44 Magnum revolvers. I don't care who sees it here, they just better be impressed!

Where would one have to travel to have a perceived threat as imminent?? If you know you are going to go somewhere where you are going to get attacked ... why go there??

Doc....if you have the bucks for a pretty gun go get the training first to go along with it. There are a lot of good training academies in the country and a good place to start the foundation is the NRA Basic Pistol Course followed by the Personal Protection in the Home Course. After those two courses you'll have the foundation to make a better informed decision as to what gun best suits your needs and can then go on to one of the better schools CC courses.

Just going and sticking a gun in your belt because it feels right without the knowlege, skills and attitude to go along with it is the makings of a disaster.....Bob

After toting Colt Cobra's and Colt Commanders for years I now have these two plus my old Colt 1903 32. These are all I need for where I normaly frequent, the plus being that I WILL have at least one of them on my body ALL the time. Even the 9MM Kel-Tec is light and flat enough for all day carry and has a long enough trigger pull to be safer than a Glock ever thought of being.

Ava,

Every once in a while I have found myself having to enter an environment that I would otherwise avoid. It isn't often, and it's even rarer the older (and dumber) I get.

But there once was a Sunday night I found myself at 101st and Prairie in SoCal...the story would best be told elsewhere...anyway, that 1911 and the twin mags were mighty comfortin'.

Glad I'm so much dumber now...

Moi

Doc - I will second JOG's reccommendation of the Kahr pistols - with exception. Lately Kahr has been reported to have some QC problems with the plastic-frame versions. Stick to the steel-frame Kahrs and you should do just fine. Check out the new Kahr T9. I think it fits *all* of your criteria.

I will second Jim In Idaho, he has found the secret to life.
I have and can afford any pistol or revolver but after years of carry and much shooting the little cheap looking Kel Tec 32 ACP is a joy, freedom from all the faults of the BIG GUNS. If it's personal safety, defense, it will be close and the little GIANT with high preformance ammo is a go anywhere summer or winter friend that is dependable and save your life. After 53 years of carry and never killing anyone it fits my needs every day. JMO -- no

Doc,
The choice of a personal pistol for conceiled carry is so personal a thing it is very hard to say one is better than another save for obvious things like size and weight.

What suits me may not suit you due to individual things like body shape, hand size, typical type of clothing worn both by you and the general public that you are in. IE You would look like an idiot wearing a jacket to hide a M1911 while every body else was in shorts. Or if nobody in the neighborhood ever wore fanny packs you'd stick out like a sore thumb if you did.

The boys have given you some good suggestions and named some good pistols. Some of them I don't like just because I don't but they might suit you to a tea.

You mentioned the old Mauser HSc. Damn good little pistol of an older technology. More complicated than it has to be like T Lee's (and my) old pocket Colts. Still a good pocket pistol. One other from that era you might look at is the Walther PP or PPK. Slick and dead reliable.

Another in the Kel-Tec class but just a touch bigger and heavier is the Berreta Tomcat.

Good luck in your search.


BCR

FreeMe,

"Stick to the steel-frame Kahrs and you should do just fine."

Ya know, I purposely avoided takin' a swipe at poly frames lest somebody accuse me of Glock bashin' again. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

I'm a steel/alloy frame guy myself, however two of my revolvers have plastic grips...

Wow those Kahr pistols aren't cheap are they? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I've never paid much attention to any of the ultra compact pistols other than the tiny Beretta .22 lr that my wife has. Looks like the Kel-Tec is about the same size and I'd much rather be carrying a 32 acp than a 22 lr. Might have to get my hands on one.

�Wow those Kahr pistols aren't cheap are they?�

Well, the man said, �I've got the bucks, and see no reason not to carry a nice piece.�

There isn�t a factory pistol nicer than the Kahr for concealed carry, and custom Kahrs can be some of the nicest pistols of all. Of course, the manual of arms for striker-fired pistols doesn�t suit everyone�s tastes or needs.

Kahr Arms holds a bunch of patents on the design � pretty unusual nowadays, especially since most of the patents are significant changes made to make the slide slimmer and lower than any other locked breech pistol out there. A �full size� 9mm Kahr pistol has a narrower and lower slide than a compact Kel-Tec 9mm. The Kahr�s dimensions seem much more blowback than locked breech.

The also have a patent on the striker design that involves a �cocking cam� thingy (technical term) that makes for an incredibly smooth DAO trigger � no �staple gun effect�. The Kahr also uses the same grip angle as the Browning Hi-Power.

Money well-spent � IMO.

I sure like this S&W 340PD I carry now!

Regarding Kahr/ polymer problems,

I bought 2 Kahrs within the last year, both polymer frames and have had zero problems with either- although I've only put 500 rounds thru each so far. I got the PM9 with regular sights & the P9 with night sights. Would've gotten night sights on both if I'd known how nice of a feature they really are on a self-defence gun. I really love the P9. And this is from someone who had only revolvers for years.

On another website with a section devoted to Kahrs, you read about their problems vs. no problems ever. Funny, it's just like the Rem 700 with their breaking bolt handles vs. they don't break, their safeties are dangerous vs. they don't have problems, Kimbers are junk vs. they're the best thing going, etc. Since I'm the only person I personally know with a Kahr, I can only say I've never had any problems with mine.