Posted: 6/5/2006 4:31:15 PM EDT
| I am looking for something that is smaller than a Glock 27, but just as reliable. In at least a 380acp. Also no manual safeties. |
I had a first generation, and after breaking it in (lots of Break Free CLP and 200 rounds of hardball) it ran like a top. It fed XTPs, Silvertips, Cor-Bon, anything you wanted it to. Only issue I ever had with the pistol was sometimes it needed a little "tap" on the back of the slide to get it to feed the first round from a fully loaded magazine. Excellent pistol IMNSHO. |
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S&W 340PD-357 Fits in pocket and light as hell with one hell of a punch. If you are afraid of it then you don’t understand its purpose. This is not a toy to be shot everyday it is there to kill the person who is going to kill you. link |
I love my PM9 but need to carry it IWB. I just can't quite make it work for me as a pocket piece. I'm not a very big guy, though. I think a big guy could definitely make it work. So, my vote goes for the J-frame. (Actually, my real vote for a pocket gun is the P32, but that doesn't satisfy the OP's cartridge requirement. The P32 in a Nemesis is unbeatable for put-it-in-the-pocket-and-forget-it's-there carry.)  
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For a pocket gun, it's hard to beat the P3AT, IMHO. KelTec looks like they also might have a winner with the PF9. |
I have a small frame taurus .357 and it's pretty spanky. Although, that statement is true it's also good to be very comfortable with your weapon and second nature with it's use. Which means running lots of ammo through it.
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Being proficient in one's choice of weapon is probably the key to surviving in a life and death situation. I have to disagree with you here. What is the point of having a gun if you are not going to practice with it with some type of regularity? Practice increases skills. Increased skills increase confidence. Increased confidence increases survival in a firefight. I've had a snub nose S&W 357 magnum (don't remember the model number). I could not fire a full cylinder of 5 rounds of 357 magnum without my hands going numb. This was with some rubber boot grips too. Ended up carrying them with 38specials. Not too long afterwards, sold it off. I just dont see the point of having a pistol you can't even shoot the intended rounds for it comfortably and confidently. |
I agree 100%. A handgun is not a magic talisman to ward off evil. It is the weapon you will most likely have to use in protecting the lives of you and your family. Any handgun is a weapon of convenience and a compromise in terms of reliably stopping a threat. One must practice with the handgun as much as possible in order to make the most of its strengths and minimize its weaknesses. One should not choose a carry gun that is uncomfortable to shoot for more than a few rounds at a time. A small, lightweight revolver is difficult to shoot well, even after years of practice. The same weapon that is not practiced with extensively is nothing more than 5 rounds dependent on luck. |
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Kahr PM9. It's my 'I don't need a gun' gun and backup piece too. In a pocket holster you can tell I have something in my pocket, but not what it is. ++ on needing to be comfortable and practiced on your carry weapon. The PM9 doesn't beat me up so much that I don't want to practice with it. BSW |
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Ok let me make myself a bit clear here. Can you proficiently drive any car you get into? Yes (I hope so) Can you ride different bicycles with proficiency? Yes Can you proficiently use any silverware available? Yes Can you shoot multiple guns with proficiency? Yes. If you shoot or do anything on a regular basis the answer is Yes. The revolver is the simplest and most reliable weapon out there. It is also just like every other revolver in the world just pull the trigger and it goes bang. No slides no mags no safeties that are all different to learn about. No matter the brand they are the same in function. Maybe not feel but in function. The S&W 340PD is a revolver. Its purpose was not I.P.S.C. competition but a CCW piece. I give credit to the people who are regulars on this forum because we shoot all the time. It becomes second nature to handle weapons of all types and be good with them. I will agree to your disagreements only based upon the guy who buys his first handgun and the only time he ever shoots it is to qualify for his CCW then never shoots it again. So no I do not feel that you need to shoot an air weight 357 mag revolver every weekend and put thousands of rounds through it to become an expert in its handling. I do feel you need to put 1 to 2 hundred rounds through it to make sure the gun is reliable and get the feel for it. But there are plenty of other revolvers more pleasant to shoot that will gain you the needed experience and efficiency in the use of a revolver. The amount of adrenaline going through you at the time of an attack you will not notice the extra kick of the gun anyway. Understand me here! I am not saying you do not need to practice, or train. I am saying you can use any revolver to gain the mechanics knowledge and familiarity needed to save your life. Given the typical protect yourself situation your carry gun will be used inside of five feet. The bad guy will not be 25 yards down range. Your weak hand will be in the guys face or on his neck and your strong hand will have your weapon alongside your chest shooting into his chest. This is the most realistic situation you may encounter and hear about most often. True or False? The chances of the typical civilian getting into multiple armed targets creating a shoot fest is even slimmer than having to use your weapon in the first place. I am not disrespecting your opinions here I just disagree a bit. The key here is you need to do what makes you feel confident in your abilities. |
+1 If you want to pay extra for the .357 version, have at it. You can always shoot .38 out of it if the .357's hurt too bad. Ssomething about the shape/weight. They just carry great and present well. |
I get what you are conveying. Yes, something like 80% of documented shootings happen from 7 yards or less. And the majority of the time it's a one-on-one situation. If I carried a revolver as a CCW, I would have several speed loaders w/pouches at my disposal. There's always that other 20% chance. I want to be covered for 100% of any bad encounters. Of course, you cant do that (cant walk around with a M60 with belts of ammo wrapped around you without drawing attention to yourself). Why limit yourself to statistics and to not carrying spare ammo or increased levels of training? Try practicing with your CCW at 15 yards and against multiple targets. You will be surprised that you can get rounds on target, even with short barrels. When the time comes to use it, and you have the adrenaline dump coursing through your veins, your chances of hitting your target will be increased since you've added long range and multiple threat drills to your inventory. Reloading drills are very important too. No sense carrying extra ammo if you cant reload it quickly. In times of extreme stress, you will resort to your training and muscle/motor skill memory. What I'm getting at is why limit yourself to expecting to fight off a single bad guy at arms' length away? Practicing reloading drills, longer range and multiple target engagements will greatly enhance a CCW permit holder's chances of survival, regardless of whether he's packing a revolver or semi-automatic. |
The second gen P3AT has been improved a ton on the ejection side changes they made. You can check out www.ktog.org for details. I have two Kel-tecs and I aways carry one of the two and sometimes both. I trust both 100%. 
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| How does the Sig P232 compare in size to the Kahr PM9 and the Kel-Tec P3AT? Anyone have two or all three that could post pics of them side-by-side. I'm thinking the Sig isn't as small as it appears (I've looked at the dimensions, and it isn't, but would like to see them). |
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S&W 442 or 642 are great little snubbies. Light, small, pack a decent punch with good ammo, and not unreasonably expensive. I go armed with only a pocket gun on very, very rare occaisions. If it's really smokin hot outside, I'll pack the 3" Kimber RCP from the custom shop with a Beretta Tomcat in the pocket as my "New York reload". I have owned a P3AT and found it to be a great little gun, all things considered. I have also owned a NAA Guardian in .380, and man, was she nice. Regret the day I sold her. |
My P3AT 2nd gen. has run flawlessly out of the box with HPs and FMJs. |