[Island Beretta]

It has everything the old snubs had plus more.. It has become the backup of many PDs and CCW and for many, CCW primary carry.. it is just as small, shoots nicer, just as reliable, has a longer barrel, is just as light and carries twice the capacity.. It is noted for its exceptional accuracy in a firearm that size, (read Stephen Camp's impressive review).. I mean in all respects the old .38s have nothing over it neither the new subcompacts.. I think I want one.. :)

[Intune]

I enjoy my G27. It's my primary ccw in a Kramer IWB. I prefer it over a wheelgun snubbie in every aspect sans one. In-pocket carry for a jacket. The snubbie "should" be able to fire multiple shots from within the pocket, the auto would prob jam.

[Preacherman]

In terms of size, yes, the G26/27 is the same size as a typical S&W snubby, and holds twice as many rounds in a more powerful caliber. It's not necessarily fully equivalent to a snubby for pocket carry, as Intune has pointed out, but it's probably the best all-round-carry gun I know.

[HighVelocity]

I like my G27, but I also like my 38 snubby. Each one has it's place for me. I cannot fit my G27 and my hand inside my coat pocket comfortably when I am walking the dog on a cold morning. The little 38 though leaves penty of room for my hand in the pocket and is lighter. Also, I believe the lil wheel gun is safer loose in a pocket then a Glock with a round in the chamber. My .02

edit: picture added

[5Wire]

In-pocket carry for a jacket. The snubbie "should" be able to fire multiple shots from within the pocket, the auto would prob jam.
Ouch! IMO any Glock with a round in the pipe carried without a holster completely covering the trigger guard is a Negligent Discharge waiting to happen. I had a G26 it shot fine but without a pocket holster it's not a pocket gun. A concealed hammer revolver is, also IMO, better "suited" for pocket carry, the S&W 640 or 642, for example.

[Preacherman]

without a pocket holster it's not a pocket gun
... unless you fit a Cominolli safety to it. I have them on both of my G27's.

[jdege]

It's too fat.

I'll keep my Kahr, thank you very much.

[Mr. Mysterious]

They are nice, but I would not say they are a league above. There are many fine offerings in a similar size factor, and some...even smaller.

[Calhoun]

It's too fat.

I'll keep my Kahr, thank you very much.

+1

Calhoun

[Boats]

The G27 is not the ultimate anything. It still sports that mutant grip angle.

I'd rather have:

A Smith J-Frame
A Ruger SP-101
A XD-9 or 40 Subcompact; or
A RAMI

[Ktulu]

The "modern day snubbie" is made of aluminum and titanium, weights ~10 oz., and lives in my pocket. :)

[sm]

The revolver will always have one factor the semi won't. A revolver is NOT dependent on a mag.

Yes you can fire one shot w/o a mag from a semi. The revolver allows for multiple shots w/o a mag.

Not so much brand name or model # - it is the platform itself.

[Sistema1927]

My G26 and S&W 642 haven't spent much time outside of the gunsafe since the acquisition of a Kahr PM9.

[Island Beretta]

Preacherman: How do you find the cominolli safety? I have always wondered about them. did you install yourself and was it easy??

The behind the trigger plug is also an alternative for pocket carry. some of my friends use this..

In terms of the Kahr, and this is just Internet rumour, Glock did a market survey and didn't feel they had to go to a single stack 9mm..they are smoking the Kahr (and others) as is..

[Calhoun]

In terms of the Kahr, and this is just Internet rumour, Glock did a market survey and didn't feel they had to go to a single stack 9mm..they are smoking the Kahr (and others) as is..
Could be, but I still wouldn't trade my Kahr.

[Sean Smith]

The 26/27 is simply too fat and blocky to be a good pocket gun.

[GEM]

Ditto on not a good size pocket gun. It is a good gun as I've owned them. However, given the 642 is my pocket gun, I've gone to carrying my 19 when I do the belt thing.

[RON in PA]

Doesn't compare to a 642 in the pocket. I also had reliability problems with mine when using JHP ammo.

[boing]

Agree with Ktulu. It's all about new materials, and +P capability.

In addition to the other points mentioned (and I think firing from a pocket is a significant advantage), wheels are immune to out-of-battery failures. A snubnose revolver jammed into the ribs of the badguy you're GRAPPLING(!) with will still fire. An auto may not. The more I think about SD encounters outside the narrow world of shooting targets at the range, the more this seems like a critical factor.

I've never limp-wristed a revolver, either, no matter how poor my grip was.

Snubbies are for fighting. :D

PS- My primary defense gun is a Glock, but the 642 just has it all over the auto in some important respects.

[9mmMike]

My G26 and S&W 642 haven't spent much time outside of the gunsafe since the acquisition of a Kahr PM9.

I guess it's all about what's comfy for you. I can not imagine ditching my 26 for a polymer Kahr. We have both here at casa 9mm and, in my opinion, the Kahr is not in the same league as the Glock. No way.
I shoot the snot out of my 26; thousands upon thousands of rounds since new.
The idea of putting the Kahr through that much ammo makes me chuckle. The Kahr is certainly easier to conceal but the quality is far less than the Glock and the price too high. Again, in my opinion.

Mike

[DESERTRATONE]

I own and carry a Glock Mod 27, but I agree, the snub is a better pocket gun. I would not want to shove my Glock into my pants waist band without a holster! :uhoh: :uhoh: :uhoh:

[Island Beretta]

I would not want to shove any gun into my waistband without an holster PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT OF THE WEAPON.. it is not nice having your pistol/revolver falling down your pants when you are reaching for it. ;)


I notice a lot of comments about 'pocket gun' and if (and this is a BIG if) the snubbies are better in this regard, it is only a small part of the equation,IMHO, as I believe 'waistband' carry is far more popular..

[Boats]

The whole point of pocket carry is to not need a covering garment, so I don't think waistband carry is more popular by choice, but rather because it is a necessary evil to carry many of the handguns people choose to carry. Getting down to handguns as small but potent as we are talking about, I want it to be pocket carriable.

If the choice is between pocket carry and some crotch carry or belly band, I'm liking pocket carry even more.

[DESERTRATONE]

Island Beretta. I understand your point about waistband carry. My point is the stock 5.5 pound Glock trigger, if caught on a piece of clothing that depresses the trigger safety bar, will cause the weapon to fire. :uhoh:

I have carried my full size P220 and 92FS in my strong side waist band without a holster in the past. Not my normal carry, but if you tighten up your belt it will stay put just fine. With the normal heavy DA/SA trigger, the weapon won't go off as easy as a 5.5 pound Glock trigger.

The Glock trigger is why a lot more AD's happen with Glock than any other major handgun. Just type "Glock AD" into your search engine and see how many articles there are about the subject. :uhoh:

[fastbolt]

"It has everything the old snubs had plus more" It has more capacity ... it has a slightly longer sight radius, but also more overall size & girth ... it has more potential for grip-stability issues arising if the user's grip/wrist isn't properly firm and locked ... it has more potential for a ND if carried without the trigger guard properly covered, and something intrudes inside the trigger guard and depresses the trigger safety & trigger ... it has more potential for being rendered momentarily inoperable (disconnected) if unintentionally pressed (muzzle first) against a threat during a violent, close-up physical confrontation, and the slide is pressed far enough to the rear for the pistol to 'disconnect' ... it has more potential to be rendered into a 'single shot weapon' if the magazine becomes damaged, dropped or inoperable during a violent physical altercation ...

There are many reasons the snubnose revolver, particularly the excellent S&W J-frames (among others, of course), are enjoying a resurgence of popularity.

They do, however, generally require more training and continual practice in order to shoot as controllably and as accurately as the generally similar sized pistols with larger grips, lighter trigger weights and better sights.

My 642-1 .38 is my preferred primary 'always' off duty weapon. Not because of its caliber & capacity ... but because of its reliability, quality, ease of operation, functional reliability and ease of concealment in most situations. I also use some sort of proper method to carry it, even if it's just an inexpensive Uncle Mike's nylon pocket holster.

Now, I DO really like my G26/27 as occasional off duty weapons. Great little pistols. Well-made, functionally reliable with quality factory ammunition for most folks, accurate ... and I've recommended them to folks looking for a small, easily concealable off duty pistol. But, I DO also find that my 3913, CS9, CS45 & SW99 Compact 9mm are also outstanding small off duty weapons, and I've recommended them to folks, as well.

If I were going to again carry a Secondary weapon during working hours, it would be the 642-1, without hesitation, and for most of the reasoning I mentioned in the beginning of the posting.

Now, that's me, and while I've given this subject a fair bit of consideration over the 20-odd years that I've been carrying a weapon professionally, I certainly don't think that my preference and decision would necessarily be 'the answer' for anyone else ... ;)

edited for my usual dumb typos ... :scrutiny:

[denfoote]

As you can see, the two are about the same size.
However, as stated above, the G26 is NOT a pocket pistol!! Especially in the configuration mine is in!! The trigger pull on my G26 is about 3lbs!! It's a holster weapon!!! I can slip the Revolver into my pocket!! ;)

[P. Plainsman]

Glock 27? Then I can see your point. (Setting aside -- no, I'm serious! set it aside! ;) -- the usual rumor mill about Glock .40s.)

But a 9mm Glock 26? "Leagues above" the modern carry snubby? Hmm, only if you put very heavy emphasis on capacity. What may be overlooked in such discussion is that today's state-of-the-art snubby revolver is a .357 Magnum, not a .38.

S&W Model 60 weighs slightly less loaded than a G26, is pocketable, has (in my view) better ergonomics, and it shoots .357 Mag. instead of 9mm. There's some mean .357 defense ammo out there. The traditional concept of the pocket gun is a "get off me!" gun. So viewed, the S&W easily holds its own.

[Island Beretta]

a .357 Magnum in a snubby in a SD situation..get real.. :barf:

[fastbolt]

Don't automatically discount the viability of a snubnose .357 Magnum ...

The Scandium J-frames are a real handful, to be sure. Even the heavier steel-framed snubs can be a real handful. That's a subjective issue, though, since there are many folks that have the experience and willingness to develop and maintain the skills necessary to accurately & controllably shoot the little hand cannons.

Personally, if I never shoot standard 125gr .357 Magnums out of a S&W Sc J-frame again, it'll be too soon. :what: I think it gave me a preview of what it might feel like if I was criminally stupid enough to consider hitting the nose of a high speed bullet train with an aluminum baseball bat as it passed by ... :neener:

On the other hand, I have a Ruger SP-101 which has been Quad-Ported by the terrific folks at MagNaPort. The carefully designed ports reduce the muzzle rise to the point that it hardly seems to rise under recoil. It still hammers back into your palm, but I can controllably keep the muzzle on reasonably close targets (1-7 yards) while shooting 125gr .357 Magnum loads, and generally do so faster and more accurately than most of our folks shooting their full size 9mm service pistols. You wouldn't want to hold it so that the gas ports are pointed directly upward toward you, though, so it requires a different 'close combat' 1-handed method.

All things considered, if someone has the desire & ability to safely, controllably and accurately use one of the newer .357 snubguns, they do offer a potential increase in ballistic performance (depending on the ammunition selection, of course) ... along with increased muzzle blast, flash and perceived recoil, of course. I didn't really enjoy shooting my SP-101 until it was ported. Now it's a lot of fun to take it out on the firing line for qualification sessions. Accurate, too.

Different strokes ...

I still choose to carry my 642-1, however, instead of the SP-101. Talk about a pocket brick. For me, it's a belt gun.

[MICHAEL T]

No Glocks :cuss: in my pocket or house

[Greymoor]

I have reached 1000+ rounds in my PM9 with 0 malfunctions. It is smaller and lighter than my dad's glock 26 & 33. It does snap a bit more than the 26 but I like the way it shoots. Other than mag capacity it gives up nothing against a glock 26. It is easier to conceal, easier to carry all day, sometime I forget I am wearing it, and is as accurate. In a pocket holster it can ride easily in a coat pocket, front pocket, back pocket, you name it.

The glock 26 is a nice weapon that does what it was designed for but leagues ahead . . . hardly.

[Onmilo]

I have carried a Glock 26 six days a week for two years now.
I use one of the press-in safety buttons that snaps in behind the trigger and regularly carry the gun in the front pocket of my work pants.
The gun is better than a Kel-Tec P-9 and cheaper than a Kahr and I haven't found anything more reliable or more accurate in this class of pistol.

The Glock replaced my S&W 642 as my primary carry piece.
Too bad we don't have Concealed carry permits in Illinois, I can only carry while working at the shop, otherwise I would have this pistol on me at all times, I feel that confidant with it.