[Twoply]

I have a really nice list of guns intended for ccw thanks to you guys here. I was wondering what are some of the lighter and thinner guns out there? I am going over the specs on each one I'm considering but a lot of them dont offer the width. I'm going to be carrying at work. As a carpenter, I wear a tool belt and the size and weight of a piece is going to be a definite factor. I can handle one over the other if it's just a few ounces difference but the thinner the better for physical movement. I'm leaning towards the Walther p99, sig 239 or maybe the Mil pro but I'd like to hear about all types.
Thanks all!
Mike!

[Steve2237]

If you can find one , I would think a Sig 225 would be a great double action auto for carry.

[redneckrepairs]

I ranch , run heavy equipment , and occationaly do some handyman work . The pistol (s) that i have found to best fit my needs for thin and light are kahrs . I have a p9 and a pm9 so what i carry depends on the days work and how deep cover i need to be, but between the two i have dammed near all the bases covered without dropping below the " service caliber " threshold .

[Glockamolie]

+1 for a Kahr. My choice is a CW9.

[RNB65]

Anything made by Kahr. Skinny as an Abercrombie and Finch model.

[tnieto2004]

Kahr are very thin.. look into kel-tec .. you may like em ..

[medic_guns]

1911

[rcellis]

I'll throw in a vote for Kahr, or a 1911. The Walther P99 and it's S&W99 brothers are thinner than they look, though not as thin as a Kahr.

[Twoply]

I found the specs and it says .90" on the slide width. Less than and inch? Thats really skinny. I've thicker irish working guys hands. I wonder how it'll fit? I cant wait to get to the gun show and see.

[Monkeybear]

KAHR
SMITH & WESSON (908, CS9, and a few others are very thin)

[calzoom]

Cold Steel Extra Large Voyager. Very thin, light, capable of severing hands, bad relationships, small oil derricks!;)

[RevolvingCylinder]

Many single-stacks, especially chambered in 9x19mm. I particularly like the older pistol single-stack 9mm pistols. They actually fit the hands while being thin and not too short in the handle.

[distra]

1911 commander or Kahr P45 are my two main carry guns. Both are thin and light. The G36 is supposed to be nice as well. I don't own one, but one of my shooting buddies does and loves it.

[The Lone Haranguer]

Try the S&W 3913. It is quite thin except for protruberant safety levers on the slide. The 3913LS Ladysmith has an even narrower frame and a single-sided safety lever, and there is nothing unmanly about it. ;) The DAO version, the 3953, eliminates even those.

When looking at S&W pistols, if you want the thinnest slide possible, look for the "third generation" with round-topped slides. The "Value Line" pistols have SIG/Glock-like barrel/slide lockup, which necessitates a blocky squarish slide.

[MCgunner]

Kel Tec P11 is a 13 round double stack that is an inch thick and 14 ounces unloaded weight. The 3913 or if you can afford the jump in price is very compact and thin. The Kahr K9 is an all steel, thin, single stack 9mm that has heaft if you're recoil shy. It weighs about 24 ounces unloaded, not exactly heavy to carry and the weight dampens +P stuff. I think it's about an inch through the slide.

I really like my little P11, but want a 3913NL real bad. :D The 3913NL is a Lady Smith without the Lady Smith, more manly. NL is supposed to mean "new look" or some say Non-Lady. The P11 is small enough to pocket.

[Glockfan.45]

1911 Commander model is quite thin and compact without being too small to shoot well.

[tnieto2004]

Your p11 is a 13 round? You must you a aftermarket mag?

[busy_squirrel]

Try the S&W 3913. It is quite thin except for protruberant safety levers on the slide.

If you're into .40S&W then the 4013 (NOT the 4013TSW) is the same thing as the 3913.

[wuchak]

Kel-Tec sells 12 round magazines for the P-11 but they are not listed on their website. You just have to call them. You can also use 12 round S&W mags.

[nwilliams]

You can look for the discontinued Browning BDM, can't get much thinner than that with a high cap mag. Although I just got rid of mine because I hated the trigger on it, not a gun I would highly suggest as a CCW weapon, although it has its supporters.

How bout a CZ75 thats a pretty slender gun.

[Chupacabra]

Browning Hi-Power.

[redneckrepairs]

Twoply The p9 will most likely fit your hand pretty good , the pm9 has a short butt and will leave at least your pinkie finger swinging in the breeze . Personaly a short butt does not bother me since i dont shoot with my pinkie anyway , but it drives some folks nuts . Anyway find a couple of the little beasts to fondle and see what you think lol .

[extremefishin00]

Walther P99's are pretty thin, with the overall width being just over an 1". Not bad for a 15 round 9mm.

[Alan Fud]

If you're into .40S&W then the 4013 (NOT the 4013TSW) is the same thing as the 3913.Actually, the 4040pd is the same gun as the 3913.

[1911austin]

I perfer 1911s. P7M8s work well well also.h

[ravencon]

The Browning Hi-Power conceals extremely well and is a joy to handle and shoot. But, I wouldn't carry mine if it was likely to get banged up.

However, if you found one that was functionally sound but was already less than pristine....

[The Lone Haranguer]

1911-style pistols are also quite slender and flat, although full-size steel-framed ones are a bit long and heavy.

[The Burnside Ninja]

1911s are great for stopping power- but heavy as hell. Most hold 7-8 +1 rounds (depending on the mag) >preferred carry is IWB

Kahr P9s are wonderful for concealed carry if you like the shoulder holster. They hold about the same as a 1911, but it's 9mm or 40 cal. P9s are light (which most people prefer for CCW) Fits wonderful if you wear a suit.

Walther P99 can hold anywhere from 10-17 rounds. Walther makes a 10 round mag for Californians and you can even find a 16 rounder some places. The Walther is VERY compact for a higher capacity CCW. The grips were made by some italian designer who perfected the comfort.

In all reality, any of those pistols can be a 9mm (there are 9mm 1911s). I prefer the Walther P99 for IWB every day carry. - you need more rounds in case the zombies come.

:cool:

[JPP]

One vote for the Sig P239!

JP

[tegemu]

A lightweight 1911. Easy to carry and conceal and lots of firepower.

[spence13e]

i have been convinced to get a new kel tec pf9. they're a little smaller than the p11, but also a helluva lot more limiting on mag capacity.

http://kel-tec.com/pf9.html

[3rdpig]

About a week ago I picked up an AMT Backup in 45 Auto. Stainless Steel, 1" thick, 5 rounds in the single stack magazine. It's thinner than a KT P11 (check out the Bobo's gun size chart, a sticky at the top of the forum list). The P11 is listed as 1.3 inches thick, which is as thick as my Glock 23. And it it really is, I've owned both a P11 and a P40 and made the direct comparison with the Glock. It's more rounded, but it's just as thick.

The AMT's only drawback is it's weight, it's 31 ounces loaded. It's also got a long and stiff DAO trigger, it's manageable, but it is stiff. Be aware that these guns have a somewhat bad reputation, but so do some of the others mentioned in this thread. I've shot 50 rounds of 230 grain FMJ though mine without a single failure. That's not enough to prove it as a carry gun, but it's a good sign. The AMT's were also made in 9mm, .40, 38 Super, and .400 Corbon. Rumor has it that High Standard is making the AMT Backup again. There's also an AMT Backup in .380 that's even smaller.

[A.Fischer]

Kahr K9. Now, I've read lots of opinions about the lack of QC on Kahr's but mine has just about been flawless after the 200 rnd break in. At about the 500 rnd count I had 2 FTF with UMC FMJ. It's been 100% since then and I'm at around 1.5k rnds. I've shot WWB FMJ and JHP, Hornady XTP, Black Hills 115 +P, Federal Hi Shok, even shot some Blazer for the heck of it.

[muscles]

25 oz empty and about as slim as it gets...
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/7275/coltlwcomm451yf.jpg

[357SIG]

My Kahr E9 is probably the easiest to conceal in my collection. If not that, you want to get something with a very durable finish, since you will be working hard. I probably wouldn't want to get anything much bigger than the Kahr though.

[ZeSpectre]

Taurus Millennium Pro (I have a .40 S&W, a friend has the .45ACP version). I like it a lot.

The Kahr (P9, P40, PM9, PM40) are notably smaller/thinner but at the expense of several less rounds and they are considerably more expensive. I may eventually get a PM40 anyway, time will tell.

Kel-Tec P-3AT (.380, my minimum SD caliber) is pretty popular and REALLY small. I agree with EVERYTHING in this review (http://www.madogre.com/Interviews/p3at_review.htm). Especially...

This gun will require a good deal of practice in order to develop proficiency, and that might be a problem with some people. Too many people neglect practice for a myriad of reasons. Time, cost, distance to a shooting range, noise and comfort are all excuses people can use. With the P3AT, you might find yourself making more excuses to not go shoot it. It is flat out not a pleasant gun to shoot. The gun is so light and so skinny that you feel every bit of recoil that the .380ACP can generate, and it can be difficult to hold on to during recoil. You are not going to want to spend a lot of time shooting this thing. I didn’t. I love shooting and will take any excuse to go shoot… but I flat out did not like shooting the P3AT.

Firing one is unpleasant, but so is using a jackhammer and they both are good tools.

[tinygnat219]

Stay away from Revolvers if you want a thin gun, with the exception of J-Frames from S&W, they tend to bulge out a bit and only offer 5 shots. If you want slim, stay with an auto.

There are some nice autos out there:

S&W M&P compact in 9MM

Springfield XD 45ACP Compact, has 10 or 13 round magazines.

CZ 83, 12 rounds of 9MM Makarov. It's also steel, affordable, and reliably comfortable.

Kahr, pretty much got going on the 9MMcompacts, they have a nice Single Stack version available in 9MM. Zespectre gave a good listing of their models.

Kel-Tec, makes the thinnest smallest, most compact pistols on the market. However, there are somethings you should know about them. Most Kel-Tecs require some TLC right out of the box to make them reliable. You have to do a "Fluff and Buff" on the feedramp to ensure that ammo will feed reliably that's detailed on this site: www.ktog.org (Kel-Tec Owner's Group). KT is great in design and ideas, but not the best in execution. However, I do own a P3AT and love the little gun it's less than 3/4 of an inch thick all the way around the handle. If the PF-9 comes out nicely, I am going to buy one.

Taurus: Millenium Pro series, they have versions in 9MM, 40 S&W, and 45ACP.

Anyone else got any ideas? I am kind of fried right now.

[Ranger61]

I vote for the S&W 3953. Its DAO so there no safety or decock to make it thicker. Its a very good size for full size hands unlike the super small guns like the Keltec P11. I find shooting it very nice. Which I wouldn't say about the Keltec. The Keltec P11 is the very thin but its hard to get a really good grip on one with my smallish hands and it really takes a fair amount of practice to shoot it well. Just my opinion!

[hnm201]

Thin is overrated. Get a Glock 21. :)

[busy_squirrel]

Actually, the 4040pd is the same gun as the 3913.

:what: EEKK! I'm giving out false information?

Well, thanks for the correction. Chock one up to the guys that've been around awhile...:o

[XNavyflyer]

HK P7PSP is about as thin as they come. Wish they were a little lighter though.

[bb21]

I think it really depends on what you want to spend, for me having worked construction for a few years I would go with something on the less expensive side, I own and love my Mil Pro PT111, but you could look at the Kel Tecs, or for slightly more money but still on the cheaper side the Kahr CW9 or CW40. The biggest down fall with the Kahr's are the capacity, all single stacks, thus their thinness. Regardless go stainless on the Mil Pro or Kel Tec. or PT111Ti?
If you don't mind spending more money you have more options with the other Kahr's, 1911's or Sigs. The Walther is also a good way to go but as your capacity goes up so does the weight. The PT745 may be just the ticket, light and slim with 7 rounds of .45 ACP, it is 2 oz. lighter than the Kahr P45 same capacity.
I hope that helps, Good Luck and be Safe!

[HiWayMan]

You may want to consider a Makarov. Not uber powerful by some standards, but it is built like a tank and cheap. Both would be important to me if I was in the trades. Carpentry is a tough job and tough on all "tools". While you wouldn't skimp on your hammer I wouldn't skimp here either, but if a $30 Estwing does the job well and is easily replaced then the Mak is a winner in my book.