Do you carry an "under-rated" concealed handgun?

[Fun2Shoot]

Everbody hears about the most popular choices in concealed carry handguns, like the S&W 642, XD sub-compact, Glock 19 or 26, or maybe a Bersa .380 and so on.

All of the above guns are good CCW choices and I have used a few of them myself, but I have come to find that an underrated or out-of-favor handgun can make a great CCW companion.

I have found that my S&W 3913 is an excellent CCW and it is what I carry everytime I need to be protected out on the streets.

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/2200/Hsw3913L.gif

It is a single stack 9mm with a decocker safety and has a stainless slide and alloy frame. It is very reliable & accurate (and was only $325 used). It replaced an XD SC & a S&W 642, so you know I must be pretty impressed with it. ;)

So what is the underrated CCW that you have used or still use?

[rantingredneck]

People poo-poo the Ruger P-series as being big and clunky. They are big, service size pistols, but reliable and accurate. I've been carrying them for awhile now. Starting with a P89 then P90 and now P345, which is much easier to carry for sure. The P345 in particular is an excellent CCW piece and I think it will be accompanying me for quite some time.

[M2 Carbine]

My carry choice is a 45 Kimber Tactical Ultra but most of the time I've just got a Kel Tec P3AT in my pocket.

I do have a couple pistols in the cars though.

[Catalina]

the toy like P3AT
or
the knock off S&W Taurus 85CH

[obxned]

I carry either the P345 or a KelTec P3at. Love them both!

[elkhuntingfool]

I am always wondering if I should buy a smaller sized handgun for days when I'm wearing shorts and a tshirt. My PT145 is small, but sometimes I feel it's a bit bulky when I am wearing just shorts and a tshirt. Maybe it's a self concious thing.

[Nomad, 2nd]

I have a Kel Tec p32 that I used to carry as a BUG before I got smart and started carrying my Smith.

I kept it around for carry in my Class A's, or Dress Blues.

[jrfoxx]

S&W 637.Most people seem to opt for the hammerless or shrouded hammer models.I happen to prefer the exsposed hammer, and have NEVER had any issues with it snaging on anything, which is the #1 reason given by people for why the get the hammerles or shrouded hammer models.Not saying their fears are unfounded about the snag issue but I always carry it OWB with something VERY loose fitting to conceal it (if I conceal it at all) like a button-up shirt unbuttoned or a light jacket, never a tee shirt or similar tighter clothes, so theres really nothing for me to snag on (and I've intentionallytried to to ake sure it wasnt going to be an issue for me.ithers tend to pockt carry or IWB ther snub-nose guns, so I can see where snagging might be more of an issue for them.I like the option of the hammer in the event I can or need to use it for a moe accurate shot. Mostly I like the hammer as I just think they look so much nicer with it, and for when I'm plinking/target shooting with it.

[parisite]

The true Makarov is very hard to beat for CCW. Just ask the KGB agents over the last 50 years.

[bakert]

Most days I carry a Ruger P97 and occasionlly a little Taurus 85. Both of these are often derided by the gunsnobs but they suit my needs. They go bang every time, are fairly lightweight, reliable and accurate. There a lot of darn good guns out there that aren't as popular as some of those most highly touted. My worries concern me, not what others might think.

[hexidismal]

I used to. Like two other posters before me, I carried a Ruger P345 for a couple years. At the start of this year I changed my primary carry to a 1911, but I still think the P345 is a highly underrated pistol. The P345 is still my bedside gun with a rail mounted light.

[TonyB]

My usual carry is a s and w 642,but I do carry the TaurusPT111 or even my Rossi 461 from time to time,both of which are excellent guns that I trust my life too and both are looked down upon by gun snobs....in the case of the Rossi I only spent $150 on it......

[armoredman]

When I started carrying CZ, people looked at me, and said "Geshundhiet!". Nobody knew of this Czech wundergun. Now CZ is becoming far better known as the high quality product it is, and it's not quite an "underrated" sidearm anymore, but to paraphrase an old country song, "I carried CZ before carrying CZ was cool."

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/PICT0242.jpg

[Mr. 16 gauge]

My primary carry gun is a used S&W M39 that I bought years ago.....the gun is great! It's accurate, shoots a variety of HP ammo without a problem, ect. The problem I had was finding a good holster for it!

I also carry a Colt Detective special that I found in the used gun case....it had a lot of blueing worn off and the timing was off as well. I bought it and sent it to the gunsmith for some work, and the gun is great.

Also, while the gun might not be 'obsolete', I'm sure there are those that feel the caliber might be.....I have a Springfield Armory in .38 Super that is very accurate. I carry mine loaded with Winchester's 125 grain STHP. I do wish Remington would offer their GSHP in this caliber as well.

[CWL]

Does the Kel-Tec P32 count?

[modifiedbrowning]

I carry a piece of crap (if some people are to be believed) Bersa Ultracompact 9mm. Mine has never had a malf in over 2k rnds and is accurate with a nice trigger. All that and I only paid $350.

[Baron357]

I carry a model 60 3" barrel, not an airweight and longer barrel so I guess it is a little under-rated. I have a Kramer belt holster and am now looking for a good IWB.

[benEzra]

The 3913 is one of the best 9mm's on the market, IMHO. I own and carry a 3913 Ladysmith; it is remarkably accurate and 100% reliable.

http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/forums/uploads/1168567538/gallery_260_23_29637.jpg

[budney]

Does a Smith & Wesson Sigma (SW9VE) count?

[03Shadowbob]

Are you kidding? No way! I carry a $3,500 race gun because my life is worth it and someone is vioently attacked ever 6 seconds in America:banghead:
I didn't realize that my Taurus handguns and Springfield 1911 were under-rated even though neither have failed me ever. I better go trade them in immediately for a Les Baer.:evil:

[Sean85746]

I have a Smith & Wesson Model 39 that I have had for...a hundred years...or something like that.

While, I carry a Glock 99.999952134785% of the time...that old Smith, which is flatter than a pancake, and accurate as all get-out, gets packed once a year or so. Hell, I even carry a 4" K-Frame Magnum when the wheelgun mood strikes me.

I promise you this...I am in NO WAY undergunned with either.

[jjohnson]

Sure, I'd rather carry underrated than carry nothing. I don't look for trouble anyway.

My Kel-tec P40 is "down" at the moment waiting on a warranty part, so at the moment I carry a Makarov in .380. I know, I like a M1911 in .45 much better, but I can't get one into my pocket. The P40 is a wallop for its size.

I also carry a Taurus 3" .44 Special at times - depends on how I'm dressed what I'll carry. 5 rounds of .44 Special in Winchester Silver Tips is enough gun if I get cornered, I suppose.

[sm]

Pretty sure I do.

As all handguns are deemed under-rated. ;)

[CajunBass]

I'm another Smith and Wesson 39-2 fan. I alternate between one of those, a Makarov, and a Colt Commander. Just depends on which one I feel like carrying that day.

[Tomcat47]

The 39 (first generation 9) was one of the most accurate 9 mm ever made, and quite concealable. I loved mine which was nickel with walnut grips. I now carry a Stainless Taurus PT58HC .380 (19 + 1 ) most of the time, or my Baretta Tomcat 3032 .32 ACP for deep carry! Perfect of options (my opinion)

Here is a wonderful site with wonderful info on self defense, cc, and other related info concerning gun choices, caibers, ballistics, and an anatomy class for when the situation actally arises that you have to use what you carry...including legal issues and info regarding after you clear leather!...

www.internetarmory.com

[748]

My main gun for going every where form cutting the grass to the hood is my FN Fiveseven. The fiveseven is a little bit fat.
Some day soon I want to get a CZ52, they are thin and arn't to heavy.
But any day now I will be able to own a sawed off winchester 1300 12ga. I don't think it will be very easy to hide unless I ware a trench coat.

[scurtis_34471]

Right now, I carry either a Bersa Thunder .380 CC in a pocket holster or I carry an XD-40 Service in a belt holster. I have an IWB for the XD and a belt slide for the Bersa, but I don't use them much. I don't know if the Thunder CC is under-rated, but its not all that common. The vast majority of Bersas I come across are the standard Thunder.

[Jim March]

Heh. Oh yeah. Most common carry for me is my late '70s production Charter Arms Undercover. I've talked about Charters over on the revolver forum now and again, and I do NOT recommend them unless you're confident you can pick out one of the good ones.

Mine is, I believe, about the best that was ever made, and as good as a similar-era S&W J-frame 38. Action, lockup and accuracy are all downright amazing. The design is quite good, but the execution of that design has had it's ups and downs to say the least.

---

When I have the room available I pack a Ruger New Vaquero in 357 :D.

[bpisler]

Kel tec P-11 as a BUG except when i'am at
work,then it my only gun.I also have a early
44spl Charter arms bulldog that i carry,just
not very often.

[C/O]

S&W 3913 or Bersa T380CC are my daily carry, sometimes both.

[McCall911]

Do you carry an "under-rated" concealed handgun?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pretty sure I do.

As all handguns are deemed under-rated.

+1

[Lupinus]

Once i get the permit I'll be carrying a Sig 239. I've seen people complain it's to heavy or expensive but I've been carrying it around the hosue for almost a week now and half the time I forget it's there until I'm ready to walk out the door.

[JJ Hiryuu]

I've been carrying a Jericho 941 in 9mm, with an Israeli Shabak jacket over it.

Not intentionally really, I bought the jacket a long time ago because it's rather nice for hiding a large frame gun, the Jericho I picked up not long ago. The realization that it may appear I was trying to pass for Mossad or something only hit me recently.

[Thaddeus Jones]

+3 on the S&W 3913. It is perhaps the most underated of 9mm CCW pistols, IMHO. I've never understood all the commotion about Kahr pistols. The 3913 has been quietly doing all that for years, reliably.

[FotoTomas]

I consider the Makarov in 9mm Makarov caliber as the best little CCW out there that is under the RADAR. The KelTec P11 is another great choice that is inexpensive with a great reputation for reliability. Either would make me happy if I were without my GLOCK 26 or Kahr PM9

[MTS Cop]

I too vote for the S&W 3900 series. I have a 3914 as my off duty gun and I love it. You can carry it all day and never know its there. Plus its accurate and reliable as hell. I think it's pretty good looking too. I love that little gun. I encourage any one looking for a compact 9mm for carry to take a long hard look at these guns.

[Janos Dracwlya]

My primary carry gun is a Sig P-225, with my secondary being a Bulgarian Makarov. I'm thinking about going to a Browning Hi-Power since I really like mine, but that's in the future. Sometimes when I need something very small, I carry a Beretta Model 21 or a NAA .22 mini-revolver, but that's pretty rare.

[1557]

It's good to see other people that appreciate the S&W Mod 39 for what it really is.I carried a 39-2 on duty in the 70's for about 2 years.
It was light weight and a great shooter.I always wanted an all steel one,and recently picked up a pristine 539.I'm looking forward to some fun times with this pistol.
I don't really care for DA/SA,but these guns? Well,there's just something great about them. And,they are shooters.:)

[paddling_man]

642/CT almost all of the time and the new backup to the backup gun ;)...

A lil NAA 22LR revolver.

[Shear_stress]

When the heat brings out the cicadas, I sometimes take the old Iver-Johnson TP22 out for a walk. Pretty marginal caliber, I know, but it pockets like a double sawbuck, runs like a Timex, and is deadly (if that's the right word) accurate out to about fifteen yards, limited only by the vistigial sights and pinky-length sight radius.

The rest of the year it's a Smith & Wesson 940 9mm wheelgun or Kahr K9 Elite.

[KINGMAX]

My two main carries = GLOCK 21 in .45 acp, S&W 686 in .357 magnum.

[mavracer]

amt backup 45 most say POS but after I replaced firingpin spring it runs perfect is plenty accurate to 15 yards and packs a wallop.in the summer will take walther pp 32 acp for walk.it is extreamly accurate have shot lots of small game with it

[deputy tom]

Yes I do,a Beretta 950BS or Seecamp .32.YMMV.tom.

[P97]

I carry a Ruger P97.

[Steel Talon]

For me, Its my milsurp P-64 in 9x18 makarov..

Peace
Steewl Talon:cool:

[Srigs]

Sure do.

My primary is a S&W 6946 (double stack version of the 39xx).
My bug is a Kel-tec P32.

[Alphazulu6]

OH My! There are alot of flavors of CCWs out there! I can only speak from imperical knowledge which is all that counts in these forums anyway! The Kel-Tec P3AT is hands down (in my opinion) the best deep conceal pistol on the market for several reasons. I bought mine a couple of months ago and took it to the range to put the 200-250 rounds through it. I decided to do a decent "test spread" of ammunition so I picked up a box of PMC, Winchester, Speer Gold Dot, Cor-Bon, and Remington ammunition to test it out. It did great on all but the Remington ammo.

Now I know that everyone says a "little gun" is generally finicky or picky with ammo and that I am a little anal-retentive. But I do expect alot from a product and refuse to rest on anything but success (even in a $250 pistol so yes I maybe a little bit of a perfectionist but who isnt? :D ). So I called Kel-Tec the next day and they said their pistols should shoot EVERY factory ammunition well and told me to send it in immediately and they ensure that any issue will be taken care of with their pistols. I sent it in and 12 days later got it back....ok I am still grinning about that turn-around time.
They polished the feed ramp, replaced the entire upper reciever for "just in case measures", test fired it, cleaned and oiled it and put it back in its packaging with a letter stating what they did and stated that if I ever needed anything else to please let them know. I was tickled!

It is so hard these days to find companies that stand behind their product, especially to do it so willingly. I know that my findings are the same as any person that has owned a Kel-Tec but they truly stand behind their firearm. I am not going to wear a Kel-Tec t-shirt but if someone finds a truly great company that offers a great product for a great price I would want to know about it and figured that others would benefit from my experiences.

No its not my Glock 23 but its the best firearm for what it does ... a great CCW that I can take with me when in a jeans, corporate suit, or dress slacks. With the right ballistic ammunition its an amazing firearm with the .380 punch.

[DMK]

I carry a Colt CCO. 1911s aren't underrated by any stretch of the imagination, but the 4.25" barrel slide mated with the small officer's frame seems to be an underrated configuration even though it's about perfect for CCW.

http://mysite.verizon.net/dmk0210/myarms/Colt-CCO.jpg

[Mat, not doormat]

There was a Time, before I got back into 1911s, when my primary carry was a Kel-Tec P32. There were numerous times that I felt a bit undergunned, such as when getting out of the truck at 2 AM, and wandering around nasty downtown industrial areas looking for an address. Those times, I slipped on my leather jacket, and stuck one of my Super Blackhawks in each inside pocket. Plenty of firepower, as they're .44 Mag, but not most folks choice for size or weight, what with the 7.5" bbls, and the combined total of around 88 oz.

~~~Mat

[kp]

+1 on the 3913. I love its slim profile and its very accurate. I used to carry a G26 or G19 but since I purchased the 3913, the glocks have been benched.

[MCgunner]

Well, I have Ruger P guns and my P90 only weighs about what my Taurus 3" M66 .357 weighs (33 oz). I have a Sparks summer special for it and it totes comfortably, I carry that Taurus some, a M85UL Taurus snub .38 or a Kel Tec P11. Depending on whose telling the story on this site, any one of my proven accurate, reliable carry guns is a POS just because it's not a Smith and Wesson, 1911, Glock, HK, Sig, yadda, yadda, yadda:rolleyes:. So many POS opinions on this board, I've been away from it for a while to get straight. Just don't listen to 99 percent of the opinions on gun boards and buy what you want. I've been very impressed and happy with Taurus and Ruger (sp101 recent purchase) revolvers and Kel Tec and Ruger autos. They're my guns, I shoot 'em well, and they make me happy. :D I carry SOMEthing 24/7 except when I'm in bed at night and my shotgun is within easy reach.

[hemiram]

I will be getting my CCW soon and will be carrying my Astra A-75 in .40 S&W. It's 100% reliable and doesn't cost a ton of money, so I won't be worried about minor scratches it will no doubt get along the way. I'm looking for a reasonably priced one in 9mm, and would probably carry that if/when I find one.

If only the guns I've had in the past that cost 3 times what the Astra did worked as well as any of the ones I own now.

[izmarkie]

Browning Hi-Power and GP-100 3". People always say they're both too big to conceal, but I'm 5'6", 150lb, and I don't really have a problem most of the time. The right holster is everything.

I also carry a Kahr P9 IWB in the summer if I'm only wearing a t-shirt over it.

[Redneck with a 40]

Taurus PT-140 pro, great shooting little gun. Just the right size for IWB carry, IMO it has the perfect balance of size and weight to make shooting the 40 comfortable. Its been 100% reliable and surprisingly accurate, for $350 out the door, I'm very happy.:D

[beaucoup ammo]

I go with a Smith 637-2 or KAHR P9. Carry the Kahr in a Galco IWB made for a Glock 19. Need something else, because there's a minor "tug" on the slide release. The 637-2 gets a bad rap do to the trigger snag potential, however I've had no problems to date.

[Cannonball888]

I once carried a F.I.E. Titan II .380 ACP made by Tanfoglio. Most of you probably never heard of it. F.I.E. was a arms importing company in Florida that went belly up.

[McCall911]

I once carried a F.I.E. Titan II .380 ACP made by Tanfoglio. Most of you probably never heard of it. F.I.E. was a arms importing company in Florida that went belly up.

Oh, yes. I had one of these too and it gave pretty good service for a cheapy.

[Ala Dan]

How 'bout my old Smith & Wesson model 39-2 9m/m auto made in 1981~?

[JesseL]

I carry a Daewoo DH40. Very well made. Very under-rated.

[HerrWolfe]

I checked out a 10mm Desert Eagle yesterday. Never know when you will need the extra kick to blow an engine off its mounts :D. Hard to conceal the equipment in swimming trunks. Don't know what I'd do if I carried while I wore swimming trunks.

[McCall911]

Maybe This One Will Qualify As "Old and Obsolete"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How 'bout my old Smith & Wesson model 39-2 9m/m auto made in 1981~?

Oh, shucks, Ala Dan. That's not old and obsolete.
You know some of us guys over 50 have socks that were made before 1981, holes and all! :D

Me? I carry a 1935 Beretta (.32 ACP) made in 1955. I don't even use hollowpoints in it.