[3KillerBs]

In a carry gun, especially a very small one, there are obviously going to be trade-offs. In my continuing search for the right gun to buy I've reached the point of asking, ...

Am I better off with a very comfortable gun with ergonomics that match my hands well but which has only 5 rounds of .38 special (Taurus 85), or a gun like one of the little Kahrs or the Taurus Millenium-Pro where I struggle with the controls but which have 8-12 rounds of 9mm?

I have not yet shot any of these but I have dry-fired them and I know I CAN shoot them (I weeded out the ones where I couldn't reach the trigger or, for the revolvers, the ones I couldn't pull the trigger in DA mode). But on those particular semi-autos I'm fighting with the magazine release and the slide lock to even properly clear the gun (a problem I don't have on some of the large guns like the Beretta/Stoeger Cougars and the Beretta/Taurus PT models).

I'm sure that if I were given one of those guns tomorrow I could learn tricks to manipulate them -- like the way I pin DH's M&P to the shooting table to gain the 3rd hand I need to lock that slide when clearing it.

But would I be better off with a 5-shot gun with good ergonomics -- even though I dislike shooting revolvers?

[DFW1911]

For CCW I'd recommend going with what you're most comfortable with and can shoot well. Many of us carry autos and many carry revolvers and I'd think it's probably fair to say each feels they have enough gun.

Don't rush into carrying something you don't shoot well just for capacity's sake. Your 5 on target is a lot better than 15 off target.

Have you tried a Browning Hi Power? In my opinion it has the best ergonomics of any SA pistol and is arguably one of the best 9mms ever made.

I know it's a tough choice...welcome to the club :)

Take care,
DFW1911

[Treo]

I think you've heard you have to use the gun that feels right enough times.

I want to suggest a CZ75 compact or maybe even a CZ 82 or 83. I've never heard anyone complain about the ergomonics of any of them. I really think they might be the answer for you.

[mnrivrat]

If the concern is the amount of rounds the gun holds I have no problem with saying you should go with the gun that is comfortable for you to operate.

Self defense is not Bruce Willis in die hard defending against a group of well armed terrorists . It is up close and personal, and over within a shot or two for the most part. One can always dream up a situation that is otherwise, but history indicates 5 is enough.

[Pat-inCO]

For CCW I'd recommend going with what you're most comfortable with and can shoot well.

Don't rush into carrying something you don't shoot well just for capacity's sake. Your 5 on target is a lot better than 15 off target.
Excellent summary.

The more comfortable you are with the feel of the gun, the more likely you will be to shoot it well (all else being equal).

[sailortoo]

I can't imagine trying to "struggle" with a self defense weapon, no matter how many rounds it may be capable of carrying. If it is not "comfortable" for you to handle without conciously thinking about it, it probably is not going to work best for you in a truly high stress situation - and it will be high stress, if you actually need to use the weapon. I'm sure you could eventually learn to overcome the struggle problem, with enough training and practice, but that is forcing an answer to your problem. Best to go with what feels right to you, not how many rounds it carries. Just my take on an ongoing problem for lots of folks.
sailortoo

[bogie]

If it feels good, and points true, without thinking, then it's a keeper. If you have to think about it, and you have to aim, forget it.

I won't carry a J-frame Smith. Not that I don't like their pistols, but at 7 yards, with me, they naturally point to "neuter" instead of "upper center chest" like my 1911s...

[BrianB]

Ergonomics = Speed of Accuracy = Effectiveness = Power

IMHO

[lee n. field]

Am I better off with a very comfortable gun with ergonomics that match my hands well but which has only 5 rounds of .38 special (Taurus 85), or a gun like one of the little Kahrs or the Taurus Millenium-Pro where I struggle with the controls but which have 8-12 rounds of 9mm?

Stated like that ("I struggle with the controls"), defiantly go with the Taurus 85.

Starting to get the prospective gun purchase narrowed down, eh?

[Pilot]

Go with what point and shoots more naturally for you. I often carry a "full size" which is actually pretty compact Beretta M85FS in .380 over a micro 9MM like a Kahr. That being said my current favorite and most ergonomic pistol is a lightweight, compact CZ-75D PCR 9MM.

[spwenger]

Reliability, which often overlaps with choice of ammo, is the first criterion.

Ergonomics is second.

My own answer to the five-shot dilemma is to carry at least two of the five-shot revolvers, which also allows me to draw and fire with either hand, as circumstances may dictate, as I carry at least one accessible to each hand.

[3KillerBs]

@lee n. field,

Yes, I'm down to only those 3-4 options now.

The practical experimentation I did last week set 4.25" tall by 6" long as my absolute top size so I concentrated on handling the guns within that size range yesterday.

[3KillerBs]

@treo,

If ergonomics were the only factor I'd get the Taurus PT in the model with the adjustable sights. When I can afford it I'll get one anyway because everything about that gun is perfect in my hand and I can operate it with ease. But raw physical size is the limiting factor and that monster just doesn't make the cut. :)

I have held a couple of the CZs and they are indeed nice in the hand.

[3KillerBs]

That's sort of what I was expecting to hear. :D

I don't like shooting revolvers. I do like the way the Taurus 85 sat in my hand and the way it vanished, curves into curves, when held against my side. I could have slipped it under my shirt and just held it there without any kind of holster and it would have been almost impossible to tell I wasn't just standing there with my hand on my hip.

Now waiting the permit to arrive and to save up the money to get it. :D

[CNYCacher]

99% of gun self-defense cases do not involve a shot being fired. Just having a gun is what saves you most of the time, firepower is irrelevant in those cases.

Not having the gun on you because it is uncomfortable to carry doesn't help you at all.