CC companion for a P95

[breeze010]

Several years ago after much research I purchased my first centerfire handgun--a Ruger P95. At the time I was looking for something to keep in the home, truck or OC while fishing, hiking, etc. My primary concerns were price (both gun & ammo), reliability and something with a bit of weight to minimize recoil. Thousands of rounds later I've had 0 failures and still find it hard to believe I paid under $300 new for this gun!

After spending a lot of time at the range I feel like my aversion to recoil may have been unjustified and find myself wanting a smaller, lighter and more easily concealable handgun (will have CCDW license in hand shortly). Unfortunately I have nowhere to rent from nearby so my only other experience is with my S&W .38spl snubbie. I find the recoil to be slightly more uncomfortable than my P95 although still manageable. How will the recoil of my .38 compare to a compact or subcompact 9mm? I realize it's subjective at best but would be interested in hearing comparisons...the last thing I want is a tiny pocket gun I can't shoot straight when my life is on the line.

Anyway, I would like to hear some suggestions for a new CC weapon along the lines of:

• Strongly prefer another 9mm for the cheap ammo and less hassle keeping another caliber.
• Price under $450 but $300 would be even better
• Good balance between size/weight for concealment and recoil (with concealment taking precedence this time). Still undecided regarding pocket carry, IWB, etc.
• I know many will disagree but I prefer a manual external safety vs no external safety (everything else being equal). However this is just a preference, not a requirement.

Besides that, I'm open to any brand/model. I would like to mention that before I bought the P95 I strongly considered an S&W Sigma. The grip fit my hand like a glove and simply felt perfect, if there is anything with a similar grip (sw9ve may be slightly bigger than I'm looking for) I would definitely be interested.

So far I'm tossing around the idea of a PF-9 or LC-9 but I'm still leery about the recoil in such small guns and lack of safety. The SR9c seems like a good compromise, but I'm afraid I will end up with just that....a compromise that's not as easy to shoot as my P95 but still too big to conceal in light clothing. Would like to hear some thoughts on this...is it time to just suck it up and deal with the recoil on a pocket pistol? Or should I go with something in between and search for the right holster/carry setup to be comfortable?

Edit - Forgot to mention that my wife has been shooting more and more with me and is starting to show an interest in getting a CC weapon. This is another reason I'm concerned about the recoil of a subcompact; she doesn't enjoy shooting the .38 near as much and I would want something she could also practice with.

 

[Nullcone]

Price under $450 but $300 would be even better

I'd grab a PF-9 and shoot it enough to break it in/make sure it's reliable.

If you feel the recoil is too much (I don't think you will), part with it and move up to a Kahr K9 if you can afford it.

 

[97guns]

stick with your good forunes and ruger with an LC9

 

[MedWheeler]

Ruger LC9 has a manual safety. The Kel-Tec is a tick lighter and smaller, and has no safety. Its long trigger pull is its own safety, just like with your revolver. I carry the PF-9. Recoil is definitely present, make no bones, but it is easy to train past, and the gun can actually be pleasant to shoot in the right hands, and stoked with the right ammunition.
If she doesn't like shooting the .38, she probably won't like the small, lightweight 9mm guns, either.

 

[duns]

I have nowhere to rent from nearby so my only other experience is with my S&W .38spl snubbie. I find the recoil to be slightly more uncomfortable than my P95 although still manageable. How will the recoil of my .38 compare to a compact or subcompact 9mm?

Not sure where the dividing line is between compact and subcompact, but my Walther P99C 9mm (same size as a Glock 26) has much less recoil than my .38spl snubbie, or at least it seems so to me. I put this down to much of the recoil in a pistol being absorbed by the slide whereas in a revolver it all goes into the hand.

 

[carbonyl]

I have a P95 and an sr9c. I liked the 95 so much that I sold a S&W 659 to finance the sr9c and have never been sorry. If you’re happy with the low recoil of the 95 you’ll love the sr9c. If it has any more kick than the 95 I don’t feel it. I can comfortably carry it in a cheap Uncle Mikes IWB holster in the 1:00 position and you’d never know I had it even with a T-shirt on. Also as you probably know it has the external safety you want.

 

[Buck Kramer]

Bodyguard 380, mine has over 600 rounds trough it without a malfunction. I saw one at the gun show this weekend for 300.00! 80 less than I paid for it 6 months ago.

 

[robinkevin]

+1 on Kel Tec, either the PF9 or the P11 would serve you well. You can go with Ruger as well they basically build their LC9 after the P11 but gave it a single stack mag and safety. However in my eyes you pay more for the extra finsh and name with the Ruger, I'd rather go with a older and proven design such as the P11 personally. However any of the 3 P11, PF9 or LC9 would make a great CC pistol in 9mm.

 

[Dirty Bob]

Congrats on a good choice in your first purchase: the P95 is one of the best "bang for your buck" pistols.

I conceal a P-11 under a t-shirt, or a tucked-in dress shirt, with the Galco Ultimate Second Amendment holster. I carry in appendix position. This combination isn't for everyone, but it works for me.

The P-11's trigger is not friendly for beginners, but the gun has been 100% reliable (with non-+P ammo, in compliance with the manual). Recoil is more than the P95, but not a big deal.

Have you tried new stocks on your Smith? There are lots of stocks that would reduce felt recoil but still allow concealment.

All my best,
Dirty Bob

 

[Zerodefect]

Get a used Glock 19. (And a Glock 34 trigger)

Time to step up to something smaller, lighter, and with a faster trigger. Look towards Crossbreed or Ravens Concelament for holsters.

 

[rich642z]

Being a gun wholesaler,I would suggest for ccw companion,a LC9 because,I have one and have close to 7,000 rounds in mine with no malfunctions of any sort what so ever. I put 3-500 rounds per month and not even a crack or breakage on the recoil rod. But,it is up to you.

 

[Tcruse]

I would think that the top 2 to look at would be a Ruger SR 9c and Glock 26. The sr9c will feel good if you like the p95. The Glock 26 just has no down side, just works. I used the Keltec p11, works ok not much fun to practice with. Long hard trigger pull makes accuracy an issue. Hard recoil may make you want to stop shooting after only a few rounds. The p95 is a good companion to a Glock 26.

 

[PT92]

The P95 is arguably the best durable 'no-frills' 9mm pistol ever made. I, like you, have over 2K fired without a hiccup.

A great companion CCW would be a Kel-Tec P11 NIB for $230. Can be carried in holster or pocket. I do both depending on the weather--It's a great feeling to have 11 rounds of 9mm in your pocket.

-Cheers

 

[Dirty Bob]

I used the Keltec p11, works ok not much fun to practice with. Long hard trigger pull makes accuracy an issue. Hard recoil may make you want to stop shooting after only a few rounds.

Total agreement on the long trigger: my accuracy was bad at first but got better with practice. On the other hand, it's a safe trigger, in that it requires a long, deliberate trigger stroke to fire the pistol.

Gotta disagree on the recoil. It's more than the P95, I agree, but in my experience it's neither painful nor unpleasant. Everybody's different, but I find it no big deal to go through a practice session of 30-50 rounds of 115-gr. (non - +P) ball. The backstrap's an inch wide and spreads out the recoil force pretty well. I also use a tight grip on the pistol, which helps.

Not a gun for everyone, but I really like the P-11. I suspect the SR9c would handle recoil better, but both are viable.

Regards,
Dirty Bob

 

[FMF Doc]

Your wish list is the product description of the Ruger LC9. You won't be disappointed.

 

[breeze010]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the replies and suggestions. I was looking at the SR9c, LC9, and PF-9/P-11 when I posted and looks like I'm on the right track. Will also take a look at the G26, a friend loves his G27 but I haven't had the opportunity to shoot it yet. Guess that will give me a good reference point for recoil in smaller guns

Hopefully I can track down a few of these locally to take to the range, otherwise I may just take a trip one weekend and find a range that offers rentals. I'm leaning towards the LC9/PF-9/etc so that I have something easily concealable and can always get something in between that and the P-95 at a later date. Recoil still concerns me in such small/light offerings so I will need to at least test a few out before I can feel comfortable with the purchase.

And to everyone that praised the P-95, I have limited experience with auto pistols but would have to agree. Mine hasn't had the first failure with any ammo I've fed through it. Hopefully whatever the next purchase is will be just as reliable.