Hi Gents. Seeking a pocket pistol. (deep CC)

[PureTexan1961]

I am seeking a good trigger that allows me to deliver repeat shots quick with little reset using a 5.5 lb trigger pull or less. Must be a small pocket gun that is to be 5.5 inches long max. The thinner the better. I like 9mm but the new expansive .380 rounds for defensive loads are intriguing in their ballistic reports. The 380 HP is 90% is as effective as the 9mm HP at 20 feet. A smaller gun (.380) is more comfortable for me to carry.

I am most comfortable wearing my suit pants with a small pocket gun in the front pocket. No IWB or OWB holsters and worrying about printing as much. Printing is not good. I do not want the attention.

I bought a SW Bodyguard and the trigger was not even close to my needs. Here are my top choices:

> Sig 938 9mm single action (cocked and locked)
> Kimber Mirco .380 single action (cocked and locked)
> Kimber Solo 9mm (striker fire)
> Glock 43 .380 cal (sticker fire)

So, tell me what you think if you have the time.

Thanks,

PureTexan1961

 

[CNobbe]

My PM9 and CW380 Kahrs are my deep concealment pistols. Kahr has come to be a love/hate brand but mine have been great. Triggers are long but smooth pulls, and there isn't much to snag other than the slide stop.

Not on your list, just my $0.02

 

[C0untZer0]

With a pocket nine, the biggest factors in allowing you to "deliver repeat shots quick " is going to be recoil and your hand / forearm strength / ability to handle recoil. IMO the trigger is going to be a distant second in its effect on delivering repeat shots quick.

I really like my Kahr CM9.

I'm not sure what this statement means:

The 380 HP is 90% is as effective as the 9mm HP at 20 feet.

 

[JRH6856]

I can help some.

Must be a small pocket gun that is to be 5.5 inches long max.

Sig 938 (9mm) is 5.9" long
Sig 238 (.380)is 5.5"
Glock 43 (9mm) is 6.26"
Glock 42 (.380) is 5.94"
Kimber Solo (9mm) is 5.5"
Kimber Micro (.380) is 5.6"

(taken from manufacturer's websites)

So now your choice is between the Sig 238 .380 and the Kimber Solo 9mm.

 

[typhun]

sig 238 is one of my most accurate guns inside 10 yards which is mostly what i practice from. Everyone who shoots it is amazed how accurate that little gun is. I shoot it much better than my LC9. I'll be adding the 238 to my permit as soon as i can. I do though feel very comfortable with carrying the LC9 because of the safety and long trigger pull. I may get the same comfort level with the 238 cocked and locked once i carry it for some time. Both have been very reliable in that they have handled all the ammo i have tried in them.

 

[JRH6856]

If the P238 had a left hand safety, I would have one for pocket carry instead of my LCP. The P938 is just a bit too long to conceal in a front or rear pocket. As OP suggests, 5.5" is max for pocket concealment in all my but one pair of my jeans.

Kahr CM9 is 5.4" so it is a viable option.

 

[C0untZer0]

Kahr gives the overall length of the CM9 as 5.42” If you measure just the slide from the rear to the muzzle end, the slide is 5.4375” So it is closer to 4.4” than it is to 4.2”. But that isn't really the OAL of the CM9. Putting the gun in a box, and putting the top of the slide against one wall of the box and sliding the gun until the rearmost part of the pistol touches another wall of the box, and measuring from there, the Kahr is actually 5.625” long. This is similar to how guns are measured with the IDPA box test if people are familiar with that.

Here are some side by side pictures of the CM9 and the R9:

 

[DFM914]

P238 for sure!

 

[CDW4ME]

Ruger LCP or Kel-Tec P3AT 380 disappear in my pocket.
Kahr PM9 is pocketable but a bit heavier and thicker than the 380's.

 

[Wishoot]

I'll play the part of the thread contrarian that suggests something NOT on your list....

Get a J-Frame.

 

[HexHead]

+ 11ty billion on that J-frame, with a trigger job.

 

[SFsc616171]

IF for 'deep ccw', the C.I.A. chose the SandW J-frame revolver, all those years before, why not now?

 

[MikeJackmin]

> suit pants with a small pocket gun in the front pocket... Printing is not good.

My opinion is that if you get anything larger than an LCP you are not going to be happy with it.

 

[1KPerDay]

Hard to beat the LCP IME. If you can handle the long/revolver-like trigger.

The P938 is a dandy pistol if yours works.

 

[1KPerDay]

the C.I.A. chose the SandW J-frame revolver, all those years before, why not now?

because it feels gigantic compared to the truly small autos (like the LCP) and looks like a tumor in your pocket.

I've carried both for years and there's no comparison... the LCP (and similar) make the J-frame feel too big for really deep cover.

 

[Gary A]

Must be a small pocket gun that is to be 5.5 inches long max.

The Sig P290rs is small 5.5 inches long by 1 inch wide and about 4 in high. It is DAO and quite accurate and reliable and soft shooting. It is a bit heavy at around 20 ounces even with its polymer frame due partly to its steel sub-frame.

Although it meets your length requirement, I think it is too big for your purpose. My choices would be the Sig 238 or Ruger LCP.

 

[Snejdarek]

Is weight an issue? If not I'd recommend Micro Desert Eagle. Can't get much smaller than that.

Otherwise I personally have Kahr CM9 for deep concealment. I really like the combination of no external safeties and long trigger pull with weight just in between of my primary CC CZ 75 Compact's DA-SA pulls. The other pocket guns I tried didn't work for me either for having external safety (I'm not gonna bet my life on never forgetting safety under stress), or short&light trigger pull (I'm not gonna bet my health on never inadvertently touching the trigger) or too heavy trigger pull (I refuse to try wrestling with the gun and keeping the sights on target at the same time).

Last but not least Kahr is proudly American company. I was unimpressed about getting the gun with a small American flag here in the Czech Republic, but I can imagine it can play a role in US.

(LCP has absolutely TERRIBLE reputation here as regards their durability and reliability)

 

[OregonJohnny]

I agree with those who say that anything bigger than a Ruger LCP will be too big for front pocket carry in dress pants.

For reference, I wear 33x32 boot cut jeans/pants.

I've tried my CM9 (which is a pretty good representation of the average micro 9 on the market), as well as my S&W 642 in various types of pants and shorts pockets over the years. The Kahr CM9 feels like you're trying to conceal a small hardback book in your pocket, and the j-frame feels like a closed fist in your pocket, compared to the LCP.

My LCP slips in and out of the pocket easily, and is very comfortable to wear all day. I know you said you want a nice trigger (which is not something the LCP is known for), but it really isn't that bad. I always surprise myself with how fast and accurate I can be with my LCP at 5-7 yards. I simply painted the tiny sight "nubs" white, which helps. I also installed the rubber Hogue Handall grip sleeve, which was a HUGE improvement. The pinky extension magazine base rounds out the little things that make this gun more friendly.

I'd look at the new LCP "Custom" that Ruger just released. It has real sights, and a wide aluminum trigger that is supposed to help with the trigger pull.

The very best thing about the Ruger LCP - is the consistent reliability. Ruger has sold gazillions of these things, and you hear far less about reliability problems than you do with other brands' micro pistols.

 

[huntsman]

when I try to pocket carry my LCP in dress slacks it feels like a big rock in the pocket so I switch to IWB and blouse over it. I can pocket carry comfortably with all my other clothes(even sweat pants) just not dress pants.

 

[1KPerDay]

I assume you're using a good pocket holster? In my dress pants with DeSantis Nemesis the LCP feels like a wallet.

 

[Zendude]

For pocket carry, I would consider a Beretta Pico. The one I tried had a good trigger and surprisingly mild recoil which made follow up shots quick and easy.

 

[Wishoot]

because it feels gigantic compared to the truly small autos (like the LCP) and looks like a tumor in your pocket.

I've carried both for years and there's no comparison... the LCP (and similar) make the J-frame feel too big for really deep cover.

I have both the LCP and a J-Frame.

I find myself carrying the J-Frame more often. With the right grips and holster, the J-Frame is every bit as easy to carry and conceal as an LCP.

As far as reliability is concerned, it's no contest IMO. The J-Frame wins.

 

[OregonJohnny]

the J-Frame is every bit as easy to carry and conceal as an LCP

The j-frame is over an inch longer, over half an inch taller, half an inch wider and 6 oz. heavier loaded than an LCP. That all makes a huge difference in a small or medium front pants pocket.

But we all have our different tolerances and our different sized pants. Some people claim they pocket carry a Glock 26 with comfort.

 

[onelastshot]

I second the purchase of a Kahr! I picked up the CT380 on Wednesday, my second Kahr, and it sits in my right pocket. Long but clean trigger pull, single stack that carries 7 + 1. A great choice you won't regret.

 

[Wishoot]

The j-frame is over an inch longer, over half an inch taller, half an inch wider and 6 oz. heavier loaded than an LCP. That all makes a huge difference in a small or medium front pants pocket.

But we all have our different tolerances and our different sized pants. Some people claim they pocket carry a Glock 26 with comfort.

Very true. Everyone's experiences are different.

I've had an LCP for a couple of years now and it's easy to carry, but lost confidence in it after a while. In fact, I'm sending it back to Ruger soon. Got to the point I couldn't get through a mag without some kind of failure. Even after replacing the recoil spring.

I've been enjoying the J-Frame wearing a set of Desantis Clip Grips. Amazingly comfortable and very concealable.