Is there such a thing as a reliable, tiny, semi-auto pistol?

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firestar

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I have bought or tried many of the "mouse guns" and I have yet to find one that works as well as I would like for a self defense pistol.

I know that you have to expect a jam every now and then even in full sized models but I really haven't seen what I would call a reliable tiny automatic.

Kel-Tecs are out because they can't be trusted. I have seen the tiny Berettas fail too often to consider them reliable enough for defense. Taurus PT-22 was junk. All the cheapo pocket guns are crap, Jennings, Raven, etc. Seecamp, NAA Gaurdian, and Autauga have their own problems.

Are we just not there yet? Is making a reliable mouse gun impossible? From what I have seen, nothing really is an improvment on the .38 snubbie.

I know that a lot of people have one of the guns above and it has functioned 100% but that seems to be a hit or miss thing when you are talking about tiny autos. I've had about 5-6 tiny autos of various makes and prices and I have never gotten one that was reliable. The Kel-Tec P-32 was great after the 1st time I sent it back to the factory but a few hundred rounds and several months later and it had broken again.

Is there a concenses of how reliable the Kahr PM9 is?

Do you have to go up to Bersa .380 and Glock 26 size to get somthing that works?
 
I really like the Colt .380 as well as it's parent the Star .380. I carry my Kel-Tec p-32 a lot because of the heat in South Florida, But when dress allows, nothings beats a light weight snubbie.

Elliot
 
I just passed the 500rd mark with my PM9, with no malfunctions of any kind.
Shooting several types of fmj and jhp, it is accurate and reliable.

Ditto with the MK9 that I traded for the PM9.
I would also add that my P32 is a reliable gun.
So, they can be found, you just have to make sure that the one you have is reliable for you.

A .38 snub can bind or misfire, but it is hard to beat the reliability of a snub.
 
My experience has shown that small autos tend to be more ammo sensitive than full size pistols. I had a Beretta 950 (.25) that was very reliable and my current "mouse gun" an NAA Guardian .32 is also very reliable. I will agree that when it comes to small guns nothing beats a lightweight snubbie for reliability. I have found that even a snubbie is sometimes too big for pocket carry when that is my only carry option and then I opt for the Guardian, relatively confidant that it will work if needed. Of all the premium bullets out there I have found that the Federal Hydra Shoks tend to be the most troublesome in small guns, even my Sig 230 doesn't like them. Speer Gold Dots and Remington Golden Sabers seem to work best in my guns. Mike
 
The "most" reliable machine mankind has devised is the mercury switch thermostat. Reliability goes downhill from there.

The failure modes of pistols due to complexity and design are at least an order of magnitude above those of revolvers, but they fail too, and often.

He who seeks a reliable machine may also foolishly rely on somebody else.
 
"Taurus PT-22 was junk."

I've got over 2,000 rounds through my with Winchester Wildcat ammo with ZERO failures to fire, ZERO failures to feed, and ZERO failures to extract.

And that's with spotty cleaning as I get around to it.

Sorry to hear that yours was a problem.
 
IMO, there are alot of good little guns out there.

Kahrs are great guns....period. You cant go wrong with one...they make a steel one that doesnt require a fluff and buff or whatever it is.

Ive had a Phoenix 22 that had over 5000 rnds through it and didnt burp after break in....it was 90$ and I would trust my life with the gun...not the caliber.

FEG makes a killer little gun for the money...the biggest drawback is the d/a trigger pull.....other than that you have a very good gun.

NAA guardians are very nice....the first run required a little work to get them to run...but that was a long time ago.

Plenty of good choices....Shoot well
 
I got an early one and checked it out with a lot of the ammunition available at the time. ( tomcat) I got four failures to feed in the first four magazines but then it settled in and was completely reliable for several hundred more rounds.

a local guy had one and started reloading for it. put several thousand rounds through it with no problems at all. I've also gotten perfect reliability from the Beretta Jet fire and .25 acp bobcat- though not with their rimfire variations.

the only misfeeds from several Seecamps have come with the Fiocchi JHP with the exposed lead though two of these guns mangle several of the jhp during feeding cycle.
 
Colt Gov't .380

Mustang or Pony are options also, but I have no long term experience with them.

My Gov't 380 has perforemd flawlessly.
 
I agree with Smoke. My Mustang Pocketlite has been 100% perfect.

coltmustang.jpg
 
Kel-Tecs are out because they can't be trusted. Taurus PT-22 was junk.
Click to expand...
Shame, cuz my PT-22 has gone thousands of rounds now with ZERO malfunctions of ANY kind. My P-32 has gone it's first 300 rounds the same way. (Zero MF) I really would like a Colt Mustang, but the price of the used ones is outrageous.
 
PCRCCW..........
Phoenix 22 that had over 5000 rnds through it and didnt burp after break in....it was 90$ and I would trust my life with the gun...not the caliber.
Click to expand...
Agreed .... my HP22 is a great mouse gun .. tho I would admit . I do feel the need to get the crud cleaned out after a lot of useage.

Main downside ........ for size ... too damn heavy . and yeah .. cal hardly ideal ..... otherwise .. pretty good, considering such low cost.
 
If you are talking "tiny semi-auto's", the current choices are .32 and under. "Tiny & light weight" and the choices are reduced further. "Tiny, light weight, safe to handle/carry and reliable" and the choice is pretty much narrowed down to the Beretta 950 Jetfire in .25 cal.

A decades old design & proven durability. Good ammo capacity (8+1 rounds). Tipping barrel makes for safe and easy chambering and un-chambering. Open slide makes for easy clearing of the rare jam. Reliability of .25 centerfire over .22 rimfire (about equally effective from ultra short barrels). Mine has been as reliable as any other auto I've used. Small enough to be completly covered by an average size hand, but large enough where it matters to safely handle it. Weighs under 10 oz. It's still currently being manufactured, so there are ample available factory original parts. And, it can be purchased new for under $250 (many places less than that).

There is no such thing as perfection. But for a "tiny auto", the Beretta 950 Jetfire in .25 cal. is as close as you are going to get.
 
Nearly added that myself W-9 .... not sure quite what it is but for me .25 SUX!! Bigtime! Partly ''reputation'' I guess but ... never had any buddies either using it who were actually real ''fans'' .. it was just a plinker thing!

I too would take .22lr by choice.
 
For reliability, power and concealability, still can't beat my COP .357.
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A very lucky COP owner, you are. :)

Yup, not only is it heavier and just as tall as a Glock 33, but it holds less than half as many rounds and every one of the four I've fired has been defective in one way or another. (broken firing pin, sloppy lockup, wouldn't shoot to point-of-aim, et cetera)

Out of curiousity, what range are your barrels regulated at?
 
Mouse gun? Does it pertain to ammo size or gun size?

Anyway my Keltec P11 has been soo reliable since day one. I have now close to 5K rounds through it and still counting! :)
 
A very lucky COP owner, you are.

Yup, not only is it heavier and just as tall as a Glock 33, but it holds less than half as many rounds and every one of the four I've fired has been defective in one way or another. (broken firing pin, sloppy lockup, wouldn't shoot to point-of-aim, et cetera)

Out of curiousity, what range are your barrels regulated at?
Click to expand...

And yet mine exhibits none of those problems. I must have the creampuff example of the century. Perfect lockup, always works perfectly, I have about 300 rounds of .357 through the gun and it's very confidence inspiring. Hits the primer hard and dead center. Extraction is easy. I don't shoot it much anymore though. You're kinda going with the revolver vs. auto argument there so I'll do the same. It's not going to jam and I don't have to worry whether or not it will be picky about the ammo I choose. And I don't have to worry about lint and such working it's way into the rails causing a jam. Just slip it into the pocket and go.

The COP is more than an inch shorter than the Glock 33 and slimmer as well. It is also melted nicely, it will not snag on anything. Comes out fast. It's not a tack driving 30 yard gun, but you can't expect that from a pocket carry DOA .357 magnum.

I can't carry a G33 in my front pocket, but the COP is easy as hell to carry in a pocket holster or IWB/OWB. I carry it at work ALOT. No, it's not light at 28 ounces, but it's built like a mini brick $%#house. I'm sure the G33 would weigh almost exactly the same with magazine in and fully loaded. With the Glock trigger the G33 would be dangerous for pocket carry anyways unless you went unchambered.
 
Anyway my Keltec P11 has been soo reliable since day one. I have now close to 5K rounds through it and still counting!
Click to expand...

That's good, I'm glad to hear that. I hear alot of people's guns jamming and I'm thankful that I've never owned a jammamatic. I've had some lemons that wouldn't shoot straight, but never a jammer.
 
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