One of them little flat pistols, maybe?

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Spats McGee

Spats McGee

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I know I've said that the Shield Plus might well be the last carry pistol I ever buy. For belt carry, I still think that's true. With that said, I've been toying with the idea of a different pocket pistol for those rare occasions that I pocket carry. For several years, I've achieved pocket carry with with an LCR. It's certainly a nice little revolver, but I've been contemplating one of those little flat pocket pistols, like an LCP. I'd prefer 9mm to .380, but I guess, maybe, possibly, I could give .380 a chance.

So, denizens of THR, I'm looking for a flat pocket pistol in at least .380 and preferably 9mm. Here's what I have on The List so far:
1. LCP
2. LC9
3. Kahr CM9

What else needs to be on The Long List?
 
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For my pockets it’s gotta be an LCP or similar size.

Had one years back and it shot fine, just so small. I’d probably get one again if I wanted to go with occasional pocket carry.

I looked at the LCP max but honestly it’s not all that much smaller than the 365 to me (compared at the shop where they let me test pocketing them a little).
 
Diamondback DB9 Gen 4 might be worth researching. They are tiny and flat. Also rated for +p ammunition and are 100% American made (smaller company underdog). The early generations had issues and were not rated for +p. The Gen 4s are pretty nice are are about as small and light as you can go for a 9mm. The one I shot worked great (friends pistol) and the recoil impulse to me felt similar to the Keltec P11 which I always felt was pretty managable. I think my friend is running the Hornady Light 9mm (pink tip) 100gr loads in his for carry so I would imagine its even softer than the WWB I was shooting. They are one of the few 9mms small enough for pocket carry. Should be some decent youtube reviews out there somewhere to give you a better idea.
 
You need to have pretty large pockets for any 9mm Kahr to be a reasonable option.

Also, I'd avoid anything with hammers, safeties, prominent beavertails, and any other snag-prone protrusions for a pocket pistol. An adequate draw is cumbersome enough as it is with pocket carry.
 
Odd Job said:
If you can find one, a Sites Resolver. I held one in Johannesburg in the 1990s and it was one of the best looking, sleekest guns I've seen. Couldn't afford it though, I was just a student.
Might be hard to find now, it'll have to be second hand.

View attachment 1104332
Click to expand...

Not many of those made it into the country before they got axed for watever reason. I believe it was right around 1994 when the AWB kind of killed the spectre. They are neat for sure. DAO triggers and pretty heavy but smooth (at least the one I handled was). Very thin and all steel. Its a shame more of them didnt make it in from Italy. Collectors snatch them up these days. One sold on Gunbroker a few months back. I didnt want to look at how much it finally went for.
 
So the thing is, any 9mm will be much heavier than a 380 in the pocket class.

Carry gun (without holster) Weight in ounces Rounds
Kel-Tec P32 hornady custom-xtp 9.90 8
Ruger LCP MAX Hornady Critical Defense 90 gr FTX 13.80 11
Ruger LCP II Fiocchi XTP JHP 90 Gr 13.00 7
Kahr PM9 gold dot 124 gr +P 19.60 7

All are manageable of course, but the differences are significant, at least to me.

ETA: I would be remiss not to mention the Sig P365, a fine pocket choice, in the bigger than LCP class, but the FCU modularity protects the investment.
 
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For me the Kahr CM9 is too big to pocket carry. I can get it in the pocket of some pants but even those I can't get it out of the pocket quickly.

My main choice for pocket carry is the Diamondback DB9 (Gen 3). It is the perfect size for 80% of my pants and I can get it out of my pocket quickly. I have had mine for about 4 years now with about 300 rounds through it. It has NEVER had any malfunction in that time. Before I ever took it to the range I stripped it dry of all lubricant then racked the slide several hundred times. I then lubricated it and took it to the range and it has functioned perfectly since round 1. Holding the Kahr CM9 in one hand and the DB9 in the other it is obvious that the CM9 is a MUCH nicer gun with better build quality. The DB9 is what I carry though because of its size and that it has been just as reliable as the Kahr for me.

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I still carry my LCP a fair amount, mainly during the summer. The LCP is smaller and lighter which works better for shorts etc. but I carry the DB9 if I can due to the more powerful round.

The Keltec P32 is only carried occasionally but it is nice to have a pistol so small in some situations. Back when I worked in the office I would carry the P32 every day because printing was not an option.

My XDs in .45 acp is my IWB gun when I want a bit more firepower. 6 rounds of .45acp in such a small package is pretty comforting. But being able to slip the DB9 / LCP / P32 into my front pocket on the way out the door with out having to worry about dressing appropriately IS the reason I ALWAYS have a gun on me!

For me the DeSantis Super Fly holster is perfect for my DB9. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008FL82HO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It allows me to get the DB9 out of my pocket quickly and the extra flap does an excellent job of hiding the pistol outline in my pocket. The DB9 / Super Fly looks like I have my wallet in my front pocket. I doubt if anyone has ever pegged me as carrying with this combo. I use some slightly smaller holsters for the LCP and P32. All 3 are ready to go, loaded in their holsters so I don't even put one in my pocket on the way out the door anymore. They are just there in my pocket just like my keys, wallet and cell phone are... without even thinking about it!

P.S. The DB9 Gen 2's had a reputation for the pin the trigger rotates on working itself out after many shots. The Gen 3's have a good reliability rating from everything I have read BUT, as Starling mentioned above, they are not rated for +P and they don't have a slide lockback after the last round like the Gen 4's do. Someday I will probably pick up a Gen 4. I haven't yet because my Gen 3 has been so reliable for me. I beleive the Diamondback Gen 4 is minutely bigger than the Gen 3 - http://www.diamondbackforum.com/index.php?topic=4565.0 It also looks like the Gen 4 has nicer / better sites than my Gen 3.
 
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While size matters, weight has always been a critical factor for me in pocket carry.
The SIG P365 is nearly shockingly small, but it is still a 9mm with the attendant weight penalty.
The Ruger LCP Max is a touch smaller in .380, but weighs in at 60% of the P365.

P365 v LCP Max
 
When I got my PF9, I tried it in jeans and decided it was too big. That was in 2010. It went to the belt, and a P32 arrived the next year to do pocket-duty.

Just a few weeks ago, I tried the PF9 again, still in jeans, and it seems to fit just fine now. Not sure what changed about my perspective on it. My pocket gun since last year had been a Ruger LCP-MAX, but I've decided I want something that rides higher in the pocket, not requiring I bury my wrist to grip it. The PF9 is as light as the MAX (possibly lighter) and rides closer to that desired height. Though not as heavy as the LC9 on your list, the sizes are nearly identical. Mine rides in a DeSantis SuperFly, though with the cover flap removed (which essentially makes it a Nemesis.)
 
LCP 1 has been my main pocket gun for almost 7 years now!

I also carry a Walther PPK a lot, though admittedly it's too big and heavy for a 7 shot 380, but I still love the ergonomics and DA/SA trigger on it. However, it's a bit silly when for just a smidgen bigger, and the same weight, I could instead be pocket carrying a Sig P365.
 
if wanting a flat ccw now but worried about future disdain for recoil then i suggest a keltec p32 with a hogue grip sleeve. mine is accurate at defensive distances, reliable, easy to shoot and easier to conceal. the p32 has largely supplanted a naa guardian 32acp.

i liked the feel of a s&w bodyguard the one time i put 30ish rounds through a rental. at this point if i absolutely must have a 380acp pocket ccw it would be a bodyguard, i think…

i could never take to single action semiauto pistols (e.g. m1911) so finally got rid of an otherwise ok sig p238. i absolutely hated the snappy recoil of the ruger lcp. if ever a pistol needed chambering in 32acp it is the lcp. the bersa thunder beat up my shooting hand with slide bite. i liked holding a taurus spectrum, shooting it was ok, fieldstripping was a total witch due to its impossible guide rod spring. a galloway captured replacement lead to stovepipes.
 
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Ethan Verity said:
LCP 1 has been my main pocket gun for almost 7 years now!

I also carry a Walther PPK a lot, though admittedly it's too big and heavy for a 7 shot 380, but I still love the ergonomics and DA/SA trigger on it. However, it's a bit silly when for just a smidgen bigger, and the same weight, I could instead be pocket carrying a Sig P365.
Click to expand...

Not so silly. PPK is an extremly accurate pistol. 2" groups at 25 yards is very possible with the PPK and quality ammunition. I would carry it as well. Its right on the edge of being a target pistol while still being reliable enough for a CCW defensive firearm. I still carry a Makarov a lot because I am accurate with them and they are reliable to a fault. I cant even hit a paper plate at 25 yards with an LCP...its kind of rediculous for me to shoot those.
 
jstert said:
if wanting a flat ccw now but worried about future disdain for recoil then i suggest a keltec p32 with a hogue grip sleeve. mine is accurate at defensive distances, reliable, easy to shoot and easier to conceal. the p32 has largely supplanted a naa guardian 32acp.

i liked the feel of a s&w bodyguard the one time i put 30ish rounds through a rental. at this point if i absolutely must have a 380acp pocket ccw it would be a bodyguard, i think…

i could never take to single action semiauto pistols (e.g. m1911) so finally got rid of an otherwise ok sig p238. i absolutely hated the snappy recoil of the ruger lcp. if ever a pistol needed chambering in 32acp it is the lcp. the bersa thunder beat up my shooting hand with slide bite. i liked holding a taurus spectrum, shooting it was ok, fieldstripping was a total witch due to its impossible guide rod spring. a galloway captured replacement lead to stovepipes.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I like the ergos of the bodyguard as well. They fill the hand just enough to be comfortable. LCP grip is just to small and shifts in my hands to much. Felt like I was fighting the pistol. 32acp would take a lot of that away and I would buy one. Even the LCP22 in 25acp would be nice for a pill shooter. Most of these pocket baby 380s would be far better pistols in 32acp IMO. I am not recoil sensitive either.
 
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