pocket pistols

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FireArmFan

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First off let me start by saying i don't really like small guns. i've got pretty good sized hands and prefer larger pistols. However, lately i've found myself going out once in a while unarmed due to wardrobe restrictions or other reasons. I carry a HK P2000 which isn't huge but it's not tiny either. So I've decided to start looking for a handgun I could just put in a pocket holster and throw in a jacket pocket or pants pocket. I've got a few guns I plan on buying before this one but I'm starting to do the research now. My first instinct was the the Kahr PM9 but then I looked at their website and saw that MSRP for their cheapest model was $771. I understand that I would be able to get one cheaper than MSRP but that is still more than I want to spend. This would not be a gun I shoot a lot, it would simply be a small gun that I carry when nothing else is an option. I'm looking for cheap yet still goes bang when I pull the trigger. About what would a used PM9 cost? The Kel Tec P11 seems to be a good option. As far as I can tell it's cheap and reliable. For an autoloader I'd like to stick with 9mm or bigger and for revolver .38 special. I'm not against buying something used. So what do you say, for around $400 or less what is a good pocket pistol and why? I've done some searching on here and found some good info but still looking for more advice.
 
Ah, the endless search for a small but powerful pocket pistol. I've pondered this same question for about the last 25 years!

I can tell you that from about '97 to '07 my concealed carry guns were a S&W 642 (front pocket) and/or a Glock 26 (jacket pocket). Both served me very well in this role.

Last year I purchased one of the new Bersa .380CC pistols and have been pocket carrying that ever since. This is a very impressive, inexpensive little pistol. Small, flat, nicely made and reliable. I think mind was about $255.00 out the door.

I've recently acquired a NIB Smith 6906 that I've been wanting since they were discontinued. First time I've carried with a belt holster in years.
 
My pocket pistol is the Kahr MK9 Elite 98. I've had it for years.
However, that will change. Recently, I bought the new Kel-Tec PF9.
It weighs 12.7 oz and is chambered in 9mm.
It's currently in Fl for some expected work.
It will replace the Kahr when I get it back.
 
I have a nice little revolver that fits that bill. It is a Taurus 905 (I think is the model). It is a 5-shot 9mm moon clip snubby. Its barrel is about 1/4" shorter than the comperable M85 .38 AND the cylinder is also about that much shorter. Total is about 1/2" shorter than the 85 and the hammer is bobbed. Neat lil pocket gun.
 
FireArmFan, s+w j frames are nice you can buy larger grips if needed, should be able to find new for around 400. mine is 15 oz,s, pocket carry or IWB. Do you ever carry the HK p2000 IWB, I have the same and only have a OWB for it, would like to IWB haven't heard if it is to big or would be uncomfortable. Thanks, DJ
 
I have the same problem as you. I got a SW 642 Centennial Airweight and put on a set of pachmayr grips. They extend below the handle and make the handle long and big enough to get a good grip on. I like it very much. :)
 
Khar PM9 with cargo shorts and NAA 380 Guardian when more conservative dress is required. Real conservative--NAA PUG.
 
If you've got bigger than average hands, then a J-Frame S&W might be good to look into as there is a near infinite selection of stocks to choose from (including custom made) to get the perfect fit.

I too have big hands, and actually find the standard rubber Uncle Mike's boot grips on my 642 to be just right. My 642 is the only small, pocketable gun out there that I enjoy shooting for this reason. However, I do admit that it took over a year of experimentation to find a grip technique that works for me.

The S&W 637 looks like a pretty good option.
Click to expand...

Also consider the 638 (shrouded hammer) or 642 (totally enclosed hammer). The rounded/smooth backstrap of the 642 in particular make it one of the easiest, fastest pocket blasters to grab and draw. Never snags or hangs up, just slides right out with no fighting. The prominent grip also means it is easy for your hand to find in your pocket, though at the expensive of super-concealability like that found in the tiny Kel-Tecs.


642palm.jpg

642 in a round-cut Robert Mika pocket holser. Note the easy-to-grasp grip.

642_12-3.jpg

Rent or borrow one if you can. I don't find the recoil to be bad at all, and I can shoot it pretty well. Others find them to be quite painful and difficult to shoot.
 
I never get tired of a thread from someone searching for a good pocket pistol.
I've even think I started a couple threads when I was on the look.
I settled on the P11 and haven't looked back since.
It is 100% reliable... so far.

P.S.
I really like the 642 and will buy one if I ever get over my loathing of S&W.
 
My only pocket rocket is a Keltec P3AT in the hard chrome slide version..travels in leather holster in my front pocket....It is my always (when legal) with me gun...has been reliable and it is so light I honestly sometimes forget it is in my pocket...
 
I have the little Kahr PM9, and am very satisfied with it. It has night sights, which are not available on the S&W revolvers, and it holds six shots of 9mm. I have owned one of the ultralight S&W .38 special revolvers, and for me, the PM9 is just plain easier to shoot.

The little 14.7 ounce PM9 is extremely accurate for it's size, and follow up shots are easily accomplished. It comes with a six round and extended seven round magazine.

After more than seven hundred rounds, it has only malfunctioned once (failure to completely feed, but a quick tap on the back of the slide made it go bang). This happened during the Kahr suggested 200 round break in, and occurred at about round 175. I did have to drift the rear sight a little bit to the right to properly center my groups.

It is barely larger than the Kel-Tec P3AT that I sold prior to purchasing the PM9.

The PM9 is a rather expensive gun, but I feel that I received every bit if not more than what I paid for. I got the blackened slide and night sights (the most expensive model) for an out the door price of $778.00. The natural stainless finished slide with the normal sights costs around $550.00 new around here.

I am very happy with my PM9 in every way, and highly recommend it to anyone wanting an easily concealable, highly accurate, and dependable pocket sized auto pistol.
 
I'm very happy with my two pocket guns; a Kel-Tec P11 and a S&W 642. Both have been very reliable and fit nicely in most front pockets. Even when I carry a larger sidearm, one of the above is in my pocket. An alternate for the P11 would be the PF9.
 
First off let me start by saying i don't really like small guns. i've got pretty good sized hands and prefer larger pistols.
Click to expand...

+1 for the S&W 442 or 642. You can find them in your price range. The enclosed hammer really makes it snag-proof and lint-proof, and you can customize it with an unlimited selection of aftermarket stocks to fit your big hands when the budget allows.

Ajax Custom Grips
Crimson Trace LG-405 compact rubber overmold
Crimson Trace LG-305 extended rubber overmold
Crimson Trace LG-105 defender series
Grips 4 Guns
Hogue j-frame grips
Grips by Esmerelda
 
Kahr, I think it is the best CC weapon. Their ad says it all.... Slim is sexy. I put my CW9 in my jeans pocket and carry it everywhere.
 
P3AT for something really small. I recently got one and I'm impressed so far. It feels about like having a cell phone in your pocket. I consider the .380 very marginal for defence but it's better than a squirt of OC and some harsh words when you can't carry anything bigger.
At the last gun show I went to this past weekend I saw Kahr PM9s in the $400-$500 range (probably used, I didn't examine further). They seem like an excellent gun and I hope to get one when funds permit even though I like my glock 26.
Revolvers (especially with hidden/bobbed hammers) have the extra benefit of being able to fire more than 1 round from your jacket pocket.
 
A 642 with Crimson Trace LG405 grips in an Uncle Mike's pocket holster. Four years ago I bought a 637 with the LG305's installed by the store. If I had to do it again, I would have bought the 642. And if the CT 405s had been available then, I would have gotten them rather than the 305s. Airweights kick like mules with many +p loads, so shop around. My 637 is loaded with Remington FBI loads (+p 158gr LSWCHP). They are memorable to shoot, but not so much so as other loads. And they expand nicely out of a snubby.
Cordially, Jack
 
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