What do I want? Deep carry.

WestKentucky

WestKentucky

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Joined
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Location
Western Kentucky
Deep conceal gun is the name of this game.

Physical size

I had an EC9s that I liked but it was too big and I couldn’t find a good way to carry it concealed other than back pocket which was hard on my back. So there’s the top end of size. EC9s too big, anything smaller is fair game.

Situation

I deliver car parts. Hoods, fenders, headlights etc. A lot of what I do I have hands on the parts with them against the body which was a lot of the issue with the EC9s. Banging things into the gun puts bruises on me and that’s pretty much not ok to a point where most days the gun ended up in the glove box even when I was away from the truck.

Further info

I don’t deliver in “bad areas” often but occasionally I’m in and out of s couple really rough spots. The folks there know me and I’m pretty much OK with the people but even with that in mind it’s hood, and it’s gangland. Each year there are multiple murders within 1/4 mile of one of my shops, and it’s a drug hotspot. Not so bad during the day when I’m there but rough at night to the point the local PD has reached out to the army for help with operations.

Preferences

I’m very much a revolver guy, but that’s out of the question here because cylinder width is an issue. I would like a .380 but most of them are very close to the same size as the EC9s. I’m leaning towards a smaller caliber like .32 but there’s just not much available, and by the time you downsize again the point of the gun gets very much marginalized by the anemic cartridges so basically .380 and .32acp is it.

Tell me what you would buy, and why. Double derringer? Tiny pistol? If pistol which one? I have nearly eliminated everything sensible, and since I’m away from the truck to drop invoices I don’t like leaving a gun where it could be stolen.
 
Tough call. Having to keep your gun accessible but out of the way of heavy/unwieldy car parts seems like pocket carry to me, or maybe some sort of deep conceal appendix or below-the-belt rig like a smart carry. I am partial to pocket carry with a revolver, but for an auto the slope of the LCP series does not snag at all, and is so light. I'd probably lean toward the lcp max for it's size/380/10+1. A good pocket holster would be a must of course, something you can draw from consistently without it coming along for the ride.

It's really important to be able to draw with a solid grip, and this makes the hand, pocket and the holster/pistol a combination that matters a lot.

In an encounter I'd prefer a P365 for size/9mm/10+1 but it pushes the size/weight to the edge of pocket carry and maybe beyond, and I'm not personally comfortable in a panic draw with a light short trigger.

I'd even rethink my work clothing if it opens up possibilities, but you've probably already considered this.
 
I am very much a revolver guy as well.

I have been rethinking my carry philosophy.

I am thinking really hard of getting a Ruger LCP 22lr. That might make me actually carry rather than leaving my revolvers at home. With that said, I am also looking at getting a Ruger LCR in 22lr as well. I have the Ruger LCRX 3" 22lr.
 
OP, you seem to be putting a LOT of restrictions on yourself. That’s on you…you need to figure it out. Dress different…different carry options.

LCP Max or S&W Bodyguard are two good options. P365 or Hellcat are also good or better. A pair of snub 38’s?

Belly band? Fanny pack? Ankle rig? Pocket carry?

Lots of good options. Lots of ways to make them work. The solution is there.

Carrying a gun isn’t comfortable, it’s comforting.
 
I work on machinery for a living. Sometimes the buildings I go into are in nice parts of town and sometimes they are in bad parts of town. I pull a 90 lb. tool cart from my vehicle to the buildings. The walk with those tools may be 100 feet or 10 city blocks. Could be at 7am or midnight.

I had to go to pocket carry long ago due to the way I have to contort my body around machinery. My pocket guns in sequence from back in my day until now - Taurus 85UL, NAA Guardian .32, Taurus TCP732, Remington RM380, C.A. Undercoverette, and LCP Max. I don't have the 85UL or Guardian anymore and I don't fully trust the RM380 due to intermittent mag catch problems. I don't count the Beretta Bobcat I carried occasionally in the 1990s.

I'm most vulnerable when unloading or loading my tools in my vehicle. People can stealthily approach from around my vehicle while I'm loading up in the rear. I have a very large adjustable wrench sitting where I load my tools just in case, because odds are that I'll be able to grab that wrench faster than reaching in my pocket. Plus the fact that I've learned that pointing a gun in someone's direction might not mean squat to them. But a big wrench seems to have a more immediate visual effect than a little pocket gun.

Of course, just because I have that wrench where I have it doesn't mean I'll actually have a chance to grab it if caught unaware.
 
chicharrones said:
I work on machinery for a living. Sometimes the buildings I go into are in nice parts of town and sometimes they are in bad parts of town. I pull a 90 lb. tool cart from my vehicle to the buildings. The walk with those tools may be 100 feet or 10 city blocks. Could be at 7am or midnight.

I had to go to pocket carry long ago due to the way I have to contort my body around machinery. My pocket guns in sequence from back in my day until now - Taurus 85UL, NAA Guardian .32, Taurus TCP732, Remington RM380, C.A. Undercoverette, and LCP Max. I don't have the 85UL or Guardian anymore and I don't fully trust the RM380 due to intermittent mag catch problems. I don't count the Beretta Bobcat I carried occasionally in the 1990s.

I'm most vulnerable when unloading or loading my tools in my vehicle. People can stealthily approach from around my vehicle while I'm loading up in the rear. I have a very large adjustable wrench sitting where I load my tools just in case, because odds are that I'll be able to grab that fast than reaching in my pocket. Years ago, I kept a second gun in that location but not anymore. Of course, just because I have that wrench where I have it doesn't mean I'll actually have a chance to grab it if caught unaware.
Click to expand...
I have looked for a tcp732 specifically. It checks a whole bunch of boxes for me. Haven’t found one yet. My mom had a tcp .380 that I need to borrow for a day or two.
 
WestKentucky said:
I have looked for a tcp732 specifically. It checks a whole bunch of boxes for me. Haven’t found one yet. My mom had a tcp .380 that I need to borrow for a day or two.
Click to expand...

Single stack Ruger LCPs are really inexpensive these days. If I had to start over today, I'd probably get one or two of those.
 
I'm not going to throw guns like the Seecamp 32acp under the bus. They are good little guns.
Here is a comparison screenshot from handgun heroes. Of the EC9s and LCP MAX.

The LCP MAX is quite a bit smaller.
Screenshot_20241215_152544_Chrome.jpg Screenshot_20241215_153352_Chrome.jpg
I have a LCP MAX, BODYGUARD 2.0, and Glock 42. All 3 are smaller than my micro 9mm pistols. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. I would like a Seecamp 380acp but I'm afraid the recoil in the tiny pistol would be brutal.
 
WestKentucky said:
Deep conceal gun is the name of this game.

Physical size

I had an EC9s that I liked but it was too big and I couldn’t find a good way to carry it concealed other than back pocket which was hard on my back. So there’s the top end of size. EC9s too big, anything smaller is fair game.

Situation

I deliver car parts. Hoods, fenders, headlights etc. A lot of what I do I have hands on the parts with them against the body which was a lot of the issue with the EC9s. Banging things into the gun puts bruises on me and that’s pretty much not ok to a point where most days the gun ended up in the glove box even when I was away from the truck.

Further info

I don’t deliver in “bad areas” often but occasionally I’m in and out of s couple really rough spots. The folks there know me and I’m pretty much OK with the people but even with that in mind it’s hood, and it’s gangland. Each year there are multiple murders within 1/4 mile of one of my shops, and it’s a drug hotspot. Not so bad during the day when I’m there but rough at night to the point the local PD has reached out to the army for help with operations.

Preferences

I’m very much a revolver guy, but that’s out of the question here because cylinder width is an issue. I would like a .380 but most of them are very close to the same size as the EC9s. I’m leaning towards a smaller caliber like .32 but there’s just not much available, and by the time you downsize again the point of the gun gets very much marginalized by the anemic cartridges so basically .380 and .32acp is it.

Tell me what you would buy, and why. Double derringer? Tiny pistol? If pistol which one? I have nearly eliminated everything sensible, and since I’m away from the truck to drop invoices I don’t like leaving a gun where it could be stolen.
Click to expand...
Kahr CM9 is considerably trimmer than that Ruger.

https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/ruger-ec9s-vs-kahr-cm9
 
Smallest carrys:
The KelTec P-32 is the smallest then the Ruger LCP 380.
The Ruger LCPMax 380 is just a little bigger, the Ruger LCP II 22lr is about the same size as the Max.
The S&W Bodyguard 2.0 is in this category along with the original version.

Then a NNA Mini in 22mag is the smallest option over any other firearm.

I own five of these options. For reliable self defense choose the LCPMax with the 12rd mag. For lightweight/small the LCP.
 
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P238 drops right in a front pocket or coat pocket and isn't excessively heavy, but I'd be looking for a different means of carrying something I already had vs buying something new that may not fit the bill. Would a shoulder rig solve any of the issues with having to worry about parts bouncing off your front or hip area? Being up high against your rib cage may get it out of the way enough...
 
I’m failing to see how IWB carry and carrying things in your arms (parts) causes bruising?

I have an active job and IWB at 4:00 a G48 with light and RMR. I wear a “wife beater” tank everyday under my shirt to keep the gun off my skin.

I guess if you really are limiting yourself such as you are I would ankle carry my G42 inside left leg (I’m righty) with an extra mag. Or even smaller an LCP if really size constrained.
 
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I too am a revolver lover.
I too have a job which limits my carry options due to material handling and spaces I need to access.
I settled on an LCP Max. 10/12+1 capacity in a very small package.
I carry it IWB at about 330ish.
I am also inside strangers homes often, so not frightening my customers is important.
The LCP Max checks just about all of the boxes for me.
 
I understand your requirements and own an ec9s.
My daily is a Sig 938. It is slightly smaller than the Ruger. Single stack micro 9 which functions like a 1911.

That might be splitting hairs though.

Based on what you described, I think the answer would be a Seecamp or an NAA Guardian. Mouse guns have their purpose and this sounds like a perfect situation for that.

Good luck! 20241215_133013.jpg 20241215_133101.jpg
 
A Ruger LCP or LCPII, or a Kel-Tec P32.

The Ruger is just a shameless copy of the Kel-Tec. :)

I've owned two of the Rugers and two of the Kel-Tecs. They all worked fine.

I have a bajillion pistols, and those are the ones I carry if I want something really small. (I also have a NAA mini-revolver, but it's too small for me to shoot quickly or accurately.)

LCPII And Spyderco

LCPII And Spyderco

 
Another thing…these tiny guns SUCK for any real use. They are last resort. Most folks, myself included, would much rather have a fighting handgun than most tiny macro guns in needed to defend our lives.

I sometimes carry a LCP. It’s easy to carry. It’s better than a knife or sharp stick (until it runs out of ammo). But I’m much better with a Hellcat or a P365, and better still with a G19 or a M&P compact.

Don’t carry the smallest gun you can find…carry the biggest gun you can conceal.
 
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