Who carries a pocket pistol?

[monotonous_iterancy]

Currently there is a thread going on handgun myths. One thing mentioned was the .25 acp and how it's supposedly terrible to defend oneself with. From what I've heard, I believe it.

Yet someone also linked a video to a Beretta 950 Jetfire in .25 ACP. I had assumed that only very cheap budget pistols fired .25 ACP these days. Naturally, I'm intrigued.

So I'm curious, does anyone carry a small pocket pistol? If so, why? They're hard to shoot, and usually don't come in a very effective caliber, or at least they didn't use to, I don't know for sure if the .380 Ruger LCP counts as a pocket pistol.

 

[Guy Smiley]

When I need deep concealment, the LCP comes along. Yes, it can be a pocket pistol with the right kind of holster. .380 isn't the best caliber around, but it beats a big a** gun you leave at home!

The Kel-Tec P32 is another good choice. As far as I know it's the thinnest and lightest pocket autoloader available. It's only .75 inches wide and fully loaded with 8 rounds (7+1), the P32 is only 9.4 ounces! If you buy one, do yourself a favor and get the hard chromed slide.

 

[Eldraque]

All u "need" is a .22 magnum


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[rcmodel]

Well, me for instance sometimes carry a Baby Browning .25 ACP.
It's smaller then anything else I own.
And provides 6 rounds more punch than a sharp stick in the hand.



Baby next to my Nokia neanderthal cell phone:




Or more likely, I carry a Kel-Tec P3AT .380.
Which fits in my hip pocket behind my billfold, or in my shirt pocket behind a pack of smokes.



Again, much better then a stick or a rock.

They're hard to shoot,

So, have you ever shot one???
My Baby Browning .25 ACP would give a snake life problems at 25 feet with 6 shots I betcha!

rc

 

[Guy Smiley]

As for "effective" caliber, that's a very subjective term. The fact is, most people when shot with anything are going to stop what they are doing and run, fall to the ground in pain/fear, or die if you happen to be a really good shot. The only exceptions to this rule are if you are dealing with someone who is extremely disturbed mentally or is on very high doses of narcotics. In that case, small caliber or large you're going to need to train, train, and train some more to be the most proficient shot you can possibly be because the only way to stop someone like that is to shut down their central nervous system with well placed shots to the neck and head.

As has been pointed out, a .22 magnum to the head will drop someone just as well as a .45. It's not a magic wand, though, and you have to do your part.

On a side note, I had a firearms instructor once throw someone out of class for laughing at a woman who carried a Beretta Bobcat in .22 long rifle as her primary CCW. Turns out his best friend had just been killed by the exact same type of gun a few months prior. No laughing matter indeed.

 

[monotonous_iterancy]

On a side note, I had a firearms instructor once throw someone out of class for laughing at a woman who carried a Beretta Bobcat in .22 long rifle as her primary CCW. Turns out his best friend had just been killed by the exact same type of gun a few months prior. No laughing matter indeed.

Accidentally, or intentionally? I've heard, and this is just hear-say, that .22s are responsible for a lot of accidental shootings because they're small and easy for the eye to miss.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

When necessary I carry a Kel-Tec P-32 in 32 ACP. Sure it's not a 45 ACP but it's better than not carrying and if you place your shots well, the bad guy will go away.

 

[TestPilot]

I carry a 380ACP mini pistol.

It's not my primary pistol. It's a supplement. I need it because bigger ones won't fit where I carry it.

 

[Guy Smiley]

Accidentally, or intentionally? I've heard, and this is just hear-say, that .22s are responsible for a lot of accidental shootings because they're small and easy for the eye to miss.

It was intentional. Don't know if they ever caught the guy either.

 

[hardluk1]

I carry a pocket pistol for the majority of 26 years. A taurus model 85 for 20 years. A kahr cm9 for the last 4.
Mouse gun chart-
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B22...kLWE0MGMtZmEwNGFlMWE3ZDlm/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1

 

[jimbo555]

s&w model 37 is the smallest I own right now.

 

[340PD]

It goes totally unnoticed.

 

[Wishoot]

I'm not ashamed to say that I carry an LCP loaded with BB hardcast 100gr. I shoot it very well too.

I'm not sure why the OP says the LCP doesn't count as a "Pocket pistol". 99% of the time, I have mine in a Nemesis pocket holster.

 

[AKElroy]

Pocket sizes vary, so.........

 

[The Bushmaster]

When the sign says "No Guns Allowed" I pocket or boot carry a F.I.E. Titan Tiger .25 ACP.

 

[bannockburn]

I have both a Baby Browning and a KelTec P-3AT for pocket carry.

 

[2wheels]

I occasionally carry either a S&W J frame or a Sig P238 in my pocket. Tiny .380s and snubby revolvers very much count as pocket guns, there are even some 9mms out there nowadays that border on being pocket guns.

It's just an easy and convenient way to conceal a small gun.

 

[jrdolall]

Kel Tec P3At is my smallest with the Diamondback DB9 being second just slightly smaller than the Kel Tec PF9. I was initially scared of the DB after early reviews but I understand they have fixed the reliability problems from their first year's production. I do not own a DB .380 but I think they make one. I actually have to remember to take the P3AT out of my pocket when going to the airport because it is so small. If this was a "You can only have one gun" thread I would probably go with one of the 9mms simply because it is a more powerful cartridge and they are only slightly larger than the 380.
None of these guns is a joy to shoot as they tend to be "snappy" and the small grip makes them less comfortable than larger guns. I don't mean to say that my hand hurts after 2 rounds but I seldom run more than 1-2 mags through any of them in practice sessions. All three guns are excellent for defense in that there are no safeties to worry about and once you get used to the long trigger pull they are "point and shoot".

 

[jbrown50]

The smallest guns I own and pocket carry are a Kahr PM9 and Kahr PM40. I also have a S&W 637 which is really no longer mine since the wife confiscated it.

Lately I've been pocket carrying my Glock 27 or 33. Some people say that they're too fat and heavy for true pocket carry but for me it hasn't been that big of a deal.

I have a recently purchased Springfield XDS .45 that I like a lot, and it pocket carries quite well. It looks like the PM40's days are numbered.

 

[OilyPablo]

The smallest I carry is my Sig P238. .380ACP Hardcast +P is not something to ignore.

I have stuffed my CM9 in my shorts, baggy jeans or jacket pocket. Not that bad really.

My XDs 45 does fit in my pocket.

 

[foghornl]

I don't own a pocket pistol or pocket revolver, because I am no good with the "Rodent Weapons". Bad guy, if more that 3 feet away, would have a better chance of getting hit if I filled said weapon with concrete and threw it at him.

I have problems with very small guns because of my Ham Fists, complete with Bratwurst Link fingers.....the fat hands syndrome. A Single-Six size revolver is about the smallest I can shoot effectively.

 

[MarshallDodge]

9mm +P is the smallest I can feel comfortable carrying. Any smaller and I would carry something in 22LR loaded with CCI Stingers or Velocitors.

 

[jringo]

Many a bad guy has been dispatched with a .22 or .25. The deal is knowing HOW and When to utilize your tool[yeah that one too] in other words THINK--preferably Ahead of time.

 

[farm23]

I pocket carry either a NAA Black Widow in 22mag or their Guardian 32. Both work well but the BW is what I carry most of the time. It is small but still has a useful punch.

 

[David4516]

I often carry a 950 Jetfire .25 ACP. The gun is very accurate and reliable, I would highly recommend them. I have tried other pocket guns like the Kel-Tec .32s and .380s, and I find them very difficult to shoot. I think it's because of the long double-action trigger. The little berretta on the other hand is single action and shoots well.
I would rather hit the bad guy with a .25 than miss him with a .32

I also love the "tip up" barrel feature. Makes it easy to leave a round chambered but with the hammer down (my preferred way to carry this pistol). My wife has her own 950 (hers is stainless, mine is blued), she likes the tip up too, as it means she doesn't have to rack the slide.

My wife also has a Colt 1908 "vest pocket" .25, neither of us carry it but it's a fun gun at the range. It's surprisingly easy to shoot.

Actually between my wife and I, we have more pistols in .25ACP than any other caliber. While it's true that it's weaker than just about anything else (except for .22LR or .22 Short), I still think it's an under-rated cartridge. Despite recent advances that have given us guns like the Kel-Tec, I still feel that the .25 is actually the better choice for a gun of this size. The .25 is easier to shoot and you generally get more rounds (little Beretta has an 8+1 capacity, not bad). And despite what rumors say, if someone shoots you with a .25 ACP, it will not just "bounce off".