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OT- Handgun recommendations

M

Mike (WA)

Well-known Member
There's been a dearth of handgun ammo for past several monthes, but I see today at my local firearm emporium that the "floodgates have opened"- shelves are full of whatever you want.

So my question is, what do I want? I want to get an easily concealable automatic handgun, for protection when I go to the "big city". Son has a 380 Auto, and I kind of liked it when he brought it out for target practice- but the firearms emporium (last spring) said they hadn't seen any .380 Auto ammo for monthes, didn't know when they'd see any more. Now they have some .380, but a whole bunch of 9MM Luger- and its about a third the price.

What are anybody's recommendations for an easily concealable handgun, preferably auto? How's the 9MM Luger? 380 Auto? Anything else you like? We're talking "close combat" here- if he's 50 feet away, I don't care if I can hit him, because I'll be going the other way. . .

Yeah, I know- I'd probably be safer without anything, and just hand everything over to the perp. But, for reasons of my own, "it ain't a' gonna happen that way. . ." I'm not a hero, but I'm not a sap, either.
 
I love my Bersa .380 but shells more than trippled in price, most valuable thing on me is the magazine full of shells! I shoot a 22 now all I can afford.
 
45acp. Learn to shoot it and be confident with it. The round will put any man down drugged up or not. Trust in this I know. Many easily concealable 45"s on the market today. I like my Kimber Ultra Carry II. Good luck.
 
I agree with the 45 ACP...........lots of foot pounds when it hits, it will knock the person down...friend of mine being robbed used a .380 once at point blank range..3 shots in the chest and the person walked away...100 yards before he laid down, in the mean time he took some .25's in his body...don't think that will happen with the 45
 
Not a thing wrong with 9MM. Point one at anybody you need to and if that doesn't intimidate them nothing else will either!
You are talking about an intimidation and protection weapon, not accuracy or bragging rights.
The gun you will grab and use correctly without thinking about it is the right gun!!
One cheaper to shoot will encourage you to shoot it and use it more often.
Personally my wife and I carry and shoot 38 Special. Both of us have put 100's of round thru our revolvers.
Nice thing about a double action revolver is it is point and shoot.
Had to grab one yesterday AM to check out a noise. (turned out to be nothing)If I would have had to use it it was ready BUT in the dark I Had a hell of a time remembering where the switch for the laser was! Glad I did not need to rely on it. My big flashlight worked just fine.
 
a 9mm is a good deal more than a .380 in power delivered and in today's day and age the cost of ammo is a big consideration. A close friend and gun buddy of mine carries and shoots a .40 glock, 9mm around here is about $8 bucks a box less than .40 and if placed in the chest will some good damage
 
I use a Walther p22 22 lrifle for practice and plinking but carry a taurus millenium 745, 45 cal everyday with a ruger lcp 380 cal backup. I like em all. I have lots of handguns and although 380 is harder to come by you can usually find all of them around the same money if you keep your eyes open. Bought 500 380's other day for practice for 189.00 and 500 22 lr for practice and fun for 17.00
 
This is a loaded question,(pun intended). You'll get a ton of opinions like the classic ford,chevy, dodge argument, or rep vs dem, etc. This is a matter of preference, skill/comfort level and lastly economics. I have a .40, a 9mm, and a .38 sp. I bought the .40 to carry and its a S&W 40C. C for Compact. Its smaller, but the truth is its not a pocket gun. The 9mm is full size, fun to shoot and hold lots. The .38 is my wifes but I carry it most. You'll hear lots about "man stopping". These are just my opinions: We're not at the OK corral, 99.9% of us will never shoot someone. I feel its best to be able to hide it and get it out in a hurry. As much as I like my .40 I also like the idea of that .38 in my pants pocket unseen. I can drop that little gun in the pocket of my Dickie uniform pants and no one knows its there. Any gun will stop someone. Heck the best poaching round is .22 mag. Like a guy told me if you got a gun and they don't, you've already won. If they also have one, then you need to be a better shot. As far as cost, I don't really care too much when it comes to self defense. My next purchase is going to be a .380. Never had or shot one but I think they're neat. I like the Ruger LCR. And you can dang near fit it in a shirt pocket. Holsters or the need for one is also another issue to think about.
 
The .38 and 9mm are to big to carry for most people.The only ones i see that are small enough to conceal good are the .25 caliber.I saw a nice one the other day with a clip.You could easily carry it in your pocket.I bought a small 9mm, but it's to heavy unless you have a shoulder harness.A .25 caliber will kill you just as dead as a 9mm and won't make such a mess.
 
Son just got a Springfield XDM in 9x18mm - loves it. Seems like an nice gun to shoot. I"m preferential to the Beretta 92F and Ruger 89dc. We shoot a lot of 9mm around here, reload and cast bullets. Brings the cost down substantially. I would not worry about 9mm. A premium hollow point bullet will do a lotta damage if it hits something. Yet mildly loaded plain cast bullets are not hard to shoot for target practice. 9mm is the NATO round issued to the NATO troops, so it has to be somewhat good. I"m sorry, I don"t subscribe to the "biggest isn"t big enough club." 9mm has abeen around along time, and modern guns with modern ammo will do the job, if you can put them where you need to put them!
 
9mm Luger is 9X19(Also 9mm NATO).

XDm's are not made in 9X18, that is a European military/police round. They are 9X19.

Nothing wrong with 9mm as a defensive round. I carry a Springfield XD subcompact in 9mm. Thirteen rounds of speer gold dot +p in a subcompact sure is comforting.
 
I've got two, a Sig P220 in .45. Its my 'go to' handgun. If I need to do something I know it will do it. But, its heavy and awkward to concealed carry. All night of lugging it and a load of camera gear around in the city and Im beat. So, I also got a KelTek .32 semi auto. Neat little handgun, polymer frame, fits nice in my jeans hip pocket. Thats my 'daily driver' to carry.
 
My carry when rideing and out in the wilds is my xd45 4in., but it is bulky with it staggered mag. any other time it"s my mustang (colt) 380 very easy to hide. Have some in between also. Those are my to fav"s. Just my two cents worth
 
Pocket gun? I have carried a half dozen different ones or more for two weeks each just to try them out.

I prefer the Bond double barrel derringer. It has numerous interchangable barrels that can be changed out in less than 20 seconds. I prefer the .357 / .380 spl. barrels for visiting relatives, very light and it fits well in any pocket. For visiting a politian I prefer the .45 long colt / .410 shotgun barrel in a longer barrel, fits well in most pockets.

I carry all the time, even going out to my shop because a pit bull attacked my mother in law a few years back. I believe that a dog attack is more likely than an attack by a crook. The Bond double barrel derringer is perfect for dispatching an animal at close range.

I carry extra bullets in a small leather pouch just in case I ever get involved with a pack of dogs or have to hunt down a rabid animal on my farm.

I suggest you get a concealed carry permit if your state issues one. I see it as a tax and justify it because it takes the edge off being around police, especially when stopped for traffic violations. I have noticed that when you tell a policeman you have a permit and you are carrying a weapon, he seems more at ease. I guess he less nervous because he becomes aware you are not a career criminal.
 
I carried a Glock model 34 9mm for 12 years. Great item, I have since replaced it with a Glock model 22rtf. My 9mm had somewhere just over 12,000 rounds run through it when placed in the closet. The 22 is a 40 cal and is wonderful for accuracy.
 
I have a Makarov .380 For an inexpensive pistol it is very accurate.
I have owned a number of handguns and it is my favorite for home protection. A word of advice. Be D---- sure your life is in danger before you fire or you might spend more time in jail then the crook. Always have a valid permit if you are going to carry.
 
i use wheel guns, had bad luck with semi auto's usually i keep a s&w model 10 in .38 load with 58 grain steel jacketed hollow points and keep 2 speed loaders with that it fits in my overall pocket easily when it needs to be in there, for travel i keep that in the vehicle and put a ruger gp 100 in .357mag. in the luggage so when i get in the motel room i have protection and im not seen moving guns around for home defence, well i cant tell you that because good rednecks like me aint supposed to have one , lol but im well defended lol i figure the only person who finds out what it is wont be making any complaints
oh i should add i do not get on any airplanes, i drive myself where i need to go,
 
Guys, This last weekend one of my hunters showed up with a long barrel "Judge", shoots either Reg 45 or 2&3/4 410 shells. This is one sweet gun, using 410 shells. At 10 steps, Average hall length it had a pattern the size of a #2 wash tub. pretty darn impressive. Or 45 the rest of the time.
Later,
John A.
 
As these things go isn't a 58 grain JHP a little on the light side in a 38 Special ? I bet you get some awsume velocity out of that gun !
 
A Judge for concel carry ? Why not just but a 18 inch barrel Remington or Mossberg 12 gage pump in your pocket and be done with it ?
 
I just bought my wife a Smith & Wesson M & P in a 9mm to carry on duty. She was carrying a Sig 40 cal but her accuracy improved greatly by dropping to a 9mm.

I teach CHL in Texas and reccomend that unless you are very good at keeping you semi-auto cleaned and lightly oiled at all times; then your best bet is a S & W air weight with plus P 38's. A wheel gun can get dirty and even some rust and it will still work in a pinch.

Semi-autos can jam and unless you are well trained in quickly clearing out a jam, you're in a world of hurt in a deadly ofrce situation.

Any gun can malfunction, but a revolver is the least likely to.

After hearing from other readers about derringers, I may consider one to carry around the farm too.
 
it probably is, but more than effective in target shooting, should work equaly well in defencive use, [ hopefully i wont have to find out lol] i like it because its light and quick with not very much loss of sight picture with the 58's,
 
i lied, just got a box out there 158 grain, not 58 grain, see what happens when i go on memory
 
Mike, I'm sorry to say, that question is only to generate traffic. All you get is "here is my decision, what 'I' have & clearly 'I' made the right choice and you should follow 'my' lead. If anyone says anything else, he would be admitting that he made the wrong decision. How many of those have you seen??? :(
 
I can see your point about not losing the sight picture when firing. I bet a load like that would turn something like a rat or possum into red mist. No danger of excessive penetration. If the bad guy isn't wearing a heavy leather jacket you are going to but him in a world of hurt. I know you ment 158 grain JHP and I am in complete agreement with you. Thanks for the humor.
 
(quoted from post at 18:41:22 10/25/09)
Click to expand...

A gun without ammo may as well be a rock. Anti-gunners know this.
Who will always have ammo? The military and federal law enforcement agencies.
Even in the most dire of times ammo will occasionally fall off a truck and be transported via "private enterprise".
That said .22,9MM and 40 can always be found somewhere now and in the future.
 
I will second the Glock; but they are pricey. My wife has a Glock 19 and just LOVES it.

I actually find myself with a Kel-tec P11, it is a pocket sized 9mm that hold 13 and can be bought for small money, and it is so small I don"t even know I am carrying it.

Has a little belt clip and it just rides "mexican carry" but it can"t fall out with the clip.

Around my parts the chances are greater I will need protection from 4 legged varmits then the 2 legged variety. So it goes on no matter what and I forget about having it on for the rest of the day.

When I bought it used I took it to the range and shot it dirty, and then shot it some more until I knew I could count on it.
 
I have "a few" handguns from .22 to .45acp and .45 long colt, but for simple carry, I've gone to a KEL-TEC.380. it is super light ...only 6 ounces, I think....very consealable... and yeah, it'll hit at what yer aimin' at! Worth a look.
Cal
 
9mm is a great caliber but hard to conceal,..i went with the .380 ppk/s, easiest to conceal that i have found and seems to have plenty of power for the up close and personnal encounter.
 
KelTec for ultimate concealability and Glock for ultimate reliability.

I have a Glock model 19 and think very highly of it. Also have the sights that glow in the dark--no batteries needed. Sights are super. Forget their name right now.

PRACTICE a lot. Shot placement is a lot more important than caliber or cartridge.

Given a choice I'll take a shotgun with buckshot every time. Of course when it's practical.
 
Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag is hard to beat.

Of course, concealing it is a different matter.

Better yet, a 3.5 rocket launcher.
 
get a keltec 380at

it's a 380 small fram semi-auto built ont he same frame as keltec's minature 32acp.. it fits the same open-top-slide (NFA legal) wallet holster that the 32 acp fits.. thus it 'prints' square like a wallet in your back pocket. I have the 32acp and also cvarry a sig p230 in 380 which is a larger gun.. not as easilly concealed. as soon as I save up 300$.. i'm getting the keltec 380at.. just about the smallest 380 you can get that has great concealment options.

run hydrashocks in it for optimum energy transfer to target.

soundguy
 
For a handgun that is truly concealable, you can't do better than one of the S&W Airweights. Light, compact, inherently safe and utterly reliable. Loaded with +P defensive loads, it's ballistically superior to the .380, and on a par with 9mm.

If you're set on an auto, then the Walther PPK in .380 can't be improved on. Of course the availability of ammo is an issue right now, but that will change after the hoarders realize they'll never get a hundred bucks a box for all the .380 ammo they've stashed.

As far as .40s and .45s for concealed carry weapons, who wants to carry that kind of weight around every day? And most of the nines are just as bulky as the 45s.
 
Scott, I suppose the SF in your handle explains your question, But I will enlighten you here. I have a Rossi Stagecoach model 12 ga Shotgun. Side-by-side, double barrel! 20 in barrels just barely legal! Over all length 35 inch long. A little tough for concel carry! Don't you think!
Now the long barrel "Judge" say 11 in. long, can shoot 45 regular or 410 shotgun load. and easy to concel and holster.
Down your or my hallway I will take a shotgun blast ANY time over a regular pistol!! 10 steps I OWN you, you are a dead man. Lets See here.........
With 45 reg, 5 shots, 5 projectiles!
410,00-buck, 5 shots 15 projectiles on 2&3/4 shels
410,00-buck, 5 shots 20 projectiles on 3 in shells
410, on # 6s or 8s, 5 shots, projectiles too many to count!
Or you can alternate 45 and 410 if you like.
Also 410 shot is stopped buy 1 wall of sheetrock thus not endangering your Family or folks in the neighboring apt or house!
The judge will give you the best of both worlds.
At my Home my Rossi 12ga. IS my bed gun.
Think about this, put yourself in this picture....In the dark, In MY home, you have interred to rob my home, You hear...CLACK!!, That is not the refrigerator starting up. Will you stay or run? I suspect you will run, leave quite quickly, as shotgun blast follow you into the dark. Do you need me to draw you another picture here, I didn't think so! LOL!
Later,
John A.
 
I have an assortment of carry pistols.I go with the 5 shot revolver,reason?It will never let me down.Autos are nice and them extra rounds will make you feel more secure,but sooner or later they will fail.prefferably a hammerless model(for easy extraction from concealment)in 38special +p.get some of those nasty exspensive rounds,theyll do the trick.
 
Hi Mike,

What ever you get, buy a big caliber. A past friend of mine kids in the 70's, 13yo and 15yo, got mad at Dad and ran away to WY. There, they got a job on a ranch until the rancher wised up too there age and it was school time and they didn't leave, so he fired them.

They then stole a pick-up and headed home too Denver. Just north of Denver they ran into a man that was broke down. They had also stole a .32cal from Dad. The 15yo shot the man behind the ear then handed the gun too his brother that shot him again in the back of the head.

During the trial, the man stood up and told the judge he didn't think "the kids meant too shoot him", if'n you can believe that. And he lived! Wow!

The 15yo got confined juvee until 18yo then 25yrs in the big house. He told the judge he would do it again if he had a chance as it was fun.

The 13yo got juvee until 18yo, then 10yrs probation and was sorry he let his brother talk him into the act.

I told his Dad that they should have put the 15yo to death and that's when our friendship ended.

T_Bone
 
I spent 13 years as a Sheriff Dept in a surburban county that has a city that was and is always on the list of the most dangerous, highest murder rate ect. In fact they just had a horrable gang rape that I think made the news all over the country. It made it in the papers in North Dakota where I farm. I don't know anyone that would consider that hand cannon concelable. Unless you are wearing a parka any trained LE officer and most likely the bad guys would make you. I agree about about shotguns being very effective, a Ithaca 37 12 ga pump is my house gun, but I don't know anyone that would recommend a 410. My concel pistol is a Kahr 9mm. I like 10 shots way better than 5, and I never heard of a 5 shot speed loader for a 410. Finally, the subject was a concel weapon. Why worry about that at all when you are in your own house ?
 
Scott, I stand corrected, You do have real world experience, I have visited with 2 guys who are getting their Texas permit with the short barrel version. I Agree with you, this weapon is tough to hide under an jacket or vest, But most folks are not carrying on their person as a Police/State Trooper, etc, etc. just have in close proximity to their person.
IMO the KISS policy is the overall policy to be followed.
Simplicity, to operate Even in the dark!
safety on or off?, Revolver hammer back it is ready! down in the safe position till the trigger is pulled.
Most gun battles happen at less than 15 to 20 feet, most police gun fire fight at less than 10 feet if my memory hasn't failed me. thus my affinity for the shotgun feature.
The fact that sheet rock will stop most 410 projectiles is in the close 2nd position.
As a Police Officer you are trained, trained again, and trained some more. Even then the vast marjority of Officer have never been in a gun battle,(Pray they never have to be) with mixed results at best.
IMO adding the shotgun feature of the C.C.P. firearm will give the Civilian an advantage over an intruder in ones own home. (Most use, of hand guns happen in or near the home. Read "The Armed Citizen" in most any "American Rifleman") Who hasn't had near enough training to be as prepared as an Officer of the law. There is no perfect weapon just choices for the permittee.
Take care!
Later,
John A.
 
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