Best small light pocket carry?

[Harry Carry]

Thought that I would weigh in, anon. I'm rather new to the world of firearms (past year or so after a 25 year hiatus). The wife and I both recently (last week) received our Florida concealed carry permits. Last October, I purchased a SIG P938 Equinox 9mm. Not only is it a really nice looking gun, it is really a nice shooter. Naturally, you feel it when you fire it. But that's what you get with a small gun. But, like you, I had considered the Kimber Solo before deciding on the SIG. It was a birthday present and the wife told me to get whatever I wanted. I had always drooled over Kimber ads. But I got to reading about the Solo 9mm and the fact that it is finicky about the type of ammo you feed it. So I chose the SIG and I haven't been sorry. I haven't run that many rounds through it but I've run cheap PMC target ammo, Barnes TAC-XPD, and Hornady FTX through it without a hiccup.

That's my two-cents' worth. Best of luck!

 

[tjdavis1111]

TCP in a Kydex holster.


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[Rock_Castle]

Repeat after me:

L........C.........P

 

[POP CHARLIE]

I like a S&W 38 HAMMERLESS, slips in and out of a pocket easly and has a little more power than a 380.You should go to a range where you can try before you buy. Try anything you might be interested in , look at weight , size , hand grip , ammo ( cost and power) and how you will carry after you buy. Good luck and be safe.

 

[anon231]

I went ahead and purchased a S&W Bodyguard 380 today and I tried out a few pocket holsters. I think I prefer the hook style to the gripping surface style. I googled and a lot of people seem to say the Desantis Nemesis is the best holster for the Bodyguard so I went ahead Link Removed.

I read that the best ammo for a the Bodyguard is the Winchester PDX1 JHP or the Cor-Bon 95gr JHP. There was only one place with the first ammo but it's over an hour drive and I didn't feel like going that far. I ended up settling for 25 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense 90gr FTX for defense purposes and 50 rounds of American Eagle 95gr FMJ for practice. I'm not sure what I think about the FTX rounds. I've never tried it before and looking it up I'm seeing that it can't shoot through glass and isn't designed to penetrate pretty much anything except clothing.

edit: It looks like my suspicions were confirmed and the Hornady Critical Defense is not a very good bullet. I found a great review of 380 ammo here: Final Results of the .380 ACP Ammo Quest | Shooting The Bull

The results being:
1. Precision One XTP
2. Fiocchi Extrema XTP JHP
3. Hornady Custom XTP JHP
4. Federal Premium Hydra-Shok JHP
5. HPR HyperClean XTP JHP

The two best name brands being the Federal Premium Hydra-Shok JHP and the Fiocchi Extrema XTP JHP.

 

[anon231]

Ok. I had a chance to shoot the Bodyguard and wow! I do not recommend this gun to anyone. It was the hardest longest trigger pull I've ever experienced on any gun (dry firing is fine but with actual bullets in it is an entirely different story). I'm a pretty strong man but that little thing is hard as hell to fire, but I'm pretty sure something was wrong with it in general. The first 95% or so of the trigger pull is fine, it's a harder trigger pull than most but that's fine, it's the last 5% that is impossibly hard - like have to use both left and right index fingers hard. Then I only managed to get 10 shots off before the trigger stayed back in the fire position and just went completely limp and does nothing, hammer doesn't even go back.

I'll call S&W Monday. I'm pretty sure the firing pin broke. That's kinda sad for just 10 rounds. If the trigger pull isn't better when I get it back I'll probably have to get a trigger job done on it for it to be even remotely usable. That's not really something you should have to say about any firearm.

 

[Happypuppy]

My BG broke it's firing pin during it's first range session.


"You are born. And you die. And if you are very lucky in between you get to ride motorcycles."

 

[USMC 25yrs]

LCP with a pocket holster. Without patronizing, I do agree with keeping all else out of your carry pocket. As with all CC --and every other hi intensity activity with everything at stake -- none of us should ever stop training. Semper Fi brother.


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[CharlesMorrison]

Repeat after me:

L........C.........P

Based on the fact that the slide does NOT lock back on the last round fired, I wouldn't bother with it!
I own the TCP instead.


Sent from behind Enemy Lines.

 

[whodat2710]

Based on the fact that the slide does NOT lock back on the last round fired, I wouldn't bother with it!
I own the TCP instead.

As a pocket gun, optimally a back up to your EDC, the slide not locking is your deciding factor? I would take the reliability of a Ruger any day (and do). I have a P95, LC9 and LCP, hundreds of rounds through them with no issues, shoot any brand of ammo. I had one FTE during the height of the ammo shortage when my range had re-loads for 380 when the market was dry.

 

[CharlesMorrison]

As a pocket gun, optimally a back up to your EDC, the slide not locking is your deciding factor? I would take the reliability of a Ruger any day (and do). I have a P95, LC9 and LCP, hundreds of rounds through them with no issues, shoot any brand of ammo. I had one FTE during the height of the ammo shortage when my range had re-loads for 380 when the market was dry.

My Taurus TCP has over 650/700 rounds through it. Runs like a champ!
Chamber loaded indicator, SLIDE LOCKS BACK after last round, very accurate at ranges out to, well far!
And it has it's own built in gun lock!
Beat that!

Link RemovedLink Removed

ETA; I also have a p95 and love it! The LCP just didn't do it for me. On occasion the TCP is the ONLY handgun I can conceal so it's not just my BUG!

Sent from behind Enemy Lines.

 

[jefro30]

G42 all day

Sent from my LG-MS770 using USA Carry mobile app

 

[topgun47]

I thought you were looking for a small light to carry in your pocket......Never mind.

 

[alternety]

Boberg. Short, long 9mm .45

Boberg XR9 & XR45 | Most Powerful Pocket Pistols On Earth

You get increased muzzle energy from a shorter gun in any caliber. The felt recoil is significantly better than comparable pocket guns for the same ammo. Build is reminiscent of a Swiss watch. And you can talk to the designer/owner if you need to. They are not inexpensive. They will do +p+. Your hair will grow back after 500 rounds are fired. It goes without saying, your sex life will improve.

 

[longslide10]

Doubletap 45, if ya can handle it.

DoubleTap Defense - Creators of DoubleTap?

 

[longslide10]

Also Bond Arms and North American Arms.

Snake Slayer - Bond Arms

North American Arms Home page

 

[whodat2710]

Boberg. Short, long 9mm .45

Boberg XR9 & XR45 | Most Powerful Pocket Pistols On Earth

You get increased muzzle energy from a shorter gun in any caliber. The felt recoil is significantly better than comparable pocket guns for the same ammo. Build is reminiscent of a Swiss watch. And you can talk to the designer/owner if you need to. They are not inexpensive. They will do +p+. Your hair will grow back after 500 rounds are fired. It goes without saying, your sex life will improve.

Boberg guns - $1049-$1399
Ruger LCP - $379 (MSRP, got mine for under $300)

You guys are missing an important factor as you throw out your options for "pocket" guns. The LCP, 6+1 rounds, only weighs 9.4oz. Even the 2shot "doubletap"weighs in at 13-15oz. Only thing comparable is the Kel-Tec P3AT for weight.

"LCP operates on a locked-breech system like larger pistols instead on the blowback principle, and as a result, the gun is lighter in weight and does not have an excessively heavy recoil spring, as do many .380 auto pistols. "

Ruger’s New LCP Lightweight .380 Pocket Pistol
This was from the 2008 shot-show review. The newer models of LCP have several upgrades based on feedback on the '08 models like better sights and better triggers (advertised at 8lb, but most measure in 6-7lb range from things I've read.

 

[CapGun]

Ruger LCP with CT Laser guard is very nice.

 

[anon231]

Ok. I had a chance to shoot the Bodyguard and wow! I do not recommend this gun to anyone. It was the hardest longest trigger pull I've ever experienced on any gun (dry firing is fine but with actual bullets in it is an entirely different story). I'm a pretty strong man but that little thing is hard as hell to fire, but I'm pretty sure something was wrong with it in general. The first 95% or so of the trigger pull is fine, it's a harder trigger pull than most but that's fine, it's the last 5% that is impossibly hard - like have to use both left and right index fingers hard. Then I only managed to get 10 shots off before the trigger stayed back in the fire position and just went completely limp and does nothing, hammer doesn't even go back.

I'll call S&W Monday. I'm pretty sure the firing pin broke. That's kinda sad for just 10 rounds. If the trigger pull isn't better when I get it back I'll probably have to get a trigger job done on it for it to be even remotely usable. That's not really something you should have to say about any firearm.

Alight, I got my gun back today. S&W replaced the trigger and adjusted the trigger bar. The gun fires beautifully now. I fired off quite a few rounds of American Eagle FMJ though I'm going to carry it with Federal Hydra-Shoks JHP for personal defense - it was one of the best performing JHP rounds tested in terms of expansion and within the ideal range of penetration in a pretty extensive test. The trigger pull is now as expected for a double action. The DeSantis Nemesis holster for it works pretty good as well. It has both the hook & a gripping surface. I didn't think it had a gripping surface from the picture on Amazon but it does. It's a rubbery type surface that helps keep it in your pants. The picture on Amazon is wrong. It's not nylon except the rim, most of the holster itself is rubbery with little dots and it has a DeSantis logo. Here's what it really looks like:

Link Removed

 

[Nail1940]

Alight, I got my gun back today. S&W replaced the trigger and adjusted the trigger bar. The gun fires beautifully now. I fired off quite a few rounds of American Eagle FMJ though I'm going to carry it with Federal Hydra-Shoks JHP for personal defense - it was one of the best performing JHP rounds tested in terms of expansion and within the ideal range of penetration in a pretty extensive test. The trigger pull is now as expected for a double action. The DeSantis Nemesis holster for it works pretty good as well. It has both the hook & a gripping surface. I didn't think it had a gripping surface from the picture on Amazon but it does. It's a rubbery type surface that helps keep it in your pants. The picture on Amazon is wrong. It's not nylon except the rim, most of the holster itself is rubbery with little dots and it has a DeSantis logo. Here's what it really looks like:

Link Removed

I carry a Ruger LCP in a Nemisis.......it's great IWB and also in a pants or coat pocket.