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Old March 24, 2013, 08:08 AM   #1
kcub
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Pocket guns by class

Snub 38
Snub 357
Pocket 380
Pocket 9mm
Pocket 40/357 Sig
Pocket 45 GAP

There is no true pocket 45acp yet.

Your choice? I'm usually a pocket 9 guy with a lasered Kimber Solo. If I have bulky pockets I might switch to a sp101 or g26. In my back pocket is my Seecamp 32 always for failover.
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Old March 24, 2013, 09:56 AM   #2
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There were a few articles about the recent pocket gun proliferation brought on by the glut of new gun owners, often inexperienced, wanting a gun to have on their person but not wanting to take the effort to dress appropriately around it.

We've had 25s, 32s, 380s around for decades, but they've never been as popular as now, and gunmakers haven't been churning out entire model lines of compact 380s and 9s as of late.

It's often very hard to hit a sweet spot on one of these guns that has good recoil, good accuracy, and a good trigger--while remaining small. The ones that stand out are the P232, baby 1911 Sigs (238, 938) Seecamps, Bobergs, Colt Mustang, Walther PPK/S, and a few others. All of these are tiny enough, but good enough to carry as a reliable and accurate firearm.

On the other end of the spectrum you have all the Rugers, Kel-Tecs, Tauruses, and other nasty plastic little guns that have crappy sights, crappy triggers, mean recoil, and iffy reliability and accuracy.

The Bodyguard, P290, Nano are somewhere in between size-wise and trigger wise. Some love them, some hate them. Same goes for QC.

Baby Glocks are fat. The PPS is great, but on the biggish side. The G36 is almost as big as a G30. The Shield is a good compromise, but all of these are on the larger and no-longer pocket gun category. If you bother to holster one of these, might as well go bigger (unless you're a small person, like my wife, then these tend to be perfect).
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Old March 24, 2013, 10:17 AM   #3
eman
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The Rohrbaugh 9mm is also a great pocket carry piece.
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Old March 24, 2013, 10:23 AM   #4
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There is no true pocket 45acp yet.
Really? Are you sure about that? Look below, the SS pocket size auto is a 45 acp AMT backup. I'd say its pocket size. Small 45s are not readily available but they exist. (the pic below is not mine, and I do not own a AMT backup 45)

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Old March 24, 2013, 10:42 AM   #5
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I am very happy with my LCR in 38. I can fire it all day long with normal 38's and get good accuracy at close range as it's designed for. I have put hundreds of rounds through it with 0 reliability issues. It may not be as accurate and easy to shoot as my S&W 66 but my LCR is always in my pocket, my 66 is generally on my nightstand. During the winter I do carry my 66 in a holster that fits perfectly in my winter jacket's inside breast pocket but I would only OC it any other time.

I also have a "Michigan pistol" mossberg 500. I should get a really big jacket and CC that. If the muzzle is in my pocket it's a pocket gun, right?
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Old March 24, 2013, 11:52 AM   #6
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Dude, there was enough demand for a gun lighter than the 19 oz Chief .38 to get Smith to make an alloy framed version, 40 years ago. The AMT .45 Backup is a brick, and if you think that an LC9 Ruger has a bad trigger pul, you need to try that Backup .45, or even worse, the old Detonics "pocket 9".
Well I didn't say it was a great one, but it is still overall a pocket pistol. Its a heavy one, but the tradeoff if the caliber, if you felt you needed a 45 and a pocket pistol. I agree with lighter guns being much better for carry.
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Old March 24, 2013, 12:00 PM   #7
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We've had 25s, 32s, 380s around for decades, but they've never been as popular as now, and gunmakers haven't been churning out entire model lines of compact 380s and 9s as of late.
We've never had so many people looking to carry a concealed handgun ...... we have also never had so many people that overestimate the power of a gun ..... while it beats the tar out of righteous indignation (which beats grovelling!) in a fight, ANY practical handgun is underpowered .....

Also, our criminal class has never been so well fed as in recent decades......
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Old March 24, 2013, 12:19 PM   #8
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I have options in three of the classes.
Pocket 380, Ruger LCP, a true "pocet pistol" The gun you can carry when you can't carry a gun!
Pocket 9MM, KAHR CM9. Pocket carry in a DeSantis Nemesis, same as Elsie. But also, and more often carried IWB in a Theis holster.
Pocket snubbie, and my latest purchase, Ruger LCR 38 Spcl +P. Surprisingly concealible in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster.
Interestingly, all three of these 100% reliable, and accurate pocketable handguns cost less total than one Rohrbaugh R9
I haven't tried pocket carry with my Springfield XD40 Sub Compact. Seems too wide, and heavy when fully loaded for that type of carry.
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Old March 24, 2013, 01:27 PM   #9
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I've pocket-carried a Smith 640 .38 Special daily for over twelve years. If anyone has ever noticed it, nothing has been said. Cops may have spotted it, but probably figured I'm so damn old and crippled up that I need protection. And they are right.

Don't write off the snubby. There are lots of ways to carry one concealed. And I think it was Bill Jordan who said, "If you don't get it done with the first six, six more probably won't help much.
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Old March 24, 2013, 02:32 PM   #10
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I really am glad I have a Kahr PM9 and a Desantis Nemesis. It is a perfect combo for the summer in the inside front pocket of cargo shorts.

The outer pocket either empty or with something it it easily takes care of any printing.
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Old March 24, 2013, 02:42 PM   #11
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Pocket carrying a Kahr CM40 is a breeze. The PM40 is the same size.
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Old March 24, 2013, 03:00 PM   #12
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Pocket gun gets thrown around a lot, but guns the size of a Ruger LCP or smaller are the only guns I consider "pocket size." As a result, the LCP gets carried a lot.

I also own a S&W 637 and a Ruger SP but they are simply too thick to pocket carry and conceal in my opinion. A snub in your pocket pretty much looks like a snub in your pocket.
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Old March 24, 2013, 07:46 PM   #13
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My pocket .45 is an XDs. Lighter than the 9mm XDs.
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Old March 24, 2013, 07:56 PM   #14
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Here's one to keep an eye out for......Boberg 45S

http://community.bobergarms.com/phot...context=latest

http://community.bobergarms.com/phot...context=latest
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Old March 24, 2013, 08:00 PM   #15
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and just how many snubs have 6 rds in them? :-)
The .327 Fed Mag snubs do. And more punch than .38 Specials.
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Old March 24, 2013, 08:42 PM   #16
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Pocket guns by class

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gone_Now View Post
If the 9mm is loaded properly, it easily has twice the power of a 380 of the same size. Since nobody thinks that a 9mm pocket auto is a powerhouse anyway, why is anyone kidding themselves that a 380 is ok as a manstopper? It's got about the same "power" as a Stinger out of a .22lr rifle barrel, 165 ft lbs. Whereas the 9mm, with the CorBon 100 gr load, has almost 400 ft lbs.

No, you won't win any IPSC matches with a DAO pocket 9,. but so what? They wont even let enter any matches with a 380! :-) The realistic distance for civilian defensive use is 10 ft, anyway.

Funny how peope "think" that the horrible trigger pull and awkward, unsafe handling of an SA derringer or mini revolver is "ok", but a DAO pocket 9 is not. :-)
Ive seen a couple reports of .380 hornady and 9mm hornady and on ballistic gell there is 1 inch difference in penitration and maybe a tiny bit in expansion. Shot with either would leave no real world stopping power difference. If you want to look it up, its on mouse guns blog.
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Old March 24, 2013, 09:05 PM   #17
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I agree with krezyhorse, the term pocket gun gets thrown around pretty loosely. The LCP/P3AT size guns are pocket guns. I might carry a hammerless snub 38 in a coat or hoodie pocket and call it a pocket gun. But because it can be fired more easily from inside the pocket. Most of the 9's and 40's mentioned are small, but I wouldn't consider them pocket guns.
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Old March 24, 2013, 10:51 PM   #18
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I LOVE my Kahr P380... it's tiny, lightweight, nice trigger, nice sights, easy to shoot, and most importantly... easy to conceal and carry.
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Old March 24, 2013, 11:26 PM   #19
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A snub in your pocket pretty much looks like a snub in your pocket.
I think that depends on what you wear. I've always worn relaxed fit pants, and a snub in my pocket looks like a wallet. My guess is that 1 in 500 people wonder if it's something else. I do have a few "office" pants that don't conceal it as well, so I don't wear them if I plan to pocket carry. It's the same as concealing a firearm in any other way; you dress accordingly.
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Old March 24, 2013, 11:36 PM   #20
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I think that depends on what you wear. I've always worn relaxed fit pants, and a snub in my pocket looks like a wallet. My guess is that 1 in 500 people wonder if it's something else.
Most people are so self absorbed that you could wear a nickel revolver for a belt buckle and they would not notice. People see what they expect to see, even if what they are missing is in plain sight.

Doubt me?

Try this:

http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/videos.html
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Old March 25, 2013, 09:58 AM   #21
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The DAO pocket 9's are great guns. It takes a little practice but they can be pretty accurate. I actually can shoot accurately faster with my LC9 than my 642 revolver. First shot is about the same but the follow up is more accurate with the 9. The 642 is a little more comfortable to carry, it's a little lighter.

You will need trigger time with a DAO whether it's a revolver or semi. It'll never be as easy to shoot as a good 1911 or 92FS.
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Old March 25, 2013, 03:21 PM   #22
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Quote:
and just how many snubs have 6 rds in them? :-)
This one does


Colt Cobra .38 Special

and while it would require a bigger pocket, this one does too


S&W M66-2 .357 Magnum

As to the OP, there are a few common categories that were left out. These include .32 Snubs (including .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, and .327 Federal), .22 Snubs (both Long Rifle and Magnum), .44 Snubs (Charter Bulldog, Taurus 445), .22/.25 semi-autos, and .32 semi-autos (9x18 Makarov is close enough to .380 that I suppose we could lump so-chambered guns in with the .380's).

I, personally, prefer a .38 or larger snub. Most of the .22-.380 semi-autos offer modest, if any, capacity advantage over a snub revolver and I trust the .38 Special's power, or more specifically bullet weight, more than that of a .380/9x18 or smaller semi-auto. Also, my past experiences with very small semi-autos and my knowledge of physics and the factors that can cause a semi-auto to malfunction make me distrustful of 9mm or larger semi-autos which are small enough to be pocketable.
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Old March 25, 2013, 03:51 PM   #23
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I tried to leave a few hairs to split.
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Old March 25, 2013, 04:13 PM   #24
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That carrying a .38 in your pocket makes "you look like a potato smuggler". :-) I don't consider a 1.5" thick bulge in my pocket to be "concealed".
Depends on the pocket.

J Frame Smith, Mod. 60, .357 magnum, snubby, in a Galco IWB holster. I don't wear the holster, I stick it in my pocket so that the hardware doesn't wear holes in the pocket. I bobbed the hammer.

Fits fine in most any jacket, but this goes in the leather motorcycle jacket, and doesn't look like I'm smuggling potatoes.
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Old March 25, 2013, 04:56 PM   #25
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A concealed-hammer snubby, like any of the Smith Centennial series, in a good pocket holster, is just about impervious to lint and crap in the pocket, won't snag on the draw, can't drop a magazine, won't go out of battery if rammed against an assailant in an extreme close-up encounter...well, I could go on, but all this has been covered to death in lots of threads.

Plus-P .38 Special with decent projectiles has a long record of getting the job done, and I trust it.

Yankee Mike Mike Victor.
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