Uh-oh...this is on the edge of being a tire or oil thread here...
Not really. The Kimber micro in .380 is smaller than the P938 in 9mm. The P238, not so much. If the P238 is already in the safe, I understand using it. If the wife doesn't like the extra snap from 9mm, I understand.
I'm comfortable with condition 2 carry if the hammer cannot move the firing pin if hit. Many 1911 gurus dislike condition 2. I understand why. It's slower, & adds risk.
I have run into stair rails, been pushed into/stumbled into furniture, etc. that show why you load 5 into a SAA Colt or clone.
Ourdee, sounds like we just have an honest difference of opinion. You buy close that work with your guns. I prefer to by a gun that works with the clothes I normally wear. My normal casual mode is Wrangler jeans or cargo shorts and either a Tee shirt or polo shirt.
The whole idea for me is to just have something I can slip in my pocket when I don't want to bother putting on an IWB holster and my Glock 26.
What works for you, works for you and that's ok. Same for me.
Right now my only true pocket pistol is an old Keltec in .25 caliber. It's not much more that a poke in the face with a sharp stick, but if it helps me get away from a bad guy, it's enough.
When I wore other clothes I used to just throw a Beretta 21A in .22LR in a front pocket. I prefer the .45ACP for self defence because I am familiar with it. It is not always the easiest to hide and still have fast access to. We each have to choose what works for ourselves in our situations. I would not argue with another's choice unless they were carrying an ugly gun..
Please, explain why you want less power for protection? With respect for James Moses Browning you should consider he did not intend the .45 ACP to be 230 grains in his design.
I prefer the size of the .380 as well as how it shoots. The power is adequate. It's still a hand gun. Ain't none of them ideal...at least nothing one would carry around on a regular basis.
I'm not a fan of magnumizing 1911's. They have enough long term durability problems in their original chambering. The internal extractor works perfectly well if it is properly made to begin with given the slide isn't repeatedly dropped on a loaded chamber. Only S&W and Sig Sauer have figured out how to do an external extractor that works. If it were so superior, everyone would do it.
On Colt...it's a production pistol in an affordable price range. They aren't very pretty below $1200, and they certainly aren't special production wise, but they tend to work out of the box more often than most. If I were to get something fancy, it would be a Wilson Combat...it's just not worth it to me to invest that much into a gun. I invested a bunch of time into one 1911...and I'd never do it again. I don't mind the firing pin safety. It prevents firing if dropped from over eight feet. An unlikely scenario, but not a bad thing. I've never found it to hinder the trigger pull, though there's no match trigger nonsense in any of my centerfire guns. My current 1911's have extra powered firing pin springs and titanium firing pins to help prevent such a thing...but it's certainly no guarantee.
To each their own, but I like stuff that shoots nice and is easy to shoot.
I've revisited the pocket .380 thing...and the Sig is just too expensive.
Springfield has a gun that is all but equal in features, is slimmer and trimmer, and you don't have to shell out a small fortune for a dehorned version. They all come that way.
The Kahr is a good one.
S&W shoots pretty good despite a trigger everyone hates. The ergos really work for me. Despite the abbreviated grip, thd hold is secure with this one.
The Diamondback .380 is has a decent trigger and ergos...but that's a tough one to trust.
The Glock 42 shoots good as hell, but really stretches the limit of what size is considered pocketable.
The Taurus Spectrum is a gun I wanted to love...but the gun is just very Taurus-ey.
The LCPII hits all the buttons...but I'd be a little concerned with long term durability being how many of the previous version I saw in the wild that were completely unserviceable.
Which brings me to the LCP22 which is just so cute, that I kinda want one.
...and then I remember why I don't have a pocket auto...there isn't a one out there I really prefer.
Yeah. Kinda big, heavy, and awkward. Good for its day...though that day is long past.
I kinda like the Beretta .32...but those have had durability problems. The newer ones with the fat slides are supposed to be better. They are a bit thick compared to the competition.
I do like the 911. Have only shot it in .380, want to try it in 9mm, but it FEELS great in my hand, and the .380 was surprisingly docile to fire. I'm sure the 9mm will be a bit snappier, but I'm used to my XDs so I doubt it will be a problem. Just need to either convince the range to get one in on Rentals, or convince them to let me run a mag through one and then clean it back up for the sales case.
As if it'll go back in the case...
But I'd be holster-carrying anything. I just don't see myself doing pocket carry. *Possibly* ankle holster. Maybe.
I was thinking when the need arises to.be very discreet, pocket and ankle would be good. Those are both linty places, and while the revolvers look lumpy, they do operate just fine covered in lint and being sweat on all day.
Pocket carry requires an accelerated maintenance cycle for de-linting and oiling. I find the revolvers need to be opened and cleaned often when in a hot pocket.
When I first got dad's '51 Colt 4" OP, I could not see down the barrel. It had been in his sock drawer since the Bicentennial.
Talk about crunchy.
Disassemble. Clean. Oil. Reassemble. (Yes, grips off, cleaned and lubed the trigger springs every time). Did that every night for 2 weeks and now she shoots like a dream.
On my EDC? I also go by the lint content (IWB 9mm striker fired). Usually I clean after every range visit, but lately I've been conserving ammo and not going to the range...so it's simply a matter of lint, and time...and "do I want my Hoppe's fix?"
My pocket revolvers are currently linty and dirty with firing residue and most of my semi autos have been fired sporadically to the point that they barely function. I pretty much have to clean everything.
I let a young(er) woman shoot my Airweight .38 today. She fired one round and deemed it accurate, but too much.
I've decided that my priorities are finally submitting my NFA paperwork for my 9mm suppressor and obtaining a light/light bearing holster for my P80 Glock. My only light equipped carry gun is my VP9 with a TLR-2 which is a bit big at times. I'm thinking an Olight PL-Mini 2 and a kydex IWB holster would be a good combo. I originally wanted an Inforce APLC, but they've been discontinued recently.
A friend asked me to keep his Grandfather's service pistol. Evidently he was a New York City police officer a looooong time ago. It was illegal for him to own in New Jersey! I decided to clean it thoroughly. I removed the grips and found cob webs!! All good and properly stored now!
Against my better judgment (I'm broke and with bad credit...now) I ordered an Olight PL-Mini and a holster for the P80 Glock 19. I'll finally have a smaller CCdub with light.
I'll be selling a bunch of leftover parts this weekend and should make it for another month
I haven't shot one, but have handled a Rhino. It's no lightweight. Feels solid and well built. Should, for the price.
I've long had a weakness for the big Webleys. Poor choice for concealed carry, but as a hip holster combat arm, a classic.
The Webley-Fosbery is close to the ultimate geek revolver. Just the movie use alone puts it in the same whacko niche as the Mauser C96 and the Astra semi-clones. If I see a Webley-Fosbery for sale and have the chance, I'll eat Raman for a month, but it's purely a range toy for me. Ditto, if I move where I can buy NFA machine guns, the Astra 904 or F are my first choice, with the M-4 "grease gun" being #2 because my father carried one in Korea. ( Navy Corpsman attached to the Marines were not supposed to be armed, but as Dad said, the North Koreans didn't sign the Geneva Convention, and liked to target medics, so he wanted to be able to shoot back. )
Niche, recreational weapons as far as I'm concerned.
That's what I love about my 22-4...it's essentially a cut down 1917 yet was purchased new and is with factory warranty and support.
That said, the J frame has been a thing since the early 1950's and the K frame has been around since 1898...and I also have those in the modern interpretations.