The ATF is looking to enact rule changes and reinterpretations that expand what legally constitutes a firearm.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Second Amendment does not specifically address firearms. The second amendment is about arms of all kinds, not just firearms.
Once that is understood what constitutes a firearm becomes a moot point.
The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
What is everyone using for a a true pocket pistol? Right now I have a Keltec in .32 ACP. Its great to carry cause it weights next to nothing but it's horrible to shoot.
I'm looking for something that I can just stick in my pocket when I'm wearing a pair of shorts or jeans and a Tee. I would prefer 9MM instead of .380 but don't know if that's realistic.
I use a J frame. The top one goes in an ankle holster. The bottom one in the pocket. The slim, hard sided grip is less abrasive against the calf, and the wider, full rubber grip is better for pocket retention. 20160407_115919 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr
Around here most first time gun buyers are buying handguns for home protection. Definitely not the best choice for a variety of reasons, but I've learned to stop giving unsolicited advice.
Ourdee, I've been looking at the 938 also but am concerned it's just a bit to big for a true pocket pistol. Do you have problems getting it out of the pocket holster in your pants pocket?
I use a kydex trigger cover and leave the pocket holster in the drawer. I usually wear LAPolicegear Shrike pants and have no problem getting it out. I don't really draw from the pocket. I get it out.
The 365 feels like a toy size-wise compared to my Hellcat (I'm not familiar wtih the 938, sorry).
I wear an XL glove, and the 365 literally gets lost in my hand. The 365XL is a bit more manageable (at least for me) by not being quite as tiny...but as I said, I bought the Hellcat, not a Sig.
The 365's (standard and XL) both rotated in my grip too much. Their contours are much more rounded and it was difficult for me to fight windage changes and elevation changes within my grip - it just wanted to walk around in my hand a lot more than the Hellcat does.
Don't get me wrong, the 365s are nice pieces...just not for me or my grip, that's all. And my Hellcat, as I carry it, is 13+1 (standard mag is 11+1).
A 365 may fit in shorts or slacks pockets, but probably not jeans. All depends how baggy you wear them. I keep my Hellcat IWB and the other day, in shorts and a tee shirt, I was talking with friends who know I carry. Challenged them - "am I carrying now?"
Both said "no way".
They were incorrect. And I'll take a nice IWB holster over a pocket anyday.
Most times if I'm wearing jeans, I'll carry my Glock 26 in my Triple T holster. It's a lot like the alien gear holster with the 2 belt clips but instead of neoprene it's a high quality leather.
If I'm wearing jeans and just need to run up to the quickie mart I'll stick in in my pocket but if I'm going anywhere more than that, it's the G26.
I have to say that when the funds are there, I'd like to upgrade to a Glock 30S. I just like the way a .45 goes bang.
When the "So called assault weapons ban" of the Clinton/ Gore regime was in place the limits on magazine size prompted the sale of single stack .45 pistols, as many figured "if I'm limited in rounds, I want then to be effective".
Remember, before the Ban That Saved No One the big trend was "wonder-nines", big fat gripped double stack crunch-n-tickers. Then during the Unconstitutional Ban That Saved No One, single stack Glock Clones & 1911 varieties proliferated. After the expiration, people demanded both the DAO with trigger drop safety ( popularized by Glock etc. ) and small enough for concealed carry, and "now that I'm not limited, give me lots of ammo!" which led to the 9 & . 380 sales boom.
Ammo improvements also changed the equation many used to choose. Why deal with the recoil if the performance gap is gone?
Logical, if based on the flawed or misunderstood reasoning comparing New 9mm engineered hollow points to Old .45 ammo from the TLAR years. If you compare Modern apples to apples defensive loads engineered by Winchester, Hornady etc. in both calibers, the "bigger hole" still wins. ( the gap in performance has still narrowed )
I haven't checked the local stores to see if under the Unconstitutional Unsafe Act in N.Y. if there's been an increase in .45 sales as the deliberate insanity of "7 in 10" magazine rules continues.
But no matter the Fad or Sales Numbers irrelevant to rational choice, if you can handle the kick ( larger in magnitude, but lower in velocity ) the .45 ACP cartridge has saved lives Very Effectively for over a century.
Personally I agree, I like the lower velocity hitting my hand better.
There's nothing wrong with slinging a little extra lead at one time. I've got respect for the way ammunition was tested in days past...actually killing things and shooting stuff.
I've got a modern, commercial 1917 (model 22) and a modernized 1911. Not only are they incredible shooters, but they have such a rich history behind them. I certainly do not feel under gunned with either one.
For tiny guns in 45 I don't mind the XD-S. I just don't like it enough to buy one.
I sold one to a tiny and frail looking girl once. I really doubted her ability to handle it, as many grown men have difficulties (and excuses) in being able to handle such a thing. I was pleased and pleasantly surprised to see her do quite well with it.
One of our favorite things at the range is when a macho customer comes out with our 1911 rental and exclaims "this darn gun hits all over the place!" and any of us will take it and fire a magazine out rapidly with shots patterned in a cloverleaf at their distance.
Of course, they've all been shooting 1911's for years and qualified with it in the service (which I would guess is the last time they fired one).
My dad told me the stories of his difficulty in qualifying with his and his comically bad shooting (once knocked down a target stand in front of everyone). I found it to be one of the most pleasant and easiest to shoot pistols out there.
I may have had a bad from the factory XDs. Didn't matter what I did while shooting it. It hit crazy low left. There was not enough sight correction in it. The other thing I did not care for was that if you dropped a magazine you could not just put a bullet in the gun. It only chambers from a magazine. I did like the pistol's size. Do not like striker fired pistols.
My VP9 is my easiest gun to shoot, and that thing will function with any garbage ammo. It's so easy to shoot that it's a bit boring, really.
My Polymer80 Glock is my funnest gun to shoot. It shoots well enough and stays pretty flat. It's just enough of a challenge with the stock trigger to make it fun.
Are they my favorites? No. But I do value them for what they are.
The VP9 I carry around the shop a bit. The P80 I carry around a lot in general.
I bought an XD for my wife due to the safety features and nice balance. We've had no issues whatsoever.
I just purchased some 50gr Liberty Civil Defense ammo to put in the gun for her. It will lighten it and reduce muzzle flip. The ballistic gel testing with that ammo that has muzzle velocity of over 2000 fps is very impressive.
I still have my XD-s 9mm, and still like it very much. First generation, with the waffle grip and interchangeable backstrap. Dead-nuts reliable and consistent for me.
When the Hellcat came out, I "had to try it" and I rented one. Liked it - it shoots nearly exactly like my XD-s, just....more. At the time I couldn't justify spending on a gun that was so similar to what I already had. Then...2020 hit, and capacity started to mean a lot to me. I lucked out when I got mine, was in the LGS looking for...anything (bare shelves). No 1911s, not much other than some revolvers...but there was a Hellcat. "I'll take it!" Spent my stimulus check on it, which made me feel pretty good
Either one, I can run a mag and put all of 'em into my 8" plate at 10 yards. Which is just fine for me. These subcompacts aren't for reaching out and touching someone, after all...
I don't worry about the accuracy of a micro pistol. They're meant for 20 feet down to contact range. At those ranges accuracy concerns are less important.