Pocket Pistol Vs. Compact

[JSDinTexas]

As the advise generally follows "go with what's comfortable" and good advice it is, let me reverse the answer.

I am uncomfortable with less than .40 caliber
I am uncomfortable with less than 9 rounds
I am uncomfortable with less than completely dependable firearms
I am uncomfortable with firearms that I can't fix with a screwdriver and punch
I am uncomfortable with firearms that weigh more than 3 pounds

So, envelope please, one answer could be Glock 23 among about 10,000 other firearms that are comfortable.

[santa]

i carry a naa 22 magnum in a pocket holster. i figure that the 22 on me is better than the 44 magnum at home. whatever you carry practice-practice-practice! i also want to wish all of you at usa carry a very merry christmas and dont forget the baby in the manger

[Oldgrunt]

As the advise generally follows "go with what's comfortable" and good advice it is, let me reverse the answer.

I am uncomfortable with less than .40 caliber
I am uncomfortable with less than 9 rounds
I am uncomfortable with less than completely dependable firearms
I am uncomfortable with firearms that I can't fix with a screwdriver and punch
I am uncomfortable with firearms that weigh more than 3 pounds

So, envelope please, one answer could be Glock 23 among about 10,000 other firearms that are comfortable.

AMEN! Love my Glock 23.

[big cigar]

Over the years I have carried different guns. Now for general everyday carry with street clothes I carry a Charter arms ON DUTY 38 +p ultralite. I have a fobus paddle holster. If I have to wear a suite and need something really small I carry my Seecamp .32 with silver tip hollow points. I have all the big ones but stopped carrying them. So my point is, it changes with how I feel and where I go. Good luck.

[njsportsman]

Well for the most part I agree with the bigger and most rounds theory. Now with that being said; bigger and most rounds aren't easy to carry and/or conceal at least for me. So right now I am going through the same dilemma you are in trying to figure out what I want. I have large, medium and compact frame guns and most of the time they are what I carry with my G19 being the most carried. I am pretty close to pulling the trigger on a Kel Tec P-11 at less than 6” and 20oz loaded. It’s a 10+1 and 9mm. It’s the best of both worlds not under powered and not too small. Just the right size for most carries conditions. Now I know there will the .357, .45 cal etc… people saying that a 9mm is under powered and yes vs. a .357, .45 yes but, if you are efficient with your firearm it will be deadly. So practice, practice and practice as much as you can with any firearm you plan to carry. A 9mm or even a .380 is better than nothing and a 9mm or a .380 is better than something you’re not comfortable with. There are times my G19 or my 1911 isn't comfortable with what clothes I am wearing for example a suit. A pocket pistol would be great for that situation. And again I note I'd rather have a 9 with 10+1 rounds than a gun I am not comfortable with like my G19 with 15+1 rounds or my 1911 with 13+1 rounds. They are just not comfortable with a suit. Good luck with your choice.

[vincen]

I posted on this thread awhile back one reason I moved to a .45 was my discomfort with the .380 round, while loving the ease of carry of a LPC. I had been told by a local dealer that at 20 feet a good leather vest could all but stop a .380. A friend and I decided to put that to the test along with a few other rounds last weekend. .38 .45 and 9mm. We sat up a stand to hold water jugs and layer of cloth plus some scraps of leather he had. Let me shorten this up all four when through the leather, cloth and water jug. Yep bigger rounds make bigger holes and if the water jugs are any indication the bigger rounds are going to put a lot more heart on the BG. But I no longer question .380 being a legitimate defense round.
tpaul513 the best advice I can give is get what you will actually carry and can shoot.