Best semi-auto Pocket pistol?

The only two true pocket guns I've tried were the LCP and BG380. I could not stand the trigger and manual safety on the BG380 so I couldn't sell it fast enough. I have not tried the M&P Bodyguard yet. Is the trigger any better?

The new LCP came along and it was an awesome transition. I've owned both the new and old LCP and the new trigger suits me better. Couldn't be happier with it.
 
IME, there are 2 sizes here:

Small: Keltec P32, P3AT, Kahr CW 380, etc. These are very small ~15 oz guns which fit in almost all pockets.

Med: S&W J frame, Kahr CM9/CM40, etc. These are much largerr 25 oz guns which fit in a larger pocket and where the added weight is ok.

Large: Glock 26, etc. . .These are just plain big, but too small to shoot fast. You decide how they fit in.
 
I bought an LCP years ago as a pocket pistol, and is has proved to be a reliable little gun. Maybe some folks can shoot well with it, but I can't. At more than about 3 yards I would be in trouble if I had to make a precise shot. Plus, this gun is no fun to fire, and without practice I know I will never shoot it effectively. So for the most part I pocket carry a S&W642. But recently I bought a Ruger LC9s, and this small (but not tiny) gun feels right, holds 8 rounds of 9mm, has excellent sights and the best trigger of any DA semi auto that I own. I may well be selling my LCP, my 642, my 640 and my Ruger sr40c because the LC9s looks like it could replace all of them.
 
Interesting!

August 2011 post #66 jumps to post #67 (August 2014) THREE YEARS LATER!

Time is a good teacher. Way back in 2011 I recommended the SW Bodyguard right after I bought it. But after years of trying to get used to the long trigger pull, I sold it! :o Simply never got it it to shoot as accurately as I can with any other gun I have.

Don't know if I'll ever get another 'pocket gun', but IMO double action is the way to go.
 
Kahr CW 380

Hell I bought 2 sig p238s one for me one for wife they were good but not worth the price!my brother and his wife came for a visit and they both had kahrs the CW 380s well after shooting them I sold the sigs and bought two kahr cw380s have never looked back there perfect this was a year ago mine has had over 1000 rounds through it never any problems if the ammo is marked 380 it shoots it even my reloads on a standard silhouette target at 70 feet it's so easy to make head shots all day these are the best pocket pistols I have ever owned and I've owned a bunch in my 68 years also last month I bought a kahr CW 45 it's been perfect from day one shoot any brand ammo and shotshels anyway hope this helps someone:)
 
.380 TCP

I'm just going to go ahead and throw out there that the Taurus .380 TCP is not a good choice for a pocket gun. Every time I shoot it the clip pops out, don't know if that is the ammo or just me.
 
GLOCK 42 AKA Baby Glock
Click to expand...

Not long ago, "Baby Glock" referred to the subcompacts.

My wife, after evaluating several pocket pistols, went with the Sig P238. Nice little pistol, seems very well made, and actually fun and satisfying to shoot.
 
Fun old thread.

I like my Sig P238 two-tone. Pretty accurate, reasonably small. Super reliable.

For big pockets like cargo shorts and motorcycle jacket, I like my S&W Shield 9mm. Like the Sig it is super accurate for its size and very reliable.

Worth a mention is the Beretta .32 Tomcat. Problem is that this gun, even the ones with the thicker slide, is plagued by the "crack" defect issue. So I don't trust it even though when I shoot mine it is accurate and reliable. But you never know when that crack is going to manifest itself so I took it off my CCW license and replaced it with the Sig.

Your mileage may vary.
 
My Kel-Tec 380 cost around $225 and has never malfunctioned. It is so small and light that I barely notice it. It is not pleasant to shoot with my very large hands, but it is not intended to be a plinker.

I am iffy on 32acp for SD, but my used Tomcat has been perfectly reliable... ever since I cleaned it VERY thoroughly. It makes me wonder if the original owner thought it was defective when really he/she was just too lazy to clean it properly. I like the nice thick grip.
 
Best 380

The kel tec s are very good weapons I have 2 p32 and love them they are two of the first ones made in the early 90s they have had hundreds on hundreds of rounds fired in them never any kind of problems my kahr cw380 as of today has had 1400 rounds through it all brands of ammo and lots of my reloads never any kind of problem none it's my everyday gun and every where I go its with me with precision one ammo as for my glock 380 I sold it because it was to pickey on ammo would not Handel reloads or precision one ammo and several others I like glocks owne 7 different glocks but for a pocket gun you can't beat the kahr cw380 or the kel tec p32 most my opinion
 
I carry the same caliber pistol in my pocket as I do when carrying in a paddle holster on my belt. It is .40 S&W. My rational is that I want the same firepower (caliber, bullet weight, velocity and penetration) to stop a threat whether I am armed with a full size weapon on my hip or a small size weapon in my pants pocket.

My Glock 27 is too large and uncomfortable to carry in a pocket all day long. But, the Kahr CM40 fits comfortably in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster and easily conceals in a front pant’s pocket. It weighs 15.8 ounces and is only 5.47” long and still meets my criteria for firepower.

Because a pocket pistol is for protection and not for recreational target shooting, the recoil factor is of unimportance to me. Within a few practice sessions, it was a simple matter to master quick alignment on target after recoil whether employing either sight shooting or point shooting techniques.
 

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My P938 has functioned very well.
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I still have a Kahr CW9. It has been the most problematic firearm I have ever owned. I will never own another one of them.
 
ramit one....^^^ you pocket carry a SAO pistol?

One word of advice on pocket carry, lint lint and more lint.
I literally give my BG .380 a bath to get rid of all the lint.

what is your problem with pocket carry of a sao pistol?? cocked and locked,far safer than any glock
 
cw380 for me too

hey guys I'll toss in 2 cents. I owned a LCP - loved everything about it except shooting it, great size, smooth edges, bought after shooting the body guard and LCP side by side, the LCP just seemed to be the right choice for me ......... however only carried it a handful of times and just didn't like shooting it. when the stainless slide came out I was on a mission to find one but ended up with a cw380 for @ the time, they were the same $$. ran it side by side with my lcp - and sold the lcp.
The cw just feels like a much bigger gun and much easier to handle recoil by both me and my wife. I'd have her run a mag through the lcp and that'll be it she'll put it down and shoot something else, anything else. she now carries the the cw380 and I carry a shield (shield vs cw9 - had one, sold it, kept the shield)
sao for pocket carry - no thanks

Dan T @ the BKG
 
Summer and winter

During the summer I pocket carry a North American Arms Guardian .32. It's reasonably accurate at SD ranges, has a rudimentary sight unlike the Seecamp (I have a Seecamp too), and carries in my pocket without dragging my pants down.

Winter I carry a Colt Pony Pocketlite .380. Heavier clothes.

Notice that both are DAO hammer fired. I know that striker fired DAO is just as reliable, it's purely prejudice on my part that I like to see the firing mechanism at rest.

Colt recently restarted the Mustang .380, I would love to see them do the same with the Pony.
 
I'm throwing in another vote for the Sig p238. Solid construction, accurate, easy to pocket carry, and eats any type of ammo thrown at it. The best of the .380s for sure.
 
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