Small auto

J

jaytothekizzay

New member
So ive been thinking about buying a true sub-compact for summer carry, when i really cant pull off a larger rig. My smallest carry gun now is a Glock 23. But I usually carry my P229. Wearing lightweight shorts and T shirts, make my carry rig cumbersome at times. So Ive decided to get a small, true subcompact for those days. I prefer metal guns,but may think about a poly. For weight savings. What do you guys think of Walther PPK in .380 (always wanted one). Also It will be carried, at 5 oclock, strong side IWB. Lets see some pics of your small carry rigs... Lets hear about your favorites and why???

Ps... minimum caliber is gonna be .380 and no micro, pocket 22s, or derringers.

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It will depend on how you shoot a da/sa weapon. If you like striker fire weapons then I would think about a s&w shield or ruger lc9s. The Walter will still have a bit of weight and be single stack but will be about the size of the other 9mm's. When I'm looking for super light and small I think about a lcp or bodyguard size weapon.
 
Been carrying a LCP with Crimson Trace laser in a Alabama Holster Co.
pocket holster for about 6 years---no complaints.

If I were going to go a bit larger in a IWB holster it would probably be
some version of the LC9, or maybe a LC380, but there are a LOT of
guns out there in that market. Take a hard look at Kahr---the people I
know that carry them seem very satisfied with their choice.
 
I don't own a PPK though I would like to, but I doubt I'd want to carry it because it is going to be pretty heavy for a non-service caliber.

I would say in similar size but much lighter weight any of the Kahr polymer pistols will work. I have and carry a PM9, it is reliable, slim, and weighs 19.6 ounces full loaded (6+1) with 124 grain speer gold dot +P rounds. The identical form factor in all steel is the MK9, obviously it will be heavier.

I also have and regularly carry a Walther PPS "classic" in 40 S&W. It too is reliable, thin, but is a bit longer and taller than the PM9. Holding 6+1 180 grain remington ultimate defense rounds with the mid-size mag, it weighs 25.5 ounces.

If you are willing to go non-service caliber (you mentioned PPK) there are many good choices these days. In sub-compact a person could do worse than a Bersa Thunder 380, similar to PPK but of course it is no Walther, but it is lighter being aluminum framed. With a mec-gar mag, 8+1 380 gold dots, 23.7 ounces.
 
P238 sounds like it fits perfectly. Thin, small and light. All metal. It's a Sig so you know the quality. You can shoot it all day. Full size sights.

Can you tell I like mine? :D

Honestly, it's odd how pleasant it is to shoot for such a small gun.
 
Love my Walther PPS. I usually use the 7 round magazine but sometimes the flush fit 6 round (bottom photo) when I want deepest concealment. For me it shoots like a compact and totally reliable.



 
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"Always wanted one" is a darn good reason to buy a pistol. If you have been drooling over the Walter, you can count on lots of enablers here.

My EDC is a Glock 26, and my pocket gun for even easier concealment is the Sig P238. Everything Turtlehead said about it is true - really a little gem. My wife and I each have one (in different finishes), hers for EDC and mine for when IWB carry is a challenge.

The P238 is often said to be a 1911 in miniature. It is true to the extent that it is a SA with a thumb safety, designed to be carried cocked and locked, and you have to be comfortable with that. There are significant differences, though: no grip safety, no bushing and different field strip procedure, and one that I really like is that the slide can be manipulated while it is on safety. The latter feature allows one to chamber and clear the firearm with the thumb safety engaged, which I find quite endearing.
 
P238 sounds like it fits perfectly. Thin, small and light. All metal. It's a Sig so you know the quality. You can shoot it all day. Full size sights
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Considering you plan to carry IWB the P938in 9MM, and only slightly larger, and less than an ounce heavier would be an even better choice.
The Walther PPK is a great nostalgic choice, but even bigger, and a half pound heavier than the 9MM Sig.
 
I love my PPS! Also looked at the PPS m2 and it looks pretty sweet too. Very comfortable grip and has a normal mag release (tho I like he m1 paddle mag release personally).
 
Or you could "dress for success" and carry what you've been carrying. I would recommend carrying what you shoot well and have trained with, and coming up with a rig/method/dress code that works for that. Changing guns to match your clothes has never made sense to me.

I live in the Midwest, and temperatures get well into the triple digits in summer, and well below 0 in winter. Carry the same gun all year.
 
Personally I would go with the "stick with what you have" mindset mixed with "get a smaller version".

When my Glock 19 is too big, I use a Glock 26. Small enough to carry even in athletic shorts pockets (for me) and easy to carry appendix under a light t-shirt.

So, for your Glock 23 or Sig 229, I personally would go Glock 27 or Sig 224. I've had both in 9mm and they are great.
 
I carried my PPK/s or a Bersa Thunder for a long time. Today IWB and some pocket carry I use a KelTec PF-9 Recoil not that bad and 9mm better than 380.
I have fired a 1000+ with out any problems from my PF-9 I also have a Kahr CW-9 but it stays in its box. I like the PF better.
 
I see a number of micro-9 and pocket .380 suggestions, but this quote suggests to me that this is not what the OP wants (at least this go around)

Ps... minimum caliber is gonna be .380 and no micro, pocket 22s, or derringers
Click to expand...

Also, the OP asks for subcompacts, not micro-9s and micro-380s. A Glock 26 or SIG P239 is traditionally classed as a subcompact (the G23 and P229 are compacts, G22 and P226 are full sized), and the P938s, Pf-9s, and many others suggested are more Micro-9s. If the OP is used to carrying a G23 and P229, a true compact is going to feel quite small.

Since you are used to the Glock and the traditional P-series SIGs, my first suggestion would be to look at the Glock 26 and 27 and the SIG P239. I don't yet have a P239, but I have shot them and absolutely love them.

Since you ask for favorites among that group, the Kahr K9 and K40 are high on my list of future purchases (as is the P239). I've wanted one for at least 15 years. If you would consider a micro sized pistol, the MK9 or MK40 are interesting- small like the Micro-9s but all metal so they still have some weight to them to absorb some of the recoil.

Also, if you'd consider going smaller, I do love my SIG P290RS. It is far more accurate and comfortable to shoot than a micro-9 has any right to be, and it disappears completely IWB tucked and can be dropped in a pocket. It has a little more heft to it than the smallest of the micro-9s.

I don't have the P250 Subcompact, but I have a P250 Compact. I love the gun. I'd also take a close look at the P250 or P320 Subcompact if I was looking for a service caliber subcompact.

As for the Walther, it isn't a bad choice. If you've always wanted one, maybe you should get one. If it was me, I love the look, but some reliability stories would have me a little nervous. If I wanted a .380 the size of the smaller 9mms, I'd get another Bersa Thunder (probably shouldn't have sold the one I had) for more reliability at a lower cost, or I'd buy a SIG P230 or P232 (incredible guns, I almost bought a P230 as my first auto), a CZ 83 (preferably in nickel), or a Beretta 80-Series (preferably in nickel).
 
Im trying to stay away from the micro 22s, 32ACP, AND 25 Autos... but the Sig P938, and similar sized .380s, and 9s are really what im lookin for.

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For a small, light pistol in your minimum acceptable caliber (and mine), the LCP is a great choice for summer carry or when deep concealment is required. It does not have the heft of an all steel gun, but for its purpose it is a better choice in my humble opinion. Add a Houge grip for about $10 and it is not unpleasant to shoot, and it doesn't change its ease of carry.
 
I like my KelTec P32 myself. Feather weight, last round hold and light recoil. Now they do make them in 380. No hold open and 1 less round.
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