What should I look into for a new compact or sub compact carry?

[kymasabe]

I had a Remington rm380, was super reliable, ate everything I fed it, very easy to rack, very easy to shoot, and I improved the trigger a little with a kit from Galloway precision. Very nice gun.
Next, I'd look at beretta nano 9mm. Message me if you're interested in one, I happen to have a brand new one, unfired, in the box, with 3 mags, am considering selling.

 

[riffraff]

I've never been one to recommend extra steps to get a pistol ready, but if you don't want to carry it cocked and locked, you might be better off carrying it without a round chambered. It might be more reliable to rack the slide than to thumb the hammer. The advantages would be that it is less of a fine skill, and that it would avoid the step of lowering the hammer on a round, a procedure that usually goes right but can go wrong. But honestly, if you don't want to carry cocked and locked for some reason, it might be best to choose a pistol you are more comfortable carrying. I don't mean that as chastising - only honest advice.

In my mind, cocking is a one hand operation not a whole lot out of the ballpark of flipping a safety off (at least it could be done while fighting off an attacker with the other hand).. but I'd have to put a 238 in my hand to see how it works for me. I've got hammer fired stuff where it is very easy as well as very difficult to reach the hammer.

With something this tiny I would like the option of dropping it into a pocket - a cocked hammer is a pretty definitive thing, a safety is a lot easier to miss. With a 238 I'm thinking I would very well carry it cocked and locked in a holster but if I was on my bike for instance, I might opt for my inside pocket as a better than nothing solution.

 

[riffraff]

I had a Remington rm380, was super reliable, ate everything I fed it, very easy to rack, very easy to shoot, and I improved the trigger a little with a kit from Galloway precision. Very nice gun.
Next, I'd look at beretta nano 9mm. Message me if you're interested in one, I happen to have a brand new one, unfired, in the box, with 3 mags, am considering selling.

Thanks for that - will consider - Ruger and Sig happen to be brands I have some loyalty to (especially w/ Sig being in NH they are real easy). So will probably stick w/ one of those given they seem to come up a lot.

 

[Oldjarhead]

What has worked for me in pocket carry, for the last eight years, is a Kahr PM9 9mm. The Kahr CM9 is the less expensive version. Weighs a mere 14 oz. Easy to carry, quality pistol. I carry in the front pocket in a Desantis Nemesis holster. Might meet your needs. It certainly has for me.

 

[chaim]

Get a high quality IWB holster, and you can carry full size 1911 comfortably. Gonna cost closer to 100 than 19.99, but worth every penny.

I agree that the OP's best bet is a new holster (specifically a tuckable iwb). The Taurus PT111 Millennium Pro G2 is not all that big (I have a 1st gen true DAO PT140 Millennium Pro, or 2nd gen if you consider the pre-Pro Millenniums as the 1st gen). I've carried my PT140 M. Pro in a tuckable IWB High Noon Holsters holster and it is quite comfortable, and would be concealable under many/most shirts without a cover garment.

My only disagreement here is the need to pay around $100. There are plenty of nice holsters in that range and above if one wants to pay it, but there are very many good holsters in the $40-70 range, and good hybrids in the $30-60 range. I've had a few in the low to medium price range, and all have been quite comfortable (my favorites being Black Arch and Theis).

All that said, if the OP is looking for an excuse to buy a new gun (we've all been there), or wants a pocket pistol for that 5% of the time or so that a tuckable IWB won't be enough, nothing wrong with that. My suggestions again for a pocketable gun would be a S&W Shield (based upon reputation, I don't own one, though I may buy one). I like his idea of a SIG P238, that is on my radar as well. A friend used to have a Kahr PM9 (until he sold all his guns) and I used to want one myself (still do actually, just have other priorities) and they'd be high on my pocket/pocketable gun list. My Ruger LCP has won a new life with me (I hated it for some time) once I added a Hogue grip and a Crimson Trace laser, so with those mods, I would recommend one as well.

 

[jackstrawIII]

I finally picked up a Sig P365 and really enjoy it. Great shooting little gun that's been utterly reliable for me. And no trigger safety on it.

 

[totaldla]

Well, I'm using a Keltec PF9. They have a reputation of being hit or miss. Mine is a hit. Very light, very thin. Easy to conceal. Not really pleasant to shoot, but that's not the point. Poor man's Kahr.

The pistol has been out for a long time. Early years were hit or miss. The last 5 years of production has been all "hits". Very good pistol for it's intended role. I see them on sale for $160 now and then.

To those advocating a Shield - the Shield is too big/heavy for pocket carry.

 

[lee n. field]

The pistol has been out for a long time. Early years were hit or miss. The last 5 years of production has been all "hits". Very good pistol for it's intended role. I see them on sale for $160 now and then.

To those advocating a Shield - the Shield is too big/heavy for pocket carry.

When they first came out my usual gun monger tried to tempt me with a .40 Shield. I pulled out my PF9 and laid it against the Shield. They are, essentially, the same size.

Too heavy? Maybe. But I pocket carry an XDS, which is a bit heavier yet. People's tolerance differs.

 

[Big Shrek]

There are some lovely carry options that have been around a LONG time...
like THUNDERWEAR...available at Amazon.
My Wifey & I both use Thunderwear for deep concealment. It's a simple, TOTALLY hidden system.
https://www.amazon.com/Concealment-Holster-Thunderwear-Conceal-Holster/dp/B00N98U2TE

Only downside is how it looks when ya draw...since it is a crotch-grab.
On the upside, it looks like yer scratching yer stuff instead of drawing



Another inexpensive deep carry option is this one...
https://www.bulldogcases.com/product/nylon-inside-the-pants-concealed-cell-phone-holster/


And then there's Urban Carry II. This is in the mail heading to my house at the moment
https://www.amazon.com/Urban-Carry-G2-Black-Lieutenant/dp/B01NA0LVFP?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_14129829011


When it comes to carry there's really not a one-stop permanent answer...
simply because we are human, we love trying new things, and like to find new answers
to the same problems over & over...and we also change pistols like socks...
also find new clothing that looks/fits differently than the old clothing...
we get fatter, or skinnier...lots of changes on a regular basis.

So don't be afraid to try out a LOT of stuff. Instead of that extra meal out, buy a holster
But still remember to bring the wife some flowers...or her own holster!!

 

[Carl the Floor Walker]

I'd second that -- .380 ACP as a caliber has nothing to do with how hard the gun is to shoot, and Glock 42 is *just* big enough to qualify as an actual gun It's not that hard to shoot well.

Another concern is not just holding and controlling the gun. It's also manipulating the gun. Clearing a misfeed by racking a slide smaller than a deck of cards is not easy to do under stress, and it's easy to mishandle the weapon. Magazine changes are difficult under the best of conditions.

And then there's drawing. I have a Beretta Pico now and I really like it so far, but that little sucker is not easy to draw consistently, and especially from the deep concealment locations where one would often want to carry such a pistol. I've tried dozens of times to draw from a belly band, and it's just too darn easy to fumble the draw that way.

I have never become comfortable with pocket carry.

The answers to these difficulties for me are either:

1. Train a whole lot more and become more proficient
2. Keep the Pico as a range toy and just find ways to carry a larger gun.

Can I make good hits with the pico? Yes. Can I get on target quickly and pretty accurately from low-ready? Surprisingly well. Can I draw from deep concealment without flinging the gun onto the floor? I'm not so sure about that one yet, and so being the world's greatest Pico Marksman won't help me if it's slid under the refrigerator

I know people love to hate on Sig because the early 365s had some glitches, but honestly it's an AWESOME little pistol. It's Beretta Nano sized, but can carry twice the rounds and has great sights on it. You can add a Hogue grip for better handling, or a laser or light, etc.

Pocket gun? Maybe, with big pockets. But fully usable? Definitely. I dunno -- I might steer you that direction. Heck it even comes with a thumb safety now if that's something you want.

First of all the Pico is more than just a range toy. It is a very capable weapon. Especially in the hands of someone well trained with on. It is more than just being ok at shooting and hitting a target. That are not target guns. I can change the mags quick enough, but it seems that people try and make these into Duty guns. I doubt any person with any gun is going to even be in a position to be changing mags etc. Most likely 2 or three shots at most.
I did a review on the 365. Nice gun but not for everybody. Even the Pico has much more grip space between the grip and the receiver. If you have small hands then the 365 is a nice gun. Larger hand and you may find yourself riding the slide lot a number of shooters did. Thanks but I will keep the Nano and a Much milder shooter and really do not care or feel it is important for the extra mag capacity of a few rounds. When my club tested the gun, high round count was not a highlight of any that shot it.
Some folks will like this, but certainly not all. And I really do not think most manufacturers are jumping on that band wagon on a double stack micro 9mm.

A small Pocket gun is a mighty fast weapon. Truly underestimated, and the hand on a gun will always be faster. Folks should spend more time drawing than worrying about high round count and bigger guns. The bad guy will always have the edge. Better be fast and willing. And a hand already on a gun is faster than anyone going into a waistband or side carry.

 

[Old 454]

CZ p-01 or the cz 75 compact.

Great guns... cant go wrong

 

[TailGator]

And a hand already on a gun is faster than anyone going into a waistband or side carry.

I agree that being able to slip a hand into a pocket and discretely grip a pistol is an advantage of pocket carry that is often overlooked. But I can't say it will always be faster than a pistol on the waist. Drawing from the pocket can still be slowed by posture, fit of the pocket, and snags. I pocket carry a little and IWB carry a lot. I try to stay mindful of the limitations of each.

 

[totaldla]

Give the Keltec PF9 a look. It is lightest 9mm sub-compact I'm aware of and it has a long smooth trigger. Close to perfect for 9mm pocket carry.

 

[Carl the Floor Walker]

Ability to hold up to a lot of rounds for training.