Creedmore recently talked about 'pocket pistols' and Hermit mentioned a couple of his (just scroll down). Being me I wanted to get my .02 cents in. Things here have been a bit crazy so it took awhile to get to. Also I didn't want to just do a completely conceptual post so I made the sacrifice to go to the Pawn Shop and fiddle with some little pistols.
[ Begin Rant:I don't really like calling these 'pocket pistols' because to me that implies just throwing it in a pocket or a purse and calling it good. Getting a decent draw from a gun that has rotated in your pocket or is lost in your purse full of shit is not realistic. It will snag or you will come up with the barrel in your hand instead of the grip and because of this some goblin will stab you then rape your face.
I know that is very harsh but I am saying it because I love you and don't want your face to get raped. Seriously use a pocket holster or a purse holster or a belt holster or an ankle holster or some sort of a new unique holster I haven't heard of. End Rant]
I fiddled with a little Beretta and a little Taurus. I liked the Beretta enough to potentially own one. It would add a new caliber but going with the Bobcat would negate that. Then again in the grand scheme of things I am not going to get 10 mags and a case of ammo for a pocket gun, just can't see it. Getting 300rds of defense ammo and 4 mags would be plenty for me. If things get bad enough that I can't just order another mag if I need one the little guy would stay at home.
People often bash these little guns and while I can't disagree with a lot of their arguments I disagree with their conclusion. Are these better then compact or full sized handguns in calibers above .38special or 9mm, absolutely not. If you are going to own a small collection of guns one of these will probably not be on the list; then again for someone with a well rounded collection of 8+ guns it could make sense. One of these will be a lot more practically useful then a 4th glock/1911/full sized .357mag.
These guns absolutely loose when compared to full sized handguns. The problem is that entire preface is basically fucked. It is like saying that a leatherman isn't as good as a whole box of tools or that an E tool isn't as practical as a full sized shovel. These guns are not useful because they are better then full sized handguns; they are useful because you will have them when you would not have a full sized handgun or even a compact handgun. You can have one on your absolutely all the time unless wearing a bikini or banana hammock. A little .22/.25/.32 is a heck of a lot better then fists, mace or a pocket knife. Disagree?
How about we get in a fight where I get a little Beretta .22 and you get your fists? Or you get a knife and I get the .22. I wager one of us would get shot in the face.
Edited to include: As Oblio13 noted there are some relatively new options out there. Innovative gun makers Khar and Kel Tech both have guns that are not much bigger than the above mentioned really small pistols but chambered in .380 and 9mm. Maybe somewhere between sub compact and very small would be the best way to categorize these, to be honest I am not sure.
I do not know you or your situation. Those in the wilds of Idaho or the wide open plains can open carry the biggest piece that rides comfortably on their belt; however someone who is in a less free state or works in an office but has to walk to their car in the dark might find a .32 in a pocket holster very comforting.
I do not currently own a pistol in this size range though one is now going to need to be added to the wish list. Suppose one of these must be added to the pistol list. The more I think about it the more I can see a niche for one.
Thoughts?
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12 comments:
Im sold. If spending 300 bucks on a micro gun and holster keeps my face's virginity intact.... in fact, can't finish comment, on my way to gun shop.
If all other guns on the face of the earth were wiped out and this was the only gun left then I would buy it. It's better than having nothing at all. One time I went to a gun shop and showed some interest in a very small pistol. The gun shop owner said, "You're more likely to piss an assailant off with this than anything else." Pocket pistols don't seem to have much "man/woman stopping" power therefore I'm not very enthusiastic about them. Yes, they are useful, but only in an extremely limited amount of situations. Sadly, I knew a woman who owned a pocket (book) pistol. She grabbed for something in her purse and actually shot a hole in her purse by mistake. Luckily she was not injured. Like you said, a holster is absolutely essential.
I like my .25. It does what it is designed to do and that is fine by me.
7:51, Precisely. Good for you.
8:34, Your money, your gun safe and your ass. I agree they are FAR BETTER THAN NOTHING. In a situation where I can't carry a bigger gun this beats the hell out of a right cross. I think they can have a niche and one will probably be in my next two pistol purchases.
Sorry for that lady, glad she wasn't hurt. A holster is essential.
Wyn, I am coming to see they certainly have a place.
With pistols like the Kahr PM9 now available, I don't see the point of "pocket pistols". Why bother when you can have a full-power 9mm in a package that's just as light and nearly as small?
I own and daily carry a .32 Tomcat. The Beretta is a high quality pocket gun with exquisite workman ship for a factory gun. Sometimes it rides in a belt holster with an extra mag and retention. Sometimes it rides inside the waistband. Sometimes it goes in a jacket pocket. But it just about always goes with me wherever I go. It is not a 25 yard gun - this is an up-and-in-your-face gun. With 8 rounds of Gold Dot HPs, well, it is not quite like a "brick through a plate glass window" but it will be enough when it matters...
Double Tapper, That seems like a pretty good plan to me. I imagine you hit pretty hard but even a relatively meek .32 hits a lot harder.
...this beats the hell out of a right cross.
You got it. And after 8 rounds of 22lr in the chest from a S&W 317, your right cross will be absolutely devastating...
Snoop-Diggity-DANG-Dawg
All the gun snobs have valid points and no I dont count my el cheapo jimenez 22 or jenning/bryco 32 as primary defense weapons. They are cheep cheep cheep 120 dollars max. I have fired hundreds of rounds through both just plinking in my yard. they are not accurate past 5 yards but the ammo is cheep and I guarentee that if you get hit with 7 hollow point stingers or 6 rounds of 32 you are not going to not have much fight left in you. Point blank firing of the little mouse gun is very effective. It is also much louder than firing from a longer barrel. I realy like being able to put one or both in my pocket and have them totaly concealed. No you wont win a quick draw competion but if you have your hand in your pocket it comes out quick. And i keep them in my vehicles because if they get stolen I am not out much. Car jackers will cut and run or fall and die if shot in the face.
I have a keltec 380, and let me tell those folks who say "just carry a full size 1911 in a shoulder holster" you're a freaking idiot. We don't all work at the scrap yard. We can't all sport a freaking hunting vest as part of our business casual attire.
"With pistols like the Kahr PM9 now available, I don't see the point of "pocket pistols". Why bother when you can have a full-power 9mm in a package that's just as light and nearly as small?"
For one thing, if you want a compact 9mm, go with the keltec p11. I don't like 9mm for defensive carry, the velocity makes it a bad choice. Way I look at it, if I'm going bigger, I'd get a Kimber Crimson Carry in 45acp and stop pussyfooting around.
The reason I have the keltec 380 with a laser is becasue I ALWAYS have it. My work attire and the nature of my job wont allow me to carry even a compact pistol (at least during the summer). Anyone who claims that 7 HP 380 rounds to the chest is only going to "piss a bad guy off" needs their head checked. Many situations where a pistol gets drawn is about deterrence. When a goon sees a red dot on his chest, you immediately cease to appear as prey, and that's the whole idea. My XD45 will drop the biggest, baddest MF's on the planet, but it isn't dropping anyone if it's at home on the nightstand and I'm getting mugged on the street.
I thought long and hard about going with a 22 pocket pistol, I ended up with a Kel-Tec P3AT for daily carry. Rule one is bring a gun to the fight, then start to split hairs over everything else.
Buy what you will carry and carry it. Then you can worry about "Pissing off Assailants" if you are in a situation where you expect trouble and cant carry a rifle then you should have the biggest bore pistol you have with you. The small ones are for day to day carry
Coachteet, I find little to disagree with.
7:42, Those are pretty darn small.
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