EDC Handgun Help...

Have you considered the Heckler and Koch P7M8, squeeze cocker?
Small, light, 8 round magazine (9mm), squeeze to cock, ease grip to make safe.
Ultra reliable, A1 build quality and very accurate with hi-viz sights for low light level conditions............
 
I carry a Taurus titanium 5 shot revolver with 38 +p. Its light, small, and I can drop it in my front pocket and barely know its there. I have a Springfield armory 1911 and Ruger GP100 that I've never even thought about CC due to size and weight. I'm sure with a good carry system they would not be bad but the taurus I dont have to think about.

I could try out just about any gun I wanted from my dad but I have not seen that much I would like to try. The Kahr PM9 looked promising but it is quite a bit heavier.

I have only been carrying about a year and I am sure one day I will want to experiment with different options but until I have the money to do so I am quite happy with the Taurus. The only down side is, it is only 5 shots. But its 5 more than I would have without it and hopefully 5 more than I will ever need. Plus I got it for right at $230 out the door, brand new at a gun show.

Ryan
 
I carry a glock 19 and with a good belt and holster you should have no problem concealing one under a t-shirt. The belt/holster equation makes a much bigger difference than the size of the gun.
 
One advantage to a revolver I noticed has not been mentioned.

The ability to readily shoot shot loads.

When out and about in nature, I like to keep the first two chambers to be fired loaded with shot for them pesky biting snakes.
 
+1 to the Glock. I have owned them all, and I used to hate on the fantastic plastic, the tactical tuperware................However, nothing I have ever owned has stood up to torture like my Glocks. Don't get me wrong, I love revolvers, and the end all in what a small gun should be, it the J frame Smith & Wesson. I love Ruger wheelguns, and show love to the SIGs and 1911s as well. However, for a no nonsense hard use combat utility gun that you will have to rely on with little or no maintainence, the Glock is dominated by the LE market for a reason.
 
Many many years ago, I used to carry a Ruger SP 101 in .357. Great lil gun. I would highly recommend this if its still available. Atm I am using a Glock 30 and I would recommend it too
 
think glock=swamp rat in performance. :D I think that it is about the best platform for a new gunner. Glocks go bang always and allow high capacity with a consitent trigger pull instead of the DA/SA combos. I run a high power striker spring with a 3.5lb connector and a stronger trigger spring. About the same break as stock but smoother and less travel to reset plus the high power striker spring will smash the living crap out of a primer. (Factory ammo this shouldnt be an issue but I reload,ALOT and some primers I use are very hard) Did I mention maintenance isnt an issue either? No rusting or pitting. Shoots fine even when filthy. Very easy to work on get a schematic and you shouldnt ever have to take it anywhere to have work done to it short of grip reductions etc. I used to be a die hard 1911 gunner till I tried the toy gun. Now they are just about all I carry. I am a fan of big power. 10mm doing 1500+ FPS with 15 rds on tap you oughta be able to drop anything thats a problem short of a grizzly.
 
I have carried a Smith and Wesson model 640 .357 for over 10 years. Great gun. Durable, concealable, and packs plenty of punch with 125 grain jacketed hollow points. You can shoot .38's out of it for practice. One nice thing is you can keep this gun in a coat pocket and if need be, shoot while still in the pocket.
 
When I carry its a beratta tomcat .32. It disapears in the back pocket of my jeans and has yet to mis feed, I have put a few hundred rounds through it. I feel comfortable in being able to hit a stationary target at 25 yards and a moving target at 10 yards, anything farther out I would want a long arm anyway. Its a very solid pistol that is simple to use, clean, and carry. I recomend it highly.
 
The SP101 by Ruger is a very good handgun. I have had a couple of them....
Regretfully, I do not own one anymore. I traded them off for other guns. I will one day again own an SP101 and GP100. All I have now is 4 Glocks and 1 Remington 870
 
For small, light and thin, I like Kel-Tec.

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Unfortunately, there is no "one gun" for carry, particularly if you wear alot of casual clothes. There is always a trade-off between concealability, accuracy and stopping power. One option that I like when I'm carrying in the summer months and I'm dressed in shorts and a tee shirt is the fanny pack holster. Many of of them do tend to scream, "I'm carrying a concealed firearm!" to those who know what to look for, but that may not be such a bad thing! The nice part about that it is you can carry one compact pistol in a "real caliber" such as 9mm up to .45 without too much difficulty. I've carried everything from a Beretta Tomcat to a 1911 Delta and I can tell you that weight and size matter! The bigger to absolute worse to carrry.

Personally, I'm a fan of the .40 S&W since it is nearly ballistically equivalent to the .45 ACP and can be had in much smaller packages. If I only had 1 gun, I'd set the minimal caliber at 9mm, to ensure at least marginal stopping power. I think for concealability, autos are really the way to go. Once I determined the caliber I wanted then I'd decide based on the size of the package that was available and what would be the best gun I could afford with certain features. I STRONGLY reccomend night sights, since the vast majority of shootings occur in low light conditions. I'd certainly consider good used pistols if they were in my price range and do not discount the likes of Taurus or especially CZ. Although the finish work on CZ pistols is usually a bit lacking for my tastes, they have one of the best out-of-the-box triggers I've sampled.

Although ALOT of people love Glocks and they are certainly proven, I just cannot get used to that funky trigger safety. But that probably won't be as big a deal for you since you're less likely to be set in your ways regarding trigger pull. I have to say that for $600, the new Taurus 1911 looks pretty damn nice, and I believe they have a Commander size version available. Kahr certainly makes a fine pistol, but they can be a bit pricey. One thing I would certainly do is scour www.gunbroker.com for a good look at the market and some really competative pricing. This usually works quite well for more expensive pistols, because the cost of overnight shipping and transfer fee is often not that big a deal if you are saving $200-$400 on a high end pistol, but is not really worth it for less expensive guns. As for me, I've been carrying a stock H&K P2000 in .40 S&W for the past 2 years.
 
marcangel said:
Many of of them do tend to scream, "I'm carrying a concealed firearm!" to those who know what to look for, but that may not be such a bad thing!
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Yeah, I love it when I see some big, burly looking guy with a beard, work boots, tattoos, and a fanny pack. Or a "fishing vest" in the middle of June in Tucson (where it's too damn hot and there ain't no fish). Pretty obvious if you're "in the know". At least here in AZ there's open carry for anybody and CCW for those with a permit, so unlike many CCW states, you don't have to keep it concealed, or worry too much if you're printing or showing.
 
For small and light, I have a reliable Seecamp. I used to have a bunch of Glocks, but I sold them all. What I currently DO still have are: Kahr Arms Elite 98 in 9mm & .40, a S&W 342 PD, and a Seecamp in .32. I also have a 12 gauge shotgun and an AR-15.
 
I carry a Beretta Tomcat .32 in a pocket holster..its small light and is a eight shot..Loaded with Winchester silver tips...It is more than enough to do the job..

I also carry a Walther PPK .380 it is also small and very concealable..

you may also want to consider the small kel tec line in .380..reasonalbe priced at around $250 and very small..

Ren
 
TFin

I didn't notice if you mentioned it before, but if you haven't been through any safety courses, I'd reccomend going to one or two beforehand.

Then I'd find the nearest gun range and try before you buy. It helps to know how a gun handles and shoots before you take the plunge and buy it.

I think you're going to find a ton of guns that fit your criteria, it's just going to depend on what you end up liking. From experience, I can tell you that the Kahr's are very slim, and easy to conceal. I had the chance to fire the PM40, and even though it's a pretty small gun, it was very easy to handle. You're going to find a ton of people telling you to stay away from this caliber and that caliber, but just go with what you feel comfortable using.
 
In a word, Glock. The 36 (45 cal) if you want a really slim high power piece. The 19 if you want a 9mm. - That 19 is really a nice gun - the quintessential Glock IMO.

I always thought the same thing about the .357 but recently learned that you can mess up the cylinder's ability to eject 357 casings if you fire too many .38's through it. Apparently it is a pretty common problem. So if you go with the revolver (not saying it is a bad choice), just stay consistent with the same ammo for targets as you use for defense.

A buddy of mine has the Keltec in .32cal. He likes it. I am not crazy about the trigger personally (but have no issues with the stock Glock triggers - different animal).
 
sometimes (rarely) if ya shoot say 10K rounds 38 special outta a 357 mag and dont clean the cylinders buildup can cause case sticking when ya use the mag ammo, it, but it takes a helluva lotta ammo, i have shot my L frame S&W tens of thousands of times w/the 38 special ammo ( i am a reloader and used to shoot this pistol a lot & have had it since '82 or so, it is an early 586 4" bbl) with never a problem, i guess i do clean the thing fairly regulary though.

i have also heard in some rare cases erosion can occur in similar circumstances, but again this would take a lot of shooting, and also a lot of very hot +P+ 38 special ammo, i mean if ya want hot loads why go with .38 when ya can go with 357 anyway??imho the casual shooter wouldnt have any probs w/this.

it can happen though.

as far as carry pistols as i said before its hard to go wrong with glock or poly kahrs for edc.
 
I have one of the S&W scandium models that Bronco showed. It is a slightly different model, with exposed hammer (SA/DA).

I have been carrying handguns for quite some time, and go to the range on a weekly basis, so I am not sure how my experience will apply to you. I know for a fact that if I get out of practice, I am not very good with any handgun--you may have more natural aptitude than I do.

I think that most people could use this effectively at 10-15 yards with .38 +P loads after only a little practice. If you don't mind a bit of pain, you can use .357 rounds. But there is a helluva kick.

Very nice little shoulder holsters are made for these little J-frames. Nobody can see the gun under your shirt. It weighs next to nothing, and the little there is is nicely distributed.

Expensive gun, expensive holster. VERY low maintenence.
 
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