Pocket 9 replacement?

[BE Mike]

So I went to Gander Mountain tonight to do just that…gander around a bit☺ Don't intend to buy there (too pricey), but wanted to get an idea of what I might be able to handle.

Tried several things. Mostly from Springfield and Smith & Wesson as that is what they had that was closest to what I might consider. As I expected, I had the same types of difficulty with all of those (difficult to manipulate and my hands quickly started to hurt).

Then I tried something I hadn't been considering. The Sig P938. I was quite pleasantly surprised as I was able to manipulate the slide, safety, trigger, and magazine release with no problems whatsoever. My wife was with me and she was able to also. This is an issue, as she almost can never manipulate the controls in a semi auto. Needless to say, I was impressed. Here are my questions/concerns:

1. Price: Obviously, it's much more than most of the others previously discussed. It does, however, show in the quality of the materials. The model that I liked the best was the Extreme. They had it at $769. I'm sure this is high and am wondering what a more realistic price might be.
2. Controls: Although I have shot 1911s before, I do not own or regularly handle one. My biggest concern is becoming used to the manual of arms and automaticity of a SA gun with the safety engaged in a high stress situation.
3. Quality/reliability – handling it and reading the reviews, it appears to be a very high quality piece. However, I am wondering how it has been from those with first hand experience.

I appreciate any feedback on those questions or any other thoughts.

Thanks, and thanks to all of those who have chimed in so far. I appreciate what a positive and generous community this is.

BTW-I also appreciate the sympathetic comments about the difficulty with my hands. My mother has suffered significantly from rheumatoid arthritis for years, and I see the pain and debilitation she deals with. This has just become an issue in the last year for me and I am still trying to get used to it. I never really expected to get old enough for stuff to quit working ☺

I like the KISS principle, i.e. no safety and not single action, but instead, just pull the trigger until the gun goes bang. If you are used to shooting double-action with a revolver, then most of the current crop of pocket 9's will fit the bill.

 

[tjhodges310]

I went from the LC9 to the Shield about a year ago because I wanted a striker fired pistol (the LC9s wasn't out at the time). I will say I think the LC9 is a tad bit slimmer and lighter making it easier to pocket carry. I carry the Shield IWB and bought a BG380 to pocket carry. If I were you I would consider looking into the Kahr PM9 if it is within your budget and you are looking specifically for pocket carry.

 

[CaptRon956]

I pocket carry my M&P 380 more than I carry my Shield 40. mainly due to convience. In this part of texas its HOT 9 months out of the yr and I'm in shorts 99% of the time, screw it, I just toss in my bodyguard 380 in my front pocket in a desantis pocket holster & it feel just like a cell phone in there..

Speaking of .380's, I'm really am starting to like my bersa thunder .380. it is all metal and about the same size more or less as a shield and a little bit thinner and I dare say, more reliable than my BG380...

 

[tinman931]

I can at least help you with #1. Bud's has a P938 for $610 and with the make an offer option which means you can get it for less than $610.

Never bought a gun online. How much of a hassle is it?

 

[amcline82]

I am looking into a Sig 290 for pocket carry after I get my shield.

 

[Lobster Picnic]

I think you had the right answer all along. Drop the LCR in your pocket - done.

 

[AGoyette]

So I went to Gander Mountain tonight to do just that…gander around a bit☺ Don't intend to buy there (too pricey), but wanted to get an idea of what I might be able to handle.

Tried several things. Mostly from Springfield and Smith & Wesson as that is what they had that was closest to what I might consider. As I expected, I had the same types of difficulty with all of those (difficult to manipulate and my hands quickly started to hurt).

Then I tried something I hadn't been considering. The Sig P938. I was quite pleasantly surprised as I was able to manipulate the slide, safety, trigger, and magazine release with no problems whatsoever. My wife was with me and she was able to also. This is an issue, as she almost can never manipulate the controls in a semi auto. Needless to say, I was impressed. Here are my questions/concerns:

1. Price: Obviously, it's much more than most of the others previously discussed. It does, however, show in the quality of the materials. The model that I liked the best was the Extreme. They had it at $769. I'm sure this is high and am wondering what a more realistic price might be.
2. Controls: Although I have shot 1911s before, I do not own or regularly handle one. My biggest concern is becoming used to the manual of arms and automaticity of a SA gun with the safety engaged in a high stress situation.
3. Quality/reliability – handling it and reading the reviews, it appears to be a very high quality piece. However, I am wondering how it has been from those with first hand experience.

I appreciate any feedback on those questions or any other thoughts.

Thanks, and thanks to all of those who have chimed in so far. I appreciate what a positive and generous community this is.

BTW-I also appreciate the sympathetic comments about the difficulty with my hands. My mother has suffered significantly from rheumatoid arthritis for years, and I see the pain and debilitation she deals with. This has just become an issue in the last year for me and I am still trying to get used to it. I never really expected to get old enough for stuff to quit working ☺

Ok, things to look out for on a Sig 938...
#1. The guide rod is 2 pieces that are screwed together. Many people have reported that the guide rod can and does separate between 200-400 rounds through it. Some never have this issue. I am one of the people who it happened to. If this happens to you, you can put Red Loctite or Rocksett on the threads and rethread it. If for some reason, (like you are a moron and know that your guide rod is loose and figure that you will get to it after shooting 200 more rounds... cough, cough) your guide rod separates, and you loose the guide rod part, your gun will still work, trust me (been there, done that). Sig will send you a new guide rod and spring, gratis. They just take FOREVER to get to you. The guide rod is a poor design in my opinion..
2. The 938 will teach you all about sight radius. Because the barrel is so short, the sight radius is ridiculous. Dropping your front sight just a tiny bit, equals a huge drop in your shots. Same goes for the front blade not being in the middle of the rear sight. Small tweaks make a big difference.

I like the weight of my 938. I also like that I can rack the slide when the safety is on (you can turn on the safety as long as the hammer is back). That way there are no excuses for ND while loading or unloading your gun. It does have a thumb safety. I like thumb safeties on my CC guns. I come from a 1911 background, so turning them off to shoot is second nature to me. Mine is stiff to turn on, but easy to disengage. It does not take much practice to get used to a thumb safety, IMO. I seem to be carrying my 938 more than my M&P 9c. I can carry it in a Remora sticky holster when I am wearing yoga pants. If I am wearing a belt, I wear it in a N82 Pro holster. It is accurate as all heck. It has never had any FTF or FTE. Some of them have crazy heavy triggers. My LGS ordered in 2 of them for me (the engraved slide and rosewood grips one and the thicker Hogue grips one) and I brought my trigger pull scale to the store and measured both of them. The one with the engraved slide was the lightest, at 6 lbs. After cleaning it and dry firing it, it came down to 5.5 lbs. I later had the gunsmith stone it to 4.25 lbs. The extended mag does give you 1 extra bullet. It also gives your pinky someplace to rest. Most people prefer that. I can shoot it with both the extended base mag and the flush fit mag (7 rounds and 6 rounds respectably). Once I am shooting it, I don't notice the length of the mags. Ask around your local gun club or gun friends. Chances are someone has one and they might let you try it.

 

[tinman931]

I think you had the right answer all along. Drop the LCR in your pocket - done.

I do carry it quite often, but there are occasions where I would be comfortable having a few more rounds available to me while maintaining a small package.

 

[tinman931]

Ask around your local gun club or gun friends. Chances are someone has one and they might let you try it.

I checked a local range that rents guns and they have the 938, along with a Shield and LC9s. I think I'm going to try all three to see how they work for me.

 

[Philadelphia Patriot]

Never bought a gun online. How much of a hassle is it?

It's very easy to order from bud's. Make an account, pick what you want, when you check out you pick if you want to pay credit or get the cash discount (aka send them a check instead), and then you pick the FFL you want it shipped to.

 

[Elliot45]

The Sig P938 Extreme at KyGunCo is $607.00 I had recommended the Sig P938 in my previous post and think it is a great gun. I have the smaller counterpart, the P238 but a good friend has the P938 and he loves it. As far a handling the manual safety, it just takes practice to remember that you need to take the safety off but 1911 shooters have been doing it for over 100 years. I recently was practicing with my P238 and the one thing I did remember is that I don't like the plastic serrated trigger so I'm replacing it with a brushed stainless steel trigger which I think will feel a lot better. I know the Bodyguard has been mentioned in these threads and while the size makes it convenient to carry, I recently practiced with mine and remembered that it's not a fun gun to shoot or practice with. I recently purchased the Shield and that is my main C&C but if I need smaller, I'll have the Sig P238 with me in the future. Anyway, you might want to look at KY Gun Co., they also have two other P938 models that are less than $600 and like Bud's, they're easy to deal with. Regards, Elliot45

 

[tinman931]

The Sig P938 Extreme at KyGunCo is $607.00 I had recommended the Sig P938 in my previous post and think it is a great gun. I have the smaller counterpart, the P238 but a good friend has the P938 and he loves it. As far a handling the manual safety, it just takes practice to remember that you need to take the safety off but 1911 shooters have been doing it for over 100 years. I recently was practicing with my P238 and the one thing I did remember is that I don't like the plastic serrated trigger so I'm replacing it with a brushed stainless steel trigger which I think will feel a lot better. I know the Bodyguard has been mentioned in these threads and while the size makes it convenient to carry, I recently practiced with mine and remembered that it's not a fun gun to shoot or practice with. I recently purchased the Shield and that is my main C&C but if I need smaller, I'll have the Sig P238 with me in the future. Anyway, you might want to look at KY Gun Co., they also have two other P938 models that are less than $600 and like Bud's, they're easy to deal with. Regards, Elliot45

Good tip. Thank you.

 

[USAF385]

Sig P938 with the short mag. Cocked and locked in a good pocket holster.

 

[JFA]

I am looking for a replacement for my LC9. I was just getting to the point where I could shoot it decently, but took it out the other day and had a number of problems. Unfortunately, I seem to be developing arthritis in my hands around the thumbs. Now, I have a great deal of difficulty working the slide, mag release, etc. and can hardly hit paper. I have an LCR that I like and can still manage, but would still like a small pocket 9 for the extra rounds and other advantages of an auto. Budget is an issue for me right now (transitioning employment for the next few months), so I am looking to keep it as reasonable as possible.

My candidates for replacement are:
LC9s Pro – assuming that the upgrades are enough to make it easier to handle.
S&W Shield – I fired one that belongs to a friend about a year ago, but not enough to form an opinion.
SR9c – I have heard good things and like the way it fits in my hand, but think it might be a little too large to drop in my pocket, which would defeat the purpose of a smaller 9.
Springfield XD-S – I have never fired one, but I really like my XDsc. It is just a little too large to drop in my pocket.

I would really appreciate any hands on feedback on any / all of these guns, or other options I may not have listed.

TIA for your help!

The Smith@wesson shield is outstanding, very concealable in pocket holster such as Desantis nemesis in relaxed fit jeans etc... Also I'd consider the Smith Bodyguard 38 revolver- great Cc gun with built in laser, 14 ounces n a pleasure to carry with peace of mind of safeness of a quality revolver while the 38 or 38 +P is great self defense caliber.

 

[tinman931]

The Smith@wesson shield is outstanding, very concealable in pocket holster such as Desantis nemesis in relaxed fit jeans etc... Also I'd consider the Smith Bodyguard 38 revolver- great Cc gun with built in laser, 14 ounces n a pleasure to carry with peace of mind of safeness of a quality revolver while the 38 or 38 +P is great self defense caliber.

Thanks. I still need to get my hands on one so I can see if I can manage the slide and controls.

 

[chaparrito]

My LGS, a pawnshop, got a whole pallet shipment of G43s. I don't know how many there were exactly but he sold them all out in 2 days. Very hot item apparently.

 

[DEG]

My Kahr CM9 has been fantastic. I have over 2000 round through it and it has been 100% reliable and is very accurate. I considered the PM9, but the physical difference between the two is insignificant but the cost difference is considerable. I have an XDS as well and IMO it's a little to bulky and heavy for pocket carry.

 

[tinman931]

My LGS, a pawnshop, got a whole pallet shipment of G43s. I don't know how many there were exactly but he sold them all out in 2 days. Very hot item apparently.

I've only seen one so far at Bass Pro. Pricey.

 

[wfparys]

S&W shield 9mm in a FIST kydex pocket holster.

 

[CustomChevyGuy]

My dad has carried his Ruger SR9c for about a year now. He's carried it IWB and in a pocket holster in cargo pockets and never had any complaints. Maybe something worth considering?