Pocket Gun or Work around 686

[ACE10000D]

Glock 43X is about as good as it gets for EDC.

 

[Old cop]

Since this is a S&W forum, I was just wondering it you have tried any of the S&W semi-autos?

I understand perfectly the desire for a gun you can pick up on your way out the door, shove it in your pocket and go. Having to put on a holster (at least for me, and especially IWB) is quite a bit more hassle. I really like a S&W 642 for this reason, and use a Mika holster. I wonder if folks here that carry a Sig 365 pocket carry it or have it on a belt/holster setup. Just me, but it seems like the lint and fuzz that gets in your pockets would have a tendency to possibly jam a semi-auto.

I pocket carry an older LCP .380 in a pocket holster during the warmer months and have never had a problem w/pocket lint or fuzz tying up the gun. One test I used was to carry it for a little over a month w/o wiping it down, then go to the range. It chewed up over 50 rounds w/o a single failure so I doubt a larger 9MM would be a problem. Hope that helps . . . .

 

[chief38]

These days, the Sig P365 is Top Dog IMHO - my personal choice for EDC/CCW. You could also look at the SA Hellcat & S&W offerings too.

I could never quite understand why some want to carry a M686, M27, M1911, etc. every day - but it's still a free country. An 11 - 16 shot Micro 9mm is the "new J Frame" from the 1950's - 2015 IMHO.

 

[BB57]

First off, you have make a choice that you will carry every day, every moment you are outside of a secured area that is under your control. You also have to make a choice of platform and round that you shoot adequately well (minute of pie plate at 10 yards as fast as you can will do for most of us.)

The reality is that most of the time, a modest sized auto-pistol is going to be easiest to conceal and still be an effective shooting platform. …./

/….The 686 is a functional ballistic platform for a lot of your needs, but not as good a fighting tool as other choices because you are not carrying it at every moment. The J frame revolvers are small enough to carry regularly, but are not as easy to shoot well due to ergonomics. Study mindset. Study tactical ballistics. Never go to someplace stupid if you don't have to. Avoid bars and places where there is any dancing other than ballroom.

It is no longer my duty to hunt bad people and interdict them. When it was, I carried a G21 and 3 spare mags, plus an AR with several spare mags and a shotgun. I could be several minutes alone with a problem due to the size of our real areas. As a private citizen, my only likely concern is direct and personal. We don't socialize, etc., so we have little exposure to random people.

Carrying a 686 all day long isn't a big deal with a decent holster and double thickness double stitched belt that won't roll over.

You can save a few ounces with a Model 66 with 6 rounds instead of 7. In either case they conceal just fine IWB with a cover garment or just a tee shirt. Just avoid the tight, stretch knit variety.

My other carry guns are usually fairly large pistols including the CZ-75 Compact PCR, Browning Hi Power and lately a Beretta 92 compact.

That said I'll also carry a J frame or a Kimber Micro 9 for beach gun purposes or when I need something smaller and more concealable in a tuckable holster under a dress shirt. J frames do require more practice to attain and maintain proficiency but the are capable of very good accuracy.

I agree with you about using common sense and reasonable SA to avoid dark and scary places and not going around looking for bad guys.

Concealed carry permit holders are often pounded with data and scenarios based on worst case law enforcement officer encounters and come out of those training sessions thinking they need a 15 round magazine (and that 17 is better) with two spare mag for a total of 46 to 52 rounds to ensure they'll be able to survive a self defense shoot.

The irony is that 95% of self defense hand gun uses don't even result in the gun being fired before the assailant flees in search of a softer target. The cartridge and magazine capacity issues are totally moot.

Even in officer involved shoots 75% of them are easily addressed with just 5 rounds. The percentage that require more than 15 is small and if you filter out raids on crack houses etc, they are decimal dust.

Lately the new fad has been smaller handguns that are easier to conceal, but many of them are, like a J frame, more challenging to shoot well. There's some more irony there as police officers miss between 50% and 80% of the time - and they can afford to as they have department lawyers and insurance coverage as well as various forms of immunity from civil suit provided they stay within policy, as well as a fair amount of discretion given by the court in mistake of fact shootings.

Armed citizens have none of that and fully own the criminal and civil liability attached to every round they fire from the time it leaves the barrel until it comes to a full and complete stop. Accuracy matters a whole lot more to an armed citizen.

The newest fad is for lighter, smaller easier to carry and conceal hand guns, and like the tacticool multiple assailant worst case scenario go big or go home fad, it's driven by folks with very vocal social media megaphones and sales pitches from gun companies and sales people who want to create new markets and new gun sales by convincing you what you got isn't gonna work anymore. The lighter, smaller is better because otherwise you won't carry it myth is just that. It's based on the assumption you can't comfortable carry or conceal a larger handgun, when that's just not true for most people.

Either way, the problem is that how well a hand gun fits and how well a person can shoot it is still way down the list of criteria when it should be at the top.

——

So carry what you want, just make sure:
- it fits your hand;
- you shoot it well;
- you attain and maintain proficiency with it; and
- that you don't load yourself down with unnecessary extra magazines and EDC gadgets that end up weighing so much you stop carrying.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

It's settled. I got a P365

 

[BabaBlueJay]

So I got the P365, never shot an auto before and was worried about snap. Went to the range and my goodness is this an amazing little gun. Only 20 rounds so far so small sample but so far I'm just baffled at how they made something like this.

Recoil: this thing has no recoil and I just don't understand how... Maybe it's that I'm used to thousands of rounds of 357 but I was worried this might be snappy like small 38 revolver I've shot. To my utter amazement I was not sure I actually fired my first shot. I was bracing for the worst and was shocked that the recoil was almost non-existent.. this is the biggest positive from first day at the range.

Build quality: the other thing that stood out is that it just feels quality shooting. The shells seemed to eject exactly the same way every single time and the gun just felt robotically consistent.

Accuracy: the gun was more accurate than me and put all 20 on an 8 inch target at defensive range. With experience I will do better but the gun did fine in this regard.

Overall, just wow... I've been missing out and can't wait for my smart carry holster so I can have a reliable carry option instead of lugging around my 686.

Thanks to all of you for your responses, the P365 is unreal.

 

[lrrifleman]

Goudy686,

Congratulations on the P365. Did you get it with or without the thumb safety?

After I won my P365, I got the Lima 365 laser which had difficulty working on the standard grip module, but runs like a champ on the X/XL module. This may sound odd, but since you are now relatively comfortable with the 9mm P365, you might want to give either the P365-380 or 380 X Change kit ($399) serious consideration. It gives you ammo flexibility, and almost negligible recoil. Both versions of the P365 are also a dream to pocket carry in either a Vedder Pocket Locker or an Alabama pocket holster. With the X Change kit, you can typically convert to the other chambering in under 5 minutes. Plus, the X Change kit can be mailed to your front door!

 

[BabaBlueJay]

I got mine without the safety bc that's what I'm used to on revolver.