Thoughts on carry guns

[serger]

To get back on topic, I prefer a 36 to 45 caliber pocket gun if I
need it. So I've got some J frames (442 & 640's) for revolvers.
In 9mm I've got some Kahr CM-9's for pistols. As far as 40's go,
the Shield works fine. Another one would be the Glock 23. Both
of these are a little big but in the winter up here you can't see
them when you're wearing a Parka.

The 45 is a Star PD I got in the 70's. It's just a hardball gun but it
runs fine.

I did buy a StarBM and it's verra, verra nice. Based on the caveats
I see for ammunition use I wonder how the Guardia Civil got non-
Nato Spec ammunition for it. I'm trying to decide how to put it
in my winter coat & I"ve still got about 6 weeks to figure that out.

 

[fredj338]

Went to the range last Friday with two snub revolvers. And I rented a Sig P238. The P238 is a 380 1911 style gun. (I bought one last week and decided to try the rental while waiting for the 10 day period to end.).

My buddy came with his Glock and a revolver.

Anyway, after about 10 shots with the Glock the end broke off his plastic recoil spring guide rod and went flying down range. He was left high and dry with a nonfunctional Glock, so finished the range session with his revolver.

BTW, that P238 shot really well and accurately even from the first magazine.

Didn't seem like the worst gun ever designed.

My friend doesn't blame the Glock, however, since he never changed the recoil spring/guide rod in the 16 years he had the gun.

Most of us will replace the recoil springs in our guns about 6k rds. In a Glo j, many replace the plastic with steel. Adds a bit of up front weight & removes the plastic breaking issue.

 

[SMSgt]

Yes but ambushing a bear over bait or in a tree with a head shot is not defending yourself in a fight with an armed attacker. The avg shooter can not make a standing headshot on demand in say a very long 2sec. Put the head in motion, shooter in motion, lets make it night time, yeah headshots, not gonna happen but by accident.

Well . . . they're east TN mountain boys who could definitely defend themselves with a .22 Mag. I've seen them shoot. I'm pretty good, if I must say so, but they can embarrass me to no end when they decide to put this flatlander in his place.

 

[Mainsail]

I know I sound like a broken record, but before you pick the gun, come to reality with the prioritization of the carry compromises first.

All concealed carry is a compromise between comfort, conceal-ability, effective gun/caliber, and accessibility. Pocket carry is more concealable but not the fastest access, and doesn't allow a regular sized gun (that we all shoot better and more accurately).

Some of us older folks remember when concealed carry permits were hard to get, if not impossible. So in those days if you felt like you needed the sidearm, you concealed illegally. It took me a while to get over the nervousness that someone might discover I was carrying even though I have a license to do so. Once I realized that open carry was lawful (here) I never worried about my concealed carry again. Thus, concealment is the lowest priority for me. This allows me to comfortably (OWB) carry a regular sized gun (P229, P320, 1911), in an effective caliber (.357 or .45) with a gun in which I have confidence (can hit a target at any reasonable self-defense distance I may encounter).

If someone sees a lump, or even the muzzle if I'm reaching for something, that's far less important to me than comfort or any of the others.

So, not to answer your question but merely to give you some food for thought.

 

[jtcarm]

That OLD pic of a Native woman killing that BIG bear with a 22 lr??? I'd bet that bear noticed, if it didn't die instantly.

Actually it was a .22 Long.
.22 Long Rifle must've been her elephant round.

I've tried a Glook. Maybe I didn't give it enough time, but I'm a total revolver guy. I carry a 3" M64.
Carrying IWB in a summer special, I've never seen a reason to carry a pocket pistol.