Would You Ever Swap Out your "J" for One of the Small Autos?

[PUPP86]

Nope ! Duty weapon was either a Glock 30 or SW 1911 both in 45. While I was / am proficient in both, always hated carrying them IWB. Tried Ruger LCP, Glock 42 and a Kahr but still wasn't comfortable.

Daily CCW now is a SW 649-2. Only issue I have is carrying IWB now as I cannot wear a belt or even decent pants due to a back injury.

 

[Riflemann]

I went from 40 Shield for EDC to a 642CT and will not go back to the semi-auto. I just like the revolver better. Plain and simple!

 

[oldtexan]

Over the last 12-15 years I have carried various backup guns in my weakside (left) front pants pocket. For several years it was a 642-1 or a 940-2. I bought a Kahr PM9 as a possible replacement in 2005 and found that the PM9 was much easier to shoot at speed with good hits, that the sights were much easier for my old eyes to pick up quickly, that the PM9 shot to point of aim better than the 642 or 940, that the recoil of the PM9 was much easier to take for extended sessions(especially shooting weakhand only), and that I valued the extra two rounds in the gun. The downside was that the gun did not allow as smooth a drawstroke from certain trouser pockets as the j-frames. I changed to pants with bigger pockets and that problem disappeared. I now carry a 9mm Walther PPS as my weakside backup. The PPS with the 7 rd mag is even better than the PM9 in each one of the categories I mentioned earlier, and the draw stroke is fast and smooth. I don't carry j-frames anymore.

 

[Brasky]

Why exactly do we need a CC gun with more than 5-6 rounds? Are we going Rambo and attacking the hoards of terrorists at the airport? Or are we a terrible shot?

I carry a reload, but if I am in a situation where I need it, chances are either I'm screwed or I have time to get away from the situation.

 

[BE Mike]

Why exactly do we need a CC gun with more than 5-6 rounds? Are we going Rambo and attacking the hoards of terrorists at the airport? Or are we a terrible shot?

I carry a reload, but if I am in a situation where I need it, chances are either I'm screwed or I have time to get away from the situation.

There is an old saying in aviation, "The only time you have too much fuel is when your plane is on fire!" I'd say that the same principle applies in a gun fight. I never read or heard of anyone who was in a shootout say later, "I had way too much ammo!"

 

[Amp]

I did that. Didn't like it. I am back.
Started with a 66, not a j and a bit big sometimes.
Got a 640 no dash and love it.
Tried to replace it with a 3913 and later a Shield 9.
Still like the 640 best but may go lighter in the future.
Even got a few Sigs for paper punching but they don't get out much.

 

[Shooter6br]

.380 pocket auto? Not if my life depended on it!

Not if my life depended on it ! I'LL take my 638

 

[gdogs]

I recently picked up a Sig P290RS 9mm and must say that it is quickly replacing my 640-1. Generally for light carry or a quick run to the store I would grab my Seecamp 32, but it hardly leaves the safe anymore. The Sig is a great option for those that like DAO pistols. Great sights, thinner than a J, 1 extra round too! That said, the 640-1 is not for sale

 

[oldtexan]

Why exactly do we need a CC gun with more than 5-6 rounds? Are we going Rambo and attacking the hoards of terrorists at the airport? Or are we a terrible shot?

I carry a reload, but if I am in a situation where I need it, chances are either I'm screwed or I have time to get away from the situation.

Handgun ammo of all calibers is weak. It may take 3-5 hits in the vital zone between the collarbone and diaphragm, between the nipples, to put an attacker out of the fight, even with best available loads. Peripheral hits may have little or no effect, at least while the fight is happening.

It's not about being Rambo; it's about recognizing the nature of the threat. Human predators tend to run in packs; many are good at their business, and are ruthlessly violent. I don't do stupid stuff, don't go to stupid places, don't hang around stupid people, and consistently practice good situational awareness, but that doesn't guarantee that I will never have to deal with a group of determined violent criminals. If I have to engage multiple threats, the rest might flee after I take the first one out of the fight, but then again, they might not. I train to be prepared prepared to deal with the worst case threat, and to lesser threats as well.

I consistently carry and train extensively with a Glock 19 and I view it potentially as a '3-bad guy gun'. A j-frame or small single stack 9mm by itself would be a a 'one-bad guy gun' in my opinion.

 

[CoMF]

Why exactly do we need a CC gun with more than 5-6 rounds?

I generally avoid questions like "Why do you/we need _______?", because for me, they carry echoes of questions like "Why do you need a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds?" Or "What possible need do you have for an AR or any other military style rifle?" Or "Why exactly do you feel you need a gun, anyway?"

I speak for myself. I am unable to speak for others. What other people choose as their every day carry is their business, whether they have a logic-based reason for their choice or not. To loosely paraphrase Tom Selleck from Quigley Down Under, "Got no use for a pistol, never said I think nobody else needs them."

Please don't misconstrue what I'm saying. This isn't me throwing down the gauntlet. I'm just trying to point out that we should be careful tossing around "need"-based arguments.

 

[MH8675309]

To answer the original question - Not hardley

 

[DepOne]

WHAT!?

I only pocket carry but I have the best of both worlds: a 340PD and when the need is for something smaller/flatter (think Harley) I have a Kel-Tec 3AT in 380. I use Uncle Mikes pocket liners.

WHAT!? You go from a scandium .357 magnum to a .380? Why not a 50 caliber revolver and a Baby Browning .25 cal.? Listen. I firmly believe in carrying what you are comfortable with and I was a police academy firearms instructor and department head for years, but the stretch between your two guns just spells disaster when the pucker factor goes up to 10+ and the last thing that goes through your mind is which gun you're carrying.

In response to the original question, I'm not big on pocket carry either but have done it in a quality holster. I own and love the above mentioned 12 ounce .357 as well as a Kimber Solo 9 mm. With that said, I am still a 1911 dinosaur and carry a 3 inch lightweight model most of the time. Second choice is the Kimber and, as much as I love it, really, the 340PD is the last to go out the door. It's less comfortable to carry than the others and harder to conceal and, as much as I hate to admit it, my proficiency is not what it was when I was younger and spent days and days on the range. That short little .357 kicks like 3 mules, takes real proficiency to recover quickly and shoot accurately. My first, last and always consideration is to carry what I have the best chance to hit with. Then comes caliber. Somewhere after that is style and operating system.

If there is one place in your life where you want to be totally practical, this is it! Shoot it often. If you're not hitting, get some professional instruction and practice, practice, practice. And please remember, it doesn't happen like it does on your favorite movie or TV show. It's blindingly fast and really nasty.

 

[DepOne]

LOL Rhiiiiiiight

No! I see no role for small autos -- not accurate, not much ammo capacity, not powerful in less than 9mm, and inherently unreliable based on the physics/geometry of the recoil spring and the action. They cannot match the small .38 made by S&W as an individual self-defense weapon.

I don't know where you are but I'd be happy to meet you with my little Kimber Solo and shoot against you and your snubby. Your post is simply silly and highly uninformed, or simply posted to stir up trouble.

 

[Freedomfirst]

I carry a S&W M&340 loaded with Speer Gold Dot short-barrel 135 gr JHP's. At very close range I can't see coming up short. I also like the dependability of a revolver. I have seen semi-autos jam too often. The only problem I had with a revolver jam was with cheap Blazer ammo where the bullet stuck out of the case just enough to jam the cylinder.
I stay with the good brands of ammo now.

 

[mini14jac]

When I want to carry something bigger than the .380 LCP that is usually in my pocket, it's 642 in a J.I.T. belt slide.
Perfect with a light shirt over it, and I can carry it all day and never be bothered by it.

But...
If I think I need more firepower, it's a Kahr CM9 or Glock 26 OWB.

For me, the only thing I'll pocket carry is the 10 oz. LCP.

Short answer:
Get both!

 

[Irn-Bru]

I carry a semi auto because I shoot them better. I own more wheel guns that semi's, but until I can become accurate and competent I carry my Sig. Zero malfunctions or problems after 500 rounds and it's as accurate as any gun I've fired.

I plan on shooting my 686 "6" with .38 special a lot this year. If I can't get accurate with that I'm giving up shooting wheel guns.

 

[pwberndt]

How about a 327 or 627 PC?

My current EDC is a Ruger LCR with an LCP as backup. My problem with the LCP is Arthritis in my fingers that makes practice painful, otherwise it has been perfect for many rounds. The LCR is .38 +Ps IWB with no issues.

I have a 627 PC with 5" barrel which I really like and, using a couple of moon clips, I can have 8 + 16 quick load rounds. Which brings me to my question. Other than price, both the 327 & 627 are fine revolvers with 8 rounds and available short barrels. Not as small as the LCP or some of the other compacts but extremely reliable and fun to shoot. Is $$ the reason I don't see these referenced as EDC's?

 

[M E Morrison]

Never been big on "pants pocket" carry.... my wrangler pockets are too tight and the suit/dress slacks material seems too light ......... also in general too much "bulge" for me.

Jacket or coat pocket ..... works for me in early spring,fall and winter.....

While I carry a 337PD sometimes my most carried J frame is a 60-10 3" in a IWB holster......

for the record my everyday carry (95%) is a 9mm S&W 3913 auto in a IWB Summer Special

All of that, plus the possibility oh hammer snag PLUS lint/pocket crud getting into the wrong places!

PS: strangely enough, my jeans have shrunk just lately, must be an epidemic or something!

 

[M E Morrison]

I own over a dozen j-frames, but in the past year I've acquired a couple of Kahrs, a PM9 and CM9. My wife also has a CM9. A couple of thousand rounds later and none of the three has ever malfunctioned. They don't recoil as much as an Airweight 38 Special and you get 7 rounds of 9mm. I still stuff a 442 in my jacket pocket regularly, sometimes as a second gun. I like both platforms.

So you really like the Kahrs? I don't personally anyone who has one, so I rely on other's opinions.

 

[Dvan34]

Speaking of recoil. Back in 1955 I bought an air-weight Chief's Special .38. I always had problems with it cutting my thumb on the cylinder release when it fired. My wife was much better with it than myself.