I’ve written in the past about the utility of small handguns and pocket carry. I stand by this reasoning — especially when carrying a larger pistol is not an option. However, small guns are certainly a compromise, and one that not everyone is willing to make. Pocket pistols, micros, and other small subcompacts may be easy to carry, but they have their drawbacks. If you can take the added size and weight, you may want to consider carrying something larger.
As we move toward the winter months and break out cold weather clothing, concealment becomes a bit easier. Building the habit now will help you stay consistent year round.
Recoil
Contrary to what many think, small guns do not ‘kick’ less. In fact, they often exhibit more felt recoil than larger models. This is the most noticeable drawback, they are snappy and hard to hold on to. Physics being what it is, the lower mass of a small pistol does not contain the energy as well. Even small rounds, such as the .380 ACP, can be a lot from a pistol the size of your palm.
You can train around this and work to control the recoil, but it will take more time and effort than equivalent training with a larger option. You can focus more on marksmanship fundamentals and compensate less for excessive muzzle blast and report.
Handling
In addition to the increased recoil, the small gun’s inherent size makes operation and handling more difficult. It may not seem like much when quietly fidgeting with the pistol in the store, but when adrenaline is flowing and shots are fired, things become a different story.
Small guns have small controls, such as a little thumb safety, slide lock, magazine release, etc. If you have small hands, this is likely a plus for you. However, I think for even average-sized hands, the controls can be a bit cramped.
The slide is shorter and the increased spring pressure may make it harder to rack. It is important to grab in a certain way to avoid inducing malfunctions. Don’t cover your ejection port or you will block ammunition from ejecting properly.
The stubby grip and short trigger reach will require work to achieve a proper grip and smooth trigger pulls. Mag changes are harder, as the bottom of your hand and pinky finger may overhang and interfere with the magazine well.
Power
Smaller guns tend to be chambered in smaller calibers as well — go figure… Some calibers may be too small to be considered for self-defense (in my opinion), such as .22s and .32s. If recoil is an issue with the caliber, move to a larger-sized handgun. Short-barreled guns chambered in larger calibers will face a velocity decrease due to the decreased barrel length. This happens because the shorter barrel provides less time for the bullet to build pressure and speed before exiting the firearm. This translates to less power at the muzzle and downrange. As a result, expanding bullets may not perform as well and proper penetration may be in question.
Additionally, small guns chambered in larger calibers often beat the shooter too much for exceptional accuracy. Again, you can train around this, but that training could go further if you didn’t need to work around the gun.
Durability
Durability is getting to be less and less the case with some of the slim 9mm carry guns that have come out. However, mouse guns and pocket guns tend to be less durable than full-size options. Historically, vest guns and the like were finicky at best. Nowadays, however, they are plenty reliable, but may not incorporate the long term durability of larger handguns. Duty pistols such as the Glock 19, HK USP, and SIG P226 will certainly outlast any of the smaller carry guns due to the wear and tear on parts.
For a common example, take the same 9mm round fired in both a large and small pistol. Both firearms contain the same explosion when you shoot. That energy transfers through the gun and internal components. Fire thousands of times and your frame, slide, barrel, springs, and small parts will take quite a beating. The thinner metal and polymer used to construct a small pistol simply cannot take as much abuse. Larger guns are able to use more robust components because they are not competing to take up less space.
Accuracy
You’re also limited in your sight radius with small guns. The front sight is typically only a few inches from the rear. This, combined with the shorter barrel mentioned earlier, makes accuracy harder at longer ranges. How long will depend on your skill level and the specific pistol/ammo. An optic can help with this, but when you start adding bulk with a red dot sight, you may as well move up to a larger sidearm.
Alternatives
If you find yourself saying, “But, I can’t carry a bigger gun.” I challenge you to try a step up in a larger size. Especially, if you already carry on the hip and not in the pocket, You’re already halfway there. Many people comfortably carry guns such as the S&W Shield Plus and SIG P365. These are excellent options and will serve the shooter well. However, as I mentioned, they are still a compromise. It is not much harder to move up to a gun the size of an M&P Compact or P320. With it comes an increased capacity, improved handling, and all the benefits we covered before.
Slimline options are great too, but they can still be snappy. They may not fit larger hands well and still incorporate thinner parts that may not stand up to the same abuse. The Springfield Hellcat Pro, SIG XMACRO, and Glock 48 are incredible pistols. Yet, their larger counterparts still exist for a reason.
Final Thoughts
The key is consistency. If you are able, carry consistently or better yet, every day. This will build the habit and you will become accustomed to the increased loadout. Is the extra weight and footprint worth it? It all depends on your perceived threat level, but with things happening around the world, I find myself turning toward some of my larger options.
Although I don’t entirely agree with the phrase, “A gun is supposed to be comforting, not comfortable,” it does have some merit. There’s certainly a balance.
@Grumpy 49: As an “older Shooter”, (I turned 73, this year) and one with military experience in dealing with firearms, GSW, and other trauma resulting from explosives, etc. as well as a retired ER nurse who has been in on treating too many GSW patients to count, it has not been a war against smaller calibers. I love some of the smaller calibers. They are fun to shoot and plink at targets with. It is just in my experience that more than half of the people who carry those smaller calibers for self-defense will die if they shoot someone with any weapon that is inadequate to put someone down quickly. The reason the local cops called those calibers “The Last Bad Choice of Dead People Everywhere” was in the experience of several dozen officers, almost no one who deployed those weapons in self-defense survived the encounter. In other words, people who used those calibers did not stand a chance if they used ANY of those calibers.
Even with proper placement, these shooters still were at high risk of dying at the hand of their attacker before their assailant succumbed to the wounds inflicted, and fewer than half of those who were shot with those calibers did die from their wounds. When people are shot, even with serious wounds, they may not lose enough capacity from blood loss to prevent them from killing their shooter before they suffer ill effects. This is real world experience over my thirty plus years in ER, what I have seen and what was related to me by those dozens of LEOs.
You are correct in that many LEOs do not practice with their weapon enough. But I had friends who were on a Police Pistol Team and practiced with their weapons more than anyone I know or have known. They ate, drank, slept thinking about shooting. They were ranked shooters in national shoots. There were several of these same officers who were involved in a shooting, in a restaurant, with a wanted murderer back years ago, probably late 90’s. They all emptied their high-cap magazines, shooting at “spitting distance” according to one of them. Fewer than half the rounds fired even hit the perp and only a third of those hits were mortal wounds. None of the officers were wounded, but they all had hearing loss for at least a week after the event. One cannot blame that incident on lack of officer practice.
As a veteran, who has been fired upon and has drawn weapons to fire back, I can assure everyone that this situation is far more difficult than those who have never been there can imagine. We called those uninitiated people “Cherries”. Many cherries were plagued with a level of arrogance leading them to believe that they were not subject to human responses such as Fight or Flight. Frequently, those cherries who demonstrated that level of arrogance were the first casualties when the SHTF. You have heard “Pride goes before a fall” and in these kinds of cases, people who had convinced themselves that they had it together were the guys most likely to go home in a box with a flag covering it. That is the worst fall of all.
I have talked at length concerning the human response to the Sympathetic Nervous System when Fight or Flight kicks in. Even for veterans, the first firefight is not a good experience, and it takes more than one (or even three) for the human body to adjust to the changes that happen and for that vet to not lose it when the SHTF. Using a caliber that will not stop the fight quickly, in my experience, in the Army and in three plus decades in ER, more often than not, ends up with the shooter of that caliber being dead and the miscreant shootee being saved by a local ER so he can go to prison for the rest of his miserable existence.
The 9mm/45 war continues! As one of the “older shooters”, and the son of, brother of, and cousin to a number of law enforcement officers, I know that even most LEOs don’t practice enough to be proficient with any handgun period. So called “pocket pistols” can be accurate to a greater extent than most people will think possible, but the level of practice is too high a bar for almost everyone. Small bore (22LR pistols) shooters are scored on their “X” ring count on a target at 50 feet. (Ever see how small the “X” ring is on an official small-bore target is?) My prior comments about how far you can shoot 5 rounds into a 5″ circle in 5 seconds drops from YARDS to FEET under stress still holds true. Likewise, the comment about a solid hit with a 22LR is better than a miss from a 45 ACP also still holds true. IF I could handle a full blown 357 load in a S&W “J” frame, or a “hot” 9mm load in one of the current crop of polymer frame pistols, I would carry one. Biggest issue with a sub caliber round is that the accuracy is possible, but the willingness to actually shoot another human being is a major problem. To shot somebody in a critical area, (head or heart), deliberately, is beyond the average person. Even LEOs hesitate in that type of situation. Before all 22LR handguns (50’s through mid 60’s) required serial numbers, MOB hitmen would use a 22LR pistol for head/neck shots and toss the gun after making their “hit”. Now, the “spray and pray” technique so widely used has led may folks to underestimate what even a “sub caliber” round can do.
I’ve read some interesting opinions as to what should or should never be carried. And, that if one can’t manage a 9mm then they must train until they can. But, one must understand that there are people who not only are not able to manage the recoil of a 9mm, they also have difficulty actually lifting and holding that gun in a shooting position.
Until her death this past March, my wife was one of those people. She did not have the strength to rack the slide on any semi-auto hand gun except the S&W EZ 380. That was her gun and it was one with which she was comfortable and in which she had confidence; in my opinion two important factors for anyone. As she was not able to leave our home in her final 15 months, her shooting distances were 3 to 10 yards. And, even with her “little” 380, I would not want to be the person trying to get in when I was not at home with her.
A 9mm,10mm or 45ACP would have done her no good at all in her medical situation. Not everyone can handle those calibers including some very healthy people that I know.
I’m 75 and have shot a friends 1911 45ACP and his 50 cal revolver. Powerful guns with the stopping power that makes a 9mm pale in comparison. But, I can still handle my S&W 9mm EZ, and now my S&W 9mm Equalizer. I’m comfortable with those two guns. I have a great deal of confidence in those two guns and in myself when I shoot them. And, I’m very good with them. In my case and opinion, there is no reason to go to a larger caliber.
Your mileage may and probably will differ.
@ BILL CLASKO: Preach it, Brother. I have been saying this for decades, on this blog, other gun blogs as well as a number of hunting websites and have taken many slings and arrows for trying to inject a rational, reasoned recounting of my personal experiences related to GSWs and effectiveness (or lack thereof) of what you call mouse guns. I carried a 1911 as an Army medic someplace overseas fifty some years ago on a SAR/Recon team. From there I worked in ER for more than 30 years, and over a span of about four decades, I saw more GSW victims that anyone I know. If you will read my post that came just after yours, you will get an idea of my thoughts.
As I have stated in multiple posts, it amazes me how many people who have never been fired upon, drawn a weapon to fire on another person, or have even seen a real live (or dead) GSW victim, but they know more about it than those of us who have Been There, Done That, multiple times. I have had multiple people try to enlighten me about what happens when a person gets shot or is confronted with a gun. I have been shot at and I have seen and treated hundreds of GSWs, along with amputations and other trauma most people only see in the movies, but that was my life, FOR REAL, 50 some years ago.
I will take issue with one thing you said. That is “The idea something is better than nothing when it comes to PURE self-defense is PURE NONSENSE” There is nothing pure about that idea, and the word I would have used also has 8 letters, but it starts with a B.
Otherwise, I have taken a lot of heat for saying pretty much the same thing, that carrying a sub-par weapon does not make one safer but more likely to be dead. I have stated more than once that if a person cannot handle anything but my listed “Last Bad Choice” calibers, they are safer if they are not carrying at all. It is better to lose your wallet or purse to a robber than your life.
I have a disdain for mouse guns as I have seen too many people who, having been shot by these alleged weapons, turned on their shooter and killed them; more than one of the deceased shooters were beaten to death by the shootee. We saved the majority of these miscreants so they could spend the rest of their miserable lives as a guest of the Oklahoma Department of corrections.
BTW, when I carry, I still carry a 1911 for self-defense as I know what it will do in a crunch. I have more than one and they are all in .45 ACP.
Glad to see your post and don’t lose heart if you face some criticism. Been doing that for years, Criticism is much easier to tolerate if you know you are right, if you know you are not alone and you remember that there are no bullets accompanying that criticism. BT, DT.☺
I have commented on this before and will do so again. I am somewhat confused why people who have never seen a GSW victim will ignore what those who have seen and treated hundreds (if not more) of GSWs when it comes to weapons that DO NOT DO THE ASSIGNED TASK. I look at the .380 and compare it to the .38 Long Colt, which was the weapon that got too many American GI’s killed as it was totally inadequate. The .380 numbers show it to be less effective than the .38 LC.
That being said, the local cops in one of the metro areas I worked in labeled the .380, and others, like the .32, .22LR, .25 as “The Last Bad Choice Of Dead People Everywhere” as, in their experience, people who used those calibers were more likely to die than anyone they shot. Over several decades in the ER, I heard from multiple dozens of officers in multiple jurisdictions who expressed dismay at the number of people who carried these weapons for self-defense and were killed by the person they shot with those calibers.
But there are those who cling to those sub-par weapons with blind faith that it will be different for them. It probably will not. As a former Army medic, I saw more than a few GSWs, along with traumatic amputations from landmines, and myriad other injuries as a result of various munitions. As an ER nurse, I saw too many people who were shot with these rounds and killed their shooter before they collapsed or were nabbed by the cops. They were brought to us; we saved their sorry @$$ so they could go to prison and the family of the people who carried those weapons got a funeral out of the deal.
I have received no small amount of condemnation and invective from people who admit they have never been shot at, drawn a weapon to shoot back, or even seen anyone first-hand who had been shot. I have experienced all three of those, multiple times. I have had people in the gun community that have treated my experiences as if it meant nothing, because they had faith; and it would seem faith in a sub-par weapon trumps all reality. It might, until that weapon is called on to do a job it will not do, and the time to discover what it cannot do is frequently accompanied by the grim reaper. Just saying.
I have a micro-9 I tried carrying…A DB9 4th Gen…Only 6 rounds and people really “DIS” that pistol thinking back to when DiamondBack first produced them. All you hear is “Diamondback should go out of business…”STOP being a “POOR” and fork out the money for a P365x IF you care about your life” (always from SIg Snobs who windup spending hundreds more trying to turn that snappy little beast into some sort of a silly “race gun”, eventually just leaving it at home because it’s just as snappy, do to physical size, of my very reliable DB9 4th Gen).
Let’s get down to physics…Small gun equals short range and energy transfer for and back to the shooter. SO, in effect, a small-er pistol is only as a backup to a primary weapon. AND this entails a mindset of a Street Warrior who believes he or she is going to somehow get into a “Mano el Mano” physical struggle with an aggressor…..OR in their minds, an EXTENDED gun fight!.
Anyone that “thinks” like that needs to be YANKED aside, disarmed, and forced to play outside for 8 plus hours a day until they get all that Hollywood/Video Game NONSENSE out of their heads.
STOP the INSANITY! 1)IF you can’t handle the recoil of at minimum, a 9mm cartridge, then either train or don’t carry! The idea something is better than nothing when it comes to PURE self-defense is PURE NONSENSE…2)Smaller calibers, especially .22lr and even 22 wmr (Magnum) won’t stop an attacker unless you the shooter are “lucky enough”to hit a vital organ just “right”. AND, .22lr ammo is notoriously UNRELIABLE in even hammer fired revolvers not to mention semi-autos. .22WMR is more expensive than 9mm and isn’t alot “more”reliable than its mouse gun plinking cousin (22lr)….380?. WHY even waste your time?!?
4)The article clearly states the average CCW encounter is “OVER” in 1.8 rds. It should be over in ONE!. There’s only two cartridges, from even a properly trained individual that can accomplish that..
357 MAG or 45 ACP. IF you claim those are too much for you, you’re not training hard enough. If after practice you still are incapable, then stay HOME and keep your doors triple locked and DO NOT CARRY at all.
Right now I carry a so-far, iron solid reliable Glock G19 “Clone” (PSA Dagger)…In some ways, it’s a great improvement ergonomically over the original G19 (Better grip angle although some hate the mid-grip knub….Better slide serrations, AND slotted roll pins on the frame that don’t “walk out” like Stock Glock solid roll pins too often “do”…)…It’s also very affordable. I find it easy to carry…Either OWB or even with an in-pocket “Sticky Holster”. (I like deeper pockets anyway). Out of BOX, after cleaning and lubing, I had ZERO FTF/FTEs and was dead-on accurate with followup shots using cheap Magtech 115gr ammo. I had zero probs racking the slide, loading or ejecting even the cheaper Pmags that came with it, and am total happy with it for UNDER 300 bones including tax!
It’s the minimum I’d consider carrying now. I will keep the DB9 4th Gen only because it’s paid for, works with 9mm “shot shell” (for Poisonous Snake Control) and as a backup do to any malfunction of the Dagger. IF I “Upgrade” to anything larger cartridge-wise, it’d be a 3 inch 357 mag LARGE frame wheel gun.A 357 in a snubby wheelie is just an uncontrollable, painful mess. I might as well just carry a 38s and try to find P+ ammo for it BUT WHY?. You’re NOT talking a sizable increase in fire power over a 9mm +P at significantly less capacity. As far as 45acp in a compact, NO..I’d go with a 10mm for protection from Wild Hogs owb.
STOP buying Mouse Guns!.
I carry a seecamp 32, it has no safety and double action. I use a good defensive ammo and am happy with its accuracy and Eze of carry.
The odds of my ever needing to use my carry gun are slim but not none. The average range for a shoot-out is said to be 7 yards, but in a recent case when an armed citizen stopped an intended mass murderer the range was reported to be 40 yards. It is not inconceivable that longer ranges could be encountered. My philosophy is to have enough gun, regardless. Being a wheel gunner by choice, my normal carry gun is a S&W 686 .357 Magnum, and I always carry. My alternate is is a 1911.
This is an extremely well written article. First of all, the gun must fit your hand if you intend to be
accurate and comfortable with it. On the subject of a powerful caliber gun , I can only go by
my experience with a 10 mm. After squeezing off 100 rounds at the range, I definitely feel the affects
on my hand. This is not nearly as bad a shooting a .357 or.44 magnum. To me, they are simply no fun
to shoot. I might have a different opinion if I were hunting game and needed the stopping power.
I have two that I alternate carry. If I need more concealment I carry S&W EZ .380 with laser cut slide and ported barrel. Or, I go with my 9 mm Sig P320 medium compact. Slightly smaller than the full size 320 but still very comfortable while carrying ITW. I’m am very comfortable with both. I shoot and train with both weekly. I’m very confident in any situation with both of these guns.
My first carry forty years ago was a 1911, but now I prefer a 12+1 config like my Glock 23 with Trijicon sites. 22 oz of low-profile weapon. At night, it’s in my dresser with a 15 round mag and a Remington 870 for backup. My wife’s job is to memorize what I’m wearing and call 911.
For the last 18 months I’ve carried a S&W M&P Shield EZ 9mm. Every once in a while I thought that it would be nice if its magazine held more than 8 rounds, but it won’t, so my 2 extra mags that I carried would have to compensate.
With the attack on Israel, and our wide open southern boarder I felt that I needed to carry a gun with larger capacity mags. I now carry a S&W Equalizer 9mm. It is, what I call, a second gen Shield EZ in that I can still easily manipulate the slide and all the other controls on the gun; a big plus at my age. The 13 round mag plus 1 in the chamber is my standard carry with the 15 round mag in reserve. The 13 round mag gives me better concealment, but with winter coats coming out of the closet, I may carry with the 15 round mag plus 1, and the 13 as my backup.
I pray that the only time my gun leaves the holster is for cleaning or practicing, and I say that same prayer for all of you.
As a retired LEO with 25 years on the job. 20 of those years in plain clothes and undercover narcotics and street crime. Under cover, I carried my trusty Colt Air weight Commander .45 still have her today. My one and only go to for really thick crap! Carried an S&W mod 60 .38 spl. the rest of the time in plain clothes. Small, but it got the job finished on at least 3 occasions. Carry what you can handle. You only need one well placed shot. Thin Blue Line Forever 💙💙
As a retired LEO with 25 years on the job. 20 of those years in plain clothes and undercover narcotics and street crime. Under cover, I carried my trusty Colt Air weight Commander .45 still have her today. My one and only go to for really thick crap! Carried an S&W mod 60 .38 spl. the rest of the time in plain clothes. Small, but it got the job finished on at least 3 occasions. Carry what you can handle and what will get it done. You only need one well placed shot. Thin Blue Line Forever 💙💙
I carry a Smith CSX as my everyday carry gun…it’s all the gun that I need…
It took me nearly eight months of dry fire practice to master the trigger on my SCCY CPX-2RD. But the practice paid off. My last time at the range and to my surprise, I actually shot better targets with the $200.00 SCCY than with my $1300.00 Remington Recon Commander 1911 9mm. Because of the cooler weather, now all of my dry fire practice using Strikeman is with the Remington. Apparently the same amount of force needed for the SCCY 12 pound DA trigger leads to jerking the gun with the Remington. But I am slowly adjusting back to the SA 4 pound trigger.
My point is that with the right type and amount of dedicated practice, almost any firearm may be mastered, even a small pocket handgun can be a good defensive weapon.
In my younger days I carried a super Blackhawk 44mag with a 6.5 inch barrel. My dad was a LEO and his choice was a Colt Lawman or SW 10. I’m 73 now and I carry an Equalizer. Easier to rack due to arthritis it’s now necessary. Although after I moved on from my macho stage as a young man I carried the SW 39-2 and by my mid 40’s moved to a Betetta Type M. I like metal and own the CSX and find it very capable and comfortable to pocket carry when I must. Honestly I’m of the carry what you feel comfortable carrying mind set.
I live in Florida. Shorts and t-shrt are daily wear on all but a few days per year. Started with a P365XL. Even that was difficult to carry without printing, especially with the 15-round mag and an optic. Now carry a regular P365, iron sights with a 12-round. Seems to dissapear better and relegated my 365XL (now with a comped slide and Wilson combat grip module) to an extremely fun, fast and efficient wireless hole punch and home defense backup.
I have a Sig P238 in .380 ACP. Eight rounds single stack. Low recoil. Good concealability. 15.2 oz weight. What’s not to like?
Great article
I’m a small guy,155,5’7”, and I’ve carried a 220 since it was my duty weapon 35 years ago. When asked, i say carry what you shoot best
First things first; I am male, 6 foot tall, 180 pounds and 83 years old. And I am old school. All the nonsense about getting smaller and smaller guns is just that! I have tried a few of the smaller 9mm pop guns and they don’t work for me. I carry a Glock G30 (.45 A,C.P. 10+1) or a Glock G36 (.45 A,C.P. 6+1) and sometimes a Glock G21 (.45 A,C.P.13+1). The .45 A.C.P. has been around, for over one hundred years, and is extremely effective. I know some of you will say you’re big guy and can hide whatever you want. Mostly true. But, with a proper holster and the right clothing, I believe anybody can hide any weapon. I started shooting 1952 with a Colt 1911 (.45 A,C.P. The original dedicated man stopper and STILL the best! John Mose Browning got it right!
People should remember that “Pocket Guns” are carried because any other “normal size” gun would not be practical. Back in the day, these guns would often be called “Belly Guns”, as they would be used at near contact range. Now, many of these “Pocket Guns” are accurate enough to make solid hits at ranges most people would not believe possible. (Anyone remember the Mall shooter stopped by a CCW holder shooting his 380 at ~40 yards???) Biggest issue when using a “Pocket Gun”, is that because of their diminished capability, more practice of Live Fire and Dry Fire is required. Just try shooting a S&W model 642, and then switch to a model 36, and feel the difference.
I have commented on this before and will do so again. I am somewhat confused why people who have never seen a GSW victim will ignore what those who have seen and treated hundreds (if not more) of GSWs when it comes to weapons that DO NOT DO THE ASSIGNED TASK. I look at the .380 and compare it to the .38 Long Colt, which was the weapon that got too many American GI’s killed as it was totally inadequate. The .380 numbers show it to be less effective than the .38 LC.
That being said, the local cops in one of the metro areas I worked in labeled the .380, and others, like the .32, .22LR, .25 as “The Last Bad Choice Of Dead People Everywhere” as, in their experience, people who used those calibers were more likely to die than anyone they shot. Over several decades in the ER, I heard from multiple dozens of officers in multiple jurisdictions who expressed dismay at the number of people who carried these weapons for self-defense and were killed by the person they shot with those calibers.
But there are those who cling to those sub-par weapons with blind faith that it will be different for them. It probably will not. As a former Army medic, I saw more than a few GSWs, along with traumatic amputations from landmines, and myriad other injuries as a result of various munitions. As an ER nurse, I saw too many people who were shot with these rounds and killed their shooter before they collapsed or were nabbed by the cops. They were brought to us; we saved their sorry @$$ so they could go to prison and the family of the people who carried those weapons got a funeral out of the deal.
I have received no small amount of condemnation and invective from people who admit they have never been shot at, drawn a weapon to shoot back, or even seen anyone first-hand who had been shot. I have experienced all three of those, multiple times. I have had people in the gun community that have treated my experiences as if it meant nothing, because they had faith; and it would seem faith in a sub-par weapon trumps all reality. It might, until that weapon is called on to do a job it will not do, and the time to discover what it cannot do is frequently accompanied by the grim reaper. Just saying.
Small is not all bad. Go for a modest compromise. Small and available, but with a back-up.
Immediate access is .357 snubby with Crimson Trace grips, in strong side pocket. Walking in parking lot, from car to front door, any other time that *might* be necessary, strong hand is also in pocket, firm grip on butt of snubby. Well aware that numerous of my former First Sergeants and Command Sergeants Major are turning over in their graves in anguish: *Git yo’ hants outta yo pocket. Paratroopers don’t wear no Air Force gloves.* But for me, at least, a draw stroke is much quicker when it starts with gun in my hand.
If five rounds of .357 are insufficient, they will at least buy me time for move to cover and access Paraordnance .45 ACP 12+1 IWB or appendix, with two extra 14 round mags in off-side trouser pocket.
Seems it was American Rifleman magazine that had an article about what would a woman pick for a concealed carry, IF a man wasn’t trying to force a pink or purple revolver on her. It was quite a number of women and a good variety of firearms to test. I was totally surprised when it was all over, the #1 winner was the Sig Sauer P938 in 9 mm. Why? The women said something like; it was the easiest to rack the slide on, comfortable, and accurate to shoot, and WASN’T pink or purple (although now I think those are in the lineup now too). I have to agree the P938 is the easiest slide I have ever operated on a 9 mm, including the S&W EZ stuff. As for concealing a full size 1911? I always thought that was BS until I tried it. I have to say, it surprised me that the size, being slim, was actually quite easy to carry, however after a full day, the shear weight can wear one down. As for SNAPPY; the definition is: a snub nose revolver in .357 Magnum. Unlike a large recoiling firearm which tends to lift ones entire arm, the small powerhouse revolver enjoys breaking your wrist, literally. LOL
I’ve been carrying a mid-size (Sig M11-A1/P228) for years now, even during the summer (I just wear a close to the body fitted band holster that is SO comfortable). The weight is pressed against my body and, honestly, I don’t even know I’m armed even after eight or nine hours due to the way that it holds firmly and solidly – the holster makes all the difference in the world. I absolutely HATE smaller pistols – can’t shoot them well, and my large hands (I use extra large gloves) just swallow them up and can’t get a proper grip. Decades ago I tried carrying a Walther PPK (because, well, James Bond) and the damned receiver would slip back and cut the top of my hand when firing (because my hands are bigger than Bond’s, I guess :>). It was cool to have it in a shoulder holster but incredibly difficult to draw and fire and I’m SO much happier carrying many pounds worth of solid metal that I can draw and fire accurately. I really only think smaller weapons are good for ladies (whose hands struggle with larger grips). Real men need real guns.
I agree with you on your analysis of the benefits of a larger gun over the micros, if one has the physical abilities to carry larger sized guns and larger calibers.
I, for example, am an elderly woman (70’s) with arthritis in my hands and wrists, as well as having other physical restrictions that prohibit me from managing any caliber/mm 9 and above even though I use to have a life-long love affair with the 1911. But for me, sadly, those days are now gone.
So now, I can only manage the recoil of “non-snappy” 380’s and .22lr’s. My choices for self-defense guns are therefore, limited.
The Ruger Security-380 lite rack (compact sized pistol) is “now” my EDC gun which is a pure joy to shoot plus 15+1 rounds makes it a better choice than the S&W Shield EZ with only 8+1 (IMHO). The grip safety on the S&W in not like it is on a 1911, It is actually painful to the web of my hand because of its design.
I also have been carrying a Sig 238-380acp (micro sized pistol), and it actually manages recoil fairly well as it is not a “blow-back” design and is not polymer. Plus it is very accurate and well balanced.
With today’s advances in ammunition performance the 380acp is no longer a diminutive/impotent round. There are a fair number of great 380 “personal defense” rounds out there that meet or exceed the FBI’s penetration recommendations; and which also have nice expansion.
I have the LCP 1 bad trigger and all with no slide lock back on the last round. In the gun a 7 round mag (7+1) one spare 7 round mags. One thing that helped immensely was the dedicated Hogue grip that was made for that model which was actually pinned to the gun. Recoil became more manageable and it was easier to grip the weapon. The 7 round extended mag also helped with grip. I carried it in a Kydex holster on my hip. All day comfort. All in all a better experience in handling and recoil. Since things seem to be getting a little crazier out there. I now carry my Glock 27 gen 4 with a 357 Sig Barrel (drop in no conversion and why 357 sig well because I can:) ) I carry one Glock 23 mag reload. 9 plus 1 in the gun flush mag base. So far no problems carrying or firing.
I was aware of a mouse gun cartridge that never caught on. (Similar now to the 5.7mm which Ruger single handedly revived) It was 32 NAA, a necked down cartridge: a 380 case firing a 32 bullet increased velocity which was enough to make 32 HP’s expand a notorious problem for regular 380’s. I would have like to see the LCP come in that configuration.
I pocket carry a lcp2 in a 22 lr I am comfortable with that choice. It’s very comfortable to carry everyday
Have had small pistols like a Bersa Thunder .45, a ss Kahr .40 and a SIG .380 followed by a S&W .380. The first two had low capacity magazines though the Kahr especially was an accurate shooter. The S&W, as you mentioned about mouse guns, fell apart from hard use. I have carried a SIG P365 almost since they first became available. Got pinky extenders for the 2 10rd mags that came with it and two 12rd mags which fit my hand perfectly and which I use for edc. I carry it in a pocket holster upside down in my back right pocket. It disappears there with only a small part of the handle exposed and the slide fully resting along the pocket bottom. This pistol has had well over a thousand rounds shot through it, mostly 124gr, with no failures or problems. It’s really the only gun I need though I have 8 in total.
I must respectively slightly disagree… I carry a micro 380 because otherwise I would not carry… I can slip it in my pocket without anyone noticing and it works with shorts and a tee shirt. I may be the exception, as I shot IPSC for a dozen years and made Master Class…. My weapon of choice was a 1911 in 45 ACP. Even though I’m a 6 footer, I cannot carry a 1911 without it being noticed and physically tiring… When little old ladies complain that gun magazines are available in my dentist waiting room, (which were immediately removed) I would most likely be asked to leave or surrender my gun to a locked car…. My dentist is a gun guy, but business comes first….
I’ve tried a S&W 638, to heavy.. I’ve tried a Taurus PT111 G2, to big and to heavy…. All my discussions in gun shops indicate most guys go back to a 380 for everyday carry….. I’m not alone…
BTW, I live in Phoenix, AZ, so the uniform of the day is shorts and a tee shirt….