Advice on concealed carry pistol

Burbs

Burbs

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I currently own a S&W 9mm compact but it was an impulse buy and I regret it. I feel it's bulky and little too heavy to carry all the time and I could never get a comfortable grip on the thing. I need something that can allow my pinky to wrap around it as well. I did look at the LC9 yesterday and loved the feel of it and thought it was the one for me, but after reading some reviews on this site and various others, I think I'm going to pass. It seems the PPS is very popular, but wasn't sure what else I should consider. I did look at the new Kahr .40 but it's quite expensive and I don't want to make another mistake like I did on my S&W.

Thoughts?

-Chris
 
With proper equipment (good belt & holster) you should be able to comfortably carry just about any firearm. Everyone is going to have their opinion, so make sure you shoot anything first if at all possible, especially if you want to avoid buyer's remorse. If you purchased the M&P9c, I'm willing to bet you could unload it without taking a huge loss. Most decent firearms don't depreciate too much, so buy something high quality and you won't have to sweat it too much if you decide you're not crazy about it later.
 
I have the LC9 and I love it. If you look around enough you'll likely find bad reviews for just about any gun that someone doesn't like for some reason.
 
I'll second the good holster and belt recommendation. I carry a 229 all the time and in the winter will carry a 226. I bought a good belt from Crossbreed and hardly notice it anymore. It is as natural as carrying a cell phone now.

You should also be able to get magazines for your M&P with the pinky extension that will give you a much better grip. I think for relatively short money you will find that your M&P can be carried and fired very comfortably
 
I've owned both the M&P 9c and 40c, and being smaller framed, can understand what you're saying about it (I also owned a number of CC holsters for them, i.e. crossbreed, galco, don hume, etc). I recently bought an LC9 and have to say I really like this gun a lot. I've also read some of the issues other people have had, but I haven't had any problems so far whatsoever, and the trigger gets better with each trip to the range. The gun literally disappears in either a pocket holster or even a cheap Mike's IWB. I think you should still consider the LC9, maybe even the SR9c which has a slimmer profile than the M&P compact-series.
 
Are you using a good belt and holster. Sometimes it's just developing some tolerance and getting used to it. Grip wise the M&P has finger extensions. I went through about 5 holsters for my M&P before I decided which one I liked.

In the end if it's not working try something else. I sold my M&P9c and now use a Glock 26. It's only a little smaller but sometimes small differences matter. The pps is a quality gun that may work for you.
 
I have carried the M&P9c for years and have no issues whatsoever. You need to get the mags with the pinky extension, a good solid leather belt and a nice iwb holster, I use an Uncle Mikes. I also carry a dbl mag holder, not even sure of the brand its hard plastic and works great. If that doesn't work for you or you just plain don't feel comfortable then just try another cc gun, good luck.
 
I'm a big fan of Kahrs. The K9 and K40 are very slim and easy to conceal. The grips are long enough and quite good.

There are some downsides. They are quite a bit heavier than a polymer framed gun. Capacities are low as they are single stack. They have very smooth triggers, but the pull is long and the reset is also very long.

For me, my K40 also has a lot more felt recoil than my K9. With the higher performance of 9mm rounds these days, you might want to consider a K9 instead.

If possible, try before you buy.
 
You might have to shop a little but I am a big fan of the Keltec P11. 10+1 of 9mm in a lighter and smaller package than a G26 or M&P9c. Additionally, they take preban S&W 5900 series mags (12, 15, and even 30s).
 
Zarathustra11 said:
I think you should still consider the LC9, maybe even the SR9c which has a slimmer profile than the M&P compact-series.
Click to expand...

Second that; when I hefted the M&P9c and SR9c at FS, the difference between the two was amazing. The Ruger has a very slim grip and the trigger was pretty darned good out of the box. Several hundred rounds later, 100% reliable so far, accurate and if possible the trigger is incrementally better. Win win (um win).
 
fencer said:
I'll second the good holster and belt recommendation. I carry a 229 all the time and in the winter will carry a 226. I bought a good belt from Crossbreed and hardly notice it anymore. It is as natural as carrying a cell phone now.

You should also be able to get magazines for your M&P with the pinky extension that will give you a much better grip. I think for relatively short money you will find that your M&P can be carried and fired very comfortably
Click to expand...

I have that style magazine and it's still not comfortable for me unfortunately.

Zarathustra11 said:
I've owned both the M&P 9c and 40c, and being smaller framed, can understand what you're saying about it (I also owned a number of CC holsters for them, i.e. crossbreed, galco, don hume, etc). I recently bought an LC9 and have to say I really like this gun a lot. I've also read some of the issues other people have had, but I haven't had any problems so far whatsoever, and the trigger gets better with each trip to the range. The gun literally disappears in either a pocket holster or even a cheap Mike's IWB. I think you should still consider the LC9, maybe even the SR9c which has a slimmer profile than the M&P compact-series.
Click to expand...

The ability to conceal that gun is making this decision tough because it would be easy to carry.

M1911 said:
I'm a big fan of Kahrs. The K9 and K40 are very slim and easy to conceal. The grips are long enough and quite good.

There are some downsides. They are quite a bit heavier than a polymer framed gun. Capacities are low as they are single stack. They have very smooth triggers, but the pull is long and the reset is also very long.

For me, my K40 also has a lot more felt recoil than my K9. With the higher performance of 9mm rounds these days, you might want to consider a K9 instead.

If possible, try before you buy.
Click to expand...

The Kahr is definitely on my list, but a bit on the expensive side.
Second that; when I hefted the M&P9c and SR9c at FS, the difference between the two was amazing. The Ruger has a very slim grip and the trigger was pretty darned good out of the box. Several hundred rounds later, 100% reliable so far, accurate and if possible the trigger is incrementally better. Win win (um win).
Click to expand...

HA!

60 buckscash said:
You might have to shop a little but I am a big fan of the Keltec P11. 10+1 of 9mm in a lighter and smaller package than a G26 or M&P9c. Additionally, they take preban S&W 5900 series mags (12, 15, and even 30s).
Click to expand...

Who would have those around here?
 
You might be able to find a used Kahr K9 around. If you want to drive up to Wayland, you can try out my K9 and K40. I'll bring along an IWB holster that you can try out.
 
I second the glock 26, really nice for ccw, short grip which is perfect for ccw, and you can find plenty of preban 19 and 17 mags for a really good backup magazine,
 
I never carried regularly until I put a KelTec P3AT in my pocket. Simple, easy, works with khakis, jeans or shorts. Rather a 380 ACP than nothing because my body type and dress couldn't conceal something on the hip.
 
Rmccar4318 said:
Still love my Walther PPS 9 for EDC.
Click to expand...

+1

although i've switched back to my G19 for winter, the PPS is really easy to conceal due to it's size (pistol, police slim [laugh] )


also, a +1 for the holster / belt combo. i can carry a 1911 all day w/o issues.
 
I'm seriously considering the Walther PPS and maybe the Sig P239M compact. I have a Walther P99 .40 and after putting about 600 rounds through it, I'm in love with it. At first I wasn't to happy but after shooting it for awhile I'm a big fan. I like the Kahr's but the price scares me a bit but if the others don't work out then I may just have to bite the bullet. As for the holster, I need to stop being cheap on those and get a good one.
 
Burbs said:
I'm seriously considering the Walther PPS and maybe the Sig P239M compact. I have a Walther P99 .40 and after putting about 600 rounds through it, I'm in love with it. At first I wasn't to happy but after shooting it for awhile I'm a big fan. I like the Kahr's but the price scares me a bit but if the others don't work out then I may just have to bite the bullet. As for the holster, I need to stop being cheap on those and get a good one.
Click to expand...
The 239 is quite a bit bigger than the Kahr K9. It is has a high bore axis, and is DA/SA. DA/SA takes a significant commitment in training before you can fire two fast, accurate shots starting in DA. And the 239 isn't exactly cheap.

As for the price of a K40, there is one for sale in classifieds for $400: http://www.northeastshooters.com/cl...hr-k40-pistol-400-00-massachusetts-l2810.html
 
Burbs said:
I'm seriously considering the Walther PPS and maybe the Sig P239M compact. I have a Walther P99 .40 and after putting about 600 rounds through it, I'm in love with it. At first I wasn't to happy but after shooting it for awhile I'm a big fan. I like the Kahr's but the price scares me a bit but if the others don't work out then I may just have to bite the bullet. As for the holster, I need to stop being cheap on those and get a good one.
Click to expand...

Chris, get yourself a full size M&P9 magazine, it will give you a full grip to hold onto.
 
M1911 said:
The 239 is quite a bit bigger than the Kahr K9. It is has a high bore axis, and is DA/SA. DA/SA takes a significant commitment in training before you can fire two fast, accurate shots starting in DA. And the 239 isn't exactly cheap.

As for the price of a K40, there is one for sale in classifieds for $400: http://www.northeastshooters.com/cl...hr-k40-pistol-400-00-massachusetts-l2810.html
Click to expand...

Thank you for the advice.

turbo38gn said:
Chris, get yourself a full size M&P9 magazine, it will give you a full grip to hold onto.
Click to expand...

Will the metal part of the mag be seen?
 
Btw, I have a Sig P239 9mm, Glock 23, a K9, and K40 if you want to try them. You'll need to take a drive up to Wayland (near Framingham) and bring factory ammo.

Glock 27 is a decent gun. Way too thick for me to fit in a pocket, so I would have to carry it in a belt holster. And if I was going to carry it in a belt holster, I'd get a Glock 23 instead as I can conceal that just as easily and I can fit all my fingers on the 23's grip. So the Glock 26/27 just don't work for me. YMMV.
 
I see that Glocks are on the approved list but I've read it doesn't comply with the AG regulations. How is it legal to buy them? These friggin laws are so damn confusing!!!!!
 
Burbs said:
I see that Glocks are on the approved list but I've read it doesn't comply with the AG regulations. How is it legal to buy them? These friggin laws are so damn confusing!!!!!
Click to expand...
The AG's regulations cover what a dealer can sell, not what a buyer can purchase. So you can buy them in a private sale from a properly licensed MA resident, or you can get used ones that were made prior to a particular date. Head over to the MA gun laws section of NES and you can read the gory details.

If you look at various MA gun store web sites, you'll find some that have Glock 19/23/26/27, etc. Yes, the Glock that you buy will be used and yes you will be paying the MA premium for it.
 

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