Trying some pocket guns

No love for the taurus micro gun? Mine is ok. Biggest gripes are hitting the mag release with my thumb if I try to shoot quickly from the holster and that the sights might as well not be there. I've put a few boxes through it. The GF loves shooting it. Only issues I've had are miss feeds from the mag popping out slightly because I thumbed the mag release a bit but not enough to fully drop it. I wish these micro guns had heel style mag releases, its not like you're going to be doing a tacticool reload with one anyways.
I like to carry it with the Blazer aluminum case ammo because it makes a full mag noticeably lighter, but its had no problems shooing some mega cheap unplated reloads, PMC, winchester white box, or walmart remington. Strangely the remington was by far the dirtiest. This gun does get really dirty when you shoot it anyways, the chamber fit isnt very tight and theres a lot of play on the slide to frame connection.
 
This is what you carry??

df378d250f7ce82baaf6abfb2e740d87_0.jpg
 
kalash said:
Shot the Kahr PM9 and S&W Bodyguard .380 today. Not impressed.

The Kahr seems too big for pocket carry. It's roughly the size of my LCR but the brick-shaped frame make it much more noticeable in a pocket. The safety is really, really stiff, yet the trigger is too light to carry without the safety, imo. Also, the safety lever scratched the base of my thumb to the point of bleeding within one magazine. On the upside, I was really accurate with it and the controls and feel are similar to my Glock.

The Bodyguard is tiny, which is great for carrying but terrible for everything else. The slide release is too small; the safety is too small and difficult to disengage, but at least the trigger pull is so long that I wouldn't be opposed to carrying without the safety on. It doesn't lock back on empty, which I didn't like. Out of 35 or so rounds I had one FTF and one light primer strike (or dud, I suppose). The recoil is pretty light though for such a small gun.

I think I'll stick with my LCR .38 although I did also check out the Sig P238 and loved the 1911-like ergonomics and and controls, though I didn't shoot it.
Click to expand...
therebis nothing wrong with an lcr or j frame revolver anyway. I can shoot 5 shot revolvers very well. Mouse gun semi autos i cant stand.
 
Squib308 said:
Not really.
reality is $11 boxes of factory .380 do not exist.
Click to expand...
Send me the money and i will order you a case.
please dont call me a liar when you have no idea what you are talking about

maxtech.png

here is a clip of the add and I didn't Photoshop it, I am not that smart.
i was wrong is was 11.99
 
Last edited:
kalash said:
The Bodyguard is tiny, which is great for carrying but terrible for everything else. The slide release is too small; the safety is too small and difficult to disengage, but at least the trigger pull is so long that I wouldn't be opposed to carrying without the safety on. It doesn't lock back on empty, which I didn't like. Out of 35 or so rounds I had one FTF and one light primer strike (or dud, I suppose). The recoil is pretty light though for such a small gun.
Click to expand...

There maybe something wrong with the BG380 you used. Is it an early one or more recent? I'm pretty sure the slide should lock back after the last round.
 
MikeInMA said:
There maybe something wrong with the BG380 you used. Is it an early one or more recent? I'm pretty sure the slide should lock back after the last round.
Click to expand...
Whichever one has a red laser button. I think that's an older one, before they changed red to black? Not sure...
 
kalash said:
Whichever one has a red laser button. I think that's an older one, before they changed red to black? Not sure...
Click to expand...

That may be a newer model since the originals had a grey button. The red button models are the Crimson Trace units, unless the laser was replaced which is possible. Did you purchase it new? Has it been modified at all? Ammo used? Mine is the no laser model and I have not had any issues. I am heading to the range in a little while and will bring my BG just to be certain of the last round lock back thing, for science you know.

I just got back and the BG slide should lock back after the last round is fired.
 
Last edited:
JackO said:
Try Kahr P380 or CW380. I love both, these are my current pocket carry. I used to pocket carry Ruger LCP, which is a really small and light, but shooting it was no fun. Kahr 380, although a little heavier, is very easy to shoot.
Click to expand...

+1 on the Kahr CW380. My daily pocket carry. Shoots well, and looks nice too.
 
MikeInMA said:
That may be a newer model since the originals had a grey button. The red button models are the Crimson Trace units, unless the laser was replaced which is possible. Did you purchase it new? Has it been modified at all? Ammo used? Mine is the no laser model and I have not had any issues. I am heading to the range in a little while and will bring my BG just to be certain of the last round lock back thing, for science you know.

I just got back and the BG slide should lock back after the last round is fired.
Click to expand...
I rented it so for all I know it was simply a beat-up gun. The laser didn't even work, which I made sure of by sticking my hand in front of the barrel [slap]
 
kalash said:
I rented it so for all I know it was simply a beat-up gun. The laser didn't even work, which I made sure of by sticking my hand in front of the barrel [slap]
Click to expand...
It may have been upgraded. I just replaced the laser in mine with the Crimson trace unit. It has red buttons instead of grey and it works much better.
The original lasers were very difficult to operate.
 
kalash said:
Interesting. I only handled the 238 but lying in the display case next to the 938, the latter looks like it had an extra inch in the slide.



Recoil spring lasts 400 rounds? That sounds pretty bad.



My biggest gripe with the .380 is that I don't current shoot it so I'd be adding a new caliber, and it's also expensive.
Click to expand...

The Glock 42 is imho the best shooting 380. But your right it's brutal to buy you can almost get 2 boxes of 9
 
Chet0729 said:
The 238 is a great gun. I carry one and I also have a BG and have fired the Kahr. In my opinion the sig 238 is twice the gun. good trigger, easy to manipulate safety and very reliable. if you would like to shoot one and are anywhere near Worcester I will let you fire mine.
Click to expand...

And a terrible first choice for the OP if all he regularly carries is a striker fired gun or a DAO revolver.
 
To the OP. The PM9 is a great gun. But its too bulky and heavy for pocket carry for most people. If you do decide you want one, pay the extra for a free state one with a proper trigger.

Actually, the P9 is a far better gun. Slightly bigger in grip and slide length, it shoots much better and carries IWB just as well as a P9.

If you want a pocketable gun, the Kahr P380/CW380 are the best guns I've ever shot that are small enough to be "always" guns. The G42 shoots better but is enough bigger so I sometimes need to drop down to the Kahr .

Both the Kahr and G42 shoot worlds better than the LCP or Bodyguard.

Don
p.s. I've owned all fo these. I still own the P380, P9, and G42. I've owned and sold the PM9, LCP, Seecamp 32, Keltec P3AT
 
dcmdon said:
And a terrible first choice for the OP if all he regularly carries is a striker fired gun or a DAO revolver.
Click to expand...
Every gun takes some getting used to. It took me a little while getting used to seeing that hammer back but I am over it now.
I have several small pocket guns and it is the most reliable of the bunch. I have a lot of rounds through it and it has had zero issues. I don't own the Kahr but I have shot it and didn't like it. I have had experience with the Glock 42 and the two I fired were less than dependable.
Everyone's preference is different but I want a carry gun that I know will go bang if I ever need it and in my experience that is the 238. YMMV
 
Its not a " some getting used to. "Some getting used to" means it doest point exactly where you want. Or you might be a bit slow with a reload. With a 1911/239/938 style gun, if you don't remember to swipe the safety off, you could be dead. You need to train to always click the safety off when you come up and equally as important , always put the safety on when you come off target.

That's not how I see people use these guns. They go to the range and turn the safety off and leave it that way. Blast 100 rounds down range, load the gun, put the safety on, put it in a holster and leave. This problem is aggravated by the fact that many clubs don't allow draw from a holster. Practicing from low ready is good, but its not the same.

I've competed for years with both a 1911 and a G34. Not at a very high level, but enough so I put 6000-8000 rounds down each gun every year.

I also carried a 1911. (It was gorgeous. Nighthawk custom . . but I digress) as well as a G26, Kahr P9, and P380.

Every once in a while in competition, I'd reach up for the nonexistent thumb safety on the Glock. It probably cost me .2 seconds.

Also, every once in a while, probably once a year, I'd draw the 1911 and forget to swipe the safety off. Because of this, I stopped carrying a 1911 of any kind.

I'm guessing that my standards for proficiency are higher than most people's. But that was my rational.
I don't believe that you can switch back and forth and maintain truly instinctive proficiency on the controls.

But what do I know.

Chet0729 said:
Everyone's preference is different but I want a carry gun that I know will go bang if I ever need it and in my experience that is the 238. YMMV
Click to expand...

I have no doubt the 238 is reliable. But you aren't actually implying that there aren't any equally reliable striker fired gun of similar size and caliber . . are you??
 
Last edited:
dcmdon - I agree. I generally don't like guns with external safeties and the ones I have with them I never use. I think for now I'll just work on getting better with my LCR. I can hit steel silhouettes at about 20 yards if I don't rush the trigger so at least that's something.
 

Similar threads

Bolt gun - paralysis by analysis
Replies
3
Views
130
MickeyD’s
M
Gunsmiths for pistol slide and frame work
Replies
11
Views
417
DW357
DW357
Apex curved triggers
Replies
0
Views
174
Laura
Laura
Machine Gun/NFA Shoot Oct 6th in Enfield NH
Replies
0
Views
371
kingson
kingson
Bolt guns
2
Replies
45
Views
2K
DarkJoker33
DarkJoker33
Back
Top Bottom