Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

I normal carry a Glock 30, in an inside the waistband holster, I have for years and it is great. However sometimes it is a little bulky. Currently when the Glock is to big for my clothing, I go to Tarus 38spl however I am not thrilled with that set up (cylinder too think, hammer can snag, only 5 shots, 38 with 2" barrel doesn't pack a big punch) . I am looking for something easily concealable that still packs a punch. I have conceded that I will have to go smaller than my beloved 45 but I don't want to go smaller than 9mm. Suggestions? Thought? Free guns?

I would look into a Kel-Tec P11 9mm with 10 rd mag or 12 rd. I have one and found very easy to shoot and comfortable to carry IWB.

http://www.kel-tec-cnc.com/p11.htm

Hope this helps.

What about a DAO 38 revolver? No hammer, though the cylinder will still be the same size.

Glock 23, .40 cal. ADL

Walther PPS in .40

I have a S&W .38 special snubby concealed hammer DAO that I carry and it suits me but I don't see anything to distinguish favorably it from the Taurus described by Stuart. I, too, would prefer to be loaded with more than 5 rounds.

That would entail a 9mm, I think, nothing of larger caliber, and semiauto, of course. My "problem" then comes down to first-shot (especially) reliability or dependability. If that doesn't go, then I might.

Looking for all sorts of assurance, I need to research the first-shot matter. And then cost comes into play. I really don't think Sig dependability falls within my cost constraints, especially if a $300+ doesn't leave me sweating about my personal survival.

If anyone has insight into the cost/dependability (I think "reliability" has a precise definition that isn't what I really mean) matter regarding hi-cap 9mm pistols, I'd certainly appreciate hearing their thoughts.

We recently went to my friend's property and shot some of our guns outside. He set up two wooden pallets and set bottles on top of it (plastic bottles) to shoot at. He set up the pallets in a tee-pee configuration, so that one was leaning to support the other and vice-versa. After hitting all the bottles and knocking them down, we fired about 5 rounds from two .38 revolvers in to the wood of the pallets. They left holes in the wood, and splintered them a little bit. My girlfriend stepped up with her .40 cal Berretta and fired one shot, hit the front pallet and knocked both pallets backwards and over to the ground. We all could not believe the difference in knock-down power between the .38 Special and that .40 caliber! We did it again to make sure it was not a lucky shot. We got the same results! After that, I am convinced that a .40 caliber is a great self-defense round!

Dependability is not an issue with quality weapons. I really don't think its a size issue. To me anyway, its all about quality. I said quality though, not name recognition, there is a huge difference. I had some second hand astra 100's that were spanish military semi's 17rd(all in magz) so you could really have one in the tube if you wanted. I never had a misfire with any of them.( I suppose quality ammo should also be mentioned ). I think, if you try to "go cheap" you are going to get cheap. It is not uncommon to find a very reliable 9 for the 300.00 range. Maybe not new in a box, but if you buy one from somebody who has taken good care, that doesn't matter much. Case in point, I picked up a norinko 9mm that was manufactured sometime in the mid- sixties, it is still a very reliable shooter,but it likes a round with some heat behind it to properly work the slide. Walmart ammo don't do it. Stopping power is said to be an issue with 9's by some "experts", I don't subscribe to that theory either. Good luck.

9MMDerringer wrote:We recently went to my friend's property and shot some of our guns outside. He set up two wooden pallets and set bottles on top of it (plastic bottles) to shoot at. He set up the pallets in a tee-pee configuration, so that one was leaning to support the other and vice-versa. After hitting all the bottles and knocking them down, we fired about 5 rounds from two .38 revolvers in to the wood of the pallets. They left holes in the wood, and splintered them a little bit. My girlfriend stepped up with her .40 cal Berretta and fired one shot, hit the front pallet and knocked both pallets backwards and over to the ground. We all could not believe the difference in knock-down power between the .38 Special and that .40 caliber! We did it again to make sure it was not a lucky shot. We got the same results! After that, I am convinced that a .40 caliber is a great self-defense round!

Yup. The .40 fits nicely between 9mm and .45. Makes for relatively easy shooting by almost anyone. Not sure why I dont have one with all the preponderance of ammo...hmmm that gives me an idea...

"We all could not believe the difference in knock-down power between the .38 Special and that .40 caliber!"


I knew a guy who shot his girlfriend with a 22 from about 50 yards. Hit her in the back of her head, she lingered for a while in a coma and eventually died. It aint all about "Knock-down power".....I didn't say he was a friend of mine either, in fact when he got out of prison, they found him beaten to death on the banks of a railroad track, he was dressed in womans clothing(he was not a transvestite either)...

If the Glock is too bulky, what about the single stack Glock 36? Same ammo... Most "high capacity" pistols are double stack, so I'm not sure you're going to get super small high capacity... I know several folks who like the Kahr firearms - maybe something like an MK40? I may end up with a Kahr for that same reason...

Thanks for all the great ideas.

These things are of course always a trade off between concealablity (is that a word?) and firepower/stopping power.

I have been thinking a lot about the Kel-Tec. I also like the GLock 36 idea, i am just wondering if just going to a single stack is going to make that much of a difference in concealment. Which is why I have been leaning towards 9mm; I like the 40 and the 45 but I am just not sure anything in either of those calibers is going to be much better for carrying than my Glock 30.

Thanks for all the great ideas.

These things are of course always a trade off between concealablity (is that a word?) and firepower/stopping power.

I have been thinking a lot about the Kel-Tec. I also like the GLock 36 idea, i am just wondering if just going to a single stack is going to make that much of a difference in concealment. Which is why I have been leaning towards 9mm; I like the 40 and the 45 but I am just not sure anything in either of those calibers is going to be much better for carrying than my Glock 30.

I would suggest a Kel-tec PF9. It has a decent trigger and is very concealable.

The trade off in stopping power is Shot Placement. If you hit what you want to hit the first time and where you want to hit and have the heart to follow it up with more rounds you will have stopping power. I carry a Walther .380 with Speer Gold Dot Ammo and if I shoot you 9 times in center mass and the head with it you are going down unless your name is Clark Kent.
Bill

I recently bought a Taurus .327 Federal Magnum. It has 6 shots and the .327 magnum round has plenty of punch for me. It does have an exposed hammer but so far it hasn't been an issue for me during the draw. I have been practicing with the gun empty at drawing and dry firing.With only a 2" barrel it is very concealable in an IWB holster. My primary is also a Glock 30 and I carry it in a CrossBreed Supertuck. With an untucked t-shirt it is pretty invisible.

SgtBill wrote:The trade off in stopping power is Shot Placement. If you hit what you want to hit the first time and where you want to hit and have the heart to follow it up with more rounds you will have stopping power. I carry a Walther .380 with Speer Gold Dot Ammo and if I shoot you 9 times in center mass and the head with it you are going down unless your name is Clark Kent.
Bill

absolutely.

Check out the SCCY 9's my kid carries one and he loves it. Put 500 rounds FMJ thru it w/o malfunction. Too small for me tho, it doesn't saw your hand up like the keltecs.

SgtBill wrote:The trade off in stopping power is Shot Placement. If you hit what you want to hit the first time and where you want to hit and have the heart to follow it up with more rounds you will have stopping power. I carry a Walther .380 with Speer Gold Dot Ammo and if I shoot you 9 times in center mass and the head with it you are going down unless your name is Clark Kent.
Bill

I carried Young's Bersa .380 today and yes also with the Speer gold dot. She might lose that one to me and I'll get her a brand new one. Thats one sweet shooter. I may switch to that as an EDC and perhaps my little .25 as backup...

I have a G26 that I use and I love it so far. I believe the slide is about a half an inch shorter than the G30 and the grip is also about a half an inch or so shorter as well. It still holds 10+1.