Author Topic: Looking for a small gun (Read 1028 times)

Brookielover · « **on:** May 17, 2004, 11:28:48 AM »

Something I can carry in my pocket when I go fishing. A .38 would be nice. Any ideas? thanks.

AZ223 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 17, 2004, 12:25:31 PM »

Kel Tec P3-AT is a .380 that weighs 7.5 oz. and will fit in just about any pocket, even gym shorts. Trigger pull is longish, but not nearly as long as the S&W 640(642?) Airweight I used to have. I'm not personally sold on the effectiveness of a .380, but a .380 in your pocket is better than a .45 left at home...

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #2 on:** May 17, 2004, 12:30:09 PM »

Ruger makes a 5 shot .357 snubby that is fairly compact and would most likely fit your needs if you got the hammer bobbed. You'd have a first class perp stopper in the bargain.

Dave in WV · « **Reply #3 on:** May 17, 2004, 02:11:37 PM »

My wife has a Taurus light weight .38 made like a S&W Bodyguard snubbie. It has a shrouded hammer and a titanium cylinder and barrel shroud. It is nice and light. It also shoots great.

Ron T. · « **Reply #4 on:** May 17, 2004, 02:59:07 PM »

AZ223 is right.

The Kel-Tec P3AT is a very light weight little pistol... just 3 inches high, 3/4 inches wide and 5 inches long. Empty, it weighs just 7.2 ounces. With 6 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber... one more round that a 6-shot revolver... it weighs just 10.0 ounces. This little package of dynamite is manufactured in Florida and carries a life-time factory warranty to the original owner.

The .380 (aka 9mm corto ["short"] in Europe) is a true 9mm with a bullet diameter of .355 caliber, the same diameter as the 9mm Parabellum (aka "9mm Luger").

The .380 puts out a 95 grain hollow-point bullet at 982 fps compared to the 9mm Parabellum's 115 grain bullet @ 1185 fps... I.E., the .380 has a 20 grain lighter bullet at 200 fps less muzzle velocity. Most experts consider the .380 to be the smallest acceptable self-defense cartridge.

The trigger pull on the little pistol is "longish", but is a smooth 5 pounds which isn't at all bad. I've handled the pistol and find the trigger pull both smooth and acceptable

My wife and I just turned in our application for an Ohio Concealed Carry Permit to the county sheriff today and expect my CCW Permit to be issued within the next 2 weeks.

I put in quite a bit of research on various light-weight handguns in an effort to find "THE" perfect combination of power, size and price since I intend to carrying this pistol whenever I'm outside my home.

I chose to purchase a Kel-Tec P3ATPK (Parkerized version of the P3AT) which is now on back order, but I expect to get soon. I also ordered an extra 6 round magazine. If I choose to carry the extra magazine, this will make 13 round available for my use.

I firmly believe this little "package" is an excellent choice for CCW Permit holders who intend to carry their pistols a great majority of the time. It's light weight combined with its small size and adequate power make it a #1 choice for "THE" perfect CCW.

Brookielover · « **Reply #5 on:** May 18, 2004, 03:08:06 AM »

I prefer revolvers. What about a S&W model 60, any opinions?

Mikey · « **Reply #6 on:** May 18, 2004, 04:42:51 AM »

Brookie - a S&W Model 60 is an excellent choice. It can be loaded light or heavy and is a rock solid little carry piece.

Howsoever, ya'll didn't say what you wanted to use it for - protection against two legged or four legged predators. For the larger 4 legged types you would be a bit undergunned. For the others, it is more than sufficient. Having owned a number of S&W 38 Snubbies I will always recommend them and the 38 Spl. Sufficiently powerful and concealable but requires the backup of a spare load.

Point to consider is how well concealed you intend to keep it when a-field, or a-stream (LOL)? There might be times when keeping it concealed is much better than carrying openly - might make you less likely to be victimized from a distance............... Just my 2 cents worth. Mikey.

Ron T. · « **Reply #7 on:** May 18, 2004, 05:19:28 AM »

Ohhhhhhhhhh... I forgot to mention the pricing of the Kel-Tec P3AT... which is one of the criteria I used to decide on it.

I've found the retail selling price to vary from a low of $240 to it's regular suggested retail selling price of $299.95... and everywhere in between, so check out your local gun dealers before you decide where to buy.

Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

PA-Joe · « **Reply #8 on:** May 18, 2004, 05:29:30 AM »

Taurus CIA 38 special.

Mikey · « **Reply #9 on:** May 18, 2004, 09:24:45 AM »

Chris: since you like the S&W J-frames, which are some of my favorites and prefer a concealed hammer, you should try the Model 38 Airweight Bodyguard. Only 13 oz, empty. I do like carryin' mine............... Mikey.

reelhook · « **Reply #10 on:** May 26, 2004, 12:50:14 PM »

I don't know about you but I won't put my life on the line with a cheap gun. do yourself a favor and look at KAHR

leverfan · « **Reply #11 on:** May 27, 2004, 09:38:15 AM »

I prefer the S&W Model 60, 3" barrel, to the Ruger and Taurus alternatives. I've shot Taurus 85s and Ruger SP101s, and I've packed them too, but I settled on the Smith. The Smith handles well, even with full house 357 loads, and it weighs less than the Ruger. I've put a lot of rounds through different snubbies, and I like the S&W 442 as well. Both Taurus 85s that I shot had timing problems, one of them was bad enough to actually jam on bullet shavings that bound up the cylinder.