I just registered for this forum to respond to this thread. I have to say I am pretty shocked at the size of some of the handguns you would consider for concealed carry. I live in Phoenix and it is pretty much warm year round, but even if it wasn't what do you guys do when you go indoors and remove the jacket you were concealing your 1911 under?
I have finally found the gun that makes the most since for around the clock carry and that is my Kel-tec P3AT loaded with Glaser safety slugs. Before you balk at the small caliber, please let me tell that this gun has been on my body except when I'm sleeping, showering, flying or at the gym for the last 95 days in a row! Yes, you heard right, 95 days in a row. Since I got it back from Robar for application of their NP3 Finish, it has been in my front pocket. I carry it alone in my right pocket and I've even become very proficient at digging my car keys and money out of my left pocket with my left hand. In fact, as I sit typing it is resting comfortably in the front pocket of my gym shorts that I just got through wearing to the park to play with my 6 year old. I carry it in a hand made "GURU" leather pocket holster and I have gotten so used to it being in my front pocket, I forget its there on a regular basis.
In the past I have carried a Glock 23, Glock 19, and Glock 27 and more recently, I bought the sweet little Kahr PM9. But with the Glocks, I was always aware, sometimes painfully so, that I was carrying. The Kahr was a little better, but its heavy weight still made it impractical to carry in gym shorts with just the drawstring holding your shorts up.
I still keep my Glock 22C in my safe with a thirty round mag and my AR-15 is also readily available, but man this little Kel-tec is the epitome of convenience. Its just always on me. If someone knocked on the front door later tonight while I'm watching TV, no need to go scrambling to get my gun. Although I do question the ballistics a bit of the .380, I definitely think 7 rounds of the high velocity ammo would give me more than enough time to get on the phone and get something bigger. Plus, after extensive testing with 9mm and .223 rounds before I retired, I would not have regular handgun round loaded in my weapon with my daughter sleeping in the next room. Do you guys have any idea how many pieces of drywall a 9mm will penetrate??? And it just so happens that my bedroom door lies in a direct line of sight of my daughters bed. Anyways, not to ramble, but I challenge anyone to spend the $250 or $300 on this little gem and carry it for a week or two in a decent pocket holster. It was after this I decided to spend almost as much on the finish as I did on the gun because I decided this one would be in my pocket for a long time to come.
