Lightweight concealed carry weapon

.380 (9mm Kurtz)? PPK, or Beretta 84? Don't know the weights though.


Edit: Looked up the weights, over 20oz each. Sorry.

 

I remember the time i used to go Dirt Bike Riding in the north tropics with my uncle when i was a kid.

We used to have mid to small sized croc's constantly come at us. Each bike hade 2 Bennelli 12 Guages strapped to the sides of the bike. I remember the 1st time i let one off, knocked me back about 4 feet. Crazy times

We never shot at them directly, just next to them, just to scare em off. Mind you, there was about 3 i can recall that we had to shoot.

 

Wow, for maximum power in a lightweight weapon, that sure looks tough to beat.

If I may dust off a tired cliche, I bet that thing kicks like a mule!

 

What about a Glock 27 (.40 S & W)? I had a Glock 19 and loved it! Very reliable and light.

 

Taurus makes a five shot .44 special that's a good gun for cougers. It weighs a littly more than 5 ounces unloaded, but you can nearly cover it with your open hand. I have one made of stanless. It's one of my favorite carry guns. For me, the major advantage is that any casings that you pop, go with you when you leave. The other advantage is that it packs a pretty good wallop.

I also have a Colt Mustang that's more of a pocket gun. It's a .380 with five in the handle and one in the chamber. The gun is just like a miniture .45 ACP. It shoots better than I do. Heck, all my guns shoot better than I do. Anyway, you can put the Colt in your shirt pocket without much bulge. Also, if you get one, glue a piece of rubber to the bottom of the clip so that when you slam one into the handle, you can be sure that you got it all the way in. That will help avoid jams. This is good advice for any flat gun.

Bob Wassam

 

I own one, a fine sidearm.

 

Seecamp

 

Glock 17 and 19 are both great guns. I am looking to get a new one for my place in LA. Anyone have a Beretta they can recommend that is similar to the Glock 17?

 

A handgun is (CQC)Close Quarter Combat tool. 25 yards or less... How close do you want the wildlife to get before your maximum effective range is reached by a charging animal?

Are cougars the only problem? What about a rabid bear?

I'd gladly make it a point to carry a Marlin 45-70 rifle some way, some how.
1) Supurb knockdown power
2) Point blank to 100Yard+ effective range
3) Looks like a wild west country rifle, not too menacing. (hehhehe)

A handgun would be a backup in that sort of situation.


my .2

 

What he said. "Whenever possible engage the enemy at least 100yds out." Clint Smith, Thunder Ranch. (something like that)

 

With weight being the most important thing, I think you have the right idea. I'm not familiar with this new model; my thought was going to be: get in touch with your feminine side and get a Lady Smith, i.e. similar to what you describe but an older model I guess.

The reality of course is you are 100 times more likely to suffer an encounter with a 2 legged predator that a quadruped.

 

I recommend glock 26 (the 9mm version) too, but they weight 20 ounces. Which feels almost too light to me, but having 12 rounds (I mean 10 ) would be important if you happen to ride up on an angry bear.

 

That's a good choice, look at the .38 P+ version with the concealed hammer (DA only). While I love revolvers for their reliability, I'm always concerned about catching the hammer just when I'm trying to use it.

 

No cougars here, but definitely bear (blacks, that climb trees...). I would be more afraid of taking a dive and having a shell go off accidently than I would be of bears, lions, etc.

The smallest pistol we have is a PP (longer barrel than a PPK). Set a can up 10 yards away and shoot away, it's a joke compared to a full size pistol, and a forget about even comparing to a rifle. And that's in a perfectly calm setting, the can isn't charging with the intent of tearing your ass apart.

I think I'd carry a fixed-blade knife and an airhorn before I would go to such a small pistol. Those 5 shots run out real quick... Just my $.02.

 

Your current set up is fine for mountain lions. The bear pepper spray alone will be more than sufficient to make a mountain lion run away. A lion's acute sense of smell makes pepper spray many times more effective on a lion than it is on a man, and the typical bear spray is much more effective than anything used by the police. I've seen video footage of a can of bear spray incapacitating an enraged grizzly. It would have the same effect on a lion.

The KelTec .32 is a piece of garbage (I know, because I own one too), but is adequate as a back up weapon to use on a mountain lion. Mountain lions are easily spooked. You hit them with a bullet (even a .22) and they will run. Unlike a hunter, you don't need one shot stopping capacity. You just need to wound the animal. Once wounded, the lion will be more concerned with escape than eating you.

If you want a quality, lightweight pistol, get a Kahr. Their polymer frame 9mm pistols are probably what you want. They are well made pistols, and perfect for concealed carry defense against two legged predators and also fun for target shooting. It would be a waste of money, however if all you want it for is mountain lion defense. For that, your cheap Kel-tec is all you need.

http://www.kahr.com/

 

Glock 26 in 9mm. Carries more rounds than the .40 and hits plenty hard enough. Fairly lightweight

9mm +p+ (which all 9mm Glocks are rated for) is nearly .357mag performance from a much smaller and less concussive platform (thanks to fast modern powders.) it's 19oz.

Espeically with the lightweight snub .357revolvers, where you need to use .38spl +p ammo anyway, modern 9mm is the better choice. Same power less recoil and blast.

My Glock 34 with 9mm +p+ 127gr Winchester Rangers (part#RA9TA) makes more muzzle energy than a .45ACP.

 

Any J Frame Smith should meet your requirements...in my mind there is no need to up the ante to a .357 the .38 Special packs condiderably more punch than any .32 ACP...That being said, my constant companion is a NAA Guardian in .32ACP...it is not my only daily carry piece, but except where unlawful it is with me at all times.

 

I have a 5-shot Charter Arms 38 & carry when I need something small. To shoot it is an experience as it explodes in your hand. Really unfriendly recoil but would get the job done.

 

PP copy is better than PP
http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976331207.htm

@ 12 years ago, I tried and tried the Walther, went with the copy - not for bang for the buck, either. Better sighting, return to position from recoil. I'd feel confident shooting accurately with a blindfold on, without hearing assistance, from the hip.

It's, well, intuitive.

PP owner got rid of his & got one, too. Still has his PPK just for bragging rights, though.

 

I think the trick with Walthers is to distinguish Walther from Walther-American.

I have a stainless W-A PPK/s and, frankly, it's garbage. It jams at least once every 30 rounds or so, the grip is uncomfortably small, I had to file off the sharp edges to keep the slide from gashing open my thumb, and it has a DA trigger pull like trying to tug a redwood. I can throw it more accurately than I can fire it in DA.

I get the impression that the W-As, made in VA, are designed to let Langley desk jockeys dream of being James Bond, without the risk of accidentally shooting themselves.

I haven't tried a german-made PPK in 7.62mm, but I hear they're vastly higher quality -- other than the lighter round.

For lightweight personal protection, the Smith 3913 looked pretty good. Decent grip, small, flat, real 9mm round (+P for effectiveness). With the Miami fiasco blaming the 9s, Smith has brought out a 4013 in 40 short-and-weak, but it's bigger. The 3913 now comes with an ambidex safety, which makes it wider, but last time I looked, the single sided safety was still available, tagged as a "Lady Smith".

But frankly, from the days when I had reason to carry, I found that even a big honkin 1911 Colt .45 was comfortable enough in an "FBI tilt" kidney holster. The only issue (as stated above) was the 32 oz weight on the belt that holds up your pants.

If you're not careful, you get in a habit of puffing out your stomach to tighten the belt against the weight, and you start to walk around looking like a stereotypical redneck sheriff.

But if your primary concern is the two legged variety of varmint, there's something to be said for the .45 bore -- it's like looking at the business end of the Holland Tunnel. As Hamlet says: "Must give us pause"

For a good utility piece, the Browning "Hi Power" is still one of the most intuitive shooters. The CZ-75 is a Czech double action variation which didn't mess up the Hi Power's balance. Springfield sells a version of the CZ called the P-9.

 

American made Walther's are all name with no quality. This comes from experiance with my Walther-America PPK and TPH.

Personally I like the (real) Walther P5, but I am an odd ball.

 

Fwiw, our PP is ~70 years old, and God only knows how many rounds have run through it, which might have a bit to do with the accuracy (or lack thereof). My great uncle pulled it off a German officer in WWII, which is a whole other story. How things have changed since the day it came down the production line, and got stamped with all the markings it needed in order to be part of what was to be a 1000 year Reich.

Who would have thought, a bunch of grown men comparing PPs...

 

I like my Glock G36 in 45. Short, Light, plenty of power, 6 +1 of +P-45's. I have a belt holster and an ankle that is very comfy.