I recently sold my Springfeild XD because I was using it as my concealed carry pistol and it came to the conclusion that it was to wide to hide it propperly. I am now in the market for a new gun and am leaning toward the Walther PPS or a Ruger P95, however I am open to any suggestions or reviews that anyone has.
I do like that the ruger has a hammer and a thumb safety, however it is not a must on the gun I am going to buy.
I am kinda wanting a double action with a decocker, so that I can chamber a round and then decock the pistol, that way when I draw all I need to do is pull the hammer back.
Ruger is much like America Ferrera, just a little to thick to be really hot.
But I agree with Ten Man, the SIg239 would be an excellent choice. I have never seen a PPS in person, but the smallest 9mm I have shot was the Kahr, and that was very positive, but about at the end of the useability ladder.
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I do like that the ruger has a hammer and a thumb safety, however it is not a must on the gun I am going to buy.
I am kinda wanting a double action with a decocker, so that I can chamber a round and then decock the pistol, that way when I draw all I need to do is pull the hammer back.
anyone got any suggestions?
Don't forget that even after you chamber a round then use the decocker , If you draw the gun to fire , you have to take the safety off to be able to pull the hammer back !
other wise the hammer will not stay in the cocked position . Ruger models anyway !
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I have the SIG P239-40 and love it for carry but it may still be a little too thick for you. Accurate, reliable and just a damn fine piece of equipment.
Put Houge wrap around grips and night sights on it and it runs great.
I second/third/forth this--the SIG 239 is a great gun and infinitely reliable--as well as being relatively flat and easy to conceal. It's available with various trigger options (and in different calibers) with nite sights as well.
I used this as my CCW gun for a long time until a friend suggested I try the H&K USP 40 (the LEM version had a special deal for commercial pilots). Although the H&K was a bit more bulky and "plasticky" I did find it fit my hand better, pointed better (as good as my Sig 220) and had more firepower to boot. So you might want to take a look at this as well. But it might be as hard to conceal as the Springfield for you so you'll have to see. I find even bigger guns CCW quite easily in an IWB given proper over-attire.
Bottom line is fit and trigger reach are very important and it's optimal to try out different guns to see which one can shoot the best--best thing to do is get to a range with a lent or rented version of the pistol you're considering. It's almost impossible to predict "fit" from the sidelines. However, the Sig 239 CAN be equipped with aftermarket grips to help fit in the hand as well.
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I have a P90 and would not recommend for ccw. Safty goes the wrong way. It is also hard to manuiplate. When I need somthing real small I go with the glock G26 9mm 10+1 with 1 back up mag. I also have friend who is a 1911 pistol smith and glock armor. He is retired LEO form Hartford CN. He carries and recommends karh arms.
I'm going way outside your box on this one. Here are some options for you to consider for concealed carry...depending on your attire. For tucked shirt, no jacket, you could consider using a S&W Airweight 638 or 642 (.38 +P) in your front pants pocket and carrying spare ammo in speed strips in your cell phone case on your belt. If you have a sweater vest or un-tucked shirt you could carry a S&W 640 .357 magnum with spare ammo on your belt. So, there you have it...I prefer revolvers (and I've had many semi's). They do fine for self defense and are easy to conceal. The 638, 642 and 640 are very small. Speer Gold Dots are available for .38+P and .357 Magnum in short barrel configurations and they have good velocity/energey ballistic data. Good luck, B
One more thing regarding semi's...if you must carry a semi, for whatever reason, the Kahr's are very thin and the ones I have shot are reliable. They don't have some of the hammer features you were talking about, but they would be one of my first choices for a carry gun in semi-auto. I'm a really big guy, so I can and have carried anything I want and nobody notices...I would probably (just talking semi's now) I would probably get an FNP 45 and carry that. Good capacity and a big-ass gun. However, back tothe original thread of "how to best conceal"...I prefer revolvers for that. Later, B
I have a Bersa Mini 40 & a Kimber 45 w/4" Barrel that are slimmer than the snubby 38s & 357s. Kel-Tec makes the PF9 9mm which is considered the smallest & lightest 9mm made. And Taurus makes the "slim" 9mm 709. Having said that, many feel more comfortable with the revolver - no worry about jams, etc. So, I think it comes down to what gun "feels" right in your hand & the one you have the most confidence in. As for thickness & size, can usually dress to cover just about any size. My only issue is on fall & spring days in east Texas when you need a light jacket in the morning & by noon have to take it off. That is the only reason I have the Kel-Tec. When I take my jacket off I pull my shirt tail out for cover. The Bersa & Kimber will print under the snug fitting shirt, but the Kel-Tec does not. In summer, I wear shirts designed for outside the pants which do not fit as snugly, and I buy them a size larger than I normally wear. Then, no problem with anything I carry. Obviously, shorts with no belt & one of those short t-shirts that don't go all the way to the waist is a different deal. Sometimes, if you carry, you have to make a sacrific in what you wear. One of th main things is a good, wide & stiff belt & proper holster.
The Walther PPS, Taurus PT 709 Slim, and Keltec PF-9 are the smallest 9mm out there. The Taurus and Keltec are almost identical in size. The Walther I think is very close. The Keltec is the lightest of them all so that will be a big factor as well. I think loaded it is as light as the 709 empty. I think any of the three would be a reliable carry pistol. They all carry around the same amount of ammo (between 6-7 rounds). You won't find a smaller 9mm auto than the above three listed pistols. If you want to step down in caliber to .380 then you can get even smaller and lighter. If you want a larger caliber than Walther also makes the PPS in .40 and then you also have the 1911 sub compacts that are nice. I have a Kimber Ultra CDPII that I really like.
Go to the Para site and check out their small offerings. They have some thick and some thin, some long and some short. You can pretty much find anything you might want. The warthog seems interesting but I haven't seen one in person. There is also a thinner version.
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If you don't mind a pistol that is not in a 'universal' caliber by US standards (meaning, "a cartridge you can be sure of finding in any gun shop"), you might want to take a look at the CZ-82 in 9x18 Makarov, or its clone the CZ-83 in .380 ACP. 12+1 capacity, not too thick and points naturally.
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