Sub Compact Question

SeekingFreedom

My wife and I recently began shooting at a local range as something to do as a couple. After taking the Concealed Carry class here in Utah we decided that our Glock 22 and Springfield XD might be a little big for carry's. What would you recommend as a smaller semi-auto to carry concealed. Preferably a .40 as well but any recommendations\warnings would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Nwcid

I am a Glock fan and have several. I have never been a fan of any of the compact guns especially Glock.

Well I was forced to fondle [:D] a S&W M&P compact the other day. I since had to fondle it again. I called the dealer today and had him hold it for me till I can make it to him in a few days. These guns are a great size and feel awsome.

rufe-snow

Check out the KelTec line of concealed carry guns. They got everything covered from .32 ACP, .380 & 9mm. Good value for the money and a excellent track record, they started making them in the mid 90's. They made a .40 for a while also, it was to hot for such a light pistol, so they dropped it.

Glock has been cranking out the Model 27, a subcompact .40 for about 10 years now. Reliable and highly thought of, but heavy and quite expensive. You probably could buy two 9mm KelTec's, for the same price as the Model 27.

William81

The Glock 27 and XD40 compact would be good choices.

shilowar

If you compare apples to apples...the Glock 27 is smaller than the XD compact 3"...it is 1/2 inch shorter, and the GLock 27 is approx. 6 oz lighter than the XD40 sub.

I don't know anything about the XD, but I've been a Glock fan for 13 + years. The Glock is tried and true, tested and abused and has a dependable rep....

Depending on how you plan on carrying you may look a the compacts (models 19/23)instead of going down to the 26/27.

If your going to drop to a 9mm then I agree with r-s...the Kel Tec PF-9 is the way to go. Its the smallest(thinnest) 9mm on the market...its has a good price point, and Kel Tec's seem to be good quality for the money.

beantownshootah

quote:Originally posted by SeekingFreedom
My wife and I recently began shooting at a local range as something to do as a couple. After taking the Concealed Carry class here in Utah we decided that our Glock 22 and Springfield XD might be a little big for carry's. What would you recommend as a smaller semi-auto to carry concealed. Preferably a .40 as well but any recommendations\warnings would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.


First of all, .40 is a pretty hot cartridge to shoot from most of those subcompact type guns, so recoil can be somewhat harsh, especially to new shooters and women. If you can get a chance to try shooting the gun before you buy it, do so.

Also, like all the small autos, the subcompact .40s usually have pretty hard springs. . .racking the slide on these guns can be physically difficult, again especially for women.

If you can't rack the slide easily, then you probably shouldn't carry the gun. If/when the gun malfunctions, how are you going to clear it under stress?

Lastly, in general the subcompact guns are less reliable than their larger counterparts.

There are a number of small .40 guns available to choose from: Walther PPS, Kahr arms, SW99 and M&P compacts, Glock 27, etc. As mentioned, Kel-Tec put out a version of its compact double-stack gun in .40SW a few years back, but I'd say away as these are fairly rare, and kick like mules.

I'd suggest not overlooking compact 9mms. Despite its somewhat checkered reputation, 9mm is a plenty good round for personal defense at close range, with ammo being cheaper leading to more practice.

Lastly, since you said you'd take any recommendations, I recommend seriously considering a .38 snubnose revolver instead of a small high-powered auto pistol.

The snubnoses are more reliable, generally lighter (if you pick an alloy framed gun), offer good power/weight ratio in .38+P, are simpler to use and maintain.

perry shooter

Listen to Bean town shooter A pistol that is half the weight recoils twice as hard. Sub compacts also are more prone to function problems because of shorter recoil impulse time generated buy short barrel. Bottom line DO NOT buy a SUB compact until you have fired ,loaded , and cleared the gun IMHO not for someone with out a very strong and very firm grip and arms.

skychaser53

9mm is a good round. Use the cheaper stuff for practice. Use hydra-shock for carry

He Dog

I would second Beantownshootah, do not over look a quality revolver. You are unlikely to be in a firefight with Uzi laden Jamaican drug dealers, so 17 rounds is probably not necessary. With a revolver, if the gun does not fire, you pull the trigger again. With a semi-auto, if the gun does not fire, you dismantle it, extract the mis-fire and re-assemble before the other guy shoots. It will not be difficult to operate for either you or your wife. .327 mag or .38 special will do the job.

rsnyder55

Hedog echoes my sentiments. Some of the smaller revolvers will take 357mag allowing use of everything from 38 wadcutters, 38+P, to full load 357mags.

punchie

Excellent advise from many. Another point to consider is that you said you wanted it for concealment. The hard part to conceal on any handgun is goin to be the grip not the barrel/slide. The 'footprint' of the mini is smaller but the first thing most people do is to add a magazine extension making the hard part to conceal the same size as a mid size model (G27 vs G23). The differance in weight is minimal.