2023 best pocket gun.

[davevabch]

Love my Kahr P380, CW380. And so glad I bought thee Beretta Pico's

 

[bykerhd]

I have an LC9S but it is a bit heavy and is seriously uncomfortable to shoot due to my trigger finger getting banged up each shot.
This little bugger may find a new home.

I bought a Glock 43 that is now my pocket carry pistol and is surprisingly comfortable to shoot,. I may try it for appendix carry but I'll need another holster for that.

 

[RSIno1]

The best pocket gun in 2023 is still the one introduced in 1965 - the S&W Model 60. Many variants to chose from today. Get the 638 Airweight with the shrouded hammer.

 

[sharpblade7777]

The best pocket gun in 2023 is still the one introduced in 1965 - the S&W Model 60. Many variants to chose from today. Get the 638 Airweight with the shrouded hammer.

It was surely hard to improve on the model 60. I got one early on. At the time I got mine I believe they retailed for 125 dollars but they were in such high demand I paid 175 dollars. I gave it to my daughter when she graduated college and she still has it. But Smith & Wesson has made several variations that makes for a better carry revolver. I believe the model 60 weighed 19 ounces. This latest one I picked up weighs a little under 12 ounces also shoots .357.

 

[RSIno1]

It was surely hard to improve on the model 60. I got one early on. At the time I got mine I believe they retailed for 125 dollars but they were in such high demand I paid 175 dollars. ....Smith & Wesson has made several variations that makes for a better carry revolver. ..... weighs a little under 12 ounces also shoots .357.

I bought my first 60 from a retired Sheriff $50 like new in the box. I've also got a 642 now but don't like that it's DA only. The 638 you can still shoot SA/DA but I don't think that option comes in 357.

 

[dstegjas]

Most of the time I carry a 9mm hellcat in a cross draw holster. Small, compact, accurate and I've had no problems with it. On the occasions I pocket carry it is a S&W 380 Bodyguard. With the mag extension and the extra mag it fits very comfortably in my cargo pockets. Again no issues with the S&W what so ever.

 

[SiliconSorcerer]

I had an LCP years ago and at first thought it was the perfect tiny pocket gun for everyday carry. But at the range I could barely hit a target at even 5 yards and the snappiness of that gun made me hate to ever practice with it. I ended up selling it and making the LC9s my everyday carry. That gun is almost as small as the LCP, has never failed to fire when the trigger is pulled, has a bit more capacity than the LCP and I prefer the 9mm round to the 380 round. And for whatever reason I can fire the LC9s a lot more accurately than I ever could the LCP.

I'll add that sometimes when I am unexpectedly leaving the house to run an errand or other reason, I just grad my S&W 642 in a Desantis pocket holster and put it in my jeans front right pocket. Its only 5 rounds, but I still feel pretty comfortable having this for close distance self defense.

I put in Ruger ARX ammo even the +P and that problem went away. ARX stands up against the best defense ammo.

 

[JamesUSNR]

Best carry gun I ever owned was a Colt Detective Special in .38 special and a 3" barrel. I also carried it to church in my inside pocket of my leather jacket. Dumb move when I sold it. Wish I had it back. james

 

[DerekR]

I have one of those. I love it.

 

[Strawdog]

I have one of the original LCP 380's. It is a love hate relationship. Light weight easy to carry and reliable as the day is long... I just hate that it is so light that it bucks like a mule. I had carried it for years and put plenty of rounds through it to prove its potential to do its job when need be. If I had said it once I'd said it a hundred times that if Ruger had brought it out in 22Lr first I'd have never bought it in 380. As I'm sure you know that finally happened. I let them work the bugs out of the design before I finally picked up a used one in good shape. Fortunately it has also run flawless. ... So my pocket gun in 380 has been replaced by a 22Lr.
Carrying a 22 is not a new thing for me I had done so long before I had picked up my first LCP 380, although I had also carried other big bore calibers through the years. I had 22Lr pistols long before I could afford anything else, and I learned to trust them.

 

[jav]

I pocket carry a lcp2

 

[jav]

It was surely hard to improve on the model 60. I got one early on. At the time I got mine I believe they retailed for 125 dollars but they were in such high demand I paid 175 dollars. I gave it to my daughter when she graduated college and she still has it. But Smith & Wesson has made several variations that makes for a better carry revolver. I believe the model 60 weighed 19 ounces. This latest one I picked up weighs a little under 12 ounces also shoots .357. View attachment 33330

Maybe I will look into one the weight is nice I have an older 38 +p model 640 it's heavy little thing nice shooter thou

 

[the_leper_colony]

No one has mentioned it, but the Kel-Tec P32 is a great option if you want a true pocket gun. At one time I owned both the KT P3AT & P32. I have big hands, and both were really too small for me to grasp & shoot comfortably, but the P32 was the better of the two, due to reduced recoil. If I was thinking about something that size today, I might go with the little Ruger .22, although I've read on the forum here that reliability can be questionable (which was definitely NOT an issue with my P32).

As always IMHO, FWIW, YMMV, etc.

 

[NC FNS]

LCP I gen 2 works for me. The plastic pin at the back of the frame would creep out while I was breaking it in. Last time it happened, I gave it a good squeeze with pliers before tapping it back in, and it's stayed ever since.
Shoot a couple of mags every few months to remind me of the snappy recoil, but it's quite accurate within 15 yds for me. Had to paint the sights though.

 

[edm1]

My problem with the P3AT and LCP, is....once I was eating at a restaurant and looked at the door. I thought, if someone came in shooting would this gun help? I went to a bigger gun. I still sometimes carry my P3AT if I need a deep,cover gun, but it is rare.

 

[blume357]

Someone else on the forum has stated that a handgun of any type is a compromise.... as in it is just so one can fight their way back to their rifle.
Pocket gun is just one step further in the compromise.... but at least you are carrying a gun.

 

[edm1]

I've heard the fight your way back thing. Problem is how many people who carry a 380 that small as a primary, carry a long gun that can be quickly accessed? You are at a restaurant eating, do most people really have a long gun in retrieval distance?

I get it. There are times when that is all that I can conceal. I do believe that lots of people are lazy and carry the smallest thing that they can because of ease. Again, I am not talking about caliber, I am referring to the tiny guns.

 

[lumbering.buffalo]

I have never been a 380 fan. For years I have carried a S&W 642 in my pocket (pants, coat, shorts). I have transitioned to an EC9s as my primary carry, but I will drop the 642 into my coat pocket when it's cold outside.

 

[arfmel]

These Airweights are pretty hard to beat "for snakes and other varmints".

 

[Jeepnik]

Best is relative. My choices are.

Note all are southpaw friendly.