By Jim Dickson | Contributing Writer
Most people opt for a smaller pistol for concealed carry rather than a full sized military pistol such as a M1911A1 or a Luger.
These full sized combat pistols are made for war, the ultimate gunfight, and they are unmatched for pointability, speed of firing, and reliability in the worse conditions. When pistols become smaller, the harder it will be to shoot accurately. Why would anyone carry anything less than a full size pistol into a gunfight? The answer is that most people don’t want to carry the weight and bulk of a full size pistol every day and they find the smaller pistols easier to carry concealed. Well, any pistol is better than none so let’s look at some of the best out there.
Because of their flat profile, .32 and .380 automatics have long been popular. Now there is the Kel-Tec PF9 in 9MM Parabellum, which is as small or smaller than most of the other pocket pistols chambered for .32 and .380.
Only .88 inches wide, 5.85 inches long with a 3.1 inch barrel, and just 4.3 inches high the Kel-Tec weighs in at a minuscule 12.7 ounces thanks to its lightweight polymer frame.. It still manages a 7- round single column magazine just like a full size gun. There is a double action only trigger like a revolver instead of a safety to be dealt with in an emergency. It is as safe to carry loaded as any revolver, yet it has a better double action trigger pull than most revolvers as it doesn’t have to turn a cylinder with each pull of the trigger.
For someone used to shooting revolvers double action hitting with this pistol’s trigger pull is a breeze. The PF9 is just big enough though to be easy to hit a man sized silhouette target’s vital zone at close range with and has a very soft recoil.
This ease of hitting the target is an often overlooked factor when people are buying guns. Some guns, especially the micro-mini pistols, are very difficult when it comes to accuracy at any distance other than within a few yards.
As the famous U.S. Border Patrol gunfighter Bill Jordan always said, “There is no second place winner in a gunfight.”
Carrying a pistol that may be only good for short-range accuracy is really stacking the deck against your survival. Only hits count and if you can’t hit what you’re shooting at, you are just making noise. If the Kel-Tec PF9 was any smaller or lighter it might make accuracy a serious problem. As it is it is about the smallest and lightest pocket automatic that is reasonably accurate, and it is chambered for the 9MM Parabellum. This pistol makes a very good choice for concealed carry.
However, to keep things in perspective, a full size Luger with it’s perfect pointing and single action trigger will outshoot the Kel-Tec easily. But the full size Luger is a bit heavier and thicker as well as longer and taller making it harder to conceal. Some folks will take that in stride and carry it concealed but others want a more compact gun and that is where the Kel-Tec PF9 comes in.
For holsters, there are numerous options. A pancake holster is fast, comfortable, and concealable. For inside the pocket carry El Paso Saddlery makes a fine pocket holster. They also make leather pancake holsters for it. For inside the waistband carry, holsters made by the Sticky Holster company are best as once positioned they never move on your person.
People who prefer revolvers have always liked the snub nose .38 and the most versatile ones are the hammerless versions as these are the only pistols that can be fired from within a pocket. Automatics need room for the slide to run while pistols with exposed hammers may catch the pocket lining when firing and end up misfiring. Make absolutely sure that the gun is pushed well away from you at the moment of firing as the gas from the barrel cylinder gap cuts like an acetylene torch. There will be three equal sized holes from one shot. The one the bullet made and the ones on each side of the barrel cylinder gap. If you line the pocket with leather the hot gas will cut through the leather like it was butter.
Years ago my wife, Betty, and I shot up all our old coats in the only actual test of firing through pockets that I know of. One shot will reduce a coat pocket to a tangled mass of rags.
Smith & Wesson makes the Model 640, a fine stainless steel 5-shot hammerless revolver that chambers both .38 Special and .357 Magnum cartridges. Rapid fire in such a light gun firing .357 Magnums is impossible due to the recoil. This could be a serious issue if faced with multiple attackers. Remember, two legged dogs, like four legged dogs, like to run in packs. For that reason you may want to stick to .38 Special loads in this revolver.
Many people have long loved this the 640 for its ease of carrying concealed. It weighs a mere 11.7 ounces, is 6.31 inches overall with a 1.88-inch barrel. Height is 4.3 inches and width is 1.3 inches. While it is capable of excellent accuracy a lot of people have trouble hitting the target with a snub nosed revolver. It cannot match a full sized pistol for accuracy, rapid fire, or shot capacity but it is lighter and easier to carry concealed. Like the Kel-Tec, it is double action only but it will easily put shots into a human silhouette target’s vital zone at close range.
A pancake holster works great with this revolver, but the thumb break snap must go over the trigger guard as the back of the gun is a poor shape for a strap to secure. For inside the pants carry the holsters made by Sticky Holster Co. stay exactly where you put them enabling a new degree of comfort and security.
Up to now stopping power has not really been possible due to the small size of the guns necessitating small calibers but there is one exception. The .45 Colt double Derringer from American Derringer company. This tiny brute fires two .45 Colt cartridges and it can also chamber and fire 2 ½-inch .410 shotgun shells. These can be loaded with Federal’s load of four 000 buckshot which produce a 4 ½-inch spread at 10 feet, or Sabot Designs’ 7 flechettes, which give a 5 ½-inch spread at 10 feet. This is a close range belly gun, and 10 feet is a proper test distance for it. With any of these three loads you only need one shot in the vitals per customer to stop the most rabid fanatical attacker.
Back in 1980, the late Bob Saunders was the first to chamber a pistol for both the .45 Colt and the .410 shotgun shell in the same barrels. He introduced this pistol and founded American Derringer company to make it in 1980. Today his dream is carried on by his widow, Elizabeth who makes these guns entirely by hand with the help of one master workman, John Price. Quality is first rate, and the little guns are easily concealable measuring 4.32 inches overall with 3-inch barrels, 3.35-inches high and .9-inch wide at the frame and 1.2 inches at the fat grips which enable the light 15 ounce gun to be pleasant to shoot with a firm grip. Originally intended as a back-up gun to a full size .45, it is the only compact pistol that has the stopping power to work as a back-up pistol on grizzly bears when loaded with .45 Colt ammunition. Due to its small size a simple basic holster is all that is needed although a pancake holster also works well.
Finally we come to the North American Arms five-shot .22 short miniature revolver. This is a deep cover pistol designed for extreme close range emergency use. It can be concealed almost anywhere being only 4 ounces and 3.63 inches long with a 1.13-inch barrel, height of 2.38 inches and a width of .88 inch. This gun puts deep cover concealability first and everything else second. As a result it is the best deep cover pistol available.
None of these pistols can fill the role of a full-size pistol but all of them are easier to carry and conceal and that is their place in the world.
