New pocket pistol options

[R L Suehr]

I'm considering a new pocket pistol for backup and those times when I absolutely must stay incognito.

Right now I've got an LCP and A cheap .38 derringer. One or the other is almost always in my pocket whether I have my primary EDC on me or not. I like the lcp a lot and have recommended it over the years to many people. I find myself not liking shooting it much though.

Lately I've found I like all metal guns much more than the plastic fantastic also. So far I'm looking at a few replacement options.

1. Naa mini revolver in .22mag.
Seems with it's dimunitive size it would definetly not take up much space in my pocket and be easy to carry/conceal in a pocket. I'm not sure on .22mag as a reliable SD round though. It might work being this is going to be a last ditch up close and personal gun.

I've never fired one of these any owners out there like them?

2. Naa Guardian .32.
I handled one of these at LGS last year and almost bought it. It felt good for such a small gun. I'm actually kind of kicking myself for not buying it now. It was a good enough price that even if I ended up hating it I could have recouped most of my investment back. The reviews seem good on this one as well.

Again anyone have one and can give me some first hand feelings on it?

3. Kel-tec p32
I know I said no plastic guns anymore but I know several members here really like these. I also like the ten round mag that you can get. I probably wouldn't carry it with the ten round mag but, there is something to be said about having an extra ten rounds on hand if you would need them.

I've also considered the Kahr P380 and cw380. They seem nice but for the price difference I would probably stick with the LCP. I have shot the S&W Bodyguard and was not really impressed. It was an older model though and I don't really know if they have made any improvements over the years on these other than eliminating the laser. I also shot the Sig p238 and I really liked this gun. It just seemed a little too big for what I'm looking for. I'm guessing it might print a little too much for me in my jeans pocket.

I'd be open to other suggestions as well. I'm probably going to stay in the sub $400 dollar category right now unless I really fall in love with something.

Thanks for any input in advance. Looking forward to reading the responses.



Oh, and before you start.
No I will not consider a Hi-point for pocket carry Wakefield.

[Hawk]

I'm sure my fellow PAFOA members are tired of hearing me talk up the Keltec P32 for pocket carry. I don't really like that it's plastic, the trigger is sub par, and the .32 cal is not as powerful as the .380, but the Keltec P-32 can't be beat in being the smallest, thinnest, lightest semi-auto pocket pistol on the market in a caliber bigger than .22. For these reasons, it's the only mouse gun I've carried for the past 5 years.

I've owned and carried a .22 Derringer, a .38 Derringer, a AMT Backup in .380, a .38 snub-nose, and a Keltec P3AT (in that order). I got rid of them all for their shortcomings and settled down with what I feel is a good compromise between caliber, size, weight, and shoot-ability for a pocket carry pistol.

[IronButt]

My wife carries a nice P238 Equinox with a Desantis pocket holster. It practically disappears in a hip pocket.

I have a S&W 642 that I use when my normal belt or even IWC carry isn't an option. I use a Desantis pocket holster for that, too, & while it's a little more chunky than the 238, it's still very concealable.

[omgur2]

I have the NAA revolver with both the 22lr and 22mag cylinders. it was my first pocket pistol, i bought one of the fold up handle holsters and is really comfortable. That is the pros.
The bad;
I very rarely carry it because the trigger is exposed and in order to make it "safe" you have to drop the hammer in a notch between the rounds. This is tricky when your pulling the trigger and I suspect many an owner has had one go off. I have also tried shooting cans from ten feet and missed most of the time, bullets go everywhere. If I spent a lot of time in snake country and didn't want the 10 OZs of my S&W arilite on me, WMR snake loads would be handy. I still have mine 12+ years later just because its cute and not worth anything to sell

[alpacaheat]

I was just "window shopping" and handled a S&W M&P Bodyguard 380.

Very small if you truly want a pocket pistol. Seems to be a quality piece in the $350 range.



Some fellows may prefer the Sig Sauer P238 rainbow edition.

[DocFox]

Dear R L Suehr:

I would strongly suggest you forget the NAA mini revolvers for any serious application. I had the .22LR version with 1-1/8" barrel. It was very nicely made, it worked, but I came to consider it dangerous to carry. I agree with all of omgur2's comments. I found the tiny grip made it impossible to control the recoil of a .22LR! After firing, it would often end up pointing 90-degrees to the left. I too, bought the folding handle/holster to tame this little beast. But in the end, I was afraid to carry it with five rounds loaded - I felt safer leaving an empty chamber and dropping the hammer on it, rather than trying to drop the hammer into the small notch between cylinders. Now I had a 4-shot .22 single action revolver in a relatively large package. Easy to handle, but not much horsepower.



I agree with your yearning for an all-metal pocket pistol. One that I really like is the Beretta model 3032 Tomcat, a 7+1 32 ACP. It is a small, light, reliable and inexpensive double-action/single-action pistol with a conventional safety. The frame is aluminum and the slide, barrel and magazines are steel.



Its tilt-barrel action is one of the safest concepts you can find. Flip the barrel up and it is as inert as a revolver with the cylinder swung out. It's ideal for a daily carry that must be cleared for the evening - tilt the barrel and remove the chambered round, remove the magazine. Reverse this in the morning and forget about top-cartridge setback from repeated slide-drops.



While the 32 ACP is not a powerhouse, using Winchester Silver-Tips makes it a lot more potent than a .22 LR, yet very manageable. And eight is always better than four! The Beretta magazines are small and easy to load. I carry my Tomcat in an Ahearns rough-side-out pocket holster in an otherwise empty pocket. It pretty much disappears in shorts, jeans or dress trousers, but is easy to get to.



I don't carry every day. But when I do, I find this combination is comfortable and I am not tempted to make constant "carry adjustments" to give its presence away. In short, it conceals well for an amateur gun bearer.

[SwampFoxZ71]

I recommend the P32 also. The Beretta Tomcat 32 is not a bad option, just a bit fatter than the P32.

You will find either of those pistols a pleasure to shoot at the range compared to the LCP. I liked our LCP's we had, they simply were no fun at the range.

And, why has nobody mentioned the Bond pistol? A Walther PPK in 32ACP? They're a little on the heavy side, and I wouldn't consider one for the pocket, but who can argue with carrying the iconic Walther in the same caliber Bond did? However, these would put you above the $400 price mark.

[L T C]

The NAA is a viable option.
You need to study them a bit and get the right set up for reliable pocket carry.
The wife never leaves home without hers and mine goes with me more than any other subcompact I own.
Started out with summer carry. I only like OWB belt carry and that is different in the hot weather when I don't tuck in an undershirt... and the Glock 26 or Smith 60 are too bulky in pocket holsters... for me anyway.
I think the "longer" barreled NAA' s shoot better.
I use a Sherrif model. The bride has the Black Widow.
Both are carried in RKBA leather pocket holsters which fit the guns like a glove and cover the trigger. The hammers sit in a safety notch in the cylinders.
I put the big Black Widow grip on my Sheriff model. The big grip is key to control these little gems.
Both guns will put all 5 rounds in a small paper plate at 15 yds with .22 Winmag ammo. Speer short barrel gold dot.
I have many caliber handguns to carry, the NAA's carry in their holster in a pocket like they're not even there and that is usually what goes out the door with us.
I wont go into the .22's stopping power... I will use NAA's ad slogan and say I sure as hell would not want to be shot with one.
If you can hit what and where your aiming the NAA is a good pocket gun IMO.

[TTR]

Beretta 3032. I have one with the laser grips. It can bite you though. ouch.

[Hodgie]

Check out the Taurus TCP it's all American Made, has a great price and is very comfortable to carry and shoot. I am going on having one for 3 weeks now with a tad over 500 rounds of both brass and steel through it and It's been pretty damn nice so far.