BUG choices

[Lee-online]

Well, I want to get a smaller pistol for carrying when on a motorcycle and for use as a BUG when necessary. i carry a G30 now. my caliber of choice, if possible is the .45

I was leaning toward the P3AT. but, before i go out and get one i thought i would look through my old American riflemen and see what other options i have.
I do like Glocks and the G36 would be nice but it isn't very small. the G39 is smaller but still not as small as the P3AT, but the .45GAP would be a good trade off.

The Taurus PT145 looks like it might be a good candidate but i haven't seen one yet.

North American Arms Guardian in .32NNA sounds promising but i haven't herd of anyone who has one. the price is a little high and the ammo is hard to get. It is small and good looking though!

I know there are the PPK, Sig P232, Kahr P9. but was wondering what everyone uses for a BUG and or carry pistol.
The G30 will still be my primary carry except when on the motorcycle out riding.

Maybe I'm thinking about this too hard and should just go out and get the P3AT.

[Jay5oh]

What about a kel-tec or kahr?

[jdlv4_0]

My dad used to carry a Beretta .32 Tomcat as BUG on his bike, he usually just kept it in his tank bag.

I've carried a Kahr Pm40, and found it to my liking, even for it's small size it was manageable.

Then I had a Colt Mustang +II, but my wife laid claim to it as it was easier for her to conceal in a majority of her oufits. see here for details on the Mustang

:http://www.pafoa.org/forum/pistols-4...ck-up-gun.html

I recently acquired a S&W 642 to be used as a pocket gun in the winter.

If your allready familiar with Glock's I recommend going with the Kahrs, if you don't want to go too small you can get one of thier new P45s, which really aren't that big to begin with. And there is a PM45 coming out this summer:

http://www.kahr.com/front.html

Personally I prefer alloy, or steel to polymer and if that's your fancy you can always get the Kahrs in either or. If I were to buy another small auto I'd probably go with the Kahr MK9 or MK40.

There's also the Rohrbaugh R9s in 9mm which are a little pricey, but from what I hear are excellent guns.
http://www.rohrbaughfirearms.com/

As for the PPKS, I don't particually care for them, I like to have a slide stop.
Then you have the SIG 230/232 and that has the mag release on the heel of the butt that I don't care for either.

There's the Bersa lineup and while I'm not overly fond of the .380 cartridge, thier Thunder .380 is a nice little pistol for a low price and is my favorite of the Walther/Makarov knock-offs. They also have the Thunder 9, which is mildly agreeable to my likings in that it has the features that I like and is in atleast 9mm.

http://www.bersafirearmsusa.com/


The bottom line in BUGs is to carry what's confortable both in caliber and size/demensions.

Definately shop around and shoot all your prospects.

I've shot almost all the guns listed above and of all of them I prefer the Colt Mustang and the 642.

Enjoy and let us know what you choose.

[knight0334]

The Bersa line is good dispite the low prices. I liked mine well enough to give it way to a convert for her first gun. (sounds weird, but trust me).

[pghplr]

The Bersa line is good dispite the low prices.

I also agree with the Bersa Thunder. I've been riding with mine for a few years. It's bigger than the Kal-tec but can still go in your pocket. I generally don't like to carry in my pocket, but when i do, I like something big enough to stay in it the way I put it in there. With no room to turn sideways or flip around and lay at the bottem of my pocket on its back. Especially if I'd have to dig in there in a hurry with no safety. For me, the added size is fine because I feel you shouldn't put anything else in a pocket thats designated for your gun. You shouldn't need room for keys or small change. And with 7+1 CorBon +P in there, and with its accuracy and so far uncanny ability to just always fire when asked to, even though I paid less than $ 190.00 for it. I give it a thumbs up.

[Emptymag]

The P3AT is as small as you'll find in that caliber. A larger caliber will result in a larger handgun.
Bigger is better unless you stop carrying due to size/weight.

I assume you are just looking for input on some different handguns because there is NO WAY someone else can decide what carry gun is best for YOU.

I can't tell you which gun to buy. I can only offer some things to think about.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the gun that's "right" for you.
Factors included (but not limited to): Desired caliber, SA/DA, Type of clothing you wear or are willing to start wearing to conceal properly, ease of use in "panic" situation...

I have a Glock 19, but it's not one I can carry well, so I ended up with a P32 for summer and a Colt Pony .380 for winter. Eventually I'll replace the P32 with the P3AT. Can't be beat for the size!
I have no firsthand knowledge of the .380 Kel Tec, but I can tell you that my P32 has been good to me and I can't see myself ever selling it.

Myself, I wanted the smallest handgun .32 or larger that had no external safety and was as "smooth" as possible to avoid digging into my side when carrying in a inside the waistband holster. The way I dress had a lot to do with my choice of a small carry gun. I can't always wear the kind of clothes that make concealing a larger gun easy. I would prefer a larger caliber. Like my desire to "upgrade" my summer gun to the P3AT, I would LOVE to find a Colt Pocket 9 as it's the same size as my Pony but in a larger caliber.

jdlv4_0 and I have "spoken" briefly about our Colts.
His Mustang is much like my Pony, but mine is double action with a heavy trigger pull and no external safety.
Here's the pics and "conversation" about my gang...
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/gun-pictu...-gun-pics.html

I, too, would look at a Kahr if minimal size is a consideration and you want 9mm or larger.
Kahr was near the top of my list of "smallest" possible carry guns.

Not too many years ago the only choice for a really small concealment handgun was NAA Guardian. Times have changed and there are many good options out there!

Good luck in your search!

[Jhiaxus]

I have both a P3AT and a Kahr PM40, They both do their job, the PM40 is larger but it still is a pocket gun for jeans (at least to me).

[Agent Ronin]

For something small, light, and reliable i just thought i suggest a S&W J-Frame 38Spc. As a BUG. 38 specials have adequate power and are still quite reasonable price wise these days.

For those instances that i carry a BUG, which is once in a blue-moon, i'll carry my J-Frame in the pocket with my USP40c on a belt holster.

Anyway just my 0.02$

[scoutjoe]

I was looking at the P3AT and the Thunder closely and I eventually went with the Bersa. The main reason was the fact that I can run "hotter" ammo through the Bersa. The Kel-tec can't run the magsafe through it. Also the Bersa can have 8 +1 if you get the extended mag for it.

[BUCKMARK]

I own the G30 and the G26. The G26 is much easier to carry, but it's still a thick little gun and you will know you have it on you.

I own a Kel-Tec, and it's about as tiny and light as you will get for a front pocket gun.

I have a Colt Mustang and Pony, both Pocketlites. Great little guns, but hard to find, cost a lot today, and not as light as the Kel-tec.

For major caliber in a front pocket gun, the Kahr PM9, PM40 and the new PM45 are hard to beat.

I myself don't care much for front pocket carry, I use the Kahr P9.

The P9 is just right for a jacket pocket, IWB holster or a belt slide like the JIT.

The P9 is very light and thin. MUCH EASIER to carry than the Glock G26.

Mine has factory night sights and holds 7+1 of +P 124 HP's....I carry it as my primary in the summer. It's very sweet, and would be great for carry while on a bike.

The Kahr feels a lot like a Glock and all of the controls are in the same place. Other than the actual trigger pull, they are very much the same.