Very Small Pistol

[Waingro]

So my collection is growing: the HD Shotgun, Glock 19, and now I want to pick up something very tiny that I can carry without any problem at all.

I am not made out of money so price is a slight issue. I have seen the Seacamp .32, Beretta Bobcat .32, and the NAA .22LR Revolver. The Seacamp is awfully expensive. Bobcat is not that bad at around $350. The NAA .22LR is very cheap at around $200.

I have a feeling the NAA will not be of any use unless someone is standing five feet away from me, thats where I could always use a handy pocket knife instead and most likely stop an attacker faster.

I am leaning towards the Bobcat but I read here about the slide being made out of steel and the frame out of aluminum, thus the frame wears down fast. I only read that from one person though.

I will be taking this gun to the range and for carry use with my Utah CCW. Do any of you fellas have any input on this? Are there any other options? I don't know much about ballistics - but I do believe my nail gun uses .22 casings.

Are there any other options in CA?

[RAD-CDPII]

So my collection is growing: the HD Shotgun, Glock 19, and now I want to pick up something very tiny that I can carry without any problem at all.

I am not made out of money so price is a slight issue. I have seen the Seacamp .32, Beretta Bobcat .32, and the NAA .22LR Revolver. The Seacamp is awfully expensive. Bobcat is not that bad at around $350. The NAA .22LR is very cheap at around $200.

I have a feeling the NAA will not be of any use unless someone is standing five feet away from me, thats where I could always use a handy pocket knife instead and most likely stop an attacker faster.

I am leaning towards the Bobcat but I read here about the slide being made out of steel and the frame out of aluminum, thus the frame wears down fast. I only read that from one person though.

I will be taking this gun to the range and for carry use with my Utah CCW. Do any of you fellas have any input on this? Are there any other options? I don't know much about ballistics - but I do believe my nail gun uses .22 casings.

Are there any other options in CA?

If you go with the NAA, get the .22 Mag. The flash and the noise will scare them if nothing else. Kick isn't that bad. I also have the Tomcat 3032 which is nice, I thought the Bobcat was the .25 ACP. If it's not gong to get shot much, I wouldn't worry about the wear.

[Glock22Fan]

Although there are people that will tell you that shot placement is everything (not that they've ever shot an angry 240lb crackhead), most experts will tell you that, although you can stop a BG with a small caliber, it is not that easy unless you have the gun against their head. If you take self defense seriously, you should be looking at nothing less than 9mm or .38spl. A .380 is considered marginal by these people. Many California LEO departments will not approve you to carry anything smaller on your CCW permit (Utah doesn't specify caliber).

There are now quite a few compact 9mm's, and snubby .38's can be cheap and easy to conceal (saw a recent Personal Defense TV program where Masaad Ayoob had a snubby in a pocket holster in his pants pocket. Totally out of sight.)

Personally, I carry a full-sized Glock 22 anywhere it is legal. I have no problems with weight, size or concealability. I cannot see the need to go below a 9/.38 unless you go around town in a Speedo.

[5968]

How tiny are you talking? I consider the Kahr PM9 to be tiny. I think that it is the smallest handgun that I would carry for self defense. Then again I'm not very big on .22s/.32s or even 380 as self defense rounds.

[Gator Monroe]

My 1927 SEAM (Spain) 6.35 mm Vest pocket auto is smalller than a Baby Browning !

[Desert Rat]

Attaboy.......................

............................ John, preach the only true gospel of self-defense! Even with a good stopping caliber, you will probably still be wrestling the perp for awhile before he bleeds out and faints. Not much rapid bleed-out from mouse-guns, so if that is all you have, running is a much better option.

Although there are people that will tell you that shot placement is everything (not that they've ever shot an angry 240lb crackhead), most experts will tell you that, although you can stop a BG with a small caliber, it is not that easy unless you have the gun against their head. If you take self defense seriously, you should be looking at nothing less than 9mm or .38spl. A .380 is considered marginal by these people. Many California LEO departments will not approve you to carry anything smaller on your CCW permit (Utah doesn't specify caliber).

There are now quite a few compact 9mm's, and snubby .38's can be cheap and easy to conceal (saw a recent Personal Defense TV program where Masaad Ayoob had a snubby in a pocket holster in his pants pocket. Totally out of sight.)

Personally, I carry a full-sized Glock 22 anywhere it is legal. I have no problems with weight, size or concealability. I cannot see the need to go below a 9/.38 unless you go around town in a Speedo.

[1911_Mitch]

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[ivanimal]

There are small pistols;


Really small pistols;


And my favorite small pistols.



Rhe P3AT is my favorite for its size and caliber 380 is minimum. The P-11 is the smallest 9MM and the NAA is ridiculously small and accurate. The baby Browning although cool is not accurate and gets dirty fast, it wont run dirty, 2 mags and it needs a bath.


All of these guns can be found if you look for them.

[WolfMansDad]

A .38 snubby will conceal about as well as any mousegun, but it has much better ballistics.

I have a seecamp, but I don't carry it.

[j1133s]

When I was pocket carrying back in TX, I found the Kahr PM9 to be pretty convenient. You get 7 rounds of 9mm in a very compact package. Combined w/ a DeSantis pocket holster, you can be very, very discrete. It shoots very well too.

[CSACANNONEER]

I would never buy a .22 for a carry gun. That said, .22 mouse guns can be fun. I have a NAA revolver, a couple Beretta 21As is .22lr (and a 950 in .25), a Sharps pepperbox reproduction and a Mossberg Brownie. I consider them all to be "fun guns" although one of the 21As did save the life of a pregnant miniture donkey once! A "pack" (7) of wolf hybreds hade just taken it down......I'll leave the rest for another time, over a cold one. Back to the topic, I'd suggest a small .38, if you are going to count on it for a PD weapon.

[Black Majik]

I also wouldn't carry a .22 LR as a defensive pistol. If you're looking into a pocket gun, the best option for a easily attainable pistol would be the airweight S&W J-frames and the Kahr PM9.

A Kel-tec would be nice but everyone that sells them ask 2 times what they normally go for.

[Trempel]

I pack a S&W 442, when nothing bigger can be carried. With Speer GD 135gr ammo, specially designed for snubbies, I feel very confident with it.

[VegasND]

I have a Beretta 21a 'Bobcat' .22 lr and a P3AT. The .380 is actually smaller, thinner, and lighter (loaded or unloaded) than the .22! Therefore, I never carry the Beretta. Actually, the KelTec PF-9 is easy enough to conceal that I almost never carry the .380 unless I need to be extra-inconspicuous. I find the 9X19 just seems a better choice for a slightly larger pistol.

[metalhead357]

There are small pistols;


.

Hey, whats that revolver in the middle with the ruger-ish grips?

I'm surprised you aint got a cat-9 in there, another small one....web buster but is still a decently small little gun