Need feedback on pocket gun choices.

[NCHornet]

I have my list generated for the gun show in Feb. but I would like to have some first hand knowledge of the following firearms. I have been out of the gun loop for 10 years due to illness and just starting to get back into it. Looking for a pocket/BUG . Here is my list I have developed so far, if you have other suggestions please let me know.
Seecamp in .380 or .32
NAA Guardian in .380 or .380 NAA
Walther PPK in .380 German or Interarms make
Bersa Thunder .380
Sig P230 or P232
Makarov in .380
Kahr PM9 = 9mm

I have ruled out the Keltec P3AT, I held one in my hand and it just felt junky, the fit and finish was awful, I know it is a favorite on here, but don't try and convince me I should buy it. I also understand the Sig doesn't really fit in this group, but I really love this gun and have wanted one for a long time. I appreciate the help ahead of time.
NCHornet

 

[rellascout]

Seecamp in .380 or .32
NAA Guardian in .380 or .380 NAA

These are the only pocket guns on your list IMHO. The others are too large for front pocket carry.

I went aways from auto loaders for my pocket gun. I went with a 642.

 

[NCHornet]

I don't agree, I wear cargo pants quite a but and can fit my Glock 23 in the pants with no problem, just a little heavy. I have a model 60 but prefer more firepower, and the slimness of a semiauto.
Thanks
NCHornet

 

[JasonW]

I have an affinity for collecting smaller concealed handguns. I have most of your list and of the ones listed, I would choose the Bersa in 380. The Makarov and PPK are the same caliber, yet weigh more being steel while the Bersa is aluminum alloy. Also, at $200, I don't care if the Bersa gets dinged or the finish gets worn as much as the others. You used to could buy the Mak for $200 but they are getting more expensive and I am starting to baby my EG Mak more than before. Good luck.

 

[rantingredneck]

I've got the .32 NAA Guardian and I like it. It's a solid little gun and packs quite a punch. All the reviews I've seen have been positive as have my experiences with it.

The stock sights on it are not great, but they are functional at ranges such a gun would be used. If you want better sights you can send it back to their custom shop for a couple of different options. (I plan to do that soon myself).

I've heard some griping from others about ammo availability but several shops around here routinely carry it and you can get it from several online vendors.

Give it a close look........

 

[dogloose]

I have a Seecamp LWS32 that I carry in a FIST #K5 ultra thin kydex pocket holster. The Seecamp is a marvel of engineering and workmanship and utterly reliable. Plus it disappears in any pocket - jeans, shorts or dress slacks. No sights... this is a close-in self-defense weapon strictly for point-and-shoot, which is how I practice at the range. The design of the Seecamp was built around shooting .32ACP hollow-points of which there are about a half dozen reliable brands to choose from today. From what I have read on the Seecamp forum the .380 at the same physical size and weight is a lot more snappy to fire. He!! the little .32 round in a gun this size is still not meant for a long day at the range putting holes in paper. I bought mine at a gun show recently after doing about the same research and looking at the same choices. Although I like my choice, I hope I never have to use it for its intended purpose.

 

[rellascout]

If money is not an issue I would have purchased a Rohrbaugh. King of the pocket 9's. I just could not bring my self to pay the $900. The seecamps are also very nice.

 

[tegemu]

As I mentioned in my reply to this question on another forum, since you have been out of the loop for a while, you might want to take a look at the Officers Size - 3" barrel, .45 ACP 1911's. They are about the same size and weight as some of your choices. I carry a Kimber Ultra Carry II in a Sam Andrews www.andrewsleather.com pocket holster, routinely. Lotsoffirepower.

 

[elwaine]

If you want a NAA Gaurdian, get the .32 and stay away from the .380. I had one. in the second place, it is a nasty gun to shoot. In the first place the rounds tumble and do not hit the target nose-on. That greatly decreases the penetration (which isn't too great anyway out of shuch a short barrel).

After owning the gun for a few months, I read an article thant really panned the gun because of the tumbling of the bullets. Naturally, as an owner, I dismissed the review as having been written by idiots. Then I took it to the range and examined the holes punched in my targets. Damn! They were oblong... not round. I got rid of that gun two days later.

Suggest you add a Kahr PM9 to your list. It is a true pocket pistol... in 9mm (a lot more punch than a .32 or .380), plus it is very easy to shoot accurately and very easy to control. In that respect, you'd swear you were shooting a larger gun. It is on the pricey side... but well worth it, IMO.

BTW, I owned a SIG P230 (very similar to the 232). It is a very nice gun, but not worth it when you can get a Kahr PM9 for the same (or less) money. The 9 mm is a better performer and is MUCH nicer to shoot. The straight blow-back design in most .380s results in considerably more felt recoil with the "weaker" .380 load than with the "more powerful" 9 mm. If you doubt what I say, try shooting each load in similar size guns and see for yourself.

 

[Magyar]

"Officers Size - 3" barrel"
To be fair, it is 3 & 5/8th inches, more closer to 4". To be honest, my Officer's model is quite heavy compared to the others for pocket wear.
I have heard good things about the Seecamp, but costly...I have the Walther PPK in the .380 and it does fit quite nicely in a jacket or pant pocket....This is my pocket-rocket....

 

[NCHornet]

I will add the Kahr 9mm to my list to check out, depending on size the 9mm would be a plus.
Thanks

 

[PSP]

The smallest and easiest gun to conceal, from the list, is the Seecamp. It is smaller and lighter than the NAA, especially in .380 form. The Bersa, P230, Walther and Makarov are all much larger and heavier...not really pocket guns. The Kahr is a good size and has a bigger bang.

Between the Seecamp and the Kahr there is really one question. Do you want a gun you can conceal no matter what you're wearing or a gun concealable "most" of the time?

NAA is no longer producing the Guardian due to production problems. That would make me nervous.

 

[oldbillthundercheif]

Why would you want a Makarov in .380?

None of my 9x18 Maks have ever jammed (knock on wood). I have not heard any praise like this on behalf of the .380-converted Maks.

The Makarov is a great pocket pistol... if you have big pockets made out of sturdy fabric.

 

[orionengnr]

Seecamp in .380 or .32
NAA Guardian in .380 or .380 NAA
These are the only pocket guns on your list IMHO. The others are too large for front pocket carry.

Not so, grasshopper.

The Kahr PM9 fits in any pair of jeans, pants or shorts I own. I am a 145#er and not one of the baggy-saggy generation.

Smaller and lighter than a 642, the widely-recognized King of Pocket Carry.

 

['75Scout]

Either the Seecamp 32acp or Sig Sauer 232. But my favorite pocket pistol is the Rohrbaugh, and it's what I'm saving for right now.

 

[sasquatch]

orionengnr

Kahr PM9, 16.9 oz. S&W 642, 15 oz.

 

[los]

....In the first place the rounds tumble and do not hit the target nose-on. That greatly decreases the penetration (which isn't too great anyway out of shuch a short barrel).

A tumbling [.380] projectile traveling 700-1000 fps at CQSD distances [usually well within twenty-one feet] will be extremely effective in causing severe, incapacitating tissue-mass damage.

As a tumbling bullet penetrates, it has the similar effect as a hollow-point that accomplishes successful full expansion.

If you love to hit the target that you've placed 75-100 feet away, and you love to see nice little round holes in the paper, it's obvious that tumbling is something you don't want to see happen.

But for serious personal self-defense, a tumbling bullet is a good thing. A very good thing!

 

[NCHornet]

I agree this is strictly going to be a SD BUG or primary when deep concealment is needed. Thanks for all the input, now I need to wait for the GunShow as we don't have a gun shop local that has this type of selection, small town thing.
On the Mak, a 9x18 would be just fine with me. Founfd out last night they changed the show date to March 3-4th, man the wait is going to kill me.
Thanks Again
NCHornet

 

[gfen]

I carried a Mak 9x18 on my belt for some time, I replaced it with an airweight J frame in my pocket.

The Mak is a solid hunk of steel, and you're gonna feel it. Its not the sort of thing you carry and forget about, whereas the airweight disappears into my front jeans pocket.

I can't speak on much else in this thread, but while the Makarov is a fun gun, a rare bargin, reliable and loaded with history....but its no pocket gun!

 

[dajowi]

Since this is a "back up gun" and you're already considering a .32 why not a Keltec P32? It is the lightest, flatest pistol you'll probably ever see. I know many who have them and none have had issues with the function of these weapons.