Page 3 of 8 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 73

Thread: Small semi vs. small revolver

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Fort Collins Colorado
    Posts
    2,672
    Feedback Score
    4 (100%)
    Quote Originally Posted by Hogsgunwild View Post
    I had a S&W 340PD for my front pocket carry and / or BUG gun for six years. Great gun but I replaced it with a Rohrbaugh R9 and never looked back. 6+1 of (non +P) 9MM with a faster reload in a very accurate and reliable gun. The R9 doesn't annoy my leg like the revolver's bulging cylinder did. The Smith was a great gun. The R9 suited my needs substantially better.

    My next chioce was the Kahr PM9. I like the gun and it shoots great but the tiny size difference between the R9 and the PM9 was well worth the much larger price tag of the R9 for me.

    I also bought the LCP right before I purchased the R9. Once I had the R9, I never took the LCP out of the safe again. The LCP never had a hick-up, either.
    so those rohrbaughs run good eh?

    I've always been fascinated by them, but kind of figured they were maybe too close to the bleeding edge of reliability.... what's your round count on the rohr?

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    514
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Quote Originally Posted by skyugo View Post
    so those rohrbaughs run good eh?

    I've always been fascinated by them, but kind of figured they were maybe too close to the bleeding edge of reliability.... what's your round count on the rohr?
    Hi Skyugo, my little R9 has been some of the absolute best gun money I have ever spent. When I bought it several years ago, I was so impressed with it's 100% reliability over (I would guess) about 900rounds or more, that I came close to buying a second gun; one for the range and one for carry. I absolutly loved shooting it as the accuracy I got out of it was so much better that I was able to do with any of the nine or ten snub nosed revolvers that I have owned over the years.

    The gun is not designed to be shot a lot. When I took it to the range, I would shoot about three magazines and then swap it out with another pistol for awhile to let it cool off. I really liked shooting it so much that I figured I would just plan on wearing the gun out and having more of them. I do not shoot it so much anymore as I like to keep it clean and lubed-up so it is ready to go when I need a pocket gun. I still may pick up a second one as it is a bitch to field strip for cleaning.

    It is my first pick for big projects on the house or yard where I may or may not wear a shirt or do not want to sweat all over my larger IWB carried guns. Pocket carry rarely if ever gets the gun sweaty, even in the summer here.

    I shot about 240 to 300 rounds of the manufacturer recommended non+P 115 and 124 gr. Gold Dots and the rest of my ammo was all ball Georgia Arm, Winchester White Box etc. generic ball ammo.

    My two spare six round magazines carry in my other front pocket in a chopped nylon Uncle Mike's double mag pouch that works for 1911 mags as well in my front pocket.

    I have owned several short barreled pistols and to keep a reliable one reliable, magazine and recoil springs need to be replaced on a generous basis. When I bought the R9 (used, like new), I just ordered new mag springs and bought half a dozen extra recoil springs right off the bat.
    Last edited by Hogsgunwild; 09-29-11 at 13:09.

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    304
    Feedback Score
    0
    I have been searching and found some model 10-7 2" that i think i will buy anyway if the price is right. what would be a good price?
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

    Thomas Jefferson

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    1,084
    Feedback Score
    3 (100%)
    Quote Originally Posted by jc75754 View Post
    I have been searching and found some model 10-7 2" that i think i will buy anyway if the price is right. what would be a good price?
    $350-ish is the low end for a clean M-10. But it's a K-frame, and they're substantially bigger than J-frames.


    Okie John

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Gateway to the West
    Posts
    800
    Feedback Score
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by skyugo View Post
    i used to own a g26 as well as my g19. I didn't carry my g19 much at all until i got an atomic dog holster custom made. it sits the grip about a finger above my belt. works in a fitted t-shirt...

    so... ok, i will admit the g26 is a little better for concealment. it's also quite a bit slower to draw, especially if you have it riding as low as my 19 holster. obviously a full grip is always welcome on a handgun, especially when bad things happen.

    Honestly if money were no issue i'd have a 19, a 26 and a j-frame. I just feel like the 19 and the j-frame occupy a wider spectrum than a 19 and a 26.

    I don't disagree ,the j frame is certainly easier to carry, but I had a hard time talking myself into anything but belt carry myself. I also had reservations about buying a gun that I would have to feed different ammo, train with differently, and most importantly learn to reload in a way entirely different from what I had been accustomed to.

    I also already had a pair of Hackathorn sights from Ameriglo that I got as part of a trade-in, and a holster that fit the 26, and a buttload of 9mm...

    it ended up being more economical in my particular shoes that day I went to the gun show, but I could see myself buying a j frame later on in my life.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    680
    Feedback Score
    0
    j frame vs small auto breakdown in my experience:

    mechanical accuracy- wheel gun better
    practical accuracy shooter can get -auto better
    concealability -edge to the auto
    reliability edge to the revolver
    quick relaod- edge to the auto
    ease of maintaining/lieklihood of parts breakage-edge to revolver
    so as you can see it is still a coin toss-my true "deep cover" gun is a seecamp-as you can see -auto
    my next step up is a J-frame revolver.
    Most people can shoot a small auto much better than a j frame. I grew up with wheel guns and can shoot a clean (300- 30x score on a b27 target) when our club does a police qual shoot with a smith 36.
    I have also done the same with a glock 27.
    The key to small guns working is practice. way too many people grab a j frame but only practice with full size guns, don't practice ankle or pocket draws and that won't make you effective with the snubby.
    It was common in wheel gun days for detectives to show up on qual day with a 4 inch k or l frame qual then carry a snubby -they did this because the snubbies are harder to shoot well. practice with the snubby is the key
    I have practiced dry and on the range well over one thousand presentations from my ankle holster with my j frame and once you get the system down it is pretty quick- nearly as quick as drawing a belt gun from true concealment.

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    476
    Feedback Score
    0
    I went through this decision loop myself recently, as related to my backup gun. For the last two years or so, I've been carrying a Kahr PM9 as a daily BUG, and have frequently extolled it's superiority to the J-frame vis-a-vis sights, trigger, recoil, capacity, reload speed, etc.

    A couple of months back, though, I decided that I'd better go ahead and actually do some training with my PM9, beyond the twice a year required qual. What I found was that, for ME, while the PM9 still shoots better, I simply can't find a way to hold the pistol while running it at speed without occasionally hitting the magazine release inadvertently, which, of course, makes a disappointing "click" occur when you want a "bang." The real problem is, when combining my big hands with the PM9's small grip, and the relatively "soft" magazine release button, it's very easy to release the mag JUST ENOUGH that it drops out of lock, without falling free - causing a FTF (slide forward on an empty chamber).

    This never happened to me during our relatively sedate qualification course, when I have time to get a careful grip on the pistol and make sure all the fundamentals are right. When doing fast draws from concealment under time pressure, and trying to engage multiple targets while moving (read death grip on the pistol from adrenalin dump), I found the above "failure" happened with distressing regularity.

    So, after years of saying the PM9 is the best thing since sliced bread, I've gone back to the 642 for a BUG (the fact that Bud's LE had no-locks for a RIDICULOUS price helped the decision). Yes, I lost capacity, and shootability, and reload speed - but, I figure if I ever have to really pull my BUG, I HAVE TO have complete reliability - regardless of how I'm grabbing the pistol.

    Now, if you're looking for a deep concealment PRIMARY handgun, and you honestly can't carry a real gun (think G19 size), the single stack 9mms make a lot more sense than a J-frame, if you can find one that works for you.

    WRT the G26, I've owned several, and, honestly, never kept one more than a couple of months. In a good IWB holster, there's functionally no difference in concealability between it and a G19 - which happens to be my primary carry gun. The G26 is way too large for pocket carry, and, for me, too heavy to carry comfortably on the ankle all day, so it simply fills no role in my system.

    Regards,

    Kevin

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Alaska
    Posts
    7,965
    Feedback Score
    9 (100%)
    Quote Originally Posted by CAVDOC View Post
    j frame vs small auto breakdown in my experience:

    mechanical accuracy- wheel gun better
    practical accuracy shooter can get -auto better
    concealability -edge to the auto
    reliability edge to the revolver
    quick relaod- edge to the auto
    ease of maintaining/lieklihood of parts breakage-edge to revolver
    so as you can see it is still a coin toss-my true "deep cover" gun is a seecamp-as you can see -auto
    my next step up is a J-frame revolver.
    Most people can shoot a small auto much better than a j frame. I grew up with wheel guns and can shoot a clean (300- 30x score on a b27 target) when our club does a police qual shoot with a smith 36.
    I have also done the same with a glock 27.
    The key to small guns working is practice. way too many people grab a j frame but only practice with full size guns, don't practice ankle or pocket draws and that won't make you effective with the snubby.
    It was common in wheel gun days for detectives to show up on qual day with a 4 inch k or l frame qual then carry a snubby -they did this because the snubbies are harder to shoot well. practice with the snubby is the key
    I have practiced dry and on the range well over one thousand presentations from my ankle holster with my j frame and once you get the system down it is pretty quick- nearly as quick as drawing a belt gun from true concealment.
    You forgot a huge issue when it comes to pocket guns. Ballisitics. The 38 and 357 are much better than the .380 and .32 auto.
    pat
    Serving as a LEO since 1999.
    USPSA# A56876 A Class
    Firearms Instructor
    Armorer for AR15, 1911, Glocks and Remington 870 shotguns.

  9. #29
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Cesspool, CA
    Posts
    170
    Feedback Score
    12 (100%)
    Thanks Kevin - I think you hit on a big factor with small autos that many overlook. That comfort/confidence in using a J-frame has always been my impression with them, as well. I have discussed this time and again with others and it seems to fall on deaf ears. Although, I used to train a lot with a 442, others assume their small auto bug will handle the same under stress as the duty weapon - can't imagine a greater miscalculation. Yet, most find it difficult enough to get time in on the main gun. My choice has always been a j-frame for that reason. I personally don't like the way the single stack short grip frames feel and I never could develop a memory for that stress grab. Just not for me.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Dallas, TX
    Posts
    467
    Feedback Score
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by warpedcamshaft View Post
    I would consider the J-frame/sub-compact auto (LC9/PF9 or smaller sized auto) to be a "*rule-1" gun or a backup gun.

    *Rule 1 of a fight against an escalated criminal: have a gun.

    Meaning, if you find that you constantly leave your Glock 19 or similarly sized pistol at home. A rule 1 gun is a gun on your person, instead of at home because your larger pistol was uncomfortable.

    I wouldn't want to take on a determined attacker who is armed with a full sized high capacity pistol with a "Rule 1" gun in my hand unless there was no other way out or my family was about to be harmed. However, a knife armed thug would likely scurry after seeing a glimpse of a firearm. There are many situations where a couple of hits from a J-frame has saved peoples lives against unsuspecting and well armed assailants.

    That is why I think it is important to recognize the differences between a Rule-1 gun and a true combat handgun. As the saying goes: "a gun on your person is better than a gun at home."

    What I am trying to say is: If we look at the most likely scenarios, capacity and reload speed may take a back seat to reliability/firing flexibility (contact shots, odd hand grips, etc).

    Just food for thought. Let me know what you think.
    This x 1000. I have a little SP101 that can be clipped on to any pair of shorts here in TX IWB or pocket carry. When its 110 degrees a larger auto is tough to conceal. Yes the slim single stack high caps would be better--but they require "garb". those little revolvers are grab and go. Mine is even a bit larger than nessecary as I wanted to shoot .357 and still have wrists. An Airlite with 38+p would be even more portable.

    I'm not usually an ammo snob either but no one (NO ONE!) recommends 380/9mm Mak. 38+p is where it starts.

    Nothing against the little 9mm semi-autos either. If you find a good one that works, make it your carry piece.
    Last edited by TXBob; 09-30-11 at 17:00.

Page 3 of 8 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •