M&P340 or G26 or 84FS Cheetah for pocket carry?

[Irfan]

I’ve been carrying full size pistols for a long time, a Glock 17, 92FS and CZ85B, but sometimes especially during the summer days I find it difficult to carry concealed a full sized pistol so I leave it at home and take only my folding knife with me.
But as I always wear some kind of vest I’d like to get some new smaller pistol that I could carry in a pocket. Those are my choices: G26, M&P340 (I’d use a .357 ammo) and Beretta 84FS Cheetah?

So based on your experience what would you advise me to get and why? Thank you very much.

[QuietShootr]

I use a 340. To me the G26 is so heavy that I may as well carry my 19, and the 84 is a gigantic .380. No contest at all.

You can't feel the 340 in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster.

[Buckaroo]

Kahr PM9 would be my choice. I have a snubbie but it doesn't take mags, Glock subcompacts are way too big to pocket carry, but the PM9 is just right!

Buckaroo

[gtmtnbiker98]

The MP340 down right hurts when shooting full-house .357s. If you intend to practice, more than likely you'll use .38 or .38+P. You'd be better served by a 442, not to mention the cost savings. I owned and carried an MP340 for about a year and really enjoyed it, but I could never handle working with the full-house .357 loads. Why own a .357 if all you use is a .38? So I sold it.

[tenpointer]

I recently received a 340 M&P for front pocket carry. i would respectively disagree with the last poster as to why have one if you can't/ won't shoot full .357 magnum loads. For me, the sighting system of tritium large round dot and larger sight groove is superior to the 442 or the 340PD. Also the trigger action seems smoother and lighter than the other smiths I tested. While I can tolerate the full load 158 grain loads, faster follow up shots with the Gold Dot 135 grain for short barrel will probably make this load my choice. I work were a visible sidearm would not be tolerable and don't wear vests or coats so the small size and lighter weight of the 340 won me over a Glock subcompact. FWIW I am wearing corduroys, jeans or Khakis and so far the 340 and Galco pocket holster have been adequately concealed.

[tpd223]

I'd use the snub with +P .38 ammo, the Gold Dot or DPX in particular.

[John_Wayne777]

The J frame works well as a pocket gun for most. The G26 is a fine little firearm, but generally a bit too big for pocket carry for most. There's no reason to consider a Beretta 84. While it's a neat firearm for a collection and fun to shoot, it's the size of a compact 9mm like the G19 with the power of a Ruger LCP. Screw that.

All of that being said:

You are likely able to conceal a hell of a lot more gun than you think even in the summer and in light clothes IF you use the right carry gear and IF you dress in a manner commensurate with carrying the life-saving tool. Most adult males can easily carry something like a G19 in shorts and a t-shirt.

The prerequisite is a decision...a commitment to carrying something reasonable. That means deciding that you are going to carry as much gun as you reasonably can at all times and that you're going to invest some time and money into getting good carry gear. Personally I prefer Raven Concealment's gear as I've found it to be exceptionally comfortable and better than anything else I've tried at concealing a firearm. I've lost several pieces of Raven gear to friends who have tried it. I lost my Glock gear to a friend of mine who is just a bit over 5' tall and about 140 pounds. When I showed him that he could conceal a Glock 17 in an RCS phantom worn inside the waistband, he had a Flowers for Algernon moment and wouldn't give up the holster. He now owns my RCS Glock gear and my G26, both of which he loves dearly.

Decide to carry a capable weapon. Find excellent concealment gear. Be willing to adjust your dress to accommodate the carry of a weapon you can use well. (Because hits, and only hits, end gunfights) 3/4 of successful concealed carry is mindset. Getting your mind right about what it is you are trying to accomplish and what tools will let you do that is going to make everything else much easier.

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

+1. Glock 26 is too big for pocket carry.

[LHS]

I've yet to find something that I can carry in a pocket that provides suitable peace of mind as a primary carry gun. I keep a pre-lock S&W 642 J-frame in a pocket as a backup gun, but I have a full-size pistol in an IWB rig or fanny pack as a primary.

As for the .357, don't bother. You won't get much ballistic benefit from the .357 in a snubby, but you will get a lot of flash and recoil. The .38 DPX load is supposedly wonderful, as is the designed-for-snubbies .38 Gold Dot loading. Personally, I just stick with 148-gr wadcutters. They work, they're accurate enough for J-frame distances, the recoil is light enough to allow for rapid follow-up shots and I can afford to practice with my carry ammo. Given the differences in POA/POI between various .38 loads fired out of a snubby, I consider that more important than the marginal increase in lethality that I'd get from carrying DPX or Gold Dots.

Honestly, there aren't many outfits that won't let you conceal a G19 with a good IWB holster. With something like a Threat Solutions UCR or Raven Phantom, you can conceal a G19 under a loose T-shirt. 15 rounds of 9mm in an easily shootable size is about as good as it gets for concealment guns. If you're really worried, do the same thing with a G26 and watch it disappear under a shirt. I routinely carry a full-size Beretta 92 under an untucked Hawaiian shirt with no issues with a UCR holster. If I can fit that pig under there, you can fit a G19 :)

[Gewehr3]

I think the only good role the Cheetah fills is for those with poor hand/arm strength. The pistol can be loaded with a tip up barrel, and probably has mild recoil.

I'd go with the 340.

[ThirdWatcher]

S&W J-Frame or Walther PPS.

[kgwld1]

Maybe it just me but for summer carry my Kahr pm 9 is to big for shorts or jean front pocket carry. My Kel tec p3at is about all I can get in a normal sized pocket.

I swear by smart carry for summer and even can get away with caring my Glock 26 in it.

I love my 340 also and for me the sights were worth the money difference plus the weight savings. I must be tough (lol) because firing .357 isn't that big of a deal to me.

Kevin

[Reddevil]

Another vote for the 340. I've had mine for over a year now and love it. The extra $$ was worth it for the big dot sights alone. Have to carry GD .38 +P 135g while using it as a BUG on duty but I carry GD 135gr .357 when carrying it AIWB off duty. I don't believe in pocket carry for a primary for accessibility reasons.

[kgwld1]

I also agree about the pocket carry. I smart carry with a flexable waist band only!

[Sandpiper111]

Carry the one you shoot best, you can shoot (most) accurately under stress, and that best fits whatever carry/mission profile you have. If I had or was limited to only the three choices you indicate, I'd go with the G26. I've carried one only once for a short assignment, but would carry one again anytime. In contrast to those who've declined the Cheetah, a good .380 today with a suitable barrel length and best-in-class HP is a very viable short-range defensive option. About six years ago I was limited to choosing between a J-frame and a SIG 230 for a particular situation. I went to the range before I chose, and ran a timed combat course with both at 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 yards, also incorporating reloads. The SIG beat the Smith at every distance beyond 3 yards for both volume and speed of -accurate- fire delivered on targets. With Hydra-shocks and two spare mags, I felt my life and those with me were better covered with the SIG, but I also pragmatically recognized going in the limitations of either a .380 or a small .38. I also carried my cell phone and kept my brain switched on.

[G-2]

Hot weather, it's the Colt Pocketlite (.380 Gold Dots) and a couple of spare mags. Down south here there is a variety of weather and it requires a variety of pistols and a variety of carry methods in order to carry concealed at all times. Also like the J-frame as our next hot weather choice (38+P Gold Dots).