Why Aren’t You Carrying a Pocket Pistol?
I’m sure many readers will question the logic of including a “pocket pistol
I agree there are better weapons for saving your skin. But the pocket pistol, being small and light is likely to be with you when you need it and not left because you didn’t want to carry the weight and bulk of a more effective weapon.
Even a mid-size handgun like the Glock19 can be a pain to lug around all day, while doing chores like cutting firewood, mending fence or tending the garden. A small handgun like the Beretta 21A Bobcat can be carried all day, without any trouble and be available when needed.
For example; a few days ago I was picking tomatoes from the garden, dusk was filling the sky and I was in a hurry to get what I needed to fill the canner, before the last minutes of light slipped into darkness.
Just as I was reaching in to pluck a big juicy red one from the vine I spotted a Copperhead (pit viper) lying beneath the plants on the ground – to be honest, when I saw the thing, I nearly pooped my pants.
The first shot from the little Beretta Bobcat missed by about two inches (danged small sites) it quickly curled into strike mode, the second and third shot found the target.
It measured 30 inches end to end and was as fat as I’ve ever seen. I hope this is the same one that bit my dog a few nights ago. He has been bitten two times within the last four months. Looks like after getting hit the first time he would have learned his lesson. But then he’s always been kinda slow.
I always carry the Beretta in my hip pocket when working around the place, it’s not the best defensive tool, but it’s always there; unlike the 12-gauge taking up space in the rack.
It’s been said before that a handgun is best used to fight your way back to your shotgun or rifle. I couldn’t agree more.
What do you think are pocket pistols useful for the Survivalist?
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!Related posts:
December 18th, 2009 at 12:20 AM
Of all the pocket pistols I have seen in my life , the pocket automatics ,the mini-revolvers , the derringers and revolvers , I would say for survival in our urban jungles I would say the best weapon would be atleast for me would be an air-weight hammerless Smith and Wesson in .38 special ! No safties or buttons to fool with , no slides to pull back or worrying about a bullet in the chamber going off in my pocket as could happen with an automatic ,a totally reliable self-defence weapon that can be pulled out of one's pocket in a moments notice ! And believe me muggers work fast ! As do car-jackers ! Check out the S&W model 442 !
[Reply]
December 25th, 2009 at 10:49 PM
Today I took one of my pocket survival pistols to the range to do some shooting , my Taurus Judge ! Unfortunately all I had were the .410 #6 shot shells , I will be honest I wasn't at all impressed with the penetration , at 20 to 25 paces about 40 pages of a paper back book , my airgun does better than that ! The judge is far superior to any of the shotgun derringers , but for serious self-defence always use either buckshot , #4 shot or the .45 Colt ! #6 shot is called bird shot and that is all it is good for shooting small game birds at very close range ! Sometime I would like to remove the small shot from the #6 .410 cartridge and replace it with lead BB's not steel BB's as that would damage the rifling of the barrel , that would make for a great close range defence round ! The Taurus Judge makes a great trail gun , but know it's limitations ! The best Judge in my opinion is the newest ones that take the 3 inch .410 shell , have a 6 inch barrel and are stainless steel !Unfortunately mine is blue steel and only takes the 2 and a half inch .410 and .45 Colt !
[Reply]
December 27th, 2009 at 2:52 AM
I was in the supermarket today and seen a most interesting magazine in the gun section , called Taurus 2010 , all about the Taurus Arms company and their newest products , a very good article on the Taurus Judge , why it was made , and it being the most popular Taurus weapon made at this time . Any of you get the chance see this magazine , you'll probably want to go out and buy the Taurus Judge after reading about it !
[Reply]
December 29th, 2009 at 7:59 PM
I carry a Taurus m-85ul.I have it loaded with 135gr +p gold dots. If I ever have to use it; I am confident it will pull me through most encounters.
[Reply]
January 2nd, 2010 at 6:18 AM
Sure like my Kahr P380. Sweet shooter. I use Corbon DPX .380 rounds.
[Reply]
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:00 AM
I keep a Rorhbaugh R9S (9mm micropistol)in a pocket holster where my wallet should be. My wallet is thin and stays up in a front pocket. This works for several things, including a mugging. I'm a big guy but will cower and whimper and tell the bad guy "please don't hurt me, here's my wallet", and pull our my little popper. Been happy a few times it was there already, came close to using it once. The guy saw me turn to face him in a dark parking lot, and put my hand in my pocket. That was all it took…
[Reply]
January 5th, 2010 at 10:59 PM
Ok.better late than never,Keltec pf-9small,ultra light,9mm,not trying to start a war but I dont trust anything under 9mm.can carry in back pocket just fine.
[Reply]
January 6th, 2010 at 3:22 AM
Remember if using any of the so called mouse guns shot placement is most important ! Of course realize that the mere sight of a gun will scare away your attacker unless he is on drugs or totally insane !I remember reading an article once about a woman who had shot her attacker with an RG .22 short only revolver , the attacker was shot in the chest and died in a short time ! As a side note , this past weekend I was at the Mesa Arizona gun show and prices on used handguns were out of sight ! Guns that not many years ago were being sold for $80-$100 are now going for $150-$200 ! Even the old junk guns like RG revolvers and cheap 1960's made German derringers $100 and up ! I did find alittle gem , an old model Ruger Bearcat .22 revolver , this was and still is a popular little trail gun especially here in the West , good for snakes or maybe a coyote with rabies but definately not for protection against bear or mountain lion !On these back trails here in Northern Arizona I would not consider carrying anything less than a .357 but would prefer a .45 or .44 magnum , you really need a large bullet with penetration to stop large and dangerous animals !
[Reply]
January 8th, 2010 at 2:56 AM
Maybe this is alittle off topic but I have seen several comments on pocket pistols that are good for killing snakes , a few years back I probably would have shot every snake that I would encounter but since living here in Northern Arizona I see the value of snakes in helping to keep the rodent population down ! Just leave your car unattended for several weeks here and pack rats will get under the hood of your auto and eat the hoses ! It costed me several hundred dollars to replace ! Now when I see a snake I leave him alone and let him do his job , eating pack rats and mice !Even the rattle snakes I try not to kill , they make a noise so I am extra careful ! I'm trying to live with nature rather than try and fight it by killing animals that keep other animals in balance !
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 3:19 AM
Not a pocket pistol but a great survival handgun is the Comanche .45/.410 a single shot weapon made in Argentina the barrel is 10 inches in lenght and is far more accurate than any of the .45/.410 derringers or the short barrelled Taurus Judges I shot one once and was amazed at how accurate it was and how much better peneration was compared too the Judge or the shotgun derringers , I have seen them used at the Arizona gun shows for as cheap as $140 . There is an excellent article in the latest "Backwoodsman" magazine on these weapons ! If a person did not mind a single shot , these make an excellent survival weapon for hunting as well as self-defence , a 10 inch barrel that shoots .410 , 2 and a half inch , 3 inch and .45 Colt ! And as a side note the "Backwoodsman" magazine is the best survival magazine on the market today ! Bar none ! Articles on every survival aspect , from making black gun powder to emergency all weather shelters ! I highly recommend this magazine !
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 9:06 AM
I think for pocket pistols the Ruger LCR in .38 +p is a great choice…and shoots very nicely eith the +p
Also the Para Ord warthog..10 rounds of .45acp in front pocket carry size
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 11:45 PM
Anonymous : Yes every review I have read about the Ruger LCR has this revolver as one of the best new revolvers to come along in half a century ! The new prices are starting to come down as I have seen them at the gun shows here in Arizona for around $439 cheaper than when they first appeared $500 and up , I'm sure in a couple of years from now a person may be able to pickup a used one for under $400 ! I have yet to see a Ruger that I have not liked , they are well made weapons and good value for the money ! I do like the S&W model 442 airlite also a very well made weapon !
[Reply]
January 13th, 2010 at 6:22 PM
I think my naa .22lr is about the best thing going. carry in shirt pocket, no maint. lifetime warr. twice now hoods have tryed tocarjack me, both times I yelled (I shoot you in the eye) and then I did, with nailgun blanks, both screamed& ran away. by the way one blank backed by four slugs.
[Reply]
January 14th, 2010 at 6:59 PM
Anonymous : That is pretty good ! Using (1) nailgun blank followed by four live bullets ! I used to carry a North American mini-revolver behind my wallet years ago when I lived in Los Angeles especially when I had to leave the car at a garage for repair and had to wait on a street corner at 5:00 in the morning to take a bus to work . Today I have mixed feelings about the mini-revolvers as there are so many other small weapons that are more accurate and fire a larger bullet . I like the new Ruger LCR revolver .38 special or the LCP .380 automatic or the Kel-Tec's ! The best North American mini-revolver made today is the "Pug" in .22 magnum ! And if you notice the Pug has a much better cylinder locking pin compared to the other North American mini-revolers , I once had to ship back my "Black window" mini to the factory for repair as the cylinder pin would pop out from the .22 magnum recoil !
[Reply]
January 14th, 2010 at 11:49 PM
you understand these thugs were about a foot from the end of the barrel at the time, and the yellow blanks go off like a 38.I swear you could smell the poo as thay ran away. of course for defence I would love to go patton & carry both my .357 smith and my colt .45. out of all my shooters I will grab my marlin 39 .22lr and all ammo I can carry if the world ever ends
[Reply]
January 15th, 2010 at 12:36 AM
couple of things. a good high powered blank in the face is a non lethal way to stop an attack and most people wont get involved ie call the cops if thay see the perp run away but if you shoot them dead with the first round everybody with a cell will call the cops. and if the blank dont scare the crap out of them, well you still have the slugs to back it up. after all in this day & age we dont want to git involved in a killing unless we really have to
[Reply]
January 19th, 2010 at 2:24 AM
As I recall now the ammo that caused my Taurus model 85 to bind up was PMC .38 special ammo ! Maybe it was just a bad batch of ammo that got by the inspectors , but I do remember alot more smoke than normal when shootng .38 special ammo ,of other brands ! Even my Cobra .38 special derringer failed to fire the second round with that PMC ammo , I could not even pull back the hammer ! So just a word of advice don't go cheap on your self-defence ammo as it could cost you your life !
[Reply]
January 24th, 2010 at 2:43 AM
If you can ever find them at either gun shows or yard sales (especially in the Western States)the S&W K-22 or the S&W model 34 .22 caliber revolvers at a half way resonable price ! Buy them ! As these .22 revolvers were probably the finest .22 revolvers ever made ! The prices on even well worn models are going up out of sight ! Excellent trigger pull on the K-22 and very accurate unless the weapon had been abused ! A truely excellent survival weapon either the K-22 , or the model 34 ! The Taurus model 94 can not come even close to the quality of the K-22 ! And the cheap pot metal RG revolvers are pieces of junk that fall apart after only a few hundred rounds !
[Reply]
January 31st, 2010 at 3:08 PM
I have been carrying a Ruger SP101 in .357 in the Northwest, but am looking into a Sig 232 in .380 to carry while in Arizona. Lighter and slimmer, easier to conceal while wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt
[Reply]
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:49 AM
Anonymous: The Sig 232 are not that easy to find especially here in Arizona , if you are here in Arizona check out the larger gun shows such as the Crossroads at the Phoenix fairgrounds ! The Kel-Tec .380's are the most common .380's available , used go for $250 and up at the local gun shows ! I picked up a Kel-Tec .32 for $200 , works great ! My own opinion the best pocket pistol or revolver for self-protection is the S&W model 442 .38 special airlite !
[Reply]
February 15th, 2010 at 3:22 AM
This past weekend with partial cash and a trade of a handgun I was able to aquire a weapon that I have wanted for a very long time not a exactly a survival pistol but a .22 rifle , the Marlin model 39A "Mountie" lever action , a truely well made and accurate .22 , very interesting history on the Marlin .22 lever action , they were first made in 1891 and were very popular , one was used by Annie Oakley , these weapons are usually passed down from father to son and are rather hard to find used at this time , the quality of workmanship is superior to any of the other .22 lever actions that are made today .
[Reply]
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:19 AM
I have gone to more than a few gun shows and one thing I have noticed so many people are looking for a reliable inexpensive .22 handgun , something to give to their wives or girl friends for self-protection ! Well unfortunately there are very few inexpensive .22 handguns to be found now a days , even old junky .22 RG revolvers are going for $125 and up ! And the once cheap H&R .22 revolvers are in the $150 and up here at the Arizona gun shows ! Used Taurus model 94 revolvers are about the best deals to be had and used Ruger single sixs in used revolvers ! The little Beretta model 21 can be had used for around $175 and up but I have noticed many that had feeding and extraction problems and are not too reliable , different brands of ammo have to be tryed first to find reliable ammo for this gun ! The Ruger MKII and MKIII are the most economical and reliable of the .22 autos made today .
[Reply]
February 22nd, 2010 at 4:37 PM
since ive gotten my ccw in ohio i carry a kel-tec pf9 with gold dot ammo its light thin and comfortable. i bought a cheap clothe pocket holster from cheaper than dirt. fits right into my back pocket looks like a wallet from the outside.
[Reply]
March 5th, 2010 at 9:39 AM
i used to carry a kel-tec p32. in my oppinion that thing was junk. i kept having issues with the trigger. i sent it back to them twice to have it fixed, but both times within a year of getting it back the problem came back. the last time it happened i just pushed it to the back of the cabinet "to be dealt with later", and bought a kahr pm9.
[Reply]
March 9th, 2010 at 2:36 AM
To anonymous of March 5 , I had the same problem with the Kel-Tec P32 when I first bought one back about 10 years ago , I was lucky if out of a box of 50 rounds that 10 fired , had miss fires and the trigger pull became so tight I could not pull it ! Got rid of the gun for a Glock model 19 ! I think that the quality control on the early Kel-Tec's were not that good , recently I picked up a used P32 and it seems to work ok ! The pocket Seacamp .32's seem to be the best made but of course are heavier in one's pocket !
[Reply]
March 9th, 2010 at 6:36 PM
As I have said in my comments before one of the best handguns for survival is the Ruger stainless steel single six with the dual cylinders .22 LR and .22 magnum , these revolvers are probably the best made of any single action revolvers made today for the price , the springs used in the Ruger revolvers are coil not the leaf type used in the Colts or their clones ! And .22 rimfire is much cheaper than center fire ammo , and .22 magnum when properly aimed is a good self-defence cartridge against the two legged "animals" you can also carry a thousand rounds of .22 ammo , try carrying a thousand rounds of .45 Colt ammo ! For a good "pocket" pistol for self-defence my favorite is the S&W model 442 airlite .38 special an excellent and dependable weapon and well made weapon ! No buttons to fool with or magazines that can become damaged or using ammo that will cause the automatic to not function , failure to feed or extract etc ! Just aim and shoot !
[Reply]
March 12th, 2010 at 2:34 AM
Buying a handgun is like buying a vehicle , you must decide first what you are buying a gun for in the first place ! One for self-defence to carry on the street or have by your bed stand or a gun for just plinking at tin cans on a Saturday afternoon or a trail gun to carry against wild animals while hiking ! Something to always think about whenever in remote areas in any state while hiking or camping , during these bad economic times some thoughtless dog owners who are unable to feed their pets , just turn their animals loose and these once lovable pets can and do form packs that turn on humans and kill them as happened recently in the State of Georgia , so having a reliable and quality weapon is most important whenever hiking or camping out !
[Reply]
June 13th, 2010 at 8:11 AM
I really don’t have a pocket pistol but have a walther .32 which could be used as one but it is a bit heavy. I usually carry my Bersa compact 9 or Bersa .40. I know it’s overkill and over carry, but I perfer being armed well.
[Reply]
July 25th, 2010 at 8:15 PM
I see a lot of bad information as I scroll down this page. First of all, blanks? Thats an incredibly stupid practice. You shouldnt pull a gun unless you are going to shoot to kill an attacker. When a determined attacker initiates his attack he has the benefit of planning. Youre immediately at a disadvantage as the defender. Do you want the one shot you manage to get off to be a blank? Also, check your state law. Im sure youll find that ANY use of a firearm is considered using lethal force. In my state even telling someone “stop or Ill shoot” is no different than pulling it on someone. Just something to think about.
Also, do research when it comes to caliber. Small handguns are what is selling currently in America. With 48 states allowing concealed carry many manufacturers are in the “mouse gun” game. So there are many options. Spend just a little time doing some fact checking and I can gaurantee you wouldnt be carrying a .22 for self defense. Although lethal they have virtually no stopping power and are, of course rimfire, which by virtue of design are un-reliable.
Personally, I carry the S&W 640 which is stainless, hammerless, and can fire .38 special and .357 magnum. I also have a Smith 360 which is a lightweight scandium .357. The stainless makes for less recoil and a better wearing gun. As a backup I carry the Ruger LCP which is as small a caliber as I feel comfortable with. Spend some time and money. These things need to be reliable.
[Reply]