My journey to my perfect CCW

[DeepSouth]

When I decided to start carrying full time some years ago, I didn't do it on a whim, well I kind of did I guess. I had a NAA 22Mag that began carrying again. I had a lot of questions.... Revolver or Auto? What caliber? What style of carry? Budget? What capacity?

The first thing I decided was that I wanted to carry an auto. A J-frame would have been sufficient for me but I figured for the size I could more rounds while also having faster and more accurate follow up shots. So Auto loader it is.

Then I had to decide what caliber, this wasn't a real hard decision for me. After all 45's are the best. And hey, I have always been a 45 fan boy. So I went and got a 1911 out of the closet and began carrying that. This worked pretty well except for nearly having to undress in the parking lot at work to get it off.

Which lead me to pocket carry. Not necessarily my favorite carry method, but it's about compromise. But the necessity of pocket carry limits capacity. Not that 9 with the 1911 was a lot of ammo. So now I had to address that. I figured I would be comfortable with a J-frame which of course is limited to 5 rounds.

Now I'm looking for a 5+ shot 45acp that will ride in my pocket. Not a very wide selection out there to say the least. But there is at least one, the KAHR PM45.

I saved a little cash and ordered me one, $720.00 OTD. I got it and loved it. Six shots, pocketable (I did switch to carpenter Carhartts), nice trigger, even had the stainless slide like I wanted so the bad guys could actually SEE that they had a gun pointed at them. So I guess I have found the Perfect CCW.

Then I bought the wife a C/T laser for her XD. I immediately saw the drastic increase in accuracy, mainly at longer distances. This has to be a good thing for the unlikely event you will have to make a longer shot, so I ordered me one of them up, $160.00 ish.

Then I Discovered night sights. I had already been wanting to get the mag well beveled, the grips stippled, and a little smoother trigger and a accuracy job would be nice to. So off to Cylinder and Slide she went for a little work, and some night sights. $780.00

Now after a quick $150.00 trip to Mag-na-port I am now completely satisfied that I have the perfect CCW for me.

It took a lot of cash and time but I seriously doubt I'll ever quit carrying this gun. I can't imagine a set up that would work better and be more fun (for me) than what I have.

The only thing I would change is that square slide, a rounded one like on the AMT Back-up is more comfortable and conceals better. I can't figure out how these square things got so popular.

Here's a couple pics I took to show someone on another forum the porting. I'll have to take good pics one day.

 

[orionengnr]

Your journey was a lot shorter than mine...mine included a lot more candidiates (probably close to 50).

But if you have found a CCW that works for you, then good job.

 

[Zerodefect]

Ah, but a flat, square side on a slide can help you aim if you can't pick up your sights in the dark or dusk. They're only square and boxy on the rear because hammerless pistol designs have to cram some extra parts in the slide.

That surely is one of the most unique and personal CCW's I've seen lately. Looks good. I'll allways agree that a box stock pistol is never the perfect CCw for anyone, they all need some changes like you did.

 

[Lawdawg45]

"Which lead me to pocket carry. Not necessarily my favorite carry method, but it's about compromise. But the necessity of pocket carry limits capacity. Not that 9 with the 1911 was a lot of ammo. So now I had to address that. I figured I would be comfortable with a J-frame which of course is limited to 5 rounds."


I've had a similar journey over the years, but rather than move to a semi auto, I decided to master the tactical reload of the wheel gun, which is something I believe many people fail to embrace. My Kahr PM-9 only gave me 1 or 2 more rounds, depending on the revolver I was carrying, and with 2 speed loaders I had the 15 to 18 rounds I felt comfortable with. The revolvers also give you a wide selection of grips in various sizes and configurations that the small semi-autos can't do, so it's a gun that can be customized to each individual shooter. Now don't misunderstand my comment, I have many semi-autos, but your comment/question was the best all around CCW, so the J-frame or Charter Bulldog (44 spl) would get my vote.

LD45

 

[DevilDog0402]

Very nice! All handguns are a compromise, especially those that are concealable. Glad you found something that works for you.

 

[DeepSouth]

Your journey was a lot shorter than mine...mine included a lot more candidiates

Well once I got limited to a pocketable 45 that really narrowed my choices down to about two. And the trigger on the AMT Back Up I had in .40 was probably 20lbs so it was out. That left only one.... Now there gonna make the Rohrbaugh R45. If it had been around back then I would have looked at it. No matter how wonderful the R45 may be I'll never own one, after all I have put into this gun my wife would shoot me with it if I replaced it.

Ah, but a flat, square side on a slide can help you aim if you can't pick up your sights in the dark or dusk. They're only square and boxy on the rear because hammerless pistol designs have to cram some extra parts in the slide.

You may well be right, the boxy design may be required buy design. I would just prefer a rounded one, but it might not even be possible. Thankfully it's not that big of a deal.

I've had a similar journey over the years, but rather than move to a semi auto, I decided to master the tactical reload of the wheel gun, which is something I believe many people fail to embrace. My Kahr PM-9 only gave me 1 or 2 more rounds, depending on the revolver I was carrying, and with 2 speed loaders I had the 15 to 18 rounds I felt comfortable with. The revolvers also give you a wide selection of grips in various sizes and configurations that the small semi-autos can't do, so it's a gun that can be customized to each individual shooter. Now don't misunderstand my comment, I have many semi-autos, but your comment/question was the best all around CCW, so the J-frame or Charter Bulldog (44 spl) would get my vote.

I agree, but not necessarily for everyone. I believe most people just find a gun they like then carry it. And there's nothing wrong with that. I also believe the people who put more thought in it come out better in the end. And if you, or anybody else, finds the wheel guns to be better choices for a CCW then that is what you should carry. My best friend carries a J-frame, part of me just wanted to be different. Like I said I would be confrontable with a 5 shot J frame, but I don't think they make those in 45 acp. But I do have a S&W 25-2 ordered right now, it will be my OC gun this winter. (hunting season)

Very nice! All handguns are a compromise, especially those that are concealable. Glad you found something that works for you.

For me personally there was a lot of compromise. I mean really, I changed the kind of pants I wear. Half the treads I read with people complaining about something CCW related, I'm just thinking "it's all compromise, your either willing to or not" I wouldn't have compromised below 5 shots, I wouldn't have compromised to a 30oz gun, But I would compromise my pants???? Go figure. A CCW really is a personal item, carried for personal reasons.

 

[gwlammers]

For me a gun is like a tool. I carry a different gun depending on where I'm going, when I'm going, how long I'm gone and what the climate is. I carry a Ruger LCP for a quick run to the convenience store with shorts on at noon on a 100 degree July day. I carry a Ruger SR9 if I'm going downtown with jeans at 11 PM. A different tool for a different job/need. For me, I could not find a gun that does it all. I wish I could. I would have saved a lot of money.

 

[gbran]

I'm still looking for a 600 Nitro pocket gun, 30 rnd mag, kicks like a 22 and can do sub moa 100yd groups and don't require earplugs.

 

[herkyguy]

G23, then SP101, then LCP, then SCXD9MM... too many holsters & sights to mention. now i'm down to the SP101 and the XDSC. the SP101 is my favorite with a lot of forward cant to hide the hogue grip.

body type plays a huge role in CCW and doesn't get mentioned nearly enough. different types require different guns and methods of carry.

 

[Lawdawg45]

"Like I said I would be confrontable with a 5 shot J frame, but I don't think they make those in 45 acp."

Agreed, but the Charter Arms Bulldog in 44 Special is a close second, and almost as concealable as the J-frame!

LD45

 

[heeler]

Nice.
Just curious though about how the pistol handles.
I mention this because I bought a PM9 with Night Sights back in January and while doing the paperwork the dealer complimented me on chosing the 9 over the 40 as it was mentioned the 40 can be a handful in such a small package.
No mention about the PM45,so I was curious and according to the dealer some customers who bought the 40 had buyers remorse later about how it handled when being fired.
My 9 is manageable,but I do admit it can be snappy due to size and weight so how's the 45 in that regard?

 

[MikePaiN]

I thought a Mag-Na ported Kahr PM45 was going to be my perfect CCW also.....but the weapon turned out to be noting but problems that were worse after its return from Kahr for repair. The shop I bought it from ended up giving me a full refund in store credit it was so bad. I still ended up loosing money and time not to mention the aggrivation.
On too the next small wonder gun

 

[Jonah71]

After about 3 years and a lot of $$ I still haven't found mine. I want a .40 cal. or .45 acp that fits my hand as comfortable as my CZ 75B, is just as accurate with half (or less) the weight and is as reliable as my G 26. I don't think there is such a gun.

 

[Creature]

I am not a fan of ported guns for use as a SD weapon. Ported short-barrel handguns can cause injury to the shooter if the handgun is shot with the gun tucked close to the body where the porting directs the blast directly upwards towards the chin and face.

 

[BossHogg]

For me, I could not find a gun that does it all. I wish I could. I would have saved a lot of money

I think to many of us wants that one size fits all gun. Like you I haven't found it and just settled for a S&W 638 for pocket carry or a Glock-36 for belt carry. My S&W model 60 3inch .357 is almost a one size fits all, but is a tad long for pocket work.

 

[Cosmoline]

Good thread! It's not an easy quest, as it requires you to find the best combination that fits you and your circumstances.

My journey over the past decade went something like this, with each of these serving as a carry firearm for some time:

Beretta Cougar
Makarov
Walther PP
Sig P225
Nagant 1895
S&W J frames, various
Glock fo-tay
SP 101
Ruger Sec. Six
Back to J frames
Brief flirtation with a Spanish pistol
Colt Detective Special
Ruger Speed Six
Ruger Security Six, short bbl.

And I've stuck with the Rugers now for the past four or five years. They're the right balance of power, accuracy, versatility, packability, repairability and shootability for me. Of the semis the Sig was the most accurate but oddly bulky to carry. The Glock was the most like a revolver in simplicity but the trigger is simply awful. The Colt was the most elegant but took four months to fix because it was so hard to find and fit the proper mainspring after the old one broke. The Spanish piece actually blew its bushing at the range. The J frames were nice but limited to .38 Special and tended to recoil quite a bit with +p loads. The Nagant wasn't powerful enough and was too long. The Cougar was a jam o matic.

Of all of those, it was probably the old PP that served best as a CCW piece apart from the Rugers. It was just a .32 ACP but with modifications it shot silvertips all day with no jams and had very little recoil. It was incredibly easy to shoot and control. It also toted, with two extra mags, very easily.

 

[DeepSouth]

heeler, The PM45 isn't as bad as people think, the day I got it I put 250+ rounds through it. I have a buddy who has a PM40 and it is only a little difference in recoil. Both have a good bit of muzzle jump, which is why the porting was done and I'll say it did very little difference for recoil and the jump doesn't feel much different. But my follow up shots are much faster and that's what's important. Unfortunately, I have never shot a PM9 to compare the PM45 to, maybe I'll have one one day. The wife does want one, so we can "match."




MikePaiN, I'm not going to pretend that all PM45's are reliable. KAHR had what I would call a massive problem with the PM45's. They would wear a notch inside the slide and until you either wore the notch in or dremeled it in, a lot of PM45's had FTF problems. For some reason KAHR machined the notch in the PM9's but seemingly refused to on the PM45's even when they came back. Poor and inexcusable CS, IMO. That said I must have got a good one, it didn't have any problems after round #39. The notch did wear in, but it took around 1,000 rounds.

I am not a fan of ported guns for use as a SD weapon. Ported short-barrel handguns can cause injury to the shooter if the handgun is shot with the gun tucked close to the body where the porting directs the blast directly upwards towards the chin and face.

Honestly I started not to get the gun ported because of this and the possibility of getting "night blinded" Once I got the gun and shot it a little I figured the flash is so fast and, well, not bright it want cause night blindness, at least not to my eyes. And in order for the flash to hit me in the face I would have to have the gun sitting on my shoulder or sideways and about three inches in front of my chin.

 

[Eaglestroker]

I fondled a PM45 at a local shop a few weeks ago. With a sticker of under $500 new here there is a lot to like, I may have to pick it up and give it a whirl!

 

[DeepSouth]

You need to go buy that one before they figure out they have it miss priced.

Buds has them for 650 Link.

I found the best price I could (my FFL will price match) and got mine for 630.00 + tax. If you find one for 500.00 new, buy it.

 

[Lawdawg45]

"Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your friends, your families, and your homes! Nehemiah 4:14"

DeepSouth, I love your signature!

LD45

 

[MikeNice]

I'm glad you found your perfect CCW. I'm still on the look for mine. My CZ P-07 was not designed to be a CC gun. It is designed to be a compact side arm for police use. For that it is great. Try to carry it all day and it gets iritating.

So, I've still got the trusty Taurus 85b3 in pocket or iwb. I'm looking torwards a CZ Rami with aftermarket night sights and an extra 14 round mag. Then I also want something I can slip in a pocket holster when discretion or weather require such things. Maybe a Ruger LC9.

I don't know where the search will lead but I will enjoy the hunt.

 

[bikerdoc]

I have been ccw since 1966. My path has been a lot like Cosmolines with maybe half a dozen more candidates.

These days I got it narrowed to 4
SP101
Smith 649
CZ 75 compact
full size 1911

To paraphrase the Folgers commercial," The best part of waking up is choosing my ccw."

 

[DAdams]

Pocket Carry

The key to me was weight in a pocket carry, actually lack there-of.

My sojourn looked like this:

BERSA Thunder .380
Kahr PM 9
S&W 642
S&W M&P 340
Seecamp 380

I EDC the Seecamp the most and the 340 with CT 405 grips occassionally.



Glad you found the ideal Personal Carry.

 

[stolivar]

the Kahr 45 is that bad

I shot a friend of mine and one mag was enough. way to much recoil for such a little gun. Hard to get back on target quick enough. He sold it immediately. I shoot a lot or 45's and this gun is terrible. I will take the sp101 in a heart beat.


steve

 

[orionengnr]

As I alluded to earlier, my Journey has been longer and more complex.

I have a PM9 and have had it for about five years. Carried it for 3 1/2 years. Moved to a Kahr P45, which I carried for a year and a half.

Bought a LNIB PM45 about a year ago for $450. Shot it a time or two, but it wasn't quite a pocket pistol for me like the PM9 is, and I had been carrying the P45 IWB for a year or so...so I sold the PM45 to a friend. He loves it and carries it regularly. Yes, it's a little snappy, but it is a pussycat compared to some I've owned and carried. Try a .357 Mag Scanduim j-frame sometime

These days I'm carrying a 1911, but the PM9 and the P45 aren't going anywhere. IMHO, Kahr makes excellent pistols.

I'm glad that PM45 has worked out for you.