WB
Lightweight carry guns kick, hard.
Monday, July 01, 2019, 06:46

I like the 16 oz. Kahr polymer frame series, wish they held more rounds but then they'd not be thin. I like the trigger feel and they are the smallest and lightest I've found. A .40 in one kicks enough to sting your hand, not very conducive to quality range time. That's why they are super cheap in resale. A .45 though, in the same platform, is more manageable, my 24 oz. G30s is fine and holds 11 totally loaded. But the .45 has only so much velocity for that big punkin ball. Maybe 200 gr. loads at 1000 fps would fare better? A slightly larger gun is the G29 in 10mm Auto. Only about 0.250" thicker but it feels like a fat brick. Crazy how that little can really make a gun feel obese.

It's hard to have your cake and eat it too. The high performance 9mm is something I really consider. Performance meets or exceeds old published .38 Super performance in even shorter barrels (3.5 vs 5"). A 147 gr. at 1000 fps is easy. 124's +P do 1200+ from 3.5". I truly like the feel of the G43X and 48, and the M&P Shield and Sig 365 catch my fancy too. I'm sure the Taurus Gary likes is a great rig. I prefer guns with metal triggers but about everyone is going to poly. (shocked my $$$ Beretta 92A1 is plastic) Trying to go to a bigger caliber in that small a package reduces rounds carried and really changes shootability for me. I'm not a big fan of the 9mm but I hate to admit it. I shoot it better and it delivers the goods. A round that diameter and weight, at that speed delivers very good penetration. If you go too much lighter you'd risk over expansion and less penetration. Perhaps good for self defense but not against bears in fur coats, or hogs. The 147 gr. 9mm would do pretty well and is close to the old .38/44 S&W HD loading, given equal barrels and like bullet types. I sometimes use less expensive 147 gr. JHP in my FN-HP or Beretta for "farm" use. It does not expand on Armadillos I can tell you that. Both clock close to 1100 fps from the 5" barrels. Home cast slugs can beat that by 100 fps.

For dual use against predators, both 2 and 4 legged this brings in a BIG argument for the quality revolver. However a good 9mm with proper loads or a .45 with tough bullets and top loads, .40, 10mm with over 180 gr. bullets will all do a job if you are up to it. Stuff is just going to happen in the real world.