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Ken
03-08-2009, 05:59 PM
I CCW for urban/suburban personal protection. I require a firearm that is highly concealable, reliable, and effective.

My everyday carry is now a Beretta Tomcat (image attached). Highly concealable for me - much more so than my Beretta 9000S, (9 mm) - and it packs somewhat more punch than my Beretta Model 950B (.22 cal. short).

Tomcat Specs. are:

Caliber: 32 ACP

Overall Length: 4.9"

Barrel Length: 2.4"

Overall Height: 3.7"

Overall Width: 1.1"

Capacity: 7 + 1

Safety: Manual

Grips: Polymer (also have CT laser grips)

Sights: Fixed

Sight Radius: 3.3

Weight: 14.5 oz

Finish: Matte Blue

My Ammo is Speer Gold Dot

Cartridge: .32 Auto

Bullet Wt.: 60 Grains

Bullet Type - GDHP

Bullet Coefficient: 0.118

Velocity (Muzzle): 960 fps

Velocity (50 yards): 894 fps

Energy (Muzzle): 123 fp

Energy (50 yards): 107 fp

Any thoughts on this combo from you CCW pros?

crashdive123
03-08-2009, 06:09 PM
I've never handled one. The only Beretta I own is a .380. But - if it works for you, it works for me.

tsitenha
03-08-2009, 06:16 PM
Ken, with the up most respect....there's better....more effective firearms out there in a slightly larger package and just as concealable.
But if it's what you got then get real good with it.

Ken
03-08-2009, 06:30 PM
Ken, with the up most respect....there's better....more effective firearms out there in a slightly larger package and just as concealable.
But if it's what you got then get real good with it.

I have several auto's, and I almost always hit what I am aiming for. The Tomcat is very accurate to 75 feet. My MOST accurate is a Bernardelli .32 - incredible weapon. No revolvers - can't hit anything with one. I usually have to carry with a suit on, and I take the jacket off frequently. Anything I own larger than the Tomcat is too obvious. Any other similar sized auto's you suggest I try out?

crashdive123
03-08-2009, 06:38 PM
Springfield XD40 sub compact. Got one, love it.

tsitenha
03-08-2009, 06:42 PM
Hitting a target and stopping it is 2 very different things, one over the other does you no good if you expire in the process.
I know nothing of your build (shape), your clothing attire (restrictions), carry situation (not in court I suspect, your a lawyer), social restrictions (jobs, client constraints), state carry regs, weight tolerance, probability of incident ratio, etc...
3 piece suit? vest over?
PM sent.

Ken
03-08-2009, 06:44 PM
Springfield XD40 sub compact. Got one, love it.

Thanks! I'm going to Google it right now.

Ken
03-08-2009, 06:55 PM
Hitting a target and stopping it is 2 very different things, one over the other does you no good if you expire in the process.
I know nothing of your build (shape), your clothing attire (restrictions), carry situation (not in court I suspect, your a lawyer), social restrictions (jobs, client constraints), state carry regs, weight tolerance, probability of incident ratio, etc...
3 piece suit? vest over?
PM sent.

The Speer round is supposed to have excellent stopping power.

Me? Medium build (a few extra pounds, but not as bad as Rick :lol:). Usually a two-piece suit but sometimes a three-piece.

Can't carry in court (security rules) - if it's on me, (I always carry in Boston when I'm there) I must check it at the door.

Medium to high probability ratio - won't get into it here.

I have a high-capacity CCW license for any/all purposes. By law, nobody except on-duty LEOs can carry onto any school property.

crashdive123
03-08-2009, 07:00 PM
Ken - I snapped a photo of the XD40 sub compact next to the Beretta 380 so you can see the size difference.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Weapons/Firearms.jpg

Ken
03-08-2009, 07:07 PM
Ken - I snapped a photo of the XD40 sub compact next to the Beretta 380 so you can see the size difference.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Weapons/Firearms.jpg

Thanks, Crash. It looks about the same size as my 9000S, and I can't get away with that one either. :eyore: The 380 looks very similar to my Bernardelli.

Rick
03-08-2009, 07:20 PM
Well, I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but for my everyday carry I've settled on the Kel-Tek PF9. It's 9mm.

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/kel-tec_pf9-1.jpg

Ken
03-08-2009, 07:28 PM
Thanks, guys. I'll check out both the XD40 and PF9.

Rick
03-08-2009, 07:38 PM
I've matched mine to a Desantis Nemesis holster. I drop it in my front pocket and I've actually forgotten it was in there. It comes out clean every time.....so far. I can wear it with any type of pants and it does not reveal itself. I also invested in the Kel Tec belt clip for the PF 9. That gives me the flexibility to carry it with or without holster. It fits just fine in the Nemesis with the clip installed. http://gallery.drfaulken.com/d/3487-1/IMG_7122.JPG

Ken
03-08-2009, 07:40 PM
I've matched mine to a Desantis Nemesis holster. I drop it in my front pocket and I've actually forgotten it was in there. It comes out clean every time.....so far. I can wear it with any type of pants and it does not reveal itself.

http://gallery.drfaulken.com/d/3487-1/IMG_7122.JPG

Thanks, Rick. That could work for me.

Rick
03-08-2009, 07:42 PM
Bump....I added some verbiage above.

Ken
03-08-2009, 07:44 PM
Bump....I added some verbiage above.

Again, Thank you!

Pal334
03-08-2009, 07:48 PM
I no longer carry on a daily basis. However when I did, and when I have need to even now was and is a Colt 1911. This pic is a similar parkerized one that I favored.

doug1980
03-08-2009, 07:51 PM
Well I happen to own the 9000s and a Taurus PT111 and PT145. I find all of these to be perfect for CCW. But that's just me I guess. However since I left all of those in Indiana I carry a Sig Pro up here. Works well with a Blackhawk leather holster and a jacket.

crashdive123
03-08-2009, 07:51 PM
Ken - a while back I posted a pic of some different cc options that I have. You may want to check out the Thunderwear option. It's the top row, second from the left. Here's a link to the Thunderwear site. http://www.thunderwear.com/

Ken
03-08-2009, 07:56 PM
Ken - a while back I posted a pic of some different cc options that I have. You may want to check out the Thunderwear option. It's the top row, second from the left. Here's a link to the Thunderwear site. http://www.thunderwear.com/

Great. Another reason to loose 10 pounds. How does it work with a dress shirt tucked in?

crashdive123
03-08-2009, 07:59 PM
Great. Another reason to loose 10 pounds. How does it work with a dress shirt tucked in?

Yes. Your belt can't be too tight though. Just pull out your waistband, reach in and....well you get the idea. Works great for just about anything as long as the clothes aren't too tight. Slacks, sweats, gym shorts.....

Ken
03-08-2009, 08:04 PM
Yes. Your belt can't be too tight though. Just pull out your waistband, reach in and....well you get the idea. Works great for just about anything as long as the clothes aren't too tight. Slacks, sweats, gym shorts.....

I'm probably gonna' order one. But believe me, I'll have to lose 10 pounds to get it to work. As things are now, I have to wear my belt tight. Every ounce of my excess weight is just above my belt. (I'll never consider the weight just below my belt to be excess no matter how heavy it gets....... :lol:)

sgtdraino
03-09-2009, 12:38 AM
For me, pocket carry is by far the best way to go for EDC. Total concealment, best comfort, fast deployability, and the ability to have your hand on the weapon ready to draw, without looking like you have a hand on your weapon ready to draw.

The downside is, of course, that you are limited to smaller pistols which either have anemic calibers (in my Department, .380 is considered the bare minimum for stopping power), or have larger calibers but are harder to control, due do their small size and light weight. But if you can learn to master the "mouse gun," it is truly an excellent concealed carry option.

I first tried pocket carry with a Glock 27. Super reliable, very accurate, but ultimately (for me) just too big and heavy to really carry in a pocket. I next tried a Kel-tec P3AT in .380 (Now made by Ruger), which is so small and light I could literally forget that I was carrying it. But I never felt confident in the .380 cartridge, so I eventually moved up to a 9mm Rohrbaugh R9S. Seems to be a well-made little gun, but for me it was too finicky and did not feed reliably. Next I went to my current EDC, a Kahr PM40 in .40 S&W. Almost as small and light as the Rohrbaugh, in a solid caliber. Not as reliable as a Glock, but I have found it to be reliable enough to have confidence that it will work when I need it to.

I am now considering the new Kahr PM45. Just a bit larger and heavier than the PM40, but a time-tested round (the most popular auto pistol round on this forum), and from what I have read, generally better accuracy compared to the PM40. Haven't tried one yet, but so far I like what I see!

glockcop
06-22-2009, 11:31 AM
Kahr mk9 / 40. All s/s and will outlive ya. Carries really nice too. MK9 is my all the time , everywhere gun. It is my favorite Off Duty gun. Really close second would be S&W model 60 in .357. Never use a gun of .380 or less on someone. Your likely to make them real mad and hurt you. Hahaha!