Have you tried a Beretta 92 Compact? 13 round magazines and a 4.25" barrel...slightly smaller yet concealable! If you like the 92 and want something a tad bit smaller, the 92 Compact might just be a good choice??? I had one but sold it when I found the 92 Centurian DAO...the Centurion really hit the sweet spot with me!I currently carry my Beretta 92 FS, but I am trying to determine something a bit more compact.
But I hate strikers, and trigger safeties they just don’t work for me, but it seems most new models coming out have either trigger safeties or the silly flat trigger that feels completely unnatural to me.
I’m considering the Beretta PX4 at the moment, but have not tested one yet.
I also prefer a metal framed pistol which makes the decision even tougher.
I started with & have finished with small snubbies as my default carry, unless I need something thinner then I get out the smallest Kahr.As time goes on I find myself downsizing consistently.
I have several I consider “Carry” guns, but atm its a 38 j frame I got on the cheap.
I started with & have finished with small snubbies as my default carry, unless I need something thinner then I get out the smallest Kahr.
I've tried many larger revolvers, but have gone back to the samller snub nose after 5 yrs.
Even though I've tried many semi-autos, I presently have two & picked up a 3rd this past Saturday b/c I always wanted to try out the XD-E hammer-fired to have a DA/SA like I enjoyed with most of the CZ models.
I have also tried many; Glock 43x, Ruger SP101, Ruger LCR, Sig P365, LCP Max etc. I have come to the same conclusion as you have as soon as I tried the Shield Plus I noticed that I was more accurate compared to the rest. This pistol fits my hand the better and still has enough power for me to be confident with it. I would rather have a 6" .357 Magnum, but this is what I carry now too.I was watching a YouTube video about the journey of a guy who had carried multiple pistols over the years as "something better" came along.
Sound like anyone you know, haha!
Titled: "I Haven't Carried Another Gun Since I Got This One!"
Hegshot87 on May 27, 2022
He said, "The one gun that has turned his rotation into a monopoly, 95% of the time.
(Spoiler: SW Shield Plus)
He started out stating the Glock 26 was an amazing game-changer at the time (2000-2008).
Then the original SW Shield & variations, PPS & variations & XDS & variations came along.
Then came the Sig P365, another game-changer, with its size/capacity.
The 7 & 8 rds CC, all changed to 10 to 13 rounds, thanks to the 365.
He acknowledges that the Taurus GX4 is a fine budget-minded gun & the Sig Hellcat Pro 15 round & Shield 2.0 are great.
He mentions that his Sig 365 Spectre Comp has the potential to replace the Shield Plus, but not today.
The one that he doesn't see being replaced b/c so special: SW Shield Plus.
I thought this was intriguing b/c it reflected my own journey of having tried everything mentioned & more.
But, no Taurus semi-auto b/c of bad experience with a Taurus 709 Slim & customer service 4-5 years ago.
Plus, I'm a big fan of SW, with CZ, Sig, Ruger & "lesser" brands that I've had good experience with.
I also ended up with the SW Shield Plus PC & is in safe now.
The next day after buying a Shield Plus, I had a chance to buy a Shield plus Performance Center & did so, enamored by getting a SW PC for $50 more, as luck would have it.
They both shot the same with my amateur old eyes & hands, so I didn't care which one I kept, although having a "PC" made me feel better about my thrifty/cheap self.
I let a friend choose which one he wanted & of course he choose the less expensive one, haha!
I have not been temped to look for another semi-auto since the Shield Plus PC.
I've always loved anything Shield & had a few along the journey.
I sold an original Shield years ago & jumped on the Sig 365 bandwagon after shooting a friend's when it came out.
So impressed, I ran, not walked to Rural King an hour away, buying one of the few new guns in my life b/c they weren't stocked nearby after getting a heads up from a member here who know I was hot for one.
Thanks again INGO!!!
I eventually came back to a Shield 2.0, but was thrilled when I tried the Shield Plus in my hands.
I instantly knew it was a "Keeper."
I have a small Kahr when I need a pocket carry & I still love my revolvers (Ruger LCR, SW 642 & Taurus 856).
View attachment 211581
Shield Plus lower left, Kahr CM9 lower left, CZ Rami mid right.
View attachment 211590
Shield Plus on top of a Ruger Max9.
View attachment 211595
View attachment 211587View attachment 211588
I'm with you on this. I hate plastic guns, but you can't beat the light weight, compact, decent capacity they have today. I'm an old school revolver and 1911 guy like a lot of folks here. My dad carried a blued Colt Python 4" while on the Denver PD back in the 70's. He earned several shooting trophies with it, but sold it unfortunately. When i told him how much they're going for now, he about had kittens.I currently carry my Beretta 92 FS, but I am trying to determine something a bit more compact.
But I hate strikers, and trigger safeties they just don’t work for me, but it seems most new models coming out have either trigger safeties or the silly flat trigger that feels completely unnatural to me.
I’m considering the Beretta PX4 at the moment, but have not tested one yet.
I also prefer a metal framed pistol which makes the decision even tougher.
Yes, I was really into CZs & was active on the CZ thread, having alot of fun.Curious why you got away from the CZ models. I recently picked up a P01 and a P01 Omega to try, though I've yet to fire either. They sure feel great in the hand, and I like the balance of weight with the aluminum frame.
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Interesting, my experience is just the opposite with carrying a very small gun (glock 26, p238) and gravitating to larger ones. My commander size 1911 feels so small now on my hip, currently carrying p320 x5 or axg, or p226 SAO legion, appendix.It seems we all start out with larger then eventually gravitate to smaller and lighter...
Way back in 1985 I bought my first pistol and got my first carry permit. A Steyr GB, full size 18+1 rd Austrian service pistol, size wise it fits most Beretta 92 holsters if they aren't too molded to the gun. Carried IWB for years in a self made copy of the Bruce Nelson Summer Special. About 89 I got my Honda VTR Interceptor and decided a shoulder holster was better when riding. First one was a commercial knockoff of the Bianchi X15, usually carried the Steyr but occasionally would switch it up with my 1911 I used in IPSC. Kind of uncomfortable with the lean forward riding posture, so I made another one in a horizontal rig type for the GB. Sorta copy of the Alessi pull through trigger guard snap retention with a double mag carrier on the offside. Much more comfortable and carried like that for years.
After a while the weight and size got to be uncomfortable with my aging body and expanding gut, so my backup gun(s) started getting carried more and more as my primary. First an Astra Constable then a real PPK/S, both in .380. Then I discovered the Kahr P9, about the size of the Walther but full power 9mm with 8 rounds on board. Light too, with essentially a DA only revolver type trigger pull. Backup eventually fell to a S&W 642 airweight. And yes, sometimes these days the S&W slid into a pocket is my primary in low threat situations, it's just so light and disappears into a pocket.
Over the years dozens of handguns have come and gone, but I still have most of them. Some got rotated into the carry mode, like the Taurus G2C, but most got rotated back out as they didn't do anything better than what I was already carrying. The S&W M&P 9mm 2.0 Compact is my current "High Threat" carry piece. light and small enough to not be too much of a pain to tote around.
The Glock 45 has been my most recent acquisition and I was actually surprised at how well I shot it and how well it performed! It was my first Gen 5 full-sized grip and it's quite comfortable in my somewhat smaller hands! It's quickly become something I tend to rely on in the rotation, parking my Glock 34 Gen 4.Glock 43 in the summer time. Glock 19 if I need to size up a little bit. I recently picked up a Glock 45 that I plan to carry in the winter time. I also occasionally throw a Smith and Wesson 442 in a pocket if I am feeling lazy.
Good catch on the KelTec...and you're right, the best carry gun is the one you shoot the best (aka, most natural)!First off, the "best carry gun" is the one you shoot best.
Second, the P365 was not a game changer.
That was the KelTec P11.
Look up the specs, they are absolutely identical, and KelTec did it a good decade before Sig, Sig just gave it a better trigger and sights.