The first two are .380 ACP and they hold seven shots each, the S&W is .38 Special and it holds five.Given my druthers, the .38 is still my favorite carry pistol because it's the most powerful of the three, and I consider five .38's worth seven .380's any day, especially in a quality pistol like this little Smith. But all three of these pistols have their applications. The LCP has the worst sights and trigger but it practically disappears into my pocket. And that horrible trigger acts as a reliable safety to keep negligent discharges in said pocket from occurring.
In between, the PPK...well it's got style going for it. James Bond and all... (Yes, I know that his was .32ACP and not .380, but I didn't need yet another anemic caliber in my ammo closet.) But this PPK probably has the best trigger and sights of the three of them. It's got a serious Double-Action/Single-Action trigger and small but prominent front and rear sights, whereas the other two only have front sights and a channel instead of a real rear sight.
The PPK came broken from a Gunbroker sale although it was represented as being fully functional and I just fixed it after finding the necessary part and schematic at Numerich Arms.None of these are match pistols, nor do they have the stopping power and magazine capacity of a modern combat pistol, but they all have one thing in common that makes them handier than larger, better fighting pistols--they're small. They're easier to conceal than a full-size 1911 or K-frame revolver, and they can often just be slipped into a pocket, making them more convenient to carry into more places than a full-sized pistol. That means that sometimes they wind up with me where one of my regular carry sidearms might not be. And Rule #1 of a gunfight is: "Have a gun".
These three also have the one prerequisite for any gun that I'll ever own or carry: They're reliable. They shoot when I squeeze the trigger and the round goes where I aim it. They may be small, but in a crunch they'll still put rounds on target every time, and that's not something that you can take for granted when buying a gun. If your pistol won't fire your chosen self-defense rough a hundred times out of a hundred, it's not reliable enough to trust you life to no matter how small or light or "cute" it is.
My pocket carry is a J frame S&W 36, no dash, in an Uncle Mike's pouch. A concealed hammer would be better but, as you say, some is better than none. And it has the usual excellent DA trigger by S&W.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. I still need to persuade you to add a CZ82 and a Makarov to that lineup.
ReplyDeleteThe Smiith is the only one of the three that can fire more than one round while still in a jacket pocket.
ReplyDeleteWhile your jacket will catch fire, the ability to cover and fire while concealed is a definite plus.
Nice! And time on the range is GOOD! :-)
ReplyDeleteI've been carrying a KT PF9 for OD/BU but recently purchased a Ruger Lc9 that though slightly larger is more comfortable for me to shoot. Simply put the Ruger trigger guard work's better for me. Trigger pull is long, somewhat heavy but consistant. Use a striaght pull/press all the way through. It work's.
ReplyDeleteI had a negative experence with the PPK/S insofar as QC and reliabilty goes so it went down the road years ago. The LCP is nicer looking the the KT P3AT, both have poor sights but I prefer the P3AT.
The S&W J frame is hard to find fault with. I carried a Mdl. 60 and a Mdl. 37 in the past, I may purchase a 442 one day but who knows.