steelarrow

Colt .38 five or ppk 9mm ? Colt have good hammer protection for pocket...

Woodsman88

I just got a Beretta px4 storm compact in 40sw and it felt great to handle. The sub compact would be a nice pocket pistol in 9mm.

semi

Kahr CW9.. good gun for the money. the S&W sheild is nice too but good luck finding one. SW won't even return my emails

SingleShotNeeded

Ruger LC9 with laser or S&W M/P Shield with laser...the laser makes a huge difference!

Jenks

How about a cz82? They are well made, have a 12 round clip and are very reasonably priced. They do shoot the 9X18 Makarov round, not that popular in the US but it compares favorably with the 380. Not near the power of the 9X19 Lugar, but still not bad for a pocket pistol. I don't have one, but I am looking.

Murdy

Kind of looking myself. Read a decent review of the Beretta Nano. It's about in the same price range as some that have been mentioned. Any opinions on this one?

CalHunter

When you say "small and light," exactly how small are you talking. Are you looking for CCW or just carrying it in a belt holster? If you're looking for CCW, the method you anticipate carrying it will sometimes dictate which gun and even which caliber.

If I carry CCW in a front pocket in my slacks, I carry a Walther PPS in .380. They are very accurate guns out to 10 yards and function flawlessly.

If I carry in a gun bag worn around my waste, I can pretty much carry anything and usually have a Glock in .40 or .45. I haven't carried CCW with an inside the belt holster yet but would think a slimmer pistol (probably a semi-auto) would be the only reasonably fitting pistol for such a holster. Nowadays, I often carry a Glock 30SF in .45 caliber in a regular (outside the) belt holster with a shirt or jacket tucked over it. FWIW, this is probably the quickest drawing concealed holster setup (draw and fire 3 rounds in 2 seconds with practice).

I switched from 9mm to 40 S&W but previously carried a 9mm for a few years. 9mm's will get the job done but you get a little more terminal ballistics with a 40S&W. In general, 9mm pistols are a little narrower than 40's. If you go with a Glock, they are both the same width.

Hopefully this provides a little help or food for thought. Good luck and let us know what you decide to buy.

car

x2 love my LC9 with laser

OpticsCamp

Sorry I didn't see this sooner.

I like the Nano, but it does take some getting used to as it's almost a sub-sub-compact. Very tiny gun. Due to design, there are no knobs/levers on the outside of the body. Nice for concealed carry, but the gun is a pain to take apart for cleaning.

Mykey

The Kahr CM9 is small but shoots like a much bigger gun and it's price doesn't break the bank. It conceals well just about anywhere you want to carry it.