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smallest defensive handgun?

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xmirage2kx

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I am Looking for the smallest defensive handgun I can find. 3"x4" is about as small as I can find comming in a .38, 3"x5" in .45(both derringer) anyone know of any smaller Make/Model?
 
F

freedom1776

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rev_main.jpg


gal_3.jpg


http://www.swissminigun.com/home.html
 
S

Sitrep

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$5,100 seems a bit pricey to me. (assuming my conversion is correct)

I wonder what kind of damage a .09 caliber round would do. I'm guessing it would barely break the skin at close range. Can I officaly say that my T-shirt is bulletproof then?
 
X

xmirage2kx

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LM4 Simmerling or the WSP 45 acp and the stinger pen pistol are the smallest I can find, but they are all pretty rare.
 
Grapeshot

Grapeshot

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Smallest is not necessarily bestest.

Compromises are generally in order.

Consider: Caliber effective for defensive purposes
Number of rounds without reload - good defensive tactic
Size reduction = weight reduction = more felt recoil

I could go on and on but my point is (unless you simply want to say that you are carrying the smallest defensive pistol) you might want to carry the most effective defensive pistol that fits your circumstances.

Yata hey
 
O

openryan

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I would say that the .38 is a quality defensive round, however once you get into .25 and .32, the latter may be acceptable for very specific situations, however the .25 is probably not an acceptable choice by most....

However I am a proponent of shoot what you shoot best, and can handle, if that is a .22, fine, if it is a .500, fine.
 
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hogleg

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I guess it all depends on what kind of defense you are talking about. A 2 shot 38 would be better than nothing........

I was looking over those Derringers the other day. Nice looking little guns. 2 rounds, justin case you missed. Wondered about the safety factors on those. Exposed trigger and all. Wonder if they have a hammer block of some kind. I would get one just because they are cool and would fit in my vest pocket. I guess the only defense would be if my poker game turned into a cheat fest and I had to cap somebody in the knee with it. :dude:

As far as small functional guns I like the PPKs and the Bersas as well as the Sig 232. the later 2makes put out9mm variantsI believe. I like small but I also like to feel like I have a GUN! not a toy.
 
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tapper95

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For my own personal carry, I could not see myself carrying anything smaller than 9mm or .38 special... and that would be far from my first choice... I'm worried enough about hitting and hitting with stopping power without worrying about a round that might do nothing more than piss off an incoming assailant...

There are good quality pocket holsters for snubbie .38's and compact 9 mm like Kahrs and Glocks...

Instead of worrying about the smallest gun, you may want to realistically reevaluate your wardrobe if you are going for good concealement... wearing a pair of slightly oversized shorts, a loose fitting, dark colored shirt, a quality gun belt, and a cheap bagmaster IWBholster can make my full size Smith & Wesson Sigma 40 disappear in the middle of the summer...
 
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Particle

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What are your takes on the Five-seveN using the 5.7x28mm cartridge for defense purposes? It's been argued both ways before, but I'd like to get your opinions.
 
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Legba

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The FN 5.7 sounds about like a glorified .22 magnum to me, and at a considerably higher price. I do like FN stuff generally, but this thing is too novel to be affordable. I guess the answer to that is for more people to buy and use the things, but I'm not looking to expand my ammo requirements at this point. I have heard favorable reviews from the few users I've talked to, though, so...

-ljp
 
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sedjester

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I owned and a .357 derringer a few years back. That thing kicked like a mule on steroids. Couldn't shoot very many rounds through it without causing me grief. I think a .38 derringer could work fairly well.
 
B

Basic Guy

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I have had an ADC derringer in 45ACP for a number of years.

Up side : smallest package for a big bore. Well made compared to a number of other pocket pistols of smaller caliber. It has a spring loaded cross bar which blocks the hammer and will not release until you start to cock the hammer. So the exposed trigger is not an issue.

Down side : Heavy hammer. Accuracy is minimal. Heavy recoil – shooting more than two rounds gives me a small pain in my hand/wrist bones that lasts a couple days.

I decided a long time ago that if I did have to use it I wouldn’t pull the trigger until almost contact range.

I like it because, well, if I have to be limited to two rounds I want them to be enough for the job. It is small enough that I can palm it between car and door if I am in a place I don’t know well and the lighting isn’t so good. If somebody pops out from behind a bush/parked car I’d rather have that in my hand than a 1911 somewhere I have to draw from. The two shots from the ADC should give me time to act and transition to my carry piece.
 
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leprechaun117

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Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Particle wrote:
What are your takes on the Five-seveN using the 5.7x28mm cartridge for defense purposes? It's been argued both ways before, but I'd like to get your opinions.
Click to expand...
Ijust picked one up at the harrisonburg gun show :) Ammo is kinda expensive... $100 for 250 rounds... but its fun as all hell to shoot. Louder than most anything I've ever come across. The loaded mag weighs about as much as the rest of the gun on its own... for the size it's incredibly light.
 
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