BUG &/or deep concealment dilemma... LCR, G26, or G27 ???

Several months ago, I made the mistake of trading my LCR .38+P for a Rossi 462 2" .357. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but I deeply regret it now. Long story. Anyway... I'm going to be sending the Rossi in for some warranty repairs, and I plan to sell it promptly upon getting it back, regardless of whether they repair or replace it. I'm going to be in the market for a new handgun to serve in a BUG or deep-concealment capacity. Part of me is wanting to get another LCR .38+P. I'm totally done with the whole .357 snubbie thing. I'm familiar with the LCR, having owned one for a year, and I still have about 300 rounds of quality JHP's sitting around. Here's where it gets tricky - I've started looking at Glock subcompacts as well. I've got a G23 (.40) that I really like, and I'm now considering a G26 (9mm) or G27 (.40) instead of the LCR.

A Glock would likely cost a little bit more, but I'm ok with that. The Glock 26 or 27 would carry double the round capacity of the LCR (G26: 10+1 shots of 9mm versus 5 .38's, and the Glock 27 holds 9+1 of .40). Part of me is leaning towards the G27 since my 23 mags would fit, and I've got enough .40 JHP's to start a small war. I only shot a G27 once, back when I was debating between buying the 27 or the 23 - went with the 23 due to better ergonomics, and better overall accuracy (larger frame, grip, sight radius, etc., so of course its more accurate) and the fact that I wasn't really looking for a tiny gun at the time. While the 27 isn't a tack-driver, I think that its "combat accuracy" is going to be at least as good as the LCR, if not a little better due to better sights, and 9+1 still trumps 5 in the cylinder.

Comparing sizes, the Glock's overall length & overall height are both slightly smaller than the LCR, and I could still fit a Glock subcompact in a pocket holster or an ankle holster. The Glock would have a 3.48" barrel compared to the LCR's 1 7/8" (roughly a +75% difference in favor of a Glock), and I've got some hot 135gr .40's that I think might perform nicely in the 27.

I briefly considered a SR40c, as I really like my wife's SR9c, but its a little bit bigger than the Glock subcompacts, and is more closely comparable to the Glock compacts, which I've already got (the aforementioned Glock 23). And her SR9c doesn't fit in the pocket or in an ankle holster very well at all. Just a little bit too big.

As I write this, I think I'm leaning toward a Glock 27. I figured I'd bounce the idea here & see if anyone has any other pertinent thoughts on the subject that I've not considered. Perhaps if there is someone out there who owns a LCR (or any comparable 5-shot J-Frame) and a Glock subcompact????

Or, [opening up can of worms] is there something else comparable that I should heavily consider?

Here's another one for your consideration...

It certainly appears that you are doing your homework before making your handgun purchase, and that is always a good thing.:dude:

I would like to proffer one more fine handgun for your consideration. It is the finest "carry" handgun I've owned to date; and some of the reasons I deem it to be so are:

1. compact and lightweight / slim design
2. more than adequate for self defense (.40 S&W)
3. extremely accurate
4. adjustable rear sights
5. adequate ammo capacity (6 plus 1)
6. lifetime warranty on the handgun itself
7. two magazines
8. loaded chamber indicator
9. external safety
10. keyed security system

Taurus PT740 Slim .40 S&W---Awarded the 2011 Golden Bullseye Award for "Handgun of the Year" by American Rifleman.

Here's a link to the pistol on the Taurus website: http://www.taurususa.com/news-detail.cfm?newsID=39

(P.S. -- I became known as MilProGuy because of my absolute love for the Taurus Millennium Pro line of carry pistols, but this 740 Slim has stolen my heart away and is trying to get me to change my screen name to PT740SlimGuy.)

I am a huge fan of the 10mm glocks, and in this case I would recommend the glOck 29. I own many glocks, but most often carry a glock 20 IWB, and when needed my 29 in an ankle holster. You can get anywhere from 125 grain rockets at nearly 1700 ft./sec. Out of the 29, or 200 grainers right at 1200ft./sec. From the same. This is in the 41 mag range from a subcompact auto that holds twice the ammunition. Just my two cents, but I believe the 29 to be the greatest sub-compact handgun there is.

I own or have owned all of the guns you mentioned. As far as an auto vs. revolver, that pretty much just depends on your preferences as we all know the pros and cons of both. I personally like the trigger on the LCR much more than the S&W J-frames, and the grip is certainly easier on the hand as well. I am a very loyal Glock owner, but I love the Kahr pistols as well. The CW and CM series run about 200 dollars less than the P series, with no real sacrifice of features. Kahr states that the P series have match grade barrels, but I make a consistent 25 yard head shot with my cm9 every time- can't ask more from a pocket pistol than that. The Kahr CW40 is thinner and smaller than the G27 and would probably be more comfortable to carry in the pocket. You would sacrifice two rounds in capacity however. If you save 200 bucks by staying with the lower priced Kahr, that's a lot of magazines and ammo instead. However, the major plus I see in going with the Glock 27 is the inter-changeability of magazines. That's a huge plus for me. I personally don't mind the G27 on my ankle, but it's larger than what I want in my front pocket. Ultimately, if I were in your position, it would heavily depend on my method of carry for the BUG. If you don't mind the size of the G27, I'd be hard-pressed to recommend against it. You could carry a 23, extra mags, and have a BUG that would also accept the same spare mags---that equals more options which is always a good thing in sticky situations. I generally carry either 9mm or .45 ACP, but I would definitely go with the 27 in your situation over the 26 for the mag reasons.

Good luck in your decision

Carry Safely, Carry Proudly, Carry Always

after shooting multiple .40 subcompact guns, to include GLOCK and XDm, I can tell you i HATE the muzzleflip / recoil on a subcompact .40. It just isn't doable for me. I'd say go with a Glock 23 (I have one), but you already do. Forget the Glock 27 if you have the 23, go with the LCR for deep concealment.

Thanks for all the feedback folks. I ended up finding a deal on a "used" (but never been fired) 3rd gen G27 for $470. Yeah, muzzle flip on a subcompact .40 really bites, but I figure that accuracy with it is no worse than with most J-frame snubbies (especially if you're shooting .357). Besides, even with stock sights, its still got better sights than most of the aforementioned J-Frames.

Ruger said:

Thanks for all the feedback folks. I ended up finding a deal on a "used" (but never been fired) 3rd gen G27 for $470. Yeah, muzzle flip on a subcompact .40 really bites, but I figure that accuracy with it is no worse than with most J-frame snubbies (especially if you're shooting .357). Besides, even with stock sights, its still got better sights than most of the aforementioned J-Frames.

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Good deal on a good gun. How exactly is an unfired gun used? Was it touched a lot?

"used" (but never been fired) = "previously owned"

The owner of the store (whom I trust & have purchased guns from twice before) said that he sold it new a few days ago, then the customer came back & returned it a couple hours later deciding he wanted a $3000 Nighthawk instead. Apparently he was torn between the two, and decided to go ahead and drop the dough for the 1911.

The owner charged a restock fee and said that he had to sell it as a used gun. Upon field stripping, I could see that the bronze factory grease is still there, and there is no trace of powder residue or any cleaning agents or user applied lube. So, coming from this particular owner, combined with an inspection that seems to verify its "never been fired" status, I felt comfortable with the transaction.

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thebigsd said:

Good deal on a good gun. How exactly is an unfired gun used? Was it touched a lot?

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Sadly, I've seen folks post/say carried but unfired.
WTF!! I guess they hope they aren't carrying paper weights.

Agent19 said:

Sadly, I've seen folks post/say carried but unfired.
WTF!! I guess they hope they aren't carrying paper weights.

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yea that is pretty stupid...but I am guilty of it myself. On a couple occasions I have purchased a new handgun and been so excited to carrying it that I did just that before getting it to the range. I don't do that anymore, but it definitely has happened. the bad thing is that one of those was a jam-o-matic until it was broken in and I had been carrying it for a week before hitting the range.