[BearBear]

A while back I complained about not being able to hit anything with my Kahr P380. I felt defeated. But I needed to get to the bottom of my problem. I put another couple of hundred rounds through her and got on paper and into the bull. Not the gun, it was the shooter, kind of. The problem I have is my hands are just way too big for this little gun. Or the gun is too small for my hands if I was going to go back to blaming the gun. I was tweaking the thing way left so it missed paper all together. By concentrating, I was able to solve the problem but ran into another. The trigger pull does not release the striker until it is fully back and the narrow grip makes that almost impossible for me to manage. Plus, my trigger finger is too big for the trigger guard and the end of the pull. That was what was pushing the gun to the left. To manage the pull, I need to use only the tip of my finger rather than the pad which is unnatural to me.
It seems to me that I should not have a carry weapon whose function requires a completely different form of handling. Yet this tiny gun fits where no others can. If it weren't for the laser sight I'd consider swimming with it. I much prefer full size or nearly so handguns and carry those comfortably but there are times when a pocket gun seems appropriate.

I guess my question is, would carrying a badly fitted handgun that requires a novel hold and operation in a defensive carry mode be asking for trouble? And how much?.

 

[JWSmith1959]

No, I would not. If you're worried about grip/trigger pull/finger placement/etc., your mind is off from what it should be concentrating on, i.e. - the threat or target. The reason I shot 500-600 rounds a week in my IPSC days was not only practicing hitting what I pointed at, but to get so familiar with the weapon I was using that all of those things you mentioned were second nature.

My CC pistol right now (S&W M&P 380) is smaller than my last Beretta 9mm I carried and way easier to conceal. Not quite a pocket gun though. I do have a Colt Mustang 380 that can fit in most jacket pockets, but it is not as reliable as I like as fun and cool as it is.

I don't have bear paws but understand your situation. I hope you can come up with a solution that works for you. Good luck.

 

[GeronPG]

As I understand it, after reliability, the #1 requirement of a carry gun is that you can confidently and quickly draw it from concealment, aim (or point) and fire it with acceptable accuracy at the intended target. In that moment, you want the mechanics to be so practiced and natural that they don't require conscious thought, your mind needs to be totally on taking care of the problem. IMO, you can't afford to have a carry gun that is fighting you.

 

[Hawkeye Hunter]

Asking for trouble? YES How much? A LOT, if you ever need it.

 

[shooter1niner]

I would agree, possibly big trouble. I would not carry a firearm that require I do things out of my comfort zone or norm to use proficiently.

 

[JBelk]

Bear Bear-- Could I suggest a better gun? That gun has a rotary sear which has given (dangerous) troubles in the past. It is not safe to carry loaded.

 

[BearBear]

Yeah, I was leaning the way you're all pushing me. I guess I'll sell it. I won't be able to get over the small trigger guard squeezing my trigger finger. I have a couple of snubbies in .38 and .357 that are almost as concealable and that I shoot pretty well.

 

[Leroy]

I had a Colt Government .380 that I had planned on carrying concealed but changed my mind after taking it to the range. It's the perfect size and weight to carry but, I couldn't hit a fat hog in the arse with that pistol. It might have been the pistol or it might have been me, either way I wasn't comfortable with it. I consider myself a pretty good shot however, I couldn't group three shots at twenty yards with that thing. If I can't hit a soda can three out of four shots at twenty yards, I have no use for that gun.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

It would go down the road if it were mine and I had half of the issues with it that you have. You need to carry something you are 100 % comfortable with as if you ever actually need it you will not likely have time to think about HOW to hold it. I bought a Kahr 40 when they first came out and never could get comfortable shooting it so it got gone and was replaced that was not much larger but was better shaped to fit my hands and had a trigger function that fit me better. You will never feel well heeled with a gun that you have to think about to use. With all of the other things you need to think about in a SD situation you do not have time or brain cells enough to fool with an ill fitting weapon.

 

[knightfor1]

When I got my original Ruger LCP .380, I read that it is not necessarily something to take out to the range and shoot 500 rds in a day. It is more of something to carry and have in case you are in a crooked card game. Good for across a table, because we are not all Bonds, James Bonds that is...Get yourself a 9mm!

 

[JBelk]

My boss was a very strict Southern sheriff. When you raised your hand to be sworn in he asked what gun you had with you. If you didn't have one, he gave you one with a stern warning. You have a gun without reach ALL the time or be fired on the spot.
His self defense gun philosophy was simple, the pocket gun is to get him off of you, nothing more. the smaller it is, the more likely you don't get fired. He wore his original, 1937 'Registered Magnum' on and off duty.
He caught me fishing in cut-off jeans one time and patted me down. When I found a Budachowski .25 he grinned big around the ever-present unlit cigar.

 

[docrob1234]

I agree whole heartedly with shooter1niner. For self defense, C.C you need a gun that fits your natural style completely. Otherwise, things will go south in stressful situations as they always tend to do; your fine motor skills always tend to go crap in these circumstances. This will be greatly magnified when you're trying to shoot a style you're not comfortable with. If you have to consciously think your way through your progressions from the draw to finally pulling the trigger you are already behind the eight ball. Have somebody time you from draw to hitting the kill zone at 10-15 feet. Your goal should be 1.5 seconds or less. Find a firearm that will allow you to do this 100% of the time. And make sure it is comfortable to carry, otherwise you will carry it only reluctantly and infrequently. When it comes to self defense I believe in the old saying "if you're not cheating, you' not trying hard enough". That starts with a weapon you know as well as your own hand and are completely comfortable with for getting the job done. Tactical training is as important as accuracy. Get some scenario training with your intended weapon if you are serious about self defense or defense of some else; that will give you a small glimpse about how stressful things can get.

 

[GeronPG]

Hey BearBear, just wanted to say it's easy for all us sitting out in web-land to tell you what you ought to do, but you did several things right: 1. you realized you had a problem, 2. you practiced, analyzed and diagnosed it 3. you sort of knew what you needed to do but asked for other input. (I'm guessing you're married..) No, seriously, good luck in finding the right carry gun. It seems like it's a journey for most of us. Mine's a Kimber Compact Aluminum in .45, but I've put off getting a belt good enough to carry it regularly. Maybe if you all tell me to get a belt and carry regularly, I will.

 

[Im2Tall2Play2!]

Get a good belt & carry right regular!

There, I said it!

Here in the hot humid south I carry in a pocket style holster (not optimal but practical in shorts & a tucked in tee shirt), up north where it's cooler in the summer, an unbuttoned shirt & an IWB holster w/something more substantial in it. Depends on where you live, your life style, clothing style, & a host of other factors. BUT, use a gun you can operate quickly w/o too much thought about accommodations for poor hand fit.

 

[Kosh75287]

MUST the pistol be an automatic, and MUST it be a .380? I'm not a HUGE fan of bobbed hammer .38 Snubs, but one of them may be your answer. Since you already own one or more, you could at least try running the same number of rounds through it as you did the Kahr .380 and see what your scores are like.
LEROY cites three of four rounds on a soft-drink can at 20 yards as his criterion for carry. That's better accuracy than I probably need to save my life.
The serious part of a gallon milk jug measures 6" wide by 7" tall. One or more .38 Special +P rounds in each of 3 jugs at 10 yards in 10 seconds or less is likely to buy you enough time to get to a better weapon, if it doesn't finish the encounter, entirely.

 

[langenc]

Clint says "a man has to KNOW his limitations."