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SoloXCRacer wrote: * Kershaw Leek pocket knife.

That Kershaw Leek is a nifty little knife. I have two of them - one silver like yours, and one in black oxide.

Pawpaw wrote:

Fabs80 wrote:This is really "strange". I spent quite some time in the states and truly love people, culture and country. But when I see this I am glad that a huge ocean (and different legislation) separates you guys and my home in Europe...

You're not half as glad as we are. We still remember why we left that stinkhole over 200 years ago.

What's sad is the accusation that, because we love our rights, we don't love people, other cultures, and our country. How utterly provincial of him.

jmra wrote:

rockinar wrote:I see a lot of people carrying 1911 Ultra Compact Kimbers. Those things are the most unreliable gun on earth. Good looking guns. But I would NEVER stake my life on one. Do your training and research.


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The full size 1911 is a tried and true design. The compact versions have many issues and simply aren't reliable as a self defense weapon. You don't know how much I wish that wasn't the case, but it is.

I carried a 3" Kimber Ultra Carry for several years, and it was a flawlessly functioning gun. It was every bit as reliable as my M&P45 full size, a tinier bit more reliable than my 5" Springfield 1911, and easily the equal in reliability of my wife's Glock 19, or my current EDC XDM-45 Compact 3.8 and XDS-45. Would I risk submerging it in frozen mud for a year before firing it? Not hardly. But neither would I do that with my wife's Glock 19 (her feelings in the matter notwithstanding), and neither would anybody else who seriously stakes their life on a properly functioning gun!!! The Glock factory may torture test guns to prove their reliability (and so do S&W and other manufacturers too, BTW), but they don't carry those guns personally.....at least not in that condition. I will bet you every dollar you earn for the next 10 years that those torture-tested Glocks get properly cleaned, lubed, and/or serviced as necessary, before any Glock employee agrees to carry them as a personal defense weapon.

OK, so I own a range of handguns which, with a couple of exceptions, I bought as carry guns. All but 4 of them have been relegated to range/safe duty, and I've sold 4 or 5 of those over the years, and kept 2 or 3 others. All but 4 of them have been relegated to range/safe duty.

The four that I continue to carry are a Springfield XD(M)-45 Compact 3.8, a Kahr PM9, a newly acquired (and much loved) Springfield XDS, and a S&W M&P340 scandium .357 magnum. The S&W has become my "put it in a pocket for trip to mailbox" gun. The PM9 is my "all day pocket gun." And the two Springfields have become my EDC's, switching back and forth between them depending on where I'm headed and what I'm going to be wearing. I thought it would be instructive to post pictures comparing the two Springfields and the PM9 for relative size. Apologies for quick snapshots being out of focus as I took no real time to set these shots up.....

The three guns in profile. The PM9 is the all black one, the two Bi-Tones are the Springfields.


Comparative grip sizes:


Relative slide sizes (the XDS is actually marginally slimmer than the PM9 across the slide):


What the "customer" sees, comparing the 9mm PM9 to the .45 ACP XDS.......if visuals count for anything:

green2145 wrote:I'm probably one of the few that carries a full size 1911 but I love it.

I don't mind carrying my full sized 1911 on hunting trips and such, but I carry strictly OWB or with a shoulder holster rig these days...never IWB....and I find that any shirt that is long enough to conceal the bottom edge of my Galco Concealable Belt Holster (http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterPG3.asp?P ... &GunID=157) is pretty much too long. I own several IWB holsters, but I can't wear any of them anymore because of back issues. Plus, mine is a steel-framed Springfield Loaded model (http://www.springfield-armory.com/armory.php?version=4), so it weighs a full 40 oz with one empty mag. Add in one or two backup mags to supplement the meager magazine capacity of a 1911, plus the total weight of either 17 or 25 rounds of 230 grain ammo (I use 8 round Cobra Mags from Tripp Research), and you've got a total package what weighs an awful lot for all-day-every-day carry. That's why I bought several other polymer framed .45s to flesh out my carry rotation.

By comparison, my XD(M)-45 Compact 3.8 weighs either 27 oz with the empty 9 round mag, or 29 oz with the empty 13 round mag. (To put that into perspective, the difference in unloaded weight between my Springfield 1911 and my Springfield XD(m) is equal to the weight of my Scandium J-Frame .357 snubbie. In other words, I could carry both the XD(m) AND a .357 magnum BUG and not exceed the weight of the 1911 by itself.) And, with the 9+1 capacity of the short mag and the 13 round back up mag, I've got nearly the round capacity of a 1911 with TWO backup mags, with only one reload necessary, all in a more easily concealable package. It's true that the 1911 is flatter and maybe a little more comfortable because of it; but in terms of practical concealability, the double stack XD(m) is smaller overall in length and height and easier to hide.

My M&P45 Full Sized weighs 29.6 oz without the 10 round mag. Add in the weight of the 10 round mag, and you've still got a gun that comes in under the weight of the all steel 1911 with its one 7 round magazine. My M&P is my "war gun." It's about the same size as the 1911 except that the slide is marginally wider. If I had to soak both guns in mud and then fire them, I'd have more confidence in the M&P functioning reliably than the 1911, even though under normal circumstances the 1911 is perfectly reliable. I actually shoot the M&P slightly more accurately than I do the 1911. I can't say if that is me or the gun, and it's not that I'm a horrible shot with the 1911....I'm just better with the M&P. Curiously, other than having a slightly wider grip due to being a double stack gun, the M&P's ergonomics are very "1911-like" in terms of grip angle, sight picture, etc., etc. Mine is the thumb safety model, and even the thumb safety levers are where you would expect to find them on a 1911.....the difference being that the M&P's slide can still be cycled with the thumb safety engaged, which has certain advantages.

My Kahr CW45 weighs 19.7 oz, and the 6 round mag weighs another 2 oz......and it's no bigger than my old 3" Kimber was and even weighs a little less. It also benefits from having "1911-like" ergonomics—if you discount the long smooth trigger pull and the fact that it is striker fired.

As you can see, I'm partial to carrying .45s, and have 4 of them in various formats. I love me some 1911 and always have. I even have my father's WW2 sidearm 1911—a 1943 vintage Ithaca in about 95% or better condition. But the only one I ever owned which made sense to me as a day-in-day-out carry weapon was that 3" Kimber. The reason I sold it has nothing to do with whether or not I liked it. I just wanted to buy an XD(m), and I promised my wife I'd sell a gun to pay for it. That Kimber, as much as I liked it, was the one gun I could sell easily and ask a decent price for it, and I figured that if I was going to be down to one carry 1911, I should keep the 5" because......well, because there are few things in life better than a good running 5" 1911. Interestingly, each of the polymer-framed .45s I've bought shares some features with my 1911s, either in ergonomic items like grip angle, or in mechanical features like the thumb safety on my M&P or the grip safety on my XD(m).

As much as I love my 1911s, they have not turned out to be that practical a choice for me for daily carry....at least not the full sized steel framed ones. But if you're able to pull it off, you're a fortunate man indeed. JMB pretty much got everything right with that pistol, which explains its longevity and relevance, even in today's world. Good for you.

Edited to add: I see that green2145 deleted his post before I could finish submitting mine. Oh well....

Rugerboy50 wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:Since we're on an XDs kick, let me add my XDm-45 Compact 3.8 in an OWB holster from Hopp Custom Leather:

[ Image ]

That's a beauty.

Starting to see a lot of the XDm's show up with good reviews.

It's an excellent pistol. If you have the chance to shoot one, you should take it and see for yourself. I was initially sold by shooting a friend's XD-40 Compact, but I wanted it in .45. I hadn't really considered the XDm until I had the chance to compare the two pistols side by side at a gunstore. It's a keeper.

Since we're on an XDs kick, let me add my XDm-45 Compact 3.8 in an OWB holster from Hopp Custom Leather:

kesmith wrote:68Charger,
I'm type 1 as well, hope you're in good health. With the pump, glucose tablets, keys, phone (not pictured because it's also my camera), wallet and a concealed firearm some days I feel like a pack mule.

9mmfan,
Thanks, I'm pretty fond of this one. Here's a couple more pics...

[ Image ]
[ Image ]

I have a standard uncustomized 640. I really like what you've done with yours. Mine is more of a "kit gun." I really don't carry it as I have a M&P340 that I like a lot which is much lighter, but it is reliable as an anvil, and I appreciate the stainless steel construction:






That little M&P340 is a nasty little bulldog of a gun.

Backwoods wrote:Nothing fancy, but I carry it every day.
[ Image ]

Not seeing your image....

Dallas wrote:I want to see what your carries look like on you.

I think that a lot of people might be reticent to display pictures of themselves carrying a gun on a public forum....so you should be more specific about what kind of pictures you want to see, and you might get some response.

Songbird wrote:Here's what I just ordered for my PPS

Very nice. Is that from the same guy, Eric Hopp from Hopp Custom Leather that I ordered a holster from for my new XDm-45 Compact 3.8?
Here's what I ordered back on June 27:


His prices are really good, aren't they?

paulhailes wrote:

64zebra wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:I don't see the images....

I'll make some bigger ones for you next time

I think what TAM means is that they are not there....

Exactly. I had the same problem in the "Black Guns" thread with his posts. I've investigated, and here is the problem: DefensiveCarry.com has a script in place which renders images invisible to offline viewers who are not logged in to defensivecarry.com. It substitutes a 1 pixel x 1 pixel white jpeg for the original image, so that all you see is white space. I happen to be a member at defensivecarry.com, so I logged in over there, and as soon as I did that, his images became visible to me.

Smart ass replies should have been withheld until certain of their truth. I'm a website designer by profession, and you can take what I've just described to the bank.

64zebra wrote:thought I'd add pics of my daily carry rigs since I've "neglected" this site for awhile
its obvious which ones were taken with the phone, belts not pictured but they are 5.11 permastiff and TDU Operator
I started with my HK USP full size 45 and liked it, SO-2 IWB kydex tuckable, 15%OC, Surefire G2,


then after about a year I wanted a smaller 45 (and was good excuse to the wife to get another gun )
so I got the Glock 30 and carried it since 2006, and still carry it off-duty now that I'm LEO, I like the size, grip, 10+1 and using spare G21 mags, night sights, Hogue grip, SO-2 IWB tuckable holster, blackhawk/5.11 spare mag pouch can go on belt or carry in cargo pocket, I don't have the Remington folder pictured in both of these anymore, now carry S&W OTF and SOG Trident, I also now have a Safariland ALS paddle holster and I carry OWB with over sized shirt and I like having the same ALS on it as I do my duty holster


I also sometimes carry my S&W 642 or Keltec P11 (BUGs for work) off-duty in DeSantis Nemesis holster in front right pocket, only picture I have of them (also in pic-"nightstand" G21 w/TLR1, wife's G26, Ruger GP100, German .22lr, my SOG Trident and S&W OTF, and my above mentioned Safariland ALS paddle holster right below the tan leather Galco):

642, Nemesis, HKS speedloaders, Hogue wrap around grips


my daily carry items at work
Safariland level 3 holster for the G17

I don't see the images....

Thai wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:I took a look at the P290 before buying a used Kahr PM9. The Sig is a nice little pistol, but I was looking for something truly pocketable and bought the Kahr instead. My carry rotation includes full-sized, compact, and sub-compact semi-autos, and J-Frame revolvers, but nothing so far has disappeared into a pocket for summer carry the way the PM9 does—not even my slightly lighter scandium J-Frame .357 snubbie.

I had a PM9 about 2 years ago. Unfortunately, it malfunctioned badly! Failure to feed constantly. Once, the magazine dropped out WHILE shooting! I sent it back to kahr FOUR times...never was fixed properly. I loved how the gun handled and how it is sized. But, the constant issues and the fact that i was paying $35-40 each time to send it in were draining. It shot very accurately, but never got past 25-50 rounds before malfunctioning.

Interesting. I'm a 1911 guy at heart, and when I first got my CHL I owned a Sig 1911. It would jam on about every 3rd round. This was the only 1911 I've ever owned that was like that. I sold the treacherous wench and got me a Kimber. All the others have been extremely reliable. Getting used to carrying cocked and locked is actually not that bad. When you think about it, too many things have to deliberately happen for the gun to go off accidentally. My only other striker-fired pistol, and M&P 45, also has a thumb safety, exactly where I expect it to be, just like on a 1911. My wife has her CHL too, and one of her carry guns is a Glock 19. Great little pistol, but the no-safety thing actually makes me a little little extra cautious. Of course, my Kahr is "Glock-like" in that regard.......but then so is my snubbie.

I'm hoping not to have the same issues you've had with my PM9. A lot of members here have had no problems with their Kahrs, and a few have, like you, had nothing but problems. I just bought mine used from a pawn shop a few days ago, and I don't carry it yet because I haven't been to the range with it yet. So for now, I'm still carrying either my .357 snubbie, or one of my .45s.