Help me decide please

[SpringerFan]

As someone who has both, carries both, and equally loves both, I can only say............................................................................GET BOTH!

[The Annoyed Man]

I don't own any XDs or XDMs, but I do own and carry both large frame and compact frame semiautos of the same type (1911s), and a pocket gun. I also own a Keltec P3AT, which is, for all practical purposes, the same thing as a Ruger LCP.

I almost never carry the Keltec. The reasons, in no particular order, are 1) low capacity; 2) unreliability; and 3) an anemic cartridge. I only carry this pistol when the deepest concealment is necessary for sartorial reasons. I rarely ever place myself into that kind of context. Yesterday, at a local chamber of commerce monthly luncheon in a semi-formal context, I wore boots, jeans, a nice untucked collared shirt, and a full sized M&P 45 in an OWB holster. Nobody was the wiser, so you can see that the need for me to carry the tiny Keltec is almost non-existent.

That said, I often have the need to carry a smaller gun than my small frame 1911 - something pocketable - either for reasons of personal comfort or concealability. My personal choice is a snubbie revolver. That offers the chance for a caliber/capacity compromise - something not possible with the Keltec. Snubbies are available in calibers stout enough to offset the lack of capacity to some degree. I chose one in .357 magnum. The round I carry in it - Hornady's Critical Defense 125 grain .357 load - delivers 1200 fps and 550 ft-lb at the muzzle from a 2" barrel (data obtained by phone from Hornady). For me, that kind of power (which exceeds any of the .45 ACP loads I carry) makes up for having only 5 rounds before needing a reload. (GunBlast.com, scroll to the bottom for the author's perspective.) And while a revolver is not completely immune to malfunction, it is far, far more reliable than a dinky little .380. Also, although shooting .357 through a lightweight snubbie is an impressive experience, it is not anywhere near as terrifying and difficult as some would have you believe. I found it quite easy to snap off 5 quick rounds of the above mentioned Hornady ammo at a steel plate from about 10 yards or so, and hit the plate with all 5 shots. That ammo is also loaded with a reduced flash powder, so blinding yourself at night is not nearly such an urgent concern.

All of this is to make two recommendations:

1. Between the smaller XD and the LCP, get the XD. It will fulfill almost all of your deeper concealment needs, without the reduced capacity and anemic cartridge of the LCP.

2. If you come to the determination that the smaller XD is not the right choice for you, get yourself a snubnosed revolver, preferably in .357 magnum, but at least a +P rated .38 Special. Even the .38 Special in a standard pressure is a better round than the .380.

That's just my 2¢. YMMV.

[JDRFL1]

the 9mm will give you better stopping power than the lcp. I have an lcp and its a great little gun to slip into your pocket or waistline. Great for just running a quick errand in shorts and a t shirt.

[TheReverend]

Thanks Everyone. I think I'll go with the XD

[Keith]

Good choice with the XD. Ive owned both and there totally different. I listened to a radio talk show thats on every Sunday a few weeks ago. They had a Police Officer on there and they were talking about small guns for CCW particulary the .380.

(He) not me made the comment that the only people who carry a small .380 are the ones who have never been in a gun fight. I carry a LCP and a SIG P238 when its very warm and im only wearing shorts and a T-shirt. With that being said I kinda agree that my .380s should be for BUGS only not my primary guns.

Ill continue to wear the 380s when anything bigger just wont work due to clothing but I will def try to make this happen less often as I to feal a little outgunned when I carry one of them as my primary instead of the usual 10mm or 45 full size guns I like to use.

As its allways said (a gun is better then no gun). Except for point blank or very close the .380 drops off fast. I hope I never have to pull my gun. If I did though I def would rather pull a full size handgun. The only way I can make this happen is carry the big guys as much as possible. By you getting the XD over the LCP you will also have a much less chance of ever being outgunned.

[frplf]

I carry both the LCP and XDsc40 regularly. I carry the XD when I am wearing pants with pockets big enough for it, mostly black 5.11 tacticals. The LCP is for when the XD wont fit. My original instructor said that a 22 with you is better than a 45 in the truck (the truck is the most expensive holster that you own).

[Katygunnut]

Any advice / suggestion will be appreciated.

OK, but you asked for it. Get both. Carry both. When you can't carry both, carry the LCP.

End of transmission.

Done! Where do I send the bill to?

In today's economy, one has to choose

did anyone try to carry the XDsc in an ankle holster? Is it an unrealistic thought?

Get both if you can, even if that means buying one now and the other in 6 months. If you can only afford one, then get a compromise between the two. The Kahr PM9 is good, but expensive (although there is a used one on this site right now for $550), the Taurus slim can be had for $400 new (with tax), and the Kel-Tec PF9 is available for around $250 new (Tomball Pawn). All 3 of these are easy pocket carries. Do your research, as guns of this size tend to have some reliability issues and you may need to deal with the manufacturer for warranty work.