Patton

As an officer I actually feel relieved when someone informs me of a HCP and them handing it over. I just assume there is a firearm in every vehicle and those that have a HCP are a lot less of a worry to me. I can not think of a single traffic stop where I have given a citation to someone who has voluntarily handed over a HCP.

You mentioned it once again and I must share my thoughts, a small 45acp would not be my choice for those purposes. If it were the only gun I owned I wouldn't be overly concerned with taking it on one of those trips, but big and slow 45acp out of a short barrel may not give you the penetration you need. If it is a brown bear out west you are way under-gunned. I think even with fmj or hard cast, getting the needed 18" of penetration may not happen. I understand that you want to pack light but the general opinion is that anything smaller than 10mm or 41. mag is inadequate for the woods.

I had a XDS45 and it was ok. I found myself always wanting to compare it to a Shield which is very much in the same league even though it is a different caliber. What I did like about the XDS was the size, it was about perfect. I think most people would not want anything larger for a gun that may need to ride in a pocket. The sights were great, the mag release was easy to manipulate, and it was just comfortable to hold. I have for years been trying to find a 45acp platform that I really liked and the XDS was one of the best. I also liked that the magazines were a 1911 size and fit most 1911 mag holders. A lot of my leather Glock holsters the XDS would fit, but it was too tall for my kydex Glock holsters. As far as bad stuff one thing that really bothered me was the grip safety. It was not so much the fact it was there but the fact that they made it too small. I found it possible to grab the gun and squeeze the trigger only to have resistance because the grip safety was above the webbing in my hand; this occurred only a couple of times with dry firing. I only had one commonly occurring malfunction and it was a failure to return to battery when inserting a new mag and sling shotting the slide. Twice it required a bump to the back of the slide. The trigger was stiff, very stiff, but supposedly they say all of the post-recall guns come that way and require time to lossen. The trigger does have a clean break though. I found the grip blocky, and even more blocky than a Glock. On the other hand I liked the feel of the gun though. There was only two things that I really did not care for with the XDS and they were the finish and the recoil. I always expect such a low pressure round such as a 45 to have a softer, push type recoil. Despite it having near magnum level pressure, I found the 40 Shield to have less recoil. The XDS recoil was pretty close to feeling like the recoil of my j frame 357 magnum. With the XDS follow up shots are possible but rapid fire does not occur too fast. Lastly, I did not think the finish was too great. It may be just as good as the crap Glock is sending out now but you could scratch it with a fingernail. In all I kind of wish I would have kept the XDS. I had planned to keep it but I found it a really good home. I did end up replacing it with another Shield.

I have done a G26 and G27 on and off in the pocket for years. Believe it or not a slightly modified Glock Sport Combat holster is what I prefer to use the most.

Unless you are military you will probably save a few dollars with a XDS. You will find the G36 about as close to a g19 size as you can get but pocket carry is not really practical for one. The G36 is definitely a smoother shooting gun.

If I had to choose between a G21, XD45, or a M&P45 I would have a hard not considering the M&P or eve the XD. I have a G20 only because I wanted something cheap and reliable in 10mm. The 20/21/41/30/29 are rediculously fat. Because they are fat and heavy recoil on all of them is very mild. I think it is funny that people are surprised when a G23 recoils more than a similar sized 45. The 40s&w round is almost 357 mag pressure levels so it will have more recoil.

The shroud is a funnel and a coin accidentally dropped into the wrong pocket is far more of a concern than lint. To be honest it may not be any worse than some of the holes and crevices on an auto but the centennial models like the 642/442 do not have that issue. You may want to read this from a couple of months ago: http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/75544-opinions-on-sw-airweights/

I fixed it for you! If you are recoil sensitive at all I would stay clear of Airweights and LC9's. You pay a price for light and powerful. Seriously, I love S&W revolvers but I do not necessarily love Airweights. A 640/36/60 or the like models that weigh 20oz shoot so much better. I have not shot a LC9 of any version so I can't say anything about them. I have heard they handle about the same as a Pf9 which is almost painful. My Shield however is Remarkably easy to shoot without costing more. Something else, if you go the j frame route I would caution you that shrouded hammer revolvers have all the bad aspects of the hammer models and enclosed models without much to gain. Dirt, moisture, coins, and everything else finds its way into the funnel created by the shroud. My grandfather told me stories of cops with them that stood out in he rain at a crime scene in the 70's and didn't clean the inside of their Bodyguards. The following month they went to shoot them and they had seized up and didn't work until soaked in oil. It is also believed that a hard fall can be enough to close the shroud onto the hammer to where it will lock up. If you drop an enclosed hammer model like a 642 you will just dent it. If you drop a chief special like a 637 you will just nick or break off the hammer spur, but it will probably still work. You will never have a justifiable self defense situation to where you will be able to use a single action trigger and that is all an airweight is for is carry and self defense.

I have fondled a G41 at GT's and I will own one someday. As far as pocket holsters I have always liked a modified Glock Sport Combat holster. I need to pick up a large one for my Shield. Other than hat I have really only used the Uncle Mikes size 3 pocket holster for various pocket guns. I had a custom molded j frame holster and I did not like it.

Actually, they get worse instead of better with time and it is not just the Gen4 but many of the late Gen3's. It is cureable with some parts being swapped.

I would disassemble the LCP and pay close attention to the recoil spring to see if it is in a bind or one spring is in wrong. It has functioned correctly on the previous visits correct?

I gave the cw380 to a family member and traded the cw45 for a loss. The cw45 had godawful recoil and the takedown pin would back out when shooting. Both were ammo finicky and had really rough edges. Maybe after a couple of years of carry those edges may rub smooth. Polymer Kahrs have plastic rails with short metal guides up front around the recoil spring. I hate the idea of that but apparently it has never been an issue for others.

The all metal Kahrs are the only ones worth owning in my opinion. I have owned two CW series and hated them both.

Brass to face is the term and it is pretty common. There are three common culprits: 1. bad or poorly designed extractor. 2. Poorly designed ejector. 3. Weak ammo. Changing either the ejector and/or extractor fixes BTF about 95% of the time.

Either striker fired or double action for me. Technically I prefer double action only to keep the trigger pull the same each time. My Shield is my primary carry and is on me about 90% of the time I am out of bed. The other 9% of the time I have a double action revolver on me. Prior to a year ago I was carrying various Glocks and occasionally a DA revolver or keltec/LCP. As a rule I don't do single action, but I have carried a NAA revolver on a few occasions.

I am almost for certain it is a $150 to upgrade to a 3rd gen, 3 pin frame. You will have mismatched serials though.

The good news is that they are very accommodating with warranty claims.

As big of a Hi Power fan as I am there are a lot better target and plinking guns available. Slide bite is a common complaint and so is the lack of sights because you are truly stuck with low combat sights. This is of course ignoring the magazine safety and having to deal with the ambidextrous safety. Like their 1911 brothers they tend to love attention in the maintenance department. As long as people are aware of this I am all for Hi Powers. I would be much more in favor of a Browning Hi Power than any 9mm 1911 since you asked.

With a G29 there will not be a whole lot of differences between a G29sf Gen3 and a Gen4 other than grip texture and a reversible mag release. Both will have a dual recoil spring assembly. You will have larger backstraps to install on the gen4 but hardly anyone uses them because the grip is so fat anyway. The Gen4 will also include an additional magazine for a total of 3. The regular 29 has a thicker backstrap making the trigger reach substantial and the 29SF (short frame) was a successful attempt to shorten the reach by a short distance. The regular 29 has been discontinued and SF and Gen4 without a backstrap are about the same distance from the backstrap to the trigger.

It is $464.20 plus taxes and fees. The 10/45 Glocks don't work into as great of a savings as the smaller frames.

NextExit, are you still in the Military or retired? If so you would be a fool to not get a blue label Glock for $529ish OTD.

They have a shorter lifespan. You may get 10k rounds but there are a few that say they have worked loose in a lot less. Besides they are pricey.

Of all my shorts and pants I have one pair of shorts that has shallow pockets making it hard to carry the Shield discretely. Other than that I have no issues with pocket carrying a Shield. I even do so with the Pearce Extension. Carrying a Shield is about the same as carrying a j frame. They both take up about the same volume and are about the same height and length. It is beyond me why S&W can't replicate the Shield's trigger into the othe M&P handguns.

That's what I think of all Kahrs. My Shield is ten time the gun my Kahr cw series is that I gave to my dad.

Get a Shield and you will never have a desire to own any other subcompact gun.