BUG

[Alpha7]

I am sure this has been discussed many many times before so if it has I am sorry. I tried to do a search on it and could not find any information. In march I am going to be looking into a back up gun. I have done hours upon hours of research and wanted to get a seecamp lws 32 which came highly recommended on the gundirectory.com forum from a buddy over there. I checked with seecamp and at present there is a five month waiting period which I do not want to wait for I need to fill this bug position sooner than that. I was thinking maybe a keltec p32 but then figured keltec might not be any good. Which back up gun would you have and why? I like the rohrbaugh or however you spell it 380 but with the 1100 price tag and the cost and limited availability of the 380 round I decided against that.

[nightrunner]

really depends if you want a semi-auto or a revolver.

in auto, I would have in order of preference

Rohrbaugh R9 - same size as the 380 but in full 9mm power

Kahr P380

Kahr PM9

Ruger LCP

KelTec P3AT

in revolver any J-frame in your flavor, I personally like the 442/642

[Steelharp]

Auto - SIG P230 .380

Rev - Ruger LCR

[Jasongar8]

Semi Auto

1) Kahr PM9 or PM40

2) Ruger LCP .380

3) Sig P238 .380

4) Kel Tec P3AT .380

Revolver

1) Smith and Wesson 340PD

2)Smith and Wesson 642/442

[Will Carry]

What about a Glock 36? Just becuase it's a back up gun doesn't mean it has to be a mouse gun. If, God forbid, you ever need a BUG you'll probably wish it was a 45.

[Alpha7]

What about a Glock 36? Just becuase it's a back up gun doesn't mean it has to be a mouse gun. If, God forbid, you ever need a BUG you'll probably wish it was a 45.

Ill check em out.

I am buying a taurus 85 for the car but want a backup to carry on me in case for whatever reason I cant get to my main side arm in time like if I had my hands in my pocket(where the pocket holster is) it would be easier to draw that then reach out of my pocket and to my hip to draw on em.

[graycrait]

BUG to me means you picked the wrong geography, or have the wrong mental attitude (awareness, carelessness, short-fused, etc.) or are just plain unlucky. If you are LEO then it is entirely different. If your primary carry is a Glock 9mm 19 or 17 quits working then you are really unlucky, because I put those two at the top of the heap for firing every time with good enough accuracy and with good JHP enough kinetic energy in those hi-cap mags to end just about anything with two-legged varmints. Auto windows and doors are LEO game and require something else. J. Q. Public saves their butts at 15 yards or less, generally indoors.

In case your primary doesn't work/can't get to it, empty, etc. and if you can't pull your BUG weak-handed one-handed quickly and shoot all the shots into a 3x5 at 10 yards then maybe you need to think about your BUG. I've owned/tried to be good with airweight & steel snubbies in .38, .357 and 9mm, tried lightweight pistols in .380 and 9mm. I workout, have good eye-hand coordination, have played/coached ball sports and was something of a martial arts person for many years as a youngster. If I were LEO I would say something different due to requirements or effect, but for John Q. Public a Kel Tec P32 Hardchrome is my choice and recommendation for BUG. Epoxy and afix a Keltec trigger shoe, carry it in a DeSantis pocket holster or Raven OWB kydex and load it with ball ammo that you know works all the time.

When you pull it quickly cant your hand inward a bit and shoot the whole mag fast, cause that is what your BUG as a private citizen is for - save your a.. cause everything else has gone bad. If you can't do it one-handed "wrong-handed" lying down in the fetal position then you are just fooling yourself.

Also a P32 loaded with ball ammo fits nicely in running vest pockets, and in all manners of clothing and equipment, including go-to-church clothes, running shorts, etc.

Why Hardchrome P32? The Hardchrome version negates most of the fluff and buff required to make the P32 totally reliable out of the box. If you get the blued version of the P32 just go here and spend 30 minutes getting to know your Keltec. GoldenLoki.com

[Alpha7]

Keltec p32 was actually second on my list behind the seecamp after the research but I had never owned a kel tec and assumed since they were inexpensive they were not very good.

[Guest bkelm18]

Keltec p32 was actually second on my list behind the seecamp after the research but I had never owned a kel tec and assumed since they were inexpensive they were not very good.

Well you'd be wrong. There are many many many P32's and P3AT's in circulation and many people swear by them. Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's crap.

[graycrait]

I have never owned a SeeCamp but I have owned a NAA Guardian in .32 and really tried to make it my bug because they are a thing of beauty & simplicity mechanically. The SeeCamp is just a cosmetically enhanced version of the NAA Guardian in my opinion.

Why the Keltec and not the SeeCamp/Guardian? The KT is lighter & much more thinner, easier to carry, much easier to hold onto while shooting and in my mind every bit if not more reliable.

This is not just my opinion. I have two shooting buddies, one is 84 and the other is 29. The 84 yr old has more guns than you or I will ever have and is not only a WWII Marine but retired world traveling geologist. The other is ex-Army, ex-LEO and now FBI. They both endorse the P32 heartily and the 84 yr old has done extensive penetration tests with .32 ball ammo.

Hits count and so do holes. Make lots of them with your BUG.

This recommendation of mine is just my opinion and weighs little in the grand scheme. But I challenge you to shoot one-handed "wrong-handed" quickly from a bad body position and tell me that something bigger is easier or more practical.

As you can tell my primary guns are Glock 9mms and I have owned 15 or 20 of them from 17L to 34 to 26, including the range of Glock .45s, BHPs and 6 1911s, as well as several dozen others. My carry guns are my own customized G19 or G17 and sometimes my G26. My house guns are .38 revolvers and 9mm carbines. My play guns are mostly .22s. I have gone through a lot of guns trying to whittle the types/calibers/fun factor/practicality/reliability personal uses and ergonomics to the dozen+ or so that I now have.

Craig

[nightrunner]

might also consider the beretta tomcat

[Alpha7]

Well you'd be wrong. There are many many many P32's and P3AT's in circulation and many people swear by them. Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's crap.

I am beginning to learn that.

[Alpha7]

I have never owned a SeeCamp but I have owned a NAA Guardian in .32 and really tried to make it my bug because they are a thing of beauty & simplicity mechanically. The SeeCamp is just a cosmetically enhanced version of the NAA Guardian in my opinion.

Why the Keltec and not the SeeCamp/Guardian? The KT is lighter & much more thinner, easier to carry, much easier to hold onto while shooting and in my mind every bit if not more reliable.

This is not just my opinion. I have two shooting buddies, one is 84 and the other is 29. The 84 yr old has more guns than you or I will ever have and is not only a WWII Marine but retired world traveling geologist. The other is ex-Army, ex-LEO and now FBI. They both endorse the P32 heartily and the 84 yr old has done extensive penetration tests with .32 ball ammo.

Hits count and so do holes. Make lots of them with your BUG.

This recommendation of mine is just my opinion and weighs little in the grand scheme. But I challenge you to shoot one-handed "wrong-handed" quickly from a bad body position and tell me that something bigger is easier or more practical.

As you can tell my primary guns are Glock 9mms and I have owned 15 or 20 of them from 17L to 34 to 26, including the range of Glock .45s, BHPs and 6 1911s, as well as several dozen others. My carry guns are my own customized G19 or G17 and sometimes my G26. My house guns are .38 revolvers and 9mm carbines. My play guns are mostly .22s. I have gone through a lot of guns trying to whittle the types/calibers/fun factor/practicality/reliability personal uses and ergonomics to the dozen+ or so that I now have.

Craig

The one thing that I like about the keltec is that if I am not mistaken you can shoot fmj or jhp out of it where as with the seecamp it is made for jhp only and if you use fmj it is prone to malfunction.

[Alpha7]

Plus,

I saw an naa guardian and checked em out online I know the 380 has a 13 pound trigger pull which I definitely do not want. I think the keltec is closer to 7 pounds which is not to terribly bad. I know the american rifleman did the study on 380's and they seemed to recommend the taurus tcp 738 as a budget backup gun but since it is 380 and 380 is expensive and hard to find around here I figured I would go with 32. Although I am sure that ammo is probably sky high to as typically all ammo is now.

[lowbud]

Ruger LCP

KelTec P3AT

S&W 642/442

I don't carry a BUG. I have a hard enough time hiding my primary carry a Kahr PM40. I also have one in the truck. So to me, If I can't do the job with my primary, I don't need to be carrying anything.

[Guest Rugerman]

I have owned a few BUG's and this one is the only one that has stuck with me since the day I bought it.

The MR Micro Eagle .380. A lot of people knock the trigger, which is heavy, but I have gotten used to it and actually shoot this gun pretty daggone good now. The finish is holding up well and it has eaten hundreds of flawless rounds of varying brands and type.

[dats82]

I personally would shy away from the Kel-Tec. I had a p11 that broke, not just malfunction, but actually broke. Of the people I know with p32 and p3at, 3 out of 4 had to be sent back for repairs or malfunctions.

I am not a fan of the BUG, but if I do feel the need to carry one, I have a NAA mini revolver in a 22 mag. You might want to check into that.

[Alpha7]

I have owned a few BUG's and this one is the only one that has stuck with me since the day I bought it.

The MR Micro Eagle .380. A lot of people knock the trigger, which is heavy, but I have gotten used to it and actually shoot this gun pretty daggone good now. The finish is holding up well and it has eaten hundreds of flawless rounds of varying brands and type.

That is a pretty nice gun. Where did you buy it at just out of curiosity. I see you live in dayton to. I may know ya I may not.

[Alpha7]

Whatever I get I will be carrying it in a desantis nemesis pocket holster.

[nightrunner]

please dont get one of the NAA mini revolvers. They are too small, plus they are single action, not very good for a BUG

[Alpha7]

please dont get one of the NAA mini revolvers. They are too small, plus they are single action, not very good for a BUG

I wont

[Guest Rugerman]

That is a pretty nice gun. Where did you buy it at just out of curiosity. I see you live in dayton to. I may know ya I may not.

I bought this at Benton's before they decided to ask insane prices for everything. This gun shoots very well for me and is comfortable for me to carry. If you want to take a look at it and hold it PM me and let me know. I will only be living here until Friday morning, though. Shoot, I wouldn't mind meeting you at Rabbit's place to shoot a few out of it one night this week.

[Alpha7]

Okay,

Where is rabbits place? Normally I would meet you to hold it but right now I am down with a sprained ankle and cannot stand for long periods of time so do not want to go and shoot. Sorry.

Take Care,

[mikegideon]

Ruger LCP

KelTec P3AT

S&W 642/442

I don't carry a BUG. I have a hard enough time hiding my primary carry a Kahr PM40. I also have one in the truck. So to me, If I can't do the job with my primary, I don't need to be carrying anything.

Ditto. If I was an LEO, I would be worried about it. I'm not. If you gotta though, I agree with the list above, but may put the revolver first

[Alpha7]

My philosophy is you can never have or be carrying to many guns.