by Bruce N. Eimer
Human Events

The question is often asked, “what is the best handgun for concealed carry?” There are many valid answers to this question and they usually begin with, “well, it depends on a number of factors.” However, in my humble opinion, there is one universally valid answer, and that is, “it is the gun that you have on you when you need it.” With that said, the purpose of this brief article is to make you aware of twelve handguns that are so easy to carry, that there is no excuse to ever go unarmed – never ever. This list of handguns spans a range of calibers: .22 Long Rifle, .22 Magnum, .32 ACP, .380 ACP, .38 Special, and .357 Magnum, and includes revolvers (single action and double action) as well as double action semi-automatic pistols. They range in size from small to palm size, and they all come in under 12 ounces in empty weight. Thus, every one of the guns on this list is easy to carry in a jacket or pant pocket. In addition, every gun I have selected has proven ease of handling in reasonably trained hands, reliability, accuracy for the distance within which the gun is designed to be used, and ease of maintenance (i.e., field stripping and cleaning). There is a gun here for just about everyone.

I myself enjoy shooting small pocket pistols, so I shoot them often and as a result have gotten good at shooting them. However, here stands one essential caveat. Ultra-compact .32 and .380 ACP pocket pistols are not easy to shoot well. They require training and practice. One cannot escape physics. Tiny light guns bark and buck. People with big hands often complain that they cannot get a good grip on them given the fact that the grips are short and thin. Also, the sights on most of these pistols, if they even have sights, are tiny and difficult to use in the reactive situations for which these defensive pistols were designed. Once again, training and practice are the orders of the day.

.22 Long Rifle

#1. The Beretta Model 21 Bobcat is an ultra-compact double action/single action .22 LR semi-automatic pistol that features a 2.4 inch tip-up barrel, fixed sights, a frame mounted manual safety, and a magazine capacity of 7 rounds. It weighs about 11.5 ounces empty. This gun is easy to shoot and the tip-up barrel is a nice feature for those who have difficulty racking the slide to chamber or eject a round. This little gun is maximally effective with good quality high velocity .22 LR ammunition such as CCI 40 grain Mini-Mags, CCI 32 grain hollow point Stingers, or Aguila 30 grain Super Max hollow points. Hammer down, manual safety on carry gives you a double action first shot and single action subsequent shots. This makes this gun relatively easy to shoot for people who do not handle long and heavy double action triggers very well. Street price new: Around $300.

#2. The Smith and Wesson Model 317 AirLite Revolver is a 9.9 ounce 8-round snubby with a 2 inch barrel, chambered for the .22 LR cartridge. It has an abbreviated hammer that does not snag, so it can be fired in either single or double action. I have owned mine for years and have shot all types of .22 LR loads out of it. It has always gone bang when the trigger is pulled and is low maintenance. By that I mean it just goes and goes in between cleanings. This gun is combat accurate in rapid fire out to 15 yards. The trigger is smooth and light, and the gun is easy to handle and shoot – perceived recoil is a non-issue. The serrated ramp front sight and fixed notch rear sight are small, so outfitted with a pair of Crimson Trace Laser Grips, this gun makes a very handy personal defense package. Street price new: Around $600.

.22 Magnum

#3. The North American Arms .22 Magnum Pug Mini-Revolver is a 6.4 ounce single-action 5-shot ultra-small revolver that packs a big fist. Squat and sturdy with a 1 inch barrel and a highly visible XS Tritium Big Dot front sight, the guns pebble texture rubber grips allow its owner to keep a firm leash on this puppy. Nevertheless, this gun is surprisingly easy shooting and accurate out to 7 yards. The single action trigger is light but not too light. Given that this gun is single action, and designed to be carried hammer down on one of five safety slots on the cylinder, this little pocket protector can be safely carried without a holster. Thus, the Pug truly can go anywhere with you – in a pair of gym shorts, a shirt pocket, or pant or jacket front or rear pocket. However, be careful if you also carry your keys in the same pocket. You do not want to snag the hammer. When the hammer is cocked, the cylinder revolves onto a live chambered round. This is the ultimate deep cover hideout gun. At close range, with proper shot placement, the .22 Magnum can probably get the job done. However, in Condition Black, this gun can only give you 5 shots and cannot be reloaded during the fight, as the gun has to be partially disassembled to reload. If you own this sturdy little Pug, there is just no excuse ever to go anywhere without a gun. As North American Arms, also known as NAA says, it really is “convenient, reliable and effective”. Street price new: Around $325.

#4. The Smith and Wesson Model 351PD AirLite Revolver is a 10.8 ounce 7-round “Chiefs Special snubby with a 1.875 inch barrel, chambered for the .22 Magnum cartridge. It has a small external hammer that is relatively snag free, but which enables the gun to be fired in single or double action mode. With its HIVIZ Fiber Optic Red front sight, blackened aluminum alloy frame and cylinder, and wood grips, the gun is pretty. This gun is also very reliable – it goes bang whenever the trigger is pulled, and like the Smith Model 317, is low maintenance. However, this gun has a very heavy trigger with a fair amount of creep. This affects one’s ability to engage in accurate rapid fire, especially at distances past seven yards. Perceived recoil is a non-issue. Street price new: Around $625-650.

.32 ACP

#5. The 6.6 ounce Kel-Tec P-32 is a double action only, locked breech semi-automatic pistol with a polymer frame, steel slide, 2.68 inch barrel and a 7 + 1 capacity. The lightest .32 pistol ever made, the P-32 is thin and attractive and a trend setter; it is the first of a line of ultra-modern, ultra-compact ultra-light polymer .32 and .380 semi-auto pistols. It has low perceived recoil, a light smooth trigger and excellent accuracy at 7 to 10 yards and in. This little gun even locks open on an empty magazine and magazine changes are easy to accomplish making emergency reloads possible. My extensive experience with this gun is that it is very robust, reliable and fun to shoot. I have not had a hiccup out of two of mine after 500 rounds spent with each without any cleaning – not that I recommend not cleaning your guns. Street price new: Around $260.

#6. The 11.5 ounce Seecamp LWS .32 ACP is dimensionally the smallest .32 ACP on the current market. It is a double action only, flush hammer fired, fixed barrel, retarded blowback, all stainless steel semi-automatic pistol with a magazine capacity of 6 rounds. The gun is a literal work of art – a family heirloom. It is precision designed like a piece of fine jewelry, a fine Swiss watch. But, it isn’t just beautiful. It packs a wallop and shoots with reliability and accuracy. However, this gun is not for everyone given its unique features. But tell me, what gun is? The Seecamp has no sights. It is designed for very close-in point shooting. It also has a magazine safety; that is, it will not fire with the magazine removed, nor can the slide be retracted without the magazine in place. The magazine release is European style, at the bottom rear of the grip. It does have a rather limited diet however – it is ammunition finicky. My .32 caliber Seecamps reliably handle Winchester Silvertips, Winchester Q4255 71 gr. FMJs, Hornady 60 grain SJH/XTPs, Speer Gold Dots, Federal Hydra Shoks, and Magsafe frangibles. The Seecamp is smooth, consistent and pleasant to work. It needs to be kept clean and well lubricated. Street price new: Around $525 to $550.

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