OK, over the years I've carried a number of pocket guns, in addition to more serious belt guns.
A Smith 642, and later a 442. Good shooting, easily pocketable, but I've never been comfortable with just 5 rounds of .38 +P and a speed strip.
A Kahr MK9 (and also an MK40). Good shooting, plenty of power with seven 9mm +P's, but way too heavy for pocket carry.
A kahr P380. So light I don't even feel it, but this is my yard mowing or knocking around the property gun, as I won't leave home with just a .380.
So my primary hot weather off duty and pocket gun for the past few years has been a Kahr PM9. Unlike others, mine has run 100% from day one, it's light enough for pocket carry (although substantial enough that I never forget it's there), and it shoots quite well for me. Not the perfect pocket gun, but pretty darn close.
Then I started looking at the pup. Excellent reputation, check. Even lighter than the PM9, check. Slightly smaller than the PM9, check. Owners are rabidly loyal to the thing, check. Hmmmm. OK, so after giving it some thought I plunk down my money and I buy one. And I was, frankly, a bit disappointed. Oh yes, quite light, easily splitting the difference between the PM9 and the P380. And somewhat smaller than the PM9, so even more pocketable. OK, so far so good. But the thing felt like a 2x4 in my hand. OK, not a 2x4, but a 1x3, very square, and not especially pleasant. And that ubershort front strap, with just enough room for one finger made it exceedingly difficult to control for strings longer than 2 shots. And these things are not cheap. And I won't keep a gun that's not a shooter (for me), no matter how well it carries.
So, what did I do? Well, of course, like any die hard gun nut, I put more money into it. A set of VZ grips and one of yankee2500's grip extensions arrived yesterday.
And now I get it. The VZ's make a tremendous difference in how the gun fits my hand. The tapered edges make if feel like a pistol rather than lumber. And the mag extension allows me to get a second finger solidly on the thing, and suddenly it's quite shootable. I can hit, I can hit fast, and yeah it bucks a bit, but I can keep the rounds going where I want them to as quickly as I can pull the trigger. Truly, I think the VZ's make the biggest difference (for me, anyway), but I do like the mag extension, despite never having liked the things previously. I bought a hooked extension because that's all yankee had in stock, but as soon as he gets back from vacation I'll be hounding him for a straight extension, as I think it'll work better for me.
So, although it took a bit of tweaking to get me here, you can now count me among the pup disciples. Another hundred break in rounds and I'll be ready to qualify with the pup and start carrying it.
