Compact It Ain’t: Debunking ‘Compact’ Pistol Terminology
Posted on | February 1, 2010 | 25 Comments
COMPACT: “having the property of being packable or easily carried.” When gun manufacturers use that term in describing their handguns, sometimes it leads to confusion with the buyer. Compact ain’t always compact in my experience. In this short video, I discuss some key considerations as you shop for your carry gun. Using the Sig P228 and H&K USP Compact .40 as examples, you will see that these guns are not really compact or easily carried in a Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) POU. And yet some, like the current Sig P229, are touted as “compact and ideal for concealed carry.” These guns are indeed excellent intermediate handgun choices that work well in shoulder hosters (if you can conceal them appropriately) or open-carry situations. They are slightly shorter and lighter than their full-sized counterparts (except the Glock [not shown] which remains amazingly light in its full size g17, G22 form). But they are many better, more comfortable, and truly compact carry choices (often termed “sub-compact”). As an off-duty officer or responsible and licensed armed civilian, you should have a high percentage of carry in your daily life. To do this you need to choose a system, with an appropriate firearm as its foundation, that will work for you day in and day out. I show several recommended and reviewed choices in TNP: Kahr PM9, Kel-Tec PF-9, Kel-Tec P3-AT, and Sig P238 (other good options SW Airweight .38s, Ruger LCP, Ruger LCR, Walther PPK, Bursa .380 Thunder, Walther PSS, Beretta Jetfire). While maybe lacking in ultimate firepower and stopping power, they possess small, thin, and light form factors that carry well and yet can stop the threat if skillfully employed. So don’t be fooled by the sometimes misleading factory nomenclatures and descriptions of their guns. Accurately identify your primary and most important POU for the gun and prioritize your purchasing accordingly. If a concealed carry is on that list, do yourself a favor and opt for these smaller guns first. Then as money allows, you can expand your handgun capabilities into other desirable pous.
Comments
25 Responses to “Compact It Ain’t: Debunking ‘Compact’ Pistol Terminology”
Leave a Reply
February 1st, 2010 @ 2:59 am
I was thinking the same thing about the USP…
a USP. Compact? Is it possible?
Anyways, I have a kind of random question about USP’s and SERPAs. The USPc and USP 45 have different trigger guard areas, correct? Which means a USP 45 wouldn’t fit a USPc SERPA holster, correct?
February 1st, 2010 @ 3:53 am
12:04 excuses LMAO!
Great informative video. Thanks a million.
Take care and stay safe.
February 1st, 2010 @ 4:25 am
Except for the width, the Glock 26 and 27 disappear pretty nicely. But I like your points and totally agree that any “compact” gun isn’t really compact. For the most part I just see it as them distinguishing it apart from their full size service pistols.
February 1st, 2010 @ 5:16 am
Yes, of course they can literally call it compact. On the same note, I can call a hippo a chicken all I want, but that hippo is never going to lay an egg.
February 1st, 2010 @ 5:43 am
Though if I could find something around the size of that 226 or 228 without the width, I could definitely conceal that with no problem…
But so far I haven’t found anything like that.
February 1st, 2010 @ 6:29 am
Although I completely agree with everything said in this video, I can’t bring myself to purchase such a tiny gun.
I’ve shot them before… It is too much like a toy. I feel like I am going to break them if I grip too tight. Not to mention the very limited amount of rounds the magazines will hold…
I just do not like them.
I am thinking that with the right holster I can get away with carrying my Glock20 in the small of the back position…
February 1st, 2010 @ 6:52 am
They obviously can call it compact because they have for a long time.
February 1st, 2010 @ 7:21 am
Stop right there buddy. That 228 is barely smaller than the 226. You are talking about maybe a half inch shorter. If Sig thinks they can make something BARELY smaller than some other model and call it compact, then they are just lying.
Compact is compact. A bulky gun, no matter what you compare it to, is not compact.
February 1st, 2010 @ 8:18 am
i have an LCP but i havent put enough rounds through it to say anything conclusive
February 1st, 2010 @ 8:24 am
The largest compact I would carry is the Walther PPS , The Ideal compact in my opinion is the Kahr pm9 , the LCP is lame.
Nice reviews Nutn.
LCP
February 1st, 2010 @ 9:01 am
I’ve been EDCC a sig P230 for 14 yrs. It’s only 14 rds (2 mags) but it’s been enough so far.
February 1st, 2010 @ 9:32 am
I purchased a Tarus PT709 Slim 9mm that I love! Hundreds of rounds through it and no issues….19 oz. without the mag….great, affordable concealed
February 1st, 2010 @ 10:25 am
I tend to agree with Nutnfancy here. I think that the “compact” guns will work for conceal carry as a primary duty gun for an undercover cop or such. I carry my Glock 19 very frequently (at least in legal zones), but that’s borderline big. I’m looking at a Kel Tec PF9 to be my EDC. The Glock isn’t unmanageable thanks to it’s low profile form and light weight, but I have to be careful when leaning over and such to as not to print, and I carry IWB.
February 1st, 2010 @ 11:00 am
Did sig say it is a thin gun? Did they compare it to a glock in size? I know it is your opinion, but coming from knowing people who carry that gun every single day without a problem some of the critiques seem like a joke. It is compact compared to the 226. And sig shooters know what to expect from a compact sig as far as weight and size. If you want a glock buy a glock. They call the 229 compact because in their line of products it is compact. To sig it is compact.
February 1st, 2010 @ 11:39 am
lol we use the sig p228 as a open carry in the army
February 1st, 2010 @ 12:23 pm
i think they should reclassify gun sizes, full, MID-SIZED, compact, and subcompact
February 1st, 2010 @ 12:26 pm
Most of the “compact” examples you gave were sub-compacts. Other than that great vid, I prefer my sig p232 for cc use.
February 1st, 2010 @ 12:50 pm
I’d like to point out that you hit the nail on the head with Group Think. It’s a real term and a real situation that crops up in all sorts of places. I learned about Group Think in Psychology 101 and we did exercises on how easy it is to fall victim to it in a large group where people don’t want to go against the consensus of the group.
February 1st, 2010 @ 1:32 pm
Whats up nutnfancy, great gun review as usual. I am thinking about getting a Walther P99 AS. There are not a lot a reviews of this gun and would love if you could do one. Thanks in advance. Keep up the good work!
February 1st, 2010 @ 2:13 pm
I would like a gun that carries with about 10 round in the clip and i can conceal it. wat do you recommend? I live in jamaica
February 1st, 2010 @ 2:19 pm
A lot of people like what I call a compromise gun, something small enough to conceal but prominent and large enough to be a great holster gun on the strong side or a crossdraw. Also the P228 and similar sized roscoes make GREAT on and off duty primary guns, slap it on a sam brown for on duty, then slip it into a shoulder holster and throw on a button up shirt (with a loud print to draw away the eyes from any printing, always my advice) over it, or a coat in winter when you go off duty
February 1st, 2010 @ 2:29 pm
damn i’ve seen some nutnfancy videos before, but this must be one of the best reviews i’ve seen so far! i’m a small guy(5′ 7″) with small hands… and if i were to ever own a pistol, it’d be the sigg mentioned here.
February 1st, 2010 @ 3:00 pm
i cant say for sig or hk but i think they made there compact gun’s for the miltary … so there mag’s can go from there full size gun to there compact gun… which im geussing the compact one is there backup backup gun .. idk i cant say for sure
February 1st, 2010 @ 3:41 pm
this guy is awsome, dude sounds like the mr rogers of guns,lol…..
February 1st, 2010 @ 3:53 pm
Very informative, good recommendations for CCW.