Concealment in hot weather begins with small handguns - Lethal: Force

Shooting Industry, May, 2003

Think of the customers who have told you, "I need someI thing really small and light that I can carry in hot weather."

You and I take carrying guns very seriously. That's why we invest in holsters that ride inside the waistband, and wear clothing that's one-size-larger-than-needed to permit carrying big guns in hot weather.

However, a great many of your customers, probably the majority, are not going to discomfort themselves to accommodate optimum firepower. Still, you have a responsibility to sell them a firearm that will work reasonably well for self-defense.

Palm-Size Guns

The miniature revolvers of North American Arms have saved lives. I know of five specific cases. Admittedly, in three of the five cases, the predators were frightened away by the bark of the small revolver.

In two cases, the tiny revolver was a decisive stopper. In one, the rape victim pressed her baby revolver into the center of the attacker's chest and fired. That dropped the assailant like a rock. He was dead at scene. In the other, the male victim pressed his .22 Magnum NAA into the assailant's left chest and fired.

The attacker staggered back and fell, dead. These single-action mini-revolvers can get the job done, but they can be difficult to manipulate under stress. A small .25 or .22 Long Rifle pocket auto like the Beretta Model 21, or the Taurus PT-22 or PT-25 is faster to deploy, more accurate, more functional and carries more rounds.

That said, the bigger the caliber, the larger the likelihood of surviving. Seecamp popularized the .25-size pocket auto in .32 ACP. It remains a quick seller if you can get them in stock.

North American Arms' rendition of the same concept is always a good seller to those who want a very small semi-auto pistol. These Guardian pistols are available in .32, .380 and the new .32 NAA cartridge.

Beretta's Tomcat is slightly larger, and is a good-selling small .32 Auto. Perhaps the best seller of all is the Kel-Tec P32. Incredibly light at under 7 ounces unloaded, wafer thin, and generally reliable in function, it has the lowest price point of all. The only thing that slows the P-32's sales these days is gun-magazine readers are holding off to see how Kel-Tec's new, almost-as-small .380 works.

The .380 auto has been a good-selling, concealed-carry pistol for 90-some years due to its thin profile. In addition to the Kel-Tec and the NAA Guardian, consider offering the always accurate and wellmade SIG P232, and the f a m o u s Walther. The improved Walther has an extended grip tang that keeps the slide from slicing the web of the hanc., a problem inherent with older models.