Best concealable handgun?

Question

I'am courently looking for a handgun that would be good for putting on a belt or ankle, without having people stare at it if i walk into a store( like they do when i have my buck knife on my side). also it must be good for hunting i.e putting a deer or coyote down(if my shotgun didn't kill it) without being to loud or hard hitting( going through it). it would be used for self defense too (i'm not really worried about stopping power because i know a bullet would stop me but nothing less then a .25acp) also shooting wet/underwater would be nice. im thinking about going with the Taurus Model PT25, i dont want a kel-tec or a revolver.

Answer 1

glock 27

Answer 2

Personally for what you described I would suggest a revolver.  I personally have a small Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver.  Plenty of stopping power and easy to conceal.

Also on thing people don't consider about automatics is the magazines.  The rounds are pushed up into the chamber by the spring in the magazine.  By keeping it loaded with rounds and continually reusing the same magazine the spring loses it's strength.  Which can cause the gun to jam or it not even feed the next round, really bad if you need the gun for self defense.  Revolvers never have this problem and are basically always read to go.  There's also less chance of an accidental discharge.

Shooting underwater should be avoided as much as possible, most guns are just not designed to work underwater, not to mention it greatly cuts down on the stopping power.

If you must get an automatic I would suggest maybe a Glock 23 (.40 S&W) or a Glock 30 (.45 ACP)

Answer 3

Friend, I think you are looking for the best of all worlds, which doesn't exist.  First, no semi-auto will fire underwater, and few revolvers will do it.  Water is to dense, and frankly, I can't think of any reason you'd need to shoot underwater anyhow.  All guns will work wet; it's the ammo you need to worry about.  Most modern factory loaded ammo will fire after being exposed to water, but don't expect that you can soak your ammo and leave it lying around for weeks and it still be good.  

Next, stopping power is a bit of a myth.  It's a matter of physics.  For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  If a bullet was actually powerful enough to knock you on your butt, the energy required to push it that fast would put the shooter on their butt as well.  It's about shot placement.  Also, no small caliber handgun round is going to put down a deer.  I have known people who hunt with a handgun, and they use a full-size .44 Mag revolver or larger caliber.

Loudness.  All guns are loud.  Period.  Granted, a .44 Mag is louder than a .22, but this is really a moot point.

Now, we are to the issue of concealment. Some guns are easier to conceal than others due to their size and design.  Guns with hard edges and corners, such as a Glock, are much harder to conceal.  Snub-nose revolvers are fairly easy to conceal.  Some smaller semi-autos, such as a Walther PPK, are slim and fairly easy to conceal on the waist, but harder to wear on the ankle due to the grip and magazine sticking out.  Best advice there is to just try different ones and see what works.  

Now, the PT25.  It is a well-made gun, and decent for self-defense if you understand its limitations.  You can forget using it to take down game.  It isn't powerful enough.  You MIGHT be able to take down a coyote with it, but it would have to be a perfect shot or enough to scare the thing away.  The .25 is also limited on its ability to be a good self-defense gun.  It is a very small and low energy round.  Short of hitting the aorta or some other major artery, you aren't going to cause serious injury enough to stop someone in their tracks.  Frankly, folks consider that a "belly gun" or one that you get right up to the person, push the barrel into the assailant's belly, and unload.  The goal is to cause enough pain and shock to stop the attacker.  

I tried virtually every small handgun out there when I was a cop, and I returned to the j-frame revolver.  It's reliable, easy to conceal, and reasonably powerful.  You can even get it in a .357 Mag.  If you have a total aversion to a wheelgun, which I think is a bad idea since they really do offer the total package in back-up or concealed carry, I wouldn't look at anything smaller than a 9mm based on your list of wants.  In fact, I would really encourage you to take a look at a .40 S&W caliber handgun.  Kahr, Glock, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Taurus, Springfield, and others, all make good compact pistols in this caliber.

Overall, you aren't going to get all that you are looking for in a .25 caliber.

Answer 4

I've found that my Walther PPK-S is great as a secondary weapon AND off-duty weapon.

It can be easily concealed almost anywhere and great for self-protection.

Maintenance is easy as well!

I also carry the Glock Model 27 which is somewhat larger yet still easily concealable!