Let me make a quick distinction: Some auto pistols (like those made by Glock and Kahr) have no exposed hammer and are fired by simply pulling the trigger. However, these pistols can't discharge until the slide has first been manually cycled to chamber a round and cock the action. Firing follow-up shots has the same effect--as the slide cycles under recoil, it automatically recocks the action. This makes for a relatively light, consistent, easily managed trigger pull. True double-action pistols and revolvers aren't cocked before firing--the action cocks as your finger hauls back the trigger. True double-action triggers have longer, heavier pulls that are more difficult to manage.

Ken Turner demonstrates the Model 340's nasty kick.

My next selection was a Kahr PM9--a 9mm pistol weighing only 16 ounces and compact enough to disappear inside the pocket of my jeans. I liked the idea of simple "pocket carry"--no muss, no fuss and nothing bulky stuffed inside your waistband. To facilitate this kind of carrying, De Santis offers the Nemisis, a soft, ambidextrous holster that fits handily inside a front or rear trouser pocket. In addition to holding the pistol securely, it disguises the Kahr's outline. This wallet-shaped holster remains inside your pocket, so it doesn't slow your draw.

Like the Glock 36, the Kahr PM9 has no side-mounted external safeties; these are strictly point-and-shoot pistols. While the Kahr sports no manual safety of any kind, the Glock has its famous Safe-Action trigger. An insert in the trigger face must be depressed--along with the trigger itself--before the gun will fire.

I've always liked revolvers, so I added Smith & Wesson's Model 340 to the mix. Combining a scandium-alloy frame with a titanium cylinder makes this the lightest .357 Magnum I know of. My sample tipped the scales at a hair over 11 ounces. Lacking an external hammer, this is a true double-action handgun. At 61?4 inches long and 4 1/4 inches tall, it's also extremely compact. The barrel is barely 17?8 inches long. Like the Model 60 that inspired it, the Model 340 sports a five-shot cylinder.

Model Comparison
Model	Caliber	Magazine Capacity	Trigger Action	Barrel Length	Overall Length	Height	Width	Weight
Glock 36	.45 ACP	6	DA	3 5/8 in.	6 3/4 in.	4 1/2 in.	1.10 ins.	22.4 ins.
Kahr PM9	9mm	6	DA	3 in.	5 1/4 in.	4 in.	0.91 in.	16 oz.
NAA Guardian	.380 ACP	6	True DA	2 1/2 in.	4 1/2 in.	3 5/8 in.	0.91 in.	18.4 oz.
Kimber Compact Aluminum*	.45 ACP	7	SA	4 in.	7 5/8 in.	4 3/4 in.	1.26 in.	28 oz.
S&W Model 60	.38 Spl./.357 Mag.	5	SA/DA	2 1/8 in.	6 9/16 in.	4 3/4 in.	1.30 ins.	22.4 oz.
S&W Model 340	.38 Spl./.357 Mag.	5	True DA	1 7/8 in.	6 1/4 in.	4 1/4 in.	1.30 in.	11.2 oz.
*Corresponds to Pro Carry II

Theoretically, an 11-ounce centerfire revolver like this would be the ideal "carry all day" gun. Weighing bare ounces this side of nothing, it hardly makes its presence felt. However, I've fired featherweight magnums before and knew there was a price to pay. I wasn't sure I'd be able to control this gun's recoil with full-house .357 Magnum loads.

With this in mind, I also asked S&W to send me a classic Model 60. This stainless steel revolver weighed exactly twice as much as the Model 340, making it twice as noticeable on your hip. Its 21?8-inch barrel was also slightly longer.

This Fobus paddle holster can be quickly attached to, or removed from the belt.

Short barrels mean reduced velocities. With the effects of recoil in mind, I wondered how much punch you'd actually lose by switching from .357 Magnum to .38 Special ammo in these bobbed-barrel revolvers. The chronograph showed 125-grain .38 Special +P loads exiting the Model 60's muzzle at an average velocity of 844 fps. That translated into 198 ft-lbs of energy. Shooting 125-grain .357 Magnum loads through the same gun delivered 1,103 fps and 338 ft-lbs. That's 30 percent greater velocity and a whopping 70 percent more energy. No question--magnums were clearly the way to go.

The two S&W revolvers and the NAA auto pistol sported bare-bones aiming equipment. The Kimber and Glock .45s and the 9mm Kahr wore better sights that were drift-adjustable for windage and far easier to see.

To put these guns through their paces, I met Ken Turner, a lifelong friend and shooting companion, at my improvised desert range. Because the guns were designed for self-defense, we didn't bother with 25-yard targets. Instead we placed Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C combat-style targets seven yards downrange. This is considered the maximum practical distance for close encounters of the defensive kind. Instead of using a sandbagged rest, we simply gripped the guns in a firm, two-hand hold, then stood and shot.